Page 23 of Enchantment of Silver and Sea
It wasn’t my place to question him. I jogged until I fell into step behind him.
We walked out of the Library, across the main atrium of the Knowledge Center, and out the front entrance.
The courtyard was bustling with activity. People were strolling a bit more leisurely than usual between the Knowledge Center and the living quarters, soaking up the warm afternoon sunshine.We had endured so many midday storms lately that everyone seemed happy for a change of pace. Breaking up the humidity was a cool, refreshing breeze. A reminder to me, and anyone else who spent their evenings alone and reading about our climate—in other words, no one—that the ocean was nearby, just out of view.
I had read that Pre-Awakening, when Cyllene was known for being a lively seaside city, people used to visit at this time of year to see the ocean at its most beautiful shade of turquoise.
“I bet the ocean’s nice today,” Cato said conversationally, as if reading my thoughts again. Had he ever gone to the ocean? Did The Council permit Mentors to do things like that, in secret?
“I wish we got to see it more often,” I mused. It would have defeated the purpose of having walls around the city if we left ourselves wide open on our eastern side. Walling ourselves off from the dangers Outside meant truly walling ourselves off, including from the beach. The most we could hope for was to stand atop a tall building on a clear day and see the hazy smudge of blue in the distance.
“It’s the price we pay for our safety,” Cato muttered a bit more darkly than the conversation warranted.
I nodded, then felt silly as I remembered he didn’t have eyes in the back of his head. “Yes, it is.”
We passed through the greenery of the courtyard, especially lush from all the rain, and entered the living quarters. I was more than a little curious now where we were headed.
Before I had time to process it, we had passed out of the other end of the living quarters and were headed down the front steps, into the city. I felt a familiar prickle of anxiety as I took in thebuildings ahead. Much more…solid and real up close than they were when I looked down at them from my balcony.
People were walking and riding bicycles down the main drag. A few in the distance were taking the streets on horseback. The shouts and squeals of children echoed from the vacant lot a few blocks to the left of us. I was never at my apartment during the day, able to sit out on my balcony when the sun was still shining. The sounds of children playing was foreign to me.
“You probably don’t get out into the city much, do you?”
Okay. If I wasn’t already used to Cato being so perceptive, I would have been wondering at this point if he had some magical mind-reading abilities.
“No,” I said simply. “I don’t.” I hoped my tone conveyed the appropriate amount of respect and also deterred him from asking any follow-up questions.
To fill the silence that followed, I said, “I can’t remember the last time I rode a bicycle.”
Even with the limited options that we had in comparison to Pre-Awakening bike shops, the people pedaling past us rode bicycles in a variety of colors and styles. Neon red and electric blue and chrome black and countless others zipped by. Some had baskets that were laden with grocery bags, lunch pails, and other essentials.
“Funny you should say that,” Cato said, turning to face me. He grinned.
I blinked. And saw what was right in front of my face. “We’re riding bikes?”
“Sure are!” He circled to stand beside the white beach cruiser that was the bigger of the two bicycles. “I hope you like green, because that’s what I chose for you.”
My bike was really more of a light shade of teal, and I couldn’t help but feel touched as I stared at it. It was one of my favorite colors, one that Irene had always said went perfectly with the pale blue-green of my eyes.
As I toed the kickstand up and climbed onto the seat, I wondered if Cato’s polite concern for me lately was something more. Like actual worry from someone who genuinely wanted to see me happy.
“Where are we headed?” I asked. I was bouncing from side to side on my toes, trying unsuccessfully to steady myself.
Cato was circling nearby. He pulled up alongside me.
He hopped off his bike with practiced ease. “Get off for a second.”
My own dismount was…not graceful.
Cato kneeled down and proceeded to adjust something under the seat. Then he stepped back, motioning for me to try again.
“There we go!” he said as I planted both feet on the ground. “Now follow me.”
He was off again, coasting leisurely around the road to give me time to catch up. I pushed away from the curb and pedaled after him, muscle memory kicking in. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to ride a bike, to do something physical for once. The days of long rides around the city with Irene felt like a distant memory, and yet suddenly not so distant.
I felt a smile beginning to spread across my face as the wind gently whipped loose strands of hair against my cheeks.
My smile faltered at what Cato said next.
