A Light From the Ashes

by Rachel Anne Cox

  Sam stood knee deep in the deep green sea of beans, bending, snapping, and plunking them into the bucket he carried with him. Sophie knew his back would be sore later. She’d have to remember to bring the bottle of liniment to rub on him that night. As she walked toward him, she felt the warm, damp soil caress her toes. She loved being barefoot; it was her preferred state.

  “Sam, I brought you some water.”

  Wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm, he stopped what he was doing. He gratefully took the glass from her. Drinking it in one large gulp. “How’d he take the news?”

  “Better than I would have expected. Like the little man he is.”

  “He’s a strong kid. He’ll be alright.”

  “Will he? He’s had a lot of shocks lately. I’m not sure how much more he can take.”

  “He can take it, Sophie. Trust me. It’s not what any of us wanted, but he’ll survive. Like we did.”

  “Maybe so. Listen, I’ve got to go look for my necklace I lost.”

  “You really think you’re going to find it?”

  “Maybe not, but I’ve got to try.”

  “Where are your shoes?”

  “Not going to wear them. Better for sneaking.” Sophie tried to laugh unsuccessfully.

  “Let me go with you.”

  “No, it’s dangerous enough with only one person. I’ll try to be quick.”

  “Why do you have to do this? No one’s going to find it, and even if they do, they have no way of connecting it to you.”

  “That’s not why I’m going. It was Laurie’s necklace. It’s all I have left of my family.”

  “So you’re risking your own life and what you have with this family?”

  “That’s not fair, Sam.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s the truth. Laurie isn’t here anymore. But Ethan and I still are. We can only protect and fight for the ones that are still alive. We can’t recapture what is gone.”

  Sophie took the glass back from him and turned to leave. There were no words she could say in response.

  “Sophie, wait.”

  “I’ll be back later,” she called over her shoulder.

  * * * * *

  There were two guards at each station who walked the Border fence from one station to the middle point between stations. Sophie knew from watching them many times that a guard passed the middle point every ten minutes, and the stations were never left unattended.

  She approached the fence silently, every position of her feet a slow, silent settling in the earth beneath. Hiding in the hanging vines of an aged tree, she waited for the guards to pass so she could time herself at the fence from the time of their arrival to the time of their return. Her ears tuned into every sound around her, cataloguing them as normal nature sounds or perking up to any unexpected noise. Every lift of the breeze seemed to portend an approaching threat. Finally, she saw them. One guard, then two. They nodded to each other, turned, and walked back along the paths they just marched. She had ten minutes to look near the fence for her necklace.

  She moved quickly and silently. She knew the green of the necklace would blend in with the underbrush. Her hands moved swiftly through the leaves. Maybe Sam had been right that this was a useless undertaking. She still saw movement everywhere, and every sound startled her, but she continued looking, counting silently in her head. Seven more minutes.

  But then something did move on the other side of the fence. Or maybe she just imagined it. Leaves rustled and something darted from behind a tree. Frantic panting and wheezing. It wasn’t an animal, but a person. There was a woman running for the fence.

  Sophie watched her approach, fighting the urge to grab at the fence, knowing it was useless to try to get the woman through without wire cutters. The woman’s hair was long and would have been red if it had been clean, a shade lighter than Sophie’s own hair. Her face was streaked with smoke, and for the first time, Sophie smelled the burning air.

  “I knew it was you. I hoped you’d come back,” the woman spoke between gasped breaths.

  “Do I know you?” Sophie tried to see through the dirt and smoke to the woman’s features underneath.

  “It’s me, Sophie. It’s Laurie.”

  Sophie couldn’t stifle her cry but covered her mouth in the attempt.

  “I found my necklace the other night here by the fence and knew it must have been you that dropped it. And then I knew you’d come back for it, and you did.”

  Sophie’s tears were blocking her words. She couldn’t bring her thoughts into focus. “Laurie,” was all she could whisper.

  “We don’t have a lot of time.” Laurie looked around, listening and almost sniffing the air to sense if the Corsairs were near.

  “What’s happened to you, Laurie? Were you in a fire?”

  “The Corsairs burn everything they come across, buildings, people. It doesn’t matter to them. They just light it up. They found where I’d been living.”

  “I’m going to get you out. I thought you were dead. Laurie, they told me you were dead.” Sophie couldn’t stop her tears. She reached through the fence, grasping her sister’s hand.

  “There’s no way out. They’ll catch you.”

  “No, I’ve crossed the Border before. I can do it again. Listen, you stay close to here. I’ll come back. I’ll cut the fence. We’ll get you out. I promise.”

  “Soldiers will be coming back. You have to go now.”

  “I don’t want to leave you again.”

  “No choice.”

  “I’ll be back. I swear, Laurie. I won’t lose you again.”

  “Corsairs,” Laurie hissed. She heard them approaching before Sophie did. “Run.” Laurie pulled away from the fence, leaving the necklace in her sister’s outstretched hand.

  Sophie could hear nothing but the pounding of her heart in her ears. But she ran anyway. Ran away from the fence, away from her regret and the shame she felt over having left her sister. Ran toward the only comfort she knew. Sam.

