I stared at the cave, my hand still gripping the leather case that held all of my belongings. By my side, Lieutenant Amari, a dark-skinned warrior with a gun slung across his back, was explaining the room’s amenities. My face was flush with anger, but I forced it down, determined not to shoot the messenger. I turned to face him, waiting for his speech to finish before I interjected. “Lieutenant, was the order for me to move given by the elders?”

He frowned. “That’s… well, I suppose there’s nothing wrong with telling you. Yes, it was.”

“Right.” I gestured to the room. “But sir, it seems that someone already lives here.”

“Yes. You’ll be sharing with Muriel, a young corporal. I’ve been told that you two are already acquainted.” I nodded, resisting the urge to grimace, as my first time meeting Muriel had left me with mixed feelings. She had been nice enough, but her assumption that I was not a fighter and her questions about Nico had made me uncomfortable. Sharing a room with her, especially when it was obvious that she would be monitoring me for the duration of Operation Exposé, was hardly appealing.

“That’s fine,” I said simply, setting the case on the floor. The room was much larger than I was accustomed to, with a ceiling high enough for me to stand at my full height and a toilet that was connected to the sewer system. It even had a window looking over the ground floor, a fan powered by a pulley system, and two raised beds.

I sighed. It may be an upgrade, but I’d much prefer to stay with Sarah.

***

I arrived at the base covered in sweat, having just finished the trek from Gibnor’s grocer. In one hand, I held a jar of fresh cactus jelly, surplus from the festival preparations. It had cost a handful of bronze coins, but it was more than covered by my stipend from the elders, of which I intended to take full advantage.

I passed my new room on the ground floor and climbed to the third story, where Nico’s rooms were located. He answered after three knocks with his weapons half-strapped on. “Anabelle, welcome,” he said.

“Good afternoon. Are you going out on patrol soon?” He nodded, and I passed him a jar of cactus jelly. “I picked this up from the grocer’s. I figured we could share it tonight while we think through our next meeting with the elders.”

He took it graciously. “Thank you. Does this mean that Sarah told you about the Solstice Festival?”

“Yes. Are you preparing anything?”

Nico grinned. “Come here.” He gestured toward the windowsill, where he had put up a glass dome about the size of a plate. Its outer layer was thick with mist, obscuring the dome’s contents. With a flourish, he pulled off the lid, revealing a tray filled with dirt. I blinked, distrusting my eyes—in the center of the tray sat the strangest creature I had ever seen.

At first glance, it seemed to be a fuzzy ball with no discernible center. As I moved closer, I realized that it was a cluster of needle-thin, glittery white tendrils. Each tendril ended in a red starburst, wet with dew drops no larger than the nail of my pinky finger. “What is it?” I asked in awe.

“It’s a sundew, from the Deep South. They grow where it's warm and wet.”

“It’s otherworldly, like a creature of the sea.”

“Wait until you see this,” he replied, producing a small jar with holes in the lid. Inside, a dozen fruit flies buzzed against the walls. “They’re from the compost.” He unscrewed the lid enough for a couple flies to escape, trapped them in his hand, and then released them between the tendrils of the sundew. Two flies flew out of the window, but another lingered, attracted by the dew on the tip of the starburst. I watched as the first fly fluttered its wings and tasted the dew.

There was a moment of peace as it settled down on the starburst. Then, at once, it began to panic. It flapped its wings frantically and flailed its spindly legs, desperately trying to escape. The points of the starburst twitched, and then closed around the struggling fly as swiftly as a rat trap. I gasped, leaning closer. The fly had been engulfed and was now nothing more than a small red bud. It twitched and shook, then went still. Slowly, the tendril curled inwards, bringing the fly to the center of the sundew.

“Oh god, what is it?” I asked. “It just devoured that fly.”

Nico laughed. “I think it’s a plant.”

“But how? It moved on its own, like an animal!”

“There is a lot about the world that we don’t yet understand. Perhaps even plants have some sentience.” I stared at him, too shaken to speak. “It’ll eat that fly in about a day,” he continued, “and then uncurl holding the insect's husk.”

I bent down, nose-to-nose with the plant. It’s a little brutal. It lures the fly in with a promise of a meal, and then… slow, painful liquefaction.

I turned back toward Nico. “I don’t know what I’m bringing to the festival yet.”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry—no matter what, it will be a night worth remembering.”

***

I squeezed my hands together behind my back as I waited for the elders to finish reading my newest draft of the pamphlet. It was my third time meeting them, yet my nerves never seemed to decrease. I looked around the table, but their expressions gave nothing away. Finally, the head elder spoke. “You did well. Your story is very convincing, and combined with the blueprint, it provides solid evidence for our claim.”

The room broke into conversation as the leaders discussed the content of my pamphlet. A few offered suggestions or asked questions, but the general consensus was that it was ready to be released. It was nerve-wracking, yet strangely freeing to know that the whole world would soon know my greatest secret.

The outspoken female leader called for quiet. “As you know,” she began, “I did not have utmost confidence in this plan at the onset. In fact, I thought it was doomed to fail and to bring our city down with it. However, after reading Anabelle’s work and collaborating with the engineering department, I’m beginning to believe that it’s possible. I’d like to pledge my full support, and to announce that my scouts have located the necessary parts for the printer and will be returning by the Solstice Festival.”

There were triumphant shouts all around. A male leader raised his stein. “My team has almost finished production on the balloons, and they will be ready for deployment in a matter of days.”

“Hurrah!” the table shouted again.

“I suggest that we announce our plan to the people of Bellgate in a week, around the time of the festival,” the woman added. “It will give them something to trust in as news of the war worsens. We will, for now, keep Anabelle’s involvement under wraps. There is no need for her to be a subject of curiosity in our city.”

There were nods of agreement. I narrowed my eyes and glanced at Nico, who was leaning against the wall. The night before, he had brought up the possibility of the elders withholding the contents of the pamphlets from Bellgate’s citizens, at least for the time being.

“They’ll say they want to protect you,” Nico had said, “but do not forget to question their motivation. They may be concerned that your role in Operation Exposé would garner the approval of Bellgate’s people.”

I pushed the memory from my mind. I don’t intend to undermine the elder’s power. At least… not as long as they act in the best interest of all Amberastans.