CRAVE (27 page)

“Just give me some of that and take me to see your kids.”

Dandy showed Crave the ward where she’d been living. Fourteen iron beds all made up as neat as could be with multi-colored trunks underneath.

When he tried to envision Dandy living in the ward, taking care of orphans, he found it wasn’t a big leap of imagination. He remembered the patience she’d showed helping him learn to read when they weren’t much older than Dread. He remembered the obvious pleasure she took in making sure that Exiled were fed and served beverages of choice.

He was also sure that Dandelion had bonded with the young because, when she’d come to this place, given the circumstances, she probably thought she wouldn’t be having any of her own. She’d been searching for a reason to continue after he’d pulled her heart out of her body and stomped on it.

Dandy helped him slowly hobble to the classroom building. When they reached the doorway of the classroom where Dandy’s kids spent their days, several of them rushed her in their excitement to have her back.

She introduced each and every one to Crave. A couple of them hung back thinking that he was the scariest thing they’d ever seen. A couple of them were overly curious and immediately began a barrage of questions, the most common one being, “You’re not taking her away, are you?” He could see and hear the anxiety behind that question.

He didn’t answer directly, but smiled or patted them on the shoulder.

By the time they got back to the guest room, Crave practically fell onto the bed.

“I just need a little nap,” he said.

“Okay.”

She pulled off his boots and, by the time she’d pulled the covers over him, his soft snoring informed her that it was a good time to steal away to the kitchen for a cup of tea. Glad to see that he was still asleep when she returned, she sat next to Crave as she slowly sipped her tea inhaling the bergamot aroma, watching him sleep, and wondering about the future.

When they were growing up, it had seemed that their future was mapped out, constant and sure as the sunrise in the east. Someday Carnal would probably take over as Extant. Crave would be an active duty warrior until he was too old. Dandy would work for Scar at the Commons.

Then things had changed so rapidly and dramatically it made her head swim just thinking about it. There was no more Carnal to succeed Free. There was no more war. Pretty soon there would be no more Newland.

She was holding her mug with both hands, deep in those thoughts when she realized that she didn’t hear Crave’s snoring. She looked over to see that he was awake and watching her.

“What are you thinking about?” he said.

“The future,” she answered honestly.

“Yeah. Me, too.”

She opened her mouth to ask him to tell her more, but Free and Serene interrupted by arriving at the door. They both looked too pink and skin was peeling in places, Free more than Serene, but they were smiling and looked healthy otherwise.

Serene sat next to Dandy on the bed facing Crave. Free pulled up the only chair. It suddenly felt like the room was tiny and overcrowded.

“You’re looking better,” Serene said to Crave as she patted Dandy on the knee.

“Feelin’ better,” he replied, then shifted his gaze to his father.

“You still thinkin’ full moon rites? It’s just ten days from now.”

Crave looked at Dandy and grinned. “Wouldn’t matter if it was ten minutes from now. We’re not waitin’ any longer.”

Free and Serene exchanged a look before he continued. “We talked about tearing down the holding facility and building a house on the site.”

Crave nodded slowly. “I like the view of the training field.”

“But we’re starting to move people to Farsuitwail. In just three months everybody will be gone. So what do you think we should do?” He looked at Dandy. “And I’m asking both of you.”

“I’m glad you asked,” Crave said. He looked at his mother. “I think you’re going about this whole thing wrong.”

Serene looked puzzled and cocked her head to the side. “What thing?”

He waved around the room. “This orphan thing.”

She smirked. “Oh? You’re an authority now?”

“What if I was?”

“Well, let’s just say I’d be surprised.”

“Dandy says you’re planning to stay out here for a year or two. I don’t get it.”

“The experts say that children are traumatized by a change in environment. We thought that, so much has changed for them, we’d try to keep them in the same place. At least for a while. Until they get used to us.”

“Let me guess,” he said, unmistakable derision in his tone. “Those were human ‘experts’. The same ones who said hybrid children ought to be eating oatmeal and raisins. You can’t turn hunters into gatherers by feeding them oatmeal and raisins.”

“Well…” Serene began.

“I think he’s right about that,” Free agreed, nodding, glad that no one was asking him to eat oatmeal and raisins.

Serene glared at Free, but Crave continued. “Take a look around. First, their environment
has
changed. Completely. This is
nothing
like what was here before. Every sign of what it was is gone, thank gods, replaced with brand new buildings, clean beds, good food, and adults who’re sane and civilized. Most of the time.”

Serene’s expression changed as she began to consider what Crave was saying.

“Take a look at the result. The kids look like Exiled young in the Weavers Barn. I mean, not physically, but you know. They’re happy. Except for the fact that they don’t know how to play scruffal. Which is a crime, by the way.”

“What is it you’re suggesting, Crave?” Serene crossed one leg over the other and crossed her arms in front of her.

Crave glanced at Dandy. “Tear down the jail. Build us a house there like you said. But it needs to be big enough for twenty people.”

Free, Serene, and Dandy exchanged looks.

“What are you talking…?” Dandy started, but Crave jumped in before she’d finished the sentence.

