Cal's POV
I wake to the sound of hushed voices. I leave my eyes closed, listening intently. It was Dash's voice that woke me. The baritone is rich and difficult to keep in hushed tones. He is talking to a woman, but I don't figure out which one until I reach for Mare, only to find her missing. The sheets are still warm where she slept. I roll over and grab my watch off the bedside table. My eyes are blurry, and the firelight is dying, but I don't have the motivation to do anything about either. 4:45, perfect. I was going to get up in fifteen minutes anyway. I sit up and scrub my hands over my face. Standing, I glance around for a clean shirt to put on. I have no luck. Instead, I grab one from the pile of laundry nearby. It smells like magnolias, like her. I pull it over my head.
She left the door cracked when she went out into the hall. It doesn't make a sound when I pull it open. I am not trying to be quiet, but neither of them notices me. I lean against the doorframe and wait. It's dark, but I watch them together. They remind me of Evangeline and Elaine, that is before they started sneaking off together to make out. When we were little, they always had their heads together whispering about one thing or another. Usually plotting how to terrorize the other kids and the servants. The day they put a snake into one of the servant girl's baskets causing her to run screaming from the room and straight into Elara, I thought the vein in Volos neck was going to burst.
As I watch her, I imagine her in her life before I derailed it. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the Kilorn was in love with her or to see that their relationship was never the same after she insisted on pulling me out of the arena with her. I imagine them together, thick as literal thieves. I wish I had had the chance to know her then. Had I taken the time, gone back to the tavern instead of yanking her out of her life, I could have fallen in love with a thief rather than a rebel.
Either way, it would still be illegal for us to marry. Blood mixing isn't just looked upon with disdain; it is still technically punishable by death. No one has been executed for it in over a century, but the law still exists to my knowledge. Hopefully, my little brother had started laying the groundwork for changing the law before he maneuvered Mare into a position to kill the reigning Queen. Wouldn't it be a fitting twist of the knife for me to marry the object of my brother's obsession on the foundation he laid to marry her himself?
I wonder how Mare would feel if she knew that my original motivation to reclaim my title was to marry her; that the idea of changing the law so that I could be with her tipped the scales of my decision. It was a thought that Nanabel put in my ear. I harbored a secret hope, that when all was said and done, the government stabilized, and the rebellion resolved, I could find her and convince her to come home to me. She just had to see me be a King of which she could be proud.
She turns around presumably to sneak back to bed, but she stops short.
"I was just coming to wake you." I step aside when she reaches me, letting her pass and pushing the door closed behind her. "You didn't have to eavesdrop you know? We would have included you had you spoken up." I shrug.
"I wasn't listening." She looks skeptical but diverts her attention to preparing herself for her mission. Everything about her is soft this morning, her tone, her edges, the way she moves. She even seems to have a gentle glow around her features. It's beautiful; she's beautiful.
Neither of us says anything while we go through our respective routines. I don't even have to watch her; I know her movements. I know that she never does the same thing I am doing; if I do push-ups, she does sit-ups. That way, I would have to stop mid-set to critique her form, posture, or breathing. It's clever; I'll give her that. Were I optimistic, I'd even say she's become quite the regimented soldier. I'd love it if she didn't have to be, but I adore her all the same. It isn't until we are both set to meet everyone else downstairs that she speaks again.
"You are quiet this morning. Where is your head, my King?" I put my hands on the smallest part of her waist and kiss her quickly; we have a schedule to keep, and anything more would make us late.
"With you. As always." She rises up onto her toes to kiss me again, but I stop her at great personal restraint. "We have somewhere to be." I pull the door open for her, letting her stalk past me. She's pouting, and I will be damned if it isn't the cutest thing I've seen in a full year. I watch her ponytail bounce and swing with every step. She is in a good mood this morning, even if she is sulking. I follow her down the stairs at a distance. I need to focus today; I'm hoping the separation will help keep my head clear. Even as I try to put her from my mind, I catch myself watching her hips move as she walks. I shake it off and enter the kitchen almost a full minute after she had.
She pushes a full cup of coffee into my hands. She thinks she doesn't know how to anticipate my needs; she told me as much while we were both ill. She has no idea that she proves herself wrong every day. It is the little things that no one else has ever done for me without being paid to do so. I have never been as close to anyone as I am to her now; no one knows me better. I take the cup from her, along with the smile. I sit down at the counter to wait for Dash and Larissa, sipping my coffee. She put too much sugar in it, but I'm not going to complain. I pay little attention to what she is doing while I stare into my mug, combing through every possible way today could go. I am surprised when she sets a plate down in front of me.
