Page 50

“Sgt. Boden, right?” Lazlo looked past me to Boden, who was standing behind me buttoning up his shirt. “I met you a couple times back at the Blaine County Quarantine Zone.”

“Yeah, I remember you,” Boden said as he eyed him up. “You used to pal around with Tatum and Kerrigan.”

“They were good soldiers,” Lazlo said, and he turned his attention to Serg. “I don’t believe we’ve met at all.”

“I’m Sergei Talwar.” He narrowed his eyes, studying Lazlo. “Are you sure we haven’t met? You look so familiar to me.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Lazlo replied vaguely.

Even with the beard and more rustic wood smith vibe versus his old alternative rock style, he was still recognizable. It had been a decade since he had performed with his band Emeriso, but once upon a time, he had made a living as a famous rock star. He didn’t like talking about it much these days, so I would fill Serg in about the truth after Lazlo had gone.

“How are your brother and Stella doing?” Lazlo asked, turning his attention back to me.

“Better, a lot better,” I replied simply.

“Good.” He smiled but he seemed uneasy. “I figured with things being so stressful, you could use a break. Me and Nova wanted to invite you… I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you guys a throuple?”

“What?” I asked in surprise.

“A throuple?” Boden echoed, equally confused.

“No, nothing like that,” Serg answered for us. “I’m asexual, and they’re a couple. But together we’re roommates, friends, family, platonic co-survivors.”

“Ah, okay.” Lazlo nodded in understanding. “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way. Because all three of you – and Max and Stella if they’re feeling up to it – are invited to a dinner out at my farm with me, Nova, and our daughter.”

“When?” I asked.

Lazlo shrugged. “Whenever works for you. We’re pretty flexible.”

“Thanks, that’s so kind,” Boden said. “We’d love to.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, since Boden had already accepted on our behalf. “Maybe next week?”

“That sounds great,” Lazlo said.

“How long have you been living here?” Serg asked.

“Since about February,” Lazlo said. “It wasn’t something we’d ever planned on doing, but it’s worked out well for us. Having the safety net of a community is a real relief.”

“That is what I am hoping for us, too.” Boden put an arm around me in a way that I couldn’t quite tell if it was possessive or simply affectionate.

“Anyway, I should leave you all to get settled in,” Lazlo said, and he stepped back out the door. “It’ll be nice seeing you around.”

After he left, Boden’s arm was still around me, and he said, “That’s nice. It’ll be good to have friends and neighbors again.”

30

Stella

The grass between my toes felt warm from the summer sun, and my ankle felt so much lighter without the chains. It was such a relief that they trusted me again so I could be up walking around and getting some fresh air.

Although I honestly hadn’t really wanted to walk much lately. I have been so exhausted, from the illness and the pregnancy itself. It made sense that I didn’t have energy.

But today I felt good enough to go for a walk. I had been wanting to explore Emberwood, because I hadn’t seen much of anything outside my room at Jovie’s.

As I looked around, I realized that I had somehow gotten outside of Emberwood. The tall fence was behind me, and all around me, trees had been cut down, leaving short stumps in a grassy field. No one else was nearby. Not even Max or Ripley, and I hadn’t thought to bring my walking stick.

The sky overhead began to darken, and the air began to cool. Wind blew through a bush close by that was adorned with vibrant berries, and I noticed that something was crouching behind it.