Dane knows none of it. My disappearance to the Castaways is the same as if I had just gone back to Blackwood, with or without the waters in hand.
So why is he reacting so oddly?
“I’m sorry. I can imagine all of that has made it difficult to search every day.”
“I’ve just kept to myself. It’s kind of my way, anyway,” Taril says and leans back against the wall. “How are things here?”
I let out a breath. “They’re actually great,” I say. “I’m sure Jorn already told you.”
“Do you trust him?”
Weston. That’s the question, isn’t it? Do I trust Weston?
“I do,” I say, admitting it to myself just as much as I am admitting it to him.
“More than Dane?”
I nod. “I don’t trust Dane.”
“So you never tried to come back?”
To him.
Taril’s unspoken words echo in my head.
“I did at first,” I say. “That’s part of the reason I came in to see you. I wanted to make sure you weren’t trying to do the same.”
He shakes his head. “There’s nothing for me at camp anymore. I found the healing waters, and didn’t get them. What’s there to go back to?”
His eyes glimmer, and I feel a sense of understanding from him. He knows how things were back at camp before I was taken, and now, sitting here in front of him, telling him I am no longer a Voyager, and I don’t trust Dane, he knows what I’m saying. No matter what happened between Dane and me before, it wasn’t enough to overcome the lies and manipulations he had me under.
I give him a small smile. “I understand. How is Roley? I didn’t really get to check on him after Mara attacked me.”
“He’s been quiet. Hasn’t really talked much, especially with everything Mara is saying. I don’t think he agrees with her, so he’s just keeping to himself.”
“He’s a kid,” I say. “I can’t imagine how he’s feeling with all this change.”
I watch the way Fin became one of the crew here so quickly, his resilience and childhood innocence keeping him from truly being able to carry any anger or resentment toward anyone. I hope Roley still has enough of that to be able to stay strong and make it through everything going on back at camp.
“When do you think they’re going to let me out?” Taril asks, his face turning hopeful.
“I don’t know. That’s up to Weston, but probably soon.” I stand and drag my chair to the door, opening it and sliding it on the other side. Before I step through, I stop and turn back to him.
“Hey Taril?” He looks at me, waiting for my question. “After all this time, how did you find the waters?”
He thinks for a minute. “I already told you I started to question things, especially with how Mara and Dane have been acting. I honestly thought about you a lot, Lennox. You were basically the newest Voyager, and you disappeared so quickly.Finally, I just got frustrated and started looking out for myself, and making up my mind about everything that was going on.”
I listen, seeing myself in a lot of his story, but what he says next is what sets my mind off into a spiral.
“Then one day I decided not to trust Dane anymore, and I asked the island for a map.”
“So did I,” I say, unable to keep myself from smiling.
“Looks like we really do all have secrets.”
“We do,” I say. “But they helped get us here, so I don’t consider it a bad thing.”
“Thanks for coming to see me, Lennox,” he says with a small smile.
