Chapter 15: Haven After the Flash: Evie Part 1

Chapter Text

After the Flash Part 1 Evie

Poison Princess In the days immediately following the flash..

When none of the cars worked, Mom, Mel and I hitched up two of our four surviving horses to the cart and went to town. When Mom had expressed surprise that any of them had survived at all, I'd told Mom Jackson had told me of a few ways to reinforce the barn and protect the horses and he'd helped me with that one evening, nailing the boards up while I covered their eyes the next day.

She'd expressed surprise, then pleasure saying, "Well thank God for him, without that, I doubt any of them would have survived at all." I thought over that too. If he'd been playing me, why had he said anything at all? Testing me to see if I'd actually do it? Giving me the benefit of the doubt? I didn't know, and that haunted me. Where was he now? Was he safe? Did he get his arm fixed? We had our horses because of him.

We checked on Mel's house first. We didn't find her parents. Just ashes outside the open back door. Mel stood and stared at that for a while, but didn't say anything. I had a feeling she'd blow her top later. Mom wrapped an arm around her shoulders and told her, "Grab a couple suitcases honey. Pack what you want quick as you can. We need to get to the stores and raid those quickly. Why don't you show Evie what you want from your Mom and Dad's room, then show me what to pack downstairs, and then run to your room and pack a suitcase of clothes. We can comeback another day for more if we need to.

We took her stuff home and then went to the stores, stocking up on all the foods we could find. Mom taught us to go for the calorie dense foods like peanut butter, tossing back the empty calorie foods like graham crackers and potato chips. Mel and I convinced her life would be a little happier with a bar of chocolate now and then. That's how we spent our first day, going to the store and back, piling up food. We met a few people on the way. They told us they were gathering at the church to pray and invited us to come along. Mom told them we had things we needed to do today but we might be along later and thank you kindly for the invitation. Then she told us we had better things to do than sit around praying for help. We'd be smarter to pray while we worked.

She told Mel and I as we raided a vet pharmacy, the other pharmacies in town had all burned, that she believed one day an army would come to town and save the day, but until then we were on our own and we had to prepare for whatever might come in the future. That was when I had to tell her what I knew. I couldn't let her keep thinking the army was her salvation when the biggest army there was, would be our destruction.

I filled her in on the rest of my visions, the ones about the cards. I showed her the Tarot cards and my drawings. I told her about the Lovers, how they were going to be one day in charge of the hugest army on earth, but that they were a "bad card". That they'd absorb everyone and everything they came across and how, yes one day they probably would come to Sterling, but on that day, we would be long gone if we were smart.

That seemed to leave her a bit shell shocked. Gran had been right. The whole time. So had I. And she'd had us committed. I told her to snap out of it. We had work to do and we needed her. She tried to shake it off and we got back to preparing. Then Mel and I told her about how we'd pranked three towns and this was why there were so many survivors. She looked at us in awe as I stared back in defiance.

Then she handed the reins to Mel and wrapped her arms around me and hugged me hard, telling me softly, "I'm so proud of you Evangeline! And I'm so sorry I didn't believe you baby."

I hugged her back, my eyes tearing up at the words I'd been longing to hear for ever, glad I finally had my Mom back. Mel, being Mel, spoke up with her usual abrasive sarcasm, "Glad you bitches have finally got your shit sorted, but one of you should really take the reins back before I plow us into a car or something, cause I ain't got a fucking clue what I'm doing. The horses are driving."

I laughed and wiped my eyes and grabbed the reins while Mom went off on Mel for her mouth, giving her a few lessons on how properly bred southern women should behave that Mel's mom had likely never given her and that she should have had long ago.

Oddly enough, Mel seemed to be listening to mom, even nodding once and saying, "Reeaally?" another time. This might be interesting.

The evening of the second day we started going door to door, checking to see who had lived and who had died. I was taking inventory. I'd grabbed a couple notebooks and pens from the store, checking to see how many Mel, Jackson and I'd saved.

At the homes of those who'd lived, we let them know we would be in touch in a while about the food and supply situation. That we were working on a long term solution at Haven. I didn't know what that was exactly but we didn't tell them that. They were just happy to hear that someone was looking out for them and they weren't alone. Some of the teens asked me how I'd known, or how Mel and I had known, about the flash. Some of the parents were in tears, saying if it weren't for their kids and us, they'd have all died. What could I say? They were right.

