Ariana and her sister exchange looks and after a second, willingly comply. They both sink low into their beds as Pratt and Mae take seats on the ground against the wall, the five of us waiting in silence. I’m not sure how much time has passed before the boys saunter back in, utterly exhausted. Reid piles in first, and then Tucker, Jace, Booker and Werzo, all about to fall over.
“Where were you guys?” I jump to my feet.
“Helping clear out the queen’s chambers,” Werzo mumbles. “Making room for more people.”
“I thought Clarence said no manual labor?”
Werzo scowls. “He lied.”
“Clear out?” I look at Reid, studying his weary face.
“Qippert needed all her important items moved to a safe place. They want to get people out of the tunnels. Make it less suffocating.”
“Makes sense… but what about the barrels of Dilly?”
“Brought them to Varille’s room.”
“What makes sense is some Hunnis right about now,” Jace plops on the bed, stretching out. Tilting his head toward the princesses, he smiles. “Know of any stashed away in here, by chance?”
Both shake their head, but Ariana answers, “No… sorry.”
He shrugs. “Eh—worth a try.”
“Have they started moving people in there already?” I brush a stray hair from Reid’s sweaty forehead, my heart falling at the sight of his blatant exhaustion.
“Qippert’s on it right now.”
“And Sampson and Clarence?”
“Still out.”
“Want to sit?”
“God, yes,” he falls to the ground, resting his elbows on his knees. His head sinks below his shoulders as he lets out a long breath. “They’re getting crazier out there.”
“But they just ate,” Pratt frowns, “and got Dilly.”
“They want to go home,” he explains in a fatigued huff, “and they’re not getting any better. Everyone around them is sick or dying. It’d drive anyone crazy,” he leans back against the wall with a long tiresome sigh. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do. Quick.”
Tucker, Booker and Werzo take a cue from Reid and plant themselves on the ground. Not more than a few minutes pass when Qippert slides through the door, an anxious expression on his face.
“Sampson and Clarence have returned.”
“Did they find it?” I’m the first one to ask.
“Not sure… but they are on their way,” he frowns, scanning the room. “Where is Queen Ravan?”
“She went to find the chancellor. Left maybe… twenty minutes ago?”
Anger flashes briefly, but he wipes it clean. “I will go find her. Please,” he implores, “everyone stay here.” And with that, Qippert is gone again.
“Someone’s mad…” Pratt mutters.
“Why’d she leave?” Reid massages his arms.
“Wanted to talk to Chancellor Keller about the Gorgen. She doesn’t want us going after it.”
Sampson enters, followed by Clarence, Chancellor Keller, Queen Ravan and Qippert. Deep in bickering conversation already, Clarence exhales with annoyance.
“There’s nothing we can really do about it. We’re running on limited resources…”
“I do not want him sneaking around—”
“Look, your Majesty, I get it,” Clarence spins to her, obviously frustrated as Qippert quickly shuts the door behind them. “But we cannot search the entire city while your people sit here dying.”
She pauses, her face a mask of surprise and fury. “You think I am unaware of what is happening with my people? They are already in great peril. I cannot risk their safety further knowing some lunatic is running around…”
“What happened?” Reid jumps to his feet, the question directed at Sampson.
He sighs deeply. “Perio is gone.”
“What do you mean gone?” I’m right behind Reid.
“He’s not in his cell.”
“How can that be? It’s—it’s a cell.”
“Must have escaped.”
“With the healing bud, so,” Clarence sighs with annoyance, “that’s off the table.”
“How could he have escaped?” Pratt asks, joining Reid and I.
“And what about the others?” I ask, cutting off the response to her question. “The rest of the Muskos?”
“Gone as well, along with all the captured Vermix,” he inhales, running his hands down his face. “When we went to the prison, it was empty. I don’t know how they escaped, but they did, which means all the Muskos and Vermix are loose somewhere in the city. The Vermix probably fled back to Dellapalania, but the Muskos…”
Silence.
“But we’ll know if the they leave,” I look to the queen and chancellor. “Right?”
“And where would they go?” Queen Ravan frowns. “I do not know how I let this happen to my people,” she falls to the bed’s edge, her focus lost in the distant. “How did I let this happen?” she whispers to herself.
“Mother…it is…” Ariana exhales deeply, “not your fault…”
“We will…” Sansa gulps a heavy breath, “find him…”
“Your Majesty,” Sampson kneels before the queen, “if I may, spend some time here with your daughters and the chancellor. We shall do a final round of distribution for the night and tomorrow,” he inhales sharply, “we’ll try for the straight Dilly.”
She goes to protest but Sampson quiets her. “Your job is to remain strong for your people. Let me worry about this. All will be fine. Fallon,” he turns to me. “I need your help in a final round of distribution. Mae, Pratt? Would you mind?”
We stand and head for the door. After an exhausted breath, Reid starts up after us. I think he’s going to close the door, but when it’s obvious he’s intent on coming with, I spin to stop him.
“No. You’re staying here.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want you out there without protection.”
“You’re about to fall down. Hey,” I lower my voice, stepping closer, trying to keep it just between the two of us. “Stay here. Rest. We’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I’ll go with you.”
