“Like he feels he’d better serve by staying in Utah for six months?”
“Yes.”
“You agree?”
“Yes. Those under his training and his command trust and respect him. And what he learned in New Hope he takes with him to build there. The West is vast, and much of it empty. You’ll find uses for it. He’ll find them for you.”
“Then we’ll see what he can do in six months. Go, eat. I’ve kept you from my mother’s cooking long enough. I’ll take you to the barracks before you leave.”
“Will you eat?”
“Let them enjoy a little hospitality without The One hovering.”
She walked toward the hive. They’d built these here, another at the barracks. Enough, as Fred had four at the farm next door, and others had their own.
She thought of how her father had taught her to build the hives, how she’d learned from what pulsed inside her how to call the queen and the swarm.
She’d taught Mallick how to build a hive, called the swarm for him, taught him how to tend it, gather the honey, the propolis.
They’d need hives at the new bases. Did Duncan know how to build a hive, how to call the queen, how to tend and gather?
She held out a hand. Dozens of bees flew out to cover her hand, her wrist.
“That always creeped me out,” Mick said from behind her.
“We need them more than they need us.” She sent the bees flowing back. “It’s really good to see you, Mick. The couple of times I went back to check in with Thomas, you were off hunting or scouting or scavenging.”
“Bad timing. But now it’s good to see you, too. And all this. I was hoping to see the whole community, the town and all, but, well, next time.”
“Next time.”
“You always used to tell me what a great cook your mom is. Man, you got that right.” He patted his belly, then held out a cookie. “Brought you a cookie.”
“Thanks.”
“I like your dad, and your brothers. You’ve got one more brother, right?”
“Ethan, the youngest. We sent him and Fred’s kids into town for the meeting. They’re still too young to fight.” But not for much longer, she thought. “They train, but today, they’re helping in the community gardens.”
She gestured with the cookie, started to walk toward the barracks. “How are Twila and Jojo and Bagger and, well, everybody?”
“We’re good. We’ve been taking care of the cottage, the gardens, and all that. The faerie tribe and the shifters, too. There are more of us now, and some regulars.”
“Regulars?”
“You know, like your dad and Colin.”
“Non-magickals.”
“Right. Hey, there’s Taibhse.”
The owl stood on his branch, sent Mick a stony stare.
“He’s still pissed off I tried to shoot the apple. Man, that was years back.”
She remembered, too, the faerie glade with its lovely green light, the pool, the great white owl and his golden apple. And her horror when she thought the young elf meant to put an arrow in the owl. She’d leaped up, the first time her powers had taken her so high. In deflecting the arrow, shedding her own blood, the owl bound himself to her.
And oddly, that had begun her friendship with Mick.
“Where are Faol Ban and Laoch?”
“They’re here. They’ll go with me to Arlington.” She turned to him then. “We will take Arlington.”
“I know it. I believed it before we came here. I only believe it more now.”
His simple faith warmed her. “And you want Carolina? To leave the elf camp, build our base there?”
“I’ve never seen the ocean. Sabine’s taken us higher in the hills, down in valleys, but the ocean? I mean, man, it’s the ocean. Sabine and my father have cozied up.”
“I— What?”
“Yeah, they, you know, got together. I’m good with it. She makes him happy. And she’s smart, sort of calm, like him. They work, I guess.”
“I’m glad.”
“Anyway, this is the farthest she’s ever flashed me so far, and what a ride. I’d like to see the ocean. I’ve learned a lot,” he told her, looking away from the groups working on the training grounds. “We train, like that. Minh whips us pretty hard. We build. Like I said, there are more of us now. Minh had first choice, but he and Orelana don’t want to uproot their kids from the life they know. Not yet. I’m second choice, but—”
“Not for me.” She put a hand on his arm. “Even when we were kids, the others followed your lead. When your camp took sick, you, sick yourself, were the one