“You’ll be fine, Lillian,” Olivia replied. “Seth told me a little bit about your adventures: The Clidastes, the Utahraptors, and walking for miles in the rain with a serious injury.”
“He did?” Rogue asked, worry piercing her heart. “How much did he tell you?”
“A little. Enough to know that you’re strong and brave. You can do this. I know you can,” Olivia said with a reassuring smile.
Rogue heaved an inner sigh of relief. Seth clearly hadn’t told her mother why she was kicked out of Prime. And he’d better not unless he wants to be fed to a bunch of raptors.
“Anyway. Today’s outing is of the utmost importance for you,” Olivia continued.
“Why?” Rogue asked, drying her hands on a cloth.
“Over the years, this egg-hunt has become an annual event, of sorts. A rite of passage for our young people,” Olivia said.
“I don’t understand,” Rogue said.
“It’s a way for them to prove that they’re grown up. That they’re ready to take on adult responsibilities.”
“What does that have to do with me? I’m not a kid anymore. I’m twenty-five years old,” Rogue protested.
“I know, but it’ll show that you’re willing to contribute to the community,” Olivia said, spreading her hands.
“I’m willing to help. Just show me what I must do. Plant, clean, build…I’m prepared to work,” Rogue said.
“It’s not that simple,” Olivia said, her face somber. “You’re a Prime, and most of the people here don’t trust you. Neither you nor Seth.”
Rogue snorted. “Yeah, I sort of gathered that when we were beaten and locked up just for showing up.”
Crimson blood stained Olivia’s cheeks. “I’m sorry about that, but you must try to understand. We’ve feared and hated the Primes for two decades now. That sort of emotion doesn’t go away overnight.”
“But that’s ridiculous,” Rogue cried. “We Primes aren’t all bad. It’s Douglas and a select few who run the show.”
“Try to see it from our point of view, sweetheart,” Olivia pleaded. “All these years, you’ve spent safely tucked away behind your walls while we were stuck out here.”
“Maybe, but you’ve had the better end of the bargain,” Rogue said. “I mean, look at this place. You live in good homes with real beds and decent food. You even have running water. Hot water!”
“It wasn’t always like that,” Olivia said with a sad shake of her head. “The first few years were…awful. We lost a lot of people through constant attacks, hunger, disease, and exposure.”
Rogue sighed. “It was the same for us, Mom. The only difference is, things have gotten better for you, while it’s grown worse for us.”
“We didn’t know that, sweetie. All we remember is being turned away at gunpoint from the walls of Prime.”
“But you get it now, right? You have to. I’m here as a witness, and so is Seth,” Rogue said.
“I know, but people can be stubborn. It’ll be hard to change years of ingrained hatred and distrust,” Olivia said. “That’s why it’s so critical that you take part today.”
Rogue sagged against the cupboard. “I suppose I don’t have a choice.”
“It’s the right thing to do. It will win you some much-needed favor with the Exiles. Especially if you still want to petition the council for their help in freeing Prime.”
“I do,” Rogue said. The need to save Moran and the others burned like a hot fire in her belly. She couldn’t leave them there to rot, especially now that she knew what life could be like outside the walls.”
“Then it’s settled. We’re going,” Olivia said, her eyes sparkling.
Her enthusiasm was catching, and Rogue found herself grinning. “I guess so.”
“Seth will be there,” Olivia said with a teasing smile. “I know you want to see him again.”
“Mom,” Rogue groaned. “It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?” Olivia said, cocking her head. “He’s a handsome young man, and you’re both single.”
“Seriously? You’re playing matchmaker so soon?”
“Why not? I’ve always wanted grandkids.”
Rogue gaped at her mother. “You’ve got to be kidding me. It’s only been one day, and you’re already thinking about me having babies?”
“Sure. I’m not getting any younger,” Olivia said with a rueful shrug. “I wouldn’t mind the pitter-patter of little feet around the—”
Rogue threw her hands in the air. “Enough. I’m not listening to any more of this. Can we go now?”
“Okay, okay. Calm down,” Olivia said with a chuckle. She removed a couple of backpacks from a cupboard and tossed one to Rogue. “I took the liberty of packing for you.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Rogue grumbled, shrugging the backpack onto her shoulders.
“Ready?” Olivia asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Rogue said, resigned to a day spent in the company of strangers. But, Olivia was right on both counts. Rogue did need to curry favor with the Exiles, and she wanted to see Seth again. A lot more than she was willing to admit to her mother, or even herself.
Chapter 5 - Moran
Moran paced the small room, her long legs covering the distance within three strides. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and a frown creased her forehead. Nervous energy coursed through her veins, rendering her unable to relax.
She paused when she reached the window and flung open the wooden shutters. Leaning against the windowsill, she gazed at the street below. The room she and Patti occupied belonged to an Inn called the Red Cherry.
The place was a dump, a ramshackle two-story building in one of the worst districts of Prime City. Crime was rife, and the muddy streets stank of urine and feces. There was no plumbing in that part of the town. Most people used chamber pots, and if the waste carts came late, the contents were dumped outside without ceremony.
A gaggle of orphans ran past looking for mischief while a couple of shady characters lurked on the corner. The red-lipped whores that gave the inn its name lounged in the doorway, their bosoms exposed to potential customers’ greedy eyes.
In the distance, the sun dropped below the wall, a ball of
