The Scourge (A.G. Henley) - By A.G. Henley Page 0,87
made their decision.” Now he sounds resentful. As one of the Three, Aloe had to agree to the plan. Why would she do that? Was she outvoted again?
“How long are you planning to hold them hostage?” I ask.
“Until we receive a formal apology, and word that Adder has been replaced on the Council of Three. We think the order came from him.”
I shake my head. “He’ll never give up being on the Council.”
“Then he’s condemning your people to death,” Shrike says flatly.
I have to find out what’s going on in the caves. And quickly. “Shrike, I need to talk to Aloe. Maybe there’s something I can do. Will you allow me to collect the water in the morning, so I can talk to you again?”
I imagine something unspoken passing between Kadee and Shrike, but after a moment, he agrees.
“Be careful how much you tell Aloe. She's . . . changed,” he warns.
His words chill me. I want to question him, but even more I want to get in the caves and find out what's going on for myself.
“Will you be okay?” I ask Kadee, already turning to leave.
“I’ll be fine. Go to your family.” She sounds wistful.
My family. My natural parents are standing beside me for the first time since I was an infant. But it's not how I imagined it. Not at all.
I pass into the mouth of the cave, leaving behind the last rays of the sun and any hope of warmth for the near future. As I trail my fingers along the familiar rugged walls of the passageway, I’m slapped by the overpowering stench of human waste. It’s not quite as bad as the Scourge, but close.
My chest is tight with anxiety and anticipation. I haven’t begun to process all I learned today, and now I’m faced with yet another crisis. I need rest, and time to think, but I don’t think I’ll get it anytime soon. If Adder won’t step down, and the Lofties won’t back down, I may have to try to lead everyone through the caves to Koolkuna. If I can persuade them to go. One impossible task after another.
I can sense the wavering light from a torch ahead.
“Hello?” I call. The torch moves closer.
“Fennel? That you?” The man sounds astonished. I better get used to people thinking I’ve come back from the grave.
“Believe it or not.”
He laughs. “I don’t.”
I struggle to place the voice. “Moray? What are you doing way out here in the passage?”
“Guard duty, watching out for Lofties.” I hear the clunk of a spear shaft being leaned against the wall. “So where ya been?”
“You definitely wouldn’t believe me if I told you."
“Try me.”
“Later, okay? I’ve been walking all day and I really want to find my family.”
“Come on, I’ll take you. I’m dead bored anyway. I could use the excitement.”
I’d rather go on alone, but I don’t want to be rude. Moray strolls next to me, the torch floating at his side. “How are things?” I ask cautiously.
“Could be better," he answers nonchalantly. His tone confuses me.
“Why? What happened since I left?”
“A lot.”
“Is everything okay . . . in here?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t it be?”
I give up. Clearly I’m not going to get much out of this one.
We’re at the fork. I can hear voices ahead to the left, through the short passage to the main cavern. To the right is the tunnel leading deeper into the caves, where Peree saw me kissing Bear. Bear. What am I going to say to him?
“Ugh, the smell in here . . .” I pinch my nose.
“Yeah, it’s bad. We all stink like a bunch of fleshies. Hang on for a second.”
I’m impatient now that I’m so close, but I wait, listening to him set the torch into a holder on the wall.
“Okay, let’s go,” he says. I turn toward the cavern, hideous smell and all.
My head jerks back as Moray’s hand slams over my mouth. He presses me into his chest.
“Don’t fight, sweetheart. I’ll just make it harder on you,” he whispers, choking me for emphasis.
My heart pounds in my throat as he drags me backward, deeper into the caves. I barely manage to keep my feet under me and breathe.
My nerves are screaming, but I make myself focus on where we’re going. Moray pushes me into a new tunnel. I think it's the one that follows close to the outer edge of the caves, eventually exiting into the forest. It’s hardly ever used. Moray must want privacy.