"I had no idea you could cook." A modest breakfast, but it smells good.
"Hold your judgment until you taste it. You might change your mind." I break the yolk of one of the eggs; so far, so good. "I know how to make maybe two things that probably won't kill you." I can't tell if she is exaggerating or not. I take the risk and taste the food. She doesn't give herself enough credit. It's better than camp food, and it's fresh. She hands Dash a plate as he comes in from outside. He tosses a newspaper down and digs in. Larissa is the last to arrive and only picks at her food. When I'm finished, I look up at Mare. She is standing against the opposite counter, reading the front page of the newspaper. I cross the kitchen and deliberately reach around her to put my plate in the sink. I notice a slice of toast with maybe two bites out of it abandoned on the stove. When I pull my hand back, I lay it on her waist and lean in close to her.
"You need to eat more than a few bites of toast." I keep my voice quiet. I don't want to sound like I am scolding her. I just want what's best for her.
"My stomach is too upset." She keeps reading, following my example too well for my taste now that I would like her to assuage my concerns.
"Are you alright? Do you need—"
"I'm going. It's morning sickness; it'll pass." She finally looks at me, a touch of scorn in her eyes.
"—anything to settle your stomach?" She narrows her eyes at me, suspicious that I am just covering. She's right. I want her to stay here, but she has already put me in my place. Larissa sets two plates in the sink pulling my attention away from the gorgeous brown eyes in front of me. Mare also looks away.
"There is ginger tea in your pack. I put honey in it this time; it should taste better today." Larissa sounds cheerful this morning.
"Thank you." Mare pushes me away, tossing the paper back onto the counter. "Shall we?" Everyone is silent as we file out towards the foyer where all the gear sits waiting. I am the last one out. I snag an apple and put it in her bag while her back is turned. Larissa gives me an approving look.
"We should split up. Pairs are less conspicuous than a group, especially this early." I nod, Dash is right.
Larissa and I exit through the back door while Mare and Dash head around to the side. I was hoping to hear from Evangeline before we left, but there has been no sign of her on either side of the wall for a couple of days. Mare would be furious if she knew that I had been in contact with her after she left the safe house, that I knew she was running her own scheme to prove her worthiness to be Queen of The Rift. Evangeline gave me her word that she wouldn't interfere with any of my plans, but that was before when she thought I was leaving. It is a long shot, but Tyros was sent out last night with instructions to find Eve and fill her in. I can only hope that this doesn't blow up in my face.
"Can I be blunt for a moment?" The request catches me off guard. Neither of us has said anything since we left the house almost twenty minutes ago.
"Are you going to lay out everything I am doing wrong with Mare?" I don't look at her, instead choosing to keep scanning the street for anything out of the ordinary. There aren't a lot of people milling about right now; Ideal for picking out suspicious people, but not so much for hiding in plain sight.
"I could if you want me to, but no. I was going to say that I'm glad you two have each other. You make each other better. Be careful with her though, Mare is strong, but she can and will break." There is genuine concern in her voice; I appreciate her more for it.
"You can say it. She told me what she did." Larissa breathes a heavy sigh of relief. I wonder what she has been holding back and for how long.
"And how are you handling it?" It's odd to have someone that isn't Mare asking after my well-being. It makes me question whether I would still consider the people I knew as a Prince my friends.
"I don't know." The instances in which I feel powerless are few and far between but are getting more frequent the closer I get to Mare. My love for her makes me vulnerable.
"I've never heard you admit that before."
"Yeah, well, I was raised to be fairly arrogant, so..."
"See? She makes you a better person." We arrive at the smokehouse before Dash and Mare. "I'll tell you the same thing I told her, I'm an excellent listener."
"I'll take that under advisement." I pull the door open for her and follow her down the stairs into the salt cellar. "Would you like me to wait with you until they get here? Its unlikely anyone will find you, but I am happy to stay."
"I don't need you to stay, but it's your funeral if you don't." She perches on top of a large barrel labeled brine and looks around the cellar. The windows set into the wells provide little light. They are grimy, so even if it were mid-day, the light in here would still be gloomy. She digs out a flashlight. I look at her, and for a moment, I can see Sara in her features. Even though her father is Sara's brother, I couldn't really see the resemblance until now.
