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Obeying May, the three of us huddled close in the larder’s shadow, keeping our heads as near as possible, speaking with the quietest whisper. Even with all the boiling, steaming, chopping, dicing, and extraction fans, who knew how sensitive the cameras were.
Without guests staying, the kitchen still worked at a furious pace to feed the guards and Henri. I didn’t know if the staff got the same meals, but they still needed food, and after my headcount over the past week, I’d tallied at least twenty of them, possibly more counting the gardeners and maintenance crew who didn’t come into the castle.
“Are you guys okay?” I whispered.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Rachel quipped again, shaking her head.
“You were the one who started growing a countdown clock in your womb.” Mollie smirked, brushing aside her blonde fringe. “Nine months and counting you said. Get me out before this spawn is born…isn’t that what you whispered a few nights ago?”
“I know, but—”
“We have to try, Rach.” I gave her a soft smile. “But I understand if you’d rather—”
“No. I’m in. I am.” She braced her shoulders. “Doesn’t mean it’s not crazy, though.”
“Oh, it’s crazy.” I nodded. “And dangerous.”
“And that’s why if we’re doing this…we have to be slow, smart, and steady,” Mollie said. “Nothing is in our favour. We’re outnumbered, out-gunned, and out-powered. But…if we plan it well and luck smiles down on us, then it’s possible.”
“I agree.” I smiled. “Adversity only makes us stronger.”
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu.” Mollie grinned.
Memories of my father quoting his favourite poet spilled quickly. “Wonders happen if we can succeed in passing through the harshest danger. Rainer Maria Rilke.”
“God, can you two stop trading bumper sticker slogans?” Rachel rolled her eyes.
Mollie and I snickered, grateful to be able to laugh after everything Peter told me and all the lives that’d been lost.
A short silence fell before we all sucked in a breath and unanimously got to work.
“So…anything I missed this past week?” I asked.
Mollie shook her head. “Nothing. Been one of the most boring weeks I’ve ever spent here. It’s been sublime. I feared without Victor around, the guards would get a little trigger-happy, but…they don’t seem to care.” She flicked a look at one of them lounging by the exit to the kitchens. “No one has stopped us when we’ve done errands for Dr Mel and Rose. We haven’t been reprimanded for getting soup for the patients. It’s like we don’t exist.”
Rachel sighed with relief. “Mols is right. The past week has been a bit of a dream. For those of us not healing, of course…or dead.”
We all flinched.
I sent a thought to those who were gone.
Clearing my throat, I said quietly, “Peter said the same thing about the castle being slow and guards being lax. That’s a good thing. If they don’t care about us moving around, and there’s no Masters to serve…then this is the perfect time to—”
“Yeah, about that.” Mollie cut in. “Rachel and I have been talking and…even if we could get our hands on cleaning supplies to make our little presents, we have no idea how we’d get them set up around the castle. We’ve sat up night after night wondering how we can build a big enough ‘present’ to achieve the best possible ending, and the fact is…we can’t.”
My heart fluttered. My bruises ached. I had no idea how to plan an insurrection, but…my family had always taught me strength came in bigger numbers. Our community always came together to help each other. The elders shared their knowledge, and the young ones helped the elders.
That’s what we need.
Mollie, Rachel, Peter, and I couldn’t do this on our own.
We need help.
It’s risky—
Shutting up that fearful voice, I whispered, “We need to expand our little war effort.”
“You what?” Rachel’s eyebrows shot into her dark hair. “You want to tell more people? Are you insane? The more ears that know, the more mouths that speak.”
