Rival Page 5

  He tried to put his heart into that accusation but couldn’t seem to muster the anger behind it. Juno seemed about as dangerous as he did. And his father had died over ten years ago. Juno would have been close to the same age he was. A child. She hadn’t been involved.

  Still, nothing good could come from them talking, from them having anything to do with each other.

  As Maddox climbed the stairs to the small house he shared with his mom and Theo, he made himself a promise. After tonight, that was it. He wouldn’t see Juno again, regardless of what they figured out.

  He’d have to tell his mom and Theo about the missing supplies, deal with their disappointment, and move on.

  Maddox went to his room and got into bed, kicking his shoes off at the same time. What if Theo and his mom blamed the other community? What if Juno got in trouble?

  He turned to his side, smashing his head down on his makeshift pillow. It was barely more than a handful of feathers now. Useless.

  He couldn’t go behind his mom’s back. Not when it involved the other community.

  Meeting with the enemy had been a bad idea to begin with, but it seemed like the best solution—two people looking for the thief instead of one. Besides that, he didn’t want to let Juno down.

  After more than an hour awake in bed, waiting for the right time to go, Maddox finally stood and went to the window. He breathed in the air that blew into the house and wished again for rain. It looked like there might be clouds coming in, maybe enough to cool things down.

  He squinted. It also looked like… Maddox forgot the heat and leaned as far out of the window as he could.

  It looked like a light over at the border. No, two lights, dim enough he could barely make them out. But by now he knew exactly where the last broken lamppost was on the paved road—the same place he snuck across to the other side twice already.

  It was easy to see everything south of the border. It used to be a fishing town, with short buildings and tents, unlike his side, where there were buildings and old businesses that used to make up a well-populated area.

  He eyed the area by the broken lamppost again. Was someone trying to come over here? It couldn’t be Juno. She wouldn’t make that mistake.

  But the more he watched, the more he realized it was probably someone patrolling the border. Back and forth, the lights went, almost as though they were looking for someone.

  He leaned back in the window and sat on the bed with a grimace.

  Now what did he do? Trying to go across the border might risk the safety of both of them. Especially when Theo made it seem like he might start a fight with the other side in the blink of an eye.

  But Maddox had a sinking feeling that it wasn’t all talk. Not lately.

  He sighed and looked out the window again. Not much he could do about that now. Getting himself in the middle of everything tonight had already hurt his mom. He couldn’t stand to think about making it worse. He just wasn’t sure how to make it better. No matter what he did on his end, it felt like they were destined for a war.

  Chapter Seven

  Juno

  She was getting pretty good at lying. She’d told Rand and Stef she hadn’t found out anything about the supplies from the Light District, which was the truth, but then she’d made up a story about meeting some girl who designed rat traps.

  Kind of like what Maddox had told her. Though, she believed his story. Strange, because she barely knew him. She shouldn’t trust one word that came out of this mouth.

  But she did. And she also loved knowing that when she met Maddox tonight, she wouldn’t have to lie to anyone. She could be herself, and there wouldn’t be any judgment.

  Juno volunteered for boathouse duty tonight even though it was her day off. Nobody questioned her because it was something she and Pillar often did. Better than staying in Rand and Stef’s house—when they’d let her stay.

  Usually, when they did, they spent the entire night sighing and making it clear she was a burden on them. That she was taking up more space than she was worth.

  She’d even told them she’d skip dinner so she wouldn’t use up so many of their resources, but that hadn’t ever made them happy for long.

  Juno turned over in the small cot at the boathouse, unable to sleep for the few hours she planned on getting rest. She kept replaying images of the city by the bridge over and over in her mind. The tall buildings she could find a place to live in. The freedom she would have.

  It wouldn’t be easy, starting over on her own. But once she got settled in some abandoned warehouse or old apartment building, she’d make it home. She’d get used to it.

  She could even see Maddox without worrying they’d get in trouble.

  But then Juno turned over again and heard Pillar’s soft breathing on the other cot, and guilt flickered inside.

  How could she leave her friend? And what about Maddox? She barely knew him, but he could still get in trouble. Just because she didn’t have a family didn’t mean he didn’t.

  Juno sat up and ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. Maybe she was making it harder than it had to be.

  She already knew she didn’t belong here. That should be enough to make her go.

  A few more weeks, she told herself. She’d work up the courage to talk to Pillar, and she’d learn everything she could from Maddox.

  It was the best solution.

  She got to her feet and peered out the window. He might already be there at the dock, waiting for her, wondering why she hadn’t shown up yet or if she’d gone back on her word.

  Juno gritted her teeth. That was one thing she didn’t do. Go back on her word. When she said she was going to do something, she meant it.

  Before she could change her mind, Juno leaned over Pillar’s bed and shook her shoulder. “Pillar. Wake up.”

  Her friend mumbled something incoherent and then turned over to stare up at Juno. “It’s still dark.”

  “I know. Our shift isn’t over, but I need you to be the lookout now.”

  “How long did I sleep?”