At the homes of those who were killed by the flash and emptied their pantries as well but we also found guns, and ammo. We were like locusts. I'd suggested we leave some of the food in the local homes for the local survivors. Mom just shook her head saying,"Evie, you and Mel warned everyone about the Flash coming.

Consider the people we talked to today. Most of them are sitting shell-shocked in their homes, thanking God they're alive right now. When they wake up, and search their neighbors homes, or walk to the stores, as their cars don't work, then they will find what they can. Once they burn through that, they will all, every single one of them, walk into Haven, asking for food. Some may come in a few days, some may not come for months. We have to be ready. We probably have the only working transportation in the area. This gives us the right to grab every available item we can find and bring it back to Haven.

On the third day, we had our first visitors. We'd just gotten back from our first trip checking houses door to door. I'd just found a cool looking crossbow and arrows that Mel was pretty excited about. She called it wicked and had a gleam in her eye that scared me a little. The five of them were sitting on our front porch steps, waiting for us.

Mom pulled the cart and horses to a stop, calling "Woah." Mel gripped her new friend, the crossbow, like she was thinking about using it. I put my hand over it, pushing it down, saying softly, "Don't. I know them."

I knew two of them. Tee-bo I knew from school. And the older man, who I realized he bore a resemblance to. His name was Ronan. He and his son were about six feet tall and corded with muscles. He helped with spring planting and fall harvest on Haven. Ronan was one of the men who'd been friendly to me when I'd been out in the fields, who hadn't acted like I'd been a bother. He'd spoken to me in Cajun, helping me practice my French. He was one of the reasons I liked the people so much.

I climbed down. "Bonjour Tee-bo. Ronan, it's good to see you again. This is your family?"

"It is. This is my wife, Isabeu Jandin, my daughter, Anais, and my youngest son, Ronain.

"I'm eight!" He told me proudly.

"You're big for eight!" I remarked with a smile. They were all dusty from traveling and looked tired. Isabeu and Anais favored each other, and they were both dark beauties. The older woman had her dark and gray hair was pinned up, but her face was friendly and clear, her eyes dark and sparkling.

Mom and Mel had come up so I introduced them. "Ronan I think you know my mom, but everyone else, this is my mother, Karen Greene and this is my sister in all but blood, Melissa."

"Mel." Mel corrected, holding out a hand to Ronan and Isabeu in turn.

Mom invited them, "Would you all like to come inside for some water? Then we can discuss why you've come. I assume you've walked here. That must have been quite a trip."

"We did." Ronan confirmed. "That would be most welcome."

While I filled a pitcher with powdered lemonade and water from our well, adding a large round of cheese and crackers and a couple cans of fruit, passing out plates, forks and cups. I placed the whole spread on our oval dining room table and the eight of us took seats there. The Jandin's sat together, Husband and wife next to each other, eldest son by his father's side, and little Ronain beside his sister. I sat next to him. He was such a cutie, and something about him called to me, though I wasn't sure what. I set the crackers by him and he snatched up three and stuffed one in, smiling at me around his mouthful. I grinned back.

"I bet you're hungry after walking that whole way!"

"Ouais! But I didn't walk the whole way, no. Tee-bo gave me a ride part way. And Pere carried Anais some."

I smiled. "That sounds like fun."

When I looked up, the older Jandins were all looking surprised at the food. The two kids fell on it like starving wolves.

Mom and I insisted. Finally Mel dug in shrugging, saying with a mouthful, "What? It's good food!"

Tee-bo chuckled and dug in too. That was enough to break the ice and we all tucked in.

Ronan and Isabeu took a long drinks, but then clasped Ronan hands in front of him and looked down at them, collecting his thoughts. Looking across the table at mom, he said in a voice even deeper than Jack's, "We came to find out if you had any work around your farm that might need doing." Isabeu's hand reached to hold his and I noticed she hadn't eaten yet either, only drank. A stillness fell on the table.

