Chapter 35 - Cakes and Traps
Tabitha
I never understood the meaning of the word family, and I’ve never considered myself fit for it. Though the one that chose me is the only one I’d ever dreamed of—the one I would die for.
Walking down to the kitchen - occasionally the emergency room - Merya is the first one I cross paths with when she moves away from the open oven, carrying a tray of something sweet-smelling and zesty. “Tabs, just in time. Want some?”
Sitting at the long dining table, the others lift their heads only to honour me with quick nods of acknowledgement before returning to their freshly baked slices of cake.
Mack is about to attack a second slice, but gives me one of his innocent smiles before saying, “Sorry we started without you, but Sable was throwing a tantrum.”
“Hey!” A small, objecting voice comes from under the table, and my heart flutters with joy.
“Thanks for looking after her while I filled in Nik and Lily with the latest. I was surprised they made it here before us. But, given the exchange of news we’ve just had, I understand why they rushed.
I’ll brief you as soon as I can, but first…
” I proceed inside the kitchen and stop to ruffle Mack’s hair before squatting beside him to have a word with the person sitting against one of the table’s legs.
“What did I tell you about eating like a civilised person?”
The most beautiful pair of dark purple eyes I’ve ever seen looks back at me with what is supposed to be the attitude of an upset grown-up. But the overall image of the child sitting on the floor makes me forget why I should be reprimanding her instead of laughing.
“She said she’s working on a plan to defeat the bad people once and for all.
That’s her secret lab,” Merya states solemnly while setting her latest, delicious work of art by a window to cool down.
“I tried very hard to lure her out with an extra slice and hot chocolate, but she’s more stubborn than her mum. ”
She nudges me with her bare foot and points her chin at the kitchen door with a silent question.
“I think she’s still asleep. I let Galen stay with her,” I reply.
“Galen asked if I could take Kris with me. And, by the rush in his voice, I bet he needs to explain a thing or two,” Jyn says, gulping down a tall glass of milk, then slamming a hand on the table, prompting a little cry from Sable.
“I need to go. Lily and Nik asked me if they could get some supplies from my orchard, and some dried meat. Apparently, the numbers in The Mother are growing, but so is their appetite,” he adds, pushing his chair back and brushing cake crumbs from his trousers.
Jyn is the spitting image of a gentle giant. Strong, calloused hands, kind eyes, the strength of ten fighters and a sweet tooth worse than my little Sable.
“Thanks for today, Jyn.” We have our disagreements, but he knows I love him like a brother.
He pats my shoulder on his way out, his fingers tightening as he says, “Don’t mention it, Lorne. Let’s hope she makes the right choice. If she decides to go back to Libera—”
“She won’t,” I reply too quickly, but I need to believe a bit of luck will sprinkle upon us this time.
Years of battles flash behind his eyes when he gently bumps his forehead against mine. “I pray you’re right.”
He waves us goodbye, and I turn my attention to Mack, who’s helping himself to another piece of cake, eating it straight from the tray by the window and blowing on his burnt fingers.
“Fumo, we need to check the perimeter around the woods. Make sure the barriers didn’t suffer any damage after last night. And—you need a shower. Look at the state of your face. Did you remember to get some sleep last night?”
Sitting on the kitchen counter, Mack’s face is a canvas painted with black smears of dirt and sticky spots of syrup.
He rubs his cheek, smiles and gives me a thumbs up while chomping on food, “Yes, Sir. I’ve actually checked the perimeter, the lake and the outskirts while you were all comfortably snoring. Hence, my rough, but still attractive, appearance.”
“You what?” I blink, ignoring the sir.
“Couldn’t sleep last night,” - he shrugs - “I thought I might as well make myself useful.”
I run a hand over my face, “Where do you find the energy—never mind. What about the armoury?”
Mack jumps off the counter, balancing a mug of coffee so well that not even a drop spills.
“That, I can do. I’ve received some explosive supplies I’d like to play with before using them on the field.
Nik kindly offered some of his blood after I told him Lily would surely appreciate his extra help to the cause.
