"Well I doubt you can go back to the city, unless you plan on serving really long sentences in SubWar." He smiled wolfishly over his glass at me.

"I hadn't thought about it really," I said, realising how stupid that must sound. "But everything about it out here just feels right to me."

"Everything?"

I nodded, unable to look away from his dark eyes. I was fairly sure I would answer anything he asked whether I wanted to or not.

"Even the swarm of psychotic cougars?"

"That place was like living in a cage, I just didn't realise until I was free." I finished another glass and let him refill it for me.

"You won't miss anyone?"

"Taylor's parents are the nearest thing to family I've had in a long time. I think they'd want me to be out here, living my life instead of stuck in there while it passes me by."

"We don't live an easy life out here." He traced a finger along a nasty scar that ran the length of his forearm as evidence. My hand moved over to touch it too, without me even realising I'd told it to.

"I'm not convinced life should be easy. Don't you think there's more to gain from something if it's hard to achieve?" I looked up into his eyes.

"I do actually." He grinned, drinking again.

I brushed my fingertips along the length of the scar. "What happened here?"

"Well, I was being an idiot."

"Really?" I smirked. I wouldn't have thought Coal would be the sort of person to easily admit when he was wrong.

"Yeah, it was a few years ago. I was learning how to fight with knives and, being an arrogant little moron, I took a stupid risk." He knocked another drink back and topped up our glasses again.

"What happened?" I breathed. My fingers tingled at the point where our skin touched.

"I saw some poachers in the forest near to our town and I thought, seeing as I was so big and tough, I would go and chase them off. After about a minute I realised I'd made a massive mistake. This guy managed to grab my knife and give me this." He indicated the scar. "Luckily, Alicia had seen what I was doing and ran for help. Hunter came and chased them off.

I wasn't his favourite person for quite a while after that. I'm glad I did it though, I needed to be knocked down a peg or two." He turned his head so that we were looking at each other again. My heart thumped unevenly.

"That does sound pretty stupid," I agreed quietly.

"Thanks. I'm sure you've been up to all kinds of crazy stuff up in your palace," he nudged me.

"Well no, obviously not." I sighed and turned to look at my drink. "Have you ever been inside a walled city?"

"No. Do you think I'd suit a life in there?"

I tried to picture Coal slowly pacing the corridors of the city, dressed in a somber grey suit and couldn't. I shook my head and laughed. "You're too... wild for a place like that."

"Wild?" He laughed too. I was suddenly very aware that my fingers were still trailing back and forth along the scar on his arm and I pulled my hand away.

"Like everything else out here. You couldn't be controlled like that, it would break you. Or more likely you'd break them." I smiled.

"Maybe you're right." He shifted his weight and leant his shoulder against mine. He surveyed me over his glass.

"It happens pretty often," I said, tipping back another whiskey. I could feel my head spinning and it made me laugh.

"I bet."

"What will I need to do now that I'm out here? I mean I can't just hang around taking handouts." I shook the glass of whiskey at him.

"That's not really up to me. It's up to you, we'll meet with the Elders tomorrow. Or probably just Baba because most of them are up in Franklin. She'll help you decide what your role out here will be."

Tags: Susanne Valenti Science Fiction
Source: readsnovelonline.net