The Forsaken

believe you did this for me.”
    Then, impulsively, before I can stop myself, I lean up and kiss him.
    I don’t even know what I’m doing or thinking.
    My lips find his and press against them. He kisses me back, his lips melting into mine, making me shiver for an instant.
    Then I pull back from him. “Wow,” I murmur. I feel confused. Hot and guilty. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
    “Yeah. I thought you said no kissing.” His voice is husky. I feel like I’ve surprised him. I’ve definitely surprised myself.
    “I don’t know what happened.” But the truth is, I do know. I’ve fallen for him, despite Gadya’s warning. And I don’t know what to do about it. Should I talk to her right away and confess everything? Or just try to end things with Liam instead of making everything worse? Neither decision sounds easy.
    “It’s okay,” he says, noticing my expression. “I won’t say anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
    I look back down at the guitar. “Thank you so much for this. You don’t know what it means to me.” So many unspoken words hang between us.
    “Well, I better get going,” Liam finally says. “I got a nighttime training run. Tomorrow’s the big day, right?”
    I nod. “Right.” As crazy as it sounds, I almost wish I’d gotten sent to the wheel earlier, so I could have had more time in the village with Liam, before the expedition. “See you tomorrow,” I say.
    With an awkward half wave and a smile, Liam heads off for his training run.
    I stare after him, watching his figure disappear. Then I sit there for a while, strumming the guitar strings with my fingers, spinning the nails automatically to get the instrument in tune. I start playing softly to myself, finger-picking melodies I remember from my dad back home. They’re comforting to me, like lullabies. But they also make me nostalgic for a world that’s gone forever. The only songs I was allowed to practice or learn at the orphanage were patriotic ones approved by the government.
    When I finally walk back to my hammock, I rest the guitar under some leaves to keep it safe. Then I head over to the fire pit. There are still preparations I have to make for the journey.
    Provisions are being packaged, and additional water flasks are being sewn from hoofer skins. According to Veidman’s best guesses, the journey to the aircraft landing site might take several days. No one knows for sure. Because of the inexplicably frigid temperatures that exist in the gray zone, we’ve also assembled a bunch of old sweaters, jackets, gloves, and hats to help keep us warm. They now have to be packed up in homemade hoofer-hide knapsacks.
    I’m glad I’m going on the expedition. I want Gadya by my side. And Veidman too. And most of all, Liam, who I’m secretly aching to kiss again.
    I’m thinking all these things as I go off into the nearby forest with a torch, to gather sapling branches to use to bundle our water flasks.
    I’m still within shouting distance of the camp, when I see a robed figure crouching in the dark, illuminated by my flickering torchlight.
    I stop walking right away.
    Despite the robe, there’s no way this can be a drone. Not so close to the village like this, and not all alone. They always run in packs. Maybe it’s Liam, testing me again. But this robed figure looks too small to be him.
    “Who’s there?” I call out. I should probably feel more afraid, but I already have a knife in one hand and a torch in the other. Plus, I know that other villagers are nearby. “Show me your face! What are you doing here?”
    The figure slowly hobbles toward me, revealing his identity as he slips off his monk-like cowl.
    “David,” I breathe in shock. “You’re alive!”
    “Alenna.” He’s found a new pair of wire-frame glasses, slightly too large, and he pushes them up his nose. “Please, don’t go. Just listen.”
    On the one hand, I know I should believe what Gadya said. That David tricked me and that he’s some high-level drone. But on the other, I remember that moment on the hillside when he shoved the drone out of the way and saved me. That wasn’t planned, or faked. Neither were his emotions when he was imprisoned in the kennels.
    He holds out both hands. “Look. I’m unarmed. I snuck out and came here alone. And it was a long journey.”
    “Why did you come at all?” I realize that my blade is still half-raised, so I lower it.
    “To find you. Every single thing I told you is