Juno crouched on her heels for a moment, breathing in deep. Climbing bridges was a whole different exercise than fishing.
“Not so bad, huh?” Maddox hopped to his feet and held out his hand again. “You have to see this view.”
She let him pull her up, and then her breath caught once more. She could see the entire road to the Light District on the bridge and even make out the finer features of the tallest buildings. In the other direction, she caught sight of the sea. She could hear it crashing against parts of the bridge below them.
Maddox stepped to her side, his hand still locked around hers. “It’s nice up here, right?”
She nodded, still blown away by the view and by the tingles she felt all the way to her fingertips.
“No one can touch us up here, but we can see everything.”
Juno pulled in a long breath, the fresh air filling her lungs.
“It’s worth it to take a few minutes to stop and enjoy life.” Maddox squeezed her hand.
She glanced over, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring toward the Dark District, to the place they both came from, living close enough in distance that they could see each other every day if they wanted, but so, so far in every other way.
“Everyone worries about something, Juno,” he murmured. “If they’re not worrying about food or jobs, they’re worrying about money and relationships. There’s always something, no matter where you are. All we can do is make the best of it.”
How did he always seem to know what she was thinking? Maybe it was because he’d thought the same things before. There had to be something more to life than simple survival. And there had to be someone to share it with.
She exhaled as she took in his words, as she relished the feel of his fingers still tight on her own.
And for once, without second thoughts, she shut off her worries and followed his gaze. Maddox was right; no one could touch them up here. She needed to be more like him. To stop and take some moments to enjoy life.
So she did.
Chapter Ten
Maddox
When Maddox returned to his community several hours later, his hair windblown from their venture to the top of Victor Bridge, his mom was waiting at the small table in the main room of their house.
His mind immediately filled with alarm. Usually at this time of day, she was still in the garden or helping out another family with something. His mother rarely sat still.
Her being here meant something was wrong.
He pulled off his satchel, suddenly aware he’d gathered hardly any supplies when he’d gone out. He couldn’t help but look at his mom’s shoes, the same ones she’d always worn. They had a hole in the toe, exposing a sock that was just as shabby.
Damn it. While he’d been joking and laughing and taking a day off of work, his mom had been here keeping busy, maybe even worrying about the other community.
He curled his hands into fists in his lap. But if Theo would stop being so angry, maybe they’d all realize there were other options. They didn’t have to worry like this all the time.
Alice didn’t say anything about how long he’d been gone or his empty bag. She just gestured to the seat across from her with an expression he couldn’t read.
Maddox tried to keep calm, though his whole body went rigid with worry. She must know where he’d gone today, or where he’d gone the other night. She knew he’d been lying.
At least Theo wasn’t here. That would make things worse.
He tugged the crate closer to the table and sat down. She slid a cup of water toward him, and he accepted it gratefully. Between him and Juno, they’d used up the rest of her canteen.
He’d walked her to her border and watched as she steered clear of the two guards who were keeping watch then vanished inside her community. She was gone faster than he would have liked, but she’d glanced back once with a wave.
“Theo told me,” Alice said.
Maddox almost choked on the water. Told her what? Had he found out about the missing supplies?
“I don’t, uh…” He focused his eyes on the lip of the cup, hunting for an answer. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“He told me he told you about your father.”
His shoulders drooped in relief. “Oh. Right.”
More like Theo had yelled at him and tried to make him feel like an ass for something he didn’t know he’d done wrong, but he’d go with this version for now.
“I should have told you,” she said softly.
Maddox studied her in the dim lighting of the room. Her eyes looked more tired than usual, and her hands twisted together on top of the table.
When she noticed him looking, she pulled her hands apart and tucked them in her lap. “I should have talked to you before. I thought maybe you’d forgotten, and I thought… Well, I thought it was better that way.”
“Forgotten what?”
He swore he saw her lip tremble. “That you were there that day. When your father died.”
Maddox froze. “I was?”
“See? You didn’t remember. You were so young. I thought if I didn’t bring it up again, you’d forget. Or maybe you’d already forgotten. I thought it was the best thing for you. And you never asked about the beach and why it was off-limits, so I thought maybe it was better I never said anything.”
“You never said the beach was off-limits, either,” Maddox said, his voice rough.
“It was an unspoken agreement between me and a few others who were there at the time. Since then, no one really goes over there. It was just…too hard.”
Maddox nodded. He could see that now. And that’s how it had always been. Everyone steered clear of the beach, and it didn’t seem to matter that they weren’t taking advantage of another source of food. It made sense now. Especially why his mom never talked about it. She wasn’t just protecting herself and her memories—she was protecting him.
Alice sighed, twisting her fingers together in her lap this time. “They were fighting over food, over how to split up rations. Things were scary back then, just after they shut down all the warehouses and the electricity went off.”