  * * * * *

  Listening only absently to Simeon, Kyle stood at attention but noticed the leaves on the ground. Always before, Kyle gloried in the autumn, loved the smell in the air as it cooled, and the crunch of the brown and golden leaves beneath his feet. It had been his favorite time of year when he lived in the woods. Not to mention that it was easier to hear an enemy approaching. The leaves formed a sort of alarm system. A gift of nature. But these leaves were different; their green and supple bodies should have been clinging to life on the branch, but instead they sacrificed themselves before they’d even lost the green in their veins.

  “Once I convince that weak-minded president this is the only way, we’ll have to move quickly before the information is leaked to the Watch. Timing will be everything. I’m relying on you to now be the calming force. Are you listening to me?” Simeon struck the whip against the back of Kyle’s legs.

  “Yes, sir. Couldn’t we just send them to work camps away from the influence of the Watch? Surely, there’s a way to save some of them.” Kyle fought the urge to rub the back of his sore legs, remaining at attention in the general’s presence.

  “Are you questioning me? So I still haven’t convinced you I know what’s best for these people.”

  “Sir, that’s not what I mean. I didn’t mean to question . . .”

  “Silence. When will you understand? The land must be cleansed. We’ve tried the tactic before of separating the children from the influence of their rebel parents. And they still grew into another generation of rebels. It only takes one to spread the poison to the others. One spark alone can start a blazing fire. That’s what I must make the president understand. As for you, you’ll do as you’re told. One tiny spark. That’s all it takes, my boy. Remember that. Now, you have your orders. Take care of that little problem in the Watch we talked about. Beyond that, calm the others. Deny any possibility of a Corsair attack. Let them know everything we do is for their own good.”

  “That’s the truth, isn’t it?�
��

  “Of course it is.”

  * * * * *

  Tower was nervous. He’d asked Foxglove to meet him at the cave behind the waterfall, knowing he had sensitive information to give her. So the most serious precautions had to be taken. Very little sunlight filtered through the thick trees, which bristled in the wind, constantly making Tower look over his shoulder. Every movement, every broken twig could be a Corsair moving closer. But then he told himself he was just being paranoid. Just up over the step stones and he’d be in the cave. He hoped Foxglove wouldn’t keep him waiting long.

  Was that just a branch rustling in the wind behind him, or did it sound more like real movement? An animal, maybe. Tower threw a quick look over his shoulder before scrambling up over the slippery rocks. Just a few more yards.

  That branch definitely broke behind him. It couldn’t be the wind. He saw no animal. No movement. Wishing for more light in the woods, he took one last look around before entering the cave.

  * * * * *

  The smell of smoke pricked Kyle’s nose. He could expect more of that in the coming weeks as the weather turned colder. Although it did seem early in the day for it. He walked the familiar road to his thinking place. How often in the past days had he passed by it, hoping to find Mark there? He knew it was a fruitless hope. He’d sent Mark away, and he knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t return to the place where their last meeting had happened. Maybe he’d even ask for a transfer to get away from Kyle. But Kyle knew none of that really mattered now. Not with the job ahead of him, and not with what he’d just done on Simeon’s orders.

  Yet despite everything, he longed to see Mark and couldn’t wipe the longing away with all of his rational or logical thought. He wished he could talk over his thoughts about his father with Mark. Simeon was gearing up for a major push against the Watch and using Kyle to help him. He wondered how much Mark knew. Even with Mark leaking information to the Watch, Kyle questioned how much of it was true and how much of it was made up to further his father’s plans. How he wished he and Mark could be on the same side again.

  Kyle pushed through the overgrown bushes and weeds, thankful he had on his Corsair boots, knee high and a protection from the thorns he was swimming in. He squinted against the fiery sun backlighting the shadowed trees ahead. But as the smell of smoke grew stronger, he realized the orange behind the trees was not the sunset, but fire. The house was on fire.

  Running the rest of the way, he felt the heat burst upon him as he neared the house. It had gone up like kindling, completely engulfed. The roar and blaze overwhelmed him, making him turn his face away. And then he saw it. A horse with a Corsair saddle was tied up in the trees behind the house. The mount snorted and neighed, trying desperately to free himself and bolt from the fire. But where was his master? Where was the soldier who had left him there?

  “Mark! Mark!” Kyle screamed, hoarse and coughing in the choking smoke. “Mark! Where are you?”

  He ran to the back of the house, hoping to find a way in. He could be in there. Mark could be inside the inferno.

  “Mark!” he called again, tears streaking down his blackened face.

  He moved to start pulling at the flame-licked timbers, the dripping ash falling like red and orange raindrops around him.

  “Kyle?! Kyle, stop! What are you doing?”

  Kyle turned to see Mark standing in wet clothes behind him.

  “I found it like this. I thought maybe . . . maybe you’d done it yourself. So I went for water, but it was no use. God, I’m glad to see you.”

  Kyle flung himself at Mark, clutching him in a fearful embrace. His soot-covered hands on the sides of his face, kissing his mouth, not thinking anything except how glad he was that Mark was still alive.

  “I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead,” the words escaped through his sobs.

  “It’s alright. I’m alright. Come on, let’s get away from these flames.”