"Mare would be fine if I went on ahead. She'd be mad, but she would understand." I pull the shelf that hides the entrance to the tunnel away from the wall. I motion for Larissa to hand me the light and shine it down the passage. Everything is wet from yesterdays storm. There will be water pooled in the deepest parts of the tunnel, probably knee deep.
"That may have been the case before, but she isn't herself right now. Everything she feels is amplified. All the feelings she used to push away until it was convenient to feel them, are on the surface now." Larissa isn't wrong. Mare is more emotional now, less predictable; her moods turn more quickly than wind in the hands of a weaver.
"Be that as it may, she isn't one for sentimental goodbyes." My thoughts stray back to the clearing where she left me a couple of months ago. We don't say goodbye. Those words go on the list right between we don't say I love you and we don't separate in battle unless we have to. "That is more my thing." Larissa almost smiles at me.
I hear the smokehouse door and put my finger to my lips, signaling for Larissa to be quiet. The cellar door pulls open, but no one descends with the footfalls on the creaky stairs. I relax. Waiting for mare and Dash to reveal themselves. A few seconds later, a small hand slides into the back pocket of my pants and squeezes. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting.
"You are no fun at all this morning." Mare and Dash appear as she speaks. Dash is covering silent laughter while Mare scowls at me.
"Come on, let's give them a second to say goodbye. Larissa jumps down from the barrel and pulls Dash into the passage.
"Be careful, please. Don't draw attention to yourself until you are inside the camp." I nod, running my thumbs over the backs of her hands. "Come home to me. Tonight." Her eyes are round and glassy. Her lips taste like ginger and honey when they meet mine. They feel like warm silk.
"Stay safe, Mare, my Queen." There are ten thousand ways to tell her that I love her without using those words.
Except for echoing footfalls, endless dripping, and the occasional splash of water, the trek through the tunnels is quiet and uneventful. We even manage to circumvent the deepest waters. I split off from the group, heading west while they continued south. Letting go of Mare's hand proved harder than I thought it would. I have always been able to separate myself from my feelings for the sake of a mission, but this time was more difficult than all the others combined. It felt more like the end than the beginning, like surrendering.
Once I am on my own, I run. It's only a few miles to the edge of Nanabel's camp, and sooner I get there, the sooner I can get back to the city, to her. The officers at the camp entrance are not standing at rapt attention they way they should be. Both men wear Carros colors, strongarm who rely on their strength instead of dexterity. I could easily dispatch the pair and slip in unnoticed, but the commotion that will raise when I am discovered will make me lose precious time. Instead, I approach in full view, with my head down and my hands in my pockets. I am within ten yards of the camp when one of them finally calls for me to stop and identify myself. I do stop, but I say nothing. I pull both hands out of the pockets of my jacket and show them to the guards before lifting my head and pulling my hood back. Both men drop to a knee.
"Take me to Anabel, immediately." The soldiers usher me through the gate, apologizing profusely for not recognizing me on sight. They both receive a quick reprimand for neglecting their post and allowing me to get too close to camp. I was close enough to cause significant damage before either deigned it necessary to confront me. My soldiers have gotten lax in my absence.
Anabel's assistant escorts me through camp. She looks at home in her field headquarters. She sat on more war councils than my grandfather did, so I am not even surprised to see her in tactical gear refamiliarizing herself with city plans.
"Leave us." No one hesitates. As far as they are concerned, I am their king and commander. Before I left her family estate, I had started training a new batch of soldiers for this faction. I drilled them as mercilessly as I would have my Shadow Legion but left their training incomplete so I could get to Mare. My grandmother greets me with a warm smile as they file out of the only door.
"What a pleasant surprise, my grandson has returned to the fold." I disregard the hint of antagonism in her words. I know she thinks me foolish for going after one little red girl, she has since I told her that I was in love with one.
"I did what I intended to do, and now I am prepared to take back my throne." She looks at me as though she is trying to decide if I am truthful.
"And what is it that you did?" The words are slow to leave her mouth. I level my gaze at her. The hardness of forged steel finds its way into my demeanor, overtaking even my voice.
"The King is dead. Long live the King." The color drains from her face. Even though she plotted to overthrow Maven and install me on the throne, he was still her grandson. There was always affection in her heart for the little boy that could have been a good man had Elara not interfered.
"You caused the mayhem in the city? When they announced the Bloodtrial, I assumed you ran off with that wretched girl again." I bite back the angry retort on my lips. I can't defend her if I want Nanabel to believe me. She has to believe that Mare and I have split for good. "Where is she, Cal?"
