He frowned. “Just Regalis and I have two cousins.”
“That’s nice. I have over twenty cousins.”
He grinned. “I’ll bet family get-togethers are loud.”
I laughed. “They are, and we can never all fit in one house. Usually, we meet outside.”
“I’ll bet.” He chuckled.
I couldn’t believe I was having a normal conversation with an Elite. Not just any Elite, a House of Draven Heir. A handsome heir who also seemed kind and compassionate, and was helping me bring food to my family and community.
We navigated the alleyways together, and then I passed a familiar face.
“Hey Laura, bring an empty plate and fork to my house. We are having a feast! Spread the news,” I told Laura Appleton as she peered at us cautiously, holding a dented tin teacup in her hand.
She grinned then. “Alright, Brynn. Thanks.” She ducked back into her house and shouted the news to her family.
Cassian winced and leaned into me, lowering his voice. “We only have enough to feed about a hundred people, by my guess.”
I nodded. “We know how to ration. The adults will forgo having anything until the children and elderly eat first.”
Tears built in Cassian’s eyes, and his bottom lip shook.
I shifted uncomfortably on the balls of my feet, aware that he’d probably never had to confront hunger in his entire life. Probably didn’t even know how to ration.
He turned away from me, wiping at his eyes, and then pulled the hand wagon from the back of the carriage. After loading up all the food, plus my two plates, we made our way to my house. It was a zigzag through the northern corner of my neighborhood, and we had to carry the wagon over a few puddles. As we passed, people began to step out of their homes, plate and fork in hand. Word traveled fast in the Dregs.
“Hi, Molly!” I called to a little girl who attended school with one of my sisters.
“Hi, Brynn! Why is an Elite here? Did you steal all that food?” She tapped one of the glass dishes with herfork, eyes wide as she stared at the mashed potatoes trapped inside.
I smiled. “This is my friend Cassian, and we didn’t steal anything. It’s his food and he wants to share it.”
“You can call me Cass,” Cassian said beside me, eyes darting everywhere, from the curtains hanging in place of solid doors, to the muddy, shoeless feet of the children, to the fork clutched between Molly’s small, dirty fingers.
He peered behind us, and I followed his gaze. Hundreds of people were calmly and orderly following each other to the clearing in front of my house. It’s where we had birthdays and town meetings and everything you could think of. Just a huge lot full of weeds, and some old chairs to sit on if you were lucky enough to claim one first.
“I hadn’t expected you to share this with everyone… I thought it would be for your family only,” Cassian whispered.
“We share what we can to help others, and we don’t have an icebox, so this would go bad with just my family, even though there are thirteen of us.”
His eyes widened. “Thirteen?”
“Not including cousins and aunts and all that. Yeah.”
“Brynn!” yelled my six-year-old sister, Isla, in a high-pitched shriek, diving in for a hug. I laughed,squeezing her tightly as she peered at all the food with wide eyes.
“Hey, I heard you’re in the trials now! Good for you, Brynn!” Mrs. Dantley said as she passed me.
Oh great. Word was already spreading about that? I guessed it was only a matter of time. Probably better for my safety that my people knew and supported me.
“Thanks,” I told her, as neighbors began to drag out their dining tables and chairs.
“Is someone getting married?” Mrs. Griosh asked. She was ninety-seven and not all there upstairs.
“No, ma’am, just a feast of gratitude,” I said, glancing at Cassian.
He looked like he was on the verge of tears. He looked shocked.
