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There was a feeling after the kids were put to bed that Willa couldn’t quite define, yet it was undeniably her favorite feeling in the whole world. Willa knew that she would have to go to bed in a couple hours to get proper rest. The kids would be up before the sun had begun to yawn, and their little bellies would be rumbling. Jacob would once again beg for pancakes, and she’d have to remind him that having his favorite breakfast every morning would eventually lessen the magic.
Willa’s right eye twitched as thoughts of him suddenly flooded her mind. She picked the mug up from the dining room table with both hands and brought it to her lips. She took a sip of the hot tea as her fingers trembled, and she fought the urge to slam it against the wall. Ten years ago, she would have, but tonight, it would wake the children, and that would only irritate her more.
She considered continuing the romance book she had started last month. The dog-ear on page twenty had been in place for so long that it was sure to leave a scar, and she was itching to know what happened to Ms. Carrington. The problem was that she wasn’t sure when he would get home, and when he arrived, he would demand attention. She understood why he had to unload. There were a lot of demands placed upon him, and his job was important. She could not deny that.
Still, that didn’t mean her ambitions mattered less. He promised that once the kids were old enough to attend school, she could pursue whatever she liked, as long as the meals were hot, and the house was clean. Not that he was ever home on time to eat it when it was fresh out the oven, or he sat around long enough to admire the cleanliness.
“You promised,” Willa said under her breath, the steam of her tea being blown away from the lip of the cup, “you promised not to spend your free time thinking about him.”
A creak upstairs caught her attention. She put the cup back down onto the table and quietly headed towards the stairs, moving like a mischievous cat. It was a game in of itself—checking on the kids without waking them. It was like they had high alert sensors embedded within them upon birth. The slightest disturbance in the atmosphere could send them spiraling out of control, as if they were bring brought back from an outer body experience and they were unaware of reality.
Willa climbed the stairs like a thief and reached the door to her bedroom. She was once again grateful for the carpet beneath her bare feet. Her husband had it installed last week after much persuasion.
She reached out with her thin hands and wrapped it around the doorknob. She began to turn it when she heard a noise from the bathroom. It sounded like a whimper.
She released the doorknob and looked down the hallway. Jacob walked away from the toilet and over to the sink. He washed his hands and then dried them on the hanging towel.
“Are you okay?” Willa whispered.
Jacob jumped a little at the sight of her, but then his face lifted into a warm smile. “I thought I had to throw up again, but I didn’t.”
“That’s good,” Willa smiled. “You didn’t come to get me?”
“I can do it myself,” he beamed. “And I didn’t wake up Carolyn.”
“You did a great job.”
“Mommie? When is Daddy coming home?”
“Anytime now.”
“Can I stay up and wait for him?”
“Since you’re sick, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“How about ten minutes?”
“Mmm. I don’t think so.”
“Twelve minutes?”
“That’s more minutes!” Willa laughed.
“Fifteen then,” he said with a toothy grin.
“Alright, you bum. Fifteen minutes.”
“Yay!” he yelled. He quickly covered his mouth. “I mean yaaaaay,” he whispered.
“Jakey?” Carolyn called out from behind the bedroom door. Willa snickered and opened the door so that Carolyn could come out. She wouldn’t get any free time tonight, but at least when they were in her presence, she didn’t think about him.
* * *
“ANY THOUGHTS ON HOW we should approach their compound?” Tristan asked, sitting down beside her. Willa stared at the roaring fire in front of her. She had only been half-listening, but she was sure that what she heard was enough to form a half-decent plan. It was her curse—tactical knowledge. She absorbed the world around her, even when she wasn’t trying, and others were constantly looking to her for help with their troubles. What about her desires? Her dreams? When would she be able to ask for their help in working towards them?
“It’s pretty straightforward,” Willa said, looking at Max. He was sitting between Tristan and Amy. “They designed two exits so that they have a means to escape, but what they did not consider is the material that parts of the structure are crafted from. Aluminum is easily destroyed. You said that their structure is at the bottom of a hill?”
“Yes,” Max said.
“Then send carriages and wagons into it. The wall won’t stand long. We only have to give it a nudge.”
“I don’t want the whole building to fall down,” Max said. “My sisters will be in there.”
“They will ambush us,” Willa said, looking around the fire. A laugh from one of the riders drew away her attention, but she quickly saw that they weren’t paying them any mind. They were several yards away, laughing and drinking themselves into a stupor.
“You’re sure?” Max asked.
“If they are the roughest outfit in the desert, then they will. They are purposely trying to make us think that they are stupid, putting their headquarters at the bottom of a hill.”
“Well, there is a lot of sand. That would be dumber, wouldn’t it? Putting it at the top?”
“The bottom of an enclosure is always the worse place to build a base,” Willa said. “Always. If you must do so, then you have to have a back-up base nearby.”
“What are the odds they have that?”
“It doesn’t matter. We take them down, and then we get what we need.”
“We can trust her judgment,” Tristan said.
Cameron frowned at him from across the fire, but Tristan acted as if he didn’t notice.
“I think I’ll stay back with Momo and Lorelai,” Desmond said. “If that is okay.”
“She’s not feeling better?” Max asked. Momo was sitting by the fire, warming her hands. Though the desert heat was excruciating during the day, many didn’t know that the nights were just as cold.
“It’s up to her if she wants to go,” Cameron said for her, “and she said she’s staying.”
“Are you going?” Tristan asked.
“Can I speak to you in private for a second?” Cameron asked.
“Fine,” Tristan sighed, uncrossing his legs and standing to his feet. “Willa, you can keep talking.”
