The Scent of Lilac: An Arrow's Flight Novella (14 page)

           
“We’ve
called you together today to discuss a serious situation,”
Tara
begins. “As many of you know, we’ve had a small group of males—intruders—disrupt
the serenity of our village of late. During their escape, they managed to break
the locks of every cave in the Pit.”

           
A rustle of
whispers floats across the assembly, and someone calls out. “You mean... those
giants?”

           
The small,
scared voice comes from the back. I hold still as I digest this theory. Another
voice.

           
“Why were
we not told of this other village?”

Surprisingly,
Tara
’s
eyes dart toward the voice nervously, her cool confidence faltering. She shakes
her head.

           
“You have
nothing to fear. They are no longer a threat.”

           
“And what
of the stock? We’ve heard some escaped.”

           
Another
fearful rumbling rolls through the crowd, and I shiver. Men were the cause of
all our troubles so many years ago, and the fear is justified. In our lessons,
we learned what men are capable of doing. One man alone is not as much of a
concern, but if they unite…

           
Chad
is in my mind.

           
“What you
say is true,”
Tara
continues. Her stern eyes fall over
me for a moment. I cringe beneath them. Another quiet rumble.
Tara
raises a hand.

           
“The
locks are under reparation. Soon the Pit will be secure.” Her fists clench at
her sides, and she paces to one side of the platform, her whip coiled on her
hip. “This, however, touches on the very reason as to why we’ve gathered you
here.”

           
Eleanor
stands, her chair scraping backward across wood. She comes around the edge of
the table and faces us, her gray hair piled in a neat bun atop her head.

           
“The
stock are a very simple kind,” she begins. “I myself oversee their upbringing,
and I can assure you they are too simple-minded to plan an escape. We have
carefully trained each member to remain in his proper station as a mate for the
good of himself and his breeder. With or without locks, he is incapable of
making a decision to leave without some encouragement, and even still, the
outcomes vary.” She clasps her hands firmly, her back tall, almost regal. “But
when a breeder puts ideas in a dog’s mind…”

           
Her voice
trails, and a low murmuring rumbles through the room.

           
“Someone
helped them?” Jen asks. My eyes fall on the young girl beside me.

“Not only helped,” Eleanor
replies. “But somehow encouraged them to ignore their calling.”

           
Jen’s
eyes grow wide with innocent questioning. “Why would someone do that?”

           
My bowels
tremble as a slow ache invades my stomach. I sink lower in my spot.

           
“Why?
“Eleanor’s voice carries a clear hint of anger. “Because they’ve chosen to
follow in the footsteps of a rebel.”

           
A deathly
silence follows her comment. No one moves for a good minute.

           
“How many
have escaped?” A nervous voice finally asks.

           
“Eight.”

Eight?

“However, six were quickly
apprehended—along with the breeders who chose to defy the Moirai.”

As if on cue, the rear door to
the room opens and a handful of guards enter, parading six girls through.
They’re all young, and I recognize five of them. Audra, Lynn, Rae, Cama and
Shea. My eyes dash toward Eleanor.

           
“There
will be no more escapes, I assure you.” The girls are herded up onto the
platform, and the sick feeling in my gut grows. “We’ve now stationed a guard on
duty at the top of the ladder… and a guard at the bottom.” She takes a couple
of steps forward until the toes of her shoes reach the very edge of the
platform. “I will be frank with you, ladies. Our stock has grown slim, and it
will be several years before we can replenish the Pit. We cannot afford to lose
anymore.” Her light, blue eyes turn hard. “I understand how Kate’s misguided words
may have affected some of you, but Kate is a killer. And Kate is gone. We will
not have your insubordination.” She scans the crowd until her eyes settle on me.
“You will defy the Moirai at your own risk.”

           
She nods
once and returns to her seat, and one by one, the guards spin the six girls
until their backs are to us. Their blouses are yanked down to their waists, and
every woman in the room stops breathing as one unit. The whistle of the whip—a
squeal, a sob—this is all we hear for several long, agonizing minutes.

           
I can’t tear
my eyes from the poor girls bleeding on the platform, as much as I want to. I
suddenly understand how very fortunate
Chad
and I have been. My head begins to ache. The women shuffle nervously. The
Council stands by in silence. The lashings end, and
Tara
steps to the front of the stage again.

