Kyan approached and gave me his hand. I leapt from my perch above. “Finally,” he breathed.
I nodded. “It’s been quite a harvest this year.”
“I’ve never seen the crop produce so much or such big fruit in my life.”
“I know. The apples are enormous.”
He smiled slightly. “Hey, I’ve got to stay. All the leaders do. Why don’t you go home with Laney or hang out with Crew and I’ll catch up with you later.” Laney was busy packing, her ankle still swollen and bruised. She was able to walk but not climb, so her job there was safer and would help her heal more quickly. She giggled with Mary, a girl from Coal, with hair that matched her region’s namesake. It was so black that it looked nearly blue in places. She was a very tall girl, nearly as tall as Kyan, and very pretty. Her lips were pouty and pink. Mary was loud and fun and reminded me a lot of Laney, so the two had become fast friends.
“I’ll be fine, Ky.”
He nodded. He left to meet up with the team leaders, who clapped him on the back and shoulder, and laughed heartily alongside him. He looked light, happy. I hadn’t seen him smile in too long. The past couple of weeks had been hard on everyone. But, that was what made Kyan so great. He never complained.
Crew returned. He’d been partnered with me for the remainder of the harvest. Kyan’s doing, of course, but I was thankful to have met him and to have been able to spend time with him in any capacity.
I ached for his kisses. I just wanted to feel the strength of his lips on mine one more time before he was taken away. As if he could read my thoughts, he clasped his hand in mine and pulled me away. We didn’t speak, but walked together quickly toward our spot. People left the orchards and we passed Paige and her friend Dawn. Both sneered and whispered to one another, but there was no confrontation and for that small reprieve, I was thankful.
We passed a few others, two girls from Wheat and one from Dairy. All were friendly, smiled and greeted us giddily before resuming their conversations of what to wear to the Harvest Festival celebration tomorrow. Laney insisted that I wear the green gown that she’d let me borrow for dinner at the Preston’s. Though I hated even thinking their name, the gown was beautiful and would be perfect. I had nothing else that would remotely be appropriate.
Lulu might have something in her closet, but I hadn’t been able to bring myself to even step foot into her room. I didn’t want to disturb her things. I knew Laney slept in there when she stayed with me, when we thought she was in Olympus, but now that she was gone, I just didn’t want to be the one messing up the way she left things. It was her house after all. Without her there, I felt like an intruder.
Tall hay brushed against my jeans and tickled the tips of my fingers as we cut through a field. My heart pounded in my chest. Anticipation hung thick in the air. I just hoped he wanted the same thing I did. Time with him. Kissing him. Memorizing his face; the curve of his jaw and the strong angle of his nose. The way his lips felt against mine, the pressure of his large hands on the small of my back. We topped the last small knoll and the swans bobbed gently in the water just ahead of us. We didn’t make it to them.
He stopped abruptly and reeled me in. “Tell me I can kiss you,” he whispered against my lips. His breath was sweet and minty and I couldn’t wait to taste him.
“Yes.” I barely got word out before he crashed into me. His lips swept over mine baptizing me in their soft strength. I could feel his tongue brush my lips and parted my own, granting him access. We all but molded to one another.
When we parted, both of us gasped for breath. He pulled me along the trail, past the swans, past the games with decaying teddy bears, beyond the fun house full of contorted images and bad memories, and even further still. We ran by the spot where our bonfire had taken place.
He pulled me quickly, glancing over at me and smiling from time to time. We stopped at what once was a small train station and he backed me against the wooden wall, now rough from age and weather. Our lips and hands quickly found each other again. “I love to feel you against me,” he heatedly whispered, before pushing my hair aside and kissing the spot just under my ear.
It was divine and I couldn’t believe the sound that escaped my throat when he continued down to the spot where my shoulder and neck connect. His hands kept me pushed completely against him, enveloped in all that was Crew. I ran my hands through his sable hair, reveling in its softness against my fingertips. We kissed like this for what seemed like hours before he finally pulled back. Darkness had fallen. His eyes found mine, almost glowing from within, they were so bright and golden.
