Not all those you trust are worthy.
“Get some rest, Thomas.” I brush a piece of his hair from his forehead and wait until he’s asleep to leave.
Before heading to bed, Evren called me for a meeting with Tallulah and Jarek. I sit silently, my eyes bouncing between the three others around me.
My home is gone and there is nothing I can do about it.
Anger pools in my stomach, sharp and acidic, begging for a release. Yet what use is it? It won’t bring Loxley back. It won’t change the fact that Sorin and I were not there when our people needed us most. In a way, I’m grateful for the rage. It takes up so much space, it hardly leaves room for anything else.
Especially sorrow. For that, I have no time. Not yet anyway. Not when so many around me have been through so much worse. I sigh, rubbing my fingers along my temples to soothe the ache. In every story told to me today, it all started the same.
They knew just where to get in.
“They can’t all stay here,” Evren says, snapping me from my haze. “We counted the rations and then we counted them again.” Evren sighs, glancing up at the ceiling.
“Evren.” Tallulah grabs his forearm but he shakes his head anyway.
“The amount of food it will take to feed everyone…” Evren rubs the heel of his palms over his eyes. I hadn’t considered what these last few days must be like for him. All of us invading his home. Threatening the peace he fought so hard for.
“The folk of Loxley are no strangers to working hard,” Jarek says. His hand finds mine under the table, giving it a squeeze, but it does nothing to stop the pain coursing through me, settling into each one of my veins.
“That won’t make the crops grow any better.” Evren lets out a long sigh. “Won’t make more provisions suddenly appear. More animals to hunt.” His weariness shows in his green eyes as he settles back in his chair. “We haven’t been unaffected by this blight. We barely grow enough to feed those who live here and as we head into the cold months…” He scratches at his bearded jaw.
“We can hunt,” I say. Tallulah and Evren glance at me. Jarek’s hand tightens around mine, so I tighten back. “We can garden. Sew. Forge. Heal.” Nerves flutter in my stomach aseveryone’s attention remains locked on me. But I swallow the feeling down and do what I know Sorin would do.
Talk.
“The people of Loxley have made a life for themselves out of nothing. Do you think Agnes or my father had assistance when they fled Valebridge?”
Evren’s jaw tightens but his mouth remains shut.
“They built our village from the ground up,” I say. “Those who found them, the people you are now harboring, are some of the most loyal and hardworking people I have the privilege of knowing.”
Tallulah’s smile catches my eye, but it’s Evren’s frown that pushes me forward.
Make him understand, Sam.
“I’m not saying it will be easy and I can’t imagine the pressure you must feel with the blight.” I release Jarek’s hand, placing both of mine upon the table. “But we have just losteverything.” Thomas’ face replays in my mind. His shattered voice and broken spirit fuel my confidence.
He lost hisparents, for Mother’s-sake, I want to scream.
“Our livestock. Our larders. Our homes and even some of ourpeoplelay in rubble. At the end of the day, are we not fighting for the same justice? Against the king? We’ll pull our weight. We’ll ration whatever food we can. My people will be eternally grateful.Iwill be eternally grateful. And when this is all over, my brother will repay you tenfold. You can mark my words.”
Evren’s eyes shift to Tallulah’s. She nods, their words unspoken but seemingly understood.
“Spoken like a true leader.” Evren’s voice is so quiet I almost miss his words. My skin prickles. I am anything but a leader, I wish to say but bite my tongue instead. “But if the plan in Valebridge goes awry and King Roman finds out it is the Jade Guild who has harbored you?—”
“Then we will be ready.” Jarek stands. “You’re not alone in this fight.” He extends his hand to Evren who takes it. Then, to Tallulah. I do the same, wiping the sweat from my palms before grasping each of theirs.
“All right, then.” Evren pulls Tallulah into his side.
“We’re in this together, now,” she says, not knowing the impact that one little word has on us.
The smellof baked bread wafts through the halls as I pass by Eviey and Letty in the kitchen on my way back to mine and Jarek’s room. Flour is dusted on the counters and over their wrinkled hands.
“You are a menace,” Letty says, throwing her hands in the air.
“It’s only a bit of honey.” Eviey laughs. “A little extra sweet might do everyone some good around here.” Smiling at the familiarity of the forest witches and the baked bread, I leave them to it for the night.