           
“We trust
that this meeting will serve to hold the rest of you in check. Despite the turn
of events, we expect you to perform your duties without question to keep the
Village functioning properly. Remember, you are the givers of life.”

           
“And what
of our leader? Have the Moirai decided?”

           
I turn,
catch a glimpse of a familiar red braid.

           
Tara
purses her lips, her eyes honed in on Blaer. “As of yet, we have no answer. But
this should not hinder your ability to fulfill your roles. We expect nothing
less.” With a quick nod, she adds. “You’re dismissed.”

           
I can’t
get out of that echoing room fast enough. My pounding head raises a sharp
nausea, and I bend to vomit just outside the door. The women bustle past,
immersed in hushed conversations and not giving me a second glance. Someone
grips my elbow. Startled I look up.

           
“Come on,”
Blaer whispers. She tugs me along toward our hogans, and I let her, my mind
roiling with every horror I can muster. They mingle with my fears for
Chad
.
What if I was mistaken? What will happen to him if they catch him? What will
happen to me?

           
Blaer and
I don’t speak the entire walk. She shoves me through the door of my hogan,
dipping in behind me. Bridget and Fallon are already there. I blink once, and
face Blaer.

           
“All
right, girls.” She speaks in a loud whisper. “It’s time to make a difficult
decision.”

           
“Oh no,”
I shake my head, backing away from her. “I’ve told you my decision already.” I
toss my eyes across the rest of them. “You all need to leave. Now.”

           
“Mia—”

           
I glare
at Blaer. “Did you not hear them? Did you not see what just happened in there? Defy
the Moirai at your own risk. Is that your plan? If so, I want no part in this.”

           
“You
hypocrite!” Blaer hisses, and I leer back, wide-eyed with surprise. She huffs
angrily. “Do you not see it? Are you so blind? You’ve already defied them! And
you’ve been fortunate, for whatever reason.”
 

           
I take in
a sharp breath, hold it. Blaer opens her mouth to say more, but Bridget reaches
up from where she sits on my mat next to Fallon and squeezes Blaer’s fingers,
stopping her mouth. Blaer huffs, yanks away, and crosses her arms over her
chest.

           
“It’s
true,” Bridget insists, her tone much softer, pleading. “They obviously believed
you when you said that you had nothing to do with your mate’s escape, but the
Council was clear. Stock don’t gain these ideas on their own. We put them
there. This puts you at great risk.”

           
My
trembling fingers cover my lips, and tears smart. Fallon rises to her feet and
wraps me in her arms.

           
“There,
there.” She squeezes me to her, and I relax into her embrace. It seems ages
since I’ve had a hug from anyone, and her touch reminds me of how much I miss
my friends. “We know you’re scared. Goodness! I’m scared. Who wouldn’t be when
we have such dangerous ideas?”

           
She
shivers, and the sensation sends me to shivering in return. I ease away from
her and sink to my mat, face in my hands. Nobody moves for a good minute, and
then Blaer drops to her knees and takes my wrists. Pulling gently, she makes me
look at her.

           
“Mia. You
have to listen to us. You’ve placed yourself in a position where you have no
other choice. Your only hope is to come with us before what happened to those
girls today happens to you.”

           
I squeeze
my eyes closed. I don’t want to hear her words. I don’t want to face any of
this. I want to climb under my blanket and go to sleep and never wake. My heart
battles, each twisted half bleeding with loyalty for an enemy cause, and I am a
duel prisoner. I try to wrench away from Blaer’s grip, but she holds fast.

           
“You need
to decide now if you’re with us. A full commitment is important—for all of our
safety. Otherwise, we can’t trust you.”

           
I
straighten. “Trust me with what?”

           
“With not
telling our plans to the Council.”

           
I blink
once, vehemently shaking my head. “I wouldn’t tell.”

           
Blaer
frowns. “Are you so sure? If Leah came to you and insisted that you tell her
what the breeders might be up to, you wouldn’t be tempted to divulge what you
know?”

