“So, what? You’re going to tell us what we’re guilty of?” The man became defensive.
“Sir, please.” Nik leaned forward. “You have no reason to be afraid; that is the truth. We have many, many people here with all sorts of backgrounds. Not all of them are proud of their history. Una and I don’t judge your actions, only your motivation. I know it’s a difficult concept to understand, but our job is to determine if your family will benefit the community or not.”
“And if we don’t?” The woman trembled.
“Then you’re free to leave.” I knelt in front of her. “What has happened to you? Why are you so afraid?” I glanced back at Nik, and he nodded for me to proceed.
Finding the woman’s stare, I asked her the same question Nik had asked me, “Do you allow me to look into your past, present, and future?”
The woman expected her spouse to answer for her.
“I will ask him next.” I turned her chin back toward me. “This is your choice.”
Ino positioned himself between the husband and his wife.
“You will be safe,” I promised, having a strange feeling about this family’s situation.
“I’m scared.”
“This won’t hurt. Just take my hands and breathe,” I whispered.
She took my hands, nodding slightly.
It took a moment for me to relax enough to enter her memories. This family had a decent home, followed all the rules, and became trusting of their neighbors. Unfortunately, they were too trusting, and an older man they knew violated their trust by stealing their daughter’s innocence.
The mother hadn’t walked in on the vile man violating her little girl. She did help dispose of his lifeless body in the river after her husband crushed his skull beyond recognition. Her fear of being implicated in the murder came a distant second to the conviction she felt to protect her daughter. When the Authority started investigating his disappearance, the couple panicked. They left everything behind, traveling and hiding for days.
I opened my eyes, mortified by what I’d seen. The air around me changed. The woman wasn’t afraid of her husband as I initially thought. He wasn’t a demon; he was a hero. I glanced over at the little girl, heartbroken for what happened to her. Children should know the pain of slivers and skinned knees, not a man’s weight and control. No child should ever be burdened by the shame and fear left from another person’s filth. Her family lost everything. The thief had taken everything.
Kneeling there before a broken mother desperate to keep her family safe, I had no words to comfort her. What could be said? Even with the man dead, what transpired could never be undone. They would run from this until the end of their days. The effects of such evil would last generations.
They are Citizens.
I took a moment to think.
How can this be real? Why would someone do that to a child? A Citizen child? Did Scavengers not provide enough opportunity for them to unleash hate? They’re protected, aren’t they?
I wanted to hug her daughter, but fear kept me from touching her. I didn’t want to see her memories. Her mother’s were terrifying enough.
“Nik, I cannot assess him. I’ve seen all I can stomach.”
“If you insist.” He stood, concerned at my reaction.
“Sissy, I swear, this is a safe place.” I hugged her.
“You know what I did?” she whispered.
“Men don’t hurt children; animals do. Animals like him need to be put down.”
She clutched me and sobbed into my shoulder. Confession does that. Holding secrets keeps you captive, and there’s nothing worse than being held against your will.
“You’ve not eaten in days. May I take the children to get something while you and Kayton finish up here?” I asked their mother, handing her a handkerchief Ino found in his pocket. “There’s a kitchen across the common area. Once your assessment is complete, and Nik’s answered all your questions, he’ll lead you there.”
* * *
“What would you like to eat?” I asked the children, who kept checking over their shoulder as if the tent might vanish at any moment. I didn’t blame them. They had just arrived after surviving an unfathomable ordeal, and now a strange woman who made their mother cry tried to make small talk. “Let me introduce you to some of my friends, and then you can pick out whatever you want.”
I gave them both aprons before we walked through the kitchen. Although the staff didn’t expect tourists, they sure acted like they were prepared for them. The woman chopping carrots for the stew cleaned one for each child, but before handing it over, she carved it into a funny-looking brush. She tickled their chins with it, making them giggle, before giving them permission to eat them.
The baker made special rolls in the shape of their initials. “Don’t forget to come back and get them,” he said, sliding them into the brick oven. “I’m not sure they’ll be suitable for anyone else!”
As we discovered the wonders of the kitchen, the kids seemed to relax. They didn’t need me; they needed the attention of these older men and women to distract them from the awfulness they’d been running from. The staff, eager to see smiles on the dusty faces of our newest residents, did all they could to make the kids feel welcome. I had spent a lot of time working side by side with them after the dinner rush but never knew how funny they could be! Soon, Chance and Kasish were helping the crew deliver various ingredients to the cooks and learning how to crack an egg without getting pieces of shell in the bowl.
I had no idea how quickly time had passed until the baker found us and gave the children their custom-made rolls. The kids sat on an empty prep table to finish their special treat until Nik returned with their parents.
“Did you have fun?” their mother asked as one of the cooks brought a bowl full of stew for Sissy and her husband.
The two of them prattled on about the tour and showed off their half-eaten bread. I knew she didn’t quite understand what they were saying, even though she found delight in their excitement.
“Do you need to approve the children?” Kayton asked.
“No, not today.” Nik rubbed Chance’s hair then turned his attention to the little girl. “Is that good?”
