Page 33

Claire

A couple of days passed in a flurry of activity, with all of John and Kimmy’s friends coming and going from the Armstrong house, visiting other homesteads to get their support for the upcoming council meeting.

Even though I knew they did it out of their love and gratitude toward John and Kimmy, I was still touched by their efforts.

Isla visited again with Ely, and Kimmy and I enjoyed chatting with her at the fireside while John went hunting with Danny.

I did everything I could to avoid thinking about the meeting, to live in the moment, but my heart was heavy at the end of each day, knowing that I was stuck in a painful limbo.

Finally, the morning of the meeting arrived, and my stomach remained in knots as I felt John stir next to me. We’d been camping out on the living room floor, lying in sleeping bags around the hearth. He yawned, stretched, then turned over to wake me, only to find my eyes already wide open.

“You’re up early,” he murmured, kissing my forehead.

“Didn’t sleep much,” I admitted. “Too nervous. ”

“It’ll be alright, baby. I have a plan.”

He pulled me into him, cradling me against his warm body.

“I hope that plan includes telling me at some point,” I said, and he smiled.

“Give me time.”

He pecked my lips, disentangled himself from his sleeping bag, and got up.

I heard Kimmy and Asha stirring as well.

I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling.

Today, my fate would be decided, and there was nothing I could do about it.

It was a powerless feeling—one I’d been used to when I lived in the compound. I now found it hard to tolerate.

“If you want a shot at breakfast before those kids devour everything in sight,” John said with a small smile as he pulled on a shirt, “you should get up now.”

I sighed. There was no point delaying. I shivered at the chilly morning air as I got dressed.

Breakfast was a noisy, chaotic affair, with the four Armstrong children and six adults all crowded around the big table.

We sat elbow-to-elbow, constantly bumping one another as we spread thick pats of butter onto toasted homemade bread, our plates already loaded with eggs and venison bacon.

Jugs of milk, a large bowl of yogurt, and a jar of strawberry jam sat in the centre of the spread.

I hadn’t eaten anything like this since I left the Cave, and every bite was pure heaven.

All around me, pleasant, familiar chatter ensued.

Kimmy was talking animatedly to Maisie, the older Armstrong daughter, about her apparent recent interest in medicine.

Sarah scolded Allie for eating her yogurt with her fingers, though her eyes shone with amusement.

John spoke candidly to Bruce about repairs that might be needed at Summerhurst, with the older man offering to lend a hand wherever we might need help.

The wholesome picture of them all made my chest ache.

I’d always known, in an abstract way, that this kind of home existed, but I had no frame of reference for it.

I always felt on the outside looking in, green with envy and forever longing for those elusive gifts that ordinary people didn’t seem to know they possessed: love, belonging, family.

The meeting today would determine if I could finally come in from the cold, or if I’d once again be staring through the glass at something I could never have .

I swallowed hard against the lump that had risen in my throat. Get a grip , I told myself sternly. I couldn’t afford to look weak. Nothing’s been decided yet.

Throughout the meal, there was one person who appeared visibly uncomfortable and apart from the rest: Asha.

She spoke to no one, simply stared at her plate and glanced at me every so often, as if gauging if I felt as out of place as she did.

Truthfully, I did, but I desperately wanted to carve out a place for myself here. I could only hope Asha felt the same.

After breakfast, we made the journey to the Lodge at the centre of the Valley.

John had told me it was a large town hall, and the hub of all the Valley’s services.

It housed the medical clinic where Kimmy worked, the schoolroom, the hall where council meetings were held, and a small command center for outriders.

When we arrived in front of what looked like a picture I’d once seen of an Old World ski lodge, there was already a crowd of vehicles and horses outside.

I gulped, but John held my hand tightly in his as he led me up the steps and through an antechamber that led to a small lounge with sofas and chairs in front of a fireplace.

A windowed door on the right wall was labeled Command Centre , but it appeared dark and silent.

In contrast, loud chatter came from an open set of double doors on the left.

“The council chamber,” John murmured in explanation. “That’s where we’re going.”