           
I yank
from her grip and narrow my eyes, but what can I say? I’m known for caving
under authority when confronted. More than once, Mona pulled what she needed
out of me. And would I tell Leah if she asked? I told her I would, and I can’t
say that I wouldn’t. But Leah… she cares about me; I know it. And she’s not
adverse to Kate’s ideas of a different kind of system in our village. Why
couldn’t I tell her how the girls are feeling? Would she not be sympathetic? If
only I could make the girls see this.

           
“The Moirai
have not spoken another name,” Blaer declares.

           
I blink. She
tosses a glance toward the other two before she nods.

           
“Her name
was in the box. Hers, Mia. As long as she is alive, no other name will ever
surface, and the Council knows this. She is our leader.” Her fingers loosen and
drop into her lap. “And a leader needs followers.”

           
I stare
at her.

           
“Consider
this,” Bridget brushes her fingers down my arm to gain my attention. “Would
Kate be upset with you for what you’ve done?”

           
Frowning,
I think on it. Kate encouraged me to look at
Chad
—to
really see him and understand him. And when she came out of the Pit for the
first time, she was different. She saw something different in the stock, and in
time, she made me see it, too. I set my eyes on Bridget, flick them toward
Fallon before they come to rest on Blaer’s face.

           
“Kate
would not be upset,” I whisper.

           
Blaer
smiles, and the freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose dance at the
motion.

           
“She is
our leader,” she repeats with a harsh whisper of her own. “So let’s follow
her.”

           
A
sensation I can’t quite describe flutters within. It’s riddled with joyful
hope, something I have not felt for some time. It dances at the prospect of,
for once, doing something Kate’s way. Something courageous and bold and so
utterly dangerous. Blaer’s bright, excited eyes smile at me, and the fluttering
intensifies into a single moment of frightful bravery.

           
I clench
my fists against the sides of my skirt, and despite the events of the day, I
give her a very hesitant nod.

ravery is a terrifying necessity.

For the rest of the week, my nerves harass me. They creep
around the edges of my spine each time Tara or Eleanor comes near, and as much
as I try to avoid their eyes, I can’t help but think they must already know. A
plot is afoot; I have been involuntarily pulled into the scheming, and I must
reek of it. Every wide-eyed nervous breath I take seems to display my guilt.

           
“There’s
no point in leaving if we don’t know where we’re going.” Blaer concedes.

           
The moon
hangs high over Mona’s cabin so bright we don’t need a candle tonight. Its light
cascades in through the one window and falls over the four faces, turning their
skin the color of ghosts.

           
I stand
near the door, unwilling to fully commit to the circle of girls seated on the
floor.
 
Me... and Gina. As usual, she
leans against the wall—rigid—her arms crossed. Her resistance is not because
she is disloyal to the cause. No. Hers stems from the fact that she’s never been
truly comfortable in the company of these girls. A hunter among the breeders.

           
“Now that’s
the smartest comment you’ve made so far,” she grunts.

           
Blaer
sighs. “Stop with the sarcasm, Gina. We know what we want. Now we need a real
plan. We can’t very well follow after Kate if we don’t know which direction she
went.”

           
Gina
presses her lips together, her arms characteristically crossed over her chest.
“And I suppose you’re wanting me to find out.”

           
Blaer
shrugs apologetically. “You are the logical choice. You’ve been outside the
Village.”

           
“Yes, to
the hunting grounds only. And there’s nothing out there,” Gina concedes. “Nothing
but ruin, just as the Council has taught us.”

           
“Then
you’ll just need to go a bit farther.”

           
Gina says
nothing else. She settles back, propping up one leg to rest the flat of her
foot against the wall. Blaer eyes me.

           
“You
aren’t going to back out of this, are you?”

           
I
swallow, and not for the first time, I wish Blaer had never approached me at
the feast. This scheming, all this planning and plotting and secretive meetings
in the middle of the night has made me think too much—more than I’ve ever
wanted to think about anything. I don’t want to answer her. My fingers slink
upward to clutch at my throat.

           
“I don’t
know what I’m doing,” I whisper. All the girls turn, wide, concerned eyes
sweeping over me, and I shrink closer to the door and my escape. “I—”
           
I don’t know what else to say.
They desperately want me to embrace this idea. Their hearts are bent toward
Kate. If she will not lead here in the Village, they are determined to go to
her and let her lead them where she will.

