Page 16 of Daughter of the Ninth Line: Part One

“Unless he’s a two-pump pony,” Clancy offered.

“A three-stroke joker,” someone shouted from the other side of the room.

“A preemer-creamer,” Acacia added.

I wasn’t sure if you could die from the embarrassment of being a prude, but I was testing the theory right now.

Viana giggled with delight. “Avalon is going to have to save the poor man’s reputation now.” She looked at the group of people in the room with so much love. What would it be like to grow up in such a close community, bonded by hardship and laughter? “I’d love to attend your stuffy Upper Six party. Goddess knows, you’ll need the backup up there with those sea dragons.” She looked at my tattered pants and oversized shirt. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

I shrugged. “I don’t have anything else.”

Viana looked at Acacia, who was aghast. Glancing over her shoulder at the rest of the room, she clapped loudly. “You know what to do!”

I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but two hours later, I stood in front of the mirror in Viana’s room. I was in a deep yellow dress that Acacia had informed me was dyed with the pods of some of the spices I’d eaten. It was a rough fabric that had been treated with love and respect until it created something beautiful and unique. There was beautiful stitching on the bodice and the hem, and the skirt flowed around my body in a swirl when I walked. It laced up at the back, hugging all my curves in a way that made me look like a siren.

“You guys, it’sbeautiful.I promise I’ll take care of it and give it back to you tomorrow.”

Acacia waved me away. “No, keep it. It was always a little long on me, and I’m too lazy to hem it. Besides, I’d never be ableto wear it now, because I could never look as amazing as you do in it.” She sighed heavily, but her eyes were shining with mirth.

I spun from the mirror, the fabric swishing with me. “I… I can’t pay you for it. I don’t even have anything to offer you in return.”

Acacia waved a hand. “It is a gift from the Twelfth. We don’t believe in tit for tat. We know that one day if you’re in a situation to help another person, you’ll remember this kindness and how it felt, and you’ll aid the other person.” She sat me down on the chair, pulling out what I assumed was makeup. “Do you know the Twelfth believes that while we are the furthest from the First Line, we are the closest to the Goddess herself? That we survive by honoring her every day—not through pointless dogmatic rituals that make the Upper Six feel vindicated for their cruelty. I mean, we celebrate the small things every day. Helping people, sharing our food, our shelter, our clothing. We thank the Goddess when the seeds take root in our crops, when a baby is born, when we light a bonfire and celebrate life with friends and family. We honor her by living and loving and giving freely.”

Emotion clogged my throat. I might not be close to the First Line, but apparently, I wasn’t close to the Twelfth either. My life had been as cold as our climate, as barren as the mountains that towered around my home.

Choking back the lump in my throat, I murmured, “That’s a good way to live.”

Acacia squeezed my arm. “My mama always said a great tree can’t grow in a desert.”

I wanted to say something, to thank her again, but Viana reappeared, looking beautiful. Her dress was a muted orange that bled down into a deep purple. It should look like too much, but somehow, it was art. “Come on, Avalon! We’ll be late.”

Polus and Link appeared behind her, both dressed for the party. I raised an eyebrow, and the taller one—I was pretty sure he was Link—shrugged. “No offense, but we aren’t letting you go to a party with the Upper Six with only Taeme as protection. The Upper Six can be…” He trailed off, like he was trying to think of a non-insulting thing to call them, his eyes slipping to Braxus.

“Entitled cunts?” Viana supplied.

Link leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Exactly.”

Having met Vox Vylan on several occasions, I couldn’t even disagree. Hayle seemed different, though.

Viana grabbed my arm, and we ran out of the room, Braxus leading us up the stairs. My thighs were burning by the time we got to my floor. “How do you guys climb from down there to the atrium after training every day?”

Snorting, Viana held out a hand. “We’ve always worked hard. Starving might rob the meat from our bones, but that didn’t mean we got to stop.”

Braxus let out a short bark, announcing that Hayle was already there. Hayle’s eyes went wide as he looked at me, and I realized I hadn’t checked my makeup before we left. Hopefully, I didn’t look like a court jester. But the more Hayle stared, the more I worried.

“Sorry we’re late,” I said warily.

Shaking his head, Hayle grinned. “Right on time. Brought a few extras?” he asked lightly, nodding at Polus and Link.

“Didn’t want to walk into the lion’s den without backup.” I wasn’t going to be apologetic about it.

Hayle, however, just laughed. “Fair. Well then, let’s go.” He held out his elbow. “My lady?”

Placing my fingers in the crook of his arm, I told my thundering heart to behave itself. No ties. No waves. That was the goal.

Who was I kidding? I’d failed miserably already.

Eleven

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