This conversation was a tightrope walk on the edge between rational and foolhardy.
Don’t look down.
“You’ll be disappointed,” I said. “I’m not all that interesting.”
His unpleasant smile sharpened, teeth flashing like a blade. “We will see. For now, I have other business to finish.”
It was a dismissal, and I had no desire to stick around. I hurried out of Docksiders and braced myself against the outer wall of the building.
That could have gone better.
My objective was completed, but if that could be considered a success I’d hate to experience a failure. Yeshar might believe Nikolach was talking, but his reminder that he’d be watching me closely if we both made it into Voyager training hadn’t escaped me. My bloodied finger ached, a reminder that I’d overestimated myself, and likely made my life harder for attempting clever subterfuge.
Although, if Yeshar suspected I’d narced about his dust operation, taking a finger was better than killing me. It was preferable to what I expected from Nikolach.
Time wasn’t on my side, and I still had to walk home. An hour had slipped by while I was inside.
Pushing away from the wall, I put one foot in front of the other, heading into the dense fronds of jungle that separated Docksiders from my family home.
A swarm of beetles larger than my fist chirped their wings, their iridescent shells making rainbows of light reflect onto the bark of the nearby trees and carnivorous flowers. The hum from insects and rustling of leaves joined me on my journey, sandy dirt squishing beneath my boots.
I hoped I’d never have to come back here again.
A churning in my gut told me not to trust an emotion as fragile as hope.
Chapter 2
Managing a Meal with Manners
My family’s house was strangely quiet when I arrived.
Coconut fiber twine clung to the teak beams that latticed the porch with greedy fingers. Palm fronds were mixed with twisted twigs into a drowsy slump of a roof, the watertight resin seal gleaming in the golden hues of sunset’s first gasp. Mucilage peeked out between the smaller stones that comprised the house’s walls like morsels of food caught between teeth. A cracked pot of well-tended berries still rested on the porch. Out of my sister’s bedroom window, a strange man crawled out.
Well, that’s new.
He was entirely focused on whispering through the opened window to Nessa, up until she slid it closed and he turned and noticed me. Shock spread across his face before he gave me a conspirator’s smile and raised a single finger to his lips, dashing away.
I shook myself out of my stupor, approaching the front door. The breeze carried the faint aroma of fish and herbs to mynose. Mama had made dinner.
Opening the door, I wasn't expecting the sight that greeted me.
Mama hadn't just cooked dinner. She'd made a feast, sprinkled with several dishes I had never tried. And many I disliked.
Everfin fish with mayapa marinade and roasted vegetables were laid out in a display that took up the full length of the dining room table. There was a full rainbow of tropical fruit with coconut dipping sauce. At the end of the table was the largest taro and sunberry pie I'd ever seen. It was enough food to feed everyone in our family for multiple weeks.
They had to have saved up for months to afford all this. Even if these weren’t my favorite foods, this was more food than I’d ever seen at once.
Papa’s Medic supplies cluttered every flat surface besides the table, sparse decorations interspersed like tiny treasures. I trailed my fingers over the rough edge of a woven wall hanging Mama had made. The space was well-tended despite the signs of age and wear.
Nessa was the first to notice me–probably having seen me through the window–as she came into the main room from the direction of her bedroom. She had been an older reflection of myself, but time had wedged changes into her that I didn’t possess. She was taller than I remembered, and rounder where I’d become leaner. Her hair was different too, much longer and curlier than it had been before I was imprisoned. But her face was the same, and when she saw me her hazel eyes brightened immediately, barreling toward me for a crushing hug.
“Lisia!” she squeezed me to her like she didn't ever want to let go. And based on the tightening of her arms, maybe she wouldn't. Wrapping my arms around her I hugged her back with equal strength. She glanced behind us to make sure no onewas within earshot before squeezing me closer. Once my ear was pressed up against her mouth, she hissed a whisper at me. “If you tell Mama about him being here, you’re dead to me.” I smothered a smirk.
Mama and Papa weren't far behind, trailing out of the kitchen when they heard the commotion.
Soon I was buried in a layered embrace from my entire family, and the warmth of it, the sheer love was enough to bowl me over.
A happy laugh gushed out, as I rubbed my face on Nessa's shoulder to get rid of any wetness in my eyes.
