Of Immortal Make

A Messenger Arrives: Part 2

She could see the caution in his eyes, but underneath there was that spark of curiosity that she knew always won out. It was one of the many things they had in common.

"C'mon! You know what he means by Pop's project. Don't you wanna see one of 'em for yourself?" she prodded, and watched as the spark ignited, burning away any reservation.

"Fine. But we have to be quick." He sighed. "If my mom finds out about this, she'll say I've turned and call the Trappers on me herself. Then it'll be me under your dad's knife. Or, ya know, dead." Nadiya grinned, rustling her friend's hair. He knocked her hand away, feigning annoyance.

"Alright, well we're clearly not making it past the Patrollers on horseback," she said, peeking around the hedge at the pacing guards and the paddock just out of reach.

"Clearly. So, what's your grand plan to get us out of here undetected, O' sneaky one?" 

She sat back, taking in their surroundings before letting her eyes settle on the oak, its farthest branch reaching out over the wooden fence that bordered the property. A small flutter in her stomach told her this was their answer, and she did not like it.

Theo caught her eye and it was his turn to grin. "Ready to put your training to the test?" 

She groaned, but nodded. "After you," she insisted, sweeping a slightly shaking arm towards the tree.

Theo scaled the trunk effortlessly before reaching down to help her up. They pushed aside twigs dotted with the tiny beginnings of green buds and crept out on all fours across the twisted branch, the remains of last season's moss draping lifeless against the bark. Halfway out, Theo put his hand up to stop her as she was making her way slowly—very slowly—trying to not look down.

He put a finger to his lips and pointed to the Patroller who had stopped to relieve himself directly below their makeshift bridge. Nadiya held her breath and willed the man to not look up. Though most of the tree was bare, the pair was hidden from afar by a stubborn cluster of long-dead leaves that held firmly to the branch. The Patroller, however, could easily spot them from his angle.

Luck seemed to be on their side though, as he finished, tucked himself away, and continued on his round without so much as as glance upwards. She let out a long breath and, with a thumbs up and almost annoyingly confident wink from Theo, began crawling again.

The fence finally cleared, Theo swung from the branch and landed with a tumble. He turned to look up at her. "Be careful, it's a bit of a—" he started, but she had landed gracefully in front of him, knees bent. "—drop," he finished with a sigh.

"Getting outta the tree's the easy part," she said, laughing and pulling a crumbling leaf from her hair.

"I don't know if that Patroller deserves a raise or a kick in the ass," Theo quipped.

Nadiya snorted. "Sounds like an Ansel problem. And I know which he'd choose."

"Poor guy." Theo clapped his hands together. "Alright, well, we're out. Now what? They have a huge head start, not to mention they're on horses."

Nadiya knew the answer. She knew Theo knew the answer. And her cheeks warmed when she watched the realization wash over him.

Theo's arms dropped to his sides, shoulders slumped. "No. No! Come on, Diya, not the tunnels. You know how much I hate goin' down there!"

"As much as I hate heights?"

"More! I mean, okay, point taken, but at least there's no creepy cloaked strangers in trees! Plus it's just so... dark! And kinda damp. Also... centipedes." He shuddered.

"Well, if you wanna see what's comin' through the North Gate, the tunnels are the best shortcut. There's a way that leads to an old, dried up well on that hill right by it. I've done it a thousand times, Theodore, trust me! We can still make it if we run!"

He threw his head back and groaned. "Fine! Lead the way. And don't call me Theodore!"

She giggled and the two set off, weaving their way through Good Citizens going about their afternoon chores. An old woman with long, silver hair in a moth-eaten sweater that was much too big on her yelled at them to "watch their damn selves" when Nadiya's arm clipped her basket of potatoes, which overturned and spilled its contents into the road.

They came to the edge of one of the many identical residential districts and stopped to catch their breath. Nadiya gestured to the inconspicuous land ahead.

"Thirteenth house on the right," she said.

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

She flashed him a smile and they continued on their way. Nadiya scanned the area for any signs of life as the house, with its grime-caked windows and looming air of abandonment, came into view. They passed a troupe of young children playing Turned and Trappers, but otherwise this corner of the neighborhood was empty.

"You suppose anyone actually lives here?" Theo asked.

She shrugged. "Apparently the Residence Overseer doesn't like keepin' houses empty for long. Something about rats movin' in. So, someone must technically live here, though it never looks like anyone's home."

Nadiya took one last look over her shoulder before grabbing Theo's arm and pulling him into the narrow alleyway between houses thirteen and fourteen. They crouched, slowly and quietly making their way to the small dirt yard. She stopped at the mouth of the alley and peered around the corner.

On more than one occasion, when coming to explore the tunnels alone or on the rare occasion with Theo, she had changed her plans upon catching the tops of hooded figures disappearing into the ground. It would be a very inconvenient time to bump into one now.

She gave Theo the all-clear thumbs up and the two scurried to the far corner of the yard, where the old, wooden trap door lay hidden behind a rotting stack of leftover lumber and a scraggly, thorn-covered bush.

Nadiya brushed a coating of dirt from the planks and lifted the door, hearing Theo sigh at the engulfing darkness below. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Your eyes will adjust," she reassured him, trying to sound sympathetic. "And just remember to keep one hand against the wall. I won't let you get lost."

He said nothing, but looked at her, exasperated and compliant. He took the edge of the door from her hands, lifting it as she dropped onto the cool, packed earth below. She took a few steps out of the way and he landed beside her before reaching up to slide the door closed above them, shutting them in darkness.