Page 116 of Beyond The Maples
"I am great, dear Farra. Thanks for asking. And to answer your question, Mack is on his way." He motions for the bartender to pour him a drink before scooting over to grab it and lumbering back.
"So, what do we have on the agenda tonight?" he asks, mischief lighting up his grey-green eyes.
Farra and I glance at each other, a little unsure of how to begin.
"Uh oh. I know that look," Briggs says, taking a big slurp of his drink.
"What look?" Mack adds, popping in and sitting down much more gently than his brother did.
"That's the look we get before we're about to do something really stupid," Briggs says, with a grin.
"Oh, that's a great look. What are we about to do?" Mack responds, with the same mischief glinting in his eyes.
"Well, we have a proposition for you," I say hesitantly.
"And before you say anything gross, not that kind of proposition," Farra interrupts, pointing to Briggs and he gives her a crooked grin.
Macklin bends over the table slightly, eager to hear what I have to say.
"We want you to take us with you across the border," I get out, just above a whisper.
Briggs lets out a low whistle, slumping back in his chair.
"I'm going to need alcohol for this chat, I think," Mack answers, excusing himself and coming back with four overflowing drinks that spill over his hands.
"Ok, start from the beginning," Mack utters after a healthy gulp.
My eyes dart around the room. There doesn't seem to be anyone from base here. We're in a booth to the side, and luckily, the band isplaying loudly enough to cover our voices. It's almost hard to hear someone right beside you; regardless, I'm still nervous to talk so openly.
But time is no longer our friend, and I remind myself of my mother's mantra; now's the time to be brave. So I relay as many details as I can. Praying to every god—real or not— that these two won't take this information straight to the Council.
When I'm done, Mack shakes his head and runs a hand through his shaggy hair, leaning back, deep in thought.
"Well now, I feel kinda bad," Briggs says with a bit of a pout. "How was I supposed to know we were poisoning everyone?!"
I can't help but laugh, shaking my head at his earnest reaction.
"None of this is on you guys. Everyone here is just trying to make the best out of a bad situation," I respond.
"That's the thing, though, isn't it? If everyone's going to just look out for themselves..." Mack cuts himself off, glancing at his brother. "I mean, this is a crazy story, and I'm really sorry about your sister, but what does this have to do with us?"
Farra and I look at each other again. She nods, encouraging me to keep going.
"Well, like we said before. We'd like you to get us out. We'd like to get to Zaphira, preferably, but even if it’s just to Soland, we'll take what we can get..." I fold my hands up tightly on top of the table. My eyes well with tears. "I need to get them somewhere safe. Then maybe I can come back and figure out how to help."
I look over at Farra. I hadn't told her this part yet. That I'd been feeling guilty for just leaving our country in shambles. She blinks, a grateful look washing over her face.
The twins glance at each other, one shrugging while the other runs a hand down his face. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were arguing telepathically.
I remember a story my mom used to tell us, about old magic. When a soul was strong enough, it could split when passing through Aethur—or The Beyond, I guess, since it turns out Aethur is a god, not place. When the souls found each other again in our world, the two people could become counterparts; able to useeach others magic and walk into each others dreams. Perfect reflections of one another. I used to think that that was just a nice bed-time story, but after my conversation with Sibs maybe some of it rings true. Either way, I bet these two come close to it.
"We'll do it!" Briggs says, wholeheartedly.
At the same Mack says, "I'm sorry, we can't help you."
The boys scowl at each other.
"Don't be such a fuckin' baby, Mack. I'm bored, anyway. And how can we keep slinging this root, knowing it's muckin' up a whole country of people's brains?" Briggs looks utterly offended by his brother's lack of empathy.