"I assume you mean Mare and not Evangeline?" I have to stare at the coat of arms behind her to keep my voice even.
"Yes, the red girl with which you were unfortunately infatuated Where is she?" I glance at the plans on the table between us. They are out of date and do not include the evacuation tunnels.
"She escaped Whitefire in the chaos; evading even Evangeline. She hasn't been found. I assume she is back with the Scarlet Guard." I pause for a moment as if a thought were occurring to me in this moment. "Speaking of, that is a nuisance we need to quell if I am to take control." She smiles at me.
"Welcome back, your Majesty." She bows her head, but there is no reverence in it. I have done everything she wanted of me, and now, she believes me to be a puppet whose strings she can pull at her leisure.
Mare's POV
Cal clings to my fingers a little longer than he should. I hate the idea of splitting up and hate what he is about to do even more, but we have to keep up appearances, or this plan will fall apart. As the rest of us approach the camp, I make a quick alteration to the plan. I pay a little red boy to deliver a message to the posted guards and settle in to wait. Almost twenty-five minutes, Kilorn relieves the guard that had been posted at the front mid-shiftI had been hoping for one of the electicons or one of my brothers even, but Kilorn is the better choice; that had to have been Farley.
I give it a little time before I approach. If Larissa or Dash is getting impatient or restless, neither of them lets on. Both are quiet while we wait. I turn to them.
"Are you both still okay with this? If not, now is the time." They both give me small nods. "Okay, let's go." Dash disappears, and Larissa falls into step just behind me. "Stay close and follow my lead." The three of us approach from the northeast. Kilorn catches sight of us as soon as we break the tree line. I let my hood down and send sparks into the air. I let them go just high enough to be seen over the low walls before pulling them back to the ground. My oldest friend waves us forward.
You are the worst kind of friend. You know that right? Running off without telling anyone, again." I let him pull me into a hug.
"It's good to see you too." I allow myself a moment to feel happy to see my friend before diving headfirst into my mission.
"You know, there are easier ways to get back at your ex than running off to be with his psychotic little brother." He has no idea how severely that joke cuts me. But he did offer me a clue about what information Davidson and the council are spreading.
"Is he here?" I was trying to sound like I don't want to see him, but my voice just comes out like a tangle of several emotions. Kilorn pulls away but throws a loose arm around my shoulders and leads me into the camp.
"No." I look up hoping that my face doesn't betray me. "He left right after you did. No one in command has said anything about it, but after what happened in Corvium, I assumed he is with that Lerolan broad. Good riddance to bad blood, I say." Kilorn never did know when to shut up. "Who's your friend? Or is she your prisoner?"
"This is Larissa. She is Sara's niece and the reason I am alive." I glance back at her. She looks wary. I can't tell if it's an act or not. I assume not. "Is any of my family here?" Before he can answer my question, we are intercepted by Farley and Davidson.
"Miss Barrow, glad to have you back, alive and well. The council is eager to hear your report. Shall we?" He moves to motion me through the camp, but I don't move.
"Before I do anything, I would like to reunite miss Skonos with her aunt. It is the least we can do for her considering the risk she took to keep me alive." Farley nods to Davidson, who eventually gives in. I can only assume they are hoping I will slip up and give something away to Julian and Sara.
"Very well then. This way." He leads us through camp to the south end. I catch sight of Julian, who has his nose in a book and smile on his face. Sarah spots us first. She wraps Larissa in a tight embrace.
"I've missed you little Lark." Larissa starts to cry. She told me in one of our appointments that Sara taught her to sing when she was very young. Sara had called her Lark after the bright singing bird. She also told me that she hadn't had the heart to sing since Elara mutilated her aunt.
Julian on the other hand, eyes Davidson and holds his hand out to me like he expects me to shake it. I cross my arms over my chest and look at him with disbelief, glancing down at his hand and back up at his face. He smiles weakly before holding his hands up in surrender. He gives me a quick hug. Mine and Cal's turbulent patch hadn't affected my regard for Julian and Sara. She hugs me next. When she pulls away, there is a look on her face that I can't quite place; it's like hope and sympathy twisted together. She knows. I put as much pleading into my face as I can, she gets the message. Please, Sara, don't say anything.
"We should catch up later after you finish your official business." Her hands clasp mine, and she squeezes before she lets me go.