           
Kate
never told me Mona chose her. I found out with everyone else, and I wonder now…
if we do leave the Village—if we find her and announce our loyalty to her
alone—will she want to be our leader? It was clearly never her intention. And
so how does Blaer plan to convince her?

           
Blaer
stands now and comes to me. She takes my hand, firmly bunching my fingers
together until a sharp pain brings my gaze in focus with hers.

           
“We’re
not doing this again. You need to promise that you’re with us, Mia. Right now.
Promise.”

           
I can
feel my pulse in my crimped fingers, and I try to pull away, but she holds
fast.

           
“We’re
talking about Kate here. Don’t you want to see her again?”

           
“Of
course, I do.” I yank hard, and step away from her. “More than any of you
combined. But—”

           
“But
what?” Blaer crosses her arms. “If you tell me you’re afraid one more time, I
might simply slap you.” Our eyes meet, and the gleam in hers is hard. “Do you
think you’re the only one?” She nods toward the wall. “Even Gina is scared, as
she should be. If any one of us is not scared… as scared as Kate was when she
climbed up on that platform with Mona’s dead body at her feet… then we should
all go home.”

           
We’re all
quiet. Gina lowers her foot and raises the other to plant against the wall,
shifting her body slightly. Fallon tugs on the end of her braid. Bridget wrings
her hands, stops, spreads her palms over her knees, and then starts to wringing
again. And Blaer, standing tall and stern in front of me, doesn’t seem a bit
frightened.

           
“What’s it
going to be, Mia?” She waves her hand around the room. “All of us have made our
decision. We’re going forward with this.”

           
I sweep
my eyes over the girls. They all look at me; Bridget attempts a weak smile, and
she nods rapidly. Blaer sighs, dropping her hands to her sides.

           
“Truly,
Mia. For once—just this once—can’t you do something in your life that is worth
the price you may have to pay?”

           
Her words
stab me straight through the heart… because I hear Kate’s voice ring through
them. She once dared me to take such a step. To do something reckless. To make
a difference. I had been afraid then, too.

           
I close
my eyes and pull my bottom lip between my teeth. If this were Kate’s decision, she
would not leave
Chad
to live in that cave on the other side of the river. She would get him out of
here. She was willing to die for Ian. Could I, in all honesty, do the same?

           
I see
Chad
’s
ever steady eyes searching me out, waiting for me to decide our future. He will
do whatever I want… whatever I need. And he will not question it.

           
I shudder
inwardly. I know I will never take him back to the Pit, and the more I consider
him—what he has become for me and what I feel for him—the more I want to give
him something precious of this life… if only I can discover what that is. I
place my palm solidly over my abdomen.

           
How can I
refuse what Blaer offers?

           
I face her,
lifting my shoulders with as much courage as I can muster.

           
“I am
with you,” I say. “I—I have to be.”

           
Nobody moves,
as if to do so will somehow extinguish my bold and final announcement. But Blaer’s
smile spreads across her face faster than a star’s twinkle. She squeezes my arm
and tosses her eyes toward the others.

           
“Then
it’s done. Begin preparing. We leave in two weeks.”

*

           
“We’re
really going to do this? Just leave?”

           
A crash
of thunder drowns out the last of his words. I raise my voice above the fray to
answer him.

           
“Yes. We
are.”

           
We’re
huddled together at the very back of the shallow cave, which lends less than
adequate covering from the torrential rush. Water gushes in a solid waterfall
over the opening and a puddle slowly creeps toward us. Even with
Chad
’s
big, warm arms around me, I shiver.

           
“What
does that mean for us?”

           
I look
him squarely in the eye. “I don’t know, honestly. I hope it means we can be
together. And that we will be safe.”

           
“When
will we go?”

           
 
“Soon,” I assure him.

           
He keeps
his gaze on me a minute longer before he tugs me closer and lays his cheek
against the top of my head. I sink into him and close my eyes.