I put my cracker down in front of me and swallowed my mouthful of cheese and cracker with some lemonade, not wanting to eat while the serious talk was happening. I noticed Tee-bo sit back and stop eating too. He held a cracker in his hand, turning and tapping it on the table.

"The trip from our house to your farm is a long one, too long to make every day. Perhaps we could work out something, room and board in exchange for food and protection. I realize with the three of you, you're probably doing pretty well. But there are jobs my son and I could do that might be more difficult for women to do. Heavier work, hunting.

Now Tee-bo spoke up. "Jack told me you'd be growing crops here soon. That you had some big plan in store. We'd like to help with dat."

Ronan warmed to that subject. "That's right, we would. I've done work on your farm in the past during planting and harvest. We'd like to be of help to you if you'd let us. We're all hard workers, Mrs. Greene."

At mom's look of confusion I spoke up quickly. "That's right. We will need help with planting and harvest. We're developing something new. Still working out a few kinks, but in the meantime, there's plenty of jobs to do around here, right mom? Like the five horses that died, and all the supplies that we need to gather. That would go a lot quicker with extra hands. Not to mention if we're going to grow food, we'll need to preserve some of it. I don't know about you, but I don't know anything about canning.

Isabeu broke in now, her voice pleasant as bells ringing. "I know a few recipes and I have some books, but there's some women in our parish that I could get more from, one in particular."

The hope and desperation in their eyes broke my heart. If we said no, they had no where else to go. They'd starve. They knew it, and we knew it. I thought of my proud Jack, how appalled and enraged he'd been to see me in his home. Then I thought of this family, what it must have taken for them to walk here, probably twenty miles, just on the hope that we'd let them work for food and shelter. They weren't asking for a handout like most of the rich people I knew would. They were asking to help us. To work. All this took me a split second to think about. I spoke before Mom could.

"Which rooms would you like to put them in Mom?"

"Oh, we don't need a few rooms!" Isabeu exclaimed. "One room will be fine!"

I thought of Jack sleeping on the couch, not having a room to himself. I had no idea what these people were used to and I didn't want to know.

But Ronan was waiting for approval from the lady of the house herself. "Mrs. Greene?" He asked softly.

Mom was looking at me as though she was seeing me for the first time. "Evie?" she asked.

I nodded twice firmly. We needed help with farming and Jack had sent them. I even knew Ronan. This was good enough for me.

"It's settled then." Mom said, rising from the table. "You'll be staying with us for the foreseeable future, just like Mel is. If you'd just enjoy the refreshments, my daughter and I will go prepare your rooms. Mel, why don't you find a few cans of soup. It's nearly noon and I think we're all hungry."

Isabeu and Ronan smiled at our welcome, looking relieved. Tee-bo looked like he was knew this was going to work all along, probably because Jack said so. I wondered if he'd talked his parents into this. The kids were all smiles. They were getting food and to stay in a rich fine house on a plantation. As far as they were concerned, they'd probably found their silver lining.

I rose with a smile and followed mom out of the room. While she settled on four rooms for the Jandins, I explained my fertilizer idea, that I planned to grow food, that I hadn't figured out how do to it yet, but that I wanted the how to remain a secret. She felt that was wise. In the meantime she said, they'd focus on gathering supplies, while I tried to figure out my gift.

She actually used the word gift.

When we returned and sat down to a lunch of beef stew we told them where their rooms would be, upstairs, the rooms upstairs farthest down the hall, two doors on the right and the left. Ronan and Isabeu exclaimed it was too much but mom shut them down.

"We have twenty two bedrooms in this house, only three of which were being used before you came. If we run short on space you can choose to share a room then but please make yourself comfortable in the mean time. It's just us right now. This house has been far too quiet for far too long." I actually shared that opinion and winked at Ronain. He giggled.

Over lunch Mom asked them how they'd weathered the Flash. Tee-bo told how he'd spent the morning setting up for the church charity event. Ronan and Isabeu shared how they'd been bewildered by the fact that Tee-bo had spent all this time organizing and working to get them to go to the event, and then hadn't bothered to show up! And on top of that, he'd called their home throughout the day telling them in a creepy voice, "Don't look at the lights!" Mel and I laughed until we cried at Ronan's impersonation. "I thought my son was out of his head, for true!"

