“We’ll go with you. Make sure you’re safe,” Girard said, then glanced at Hallie, “although we may not come all the way back to Reunion with you.” Hallie wondered what Girard had planned, and made a note to ask him when they had a moment.
“You’ve done plenty,” Donall said to Girard, as if he was going to refuse.
“Honestly, I don’t think we’ve done enough yet. And having a guide to get out of New Hope would be useful,” Girard said.
He was telling the truth, but not all the truth. Hallie knew he could probably find the hidden ways out of the settlement with his tracking magic. Having a guide meant he could use all his senses to keep watch for trouble on the way out, as Hallie planned to do.
“And before I forget, I think this is yours,” Girard said, pulling a book out of his pocket. Hallie recognised it as the neatly written ledger they’d found in the Reunion radio room. He held it out to Nixie. “This was extremely helpful.”
“Thank you.” Nixie took the book and held it close against her chest. She looked up at Girard, doubt and hope on her face. “Did it really help?”
“It really did,” Girard said in a serious tone no one could doubt. Hallie added her own nod and saw a rare, pleased smile bloom on the girl’s face. A little bit of brightness after the awful past days.
“You’ll have a lot more to write when we get home,” Sylvie said, voice choked, giving her daughter another hug and mouthingthank youover her head to Girard and Hallie. She then turned away and in quite a different tone asked the gathered settlers. “Aren’t you ready to go yet?”
As the settlers stirred, ready to leave, Girard crouched in front of Hallie. “You alright?” He kept his voice low, barely audible.
“Fine. Tired. I used a bit of magic to hide us in the street. But I’ll be fine,” Hallie told him, matching his quiet voice.
“I can see if there’s any food around,” Girard said.
“No, please don’t,” Hallie said, and put a hand out, touching his wrist. “They don’t have anything to spare. I’ll survive a while longer.”
“Alright,” he said, although he didn’t sound convinced. He straightened and Hallie got to her feet as someone turned off the oil lantern so the room was plunged into dark, with the only light the faint trace of moonlight through the small windows high on the walls. In the dark and the quiet, Donall led the group out into the night again.
Hallie stayed at the back of the group, not surprised to find she had Girard for company. They didn’t speak as they followed the silent settlers through the still and quiet streets of New Hope. The size of group - ten adults and five children from Reunion, as well as Hallie and Girard - meant that there was no prospect of moving in silence, even though everyone was doing their best to be quiet. As they moved, Hallie saw some movement behind darkened windows in the houses they walked past and braced herself, waiting for one or more of the residents to cry out in discovery or alarm, to alert the gunners that Nicholas’ captives were walking free.
No such cries happened. Instead, as they walked along, a few doors opened and a resident in dull, worn clothes stepped out and handed a packet to one or more of the walking group. Hallie caught the scent of fresh baked bread, a sweeter trace that suggested cake, a more savoury scent that might be a pie. Food. The residents of New Hope were quietly sharing food with the Reunion settlers, giving them provisions for the night and for their journey home. The kindness made Hallie’s eyes sting. It was one thing to bring food to the captives when they were in the town hall, and they could gain access by a side door, out of sight of the guards. This was something different. Every opened door was a risk of discovery if a gunner patrol happened by. It madeHallie wonder just what it would take to have the people of New Hope rise up and overturn Nicholas Rigg. Even as that thought crossed her mind she shook her head. This wasn’t her town. These weren’t her people. She was going to be gone in a few days - assuming she and Girard could survive that long - but the people here had lives to lead here. They had to make decisions for themselves, not because she thought she knew what was best.
By the time they reached the stables Donall had mentioned, every person in the group was carrying at least one packet of food or a bottle of water.
The stables turned out to be much more than a simple barn. Instead, there was a wooden structure in the shape of a U around a small open space. The sides of the building that formed the legs of the U shape were open at the front, reminding Hallie of the workspace at Reunion. The central part was a taller building with a pair of large doors held closed by a heavy wooden beam. Hallie could see the looming bulk of the town wall behind the stables as they approached, stretching in either direction. Donall led them along the outside of the nearest wall.
As Hallie and Girard, still bringing up the rear of the group, crossed into the shadow of the building, she heard another sound. Faint, but unmistakable. Footsteps. Someone was on their way here. More than one person.
Hallie’s pulse quickened. They’d been found. The gunners were on their way.
Chapter eighteen
ShegrippedGirard’swrist,not wanting to speak and cause alarm. He returned the clasp for a moment then moved ahead, catching Donall’s arm, putting a finger to his lips.
The gesture was passed through the group and the Reunion settlers, who had already been quiet, went completely still, everyone pressed into the shadow of the building, seeking whatever shelter they could find.
As she crouched in the shadows, Hallie queried thezauber, asking if it had enough energy to provide more concealment if needed. The artefact stirred, far more sluggish than it had been before, and sent an impression back to Hallie. Willing to help, but only if there was risk to life. It was almost drained again. Hallie sent it a silent thanks, and left it alone for now. She thought she might be able to provide some cover, based on what she and thezauberhad done earlier, but only if absolutely necessary.
For now, she strained to listen as the footsteps grew louder. Crouched next to her, she felt as much as saw Girard move, his hand going to his hip, and freezing as he was reminded - again - that his holster was empty. She could feel the tension in his body as their shoulders touched. They were at the end of the group, so closest to whoever was approaching. Hallie told herself that was a good thing. She and Girard both had some skills in hand-to-hand fighting that could be useful, as well as the extra strength and speed that came with beinghochlen. It might just be enough to protect the settlers.
“What nonsense is this?” A male voice, one that Hallie didn’t recognise, snapped in the night air. The tone was angry, the volume reasonably low, as if the person didn’t want to be easily overheard. For a heart-stopping moment, Hallie wondered if she and the others had been spotted. But there was no note of discovery in the voice, and no one in sight. So the cross words had been directed somewhere else.
“I told you. Somewhere private we can talk and not be seen.” The answering voice made Hallie’s brows lift, trying to reach her hairline. Nicholas Rigg. Even though she’d only met him once, she knew that voice.
From the sounds of the voices and footsteps, Hallie thought that the two men were alone. She wondered just what Nicholas was doing sneaking around after dark in his own town and who he was meeting that he didn’t want to be seen with.
“Let’s get this over with,” the first speaker said.
“In here,” Nicholas answered. More footsteps. A soft click then a creak. A wooden door being opened, Hallie realised, then the footsteps faded away followed by another creak and click. The door shutting behind them.
Hallie turned to meet Girard’s eyes. She was deeply curious about what was going on. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in the direction that Nicholas and the other man had gone,silently asking if Girard wanted to join her. He nodded, a smile tugging one side of his mouth, his eyes bright with his own curiosity.
