"Which is why we're going to set up as close to the southern entrance as possible," Kanik said. "If they come from the side, we'll be ready. I just don't like leaving so many houses before the line."

"Why not outside the walls?" I asked.

"Because they'll see us," Zasen explained. "While the Moles are hidden in the forest, we'd be easy to pick off with their guns. We need to use the cover of the houses and plants inside the walls to our advantage."

"There has to be a better way," I mumbled.

"If we had more people, there would be," Zasen agreed. "But they aren't all convinced yet, Ayla."

"Because I'm a Mole."

"Used to be a Mole," Kanik corrected, reaching over to rub my arm. "Ayla, people have seen their children killed. They've watched as Moles dragged away the bodies of their loved ones. The only thing they know about Moles is that they hunt us, so they believe every Mole will. Even you."

"But the women don't know!" I insisted.

"I know that," he said, "and you do. They don't yet. Give them time. Let them see that you're helping and you're not lying. Tomorrow will prove it."

"And people will still die," Zasen grumbled. "Because they refuse to listen to us and give her a chance, some will die."

"That's on them," Rymar countered. "Ayla has done her part. You and Kanik are doing yours. And trust me, every person we lose in this upcoming fight? I'm going to make sure Jerlis knows their name."

But while that sounded great, it really wasn't. When I went to bed that night, I tossed and turned. Every time the house creaked, I jerked back awake, thinking it might be the Moles sneaking in. I knew better. They liked to do things the same way, following the patterns that worked. They wouldn't be here tonight, but my mind kept flashing back to the visions of the last battle.

There had been so many injured. I could still hear the cries of the wounded and the grieving in my mind. The red of spilled blood had spotted the street. Bodies had laid there, too still.

If there was a God, he should've stopped this. He certainly shouldn't be encouraging it! No, this was the Devil's work. Then again, Callah had once said she thought the compound was Hell. It was underground, we were constantly miserable, and nothing good ever happened.

She'd been more right than she knew.

And somehow, I had to help her. I needed to save her and Meri, but I had a feeling my trick with the fork wouldn't work twice. Or would it? Besides, Meri was already married. Somehow, they needed to get out, but I couldn't think of a good way to get a message back. Somehow, I had to tell them it was safe up here - that I would take care of them!

So when I woke up the next morning, I headed upstairs first. There, I checked the calendar again, needing to reassure myself I hadn't made a mistake. Twice, I matched up the days, verifying that today was really the day they'd arrive.

It all worked out, so long as the first day of our year really was the same. That was the real question, wasn't it? Just because we both called a day the "New Year" that didn't mean it was the same one. What if I was wrong about all of this? What if people hid away today and then refused to do the same when the Moles did come?

What if my plan killed all these people and it was my fault for not being smart enough?

I was counting for the third time when Rymar staggered into the new office-workroom area. He saw me sitting at Kanik's desk and gave me a confused look.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Did you make a deal with the Reapers?" I asked, turning the chair so I could see him as Rymar found his own office chair.

He nodded. "They will check the tree every other day. If there's a Mole chained there, they will bring them to Lorsa - chained - and turn them over in exchange for money. Quite a bit of money, but I think it's worth it. Why?"

"Because I don't want my friends to die there," I admitted. "If Callah thinks I'm still alive, then maybe she'll put a fork into her own husband? But what if that doesn't work again? She turns twenty in a few months, and we both know what happened to Meri."

"Ah..." He nodded. "Well, Jeera and Brielle have a..." He smiled. "Let's call him a friend. He's a Reaper, and he said they'll be at that farm for a few more months."

"And then?" I asked.

"Then we'll figure something else out," he promised. "Maybe we'll know how to get in and kill all the men by then, Ayla. That's what Zasen really wants to do. His goal is to stop the Moles once and for all. Before you arrived, he intended to kill everyone in there. He was hoping you'd help him get in."

"I will," I promised.

Rymar just leaned closer. "Everyone, Ayla. He didn't have a clue Mole women were victims. Now? He's rethinking that. He's trying to come up with a way to help save your friends. We just have to protect Lorsa first."

"I know," I assured him. "And Callah's smart. She knows how to act pious. I always thought she was so much more devoted than me, right up until the day I was told to marry Mr. Morgan."

"So she's like you, hm?"

I nodded. "We learned how to ignore things because our mothers were possessed. Meri's wasn't. She was a good wife who had many babies. Callah and I were laughed at because the Devil took our mothers."

"We call that mental illness," Rymar explained. "And it's not surprising that it hits women in a place like that. Depression, anxiety, and worse. Being kept as an object? Abused, tortured, and with no way out? I think most of your women down there probably have some sort of trauma to overcome."

"Like me?" I asked.

He nodded. "You were scared. You didn't know how to state your opinion. You're also smart, so you played the game well, being very polite and kind all the time." He chuckled. "And then you killed a bunch of men, and we realized you aren't a sweet and innocent lady. You, Ayla, are a warrior. We just need to teach you the parts you should've gotten as a child."

"I like that," I said. "What I don't like is waiting."

"Me either," he agreed. "And today is going to be a very long one. I want you to head over to Saveah's early though, okay? It'll help keep the kids calm."

"What are you doing?" I ask. "Will you be there too?"

He shook his head. "I'm going to organize the doctors, nurses, and people who will carry the injured. When you leave to go to Saveah's, I'm heading to the clinics so we can get ready for the influx of injuries that are sure to happen."

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" I asked.

He smiled at me sadly. "We wait. And wait. And then we wait some more."

Yeah, I was afraid of that. Luckily, I was also good at it.

Seventy-ThreeAyla

That afternoon, the men started gearing up. This time, they would get the chance to prepare for battle, but surprisingly, they didn't put on armor. Instead, Kanik and Zasen came downstairs wearing little more than those loincloths they'd had on when I'd first seen them.

Then they began adding weapons. Across their chests, they strapped leather with places to hold knives. Along their hips, they had belts with hooks for their krael. Each man claimed a bow, but not the simple ones I was used to. These looked different, with pulleys and other complicated devices.

In other words, they were putting on more ways to kill. Like this, they were terrifying. The leather matched their base color, for the most part. Not the pattern, though. But as they moved, I realized the patterns on their skin would help them blend into the shadows.

At their encouragement, I'd put on a set of what Kanik called "hunting leathers." It was pants! I wanted to put a dress over it, but Zasen assured me the skirts would get in my way if I had to fight. They hadn't before, but I believed him.

I also felt like I was naked. The shirt laced closed, hugging my chest and waist so much it pushed my breasts up. Worse, there was a finger gap between the bottom of it and the pants. Granted, when I tucked my sign die and ring into the front, it wasn't likely to come out. That would prevent it from flopping around and getting in my way.

But my pants? Those were just as tight. Not uncomfortable, though. Weird, certainly. Revealing, definitely. They also gave my legs more freedom, and since none of the guys looked too hard, I decided this had to be okay. Besides, Jeera wore clothes like this. So did Brielle and Saveah. Naomi's pants were looser, but not even she wore a dress.

Then there were the boots. They hugged my feet in the best way, feeling like strong slippers. They also came up to the middle of my calves and laced so they matched the shape of my body. They, more than anything else, made me feel like a warrior.