"I was working pere!" Tee-bo defended himself.

"Thieving and sabotaging you were!" His father accused, pointing a finger.

Mom gasped. "It ain't how it sounds." Tee-bo said, holding up his hands and sitting back, still smiling.

"Oh it's exactly how it sounds." Isabeu told us.

"It was for a good cause!"

"That it was." His dad agreed, wrapping an arm around his son's neck. "Proud of you boy. Damn proud."

Mom looked confused and Mel was impatient. "Spill it!" She demanded, poking Tee-bo's arm.

"I was running around with a trailer grabbing the livestock of all the folks in the parish who were at the church event. Stashing them inside the stone rooms without windows so they'd be safe in the flash. We grabbed water and feed too. Was goan to be a mess to clean up though. Then after we had that done, we sabotaged all the cars, so the folks with Youngstown wouldn't leave before midnight. Boy were they steamed when they found out their cars wouldn't start. A couple of em tried to leave anyway, but we…convinced them to come back."

"How'd you manage that?" I asked.

"Told 'em we was runnin' a raffle. Five hunnerd dollar prize. We'd draw it at midnight or when we saw the light, whichever came first."

Isabeu laughed, "And every hour, some young hooligan stole the microphone and hid with it so he could say in a creepy voice, "Doan look at the lights y'all!"

I wiped tears from my face. He'd done such an amazing job! All my jewels would have been worth it. "How many?"

Tee-bo answered, "One hundred seventy-eight."

"And Jack? Where's Jack?"

Now he frowned. "Haven't seen him. Clotile neither, not since that night. He was goan to a doc. Could be he's stranded there without a car."

That might be possible. I hoped he was alright. I looked at the table, praying he was alright. He couldn't have done all this and not be okay himself. That wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be right.

Mom showed them where they'd be staying while I tidied up the dishes, my thoughts churning. Something I'd learned a long time ago about Cajuns is that the Acadians who originally settled there were of Canadian/French decent. When they were forcibly relocated to the bayou of Louisiana they, over time, intermarried with the peoples there, who were of varying descents including Native American, African American, Hispanic, Irish, Caucasian and pretty much any people to come through the United States, but those were the dominant ones. This mixed with being desperately poor and speaking French, gave folks who were inclined to be prejudiced, plenty of ammunition to choose from.

Tee-bo's family had the swarthy skin many Cajun's had with the prominent Native American facial structure. The Jandin's seemed had the dark swarthy skin with the Native American that was easy to see, and maybe a little Hispanic as well. They were all striking with dark black hair and brown eyes, but it was little Romain who tugged at my heart. Over the days that followed, when his belly filled and he started smiling, then began grinning and charming me, he reminded me of Jack. He always had something funny to say, tugging my hand to pull me somewhere. I let myself be charmed. He was irresistible, but he always reminded me of Jack, and every time he did, I wondered where Jack was, and hoped, somehow, he and Clotile made it through alright.

What some people didn't know, or perhaps refused to look past their prejudice to see, was that Cajuns were hard workers. Though poor, they were resourceful, knew how to hunt, fish, and hadn't gotten soft or lost the old skills. Their women still cooked, and knew how to can and preserve. They knew how to mend and repair because they couldn't afford to buy new.

I didn't know how to do any of that. Jack's insult that last day had stung.

Bonne a rien! Good for nothing but getting yourself into trouble! My eyes stung, but I blinked the tears back. He was right! He was so right. I didn't know how to do anything! Girls like me in my town, where we were supposed to look pretty, flirt and get good grades were a relic of the past now. It was girls like Tee-bo's mother and sister who were valuable now. I had better learn. I wouldn't be bonne a rien anymore!

Mom, Mel, and I held a conference in Mom's room to decide what to do.

We made a list of things that needed done, quickly realizing that more people and more transportation would make this go quicker. It'd be better if we had another cart.