” He winks. “Well, I’m sure she’d say something like that if she knew. ”
Any conversation with Mack could go on for ages, especially if he’s passionate about the subject, but likely for me, a small hand pulls at my trousers. “Can I go with Fumo, mummy, please?”
Sable’s eyes are the only weapon that could seriously damage my heart. She’s built lean and petite despite sharing my blood. But her determination sometimes prevails against me.
Merya steps in, kneeling and pinning back a strand of black hair that’s escaped Sable’s braid, “Why don’t I teach you how to make a trap instead?”
My little earthquake starts jumping up and down, clapping her hands, “Like one of those that makes you dangle from a tree and then…and then…Fumo’s barrier comes up, and you go Bzzz! and then you’re like Ghh!”
When she’s exhausted her repertoire of sounds to explain the picture in her mind, Sable sticks her tongue out, pretending to be electrocuted.
“All right, enough.” I must pretend I still have a say in the matter. I lift Sable in my arms. Her cheeks are flushed with excitement, and her face is covered in cake crumbs when she presses it against mine.
She smacks a sticky kiss on my forehead, “Thanks, mummy. I promise I’ll shower and brush my teeth - all of them - when we’re back.”
In the background, Mack is scraping dirt off his fingernails and giggling at my evident defeat.
“I didn’t agree to anything yet.”
“No worries, Tabs. We’ll prepare just a couple of small ones, big enough for rabbits. And,” Merya holds up a hand before I can speak, “I won’t let her go near the lake.”
I sigh, putting my child down, and bend to flick her nose. “Sable Elpis Lorne, you put one tiny toe in the water, and I take away all your books for a week.” I’d never, but she believes my mother-glare.
She looks at me, squinting her eyes. Something is brewing in her sophisticated brain. She purses her lips, enunciating with the tone of an experienced negotiator, “Will you get me a new book if I don’t touch the water?”
I suck on my teeth and hold her stare. Merya coughs twice as if to gain Sable’s attention, and out of the corner of my eye, I see her shaking her head as if to say You’re pushing it now.
Sable puffs her cheeks, moves back a step, blows me a raspberry and rushes for the door with a trail of giggles.
“Where did I go wrong?” I ask nobody in particular.
To my surprise, Mack approaches, extending a slice of cake towards me. “If I could choose a new mother for myself, that’d be you. I would hug you, you know, but I smell like one of our tunnels. A beautiful, but nevertheless smelly, genius,” he adds, leaving both me and his sister lost for words.
Mack’s innocence is his brand. He can say anything, even the most inappropriate thing, and still come out forgivable and likeable. If we survive this shitty situation Roden forced us into, I will tell him I’d be honoured to have a son like him.
“He’s not wrong, you know,” Merya says, checking her brother over her shoulder before pulling out a chair and gesturing for me to sit. “You’ve checked on us, made sure we’re all fine and well fed; now, please take your time and let us worry about the rest.”
She makes to leave but then stops by the door.
“I was meant to ask you, but Sable and Mack captured the audience. Do you think it’s safe to have July and Kris in the same room so soon?
I know they met briefly because Mr. Reckless couldn’t be bothered to listen to orders, like always, and she was still recovering from the shock.
This is why she hasn’t gone looking for him just yet.
But things have changed dramatically. As far as we know, her gift may have grown into a dangerous weapon.
She could strike, and we wouldn’t even notice until Kris lies soulless on the floor. ”
I dissect my slice of cake with a fork as if searching for the best solution in its crumbs.
“Don’t you think I know that? The thought has been tearing me apart since I decided to risk a trip to Libera.
But we don’t have many options, or much time.
Galen told me July had been scratching the surface a lot this time.
There are some truths she already knows that we can’t ignore. ”
Merya places her hands on her hips, resembling a taller, ginger version of me. “Galen should have handled the situation more carefully. Let me know if you need me to beat him up a little. I could say it’s just a training session.”
Her offer rings with a slightly amused tone, and I know she won’t even pull a hair on his head. But that doesn’t shake off the feeling that we’re running out of time and must act quickly, risking everything, like we never have before.