"I'll come around when I can. Is it okay if I leave Larissa with you?" Julian gives a nod. Farley puts an arm around me, but her eyes bore into Kilorn.
"Don't you have a post to be at?" For a small woman, she is commanding. I've always admired that about her, begrudgingly.
"Yes, ma'am." He turns on his heel and leaves. The Guard might turn him into a proper soldier yet.
"It was nice to see you two again." She gives Julian and Sara a polite nod which they return. It's all very curt and buttoned up. Something serious happened after I left. Farley steers me away. "To answer your question, your family is not here."
"I suppose that is for the better. How are you and Clara doing?"
"She is happy as a clam with your mother and Gisa. You won't believe how big she is when you see her." There is unmistakable pride in her voice. Clara is her joy. I press down on the grief over Shade that wells up talking about his daughter. Memories of my brother sear my conscience. I am responsible for his death, and I will never forgive myself.
The silence in the council tent is tense. I can feel it on my skin. I am not afraid of them; I looked Maven in the eye while a whisper went on a rampage in my head. The only thing I fear now is losing my son and his father to the same fight that lost me Shade. The question me for two hours about my time in Whitefire, about the Bloodtrial, and Maven's assassination.
"Where is Tiberias Calore?" The man that addresses me has a pinched and wrinkled face. He looks like a golden raisin in military garb.
"With Anabel Lerolan, I presume. I haven't seen him in two months." I keep my answers short and try not to stray too far from the truth. I know he is with Anabel today.
"She claims he disappeared over a week ago. He and the Samos girl haven't been seen since." I shrug.
"There were reports that they were seen inside Archeon before the bloodtrial."
"Reports?" The old man narrows his eyes at me. I can't tell if they are even open anymore.
"Maven accused me of collusion, but I hadn't been in contact, direct or otherwise with either of them." I fix my gaze on the raisin man, he seems to be the most interested in Cal's whereabouts.
"Who assassinated the King?" This time it is a white-haired woman whose name I never bothered to learn.
"I haven't the slightest idea. I assumed it was someone from the Guard." Farley sits forward in her chair.
"Why would you assume that?" she and Davidson are the only two in the room that do not address me with hostility.
"Because someone loyal to Volo Samos or Anabel Lerolan would have shot me alongside Maven." The statement is met with an air of skepticism. They all think that I place too much importance on myself. It is Davidson that steps up on my behalf.
"She is right. This girl wields a remarkable amount of power when it comes to shaping the outcome of this rebellion. If she stands in the way of Tiberias VII, he will yield to his feelings for her or at the very least falter." He looks around the room making eye-contact with each member of the council. It is a tactic he often uses to win support.
"How did the media get ahold of the former King's confession?" This time it is a red-faced man who looks like one of the Walruses from my early school textbooks.
"I don't know."
"Who blew up the Palace?"
"I don't know."
"What's going on inside the city?"
"Rioting. Children are scrambling to gain the upper hand. The Kingsguard is nowhere to be found." The exchange is quick. I don't have time between the rapid-fire questions to address each asker between them. I am starting to get frustrated. "Do none of you see what is happening?" They all look at me with questioning looks, everyone but Farley. Her shrewd eyes study me.
"You think all of this is Cal." Her eyes are narrowed. The cunning behind the plan reads like Cal, but I know how he thinks better than anyone else. He may be an excellent tactician, but Anabel is a war hammer.
"No. I think it's Anabel." I keep my voice and my gaze level.
"What proof do you have?" The walrus is too demanding. It is irritating me. I glare at him as I answer. My voice takes on a defensive tone.
"I don't. But I have met and interacted with every player on the board. No one else can say that." I see Davidson nod out of the corner of my eye.
"We have Julian Jacos." It is the white-haired woman.
"An uncooperative pacifist? We may as well start shooting blindly." Farley scoffs. Something did happen.
"Take my advice or don't. That's not my call. If you are through interrogating me, I'd like to leave." I cross my arms over my chest and sit back in my chair. My patience has worn very thin, and I am hungry. Farley gives me a hard look. I may have tipped my hand to her in admitting that something is not my call. She knows that I don't give up control easily and I can't stand it when people don't take me seriously.
"Let's adjourn for now; we can discuss this further after miss Barrow settles in." I round on Farley. She may mean well, but my agitation is making me hypersensitive.
"I'm not settling in anywhere. I'm going back into the city." I stare at my fingernails while I say it; perfectly disinterested any other opinion that will be given on the subject.