“You mean all the lights?”
“Yes. When you were a baby, every single home and business around here had lights throughout. We had food, we had shelter, we even had a little extra money. Theo probably remembers, but you…”
Maddox leaned in on the crate, dozens of questions filling his head. He had no idea what life had been like, since he’d been a kid back then. He only knew how life was now, and he was used to it. Comfortable with it, even.
But lights…and food and shelter all the time? Money? He barely ever heard the word anymore. He assumed they still used it in the Light District, but here they measured wealth in food, supplies, and happiness—wherever they could find it.
“What was it like? Have you been to the Light District?” he asked.
Alice nodded. “When I was younger, I lived there. We didn’t have a lot of money, but it was home.” She gave a small smile. “We even had air conditioning.”
He must have given her a blank look, because her smile broadened.
“It’s a way to cool down your house. It made things nice—comfortable. Even with it so hot outside, we could go in and it felt like a cool summer night. I remember when they took that luxury away. It started costing too much. There were just too many people. Everyone was coming over from a place they used to call the States. It was so crowded when I was little. Everyone thought it was better here because we got more rain, because it wasn’t as hot. But it changed fast, and soon we were kicked out of our own home.” She shrugged. “There were people who had more money who could live there. And we didn’t mind moving out here, even without the air conditioning. It meant we still had a home.”
Her face went stony and she shrugged again. “Then the government shut us out. Completely. No more going over the bridge and no more walking or driving through to the Light Side.”
“That
must have been hard.”
“It was at first, but we got used to that way of life and did what we had to do to get by. We all had rough times, but it was even harder when we started to struggle to find food. Over by the bridge, there were still people who could trade in the Light District, but your dad wanted to stay closer to the water. Closer to home.” She looked around the space. “It was the last thing we had, and we didn’t want to uproot you and Theo. We’re lucky no one tried to take it from us.”
Maddox tried to picture how their house used to look. Maybe the room he and Theo shared was full of furniture or toys. The kitchen probably always had food in it. Maybe they’d even had other distractions—ways to entertain themselves.
“We all managed to get along for a while. We would fish and catch crab. We’d scavenge closer to the bridge and up the coast. We tried to make it work. To share and live together. But one time your dad came back with a pretty big haul. We were trying to figure out how to split it fairly when one of the members of the other community got upset.”
“Upset?”
Alice sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, looking even more tired than she had before. “He had a big family—four kids. But so did some members of our community. He said he deserved a larger share. Your dad tried to talk to him, to reason with him, but he didn’t want to hear it. When the other man pulled out his knife…” Alice dropped her eyes to the table, either to avoid his gaze or because she was picturing the scene and didn’t want to see it anymore. “It was chaos. Several people were hurt, including your dad. Things were…tense for a while after that, but we came to an agreement pretty fast. We stay on our side of the road and they stay on their side.”
“But…” Maddox shook his head. He didn’t understand how they could just cut each other off like that. “Did people have to choose? Friends? Families?”
“Both. I had a friend—one I’d known since school. But…she lived over by the water and—it just made sense for us to stop speaking.”
He thought of Juno, wondering how much of this story she knew. If someone told him right this moment he’d never see her again, would he be able to turn his back and forget about her?
“Do you miss her?” he asked.
She swallowed and bowed her head. “Every day.”
“Then…” He shook his head, trying to understand why she didn’t do something about it. Change how things were now. “Why can’t things be different? All that with Dad…it was a long time ago.”
“It was.”
“And—and things are better, right? I mean, not everyone over there can be that bad, can they? They’re just trying to survive, like we are.”
“It’s not that simple,” Alice started.
“But we can make it simple.”
She shook her head, lips pressing together in a frown. “How can we, if they won’t even stick to their end of the bargain?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to stop the panic that had bubbled up. Did she know about the supplies? “Is something else going on?”
Alice stood with a sigh. “It’s not something you need to worry about. Theo and James are handling it.”
He followed her motion, mouth opening before he could think better of it. He usually didn’t question her, but this wasn’t something she could keep from him.
“I need to know,” he said.
Alice turned, meeting his eyes. She studied his face for a long moment before reaching out and touching his cheek. “I’m sorry this is so hard on you.”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. It wasn’t his mom’s fault. But it would be if she didn’t help change the way things were going.
Maddox held her gaze. “Tell me.”
She sighed. “Theo and James caught someone from their side here, across the road.”
His heartbeat picked up. “Who? When—?”
“Not long.”
Juno. That was his first thought. But no—it couldn’t be. He’d walked back with her. There was no way…although she’d been out of sight at least an hour before he got home.
“Who?” he asked again when Alice gave him a curious look. “I mean, were they dangerous? Or—”
“I don’t know. Maddox—what’s wrong?”
“Where are they?” He couldn’t stop the panic. He was already walking to the door, glancing over his shoulder for his mom’s answer.