Her steps fade quickly as she leaves me alone in the kitchen.
She’s grown so much from the day I found her and Mack roaming the streets of Ventiol.
I still don’t know how she’s turned into this beautiful, strong, excellent at baking woman without any guidance, if not mine.
And I’m definitely not good with sugar and flour, nor with expressing my opinions in a less blunt way.
Sometimes, I struggle to remember that enjoying the sunshine - even if weak and never as warm as it was before the Famine - and the smell of new flowers growing outside the barriers is potentially lethal because we could be intercepted in less than thirty minutes.
At least the little orchard Mack manages to keep in bloom all year round gives us the illusion of a normal life. And I don’t have to force Sable inside like a kitten in a cage.
I’m sitting on one of the stone benches when Galen comes out to meet me before our official meeting. He’s showered, and in his light blue jeans and white shirt, he could easily pass for a Horigean, if it wasn’t for those bright silver flecks in his iris.
“Your eye looks better. How’s the wound?” I ask him, shifting along the bench to let him sit beside me.
“Merya stitched me up pretty well, but it will leave another scar. Thanks for coming to the rescue, Tabs; I know it was on short notice.”
I turn to meet his gaze. His face is more tanned and freckled compared to those who chose or were forced to stay on Horigos.
I study his face. “A question has been nagging at me since we left Libera. Why the rush? Evelyn told me we still have a few days left—”
“I thought the same. But Roden has been acting erratically since discovering where Kris was hiding. He pushed for July to cross as soon as possible. As to the people who attacked us, I strongly believe they did not arrive in Libera that night. They were already on the island…”
I nod. “Do you think that was a decoy to cover what was happening here? We’ve never seen so many red souls travelling so fast and in such numbers. The armed forces Roden sent our way scared the shit out of me. We managed to save some, but Roden’s dogs took the rest.”
Galen runs a hand through his damp hair.
“That is no coincidence. Roden sent July to harvest a red soul not far from here. I’m sure he thought Kris wasn’t far, and July could have led the Chapter to him.
Evelyn thinks Roden is working on a plan B we didn’t see coming.
” He looks away, contemplating the orchards. “Now, I have a question for you.”
He stretches a hand to the tree beside him and picks a peach, juggling it before biting into its juicy flesh. “What is Kris doing here? I thought we were going to wait for July to steadily get back on her feet before dumping everything on her. Again.”
That’s it. Here’s why he didn’t join the others for breakfast, and why he’s been so distant with me. I mirror him and grab a ripe fruit for myself. Mack did a great job; it tastes exactly like the original ones.
“This was the plan from the beginning, and Kris gave it an extra push by curing all the Reds he could get hold of. He’s hiding it well, but his mind and body are growing weaker by the day. I assumed, at this point, there is no need to keep them apart—”
“You do realise that’s a bomb ready to explode?”
At my puzzled look, Galen smirks, shaking his head, “So, Eve had time to call you but didn’t think it crucial to tell you about one little detail.”
He bites into the fruit, bracing an elbow on his knee.
“What are you talking about?”
His low laugh is anything but happy. “July made a deal with Roden. He promised her freedom. From her duties. From Libera. She only needs to deliver Kris’ soul to him.
Not his body—just his whole soul. He must have sensed Kris’ energy drop to a dangerous level.
And thanks to you - and your decision to bring him to HQ - we may have just given her the chance to do that before she could even learn the whole truth. ”
My half-eaten peach drops on the floor with a squelching sound. “She did what? Why? Hang on, hang on. You left her alone for hours, risking her walking around and ending up face-to-face with him?”
Galen allows me a couple of seconds to gain back my breath, munching on the peach before saying, “Well, excuse me, but apparently I wasn’t the one shoving them under the same roof and—”
“And apparently, I am the one still not aware of many things. That seems to be the leitmotif of my fucking life lately. Care to explain?”
We both turn our heads at the sound of July’s voice to find her staring at us from the kitchen’s back door, as another ripe peach hits the ground, falling from Galen’s open hand.