“We should get back. It’s getting late.”
“I don’t want to leave.” I admitted.
He brushed his lips over mine and the scruff now emerging along his jaw raked lightly along my skin. “I don’t want to leave either.” His eyes locked on my own. I knew he meant more than just leaving here tonight. He didn’t want to leave Orchard. Maybe he didn’t want to leave me. But, the Greaters never asked us what we wanted. Only what we could give them. They didn’t care that Crew and I wanted to be with one another.
It dawned on me. I was falling hard for Crew Cole and I couldn’t let that happen. I stepped back and my fingertips found my lips swollen from his attentions. “I think we should go.”
“Don’t.” He ordered.
“Don’t what?” I stepped back further.
He stepped forward to mitigate my retreat. “Don’t pull away from me. Not now. I don’t know how much longer I have left here. I want to spend it with you.”
I nodded. “I want that, too. I just hate to think of you leaving.” Tears flooded my eyes and then overflowed. I couldn’t help it. I felt so alone in this world and Crew was now the only thing that made me feel remotely human.
“Don’t think of it. We still have tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I tried to smile. He pulled me in for a hug and then clasped my hand within his and we walked back toward my cabin. We found it empty. Kyan, Crew, and I had cleaned it and restored it after it had been ransacked. Crew built and lit the fire, while I lit all of the candles and oil lamps. A few of the candles in wrought iron sconces along the wall needed replaced, so I found the extras and tried to busy myself. I knew he had to leave. The Preston’s and his parents would definitely object to his staying here.
As I lit the last candle along the wall in my bedroom, warm, strong hands fall on my waist and pulled me backwards. My back collided with Crew’s warm chest. He tucked his head into the crook of my shoulder and sighed. The rough stubble along his jaw scratched me deliciously. “I have to go. They’ll know where I am and I don’t want to cause any trouble for you.”
“I know.” I tried to memorize how his arms felt wrapped tightly around me, how his warm breath tickled my ear. His scent. He smelled like spice, exotic and male, even after having worked outside all day in the orchard, he smelled divine.
I spun around, still in his arms and kissed him long and urgently on the lips before releasing him and stepping back. “Go. Before I decide to tie you up and keep you here.”
He grinned. “Maybe I’d like that.”
“You would. Trust me. I would personally see to your comfort and entertainment.” I smirked.
Crew growled, prowling forward, “How am I supposed to leave now?”
I shrugged nonchalantly and smiled at him. “One foot in front of the other.”
His eyes narrowed into tight slits and before he could move, I ran for it, laughing as I sprinted away. His arms caught me as I grasped for front door. Turning me around, Crew pushed me up against the wood. His knee parted mine and we were pressed flush against one another, molded together. He kissed me hard, hungrily before finally releasing me slowly. I wasn’t sure if my bones had turned to mush, but was wobbling on my feet.
He stepped back, shrugged nonchalantly and said, “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” as if nothing had ever happened.
I giggled. “Touché, Crew!”
Laughing, he
jumped off the porch and into the darkness beyond. As he crested the small hill, he yelled, “Kyan is going to check on you soon.”
“He always does.” I yelled back.
I thought I heard him mutter something, but couldn’t make it out as he had disappeared into the obsidian.
∞
FAITHFULLY, AN HOUR LATER, A knock sounded at the door before Kyan eased it open and stepped inside. I’d made a pie on the woodstove yesterday and put some meat and vegetables into a pot leaving it to roast today while I was working. When Crew was here, I didn’t notice any smell other than his spice. But, once he left, I realized how good the house smelled. The rich, smokiness of the cooked meat lingered. We rarely had beef, but with the festival, several cows had been slaughtered and each family was given a small portion as a reward for their hard work during harvest.
Kyan sniffed the air, long and deep and moaned. His hair was wet and shiny. “It smells so good in here. Mom smoked our meat to preserve it. This is so much better. This is how you enjoy a reward.”
“I didn’t get much because it’s just me. So, I thought I’d make a roast. There are more veggies than meat, but it smells good. I made bread.”
