Intermix Nation

“Visiting you,” Cato responds slowly. “I wasable to take a few days off from assignment. Solomon arranged it. Iwanted to surprise you.” He looks between the two of them. “What isthis, Irri?”

“What do you mean?” she asks nervously.

“What do I mean?” he says in disbelief. “Whywere you sitting in the fountain?”

Adamek holds his book up,droplets of water rolling down the binding. “Dropped my book,” hesays casually. “Nation was assisting me in retrieving it.” He looksat Nazirah. “She’s … helpfullike that.”

Nazirah shoots Adamek a nasty glare. “Cato,I’m really happy to see you,” she says honestly, shivering. “Can wego upstairs and talk? I want to hear everything.”

Cato looks conflicted. “O-kay,” he concedeseventually, allowing Nazirah to pull him away.

“Nation!” Adamek yells, calling out to her.Cato stiffens. Nazirah turns, looks at him questioningly. “Your daywill come.”

He disappears, walking in the oppositedirection. “What did he mean by that?” asks Cato suspiciously, asthey walk through the corridor.

“No idea,” Nazirah says quickly, enteringher room. “I think he was trying to get to you.” Nazirah doesn’tknow why she can’t tell Cato the truth. It would be so muchsimpler. But she’s buried too deep in lies to dig herself out.

Nazirah grabs an old pair of sweatpants anda ratty shirt before walking into the bathroom, changing out of herwaterlogged clothes. She comes back to find Cato sprawled on herbed.

“A lot different from home, huh?” he asks,looking around appreciatively. He smiles a bit, noticing thepicture he gave her. The suspicion isn’t gone from his voice, butthere’s wonder there too.

“To say the very least,” she replies,sitting beside him. They’ve been apart for barely two weeks.Nazirah doesn’t understand why it feels so different.

“Solomon isn’t giving me this kind oftreatment,” he huffs. “My room is nice, but this is palatial.” Helooks at her meaningfully, deadpans, “He must really like you.”

“Yes,” Nazirah agrees uncomfortably.“Solomon has been gracious to us. But I feel completely isolatedhere. How have you been? What’s recon like?”

“It’s good, Irri,” Cato answers, a smilelighting up his face. “It’s actually really good. It’s hard work,for sure, and dangerous. But it’s exciting and important. We knowinformation about the rebellion before anyone else does.”

“Really?” she asks. “Like what?”

“Well, we heard about what happened in theEridian slums,” Cato says, shaking his head. “I can’t believe Nikothought that would be a good idea. You were lucky to leave withyour lives.”

Nazirah looks down at her arms, shiveringslightly. The burns may have healed, but she still feels thesearing flesh, still remembers the blackened bodies. Those visionsplague her already haunted dreams. “I know,” she murmurs. “And fornothing.”

“For nothing?” Cato repeats, confused.“Irri, Eridian intermix are migrating to the compound by thethousands.”

“What?” asks Nazirah, stu

“It is,” Cato explains. “I don’t think Cayusis exactly happy about joining forces with us, but he feelsindebted to the allies after you and Morgen saved his eldest son.And I think the intermix are realizing that inaction is notworking.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Niko told me he’s never seen anything likeit … an army of intermix. They’re calling themselves the ‘freepeople’ of Renatus.”

“You’ve spoken with Niko?”

“Only yesterday,” Cato responds, “for adebriefing. He’s insanely busy, especially with all the intermixshowing up. He says they have completely taken over the meadowbehind headquarters with their huts. Gloom and Doom are apparentlyworking around the clock to secure the base, erecting more concreteprotection walls around the compound, digging additionalunderground bunkers and air-raid shelters, rewiring and expandingthe electric fence, importing weapons, trying to keep the massexodus of intermix off the Medi radar for as long as possible.”

“How are they feeding everyone?” sheasks.

“With the fishing quotas you convinced theEridians to redistribute away from the Medis.”

Nazirah is astonished the campaign has hadsuch a dramatic effect in only a few weeks. “I can’t take anycredit for that,” she admits. “But that’s amazing we’re getting somuch support.”

“I know.” Cato smiles. “And that’s not allof it. Even Cander has been securing more allies around southernEridies, recruiting his friends and contacts.”

Nazirah is truly astonished now.

“I spoke with him about a week ago,” Catocontinues, face shining. “For the first time in … a long time.We’re not where we used to be, but it’s a start.”

She gently touches Cato’s arm. “That’sgreat,” she says, because she knows how much it must mean tohim.

Cato gets a serious look then. “It’s not allgood news,” he says. “The slum attack was poorly executed,conceived in the final hour and designed to look unintentional. Youmay be safe here under the Salaahi armistice, but you need to becareful. There have been more than whispers, dark rumors shadowingthe country. The Medis are strengthening their army and they won’tgo down without a fight. The Chancellor is targeting you, the face,as offender number one.”

“I get it, Cato,” Nazirah sighs. “I knew therisk when I agreed to do this. I never expected Gabirel to give upeasily.” Nazirah shudders at the memory of him stroking Victoria’slifeless cheek. “He can’t be underestimated.”

Cato takes her hand. “I will do everything inmy power to protect you,” he promises.

Nazirah smiles sadly. “I know you will.”

“Tell me more about you.”

Nazirah grabs her bag off the floor,rummages through it. “Well,” she says, “You probably heard fromCander that I visited your family when I was in Rafu.” She takesout the locket, gently pulls it over Cato’s head. “From Caria, withlove.”

Cato’s eyes fill with unshed tears. He opensthe locket, stares longingly at the photo inside. “They are well?”he asks shakily.

“They are,” she replies. “They miss you, andare proud of you. Of us both.”

Cato is quiet for a moment, collectinghimself. “How’s Caria?”

“Toothless.”

Cato smiles. “And my mother?”

“She would be happier with you home, butshe’s managing,” Nazirah says. “Honestly. She practically force fedme cookies intravenously as soon as I walked through the door.”

“Did Cander give you a rough time?”

Nazirah shrugs noncommittally. “No worsethan usual.”

Cato nods and there’s a moment of awkwardsilence. Nazirah braces herself for what she knows is coming. “So,”he begins, “now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of theway.…”

“Were those pleasantries?”

“Compared to what we’re about to discuss …yes.”

“I’m really not in the mood.…”

“There have been rumors flying all overabout you and Morgen.…”

“You know what they say about rumors.”

“That they start with a grain of truth?”

Her eyes narrow. “That you can’t alwaysbelieve them.”

“I don’t, usually.”

“If you have something to ask me,” Nazirahsnaps, “ask it.”

“Why are you getting so defensive?”

“Because I can’t believe I’m actuallyentertaining this conversation!” she screeches. “Don’t trusteverything you hear!”

“You think I don’t know that?” Cato hisses.“I nearly died laughing when I first heard the tale Aldrik isspi

“Nothing was going on.”

“Nothing was going on?”

“No.”

“Do you take me for an idiot?” he growls. “Isaw the two of you, frolicking in the goddamn fountain! It suredidn’t look like nothing to me!”

“Then maybe you should get your eyeschecked!” she shouts. “Because you don’t know what you saw!”

“Then why don’t you explain it to me?” heyells. “Unless you think I’m too dense to get it!”

“Stop turning this into something biggerthan it is! I know it looked strange, but we were just talking! Imean, the guy might die tomorrow!”