Page 127 of Beyond The Maples
He straightens.
"They've been working on weird stuff down there. It's kinda like... they're shaped like smooth metal balls—probably as tall as me, maybe taller. But when they explode, all the little pieces turn into sharp knives on metal nets, destroying everything around them, before its sucks itself back into a ball," he ponders this, "now that I think about it, this might be important information."
Farra pushes her hands through her hair, unable to contain her frustration.
"How did you get down there if there's security?" I ask, curious.
"How do I get anywhere? I just walked through."
I guess I'll add that to the list of things that make no sense. Tarius is sneaky, but he's not invisible. I stare at him a moment, trying to gauge if he's holding something back, but I really don't think so. Tarius seems genuinely loyal.
A big grin takes over my face.
"What are you so happy about? This is a disaster! Didn't you hear him? These things could wipe out an entire town without providence soldier casualties," Leo grinds out.
"No, I know. It's bad... Very bad. But I think Tarius just handed us our ticket into Zaphira. This information would be really valuable to... say an opposing army, no?"
Tarius beams at me.
"Well, I'll be damned. Tarius comes in for the win," Farra says, a knowing smile tilting up her lips.
"Can I just point out that it's very weird you're all smiling about death machines?" Leo quips.
"If Leo is judging us, we're doomed," I snort, and we all laugh as Leo throws a wad of paper at me.
A silence settles over us, and I imagine we're all thinking the same thing; the bubble is about to burst. I know this is the only move for me, but I can't help but wonder if I'm dragging my friends into a mess that's not their own—if they would be safer just staying put.
The rest of the evening is spent preparing; we have a lot to get done in twenty-four hours. At some point, Berkley joins us, looking flustered. We go over all the things we'll need to steal for our trip, assigning tasks, establishing meeting places and times. It is a flurry of decisions. My stomach churns as I think of each individual task, and the risks that come along with them.
I have yet to deal with Deacon; I haven't had the time to speak with him alone. If I'm honest with myself, I haven't tried that hard.Guilt lays heavy on my chest as I think about leaving him behind. Part of me knows I've been avoiding him for other reasons too. Why my time with Tane is plaguing my conscience is beyond me. Deacon and I had a chance, andheturnedmedown. But then when I think about Tane, I feel a pinch of something similar to guilt, too. Leaving without saying goodbye feels wrong. We're not even friends, so maybe I just inherently feel guilty about everything, and I need to learn to live with it.
"Why don't I get a job?" Farra asks, quietly.
I look at her, confused. "You need to stay as far away from us over the next twenty-four hours as possible Farra. You can't afford to be seen near us," I barely suppress a shudder, thinking of what they might do to her.
She lets out a heavy sigh.
"I know... which is why I'm coming," her eyes bounce around to each of us, "if I'm still welcome, that is."
"Are you sure? What about your mom?" I ask gently. I desperately want her to come, but I want her to do it on her own terms.
She shrugs. "My mom has answered exactly one of my letters since I got here. The hard truth is... I love her, but that woman hasnever protected me, even when she could have. At some point, I need to start protecting myself," she tries to turn away to hide her emotion, but a tear slips down her face as she looks up.
I get up to hug her, but Leo flies past me, pushing me over and tackling her to the ground.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you... I'm sorry for being a jerk. I just didn't know how we were supposed to leave without you. I had a half-baked plan to drug you and shove you in a stolen buggy," Leo admits, not letting Farra out of his arms. I think he might be crying.
She chuckles, and mutters something about him being insufferable and regretting her decision already.
After she sits up, Berkley gives her a smile and a nod. "I'm glad you're coming. We need to keep our crew together," he looks at me. "Did you decide about the golden boy yet?"
I wince, shaking my head.
"Well, you don't have long. Rip the bandage off,little tree," he taunts, crossing his arms with a smug look on his face.
"Fine. You don't mindchattingwith Lo tonight, do you? We could use some extra masks and a few other things for the road. Something tells me she'll hand them over to you," I raise my eyebrows.
Berkley shuts up immediately, scowls, and I give him a triumphant grin.
