"Okay," Rymar said, turning back so he could clasp the woman's arm. "I'm going to take you to City Hall. You can ride ifyou want, but I'm walking." He paused, shoving a hand over his mouth. "Papa?"
"Yeah?" Ahmek replied, stepping forward.
"I need you to send someone to handle the horses," he said. "Have them bill the city and let them know more are coming. Give them anything they need." Then he looked at Zasen. "We need everyone at City Hall. Doctors, militia, and just everyone. We need to make a plan."
"I can get Jerlis," Rymar's mother offered. "He lives down the street from us."
"Thank you," Rymar told her. "That will help."
"I need to get Wilm," Naomi said pushing in. "Brielle, tell the hospital we have incoming. Jeera, take my grandchild home." Then she looked at Yrena. "How many are coming, and how bad?"
"Two dozen easily," Yrena told her. "These are all bad. Like might not make it sort of bad."
Naomi clasped her arm. "Don't worry. Lorsa will do everything we can."
So I let go of Ayla and moved around them to address our guests. "I'm sorry, but the cookout's cancelled. Our big announcement, in case you haven't noticed? We have made an official family. Rymar, Zasen, and I asked Ayla to be our partner, and she accepted." I gestured to where she was standing. "And now, we have work to do. Please help each other make it back?"
Saveah moved first, shifting over to speak with Brielle. Jeera kissed the baby, but my parents were moving to me. The others were still milling, but I didn't have time for this.
"Congratulations," my dad told me. "Now go do what you need to. I think Pashain and I can close up your house at least."
"Thank you," I told him.
My mom gave me a sad smile. "You deserve a bigger celebration than this, but I like her, Kanik. Ayla is everything you deserve."
"And you finally got a dog," my dad teased. "Now go. We've got this."
Everyone scattered. Rymar took the Reapers. Zasen went to get Drozel. I stayed long enough to make sure my parents knew where to put away the food, and then Ayla and I headed toward City Hall, but there was one big problem with this.
The Reapers needed help; I couldn't help.
My body was barely healed enough to handle the cookout. Walking all the way to the Reaper's camp? It might wear me out. Still, someone would have to go, and from the way Ayla was talking, I knew she intended to be a part of that.
But what would I do? Stay here with Rymar, wondering if they were okay this time? No, that didn't sit well with me at all. I knew I'd be a liability, but I couldn't handle thinking of my partners - because that included Zasen now too - running off and being stupid without me there to hold them back.
"Where are the Reapers?" Ayla asked as we walked.
"East of the Mole compound." I made a little face and hummed, realizing that wasn't quite right. "Half a day past them, maybe less?"
"Oh." She reached down to pet Holly's head. "That's close."
"Too close," I agreed, "but they've offered up the grains and vegetables for generations, it sounds like. In my lifetime, the Moles have never attacked them because of it."
She simply pressed her lips together, mulling that over. I couldn't tell if she was worried, though. Maybe she simply didn't understand what this meant? But Zasen wanted her at this meeting, so I was making sure she got there.
We reached City Hall to find a crowd already forming. The horses were gone, clearly taken to recover from their long journey. Even better, the people were all moving, mostly heading inside. Some were pulling away, likely family members of someone called in to help.
"This way," I told Ayla, aiming for Jerlis's office.
But someone saw us first. "They're in the conference room, Kanik!" That was Tayle, one of the medics.
"Thanks," I said, changing directions.
And "they" meant a lot of people. The two Reapers, of course. The head of the city police was here. The medics, both Drozel and Omden for the militia, and more. I spotted Naomi and the doctor who'd done my surgery, Wilm, known as the Python. And at the back of the room, impossible to miss, were both Jerlis and Rymar.
"Listen up!" Jerlis bellowed, silencing the room. "Take a seat or stand. I don't care which, but I want spokespeople for the militia, medics, doctors, and resources up here."
"And Ayla," Rymar said, gesturing to her. "She's our expert on Moles."
