“I’ve overseen some of the construction,” he corrected. “Everybody’s worked incredibly hard. Besides, I’m not on a construction shift. I have guard duty this evening.” Luke reached up to run his fingers through the blond hair that hung loose around Glass’s face like a veil, then sighed against her neck.
Glass knew that sigh. It meant time was up. She smiled and pushed herself upright, giving him room to scoot out of bed and get dressed.
“Why do you need to go on patrol right in the middle of the Harvest Feast?” she asked, pulling her shirt over her head, her toes searching the floor for the thick woolen tunic she’d discarded there hours ago—a welcome gift from their new Earthborn friends. Even inside the cabin, the air had an icy edge to it, and the sun hadn’t even set yet. Their first winter was on its way.
Winter on Earth. Glass felt excitement ripple through her at the thought of log fires and blinding white snow and nights wrapped up warm in Luke’s arms.
“Somebody’s got to do it. Might as well be me,” he said, pulling on his boots. He stretched, groaning slightly as his back cracked. “You won’t be lonely, will you?” he asked, coming to sit beside her on the little bed. “You can sit with Clarke and Wells.”
Glass bumped him with her shoulder. “I’ll be fine.” Her tone was light, but the truth was that she’d had a harder time adjusting to life at the camp than he had. As a member of the elite engineer corps back on the ship, Luke had made himself useful right away. Glass was a hard worker and did her best, but she wasn’t a natural leader like her childhood friend Wells, and she didn’t have a clear expertise like Clarke, whose medical training had already saved countless lives. And while Clarke had shown nothing but patience and kindness toward her, Glass couldn’t shake the feeling that her old schoolmate still saw her as the shallow girl whose life had revolved around picking up trinkets at the Exchange and gossiping with her equally small-minded friends.
Glass stood, forcing a smile. “We should get going. I told Clarke I’d help her bring food over to the people in the infirmary, so…” She nodded to the door. “Onward.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said with a playful salute. Glass shoved him out the door, and he laughed, hands up in surrender. She watched him jog a few steps ahead of her.
Dr. Lahiri said Luke’s recovery had been miraculously swift, but Glass still couldn’t look at his leg without seeing the Earthborn spear embedded in it. She had dragged Luke to safety, down rivers and through forests, arriving back at camp just in time to get him the medicine he needed to heal. Wells had called her “courageous,” but she’d been acting out of fear and desperation. After everything they’d been through, everything they’d sacrificed, she couldn’t imagine life without Luke.
He glanced back at her, clearly wondering why she was taking so long.
She grinned at him and called out, “Just taking in the view.”
He raised his eyebrows. Glass skipped closer, grabbed his arm, and pressed herself against him, matching him stride for stride. As they walked past the cabins into the clearing, they got their first glimpse of the festivities: a circle of long tables decorated with wreaths, braided evergreen garlands, and more food than Glass had seen since landing on Earth.
“On second thought, you’re right,” Luke said wistfully. “It does seem a little unfair that I have to be on duty right now.”
“I’ll save you some. I promise. Plus dessert.”
“Don’t worry about the dessert,” Luke said. He tilted his head to brush his lips against the nape of her neck before raising his mouth to whisper in her ear, “There’s only one thing I want, and I’m not worried about them running out.” His warm breath on her skin made her shiver.
“Careful there, soldier!” Paul walked by, shaking his head with mock scorn. “Engaging in intimate activities while on duty is strictly forbidden. Section 42 of the Gaia Doctrine.” Paul let out a loud laugh, winked, and continued on his way.
Glass rolled her eyes, but Luke just smiled. “Paul’s all right. He just takes some getting used to.”
“You’d say that about anybody,” Glass said, squeezing his arm tighter. “You see the best in everyone.” It was a quality she admired in Luke, although it sometimes kept him from seeing people’s true colors, like his creepy friend and roommate back on the Colony, Carter.
At the edge of the clearing stood the newly built watchtower, where the guards kept their weapons. It was the most fortified building in the camp.
One of the younger guards, Willa, emerged from the tower, yawning. “Do you have the next shift, Luke?” she called, breaking into a slow jog as she made her way toward them. “It’s completely dead. No signs of activity. There aren’t even weapons to look after.”
Luke’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”
“I guess they moved the weapons out?” Willa shrugged. “I left my rifle on the rack but now it’s gone.”
“Okay…” Luke’s step stalled slightly. “Thanks, Willa. I’ll find out what’s going on.”
Glass rose onto her toes to give Luke one more kiss, then stood and watched him head inside the tower. Once he’d disappeared, the smell of roasting meat turned her head back toward the rapidly filling Harvest Feast tables. In the center of the clearing, the new members of the Council were standing together, talking animatedly. Bellamy stood off to the side, glancing nervously over his shoulder every few moments. Farther down, Glass spotted Clarke headed to the infirmary on the far side of the clearing, arms laden with platters.
Glass broke into a jog and quickly caught up to her.
“Can I help?” she asked, reaching out for one of the platters.
Clarke looked up at her, clearly frazzled. “I’ve got it,” she said. “But can you do me a huge favor? Can you run and grab some chamomile from the patch by the pond? Some of our patients need it to sleep, and it takes ages to brew.”
“Absolutely,” Glass said quickly, eager to be of use. “What does it look like?”
“Small white flowers. Bring as many as you can find, roots included.”
“Got it. And where’s the pond?”
“About a ten-minute walk east. You head toward the Earthborn village, but turn when you get to that pine tree. Then keep going for a bit and turn left at that cluster of blackberry bushes.”