The Mountain Ch. 09

A thought occurred to Lucy. "We can't go to the church together."

"I will not make a secret of what is between us," said Warder. "Why do you think I chose your Mrs. Monroe for a host? She will tell the entire town that we are mated."

Lucy turned over the realization that, even in this, Warder had calculated a plan that suited his needs. "She wouldn't say we were mated," said Lucy. "It's not a term we use."

"Fucking, then," said Warder coldly.

Lucy changed tactics. "It's not about hiding," said Lucy. "People are emotional after yesterday. I already don't have much pull with the islanders because of how long I was away and everything. If they see the two of us strolling into church together, they'll assume I only spoke up for you yesterday because I'm under your control. I know there are people in the church who believed what Cenia told them, but they'll be afraid to say so if they think their only ally is really one of you."

"You are one of us now," said Warder.

Lucy rubbed a tired hand over her eyes. "Sure," she said. "But, as a strategist, you see my point?"

Warder reached out to play with a lock of her hair. Lucy kept still, recognizing that he was thinking about what she had said. He tugged lightly at the hair, not painful, and sighed. "What you say has merit. I will go ahead of you to the church to ensure things are safe. You will follow. Do not be late."

"Thank you for listening."

"Mmm." Warder pulled her closer, lowering his head to press a possessive kiss to her lips that left her breathless.

Through the closed door, Lucy heard soft footsteps in the hallway and Mrs. Monroe's familiar voice.

"Time to wake up, dears. I'm making pancakes."

#

The bright sunlight in the town square felt oppressive. After her time inside the mountain, the world felt unusually bright. Lucy stood at the edge of the crowd and watched people file into the church. Warder had instructed her not to be late. She was not brave enough to openly defy him. She hadn't had enough sleep. Instead, she intended to wait until the very last minute. It was childish, but it gave her a small sense of control.

Her own small world has been so twisted lately, it was hard to grasp that the world outside might also have changed beyond repair. She had always imagined returning to things as they were. It had seemed like a dream as time went by. It almost made sense that the world outside had been torn apart by the Sylphen. It felt so far away, it made sense that it no longer even existed.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Lucy startled, recognizing Ioanni. "You wouldn't want them," she said. "I'm glad you came today."

He hadn't attended the negotiations yesterday. Ionni was eccentric, but people still respected his opinion. He was the go-to repairman on the island. It was possible that Ioanni might believe the warriors more easily than most. His mind was open to extraordinary things. Unless Sheera had convinced him of her skepticism. It felt strange to be so distant from her best friend.

"No, no," said Ioanni. "I'm not coming to the church. I came to find you."

"Is Sheera okay?"

"Yes, yes," said Ioanni, waving his hands to dismiss her concern. "She is in the church. I came because I've got the antenna working. I thought you would want to be there when I make contact."

Lucy's stomach flip-flopped, wild hope quickly tangled with defeat. "Did Sheera tell you what happened yesterday? It might not be safe to contact someone off the island."

"No better way to know if what they've said is true than to listen in to what's being said on the air."

"You can do that without alerting anyone?"

"What can I not do?" said Ioanni teasingly, gesturing to the clock on the far side of the square.

The clock had stopped not long after the island was taken. Ioanni had been the one to repair it when it stopped working a few years after the breach. It ran entirely on springs and gears.

The negotiations were scheduled to start in five minutes.

Warder would not expect her to be late. Not after last night. Even if he came after her--and she expected he probably would--he would not immediately know her direction. Ioanni's house was isolated and she wasn't sure Warder even knew he existed. By the time he found her, she would know if what he and Cenia had told the islanders was true.

"Let's go."