Well, I can’t exactly argue with that. “You’re right.”
“And take your time,” he says. “You don’t have to come with me to the offering. Go back to the Night after you see Nico. It’ll be safer while everyone’s at the Coliseum for you to get away.”
“But you’ll never get this done in time on your own.”
“I can handle it. Don’t worry yourself.”
“Poppy.” I look him straight in the eyes. “You’re being too proud. I’m helping and I’m not taking no for an answer. Besides, I have to stay for the Offering anyway. I need to be there.” He shrugs. “Think about it … Not only will I get to spend a little more time with you but I think it might be helpful for other Basso to see I’ve returned from the Night. Proof it can be done.”
“Veda … Listen to your poppy for once, eh?” There’s a pleading deep in his eyes, but I ignore it. He needs me here and just doesn’t want to be trouble. I’m not falling for it.
I raise an eyebrow. “If anyone asks, I’ll keep to the story that I escaped, but if I plant even one seed, light a small fire in someone, it’ll be worth it. If one person is motivated to fight back tonight, to possibly uncover the truth about the Imperi pretending to be the Night, my being delayed is a small price to pay.”
He heaves a long breath. “I suppose you’re right.”
“I’ll see you in one hour. At the docks.”
He nods. “One hour.”
* * *
FROM THE BACK of our house, I follow the canal, my boots sludging slowly through mud and oversaturated ground where the channel has flooded. I’m in my old clothes, taking the same route I’ve taken countless times as if nothing’s changed. But so much has.
Going over what I plan to say, what I’m going to share with Nico and what I’ll need to keep to myself, I reach the small pond down from Denali Manor.
Up the hill, I see the back of Nico’s home, the fence surrounding it taller than ever, but I think I can climb it.
I hike along rocks and steep ground until I’m face-to-face with the iron fence. It towers at least a foot above my head.
* * *
TWO DEEP BREATHS and I jump, my fingertips grasping the top rung, which is all cold, wet metal. Boots left with nothing to cling to, I slip and fall, landing on my knees, the pain stinging something fierce. After a moment to gather myself, I brush leaves and mud off my legs to reveal the holes in my stockings have torn even larger, my bloodied knees now in plain sight. I try three more times with no success.
“Damn it.”
“Veda?” I hear Nico, his tone riddled with disbelief.
“Nico?”
“What the Sun are you doing?”
“Trying to find you. How’d you know I was back here?”
“You weren’t exactly being quiet,” he says, and I can tell he’s smiling. Then, as if with zero effort, Nico hops over the fence.
“That was—” All set to say something sassy, I stop short because Nico’s right there. A sprig of spearmint hangs from his mouth, and he gently places his hands on my cheeks. Nose inches from mine, he examines me.
“Where have you been?” He leans in. “It was the Night, wasn’t it?” he hisses. “I’ve been going mad with worry and Poppy didn’t know a thing and my Sun I’m so glad you’re all right!” He wraps me in a perfectly warm, perfectly lovely, lingering hug.
If I thought Poppy’s cozy scents of mint leaves and castile soap and earthy soil was home, this? This is heaven. I’m enveloped by all things Nico … The sweet of vanilla and the bitter of spearmint along with the freshly laundered wool of his scarf. I could stay here, my head resting on his shoulder, his warm breath grazing the top of my head, forever and then some.
He pulls away, eyes red around the edges. Nico stares, waiting for me to speak. Surely anticipating I’ll spill every single detail of the past four days.
The Night is good, the Imperi is bad, no other details …
“I want to tell you everything, but…” I glance behind us. The Sun slowly rises higher above the horizon, reflecting off his windows. Imperi soldiers march on their morning drills on the other side of the hill, their boots clapping lowly against stone walkways. “Can we go somewhere else?”
“Of course. Yes.”
Without so much as a word, we both head down the hill and to the pond and the bench that sits beneath a white wooden trellis. The small area—where we first met and have used as our secret place all these years since—is concealed by thick trees and plants and, in the spring, abundant wildflowers.
We sit side by side on the bench. The chill of the stone slowly sneaks through my layers and into my skin as I work out how in the Sun to begin. Where to start.
Nico moves to take my hand in his, catching my eye to make sure it’s okay. I give a slight smile because it’s always okay and lace my left hand with his right. He grazes my wrist with the pad of his thumb, arcing my skin back and forth. Ad astra.
The friction of his skin arcing mine sparks a tiny fire that spreads from my wrist to my chest and down to my belly, where it ignites an unsuspecting swarm of butterflies.
Heaven.
And as much as I want to avoid what must come next, bury everything deep, deep down, I force myself to jump right in because there’s no other way.
“When we were caught the other morning and you told me to run, I did. But they chased me, so I couldn’t go home and ended up at the main tunnel. Even though I was running fast as I could, they were right behind me. I was hoping to somehow lose them in the tunnel when someone stepped out of it. Dorian.”
Nico leans in, brow furrowed. “The glassmaker’s apprentice?”
“Yes. Him. When he saw what was happening, he took me down a sort of stoop. A den. A…”
“Devil’s den.”
I nod and pause a beat as Nico works over what I’m saying, putting some of the pieces together. And I see it the moment everything sparks for him. His eyes go wide and he opens his mouth, but I beat him to it.
“You can’t say anything to anyone.” Nico only stares. “Promise me, Nico. Promise me you won’t tell a soul. If anyone finds out, I would be executed. Dorian too and, I fear, that would just be the start.”
“I … Okay … I promise.”
“And, please, no snap judgments?”
He nods slowly, silently.
“No arguing or commenting until I’m finished?”
Slow nod.
“Dorian’s a member of the Night.” Nico’s expression hardens, but before he can say anything, I continue. “And they’re good, Nico. Not at all like we’ve been told.”
He releases his hand from mine. “What?”
“I know it’s hard to hear. But you have to trust me. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“Then they’re putting on a good show.” He sarcastically spits the words out. “You’ve only been gone a few days, and you’ve already forgotten all they’ve done, Veda?” I’m shaking my head no. “Your parents? So many missing Basso?” He’s staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.