“Like he feels he’d better serve by staying in Utah for six months?”

“Yes.”

“You agree?”

“Yes. Those under his training and his command trust and respect him. And what he learned in New Hope he takes with him to build there. The West is vast, and much of it empty. You’ll find uses for it. He’ll find them for you.”

“Then we’ll see what he can do in six months. Go, eat. I’ve kept you from my mother’s cooking long enough. I’ll take you to the barracks before you leave.”

“Will you eat?”

“Let them enjoy a little hospitality without The One hovering.”

She walked toward the hive. They’d built these here, another at the barracks. Enough, as Fred had four at the farm next door, and others had their own.

She thought of how her father had taught her to build the hives, how she’d learned from what pulsed inside her how to call the queen and the swarm.

She’d taught Mallick how to build a hive, called the swarm for him, taught him how to tend it, gather the honey, the propolis.

They’d need hives at the new bases. Did Duncan know how to build a hive, how to call the queen, how to tend and gather?

She held out a hand. Dozens of bees flew out to cover her hand, her wrist.

“That always creeped me out,” Mick said from behind her.

“We need them more than they need us.” She sent the bees flowing back. “It’s really good to see you, Mick. The couple of times I went back to check in with Thomas, you were off hunting or scouting or scavenging.”

“Bad timing. But now it’s good to see you, too. And all this. I was hoping to see the whole community, the town and all, but, well, next time.”

“Next time.”

“You always used to tell me what a great cook your mom is. Man, you got that right.” He patted his belly, then held out a cookie. “Brought you a cookie.”

“Thanks.”

“I like your dad, and your brothers. You’ve got one more brother, right?”

“Ethan, the youngest. We sent him and Fred’s kids into town for the meeting. They’re still too young to fight.” But not for much longer, she thought. “They train, but today, they’re helping in the community gardens.”

She gestured with the cookie, started to walk toward the barracks. “How are Twila and Jojo and Bagger and, well, everybody?”

“We’re good. We’ve been taking care of the cottage, the gardens, and all that. The faerie tribe and the shifters, too. There are more of us now, and some regulars.”

“Regulars?”

“You know, like your dad and Colin.”

“Non-magickals.”

“Right. Hey, there’s Taibhse.”

The owl stood on his branch, sent Mick a stony stare.

“He’s still pissed off I tried to shoot the apple. Man, that was years back.”

She remembered, too, the faerie glade with its lovely green light, the pool, the great white owl and his golden apple. And her horror when she thought the young elf meant to put an arrow in the owl. She’d leaped up, the first time her powers had taken her so high. In deflecting the arrow, shedding her own blood, the owl bound himself to her.

And oddly, that had begun her friendship with Mick.

“Where are Faol Ban and Laoch?”

“They’re here. They’ll go with me to Arlington.” She turned to him then. “We will take Arlington.”

“I know it. I believed it before we came here. I only believe it more now.”

His simple faith warmed her. “And you want Carolina? To leave the elf camp, build our base there?”

“I’ve never seen the ocean. Sabine’s taken us higher in the hills, down in valleys, but the ocean? I mean, man, it’s the ocean. Sabine and my father have cozied up.”

“I— What?”

“Yeah, they, you know, got together. I’m good with it. She makes him happy. And she’s smart, sort of calm, like him. They work, I guess.”

“I’m glad.”

“Anyway, this is the farthest she’s ever flashed me so far, and what a ride. I’d like to see the ocean. I’ve learned a lot,” he told her, looking away from the groups working on the training grounds. “We train, like that. Minh whips us pretty hard. We build. Like I said, there are more of us now. Minh had first choice, but he and Orelana don’t want to uproot their kids from the life they know. Not yet. I’m second choice, but—”

“Not for me.” She put a hand on his arm. “Even when we were kids, the others followed your lead. When your camp took sick, you, sick yourself, were the one who managed to get to us for help.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about me commanding a base.”

“Then I’ll tell you I know that base and the people on it will be in good hands.”

“That means a lot. I’ve missed you, Fallon.” He put a hand on hers, and she felt it, saw it in his eyes.

