ARRIVAL (ERA 1)

16 | the Hole in the Wall

            The barn is vacant and snowflakes sprinkle my skin. I'm sitting on the log in front of the haystacks, lacing up my riding boots.

I stand and my dress cascades down to the floor and covers my boots.

"Ev, you in here?" William calls from outside the barn.

"Y–yes, hur–hurry up!" I stammer through gritted teeth. "It's freezing out here!"

William rounds the corner, carrying a bundle of leather over his shoulder.

"Here, you'll want to put this on." William tosses my white fur-lined cloak. "Nicked it from the back room. It may do ya some good."

"Thanks." I jump into it –still freezing. "So, this is your brilliant idea? Take me riding in the freezing weather and have me catch a cold?" I exaggerate.

"Yes," he states plainly.

"William." I roll my eyes, stifling a laugh.

"Just wait." He stands up and discards his black dress shoes on top the bushels of hay. "Ready yet?"

I button the clasp on the neck of my cloak and cross the barn to Ora.

"Ready."

We tucked in close around the stream to avoid detection, leaving the music and muffled voices of guests behind us. It was safer this way.

"You know, no one blames you. Shaw is a nasty old native. He's been known to hate talk refugees. Known for his drinking, too." William's voice cuts through the silence.

"I don't blame me," I tell him. "I'm just worried others will start to see his side of things."

"What's his side of things?" William asks.

"That things are all about me. That I've somehow come into a life I don't deserve." I match my breaths to Ora. "And I don't want Brynne to worry about–"

"The only thing Brynne's worried about is a breach. That's the only thing Shaw can do to retaliate."

"A breach?"

"It's..." William trails off. "It's nothing to worry about tonight."

"Okay." I think this over. Okay.

But something tells me I have every reason to worry.

The clearing, regularly knee-high grass, is now a solid sheet of ice. Up ahead I make out the forest's edge and the dark silhouette of a crumbling ruin.

"Almost there," William calls from Niko's back.

Our feet crunch down on the icy ground. William leads the way across the slippery terrain. High above us, a full moon illuminates the landscape. He swiftly lifts me into the ruin and races toward the back room.

"Are you sure you're not trying to make me sick? Your idea was to bring me out to Cliff's Cove in sub-zero weather in a silk gown!" I chastise.

"Wait a minute." William feigns offense. "I'm not wearing a silk gown."

"What?" My eyes bulge in disbelief.

We're breaking about every rule possible and he wants to make jokes now!

"You must see this," William insists. "I've spent some time up here –ever since I discovered this was your little hideaway. A few weeks back, I found this."