Nada's Escape: Fighters' lies

23.2 Nice-ish

Finley is framed by the doorway against the daylight, turned to a silhouette by a hug of black fabric covering every limb. A bag drags from one hand. That hand and his face are in pale juxtaposition to the shadow of his fighting gear.

"You're here." He steps forward and the shifting light reveals a smile bright enough to rival the moon. Despite the complex tapestry of emotions I'm struggling with, a smile like that can't help but trigger a responding one. Why is he back early? Is something wrong?

And more immediately perplexing, "Why didn't Laura...?"

I trail off, unable to finish with Percival's beady gaze upon us. Laura has been volunteering at the garages for over a week now, building trust with the Huntsmen rostered to guard it. They think she is only there to wash and maintain the vehicles but really, she's our spy on transport, one of the cornerstones of our escape. An unforeseen advantage of this posting is that Laura also gives us advance warning of any new arrivals in Norgara.

"I asked her not to." His voice and expression are politic, feet stalled in no man's land halfway between the door and the sink behind me. My eyes flick awkwardly to Percival, perched between the fridge and the table. I marvel at how his presence never ceases to put me on edge.

"You don't look like sweethearts to me, whatever the women gossip about." Percival chirps in his nasal voice. Remembering the sweethearts scheme my fingertips try to press through my palm.

"Can we uh... have the room?" Finley requests, ignoring Percival's incendiary comment.

"As you ask, fine leader." Percival bows sarcastically and shuffles across the room muttering, "I'd never dare in my day."

I see the tension build in Finley's shoulders as we wait for Percival to leave us alone. An uneasy feeling sets my tummy rolling. Why do I think something is wrong? Yes there's a strange spell on Finley and I that means we shouldn't touch or look at each other. But its escape right? Him plus me and everyone on a truck out of here.

Finley moves towards me like a wave, and before I know it I'm untangling myself from his arms. I notice with some sleepy part of my brain I'm using the two-handed deflection Darcell had shown me the night before.

"No, no. We can't." I half turn from him, not letting myself check the response written on his face. This is more dangerous than the Huntsmen's magic oaths. "Have you forgotten the last time?"

In the periphery of my wandering vision I see Finley squeeze his eyes shut and I feel sorry for the sharpness of my rebuff.

"Right, right." Finley rocks back on his heels and rests a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I did forget. I missed you."

I'm not sure why those three simple words sound so vulnerable. Even in the voice of an adult they sound childlike. They choke hopelessly on my tongue.

"I also noticed you were gone." I whisper the words, feeling Finley's hand squeeze my shoulder with a fraction of the comfort of a full hug. I watch billows of cloud collect gloomily in the sky out the kitchen window. With a sigh Finley slumps away from me into a chair. It rocks a little.

"I wasn't sure you'd still be here." Finley says, fiddling with the box of teabags left on the table. One hand is a painful red colour between thumb and forefinger.

"It's the bloody tr-," I catch my frustration with both hands and forcibly cool my tone. "Not here. How was the mission?"

"Also something I can't discuss here." Finley brushes his thumb against the council bracelet on the other hand. I get the message. His oath is supposed to stop him from talking about it. I notice now the exhaustion haunting him like a shade, pooling under his eyes.

"It might be a nice-ish-," I cast an unconvinced look at the unhappy clouds, "-day for a walk in the gardens."

"I would love to, right after I grab a snack." He replies, levering himself from the chair.

Yeah you look like you need one, I refrain from commenting.

"Hey Nada..." The front door clicks open without the faintest trace of a knock, revealing Beth's dark braids. "Oh Finley's back. Brilliant. Now we've got a few things to ask you."

I roll my eyes in Finley's direction as a sort of silent apology. He waves it off and begins hunting through the fridge. Sure enough behind Beth trails Tanja. She moves ahead and places a red-covered book significantly on the table between us. The title reads "Daughter of Smoke".

"Sounds important." I nod to it but Tanja waves away my regard.

"Oh that, no. Good book, but not what I need you for." She brushes her hair off her face distractedly. "I'm super stuck on the name for our excursions next week. All I can think of is escape via garage doors and so on."

She offers the last in what she probably believes is a subtle whisper but what I'm sure would be clearly audible from just outside the door neither of them had thought to close. I lean across the table and put my finger to her lips to remind her.

"Have you thought of 'visit to the garages'?" I try to withhold my sarcasm. It's a lot of pressure to write up the official notes for the YWS and Tanja's work so far has been excellent.

"You think that's enough?" She asks earnestly, fiddling with her purple, tie-dye top.

I shrug, "Seems pretty self-explanatory to me. If Percival has issues, Macie will deal with it."

As Tanja pulls her notepad out of her bra with a little apologetic, "No pockets," I tune into the beginning of Beth's conversation with Finley.

"What's it like out there, on campaign?"

Finley pushes a baking bowl full of cooked pasta into the microwave, "Scary."

"Why?"

"Cos people can die." Finley leans back against the glowing microwave, hands hanging nonchalantly despite his laconic answers. Beth is unperturbed, twisting the end of her braid around her finger rhythmically.

"What's it like, growing up with the Huntsmen?"

"Hard."

"Why?"

"Because you have to train every day and you don't get holidays."

Beth's fascination is endless so I jump in, "Is that all you guys had?"

"Oh my god," Beth turns back to me, "I almost forgot. Tanja and I just went to visit Lily. She didn't want to get out of bed for whatever reason so we mostly just poked around, fixing up the décor. Then when we were leaving Old Nancy stopped us and told us we were to get you right away. She said its super urgent."

"Super urgent enough that you almost forgot to tell me?" I raise my eyebrows incredulously.

"You know how she is. Always thinks pork chops and apple sauce and hospital corners are emergencies. It's probably nothing." Beth is so flippant she stumbles a little on a chair leg. Aside from vague comments over dinner from the girls who visited Lily, I actually knew nothing about Nancy. Though I'd been taken to the hospice whilst changing shape due to Darcell's potion, I'd fled too quickly to meet its caretakers.

I sigh, "You need to go back and ask her what's going on. Tell her I've got other things going on."

My eyes flick to Finley, who's hugging the giant bowl of pasta and stirring its steaming contents. Beth's sigh chases mine down the hallway and eats it for dinner.

"Fine." She huffs. I don't even bother trying to interrogate her mutinous frown. She snatches Tanja's book from the table and they both leave, arms linked.

"Can you eat on the go?" I ask Finley.

His grin is dangerously infectious over his comically large bowl, "Sure."

I grab a couple of pieces of fruit for my own lunch and take off for my new favourite spot in the gardens.