Catastrophic Attraction - Eve Langlais Page 0,62
used it to look around. While lanterns never survived in this place, the lard he’d left behind— congealed in puddles on the flood—was left alone. He lit it, and the flames emitted a glow.
The roots shivered and retracted.
“I don’t think they liked that,” she said.
“They don’t, so while they’re distracted, we get out.”
“What about the bikes?” she asked.
“I’ll handle the bikes. Watch.” He turned to hers lying on the ground and, with his hands shining with light, grabbed a root and tied it around the frame.
“How’s that help?”
“The tree doesn’t like metal and plastic. It considers it garbage. When night falls and it’s most active, it will clean its den of anything it doesn’t like.”
“Meaning?”
“The bikes will be above ground by morning.”
“In one piece?”
“Hopefully,” he said. He tied his bike securely before eyeing her. “How are you at climbing?”
“Better than your fat ass I’ll bet,” she sassed before she took off running for the closest dangling root. She jumped and, grabbing it, began to climb.
Quickly, too. Meaning she was beating him.
He leaped for his own root and had to move fast, arm over arm. He might have caught up and maybe beaten her if she’d not seen him getting close. She grabbed the lip of the tree trunk, hooked her leg around a different hanging tendril, and dangled upside down. Her braid flopped with her, and her smile was huge as she watched him near. She pulled a knife.
She wouldn’t.
She did. She sliced through his makeshift rope. He didn’t fall far before grabbing another strand.
A good thing he knew she wasn’t trying to kill him. Cheat to win though…that he could respect.
When he emerged from the hollow trunk of the tree into waning daylight, she lay casually stretched on the ground, hand propping her head, smirking as she said, “I can’t wait to brag to my friends that the king made me dinner. Maybe some of that blood gravy you were going on and on about.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Demanding like a lady, too.”
She rolled and rose to her feet. He ducked before the knife could hit him and laughed. He was still laughing as he dodged the second one. When she would have thrown a third, he grabbed her, her wrists small in his grip. Her irritation emerged in low growl.
“Enough. If you kill me, then I can’t give you your prize. I believe the wager was shelter and food. If my lady will follow me.” He began to move, only to realize she didn’t follow.
Instead she gazed out at the ocean. “It’s so big.”
Her statement reminded him of the first time he’d seen it. “They say you can sail for days and not see any sign of land.” He didn’t mention the sea monsters that made it hard to reach those distant islands.
“In the Wasteland, water is life. We were lucky that for a few years we lived in a place that had a steady supply, but this…” She waved a hand.
“Is proof the world is a huge place.”
“More like proof the world has room for us all,” was her reply. “Which makes me wonder, why? Why is the Enclave so determined to keep the citizens ignorant and locked away?”
“Because if they realized they could have freedom, then who would serve the Enclave?”
She glanced at him. “The people of Eden are free, and they’re not going anywhere.”
“I don’t demand anything. They make that choice.”
“Somehow I doubt the same would happen in Emerald. The hatred for the Enclave and the domes runs deep.”
“And some of them probably deserve it. But let me ask, if the Emerald leaders were kind to their people, do you think the citizens would be so quick to want to overthrow them?”
She pursed her lips. “Seduce them with kindness.”
“Kindness. Respect. Dignity. And safety. People want rules to follow. Want to know they’ll be treated fairly.”
She snorted. “I highly doubt it’s that simple.”
“Why can’t it be?”
She canted her head. “Because people are selfish.”
“They are,” he agreed, “but even the selfish can accomplish good.”
“The Emerald queen was pure evil.”
“Agreed. But someone like Axel isn’t. He’d have made a good ruler.”
“He doesn’t want it.”
“Which probably makes him an even better choice.”
“Meaning you’re a bad one since you went after your crown.”
“I prefer to see it as being proactive. You should try it.”
“Try what?” she snorted. “Making myself a queen?”
“Making yourself happy is more what I was thinking.”
“I’m happy.”
“Are you?” he asked. “Because I get the impression you’re afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Letting down your guard.”
With those words, he moved