We were led into the council room, which was cramped with chairs, all arranged around a space in the centre of the floor where individuals got up to speak to the group.

People packed the chamber, but everyone fell silent as we entered.

On the far wall were two chairs on a small dais, where an elegant, elderly woman with sea-green eyes and braided silver hair looked on, all dressed in black.

Next to her sat a middle-aged man with black hair streaked with grey, an old-fashioned leather jacket, and a scowl .

There was no doubt that this had to be Ed Jameson. His eyes locked on me and Asha immediately, and his frown deepened in disapproval, and John confirmed my suspicion in a low voice. The woman was Abby Miller, the chairwoman that he’d previously mentioned.

On the opposite side of the room were two doors with signs, one of which simply said Clinic , while the other read Schoolroom . John and Kimmy sat beside each other on the edge of the empty centre. Kimmy tapped her foot impatiently; John remained impassive.

“Welcome,” Abby said formally to me and Asha. “As we consider your status in the Valley, we’ve determined that you both may be present for arguments.”

Jameson stared at us with open dislike. “Neither of you will speak unless spoken to. You aren’t members of this community. Understood?”

I gulped. “I understand.”

Asha gave a curt nod, her gaze laser-focused on him.

We were escorted towards a small table and chairs that two men pulled into the centre of the room, then told to sit.

Dozens of eyes followed our every move, some with expressions of open contempt or guardedness, others with unabashed curiosity.

They thought us strange—I could feel it. I tried to keep my expression neutral.

Abby called the meeting to order, and then it was John and Kimmy’s turn to speak on our behalf.

They walked to the centre of the room, in front of the table Asha and I were seated at.

Kimmy shot me and Asha a sympathetic look, but John didn’t even glance in our direction.

From his side profile, he looked intent and focused, the way he always did when he had a job to do.

I wished I knew what was happening inside his head.

“Bringing outsiders into the Valley directly breaks our most important law,” Jameson said, his voice cold as ice. “Explain yourselves.”

My hackles immediately rose; he spoke to the two of them as though they were misbehaving children. John’s jaw tightened, and I knew he didn’t take kindly to the insult. Kimmy was less subtle about her feelings; she folded her arms and glared at him.

John spoke first, giving a brief overview of how he’d met me and how our relationship had blossomed.

He spoke passionately about how he couldn’t leave me behind, and about how he’d proposed to me on our trip here.

He told them about how I’d grown from a scared, ill-equipped compound dweller into a strong, resilient woman he was proud of, and a lump rose in my throat.

“I’ve shown my loyalty to this community a hundred times over,” John said. “Kimmy and I have risked our lives for two years on the hunt, and we brought back the thing that’s going to save our way of life here. Is that not enough for you to show some leniency?”

There was a collective murmur at this, but he continued.

“Without Claire, Kimmy and I couldn’t have delivered the PNCs we needed. She shared information that only she knew and led me directly to them. For that, we all owe her our thanks—and a place in our community.”

More murmuring, and I was heartened to see several people in the crowd nodding in understanding.

“I’ll marry her as soon as I can,” John said, and for the first time, there was a sliver of emotion in his voice. “She’s already my wife in everything but name.”

A hard lump rose in my throat at his words. Seeing him defend me was an affirmation of all the reasons I loved him. He was strong, determined, and unflinchingly loyal. His natural charisma made it hard not to listen to him, and I could only hope that the people of this community felt the same way.

Kimmy spoke next, giving me a glowing character reference and talking about the necessity of being more open to outsiders in general.

“We all know the reality here,” she said.

“If we want the Valley to thrive for future generations, we need to introduce genetic diversity, and that means opening up to outsiders. It’s inevitable.

So why not now? This is a chance for us to trial letting carefully vetted outsiders into our community, with low risk. ”

Judging by the reaction from the crowd, several members of the council seemed to find this point compelling, which I took as an encouraging sign. They didn’t have to accept us purely based on emotion; there was logic behind it, too.

“And what of the other woman, then?” Jameson cut in, nodding at Asha. “What value is she to us?”