“In the dining hall. Maddox—”
But he didn’t wait to hear the rest. He raced past houses and into the courtyard. No, no, no…it couldn’t be Juno. She was safe at home, and this was just a misunderstanding.
Maddox burst into the dining hall, skidding to a stop when James and Theo both looked over at him. Another man from their community stood by as well, all three around someone sitting in a chair.
He could tell in an instant it wasn’t Juno. It wasn’t even a girl. It was a man barely a few years older than him. He wore a scowl, and his cheek was bruised.
“What…” Maddox cleared his throat. “What happened?”
Theo folded his arms. “We caught him crossing the road. He was on our side.”
Maddox frowned. “Why?”
“I was just looking for evidence,” the man started.
James slapped him across the face. “Shut up!”
Theo’s eyes lit with amusement, but it faded when he saw Maddox’s face. “What’s wrong?”
He stepped cautiously into the room, trying to think of a lie. A way to get information without sounding suspicious. “I just…I mean, why’d he say he needed evidence? Evidence of what?”
Theo held his gaze for a moment and then finally looked down at the man. He nudged his foot with his boot. “What evidence?” he prodded.
The man looked up to meet Maddox’s gaze. One of his eyes was swollen and red. He could barely open it.
Maddox grimaced, looking away. Maybe they had a good reason. After all, the man had broken the rules and had freely admitted it. But he still couldn’t quell the unease in his stomach. Was this what it had come to?
“Someone came over to our side from yours and slashed our nets. You started this,” he hissed, gaze flicking to James and then Theo. “Your side, not ours.”
James reached out to hit him again, but Maddox stepped forward. “Wait.” The others looked at him like he’d grown another head. “I mean, we saw all their men out there yesterday. Something happened.”
“I wanted to find out who’s been on our side of the border,” the man said.
Maddox’s jaw clenched. Crap. They’d seen him. No wonder they were getting antsy, trying to come here to get answers. It was against the rules, but so was what he’d done. And whoever had crossed the border to cut those nets had done the same thing.
They were both at fault. And this man was just trying to protect his community.
Maddox swallowed and motioned to Theo. His brother frowned but joined him by the door.
“What’s going on with you?” he asked.
“He’s just one guy,” Maddox said. “I think he’s got the point. He shouldn’t have come over here.”
Theo’s frown deepened. “He never should have come. He broke the rules, so now he has to face the consequences.”
“You can’t kill him,” Maddox said quickly, sounding almost desperate. He couldn’t let that happen. “Mom wouldn’t want that.”
Theo gave a harsh laugh. “No, she wouldn’t. But he needs to be taught a lesson. Then we’ll send him back with a message.”
His throat dried. “What message?”
“The next person we see crossing the border is dead.”
Chapter Eleven
Juno
From the cover of darkness, she peered through the window of the boathouse. Every time she thought she saw any movement, she jumped.
Ty had come stumbling into the meeting center early this evening, his face bloody and swollen, hand clutching his ribs. Nearly the entire community stood while he told them about the others across the border and how crazy
they were, how they’d tied him to a chair and knocked him around.
Juno had listened to the entire thing, horrified and heartbroken. Bigger problems between their territories meant bigger problems for her and Maddox. And what about leaving? How could she abandon her people now, when she knew they were in danger?
If something happened to Pillar, she would never forgive herself.
Rand and Stef had ended the meeting with words that chilled her to her very core. The punishment for the next person who stepped into their community would be death.
Which meant she had to warn Maddox. She needed to make sure he stayed far away from her side of the border—far away from her, at least until things calmed down. Until she felt safe leaving her community.
With everyone still distracted, Juno crept to the door of the boathouse. Rand and Stef would punish her for leaving her post if they found out, but they would kill Maddox if he got caught.
She believed he was one of the good guys. He hadn’t stolen her fish. In fact, he’d had supplies stolen from him as well. Something else was going on here, and she and Maddox were caught in the middle.
With the way things were going, she seriously doubted he’d ever be able to unite the communities, but she couldn’t let him get hurt trying.
She eased open the boathouse door, the smell of saltwater hitting her right away. As she stepped out, focused on the beach, she didn’t see the shadow move next to her until it was too late.
A gasp lodged in her lungs when Pillar appeared in front of her.
“Pillar,” she hissed, slumping against the door. “What are you doing here?”
Pillar blinked in surprise. “I was worried about you. Mom said they gave you boathouse duty even though you had it last night, and I know you’ve barely slept. I thought I’d come to see if I could help.”
Juno shook her head while her heart still raced wildly in her chest. This was the trouble with keeping secrets—they got bigger and bigger until everything felt like a betrayal.
“You don’t…I mean…” All the words jumbled in her mouth. The truth. More lies. Excuses. She wasn’t sure what to say.
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