We met back around the table. Tee-bo asked how we'd feel about him taking a horse to go get another set of hands. Lionel would help him build a cart pretty quick. The two of them could get some lumber from some of the shacks in the basin that people weren't using anymore. They were dead, but he didn't say that. I was quiet about that, not trusting Lionel. He'd never liked me much. And he'd stolen all those phones. Tee-bo seemed to sense this. He quietly told me that Lionel had been there right along side him and Jack saving their parish. I quietly gave my agreement. So took two horses and headed off, but not before I gave him the gun and two loaded clips we'd found from a home we'd raided yesterday. I showed him a sketch of the my bogeymen too, warning him not to get bitten if he ran into one. He gave me a piercing look, told me, "You're just full of surprises." and rode off.

Ronan, Mom, Mel and I took the cart to raid houses, leaving Isabeu and the kids at the house. She said they'd hold down the fort and inventory supplies, get them organized. When we got back home, Tee-bo and Lionel were already there. They'd pulled out the boards that had collapsed in the barn into the yard and had a decent frame started. We waved hello as we pulled up, though mine was more tentative. Lionel and I had never been on good terms.

I got down and walked over. He stood as I approached. He wasn't as tall as Jack, but at a bit over six feet, he still towered over me. "Thank you for coming to help." I offered softly.

He shrugged. "Jus doan what needs doan." He told me, his eyes wary.

"Still, it's appreciated."

His eyes took my measure, perhaps judging my sincerity, and then nodded.

"Can I get you something? Lemonade? Or…" I trailed off, not knowing what else to say. I just didn't want things to be so bad between us. He was Jack and Tee-bo's friend after all.

He raised a brow, shot a glance at Tee-bo, then looked back to me. And then his face softened a touch. "Appreciate dat cher."

I blew out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. "Okay! Sure." I backed away then half turned and asked, "Tee-bo? Want one?"

"Ouais!"

The sounds of hammering resumed and I grabbed a load from the cart and headed inside, not wanting to waste my trip.

I mixed it up and brought out two tall plastic tumblers wishing we had ice, but that was in the past. The guys didn't seem to mind though. They gave me nods and told me, "Merci!"

"De rein, mon podnas." -It was nothing my friends.

Tee-bo laughed and slapped his leg when Lionel spilled his drink over his shirt in shock. "Tol' you!" He hooted. Lionel cursed and slapped his front.

"I thought you were taking the piss. Didn't think for a second a fille from a plantation in Sterling would know le français cadien." Then he turned to me. "Comment bien parles-tu le français cadien?

I answered in in the same tongue that I'd spoken Cajun French since I was little. My Grandmother had taught me and stomping around after the farm help had taught me the rest. Tee-bo's father had even tutored me some.

Lionel cocked his head and looked at me like he wasn't sure what to make of that. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Jack actually figured it out pretty quick. That Thursday in school. And I guess I didn't say because it was fun listening in when you didn't know I was listening." I grinned.

He was trying not to smile, but I could see his lips twitching. He shook his head.

"I've gotta get back to unloading."

When I was back inside Mom asked if Lionel was staying for supper. I sighed. I didn't trust him yet, but it wouldn't be right to let him work for us without feeding him. And if he was staying for supper, did that imply he would be spending the night?

I told her he was and went out to give the invitation. "Lionel?" I called from my place at the wagon. "You want to stay for supper?" I hefted the sacks of cans in my hands. "We got plenty."

"That'd be appreciated. Merci."

"And, um, if there's something you'd like to take with you from our haul today, speak up, alright? You've earned it."

His head swung to me in shock, but I'd already turned around and headed back to my house before I could take it back. I knew he'd had a hard life and I knew he'd stolen before, but that was before and Tee-bo trusted him. Maybe if we got off on the right foot, he'd be different now.

When I planted the bags of cans in the cellar, passing Ronan on the way, I briefed him and Mom. "Lionel accepted the invitation to dinner and I told him he could pick something from our haul today as payment for his work. I thought maybe he'd like one of the weapons or the bottles of liquor…actually I have no idea what he'll want. But I told him he was welcome to come and look it over and pick out something."

Ronan didn't say anything but his eyes smiled at me. Mom did though, "Oh, Evie, that was a good idea! I hadn't thought of that. Money probably isn't worth much anymore, but bartering is. He probably could have been out scrounging himself if he hadn't been building that cart with Tee-bo."

"Well done, fille." Ronan finally spoke from up above me.

I smiled. I guess I hadn't done too badly at all this stuff after all.

