Kassy Tayler: Remnants of Tomorrow

“Never,” I say. “I always thought that the only way I could escape was by my ashes. To do this. I never dreamed it would happen.”

Pace squeezes my hand that holds tightly to his waist. “Yes, you did, Wren. You dreamed it and it came true. You dreamed it for all of us.

I still feel as if it’s not real, as if the past few weeks have been a dream, but the sight of James’s body, lying in the same place where Ellen’s was just the day before, makes me realize that it is very much real. The battle has been won, but at such a cost.

James’s funeral will wait until after the meeting. For now we need to regroup, and decisions must be made. Jilly decided to stay with her parents to help them adjust. The Hatfields, along with Levi, went back to the Quest . Dr. Stewart stayed inside the dome to visit the library, while Findley tried his best to restore order to the earlier chaos. We have three hours to recover before the meeting. Most of us sit around the table. Adam, Alcide, David, Lucy, Rosalyn, Colm, Tobias, and Joe.

“It should be Adam to represent the shiners,” I say as I rub Jonah’s ears. Jonah was very displeased with me for locking him up, and he voiced his displeasure loud and long when I let him out. “And we need someone to represent our group here.”

“It should be you, Wren,” Adam says. “Without you, none of us would be here.”

I open my mouth to protest, but then I realize, Why shouldn’t it be me? I have felt the responsibility of the lives around me, especially those who died. I have tried to deny my role in all of this, because I thought by denying it I would not bear the guilt of the deaths. But I cannot deny the fact that people have died. That people I loved died. Shouldn’t I honor their lives by making sure that what they died for survives? Shouldn’t I strive to make this world we created a better place in their memory?

“I will represent the enclave,” I say. “If everyone will agree to Adam representing the shiners. But Pace should be there also. He was the one who talked to the people. They will be expecting him to be there.”

“As he should be,” David says. “The people inside have to be shocked at what happened to them. They should have some continuity.”

“Works for me,” Alcide says, and everyone else voices their agreement, and then we disband. There is work to be done. Jon’s people are on their way here, and they need to be fed.

“And here I thought I was going to have to argue with you,” Pace says before I can rise from my seat.

“Why?” I ask, even though I know the answer.

Pace leans into me and kisses me. “It’s about time you realized how important you really are,” he says. “To all of us.”

Pace goes to let Pip out of his cage while I go to the door to see the preparations being made for the scarabs’ arrival. The children are helping with the work, and I pray that the ones we rescued from the rovers will find their parents in the lot that is with Jon.

“Wren! Pace!” We hear Peter’s voice calling from the tower where the Quest is now docked. “Come quick!”

“What is it?” I ask, shading my eyes as I look up at Peter.

“Smoke.” Peter points to the east. “Looks like the rovers’ camp.”

“That can’t be good,” I say. We go to the staircase.

“Maybe you should wait to hear from Ragnor before you decide,” Pace suggests as we climb. I am not moving as fast as usual, and I have to put my hand to my wound to ease some of the pain I feel. I’ve already done too much today, and the day is far from over. Jonah scampers up the steps and then turns to look at me as if to say hurry up.

When we get to the top Levi is waiting for us. “Lyon says to come aboard. We’re going to go investigate the smoke.” Four of Lyon’s men come off the Quest with rifles and take up positions along the wall. Lyon is always thinking and always looking out for us. It has yet to sink in to my mind that we will have to use the same caution, especially now. We have relied too much on Lyon’s generosity. We have to start looking out for ourselves.

The Quest casts off, and we remain outside on the deck. Jonah goes inside the cabin as Lyon, Jane, and Zan join us. We have gone no more than ten feet when Pip lands on the railing and then hops to Pace’s shoulder.

Zan’s eyes are red and her skin blotchy. I know she’s been crying for James. “I’ve felt like such an idiot these past few weeks,” she confesses. “If only I’d done what I was told, James would still be alive.”

“You don’t know that for certain, Zan,” I say. “You can’t blame yourself.”

“You must think me a horrible ninny, crying like this,” Zan wipes her eyes, “when you’ve lost so many.”

“I don’t,” I assure her. “I am glad James has someone to mourn him. To mourn what could have been.” I push a lock of her golden hair behind her ear. “We will not forget him.”

“Nor will I.”

We stand together at the rail as the Quest makes for the plume of smoke. In the distance I can see the dome. The glass is gone around the top, leaving nothing but a skeleton of rusty girders that are ugly against the sky.

“We should break all of it,” Levi says as he joins Zan and me. “And tear down the girders.”

“It no longer serves a purpose,” Zan agrees.

“Maybe it can still,” I say. “Maybe it can serve to remind us to never give up. To never stop looking for answers. To always believe in your dreams.”

Levi gives me a lopsided smile. His hands squeeze the railing, and I know he wants to touch me, but he won’t. Not now. For a brief moment I wish there were two of me. One to stay here and live the life I fought so desperately to have and another to sail the skies and explore the world with Levi.

But there is only one of me. And I chose Pace with every fiber of my being. That is one decision that I am sworn will have no regrets.

“There are people down below,” Pace says. He is on the opposite side of the deck with Lyon, so we hurry to where they stand. Lyon has a spyglass to his eye. The wind is blowing in from the east so the Quest sailed south and then north to avoid the smoke.

“They have to be from the rover camp,” he says. “It looks like they are scattering.”

“Because of the fire?” I say. I am worried about Ragnor and Janna. This looks like a lot more than merely challenging Wulf’s successor for leadership. This looks like out-and-out rebellion. But on whose part?

“More than likely.” Lyon hands the spyglass to Pace. I look down and can barely make out the movement beneath the trees. Lots of people going in different directions.

“We’re almost to their camp,” Levi says. I don’t know how he can tell. The smoke is so dense I have no clue where we are.

“Are any of them heading in our direction?” I ask.

“We’ll have to circle around to see,” Lyon says.

“I see flames,” Pace says. He still has the spyglass. “It looks like the entire village is on fire.”

We come over a rise and I can plainly see the rover camp below. The entire thing is on fire, and people run in every direction, carrying their belongings in a haphazard way and not going back for the things they drop.

“Oh those poor people,” Jane exclaims. Lyon gives her a look, and I know that the rovers will not be getting any help from the Quest .

“What if some of these people make their way to the dome or the enclave?” I ask. “There will be fighting.” I can’t imagine that there wouldn’t be, and the people in the dome are not prepared for it.

“Nobody said it was going to be easy,” Levi reminds me.