We play ten rounds of the game, and Day wins the majority of the coins.
“No fair! Day’s cheating,” MJ huffs.
“Don’t be a sore loser, son,” Michael says, ruffling MJ’s hair.
Day gives her winnings to her brother.
I look at Ash, who is sitting silently beside me. Even though he’s right next to me, he doesn’t seem to be really here.
“A coin for your thoughts,” I say.
Ash smiles, but it seems forced.
“Everything okay?” I ask, suddenly worried.
“Everything’s fine.”
“You’re lying to me.”
“Let’s not talk about it tonight,” he replies. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“Tell me now,” I demand. I hate secrets.
Ash leads me away from the game, and when we’re alone, he tells me about the break-in at the Legion, and the Tenth. I lean against him, shaken by the news. I can hear the steady thrum of his heart through his black shirt. It’s the only sound that ever calms me in these mad times.
“How did the Sentry manage to build an entire new state right under our noses?” I say.
“No one’s lived in that area for years because of the volcano,” he explains.
My fingers dig into the material of Ash’s black shirt. “We can’t let this happen. No matter what, we have to stop Purian Rose.”
Ash’s body tenses. I look up at him, but he simply kisses my forehead again. We return to the game, but neither of us is in the mood to play anymore. Day senses the shift in the atmosphere.
“Time to open presents!” Sumrina says.
Everyone gathers around the table again, and they jovially hand me their presents. I manage a smile, although all I can think about is the Tenth.
Polly shyly hands me an envelope, and I open it up. Inside is a photo of me and Polly when we were kids, with Mother and Father standing primly in the background. This was back in a time when we were all happy together, before my father died and my mother was imprisoned. Even though we had our differences, I miss them both so much. I give Polly a big hug.
“I love it. And it’ll go perfectly in my new picture frame from MJ! Thanks, everyone,” I say.
Ash takes my hand. “I want to give you my gift outside.”
Out on the deck, the air is cool and crisp, the sky bright with stars. It’s a beautiful evening. Perfect. Ash leads me up a small flight of stairs onto the flat roof of the barge. I gasp. The roof has been covered in glass lanterns, which cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the varnished wood. Scattered between them are white orchids, my favorite flower. The sweet scent perfumes the air around us. So this is why I had to shut my eyes earlier?
“It’s beautiful,” I say.
Ash picks up a flower and passes it to me. “You’re beautiful.”
I giggle, suddenly self-conscious. I certainly don’t consider myself pretty, but I love the fact that he does. He digs around in his pants pocket and retrieves a small parcel, carefully wrapped in brown paper and bound with red ribbon.
“I didn’t have much money,” he says, passing it to me.
“It’s okay. You know I don’t care about that stuff.”
I untie the ribbon and open the package to reveal a stunning pendant. It has a traditional knotted design intricately etched into the gold, and some Darkling script written around the edge. It’s very old and clearly valuable.
“I love it!” I say.
“It was my mom’s,” Ash explains.
I try to hand it back. “It’s too special! I can’t accept it.”
“She’d want you to have it,” he says. “I want you to have it.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, touched by his kind gesture.
His fingers brush my skin as he puts the pendant around my neck, sending little shivers of pleasure down my body. I twist around and kiss him, my hands running through his rippling, silken hair, which coils around my fingers. He lets out a soft moan, his arm looping around my waist, drawing me closer.
“Let’s get out of here,” I murmur against his lips.
“It’s your birthday,” he replies.
“So?”
He pulls away, sighing. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but Day made you a cake, and I think she’ll kill you if you don’t eat it.”
I pout, and Ash laughs.
“I suppose we should get back to the party,” I say reluctantly.
“Not just yet,” he says quietly, retrieving another parcel from his pocket. This one is smaller than the first and wrapped in beautiful, handcrafted silk paper.
“Another present? You shouldn’t have,” I say, taking it.
“I hope you like it,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
He anxiously watches me as I carefully unwrap the parcel. I open the silk paper, and something glimmers.
My heart trips over.
In my hand is a blue diamond ring.
My head snaps up, a question in my eyes.
“I know we’re young,” he says softly. “But I love you, with every beat of my awakened heart.”
I hold my breath, waiting for him to say the words.
“Natalie Buchanan, will you marry me?”
“Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!” I squeal with delight.
He slips the ring on my finger, and I throw my arms around his neck, kissing him over and over. Happiness radiates through me, making my heart swell until I think it’s going to burst.
“I love you,” I say between kisses.
“I love you too, blondie,” he says.
I giggle joyfully as he spins me around, the cool breeze brushing against my skin. Eventually he puts me down and kisses me again, this time softly, slowly, opening a channel between us so I can feel everything he’s feeling: his love, his joy, his happiness. We’ve Soul Shared before, but this time is the most intense of them all, and tears spill down my cheeks. We eventually break the kiss.
“I hope those are tears of happiness?” he teases, wiping them away.
I nod.
We hurry downstairs, eager to break the good news. As we enter the cabin, everyone is silent, an expectant look on their faces. Ash grins sheepishly at me. They must’ve all been in on it!
“Well? Don’t keep us in suspense,” Day demands when nobody says anything.
I show them the ring, and everyone cheers.
The women all hurry around me to coo over the ring—even Polly, who manages a few smiles—while the men pat Ash on the back, telling him “well done, mate,” and “how did you get a girl like that?” Beetle tops off everyone’s drinks and raises his glass.
“To Ash and Natalie—may you have a long and happy life together!” he says.
“To Ash and Natalie!” everyone else responds.