Over supper the men, and I now thought of Lionel and Tee-bo as men, shared how things were in the bayou. They'd told their neighbors that they were going to see if they could find help and food and would be back if they could get help. They'd seen people out fishing and knew lots of crocodiles and snakes had survived the flash, so at least people in the area would have some meat and wouldn't starve if they could hunt.

Tee-bo said knew from Jack that it was just my mom and me on Haven though. He trailed off after that, but I could hear what he hadn't said.

We were women alone after the flash on a rich place. Unprotected. So Tee-bo and his Dad had come to offer to work for us…but they'd also come to protect us. Jack. My heart ached in my chest. Why had I told him not to come back?

"He wasn't there today?" I asked.

Lionel and Tee-bo exchanged a glance but Tee-bo answered. "No Cher. We didn't see him. Clotile neither. But that doesn't mean-"

I stood up, my eyes watering. I was a hair away from loosing it completely. "Please excuse me." My voice sounded funny. I walked away from the table, ignoring my Mom and Mel calling for me, my steps quickening. I yanked open the door. By the time my feet hit the steps I moving quick, then I was running down the oyster-shell drive, my hair flying behind me.

The sun was still up but the sky was beginning to pinken. The cane fields on either side of me stood shell-shocked and still. Withered and dead. Trees were withered dead things, the leaves all blown off by the hot searing wind and the blast. I ran away from the house, where they wouldn't be able to hear me. Into the cane stalks. Gripping the poor dead things I cried out.

"Matthew! Matthew!" My nose tingled, started to drip. I didn't care, just fell to the ground and leaned over so it didn't get on my clothes. No more laundry machines. Hand washing now. I wasn't going to make more work for myself.

The fields drifted away, and there was Matthew. He was in the car with his Mom. He'd placed her in the back seat of the SUV and he was in the front seat with her. They were driving around town. He'd…fixed it? "Empress. You called!" He sounded pleasantly surprised. As though a dear friend was calling to chat. I supposed to him, I was. That made me smile. He was growing dear to me too.

"Matthew! You got your car to start?! How?!"

"I fixed it. Mother is shopping. She is buying a lot." He grinned a happy grin "She listens to me now when I ask her to get things."

Rachael spoke, "Matthew? Are you having a chat with Evie? How is she?" She sounded thrilled to hear from me.

"I'm good, I guess. It hurts my head a lot to talk with Matthew this way. I get nose bleeds sometimes. But it's worth it to talk with him. How the hell did you fix your car?!"

Matthew relayed what I'd said to Rachael then started to tell me a bunch of technical mumbo jumble that went right in one ear and out the other. I interrupted, "Never mind! I haven't got a clue what you're saying. I'll ask later when I'm with someone who knows cars. That's not why I called."

"Do you know if Jack is okay? Have you seen him?"

Matthew frowned. "Can't see Jack. Never see Jack."

My eyes watered and I nearly lost it. "So he's dead?" She croaked out.

"Don't know. Can't see him. Never see him."

"So he could be alive?" I asked, grasping at hope. When he nodded I was infinitely relieved.

"Thank you!" He smiled at me. "You alright? You and your mom good?"

"Evie asks if you're good Mom." Matthew relayed.

"I'm doing alright Evie. Thanks to you and Matthew I called my friends and family and warned them in time. I haven't been able to contact most of them since, but my brother's family aren't too far away and we've seen them today. Knowing the people you love are alive and well makes all the difference. Matthew helped fix their car too. They're looking at him with appreciation and seeing him for the amazing person he is, and that makes a huge difference too!"

Rachael was nearly glowing as she talked. I could see she was seeing her silver lining as well.

"That's great Rachael. My head hurts bad so just one more thing and I've got to go."

Matthew frowned and the pressure in my head backed off a bit.

"Thanks, that's a little better. I need your help again." His face calmed and he nodded so I continued, "Matthew, I need to know how to grow crops! I've only seen plants grow larger, and I've seen plants kill people, but how do I sprout them from seed? I've got people depending on me!"

Matthew just grinned at me.

"Matthew, I'm glad you're happy, but smiling as answers go, isn't very helpful."

"You have everything you need to know. Your blood is life, Empress." He tapped his nose and said, "Drip…drip…drip…"

Then the car faded and I was in the fields again.