“Um-hum.” She nodded.
He patted her shoulder. “You can have all you want.”
“Do they know where to stay?” I asked.
“Oh, right.” He smiled. “I’ll send Ino over here. He’ll show you to your new quarters. We have an area just for families. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it there. Come visit me tomorrow, and I’ll give you your assignments. Welcome to the Resistance.” Nik bowed slightly.
“No, thank you.” The husband hugged him. “We won’t disappoint you, sir.”
“Call me Nik.” I sensed his discomfort. “Eat and get some sleep. We’ll see each other in the morning, I’m sure.” He pulled away and called for me, “Una, are you ready?”
I nodded to him, first wanting to say my goodbyes to the family. “Nice to meet you all.” I smiled and waved to the kids. “See you soon.”
* * *
Back at Nik’s tent, I fell down into one of the guest chairs, emotionally exhausted. “How do you do this every day?”
“Why do you think I’m so glad you’re here?” He sat down in his chair and propped his feet on his desk.
“Thank you for taking their father. I didn’t want to see that memory.”
“People don’t come here because their lives were great out there.”
“I don’t know if I can handle that, Nik.”
Leaning back, he stared up at the ceiling. “I wish there was a way I could have done that without seeing the same scenario from four different perspectives.”
“You assessed the kids?”
He nodded.
“When?”
“In the kitchen. Children are much less guarded. One touch is all it takes. Little ones don’t ever do things for personal gain, so you don’t have to unpack it all. They’re innocent and resilient.” He dug
at something under one of his fingernails. “If Kayton hadn’t killed that man,” he glanced up at me, “I would have sent Lark to do it.”
“Really?”
“Some things are unforgivable; I don’t care what the motivation is.”
Chapter 20
I waited up for Marsh and my other roommates. Not wanting to have dinner with a large crowd of people, I grabbed a bowl of stew and brought it back to our home tent to eat. I felt as if I owed him an apology for not telling him about Hawk, and knowing my brother, he would not hold a grudge against me. Now, if he held one against Hawk, that would be something entirely different.
If Marsh felt guilty about my father’s choice, he shouldn’t. Protecting him was well worth it. Our parents would never knowingly let a child suffer. They would have done anything for each of us. Still do. I bet they would welcome the idea of a place like this. From what I observed, it mirrored the ideals that they raised us with. Fiercely independent, my father would be the one to object if an objection were to be made. Yet, I was curious to invite him and Mother to join us and see what he would say.
I missed them dearly, although I started to feel useful here. Outsiders always treated me like a burden. Within the walls of the Resistance, I had the freedom to learn about my gift and be trained how to use it. While the idea of being a Council Member seemed overwhelming, being considered for such an important role was also a great honor.
We should talk about that soon.
I had no desire to be part of the Council. I still had so much to learn. If I thought it too early, they would probably also.
Ino came back first and stopped at the entrance of the tent. “Hi.” He took off his raincoat nervously.
“Please don’t be weird about this.”
“Weird?” he said, overcompensating to appear normal. “I don’t know what you mean.” He took off his boots and shirt before climbing into his bunk.
“This thing happening, right now.”
“Are you poking around in my mind?”
“No, Ino.” I sighed. “This is why I didn’t want to tell anyone about my meetings with Nik. I won’t sneak into your head, or steal your memories, or predict your future. I don’t even know what I’m doing.”
He propped himself up. “I’ve always wondered; how does it work?”
I overheard Trisk giggling outside. I didn’t answer his question right away, waiting to see if my suspicion was correct. Not a moment later, she and Marsh entered the tent as serious as could be, not a trace of laughter on either of their faces.
“Hey, guys,” she said casually. “What’s going on?”
“Una was just about to tell me how that Seeing thing works,” Ino offered. “She did an assessment today with Nik.”
Trisk handed her rain cloak to Marsh to hang up and hurried to take a seat on the floor next to my bed. She folded her arms on my bunk and rested her chin on top of them. “Yeah, so tell me about that! Wait! Is this why you did so well back at the Authority?”
I shook my head. “First of all, I have very little experience with all of this. Nik is training me. His parents helped him for years. I’m adopted, so I only recently found out myself. Second, sunlight helps it all work, so to answer you, no, I didn’t have any help other than you and Hawk in there.”
“Whoa, the two of you were in prison with Hawk?” Ino sat up, fully engaged in the conversation.
“Shush!” She waved her hand at his insignificant question. “How long have you known about your gift?”
“I found out before my arrest.”
“Incredible.”
“So far, it’s only been confusing.”
“Well, if anyone’s going to train you well, it would be Nik,” she assured me.
“I hate to change the subject,” Marsh interrupted, “but do any of you know who’s going on this trek tomorrow?”
“You mean for the Nobu?” Ino asked. “All of us.”
“Just the four of us?” Marsh asked.
Ino lay back down. “Hainen and Jaki are coming, they told me at dinner.”
I added to the list, “Lark, probably. And Paw. At least, I think he is because they wanted several horses.”