  Mark took the reins of his horse and walked with one hand in Kyle’s and one hand trying to steady the animal. They went down to the river, neither of them speaking until the sound of the rushing stream drowned out the sound of the flames in their ears.

  Both men threw water on their faces from the river, washing away the smoke and the tears.

  “I thought they’d killed you,” Kyle finally said when he could speak again.

  “Who?”

  “The Watch.”

  “This isn’t something the Watch would do. It’s not one of their tactics.”

  “They could change their tactics.”

  “Think about it, Kyle. Who do you know who uses fire as his weapon of choice?”

  “No! The Watch could have done this to trick us.”

  “To what purpose?”

  “How should I know? To turn me against my own comrades.”

  “And who knows about this place besides the two of us?”

  “I didn’t think anyone knew about it.”

  “And who has the resources to have you followed and the motive to frighten or punish you?”

  “I know what you’re saying, and you’re wrong. My father wouldn’t do this to me. Especially when I’ve been carrying out his orders.”

  “What do you mean? What have you done?”

  “We can’t talk about this, Mark. I’m glad you’re okay. But our situation hasn’t changed.”

  “Kyle, please try to reconsider. Just think about things logically. Remember your parents. He burned your house then. And he’s done it again. He follows the same pattern. He’s as predictable as he claims everyone else is. And far more cruel.”

  “I can’t. I can’t do this. It’s too late.”

  “Kyle. Kyle!”

  But Kyle was gone before he could hear Mark calling after him. As he walked away, Kyle closed his eyes, losing himself again in the smoke caught beneath leaves above his head. Leaves that would soon be on the ground, leaving empty and reaching branches behind.

  * * * * *

  A strip of orange leaves lit by the sun infiltrated into the gray-green forest like a visitor. The sun was setting, and Gemma would soon be surrounded by darkness. She had to move fast to get to the cave where Tower was waiting.

  As she hurried, she thought of Kyle. They hadn’t really talked in days. Something was off with him, but she didn’t know how to get through to him. She thought of her life before Kyle. The hollow rooms and emptiness she felt with Sam gone. She had fallen into a void and a loneliness not even Zacharias could pull her out of. She never told anyone, but she had actually thought of taking her own life in those years without Sam. It had all seemed so pointless without him. She would sit in her room with the very revolver she carried now in her tunic, spinning the empty cylinder holding only one bullet. She never could bring herself to pull the trigger. Fear and a sense of responsibility for Daisy stayed her hand. However much she loved the child, though, she knew that relationship could never be enough.

  Then Kyle came back, and everything changed. She’d felt really needed again. He hadn’t shared with her what his life had been like in the Corsairs. It wasn’t hers to know. And she hadn’t told him about her depression before his return. They both trafficked in secrets and hidden stories yet clung together in the midst of it all. And there they were in the swirling mass of lies and missed connections. She had no idea if they could truly ever make it work between them.

  As she got nearer the cave, something in the air made her slow her pace. Something didn’t smell or feel right, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She had learned to trust her instincts, so she stepped lightly. Tower was vague in his message to her requesting the meeting, but she sensed he had word on who the spy was. Gemma tried to figure out what felt different about the area of the woods around the cave. Then she realized the birds weren’t making any noise. The forest was almost silent. Not a sound but the breeze stirred around her. She looked up through the boulders to the hanging vines of kudzu and broken branches in front of the cave. Just off
to the left among the trees, the joints and curves of the branches looked almost like human limbs. She took another step up and looked again. They were human limbs. Tower was hanging from a rope in one of the trees. His eyes were open, almost staring at her. His face blue with strangulation. His whole body seemed twisted and unnatural. As her mind fought against the image she was seeing, an unbidden scream started to rise in her.

  As the sound was tearing through her throat, a hand covered her mouth, and impossibly strong arms pulled her away to another part of the forest. Movement of her arms and upper body was completely futile, but she kicked her legs fiercely in the air. It was several minutes before they stopped and she was set upon the ground. Falling against a tree, she was finally able to look into the face of her captor.

  Sam.

  Through blurred eyes, she locked her gaze on him, not wanting to accept the thoughts that raced through her mind. In a second, she had her revolver in her hand, pointing the shaking barrel at him.

  “Whoa. Hang on, Gemma. It’s me. Put the gun down.”

  “I know it’s you! Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you didn’t do this. I want to be wrong. Please just tell me I’m wrong!”

  “You’ve got to get control of yourself and try to be quiet. The assassin could still be around. That’s why I had to take you away like that.”

  “How do I know you’re not the assassin?”

  “Why would I have tried to keep you quiet if I was? Why would I have come out of hiding at all?”

  “I don’t know. Nothing makes any sense anymore. Just please, if you ever loved me, tell me you’re not the spy. Tell me and make me believe you.” Gemma talked through broken sobs. She didn’t know if she could shoot Sam. But she didn’t know if she could believe him, either.

  “Of course I’m not the spy.”

  “But you knew about the mission. And now you’re here.”

  “I told you how I knew about the mission. And I’m here because . . .” Sam didn’t want to finish his sentence. He felt suddenly exposed.