I glance at Ash, and for a second there’s worry in his eyes, but he quickly conceals it, giving me the broadest, most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. I smile back, but I can’t help but wonder why he looked so concerned. Is he already having doubts? No, I’m being paranoid! I push it from my mind and allow myself to enjoy the moment. I can ask him about it later.
The party carries on in full swing. Everyone is in high spirits, dancing and singing—even Sigur, who, as it turns out, has an amazing voice. He teaches Polly and MJ a traditional Darkling song, while Ash’s father, Harold, comes over to me and gives me a hug. My cheek scratches against his gray beard, but I don’t mind.
“I’m so glad you’ll be joining the family,” he says. “I’ve never known Ash to be this happy.”
“I promise to take good care of him.”
“I know you will.”
“You’re not worried we’re rushing things?” I ask quietly.
He gives me a gentle smile. “I was, but Ash convinced me that he’s ready for this commitment, and when my son sets his mind on something, there’s no changing it.”
I laugh lightly. “That sounds like Ash.”
“If you have any doubts . . .”
“I don’t,” I say, which is true. I have no reservations about marrying Ash. After nearly losing him two months ago, I’ve learned to grab happiness with both hands and not wait around for a future that may never happen.
Harold hugs me again, and I hold on to him for a bit longer than necessary, but he understands. With a dead father and a mother serving a life sentence in prison, I’m essentially an orphan. When I marry Ash, Harold will become my father too. It’s a very comforting thought.
We all gather around the table as Day brings out a lopsided chocolate cake, which is slathered in gloopy icing that’s already started to slide off. The large, wonky piping on top reads HAPPY BIRTHDAY NA. She ran out of space for the T. I absolutely love it. It’s nice knowing Day isn’t perfect at everything.
“It’s a masterpiece,” I say.
Day rolls her brown eyes. “It’s the last time I’m ever baking, so you better enjoy it.”
“Make a wish,” Harold says.
I blow out my candles, wishing for a positive outcome at tomorrow’s vote.
Day serves everyone a slice of cake while I sneak off to the restroom to get a moment to myself. I splash some water over my face and check my reflection in the small mirror above the sink. My cheeks are flushed, and my curly hair is a bit frizzy from being spun around by Ash, but I look happy. I smile. I’m about to turn away when something makes me pause. The corner of my left eye looks strange. Is it my imagination, or does it look a little yellow? It must be a trick of the light.
When I join the party again, the mood has shifted, and I soon see why. Juno has arrived, her long red hair a tangled mess, her cheeks pink, as if she ran all the way from work.
“The network got the report an hour ago. The news is about to break on every station across the country—” she says, then cuts herself short when she sees me.
“What is it?” I say.
Sumrina comes over to me and takes my hand.
“It’s your mother,” she says.
“Is she all right?” I ask, worried.
“Your mom broke out of prison two hours ago,” Juno says. “She’s on the run.”
6.
ASH
JUNO FILLS US in on everything she knows. There was an explosion at the prison, which killed six guards and took down part of the building’s west wing. The bombing was just a distraction, to keep the guards busy as Emissary Buchanan was extracted from her cell in the east wing. It took the guards a few hours to notice she had even escaped, and by then, it was too late.
Natalie tightens her shaking fingers around mine, her lips pale.
“Do they know who helped her escape?” she says.
“No, but it was a professional job,” Juno replies. “Probably ex-military.”
“Where do you think she’s gone?” Day says.
“Heavens, you don’t think she’d come back here?” Sumrina says, worry in her eyes.
“No, she wouldn’t do anything so risky,” Natalie answers.
“Is Mother going to be okay?” Polly says quietly.
“You know Mother, she’s a survivor,” Natalie says. “She’ll be fine. Just—” Her last word gets caught in her throat. Tears spring to her eyes.
I glance at my dad. He nods, understanding.
“Perhaps it’s time to call it a night,” Dad says.
Michael and Sumrina take Polly to their house on Cinder Street, while Natalie comes home with me to the Ivy Church. Dad kindly stays at the barge with Roach and Beetle, to give us some time alone.
We climb up the twisting staircase leading to my bedroom in the church’s bell tower. The moonlight shimmers off the brass bell hanging down the center of the hexagonal room. Natalie sinks down on the bed while I move the wooden boards over the arched windows to keep out some of the chilled night air. I freeze. Two Sentry guards are sitting on the gravestones outside—they must’ve been following us. They catch my eye, and one of them waves, a smirk on his lips. I quickly place the board over the window and join Natalie on the bed. I don’t tell her about the guards, not wanting to worry her.
“Your mom’s going to be all right,” I say.
Natalie nods, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I just wish she’d contacted me.”
“It would’ve been too dangerous,” I say gently.
“I know, but it still hurts that Polly and I weren’t part of her plan.” She sighs, playing with her engagement ring. “I’m sorry. This was supposed to be a special evening, and I’m ruining it.”
I tilt her face up. “In good times and in bad, remember?”
She smiles. “I love you so much, Ash. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
My heart cramps as I think about tomorrow. What am I going to do? The right choice would be to vote no, but then Natalie will be taken. I simply can’t let that happen. So what do I do? With the guards outside, we can’t escape, so there’s no way I can hide Natalie or get her out of the city tonight without them knowing. Plus, I doubt they’re the only guards keeping tabs on us—Purian Rose would’ve made sure of that. The men outside the church are a warning: he’s watching us. All I can do is keep her close.
Natalie gives me a shy smile. “So . . . we’re all alone.”
I grin. “Yup.”
“With no one here to interrupt us.”
“Nope.”
She looks up at me expectantly, and all thoughts of tomorrow vanish from my mind. It’s just her, me, in this moment. I cup a hand around her face and gently kiss her. The echo of her heart tremors inside my chest, nervous and excited, as is mine.