Well.\u00a0 I guess there\u2019s not any doubt anymore.<\/i>\u00a0 My lips thinned and I tossed the pregnancy test into one of the non-biodegradable trash bins, exhaling a quiet sigh.\u00a0 I\u2019d have to tell Thom that it was confirmed, that it was for sure.<\/p>\n
Pregnant.\u00a0 I\u2019m really pregnant.<\/i>\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure if I wanted to bang my head against a wall or cheer for joy.<\/p>\n
I sucked in a deep breath, exhaled it slowly, then scooped up the water buckets.\u00a0 Tala would need more water for cooking, for breakfast, for everything.\u00a0 I\u2019d bring her a pair of buckets now and one of the guys would haul more later.\u00a0 Besides, the solitary walk out to the well and back would give me a little time to think.<\/p>\n
The sun was still coming up as I walked up the slick path toward the well.\u00a0 We need to put gravel or something down here before one of us falls and kills ourselves.<\/i>\u00a0 I\u2019d reached the high stone rim around the well and had tied one of the buckets to the dipping rope by the time I spotted Phelan coming around the ruins of one of the dorms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat were you doing out there by yourself?\u201d\u00a0 I asked him as he drew within earshot.\u00a0 I caught sight of the troubled look on his face as he glanced toward me and wined slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to meditate,\u201d he said as he changed course to join me by the well.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing to?\u201d\u00a0 I dropped one of the buckets into the well and jiggled the rope so the bucket would tilt and begin to fill.\u00a0 \u201cWhy do I think that you didn\u2019t actually get to do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you\u2019re very astute, Marin,\u201d Phelan said as he leaned against the rim of the well.\u00a0 \u201cI was rudely interrupted.\u201d<\/p>\n
My fingers tightened around the rope and I struggled not to grit my teeth as I met his green-eyed gaze.\u00a0 \u201cWhat interrupted you, Phelan?\u201d\u00a0 What\u2019s about to go sideways now?\u00a0 Gods, we can never seem to get more than five minutes\u2019 peace at a time, can we?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cWho,\u201d he corrected, gaze momentarily distant but troubled.\u00a0 \u201cCariocecus came to speak with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I dropped the rope and straightened abruptly.\u00a0 \u201cHe showed his face anywhere near<\/i> here an you didn\u2019t raise the alarm?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was well outside the ward lines,\u201d Phelan said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cHe only wanted to have words with me, not visit some sort of violence on me.\u00a0 Besides, if he\u2019d really wanted to hurt me this morning, he would have made sure that I never saw him coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s why none of us are supposed to cross the ward lines alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d Phelan said, then smiled wryly.\u00a0 \u201cMea culpa<\/i>, le\u00e1nnan<\/i>, mea culpa<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
I just stared at him for a moment, then sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s too many people out there trying to kill you, Phelan.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded and looked away.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 But we can\u2019t just live scared of the day that the next monster or demigod is going to come after me, now can we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess not.\u201d\u00a0 I started hauling the first bucket of water up, wincing slightly as the muscles in my back twinged uncomfortably.\u00a0 Even after months of this, the soreness still occasionally showed up to remind me that I hadn\u2019t<\/i> been doing this all my life.\u00a0 \u201cSo what did he want to talk about?\u00a0 More threats?\u00a0 Promise for a rematch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d Phelan said, taking the second bucket from me and knotting the rope around its handle.\u00a0 \u201cHe wants a treaty.\u00a0 Peace.\u00a0 A truce.\u201d<\/p>\n
I just stared at him.<\/p>\n
What the hell kind of game is that bastard playing?<\/i>\u00a0 \u201cPeace?\u201d I blurted.\u00a0 \u201cThat bastard has the nerve to come hat in hand asking for peace<\/i> after what he did?\u00a0 He almost killed Kellin.\u00a0 He almost killed Thom and I.\u00a0 What the hell kind of peace is he offering?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Phelan said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s something we all need to discuss.\u00a0 I have to tell him tomorrow whether you\u2019ll speak with him or not tomorrow morning.\u201d\u00a0 He met my gaze and shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t write it off just yet, Marin.\u00a0 We could play this to our advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t trust him, Phelan,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably not,\u201d he agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut perhaps we should all hear what he has to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did he even get you to carry this message?\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan\u2019s lips curved into a wry smile.\u00a0 \u201cHe promised that whether you all wanted to parley with him or not, he\u2019d tell me everything.\u00a0 So, either way\u2026we win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some victory.<\/i>\u00a0 I stared down into the darkness of the well.\u00a0 Knowing whatever it was Cariocecus knew could be an advantage.<\/p>\n
Then again, that would mean we\u2019d have to trust he\u2019d tell us the truth.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t sure that was going to happen.<\/p>\n
I glanced at Phelan and shook my head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know that it\u2019s a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may not be,\u201d he agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s a decision that all of you need to make\u2014not me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced back toward our little village and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d I said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cAll of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a day to decide.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, it\u2019ll be enough.\u201d\u00a0 We hauled the second bucket up.\u00a0 I let him carry it as we headed back to camp side-by-side, silent as the sun rose slowly in the east.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well.\u00a0 I guess there\u2019s not any doubt anymore.\u00a0 My lips thinned and I tossed the pregnancy test into one of the non-biodegradable trash bins, exhaling a quiet sigh.\u00a0 I\u2019d have to tell Thom that it was confirmed, that it was … Continue reading