He laughed. “You never could eat roast without it.”
Smiling at him I narrowed my eyes. “Shut up.”
“Is that what I think it is?” He eyed the pastry a few feet away, its dough crisscrossing across the top, weaving a pattern of tasty goodness. I grinned in reply. Apple pie was Ky’s favorite. And Lulu planted her own apple tree, so we could have apples of our own. They were nowhere near as big as those in the orchard, but they were sweet, juicy and wonderful for baking.
He moved closer to the pie. I kept my eye on him. “What’s that?” He pointed to the stove.
Nothing was out of place. “What?”
I looked back and caught him. His finger was stuck into one of the lattice holes of my pie. “Kyan! Remove your finger from my pie, right now!” I yelled.
He grinned, took his finger out of the pie and licked it off. “Mmm.” He literally moaned. “Your spices are the best, Abby Blue.”
I ticked my head toward the stove. “Want some roast?”
Kyan chuckled as he pulled two bowls and two glasses from the cupboard. “Did you even have to ask?”
The dinner was like a feast. The meat was so tender it fell apart at the touch of my fork. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. Potatoes, carrots, and cabbage floated happily the beefy broth. We wasted no time devouring the contents of our bowl and then another. As I sliced the pie, Kyan watched me intently.
“Is that drool on your chin?” I teased.
“Probably. You make the best pie in the entire village.” He seemed serious, though I know his mama made pie all the time and everyone liked their own mama’s cooking. I loved Lulu’s pies. She taught me how to make this one.
We ate our slices and talked. He told me about the numbers, the amount of apples harvested was more than any year before. Thousands and thousands of pounds were put onto trains during the harvest and sent to Olympus. He said that some would be sent to big buildings that house all sorts of different food. Residents could go pick out what they wanted to cook and the apples would be offered to them as an option.
Other apples would be sent to the Greater factories where they would be made into applesauce, apple butter, cakes, and pies that the Greaters could buy in the city. Some of those products would be sent to the other Greater cities, too. It seems very complex, but organized.
“I can stay tonight, Abs.”
“No. You need to go home and rest. The festival is tomorrow.”
“I know.” He sounded somber.
“Do you hate that you won’t be getting married tomorrow?”
His rich brown eyes met mine. “Yes.” His answer was so quiet, so unlike Kyan.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come between you and Paige. Maybe you can talk to her, tell her how you feel and work it out before tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t lie to Paige. I didn’t want to marry her. I never did. Our parents pushed us into it.”
“But you said you were upset that you weren’t getting married tomorrow?”
“I am.”
“Okay. I am confused. It’s official.” I pushed my plate away and leaned back in my chair, my stomach holding a very rare full feeling.
He laughed. “I wish I were getting married tomorrow. Just not to Paige Winters.”
He cleared his throat. I hope he isn’t about to say what I think he is. “Abby, I wish with all my heart I could marry tomorrow.” He paused. “I wish I could marry you, tomorrow.”
He said it and now I can feel the air against my widened eyeballs. “Ky—”
“Don’t Abby. Just don’t. I know how you feel. I see how you look at Crew.” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and refused to make eye contact with him.
“You look at Crew the way I look at you.” I finally looked at him. He was staring at me.
“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say.
He shrugged and put another fork full of pie into his mouth. Before he finished chewing, he said, “He’s leaving, you know.”
I nodded. “I know.”
“Soon.”
“I know, Ky.”
“Maybe we can get to know each other better after he’s gone and maybe this time next year we’ll be preparing for our wedding.”
“Ky. I cannot imagine knowing you any better than I already do. You’re my best friend.”
“I don’t want to just be your best friend.” He slapped the table with his open palm. The plates and silverware clang together. I was just as startled.
“I know.”
“I love you, Abby Blue.” He pushed back his chair and crossed the room, pulling the door closed behind him. He loved me. Why couldn’t I bring myself to love him back? The way he needs it.