  Not nearly long enough. She owed Pillar a more restful night of sleep. But they’d get it tomorrow night when they weren’t on duty. They could both wait that long.

  “A few hours,” Juno said. “I’m going to check the nets again and look around.”

  “See if you can find the thief,” she murmured.

  “That’s right.” And if she didn’t find anyone, at least she’d have fish and crab this time.

  Hopefully.

  “Keep the whistle,” Juno said before Pillar could offer it.

  The last thing she needed was to leave Pillar without something to warn the others if there was an intruder in the boathouse. She already felt guilty enough.

  “Be careful,” Pillar said sleepily, more out of habit than true concern.

  “Of course.”

  She stepped outside, and the first thing she smelled was salt in the air. It was its own kind of freedom, she supposed, being able to feel the ocean breeze on her cheeks, to smell fresh air. To walk in the surf as the water danced up to her ankles.

  She’d bet her entire catch for the day that they didn’t have that in the Light District.

  She might not have that, either, once she moved. At least not the warm sand to walk through. The water wound under the bridge here and there, but there was no beach to be found.

  Juno hauled her basket closer to the water, her footsteps growing quiet on the soft sand. Her pace slowed, and she kept her eyes alert. She was still supposed to be looking for a thief.

  She scanned the beach as far as she could see, making out the wooden beams of the docks and spotting her neon markers for the nets. But she didn’t see any figures. Disappointment bloomed inside. They had a plan. Maddox was supposed to meet her tonight so they could watch for the thief.

  She chided herself for caring. He probably had something come up. Or he was running late.

  Who cared, right? It wasn’t like he was supposed to be here. H
e was putting himself at risk each time he stepped foot inside her border.

  Juno found her position in the sand, the basket at her side, and waited. She kept her eyes sharp for any kind of movement. A bird fluttered down to the water, and she jolted before realizing what it was.

  She chuckled quietly at herself, but the laugh was strangely hollow. It had to have been almost an hour since she’d come out here. Guilt crept up on her again. She’d left Pillar back at the boathouse for this ridiculous stakeout, and nothing was happening.

  Then anger flickered.

  Maddox was the one who’d come up with this plan, so where the hell was he? Was this his sick idea of a joke? Make a plan with someone and then bail? It was a huge jerk move.

  You don’t need him anyway. She had her own plan and she could take care of herself. It was about time she did what was best for Juno.

  Just as she was about to stand again, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She hissed in a breath as she saw people near the road. Her hand went automatically to her knife, but she realized the figures weren’t running toward her, they were running in the other direction, toward the outline of buildings on the opposite side of the border They stopped down by the water at the dock just before they crossed over.

  They were her people.

  Juno surged to her feet and darted toward the group. Sand stuck to her feet as she ran. She recognized Cam first, then Ty and another man who always patrolled in the evenings.

  Then she saw the nets on the beach, and her heart lurched. Foot after foot of rope had been cut into jagged pieces and dumped there.

  When she gasped, Cam turned to her.

  “What happened?” she asked, eyes glued to the tangles of rope that used to catch the fish her community relied on.

  Cam gestured to one of the other men. “Go get Rand and Stef.” When he angled back toward her, he blew out a long breath and set his hands on his hips. “I saw someone. I was walking beside the road, and I saw a light.”

  Juno swallowed. Part of her was relieved no one had seen her sitting out on the beach by herself, waiting for a boy who was probably never going to show up in the first place. But the other half was ashamed. If she’d been paying attention, she might have seen who did this. She might have noticed that the nets weren’t even in the water anymore.

  She might have even seen Maddox.

  She swallowed hard. No. No way. She barely knew him, but she didn’t believe Maddox had done this. Unless he’d been tricking her the entire time…

  “I called for Ty and ran down here. But by the time I made it, whoever did this was gone.”

  “But…” She looked across the street, to the other community. It was dark and quiet, fog rolling up from the water. “You know it was them.”

  Cam’s face went stony. “It was them. They did this.” He crouched next to the rope. “It looks like every single net we had out there.”

  The sickening realization of it hit her then. It did look like every net. Nets that had taken months to tie together from the pieces of rope they had. She knew because it had been her suggestion. First they’d had one net out there, and then she’d had the idea to make more. She and Pillar, even Cam and Ty—so many others had helped, their hands callused and nearly bleeding from tying rope after rope and making the perfect nets to catch more fish.

  Juno’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. Her whole world tilted.

  She’d been such an idiot, trusting Maddox. What else had she told him? Anything important? Anything that might destroy her community?

  He knew about the nets, and she’d talked to him about fishing more than once. He was the one who knew where they were, and she’d caught him inside her border looking at them.

  And she hadn’t turned him in.

  What had she done?

  Rand and Stef reached them moments later, out of breath from running across the beach. Juno could tell Ty had already told them what happened, because they didn’t ask, didn’t do anything but stare at the nets for a long moment.

  Finally, Rand looked up. “You know for sure it was someone from the other side?” he asked, voice so low Juno could barely hear it above the crashing waves.