“Reid.”
“The quicker we do this, the quicker we’ll be done. Rogues?” he glances around, meeting their exhausted faces as they stand without hesitation at his request. “One more round.”
“Where’re the bags?” Tucker asks.
“The attendants have them,” Clarence says. “Mallup will meet you in the main hall with four more.”
“Same pairs as earlier!” Pratt exclaims, running to my side. “We work well together, don’t you think?”
I offer her a smile. “Alright, one more round and we’re back here. Okay?”
After everyone agrees, we file out and head for the Great Hall where Mallup and the other attendants wait to hand out the bags. Pratt takes ours, already walking away, but I slow, watching as Tucker and Reid reach for theirs next. Mallup swiftly jets to the side of the Rogue Leader, positioning herself next to Reid. Already jabbering away, she smiles too sweetly and brushes a lock of long, rose-colored hair behind her ear.
I watch the interaction, Pratt grasping my wrist. “He won’t.”
“But she will.”
“Not if she knows what’s good for her.”
Forcing myself to look away, I make for our end of the room, where we distributed the food and Dilly the entire day. Pratt is behind me and we set to work as quickly as possible. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can retire back to our room and be away from everyone.
We’re through half of our bag when I glance up to check on Reid. He’s with Tucker and, much to my heated horror, joined by Mallup. She’s barely a foot away from him and steadily inching closer. Tucker is distracted by conversation with another attendant, unaware of Reid’s flirtatious company.
“What?” Pratt follows my gaze once she realizes I’ve stopped.
Taking a deep breath, I remind myself not to ov
erreact. He hasn’t done anything and they’re only talking—for now. I’m not going to make a scene over nothing, especially when there are more important matters at hand. She just better keep her hands to herself.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” I ask, holding the bag open.
Pratt reaches in and scoops free a handful of the green weed. Offering it to a graying couple on the floor, she says without missing a beat, “How you’re going to kick her ass if she touches him.”
I laugh, letting the comment fill me with relief.
But then, Mallup’s high-pitched giggling ripples through the morose Hall, igniting the raging fire within. Glancing over again, I find her inching closer to Reid, and it takes everything I have not to cross the room and yank her back by her rose-colored locks. Instead, I focus on keeping my feet planted. “And if he’s not? They seem rather chummy to me.”
Pratt follows my stare with a scowl. “She can want his dick all she wants, but she’s not getting it.”
“Pratt!” I nearly drop the bag.
“What?”
“Where did that come from?”
“What?”
Still trying to compose myself from her statement, I lower my voice and lean in, “Where did you learn how to speak like that?”
“That?” she winces. “That was nothing.”
“Boy…” I take a breath, shaking my head as I move down to the next group of Mybyncians on the floor. “The Rogues must’ve done a job on you.”
“Wasn’t the Rogues,” she follows. “I’ve been talking like this before Harrizel.”
The question I’ve been dying to ask her suddenly reemerges. But is it the right time? With the way events are going, we might not have another quiet moment between us. Besides, we’re on the topic. “Pratt,” I clear my throat, “what uh… what happened before Harrizel?”
Without looking at me, she offers a bowlful of Dilly to a gray-skinned miyon on the ground. “Why?”
“You don’t have to tell me. I’m just… curious.”
A long, solid minute passes before she finally answers. “Lived in a foster home.”
“How long were you there?”
“That one?”
Her question takes me off guard. “How many have you lived in?”
“Enough.”
“The last one, then,” I shuffle along, looking at her over my shoulder. “How long were you there?”
“Seven months. One before two years and before that, nineteen days.”
“Nineteen days?” I stop with a gasp.
She nods, handing out another dosage of Dilly. “Me and the others—we didn’t get our own clothes. Had to share everything...”
“How many of you were there?”
“Seven.”
“Seven!” I gasp again.
“They weren’t even the worst. I don’t remember much… but there was this one woman who always smelled like smoke. She was nice to me… but when her husband would come home…” Pratt trails off with a distant look of horror in her eyes. She passes me to hand out more Dilly to another couple against the wall.
What has Pratt gone through?
“What about your last home?” I hope to bring her back around. “The seven months?”
She shakes her head, her eyes downcast. She’s not going to elaborate and with that expression, I don’t expect her to. But still, something’s pushing me to ask. I need to know what got her here; what ended that life for her?
“You’re a five percent like me…” I gulp, terrified of what she’s going to say. “What… what happened when Clarence found you?”
“I was hit by a car,” she’s tightlipped like I’ve never seen.
For some reason I don’t expect this. In fact, it’s the last thing I think I’m going to hear. Obviously Pratt wants to change the subject but I need to know the whole truth. “How—”
“I was running away.”
It takes a minute to process what she’s told me—all of it. How can anyone so young have endured so much already? And that was before Harrizel, before joining the Rogues and playing such a cruel game of life and death with the Vermix. It’s understandable now how someone like her was able to meld in with such a crowd. She’s more durable than most, even if she didn’t realize it at the time.
