I nodded. "So you think it will take a couple months for us to be ready to leave?"
"Yes, but no longer than that. Things are only going to get worse for you, and for Eden. Plus, wedding preparations have already started with the workers. Eden's eighteen in what, three months?"
I let out a harsh exhale. "A little less."
Xander was quiet for a minute. "Okay, so you take what you can without getting caught. Jewelry, money, whatever we might be able to sell. The longer we have to find a job, the better, because we're going to have to use our cash to eat until then." He glanced at me. "And no going near Eden. We can't risk it."
I let out a breath and nodded. "We need to tell Eden, too."
"I did. I'm hoping she might have a way to get into Hector's room and see what she can find in there of value."
I clenched my jaw, looking straight ahead. "I don't want her anywhere near Hector's room."
Xander shook his head, looking over at me and frowning. "It's for our survival, Calder."
I shook my head. "No. I'd as soon find a way into his room than to send Eden."
"Fine. We'll figure out the details. Like I said, I've already talked to Eden. I told her to be cautious. She'll be ready to meet us at the spring as soon as I give the signal."
I raised an eyebrow. "What's the signal?"
He raised his hands to his mouth and did a nighthawk call very softly.
I laughed, despite the seriousness of the situation. "That's not bad. Only how will we be able to tell if it's you or an actual nighthawk?"
Xander winked. "I know. It's virtually indistinguishable. A man's got to practice something to keep his mind occupied when he's walking alone for hours a day."
"You're a man of many talents. Seriously, how will we know it's you?"
Xander went serious. "I'll do it three times in a row, pause, and then twice."
I nodded. "Okay." I looked behind me and around. "I better go."
"Yeah."
I paused. "Xander, do you think you can help me with something? I need to see Eden one last time before I don't see her for months."
Xander huffed out a breath. "No, Calder. You need to stay far away from Eden. Don't even look in her direction—"
"I know. I will. Just one time. Please. It will get us both through the next few months. I promise."
Xander looked down, clearly not happy with my request. "Fine. We'll do one practice run of her sneaking out of her room and meeting us by the spring."
I nodded. "Thank you. Only I want to meet her there alone."
"Yeah, I kinda figured I wasn't invited."
I smiled. "Thank you."
Xander nodded. "Thank me when we're walking out of here."
"I will. We need to meet again. I have some other things I want to talk to you about. But I need to get to the fields now before I'm missed and Hector forces me to sleep on jagged metal tonight."
Xander flinched and nodded. "We'll sit by each other like usual at breakfast in the morning and come up with a meeting place."
I nodded, smiled, and started to walk away toward the fields once again. Xander softly made the nighthawk sound behind me and I laughed softly, shaking my head.
Xander had been my friend for so long. I couldn't imagine life without him. Our plan had to work; we had to get out of here. The pain in my legs was nothing compared to that of my heart when I considered being separated from Eden for more than a few months. Our plan had to work, it had to.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Eden
I sat on my bed, Hector's Holy Book in my hands, not reading, but playing a game where I asked a question about the future and then opened it to a random place and used my finger to blindly point to a word, wherein I opened my eyes and used the word to discern the answer.
It was a game I'd played with one question or another since I was young. It was immature, I knew, but I was bored.
"Will Calder and I live happily ever after?" I whispered.
I opened the book and closed my eyes and used my finger to settle on a place on the page. I opened my eyes. The word sitting directly above my finger was "perchance."
"Perchance?" I grumbled aloud. "Really?" I huffed out a breath. "Best choice out of three," I murmured, beginning to open the book to a random spot once again.
A knock at my door startled me and I sat back against my pillow and brought the book up as if I'd been studying it. "Come in," I called.
Mother Miriam opened the door holding something white and gauzy in her hands. She set it down on the end of my bed. "Your bridal veil," she said, the same disdain in her voice that had been present all my life.
"Oh." I said, my heart sinking. "Well, thank you."