Page 140 of Beyond The Maples
"You guys don't understand—I love you all—I've been keeping you safe," he pleads, as Willow looks desperate to believe him. Our friend. Our family. Deacon turns to me. "Maple, I love you.I'm in love with you. I have been since we were kids, but I never wanted to take it further because you didn't know the full truth and I couldn't tell you... but now you do!" He looks at me, hopeful.
"That's why you..." I scoff. This is hysterical. "Wait, you never pursued me because you feltguiltyabout taking away my only surviving parent? Do you want a reward?!" I scream at him, and he recoils.
My attention is torn from Deacon to Tane, who's standing a few feet away. Tane is vibrating with hostility; his whole body looking coiled as he marches over to Deacon.
"Tane, no!" I yell, but it's too late.
Tane takes the butt end of his gun and clocks Deacon in the head, hard. Deacon crumbles to the ground, unconscious. Willow lets out a sob, and Linden pulls her into him, arms wrapping around her protectively.
"He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as you," Tane growls, chest heaving.
Tane and I stare at each other for a moment before I am suddenly aware that the entire group is still and silent, eyes bouncing between us.
"Well, this is a shit storm," Leo says letting loose a big exhale.
"Maple... if he betrayed us, Tane's right," Farra whispers.
I turn to Hollis.
"I am going to need you to explain,everything.Honestly: no lies, no bullshit," I point to my friends and family. "To everyone here. Because whatever you tell me, I'm just going to tell them, anyway."
There's no room for argument in my tone. So Hollis sits down, and begins to talk, but Lachlan interrupts, pointing his finger at the twins.
"These two can't be trusted," he says, no malice in his tone, just fact.
"That's garbage," Briggs grumbles.
"They're with us. Take it or leave it. Everyone deserves to know what they're getting into," I say firmly.
Hollis ignores the tension and starts.
"I'm one of Tane's legionaries. Not long after we worked our way up, I was sent out to your district to keep an eye on things—" A thought strikes me, so I shamelessly interrupt her.
"Where's the other one? Fallon?" I ask.
"Not here," Tane grunts, and Hollis gives him a warning look, beforecontinuing.
"Anyway, I was supposed to keep an eye on things. Rebel activity, intel on the Games…" Her eyes flick to Tane again, so briefly I might've missed it if I'd blinked. "It worked out perfectly because we actually are the rebels, and we needed contact with someone in the area who'd uncovered some major information. Your father… was figuring out a way to drop the barrier before he left. Along with a few other vital pieces of information: about our world, and your family."
"Excuse me?" Linden objects. "Why would he want to drop the barrier? What do you mean by our family?"
I cringe—Linden's head might explode—maybe, I should have had this conversation without them.
Too late now.
Hollis takes a big breath, and continues. "The barrier is not what we think it is. The Council created it; as a conduit of sorts, absorbing and funnelling magic out. It acts as a barrier, but what it's keeping locked on the other side we're not entirely sure yet. We know the wielders didn't create it to keep us out. The Council created it to lock something in. We believe if we can take down the barrier, magic will return to the land." She peers around the circle, everyone now sitting comfortably, listening intently to her confession. All except Deacon, who lays on the ground, and Tane who stands brooding behind him.
"So, where are all the wielders? They all died out, or...?" Linden asks.
I look over at Farra and Leo. Leo has a gentle hand on his canteen, like a pregnant woman would her belly. I give him a nod, as if to say it's up to him. I do not know if we can truly trust the people around this circle. How can I trust my intuition? The only thing I've ever felt confident about was my ability to read and assess people, and that's utterly shattered. I glance at Deacon on the ground and my insides twist. It's better to let someone else call the shots.
Leo and Farra are giving each other several looks, a silent conversation.
"Not exactly," Leo starts slowly unhooking the canteen where his sprite is probably snoozing.
The legionaries tense, as if he's about to pull out a weapon and not a glob of water. Leo whispers something to the canteen, leaving his hand patiently below, waiting.
Danu slumps out of the hole, with far more grace and grandeur than I've seen him previously achieve. The thick water swirls, and then stretches in Leo's hand. Straightening up, the sprite somehow looks older than the first time I met him. He's got the impression of clothes on, they're made up of variations of transparent blue liquid. It does the trick. There's less sloshing around in Leo's hand, less water flying everywhere. The sprite stands proudly, hands on his hips, water glittering in the moonlight.
