can leave NMs—non-magickals—a little dizzy and shaky.”
“Take her in the cabin, Sam.” Liana rose as well. “Let’s get her inside.”
With tears streaming, Sam turned to Fallon. “I’ll fight for you.”
“Take care of your sister for now.”
Kilo watched them help Aggie into the cabin. “You keep your word.”
“I do. I’ve brought you some basic supplies as well as a healer. Magda’s also a skilled soldier. You have three other skilled soldiers. Buck can help you build a greenhouse and plant if you choose to stay. Carolyn and Fritz can help begin to fortify your shelters. More are coming, but it’s going to take several days, more likely a couple of weeks for them to get here.”
“They can’t just—” He snapped his fingers, made her smile.
“Poe and Kim will be in charge. They survived the Doom, are fierce warriors, and helped build a community. They’ll build one here. Their sons are coming with them—good soldiers. Young, but good soldiers. They’ll help train any who stay. They’re bringing horses, a milk cow, chickens, more medicines. Kim’s also an herbalist.”
She looked around. “In time, if you don’t already have them among you, you’ll have teachers, weavers, farmers, technicians, fishermen. Until you can self-sustain, we’ll bring what you need. And in time, instead of being the target, you’ll be the arrow.”
Liana came to the cabin door. “Could we have the healer? Kara’s water broke. I’ve helped deliver before, but—”
“Be right there.” Magda tapped the kit she carried. “New life. The best part of the job. Bright blessings on you, Fallon.”
“And on you, and the new life you help bring. Carolyn, why don’t you take a couple of the blankets in there, and some of the tea and honey. Where would you like the rest?” she asked Kilo.
“The rest?”
“Bread, butter, cheese, eggs, some grains, vegetables, and so on. More blankets, socks, sweaters, some cooking gear, knives, swords, arrows. Basics,” she repeated.
“You might want to, for now, designate one cabin for the foodstuffs and the other supplies, and another for weapons.”
“You bring all this, say take it whether we fight with you or not.”
“Fighting’s a choice. Food, shelter, clothing are necessary for life. The weapons? If you go, they stay, but the rest? You can take whatever you can carry.”
“If we stay, if we fight, this is our land? Our place, one you’ll help us build and defend?”
“Yes.”
He stepped to her, held out a huge hand. “Deal.”
She helped organize the supplies, stayed for a meal of stew holding some of the vegetables and herbs she’d brought with her.
Recognizing the accent of the old man beside her, she spoke with him in Spanish as they ate.
When she offered a bottle of wine, the bottle passed from hand to hand around the fire. She supposed they’d make use of the cups she’d brought later.
The cry of a newborn carried from the cabin, so the bottle passed around again.
Liana came to the door, called out, “A girl. A beautiful, healthy girl! She’ll be called Saol, in honor of the light.”
“Light for life,” Fallon murmured, and took the bottle Kilo passed her. “To new life,” she said, lifting the bottle in toast. “To the light in her.”
And drank.
CHAPTER TEN
With fall riding chilly winds, Fallon traveled to both emerging bases. When needed, she brought supplies, personnel, drawing from New Hope, Arlington, even what Mick had dubbed The Beach.
With Poe, Kim, and Kilo’s people, she set up Bayview. With Flynn and Starr, Forestville. As October waned, she had bases on three sides of D.C., and plans to cover the fourth.
“Rock Creek Forest.” She showed her father on the map.
“Close, and without the river as a natural boundary. D.C. gets wind you’re moving in there…”
“It has to be a covert operation. It’s forested, mostly uninhabited. Most who escaped D.C. kept going. There’s game, a strong creek, nearby houses. This? Was a school, a good-sized campus, with its buildings largely intact.”
“You’ve scouted?”
“A few times now. Strategically, it’s tailor-made for a scouting base. Here?” She moved her finger over the map. “A small city, deserted, wasted, borders D.C. We’ll leave it for now, but it’ll be useful after.”
“After we take D.C.”
Not if, she thought, not from her father. “Right. Thomas has nearly a hundred and fifty at his camp now, the faerie bower more than sixty, the shifter’s den nearly the same. I’ve asked for who they can spare, and we could put a hundred. A hundred,” she repeated, “skilled at blending into forests, living in and from them in Rock Creek. Nobody moves faster than