I was looking at the dirt between my hands were my nose had dripped blood. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand. Well, at least I hadn't got it on my clothes. I hadn't even had time to be frustrated with Matthew's non-answer before my hands in the soil felt the change. There was life. Beside my hands on either side, the cane stalks had turned from brown…to green! Four green cane stalks stood tall as soldiers where my blood had dripped into the earth. I envisioned them growing…and they did. Fully mature and ready to harvest in seconds.

My mind reeled. Joy filled me.

Your blood is life, Empress. Matthew and Death had both told me that.

What if I used my blood on seeds? What would happen? I turned to run for the house for the box of seed packets that were stashed in the cellar.

I ran inside, past everyone in the kitchen. Mel called,"Evie? What are you doing you crazy-?"

Her mom cried, "Evie! Your nose!"

"I'm fine!" I yelled, still running.

I found the seeds, grabbing the whole box, but then I paused. It was nearly night. Lionel and the Jandins were there. Arcana means secrets. Keep ours.

I needed to be careful, and I'd need light, and privacy. In spite of my excitement, I put the box back on the shelf.

Shoot. And now I had to face everyone. I went to the mud room off of the cellar, pausing to tidy my face and hands as best as I could in the little half bath.

"What was that all about girl?" Mel asked.

"Um, I just had a break through on that fertilizer we've been working on. But it's a little dark to test it right now. It'll have to keep for tomorrow."

"That's great!" Brilliant!" "Magnifique!"

I just smiled and blushed. Lionel broke in. "It's getting' late. I best be getting' home."

Mom objected. "You're more than welcome to stay if you'd like. We have the room."

He gave me a sardonic grin and then shook his head saying, "Some other time. Doan want to wear out my welcome."

"Did you pick out something from the cellar?" I asked him.

"Non, not yet."

"Well, you should do that before you go. This way."

He took his time. Isabeu had organized. Canned foods were separated into soups, veggies, fruits and such. Liquors were together. He lingered there. Weapons were also together. There were a few rifles, one with a hunter's scope attached, several pistols. The crossbow and arrows. Boxes of ammo were nearby. There were a few good knives nearby too. I leaned against the wall to watch him make his selection. Tee-bo came down a few minutes later and they talked over the guns. It was pretty much all over my head. Phrases like automatic, bolt action, pump action, velocity, stopping power and the like. I noticed his gaze kept drifting to the liquors though.

Once he'd settled on a hunting rifle and a box of ammunition they both looked at me, like they were waiting for something. "Find what you wanted?"

"Ouais."

"Great! Glad you found something you like. You comin' back tomorrow?"

Lionel seemed uncertain. Tee-bo wasn't though. "Mais, the cart ain't finished yet. Once we get that done, could use your help raiding. Bet you'd know some of the best places to look. This ammunition woan last forever. Can you pick a lock? Some places are locked up tight. That skill would come in handy."

He had a good point. Lionel looked at me and cocked his head. "Tee-bo's right. If you're interested, we'd like to have you back."

Lionel seemed to stand taller and he held that gun like he knew how to use it. For once, that idea didn't frighten me. "I'll be here."

I gave him a smile. "That'd be good."

Then we headed back upstairs. I noticed he gave that liquor one more glance. Boys. I didn't understand the appeal. Jack's fondness for liquor tugged at my heart and he wasn't here. "Go on." I told Lionel.

"Pardon?"

I nodded my head toward to bottles he'd been eying. "Take one."

"Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Why not?" I gave him an impish grin.

"Non. This is more than payment enough." He hefted the gun. Then he smirked and put a hand at my back and gave me a little shove, moving me up the stairs. "'sides, I'll be back tomorrow. I'll get it then." I laughed with relief. It seemed the ice between us was finally broken.

The men decided they'd all three go and escort him home, that way no one would be going home alone after dark. They were all armed and on horseback and the sun was setting. They rode out fast, of a mind to be home quick.

It was not too much later that we heard gunfire in the distance, repeated. Over a dozen shots. Isabeu had been putting the kids to bed, but when we heard that we also heard the doors upstairs opening and footsteps running downstairs. We talked among ourselves, wondering what had happened.