I want to comfort her but I doubt she’s the kind to take it well. She’d see it as a sign of weakness and that’s the last thing I want. But I have to do something. To acknowledge what she’s said, to know how much I feel for her, for all she’s been through.
I drop the bag and throw an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close. She stiffens as I hold her in a tight squeeze against me. When I release her, she doesn’t say anything, but simply picks up the bag and keeps going.
We work our way toward the bottom of the Dilly sack when she finally speaks again. “And you?”
“Hmm?”
“What happened with you? When Clarence found you?”
I open my mouth but shut it again. It sounds terrible, but I try not to think of Granny Ruth… at least in that final moment. It was the last thing I saw before I felt the most incredible pain in the world. And all the light went out. Truth is… I’m not really sure what happened. I found Granny Ruth dead, endured a mind numbing agony… and then Clarence was reviving me. I need to ask him. I need to know what really happened.
“I don’t know,” I mumble, meaning it. “Someone attacked me.”
“Who?”
“Didn’t get a look.”
“Did you ask Clarence?” she finally catches my eye.
“I’m thinking about it…” I move down the wall, nearly to the end of our section. “Not sure it’s the right time to ask.”
“I’d ask as soon as I got my memories back,” she shrugs. “It’s your right to know.”
I’m about to respond when I feel someone behind me. A mayan or miyon demanding more Dilly? Turning, I find Reid less than a foot away, a small, sweet smirk in place.
“Mind if we talk?”
“We need to finish the bag,” I gesture to the handful of Mybyncians left.
“We’re almost done,” Pratt takes the bag from me. “I’ll finish up and meet you back at the room.”
“Have Tucker or one of the others walk you back,” I say over my shoulder. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she nods, already moving down the wall and scooping out the remaining handfuls of the Dilly.
Reid leans in closer. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
He reads my face, a sudden frown emerging. “What’s wrong?”
“You having a good time?”
His brows sink further. “What do you mean?”
“Something had to be funny with all that giggling.”
His adorable smirk works itself back into place, igniting the familiar fire within. Nodding, he runs his tongue over his bottom lip as he glances back toward Tucker still in conversation with the attendants, a sour-faced Mallup watching us with an intense glare.
“Come here,” he takes my face in his hands, sliding them down my neck as he pulls my lips to his. I’m lit up, everything else fading away at his touch. Gently pulling back, he mumbles against my mouth, “I wanted her to see this.”
“What?”
“That I’m yours.”
“Good,” I whisper back as he lightly kisses me again. I close my eyes, lost in this moment of heat and heartbeats and the heavy aching growing within me.
Finally, Reid slowly withdraws, his hands dropping from my neck. “Maybe she’ll get the hint now.”
“She wasn’t before?”
He shakes his head with a grin. “She’s very persistent.”
“So you came over and kissed me?”
He shrugs. “Said there was something I had to do.”
“Well…” I bite my lip, trying to suppress my growing smile, “feel free to remind her anytime.”
“Oh…” Reid leans in, gently kissing my cheek before moving his mouth to my ear. “I plan on it.”
“Boss…” Jace clears his throat as Reid spins towards him. “Sampson wants a word.”
“Everyone or just me?”
“For now, just you.”
“The others finished with their bags?”
“Think so… Booker and Werzo are just about done.” Jace leans in, lowering his voice. “It’s, uh, sort of urgent.”
“Everything okay?” Reid narrows his eyes, slipping his hand in mine as he scans the Great Hall. “Where’s Pratt?”
“Tucker already took her back to the room. Mae too.”
“What’s going on?”
Jace shrugs. “Just asked I come grab you for a minute. You go—I’ll stay with Fallon.”
Hesitant, Reid looks at me. “I’ll be right back. Stay with Jace.”
Once he’s gone, I turn to the blonde Rogue. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” he looks after Reid. “Hopefully Boss will have some information for us when he gets back.”
“What about Booker and Werzo? Tucker? Do they know?”
Jace simply shrugs. “I know what you know.”
“Did it sound bad? When Sampson asked you to get Reid?”
“Not bad… just anxious. Like it needed to happen quickly.”
A long minute passes before Reid returns, his face a hardened mask. His intense expression turns a knot in my stomach.
“What?” I ask before Jace has a chance to.
Glancing around, Reid lowers his voice, leaning in. “We need to head back and get some sleep. We’re leaving in a few hours. Before the others wake up.”
“What do you mean others?”
“The queen,” he locks eyes with me. “She’s forbidden the mission to get the straight Dilly.”
“What?”
Reid turns to Jace. “Have Booker and Werzo head back to the room now. We’ll get around four hours of sleep. Five tops. I’ll wake everyone, but have them keep their Enidds nearby and ready. Cool?”
“On it, Boss.”
“And Pratt and Mae?” I ask once Jace is gone.
Reid shakes his head. “Just the Rogues this round. And Sampson, Clarence and Qippert.”
“I’m going.”
“Of course you are,” he sighs. “I couldn’t get you to stay if I tried. Stay close to me,” he leans in with the same look of authority he uses on the Rogues. “I mean it. Don’t venture away or try to—”
Plague of Mybyncia Page 21