What he’d felt for her as a boy, what he’d felt with that first kiss, still beat inside him. She wished she could give it back to him, feel it for him, want him as he wanted her.

Because she couldn’t, she turned her hand under his, gave his a strong squeeze. Of friendship. “I’ve missed you.”

And though she knew it hurt him, turned to walk back toward the house, and spoke—as a friend—of their childhood adventures.

After they’d left, after she’d walked Mallick through the barracks, she sat with her parents, ate the cold pasta salad her mother put in front of her.

“I thought everything went very well.”

Fallon eyed her mother between forkfuls. “You didn’t say much.”

“I had nothing to add. You knew what to say and how to say it. You knew what to show them when they needed to be shown.” As she spoke, sitting at the outdoor table in the summer heat, Lana snapped beans she’d make for dinner. “I’ve seen what you showed them, and worse, in visions of my own.”

“You never said.”

“I want you to know I understand what’s at stake. I don’t go into battle like you do—”

“You battle every day.”

“Not like you do, not in a long time. But I know how to defend myself and others. That’s why I’m going to Arlington. Wait,” she said before Fallon could object. “Your father and I already went a few rounds on this, and I won.”

“I’m calling it a TKO,” Simon added.

“A win’s a win. Rachel, Hannah, and I will set up the mobile medical stations. We know how to fight if the fight comes to us, but more, there are going to be a lot of casualties on both sides. You need us.”

She couldn’t stand it, couldn’t stand it. Her mother was snapping beans she’d steam for dinner, and talking about going to war.

“I’m taking your husband, two of your sons. I’m sending two of Katie’s children into the fight already. Jonah and Rachel have three kids, still young. One of them should stay in New Hope.”

“We’re needed. Jonah and Rachel have made arrangements for their boys if anything should happen to them. So have Poe and Kim for their kids. It took considerable arguing to convince Fred and Arlys to stay behind—and the children helped tip that scale.

“We were the first wave,” she added. “You won’t leave us out of this.”

“Hannah’s not a warrior.”

“She’s a medic. Medics go to war because soldiers go to war. My power doesn’t reach yours, Fallon, but it’s not inconsiderable. Trust it, and me.”

“You won’t budge her,” Simon warned. “Let’s talk about what you left out of the meeting. You didn’t say who you’ve got in mind to command Arlington.”

“We need a team of leaders there, considering its size and its location. My first choice would have been you.” She took her mother’s hand when the knuckles went white. “But you’re needed here. So I’ve asked Mallick if he would go, and, since Duncan’s staying in Utah, who he’d put in charge of that base. He surprised me by naming John Little. So … I’m going to trust him on that. He’ll go to Arlington, along with—if they agree—Aaron and Bryar. We’ll need instructors, teachers. There’s an elf, Jojo, the best scavenger and scout I’ve ever seen. Thomas will ask her. And … I want to ask Colin.”

She heard her mother’s sigh—resignation, not surprise—as Simon reached for Lana’s hand. “We expected it.”

“I want to say he’s too young to lead,” Lana began, “but he’s not. So, once again, I send one of my children to Mallick.”

“Everything you both taught him, everything he learned since coming here, he’ll take with him. If you ask me to pick someone else, I will.”

“He’d want this,” Lana said. “He’ll want it. I asked you to trust me. I trust you. Go talk to him.”

“I will.” She rose to take her plate to the sink. “Then I’ll go talk to Aaron and Bryar before I stop by the clinic and talk to Rachel and Hannah about the mobile medical.”

She saddled Grace for the trip to town, then rode first to the barracks.

Colin, hands fisted on his hips, disgust on his face, berated two recruits on a poor showing in hand-to-hand.

She let him run through the insults—lead-assed, shit-for-brains, mama’s babies, and so on—then signaled him over.

“Clipper, take over here. And if one of these dance-arounds doesn’t land a punch, punch both of them.”

He strode to her. “Make it fast, okay? I’m still behind because of this morning, and I’ve got to drill with the Arlington platoon.”

“It’s about Arlington—or after Arlington. I’m asking Mallick to relocate there.”

“Good choice,” he agreed.