Page 117 of Beyond The Maples
"Obviously, I want to…" he looks at us sympathetically, "I swear, I do. But it's a bit of a death sentence for us. We can sneak through with one, maybe two others, but a whole crew like that? We'll draw attention. Not to mention I'm pretty sure we'll be shot if we get too close to Zaph borders."
"You are such a bloody wuss. I'll do it myself, then. I'm not letting these poor girls traipse across the country with no help." He gives Farra a wink, and she gives him a dry look back, that makes him grin.
I ignore them and put my hand on Mack's arm.
"Would you do it for him? If you needed to get him somewhere safe? Willow is my Briggs," I stare at him, willing him to see things from my perspective, and it only takes a moment before his eyes soften.
"Son of a…" He picks up his drink angrily, slamming the remaining contents.
I smirk.
"Fine, I hate you all. If we die, I'm holding you personally responsible." He points to Briggs, and Briggs bats away his finger, playfully throwing his arm around his brother.
My lungs deflate with relief, and we spend the rest of the evening coming up with a plan. The brothers surprise me with their ability to strategize. And once Mack was in, he was all in.
We bid them goodnight, despite Mack's protests that the night had only just begun, and walk back to base.
"That went really well, hey?" Farra offers.
"Yeah…" I answer absently.
"So what were you saying earlier... before they came in?" she asks, frowning. I'd hoped she'd forgotten, and I could tell her in the morning. So much for our peaceful walk home.
"Right. Ok, so... I didn't tell you everything Sibs said. I asked about your brother." I take a breath, steadying myself. I worry she's going to be hurt that I kept this information from her. "She told me, in a roundabout way, that some people can pass through the barrier because they have dormant magic. But if they don't have magic, the barrier "takes" from them? Honestly, you know Sibs—everything is a bit of a riddle—but that's what I understood from it."
I watch her as we walk. She's quiet, staring ahead into the quiet town, so I continue.
"I asked if there was a way to help him, and she said that maybe once everything was righted, the barrier wouldgive backwhat it took?" I wince as I say it, waiting for the fallout.
She's oddly calm, and that sets me off more.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you right away. If I'm being honest, it's because I'm feeling so guilty, about leaving you behind. Guilty and insanely worried. I thought maybe I'd have more time to help you figure this out before we left," I take a deep breath.
Farra nods, deep in thought. We walk in silence for a few minutes, the stars twinkling above us in the murky black night.
"I mean... I do wish you'd told me sooner, but I understand. This is a complicated situation. We're all just doing the best we can." She gives me a sympathetic smile and reaches out to squeeze my hand.
I bob my head, a lump forming in my throat, unable to put into words how much it means to me she takes the time to understand the reasons why I do things. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude again. I'm not sure I deserve friends like this.
"I meant what I said earlier. I'll come back. I'll get everyone settled, and maybe even find some help, or answers. Or both!" The thought actually excites me. The idea of freedom and possibly being able to connect all the brokendots that make up our history. If I can finally get Linden and Willow to a place that's truly safe, it would leave more space for me to figure out how to help Farra and the others.
"You absolutely will not. You'll stay put wherever it's safest, and live out your days knitting, or writing poems about bugs. Whatever it is they do over there for fun in Zaphira," she laughs.
"That would be my natural talent, wouldn't it? Clever bug poems. Maybe they have awards over there for that sort of thing," I snort, but then add, "Let's be honest here. I cannot live out my glory days in peace knowing you're over here in this horrifying, dust bucket of a country, struggling by yourself." I pin her with a glare. "So either you come with us, and we figure it out together. Or I'm coming back for you," I say with finality, and she scrunches up her face.
"Promise me you'll think about it?" I plead.
She gives me a sad nod, "Promise."
"Did you decide what you're doing about Deacon yet?" Farra asks.
I let out a groan.
"I'll take that as a no. Why don't you want him to come? You say you love him. He's been in your life forever... so, what?"
I've been avoiding thinking about this, because my thoughts cycle in endless exhausting loops.
"I can't explain it. Something stops me every time I go to talk to him. Maybe it’s because he's always been such an overbearing mother hen who thinks he knows best? I don’t know…" I sigh, trying to find the right words to explain my hesitation.
