I return to Josh, who asks, “Ready for dinner?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
The sun is slowly setting, coloring the cloudless sky in orange and purple. We make our way toward the mayor’s house, where I’m staying for the time being. I find myself appreciating Buck’s company and guidance, although we once tried to kill each other. He knows of different mutant clans around Colorado, some hostile and some that might be open to talk. He promised to join me when I officially start reaching out to potential allies. Dino and the Assembly wish to prevent another situation where mutants seek to conquer, and since we’re not about to go randomly hunting out of fear, we’re going to try to offer peace and security instead.
There’s a campfire in front of the mayor’s house, with Finn, River and Timothy sitting around it. I can smell the roasting meat from afar, and it makes my stomach grumble.
River’s hair is back to being red, so he can finally stop acting like dyeing it was the end of the world. Timothy’s head won’t ever look like before, but he doesn’t seem to mind. I sit next to Finn, both of us facing the dancing flames. “Can we talk?” I ask quietly.
Before he can answer, River says, “Josh and Nanny Spider, come help me with the rest of the food.”
I nod my thanks, and the three of them walk inside.
“What’s up?” Finn asks and slides a bit closer, his shoulder resting against mine. I can smell the traces of soap in his hair, mixed with the scent of burning wood.
I struggle to speak. After everything he risked to find me, I feel like I’m about to betray him. I let out a long breath and say, “I had a talk with Dino a few days ago. He wants me to—”
“—stay here and work for the Assembly. I know.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
That makes things easier, though he seems more nonchalant than I expected. “Are you okay with that?”
He shrugs. “It will take some getting used to, but it makes sense for me to go out on diplomatic missions from here. Most Free Cities are closer to Florence than they are to Unity.”
“What are you talking about?I’mstaying in Florence.”
“And so am I. You think I went through all this trouble just to end up alone in the Hive? I’ll stay here between trips, and some delegations will come over. There’s one from Blue Moon that’s supposed to be arriving next week.”
I rub my face, taking it all in. He might act like it’s not a big deal, but I know what the Hive means to him, and how hard he fought to find a place there. “You love Unity.”
“I also love fresh air and sex with you, so I’m going to be just fine in Florence.”
I can challenge him further, but I trust him to do what’s right for him. I lean down to nibble on his earlobe. “Sex with me or fresh air… which one’s better?”
“Sex with you in the fresh air.”
“You really are a diplomat.”
The rest return shortly after, with River holding a pie. I can smell every ingredient, which is also something I should learn to control before it gets annoying. Buck joins us as well, sitting on the other side of the fire. I have more in common with him now than I do with most people. If he minds us taking over his house, he doesn’t show it.
“Both of us are staying here,” I tell Josh as he sits close by. “Sneaky Finn is also stationed here.”
“And sneaky Timothy as well,” Timothy says.
I nod. “Didn’t think otherwise.”
Josh crosses his legs, looking thoughtful. I remember the conversation we had back in High Hope, when he mentioned wishing to settle down, but he worried about River’s reaction. I can see in his eyes that he wants to bring it up now, but it’s River who ends up saying, “If everybody is staying here, we should stay too, Josh.”
His eyes go wide. “You want to stay?”
“Yes, but we must have a house to ourselves with a big garden. Buck can find us one.”
“I can?”
“Yes. Be polite. I’ll return the favor when I’m the king of Florence.”
