Page 28 of Bait
“I want to get back with you to the bunker. I want to try and get everyone out.” They did that thing again where they had a whole conversation with their eyes, and I could tell once again there was something they were not telling me. “What is it? Please tell me.”
To their credit, they both seemed chagrined. Well, Candela seemed chagrined. Torch looked like he got caught off guard and was working hard to on a comeback before I could gain more ground with my argument.
“I promised Gregorio to keep you safe, and I’ve done a shit job of that. I don’t want to drag you back into any of this bullshit with Becker.” Damn, he was good, but I wasn’t going to let him distract me. I was not going to sit in the township when I knew there were people down there still being controlled by Becker. My brother had lost his life trying to tell them the truth. I wasn’t going to let it be in vain.
“Gregorio wanted everyone to know the truth. They deserve to know that the world has started over. That the world order Becker and the council are trying to uphold is dead.” I looked out the window of the rig and sighed. The green of the trees, the flowers, the beauty of this world. Its resilience. “We have a chance to do this right.”
“Why don’t you want to be comfortable and safe?” Torch pleaded with me. He was still at my feet. His chest bore the scars of what had been done to him by the council. Of what he’d survived after he’d been pushed out. Strong and beautiful. A protector, but he needed some protecting too. Candela and I would be that for him.
“Why do you want things for me that you don’t require for yourself, Torch?” Torch let out a long breath, his shoulders falling in defeat. Candela winked at me, and my heart thumped hard in my chest. She was so strong. The picture of defiance, extraordinary, and she was mine too.
“You cannot be reckless. We can’t just go and knock on the door of that bunker. We have a plan, and we’ll execute it to make sure everyone makes it out okay. You didn’t create this mess and I’m not going to let you take it on as if you did.” Torch was up now. He lifted me off my chair, and I had to scramble to put down the bowl I’d had on my lap. With absolute tenderness, he sat me on his lap. I thought he’d be angry, but he just looked worried. Almost in agony, really.
“What are you not telling me?” I wasn’t expecting an answer, but Torch began to talk. Candela slid into the bed with us and wrapped herself around me while Torch lay on his side facing me.
“We have been working with Xavier organizing an evacuation,” Torch admitted, and I almost jumped out of my chair, but he held a hand out to stop me. “But we must do it when the time is right. He’s been working on getting some people together and on setting up the plan. The moment he’s ready, we’ll be there to help. We don’t want to do something that will end with people hurt or worse.” I could understand that. As much as I wanted to go out there guns blazing, I knew it would probably do as much harm as good.
I knew they’d waited for me for years. That they never gave up. That despite the challenges I knew they faced on the outside when I came out, they were there waiting. Waiting to bring me home.
“It will be hard being patient when I know people are suffering.” The moment I said it, I regretted it. “I’m not saying you did that, either of you.” I pleaded and both of them sighed. They gave me so much grace.
“It won’t be easy, some of them won’t want to leave.” That was Candela, who would always help, but would never lie to me. I turned away from the window and watched them both, my lovers. My soulmates. Even if this was new, I knew it was right.
“I’ll go where you go. That is the only place I want to be.”
“Let’s go with that before she changes her mind and stars bossing us around again.” That was from Torch the smartass.
Candela pressed a smile my brow and whispered the words I needed to hear. “Let’s go home, then.”
* * *
Just like they said, the drive to the township was barely another half day. We were in the desert again, the reds and blues laid endlessly before us. It was so beautiful, the sky seemed almost endless. Not in my wildest dreams could my brain had conjured the colors of this place.
Before we arrived at the gates, Torch stopped the rig in a clearing, and we jumped out. From there we had a clear view of the small cluster of houses and the green trees surrounding them.
“It’s one of the areas that has been replenished after the Burst. The lake had dried up hundreds of years ago, but everything including the native plants and animals are back.” It looked beautiful and lush. We were too far to see any people, but it seemed alive from here.
A knot formed in my throat, the swell of emotion surprising me. It was the kind of place Becker told us we could have and never intended to let us see. He’d willingly forced himself to a life in a dark cave instead of letting go of the little power he had. But we would help our people get here. I was determined to.
“Are you ready to see our people again, Alma?”
I was, and I wasn’t.
“There’s one person who has been waiting for you, for a very long time.” I stiffened at the softness in his voice, like he was expecting me to shatter at whatever he was going to say. I felt Candela behind me and her arms wrapped around my waist.
“Look,” she pointed at the township, and I noticed a small vehicle driving through the gates. I couldn’t see who was coming, but my heart started to pound hard in my chest just the same. A sob escaped my throat as we watched them come our way.
“Who is that?” I asked, not daring to hope or guess. Torch took my hand and kissed the palm.
“You know what the name of our township is?” I shook my head and looked at Candela first, then at Torch who was smiling wide. It was the kind that reached his eyes. “It’s called Serafina.” I cried then as I saw the figure driving up.
“My mother?” I could barely get the words out, but they both answered at once. “Yes.” “Why didn’t you tell me.” I demanded, sobbing now as my heart beat so hard in my chest I could almost hear it.
“She didn’t want us to tell you until you’d had time to acclimate,” Torch told me, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “And we wanted some time with you.” My cheeks warmed as I looked between them, uncertain about so many things, but growing less and less so by the minute.
“But how—” I began, but Torch shook his head.
“That is her story to tell.” The small vehicle stopped just below us, at the bottom of the hill we stood on. She pushed down her cloak and waved.