MY FINGERS PRUNE QUICKLY IN the soapy dishwater. I was like a robot. I stoked the fire and extinguished the candles along the wall and mantle. I scrubbed my body as well as I could without actually bathing and pulled on my flannel pajama pants and a long sleeved light pink t-shirt that matched them. I pulled the covers on my bed up to my neck and drift off to sleep quickly despite the turmoil in my mind. This harvest season has been one that I’d like to forget but know I won’t soon be able to any time soon.
I dreamed that a hand clasped over my mouth. My body thrashed and I tried to scream. Nothing worked. I tried to bite the hand smothering me but couldn’t grasp hold of flesh. An arm held my body still as I was dragged from my bed, kicking. Muffled screams and sobs echoed out into the night, but no one was around to hear me. No one could help me. I begged for my mind to stop this assault, but then I heard it. The distinct sound of horses hooves pounding earth a few feet away. Parched dust assaults my nose and clogs my throat making me cough and gag. This was real. I twisted my head and made out the shiny slash of his scar. Norris. Norris was taking me from my home.
“Scream and I will kill you right here, right now,” he gritted through clenched teeth. I felt sharp, cold metal pressing against my right side. I nodded.
“Get up on the horse.” He lifted me up and I helped maneuver my leg over and sat in the saddle as he mounted, positioning himself behind me. He wrapped one arm around me, digging the knife blade under my rib, and grabbed the reins with his other hand, whipping them harshly. The animal grunted and took off into the night. With every gallop, I could feel the knife cut a little deeper. Cold, wetness seeped into the shirt on my stomach.
“Norris.”
“Shut up! Didn’t I tell you to keep quiet?” he hissed in my ear.
“You’re cutting me.” My voice was frantic and shrill. He looks down to where I pointed and grinned, but pulled the knife blade away from my skin.
“So I did.”
He took me over a trail I’d never seen, far away from the village. He was going to kill me. I wondered this was what he’d done to Lulu. I fought tears ba
ck into my eyes, blinking rapidly. Norris would not get the satisfaction of seeing me cry. He would not see me cower. We traveled through woods, next to a small pond before coming to a clearing. I could see a small cabin ahead, lit candles twinkling in the windows. The glow of a fire within warmed the harsh, black night around it.
Norris hitched his black beast to a post in front of the house. Dread crept into my stomach. This was his cabin. It was so remote. No one would hear me here. No one would find me. As if reading my thoughts, he started to laugh and pulled me off the saddle.
“On the porch,” he ordered.
I obeyed and watched him push a pail of water, and another of oats in front of his horse. “Welcome to my humble abode,” he chuckled, pushing the front door open for me and sweeping his hand forward dramatically.
His cabin wasn’t much different than ours in its layout. But his furnishings were plain and the entire place reeked of cigar smoke. He undoubtedly got those from his boss. No one but Councilmen could afford to smoke. No one else had the time to waste or goods to trade for the cigars or cigarettes.
The kitchen was bare, with the exception of a small wood burning stove and the dishes that were precariously piled in the sink. A small, rusty water pump sat idle beside the sink itself. A luxury. It was lucky to have placed the house so close to a well, or found one so close to the cabin itself. Most people had to carry water from the streams. Even the Preston’s did. Lulu and I were constantly toting water home for drinking, washing laundry or dishes, cooking or cleaning up in the evenings when bathing wasn’t an option.
Across from the small kitchen sat a small square table with two rickety wooden chairs. Coats and shirts were haphazardly thrown over the chair backs. A single wooden rocker was positioned in front of the small fireplace. “Sit.”
Norris motioned toward it. I complied, causing the chair to rock forward and creak in protest. He took his time stacking firewood in the fireplace in front of me before adding the kindling, which consisted of some sort of paper. The cabin was completely silent except for his shuffling around. Even the horse was still. The strike of the match he held caused me to flinch as I wondered what was going to happen to me. I didn’t fear death itself, just what I would have to endure to find the peace that only death could provide. No doubt, if Norris was in control, torture would be but a taste of what I could expect. I recalled the way his eyes lit up as he ripped the flesh off my back. It only took fifteen lashes for him to scrape bone.
Reap (The Harvest Saga Book 1) Page 13