"That is out of the question; you could be captured or killed." It is the first time the young man in the corner has spoken. I don't recall having seen him before today. He looks like a politician.
"By who? None of you have made an incursion into the Capitol, the people could care less where I am, and the Silver Elite that are still in there watched me kill their Queen at Bloodtrial; rather brutally if I do say so myself." The flat tone in my voice unsettles even me. I double down and take a page from Davidson, leveling my gaze at each council member as I speak. Farley glares at me with steel in her eyes while Davidson's face is blank.
"You would agree to spy for us?" I nod at Davidson. "Then you will return to the city tonight." Davidson stands. "We will reconvene at two o'clock." He strides out of the room without another word. Farley waits until the other council members have filed out before she rounds on me.
"What's going on with you? You're like a different person." She has never been one to hold back or beat around the bush. I think that is why Shade loved her.
"I changed. People change, Farley." She gives me that same look she always has, scrutiny with a hint of dislike. "Look this last stint as Maven's pet changed me. I'm tired, and I want this to end."
"We all feel that way. Everyone is tired and wants to win." There is contempt in her voice. I'm sure that to her, it sounds like I am giving up and making Shade's death meaningless.
"Yeah, but all of you haven't been personally tortured and abused by the hand of a sociopathic child King. Twice." She looks at me with sympathy. "Diana, he broke me. I was..." I can't say the words. They are too close to the truth. I glance up at her. I have never seen her at a loss for words. "Can I leave now?" All she gives me is a nod. I push myself away from the table and throw the tent flaps aside, storming out into the camp like a child.
I twist my way through the city of tents and gear until I find my way back to Julian and Sara. I take a moment to rearrange my face before I approach them. The weight of my situation is pressing hard on my shoulders. My thoughts stray to the quickest way to find some peace, even if it is only for a moment. I have to un-ball my fists. My fingernails have bitten into the skin of my palms. I push away the shame and smile. Sara meets me outside, linking her arm through mine and patting my hand.
"Larissa is talking history with Julian. Let's go for a walk." I nod and let her lead me away. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"I can't. I can't tell anyone." She waits silently until I can't stand it anymore. I can't keep it to myself any longer. "We found each other again." I pull the ring off my finger and hold it up. "He gave me this." Her eyes go wide.
"Coriane's wedding ring." Her voice turns wistful. "I searched for this for months after her death, where did he find it?"
"I don't know. He's been looking for traces of her, but everything he finds makes him feel like he would disappoint her. I don't know how to help him." I put the ring back on. She looks at my hands knowingly. She understands why our commitment to each other is so understated.
"That's easy, Tibe hid everything of Coriane's at Ocean Hill. He couldn't stand to look at it after she left us. He should have done better for his son, but he was never the same." I don't have the heart to tell her that Maven stripped Coriane's colors from Ocean Hill. "I loved Coriane like she was my sister. With you tempering the blade, she would be so proud of her little boy." The two of us let the words settle in silence between us. "Are you avoiding telling me about the baby for a reason? Is it too much to hope that—" The abrupt subject change doesn't surprise me, I expected her to ask sooner or later.
"Oh, no. My little prince is the heir to the rightful King." She looks relieved and happy and hopeful. "Please, don't tell anyone. It hurts my heart to say this but, not even Julian. I've trusted him with my life but is better if he doesn't have to lie." By this point, I am holding back tears.
"Of course not, it is not my news to share. You two should tell him when you are ready and excited." We have almost made a complete circle. The campsite is in view. "He'll be thrilled."
"I'm terrified." It slips out before I consider the consequences. "We're too young, and everything is so uncertain."
"All first-time parents are terrified. But I have seen you together. The love is there, everything else will follow." She stops and pushes the hair out of my face, a very maternal act. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so happy for you." She smiles at me. I am strangely comforted by her use of a familiar pet name. She gives the vague impression that she considers me part of her extended family—her best friend's daughter by way of love, not political gain. "I wish I could do more for you and Cal." I return her smile.
"Putting my mind at ease is more than enough." Sara's gestures make me miss my mother. "Thank you, Sara. I mean that, truly." I let her embrace me, pretending that it is my mother.
"When do you and Larissa leave again?"
"Before nightfall. Sara, there is something you need to know." I give Sara enough of our plan to convince her to help. She is the best way to get to Cameron. She has to sew the seeds of suspicion. Especially if I can't get to Ella, Rafe or Tyton before all Hell breaks loose.