“There’s us. Dandy’s kids. That’s fifteen. And five of our own. That’s twenty.” He smiled at Dandy. She looked stunned. “Let’s move this operation to Newland. It would be a perfect place for orphans to grow up. It’s got access to the valley, nice weather, and a place to play scruffal.”

It would be hard to know whose face wore the most shocked expression. Crave’s parents and his Promise were equally surprised.

He went on. “Maybe when the kids are a little older, we can give them an option of moving down to the city and finishing school there. We’ll have to figure some of this out as we go.”

After a few moments of silence, when it seemed Crave had finished saying his piece, Free cleared his throat. “I think you’re forgetting one thing that just happens to be the most important thing of all. I’ll be retiring soon and,” he seemed to struggle to continue, but finally pushed forward, “since Carnal is gone, people will expect you to step in as the new Extant.”

Crave stared at his father for a few beats before throwing his head back and laughing. “First, I’m the furthest thing from leader material. Second, and I can’t believe I’m having to tell you this, but where have you been while Charming has been holding things together during the biggest crisis and upheaval since we came to this world? He stood in for you while you’ve been mourning our brother.

“People aren’t expecting me to step in as the new Extant. Charming’s not leader’s son anymore, Dad. He’s leader. And he’s doing a damn fine job of it. All we need to call it done is a party.”

“He’s not even twenty years old!”

“That makes it all the more laudable. He’s only twenty, but people have given him the respect and deference they’d always reserved for you. He’s not just any twenty-year-old, Dad. He’s leader.”

Free looked at Serene and saw that her eyes were shining brightly. She nodded and smiled just a little. He looked at Dandy. “Is that what you want? You want to turn Newland into an orphanage and run it with Crave?”

Dandy took a deep breath. “More than anything I can think of.”

He looked at Serene. “What do you think?”

“I think he makes more sense than the human experts.” She laughed. “And I don’t like oatmeal and raisins either. We’ll need to make some changes. Reconfigure some of the houses. But Crave is right. It could work. We already have a school. We already have a place to serve meals.” She nodded, clearly warming to the idea. “It could be good.”

“I get the Bike Barn. I’m going to tinker with mechanical stuff. Maybe build some new bikes. Maybe make some of those electric car things, if the power they’re talking about happens.”

“So you’re coming home to Newland for the ritual? Then staying here until you move everybody?”

Crave looked at Dandy. She grinned and they both said, “Yeah,” at the same time.

“You’ll be home in ten days?”

“Make sure somebody leaves me a ride. ‘Cause I’m sure not walkin’.”

They all laughed.

Serene stood up, “I’d better get back to Newland. We’ve got some changes to make.”

When Free and Serene had gone, Dandy climbed onto Crave’s bed and snuggled next to him as he put an arm around her. “You’re not just the bravest and most beautiful male in the world. You also have the biggest heart.”

“And the biggest dick.”

“I don’t remember about that. It’s been a long time.”

“Well, right now I’m listenin’ to my body, just like Flora said. Close the door and let me remind you.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Crave sat on a rock at the edge of the forest and looked down on Newland. He’d never remembered the full moon looking so big as it did that night rising about the trees. It was such a beautiful cloudless night that he dared to think that maybe, just maybe, his luck had changed.

He still had nightmares about the years of torture. But he’d survived. And, if he woke in a sweat, kicking and thrashing, Dandy was there shushing and kissing and petting away the terrors. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was good.

He’d been to see Flora that afternoon with Charming, who’d waited outside while he got instructions on use of the cream formula that was only given to males on Promise day.

He knew it was silly to be nervous. He’d been in love with Dandelion for more than half his life. She’d been his best friend since they were children, his lover since they were teens, and now she was going to be his partner in proxy parenting a village full of Rautt kids. The idea of that made him laugh into the night even though, or maybe especially because, there was no one to hear it. He didn’t understand why he didn’t hate those kids. He just didn’t.

So there alone in the night with pre-mating jitters, he found himself thinking that life was strange. And also that he couldn’t wait to move the orphanage to Newland so that he could teach the kids how to play scruffal.

He looked over at the training field. The weather was nice enough to perform the rites outside, and the females had set hundreds of candles out. He and Dandy would stand in the middle of a circle, say the words, and be blessed by the Extant. Then the rest of the Exiled would party while he took his new mate to the bed that had been set up inside the cell where he’d been held as a prisoner.

Crave imposed only two stipulations on that idea. The first was to remove the iron door that had locked him in. The second was to cover the windows. His friends had taken care of both items before he and Dandy had come home the day before.

He wondered if she was feeling anxious like he was. She’d never been one to seek the kind of attention they’d be getting in a couple of hours, having all Exiled eyes focused on them.

When movement caught his eye, he jerked his head to the left. Leo was climbing the hill. When he reached Crave’s rock, or the rock that Crave had claimed for the moment, he said, “Time to get ready.”

Crave grinned. “Okay.”

“So. Tomorrow will you tell us about the thing?”

“What thing?”

“The thing you got from Flora.”

Crave laughed. “You know, it would be funny if it turns out that the big secret is that it’s all a hoax. That it doesn’t work, but just gets everybody all fired up and nervous.”