  Cam nodded. “Yes.”

  “Did you see any faces?” Stef asked.

  Juno’s mouth opened. She had. She’d seen Maddox’s face. But that was on a different night.

  “No.” Cam lowered his chin like he was ashamed for not doing better. “I just saw them run back across the street.”

  Juno’s heart beat quickly, and the words hovered on her tongue. All she had to do was speak up. Open her mouth and say it, that she’d seen someone from the other side, that it was likely the same person. Then maybe, finally, they’d realize she was a part of their family. That she belonged here as much as anyone.

  It was silent for a long moment, then Juno lowered her chin as well. She couldn’t do it. She didn’t have proof Maddox was the one who did this tonight. And, anyway, no matter what she did, Rand and Stef would never see her as one of their own.

  Probably not even if she gave them a thief.

  “It’s fine,” Stef assured Cam. “We’ll find out who did this.”

  “From now on, we have four guys out here every night,” Rand said, face stony. “And the instant anyone sets foot on our side of the road, we’ll get them. Don’t ask questions, just grab him and bring him to us. We’ll take care of the rest.”

  Chapter Eight

  Maddox

  Last night had been a disaster. After watching the lights from the window for more than an hour, he’d finally crawled into bed with the knowledge that there wasn’t any way he could get to Juno—even to tell her that their meetings might not be the best idea.

  The worst part was that he wanted to see her. To ask her questions. To get to know her better. When he woke this morning, he felt twice as guilty as he had the night before. What if she’d actually shown up? What if she’d waited for him?

  Maddox hefted himself out of bed and tried to shake the thought. It wasn’t like she’d had to go far, right? Her community was on the water.

  But it was the risk she was taking, too. She was in danger every time they talked, but she did it anyway.

  He scrubbed his hands over his face. God, this was why he should never have crossed the border in the first place. What made him think that he could change the world he lived in?

  He wasn’t sure, but he still wanted to see Juno. And more than that, he wanted to apologize for not going last night.

  Maddox hopped off the bed and snagged his shoes from the floor. He tied the laces and wandered outside. The day was already warm, rays of sun stretching down between the buildings to hit him on the back of the neck.

  A bucket of water sat right outside the door, and he splashed some on his face to wake himself up, to give him clarity.

  He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to find Juno in the daytime without walking straight into her territory and asking for her by name, but he’d figure it out. Waiting until tonight would take forever.

  With his satchel over his shoulder, Maddox set off for the light post by the water. He’d start there and then sweep the entire border, back and forth if he had to, until he found her.

  The smell of salt reached his nose the closer to the water he got. He walked slowly until he spotted a few men from her community at the edge of the road watching him. What were they doing out there? Especially during the daytime?

  And it wasn’t just one or two. It was a handful, maybe more, all spread out along the road as far as he could see.

  His heartrate picked up. Something had happened. That was his first thought. Something had happened or else they wouldn’t be out there.

  He turned back to his community, trying to stay calm. What if something had happened to Juno? What if she’d tried to come over here and they’d caught her?

  He had to see—had to make sure nothing had happened.

  In the dining hall, he found his mom sitting
at a table, a smile on her face. Theo was laughing with James at the other end. He went for his brother first. If anything had happened, Theo would be the first to know.

  “Hey.” Theo nudged a chair out for him. “Thought you’d just sleep the day away?”

  He sat, trying to keep calm. His mom looked over from the other end of the table with her same smile, the one that used to comfort him.

  “I was tired. You were out late last night,” Maddox grumbled in return.

  Theo shrugged. “Patrolling. Gotta make sure we stay safe.”

  “Seems like there are a lot of them out there this morning.”

  James nodded. “We saw ’em. They’ve been out there for hours.”

  Why? The word was on his tongue when his mom walked over. She joined their small group.

  “Theo let me know there are more than usual,” she said in a soothing voice. “No worries. As long as they stay on their side, we’ll be fine.”

  “They’d better stay over there,” Theo growled. “Or else.”

  Alice set a hand on his arm, always trying to keep the situation calm. “They have no reason to come over here.”

  Maddox eyed Theo’s face, surprised by the sheer hatred he saw there. At that moment, he almost felt positive it had been his brother sneaking around last night. But what for?

  Probably just hoping to catch someone so he’d have an excuse to be this angry.

  “Still,” James said. “They’d better keep their distance.”

  “Why are there so many so close?” Maddox asked.

  Theo lifted his head to lock eyes with him. “Who knows with those cowards. But they’d better stay put.”

  Alice nudged his arm. “Come on. It’s cooler today. Maybe we could get some extra work done in the garden.”

  Maddox stood with a plan already in mind. One that didn’t involve anything in the garden. “I saw some extra pieces of wood halfway to the bridge. Figured I’d grab what I could in case we needed it.”

  Alice nodded while Theo just stared at him. “Sounds good.” She tried a smile again, but he could read the worry on her face. “Just be careful.”