“Not much more to say,” Willa said. She turned her attention back towards the fire. This was the moment—that undeniable moment in the conversation when she was done being useful. Her knowledge had been let out into the world, and now, she would be forgotten. Forgotten, until she was summoned again.
“Give it a few more hours,” Max said, looking behind him. “They’ll mostly be out like a light.”
“Did you tell them what’s happening?” Desmond asked.
“Only enough to make sure they don’t worry,” Max said. “And Scout and Rups are still coming with us. They won’t be a problem. No one knows about my sisters though.”
“That’s good to hear,” Desmond said.
“You’re not going,” Willa said, still looking at the fire. “So, what does it matter?”
“It matters because you all are going,” he said. “Besides, I would only get in the way.”
“As would I,” Lorelai offered.
“This is true,” Willa said. “It’s a wonder that you’re both still on this expedition at all.”
“Is there a problem?” Desmond asked. He tried to quickly stand up, but because he was sitting cross-legged in the sand, he ended up losing his balance.
“None,” Willa said.
“I have a question,” Max said. He pointed to the sack by Momo’s side. Balin was snoring inside of it. “If slavery is wrong, why do you have him like that?”
“He is an enemy,” Desmond said. “He will be freed when we can dispose of him properly.”
“Oh? What’d he do?”
“He tried to enslave us,” Amy laughed, wrapping her arm around Max’s shoulders.
* * *
“WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM now?” Tristan asked. He folded his arms together and shivered. One of the things he would want to barter for first would be warmer clothing. Max and his riders looked like they had clothes for all occasions, though now that he thought about it—how much of it belonged to others?
“Everything is my problem,” Cameron said. He saw Tristan shivering, but he made no motion to offer his coat, even for a short reprieve.
“Of course, it is.”
“First of all, we can’t barter with these people. They are outlaws and nomads. They will get what they want from us first, and then they’ll move on, and we’ll never be able to find them. They win, we lose. You get it?”
“We’re helping Max in good faith.”
“Now you sound like Lorelai,” Cameron scoffed.
“Is there another way to help others?”
“Force,” Cameron said. “If need be.”
“What are you talking about now?” Tristan winced. “You want to do to them what they did to us?”
“Not exactly. We demand their loyalty. Take what we need, and then show them that we are merciful.”
“That your father talking?”
“You can’t deny that he was successful,” Cameron said. “I don’t care for his methods when it comes to his own family, but in the business world, I can’t deny that the aggression works.”
“What kind of alliance would that be? Forcing them to work with us?”
“It couldn’t backfire on us.”
“Until the revolution, right?” Tristan laughed. “Cameron, I know where you’re coming from. I swear that I do, but we need to expand our minds. We’re from Musgrave, so we tend to believe that we’re the smartest men in the room, but—”
“—I know that I am,” Cameron said.
“—it doesn’t matter if we’re oblivious to what’s going on around us. Tell me, right now, what do you think is going on in Comida and Hearth?”
“How is this relevant?”
“You’ll find out. Come on, give me an answer.”
“Unrest,” Cameron frowned, “but business as usual.”
“You’re wrong,” Tristan said. “Amy told me about some current events in the forest. Comida has weapons, and they are planning on using them.”
“Okay,” Cameron scoffed. “You’re going to listen to the psycho back there?”
“That psycho saved us.”
“What’s your point?” Cameron said. “Get to it.”
“The point is that there is what we know, and there is reality. Just because we believe someone is on our side, it doesn’t mean they are. Whether it’s back home or out here, we need to start showing others respect, otherwise we’ll find ourselves scrambling to survive alone. If Comida attacks—”
“—Hearth will back us up.”
“Yes,” Tristan said, “and Comida may lose, but they won’t stop.”
“Then Musgrave will crush them more.”
“Until there’s nothing left?”
“If need be.”
“Then where will you get your raw materials? Your food? Your main sources of water? Are you and your father going to go out there and get it yourselves?”
Cameron remained silent.
“That’s my point,” Tristan said. “The whole point. We need to work together.”
“I will acknowledge the romance of your idea,” Cameron huffed, “but this can still go wrong. Max could be leading us into a trap, or to someone that can manage Amy. What if we were being taken to this outpost all along, except now, we’re going willingly?”
“It’s possible,” Tristan said. “I’m taking a chance, I know.”
“And again, I won’t be,” Cameron said. “I’ll also be staying behind. If this is a trap, I’ll see it coming.”
“You can’t fight them alone.”
“No, but I will have a Great One nearby. Even if she’s not feeling like herself, I’m sure I can snap her out of it if I need to.”
Tristan shook his head in disgust. “This is your way? Using people?”
“Mutual understanding is how I would put it. If she doesn’t fight, she’ll be in a worse position.”
“Momo’s back there in pain, and all you can think about is yourself,” Tristan said.
“We’re all in pain!” Cameron snapped. “Every single being on this planet experiences some level of suffering. You want to see tomorrow? You want to not be a slave to another’s whims? Then you have to suck it up and fight through it!”
“Balin doesn’t have that choice though, does he?”
“Stop trying to win the argument,” Cameron smiled. “Balin and I have an agreement.”
“Huh?”
“If the riders attack us in your absence, I will free him. He promises to assist us in our escape and then he is free to go.”
“You would free him even though he’s a spy?”
“Mutual understanding,” Cameron said, patting Tristan on the chest. “It’s what we have, after all. It’s why you keep me around, no matter what you think of me.”
“Don’t think of yourself too highly.”
“I know my worth,” Cameron said, shifting his coat so that it rested better on his shoulders. “And so do you.”
