“He must know you were asking on behalf of your mother instead of yourself. Some will be disappointed you were not interested, but they will be glad to hear they did not steal your attention from our brother. Thallirin will be pleased as well.”
It took a second for his words to click. He thought I was interested in Thallirin? Worse, it was sounding like they all thought Thallirin was interested in me.
“Eh?” Uan’s replacement asked as he came up to us. “She is not interested in the others?”
“I’m tempted to push you both off this wall.”
The new guy glanced at the other side.
“But there are no infected to kill.”
Uan swept his arm out, forcing his companion to take a step back with him.
“Do not provoke her,” Uan warned. “She will poke our testicles with her bow.”
The other man made a pained noise and turned slightly sideways.
“That is not how I want my testicles to be touched someday.”
Uan grunted in agreement.
I struggled with my frustration at how easily our conversation had spiraled out of control.
“Uan, I’m going to say this very plainly. I am not interested in any male, be he fey or human.”
“Yes. That is good. When you are eighteen, then you can be interested. Thallirin is patient.”
I pivoted and started for the ladder, unable to deal with another minute of their naïve fey bullshit. I wasn’t mad. They didn’t know any better. But, communicating with the fey was often like talking to toddlers, and I didn’t know toddler-speak for “leave me the fuck alone.” I needed expert help.
“I will see you at dinner,” Uan called as I jogged away from the wall.
I debated between going to Mya or going to Eden. Mya was sick, and I hated to ask for her help when she wasn’t feeling well. But, I didn’t want Eden thinking my request for help to set the fey straight had anything to do with what had happened in the bunker. Because it didn’t. Well, not the way she would probably think.
Turning the corner, I saw more than the usual number of fey lingering on Mya’s street. They watched me approach her door and knock. A moment later, Drav answered.
“Hi, Drav. Can I talk to Mya?”
He grunted and moved aside. He was a good guy. Easy to like. Which was a good thing since he was in charge during Molev’s continued absence.
Stepping through the door, I saw Mya and Drav weren’t alone. Matt Davis, the man in charge of Tenacity, sat in the living room along with Eden and Ghua.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said, already retreating. “I’ll just come back—”
The door closed behind me.
“Stay,” Mya said. “These aren’t closed meetings unless you ask to see my baby. Then, I’m kicking you out.”
I grinned and shook my head.
Since announcing her pregnancy, Mya’s fame among the fey had gone from protective-sister-they’d-always-wanted to baby-bearing-rockstar.
She gestured to a chair and focused on Matt.
“The fey are helping,” Mya said. “Without their escort, Tenacity would have no supplies.”
“You’re right. And I’m not asking for more fey help. You and I agreed that after the walls were up, humans would be responsible for standing guard. That’s why I’m here. I’m looking for human volunteers who would be willing to take on a few guard shifts at Tenacity so I can send more people out for supplies.”
I unzipped my jacket and took a seat as I listened.
“If everyone were able-bodied, I’d have the numbers I need for guarding and supply runs. But I have kids. Elderly. Injured. And, I’m not asking for volunteers permanently. Cassie’s trip to find her son proved there are still survivors out there. With the planes still on base and some fey help,” he added with a cringe, “we can start looking for more people. Bolster our numbers.”
Mya remained quiet for a moment, glancing at Drav then Eden. Eden shrugged, but I could see she wasn’t overly interested in helping Matt.
“Any trouble since settling in?” Mya asked him.
“None. I established a seventy/thirty system for supplies. Anyone who goes out keeps seventy percent of what they bring back, and thirty percent goes toward the community storage, which feeds those who can’t go out. But, I have more who can’t work than those who can.”
Eden snorted.
“Don’t forget those people lived here with us. I think you mean won’t work, not can’t.”
Matt said nothing. He didn’t need to. The weary droop of his shoulder said enough.
“Fear is as debilitating as many physical ailments,” I said. “Can’t. Won’t. If you put either of those types of people outside the wall, the result will be the same. People will die. It makes sense that you don’t want to risk those who are actually willing by forcing those who aren’t.”
Mya nodded.
“It doesn’t change Matt’s problem, though. Or my answer. If we keep enabling them—”
“I know,” Matt said. “It will only get worse. Yet, I can’t stand by and just watch people starve because they’re too afraid to do their part.”
I understood why Mya was refusing to allow the fey to help. They’d give up anything to possibly impress a female survivor. Even their lives. I saw their longing on a daily basis. They lingered for even a scrap of feminine attention. It wasn’t fair that so many of the humans at Tenacity were willing to use that to get the fey’s help. Especially when the majority of the Whiteman survivors had made their negative feelings regarding the fey very plain.
However, the humans living here were a different story. We liked the fey. We were able-bodied. And we didn’t need Mya to protect us from being used by the other camp.
“There are a lot of good people here, in Tolerance, who’d be willing to take a few shifts if you let them know what’s going on,” I said, thinking of my family and Mya’s brother.
“Fine,” Mya said. “We’ll put the word out that you’re looking for human volunteers to guard Tenacity while your people go on supply runs, Matt.” She looked at Drav. “Everyone who’s willing should meet at the north wall at first light.”
“Thank you. And about the planes?”
She looked at Drav.
“We will help,” he said. “But when the planes are above, they must look for signs of Molev, too.”
Molev, the leader of the fey, had been missing for several weeks. Everyone in Tolerance was concerned about his fate. He’d been amazing when Mom, Zach, and I had first arrived, spending time with Mom and assuring us we were welcome and safe. If he were here, he would have been the first one I would have invited for dinner with Mom.
“Agreed,” Matt said easily. “Perhaps this is a perfect opportunity to continue building better relations between some of the survivors and fey.”
“How do you mean?” Mya asked.
“The fey have far better eyesight than we do. We should pair a pilot with a fey each trip.”
Mya nodded slowly, looking at Drav.
“Many will want to see the world from above,” he said. “You will have no shortage of volunteers.”
“Good. It’s settled.” Matt stood and offered his hand to Drav. “We’ll welcome the help from any human who volunteers and will start looking for Molev and survivors tomorrow.”