           
There was
no guard outside my door tonight. It began raining long before I crossed the
river, and I knew I should have turned back, but I couldn’t make myself do it.
Now, my goal is to do as little thinking as possible. The rain helps. I get
lost in its thrumming, and after a while, it lulls us both into a doze. But when
it continues to fall with no sign of letting up, I begin to worry that I may
not make it back to the Village before sunrise.

           
I crawl
to the entrance and peer through the sheet of running water. It’s very early
morning, and the sky is dark with thick, black clouds, completely absent of
stars or moonlight. A stream of water rushes past just outside, and I know
immediately the river has flooded over onto the bank. I will never find the
rock path in the storm. I ease back to settle against the wall next to
Chad
.

           
“I’ll
have to stay here for a while.”

           
Worry
touches his eyes, and I feel it in my bones. He takes the blanket and unfurls
it over us. “Will they notice you’re gone?”

           
“I hope
not.” I lay my cheek against his arm. “Perhaps the storm will keep everyone
tucked in.”

           
But I’m
not so certain, and the unease in my gut grows as the rains pummel. I will
never hear the end of it from Blaer if I’ve jeopardized her plans.

*

           
I’m not
the one who jeopardizes Blaer’s plans.

           
Chad
and I wait all day for the waters to recede enough for me to cross, and my
nerves are raw with worry when I eventually make it home. Somehow, and to my
great surprise, no one has missed me. The sun shines for the next two days, and
I manage to travel back and forth to
Chad
with no more problematic rainstorms.

           
Gina spends
time during her hunts to map out the terrain. Truly, she has no idea which way
Kate might have gone, and on instinct alone, it’s decided we will travel east. We
meet at the cabin one last time. Blaer announces our departure will be three
days from now.

           
My
anxious heart picks up speed after this and doesn’t slow.

           
And then,
just before
midnight
on the second day,
Blaer shakes me awake.

           
“Mia!
Mia, get up!”

           
I bolt
upright on my mat, as the groggy, wakeful world invades my dreams.

           
“What?
What is it?” I rub at my heavy eyes.

           
“They’ve
taken Bridget. We have to go.”

           
I focus
on her face in the dreary light of the moon, trying to make sense of her words.
        

“What?”

           
“The Council.
They took her for questioning.”

           
“Why?” Fully
alert, I climb to my feet to meet her wide-eyed gaze in the shimmering
moonlight.

           
“Because
she tried to take her mate out of the Pit. The guards caught her.”

           
I freeze
in place. “No,” I whisper.

           
“We can’t
wait. We must go now.”

           
“Now?
But—what about Bridget?”

           
Blaer
doesn’t hesitate with her answer. “We have to leave her behind.”

           
“Leave
her? We can’t.”

 
          
“Yes we can. And we will.”
 

           
A noise
outside, and Fallon steps through the door. A large pouch purse is loaded down
and slung cross-wise over her body, and her hair is pinned up away from her
face.

           
“Did you
wake Gina?” Blaer asks her.

           
“Yes.
She’ll meet us by the river.”

           
Blaer
nods. I stare at them both, suddenly very aware that this is happening. It’s
happening right now, and I’m not ready. I’m not ready to trust my entire life
to these girls I hardly know. I take a backward step and disappear into the
shadows near the wall.

           
“Why did
Bridget have to be so careless?” Fallon whispers with a sad shake of her head.
“I warned her it would be risky, but she wouldn’t leave him.”

           
“It’s too
late for that now.” Blaer scoops up her own pack where she’d deposited it on
the floor. “We can’t help her.” Her eyes flick toward me. “Get your things,
Mia.”

           
I don’t
move, and after a minute, I sink to the floor and fold my knees up to my chest.
Blaer hovers over me, hands on hips.

           
“Mia, we
don’t have time for this.” Her voice is hushed and raspy.

           
“I can’t
go,” I whisper.

           
Blaer and
Fallon exchange a glance. With a sigh, Blaer crouches, her eyes level with
mine. “You can. You made a promise.”

           
I simply
shake my head, numb with fear at the prospect of putting into action all that
we’ve devised. Living under the trees, hunting our own food, walking for hours
at a time on the off-chance that we’ll find Kate. Having this baby with no
midwife to assist—all of it is suddenly... terrifying. I tremble where I sit.