“Won’t it look weird, all of us riding out there?” Marsh asked.
“I think that’s why they’re sending Una.” Trisk shrugged. “So she can warn us if there’s trouble.”
“Well, whatever the plan, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day,” Ino warned.
We agreed with him and all crawled into our beds quickly. I blew out the lantern, and the room went dark.
“Goodnight, Marsh.” I kicked the underside of his bunk.
“‘Night, little sister.”
If all went well, tomorrow night would be spent at home with my family and a few new friends. I hoped my parents wouldn’t mind some unexpected guests. If I knew my mother, she would be ecstatic to see us. She’d make it a great experience no matter what.
* * *
I hoped for a dream, something that would give me an insight to our trip, or better yet a lead on Calish, but I had nothing of the sort. Instead, I had nightmares of an awful man violating a little girl. Although I didn’t see the attack personally, I imagined her little screams echoing off the walls of the modest family house. I must have woken up a hundred times before I gave up and wandered the camp alone in the dark.
I wore my rain cloak, not that I needed it; the clouds were thin and weren’t about to let any of their claim fall tonight. Wandering through the rows and rows of tents, I found myself standing at Nik’s.
As if he knew I was coming, he pulled back the door of his tent and invited me in.
“If you weren’t pregnant, I’d offer you ale.”
“Water is fine.” I plopped down in one of the guest chairs.
Nik poured me some water and set it on the table. “It’s going to get easier.”
“No, it’s not.” Picking up the glass, I studied how the water moved inside.
He poured himself ale. “No, it’s not.” He sat in the chair next to me. “Here’s to the greatest gift of all,” he toasted. “To ignorance.”
“I’ll toast to that.” I laughed and touched my glass to his. I took a sip as he did. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Where is Calish?”
“Una, I can’t—”
“I know it’s wrong to ask, but I can’t see him.”
“It’s not that…”
“I love him, Nik.”
He sat up and stared me in the eyes. “I don’t know where he is. That’s not how this works.”
“Then read my future and tell me what you see, please. Just tell me if he’s in it.”
“No, Una. I won’t. I can’t.” He downed his ale and poured himself another.
“You haven’t seen my future?”
“No.” He set down the pitcher in exchange for his glass.
“What about my Approval?”
“I’ve seen what I needed to; I trust you. I know that you won’t do anything to risk this.” He drank half of his drink. “I’ve seen your past, including what you did at the prison. You have a good heart, and this place needs you. I built it for you…for all of you.”
I didn’t know how to respond.
“I didn’t have to see your future. Honestly, I should thank you for that. Do you know that you’re the only person in this whole place I haven’t seen die?”
“Nik, I’m sorry. I should have never asked. I should have known better.” I let my eyes fall to the glass in my hand.
“It’s fine, Una. Everyone asks about their future, eventually.” He lifted his ale to his lips. “You’ll see.”
“Is that why you separate yourself from the others?”
He nodded. “There are times when our gift should be considered a curse.” He finished his ale, put his cup on the table, and reached for the pitcher again, but I beat him to it.
Whatever he sought to forget tonight would r
eturn in the morning. It served no one to let him turn himself into a drunkard. Ale made things worse, not better. He watched over everyone in the community, but who protected him? Nik meant more to me than I considered. He was more than a mentor; he was a friend, my confidant. In my short time here, he became the only person in the known lands that really knew me.
Nik kept my stare as my hand held his. His tired eyes were a richer, darker brown than I recalled. For a moment, I lost myself in them. With a slight turn of his wrist, he moved his hand so my fingers fell between his, and he rolled them into his palm. Squeezing ever so gently, he caressed the back of my hand with his thumb.
The intimate touch of his hand felt natural, comfortable, even welcomed. Yet I had to wonder, was he already drunk? Was the affection he offered real? Yes, he’d become more than a teacher to me. Had I become more than a student to him?
Nik pulled back and diverted his gaze. “Calish is a lucky man.” He stood up and walked over to the entrance of his tent to dismiss me. “Goodnight, Una.”
A knot formed in my middle with the sudden realization that I’d overstepped his boundaries and stayed longer than I’d been welcomed. No one sent for me; I came here of my own accord. The last thing I wanted was to misrepresent myself or intrude on his personal time, especially if it confused his principles. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I didn’t argue. Did he know what I was thinking coming here? I bid him a quick goodnight as I slipped past him into the darkness. He didn’t need to explain himself to me. Somehow I knew he wasn’t angry. Nik couldn’t answer my questions, nor did he trust his intentions under the spell of his own inebriation. I’d never experienced someone so aware of their actions, sober or otherwise. I hurried away, glancing back to see the door of his tent fall closed, regretting that I’d come.
Chapter 21
Finally, the sun came up over the ridge, and the billowing tone of the wake-up call rolled through the camp. Since I was already up and dressed, I fetched breakfast for our tent. The clouds were not going to be kind to us today; they were moving in so fast and thick it made the morning look more like dusk than dawn. My roommates and I ate on our way to the horse stables next to the entry gates of the camp.
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