Page 67 of The Flame

(Georga West)

Daniel passed his own letters on to Jessie before she left.

I took her aside to speak in private. “Slip the letters under Brenda’s door so she doesn’t know you delivered them.”

“Why?” Her nose puckered. “Do you think she’ll rat on us?”

I had to think about that, which said everything about our failed friendship. “Honestly, no, I don’t believe she would. But she’s in a weird place right now. I don’t know what Daniel wrote, or if he’s made arrangements to see her, but that’s between him and Brenda. There’s no reason to expose yourself.”

21

Two days later, Daniel and I were ensconced on the couch, sipping hot chocolate and munching on the last of Jessie’s oatcakes. Apparently the council families kept an extensive selection of books on old world politics in their libraries and it was required study for the heirs. Daniel knew a lot more than any of us, including Roman, and he wasn’t afraid to challenge my point of view.

“The original council made the right call,” he was telling me. “The world was in a state of chaos. Old world politics provided for this as well. They could declare a State of Emergency, and during that period, the electoral process was suspended.”

I raised a skeptical brow. “You’re suggesting we’ve been in a state of chaos for 95 years?”

“If you asked my father, he’d say yes, we still are.”

“And would you agree?”

Daniel bit down on his cookie and chewed while he considered his response. “The world is still chaotic, but Capra is a closed system by design. We’re insulated from the chaos. The council did actually install a conservative version of the electoral system.”

“Positions on the council are elected in theory, but in reality they’re elected.”

Daniel gave a slow nod. “They’re elected by the sitting council. That’s the way of fathers, to pass their legacy down to their sons. The system is flawed. I argued that with my father many times, that new positions should be elected from a wider field.”

“Is that what you would have done, when your turn came to pass on the position?”

“I’d like to think I would have tried,” he said. “I guess now we’ll never know.”

The crunch of tires rolling on dirt came from outside.

“Roman?” Daniel said with a frown.

“He’s early.” I jumped up to peep out the window. My blood ran cold.

“It’s not Roman,” I whispered hoarsely. “It’s a silver saloon. Do you know anyone who drives a silver saloon?”

Daniel leaped off the couch to join me.

At that exact moment, the car pulled up right below our porch and the front passenger door opened before the car had come to a complete stop. Jessie hopped out and a sigh of relief sagged my shoulders.

The driver’s door opened and Lisa stepped out, and I went stiff again.

“Why would she bring Lisa here?” Daniel hissed.

“She wouldn’t.” As bad as this looked, as much as I was freaking out, I knew Jessie wouldn’t be this careless without a good reason.

Jessie had already bounded up the steps. She was hammering on the door while Lisa strode around the car with her usual cool grace in knee-high boots, black denim and a tan overcoat.

“Go hide in your room,” I issued to Daniel as I moved to open up for them.

Instead of listening, Daniel beat me to the door and unlatched it.

Jessie all but fell over the threshold, her eyes enormous and searching for me. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know if there was time, and she had a car. I didn’t know what to do.”

I shouldered Daniel aside and grabbed Jessie by the arm, tugging her inside. I was tempted to slam the door on Lisa, but that wouldn’t help. She knew we were here. “What is it?”

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