And Kali… She had found the same love in the rippling water.
It made me dream of creating new memories with them—happy ones. Of the waves crashing over the three of us. Of us spread out on the beach, so sweaty we had to lay on separate blankets to avoid sticking to each other.
Of Kali experiencing her first full-body sunburn.
Of Zion munching on the watermelon we had packed and complaining about the sand clinging to the fruit.
Of me dozing off in the shade, falling asleep to their murmurs and awakening to their squeals.
Of us doing nothing but spending time together.
“KALI!” The familiar screech traveled up to the roof.
I jumped, shoving stray thoughts aside as my senses sharpened on the noise.
“ZION!” Another shout silenced the street, and an ear-shattering slam of the door leading outside the central building pierced the hush.
Zion and Kali leaped up beside me, him automatically reaching for the knife he usually carried strapped to his bicep, and her taking a defensive position.
“GEDEOOON!”
And so, Jayla’s third bellow announced my return to the entire compound.
30
KALI
The grass peeking out of the fissure in the asphalt fluttered, shaking in resistance against the wind threatening to uproot the weed. My shadow hovered over the vegetation a split second before I stomped on the plant, heading for the end of the street.
Dilapidated, on-the-brink-of-collapse dwellings and ruins of houses from the past framed my way from the central square, where Gedeon was giving a speech to our surrounding forests.
Mere hours had passed since Jayla’s outburst of annoyance. Apparently, our friends had knocked on all our bedrooms, torn some hinges off, and when none of us could be found, Jayla’s patience had bubbled over.
Snapped. To the point she’d marched into the street and screamed her lungs off.
She had a good reason, though—Ilasall had attacked us overnight.
Our cattle had been slaughtered, the throats of the young slit, the heads of those past their prime branded with a circular hole, our greenhouses set on fire, the glass shattered to allow oxygen to fuel the blaze, and our sheds protecting the seeds, seedlings, sprouts, and saplings for the next round of sowing incinerated beyond recognition, the ashes unsalvageable.
The city had destroyed our whole food chain in one night.
And with our resources dwindling, the hope would soon begin to as well.
After the winter, the three months harsh enough to sever the life thread of any vegetation, we had resorted to awaiting the late spring/early summer harvests.
No wonder when none of our friends could find us at dawn, Jayla had chosen the route of directness, jumping in before the compound grew aware of what had befallen us, before the discontent could grow.
Except she had inadvertently announced Gedeon’s situation to everyone.
Also, fuck him for leaving us. For making me think I had killed him in cold blood. For tricking Zion into doing his bidding and forcing him to keep the state of Gedeon’s life a secret. For thinking thatI did this for you, I did this to increase your chances of winning, I did this so you would have a united army willing to follow youwas enough of a reason.
Sure, maybe it could’ve been a sufficient explanation in other circumstances, but not in this case.
So the bastard could give his return-to-the-compound speech by himself. I’d refused to attend the meeting at our central square. Listening to his reasoning, him answering everybody’s questions, and his excuses for his extensive absence didn’t sound like something I’d be into.
I’d given him my trust, handed it over on a silver platter, and he’d stomped all over it. Smashed it. Ground it into dust. And shitted on it.
He could deal with the fallout himself. Declare solutions for our sustenance issue on the spot. Divert any accusations alone. Work out how to stretch the dregs of our reserves for the next nine weeks, until the day we’d ambush the city.
