“I’m recommending you for a fast-tracked path to citizenship, which I suggest you take.”
“You can do that? This whole time, you could—”
“Yes and no.” Tom throws a hand up in the air. “It’s my department. I can make exceptions in exceptional circumstances. But fast-tracking the wife of someone I endorsed for election in the newspaper? Someone might think I’m handing out political favours. That’s a risk we must take.”
“But why would you—”
“Because I believe you.” He locks eyes with me. For the first time, I notice that they’re almost as blue as Sid’s. “If what happened to you is still going on, this needs to be dealt with swiftly.”
“Oh.” I should say thank you, but I’m too overwhelmed.
“So come January, we’ll finalize your citizenship. Following that, you can speak to Council about this situation and the hospital’s findings. That way, if this stirs up any trouble from Astolia, they’ll be unable to request your repatriation.” He passes back my files from the hospital and the amended papers, all demerits struck and marked as resolved. “And you two can finally free yourselves from this… situation.” He gestures vaguely at where Sid’s hand is resting on my knee. “If it pleases you.”
“It does not,” says Sid, sourly.
“Bloody hell. I knew it.” Tom squeezes his eyes shut.
“Tom, thank you, I…” I gaze at the words printed at the top.Exemplary participant. Recommended for immediate admittance.“I don’t understand. I lied on my papers.”
“Everyone lies on their papers. Especially Wildlings.”Tom shrugs, as if this is the most obvious component of his job.
“I didn’t,” says Sid.
“Yes. Neither did Silas. It was the most disconcerting thing about dealing with you,” says Tom with a laugh. “Everyoneelselies. Not everyone admits it. You aren’t the first to grovel in my office over some secret you kept when you first arrived here, Ms. Hollins.”
That spikes my anger again. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“I tried asking you once. For my trouble, you told me I was worse than the doctor who wanted to see your sister taken from you.”
“Oh.”
Tom’s face pulls into a thin smile. “I decided to wait and hope you came forward of your own accord.”
Was that the right approach? I’m sure he could have done better in some regard. People always can. But for the first time, it’s clear that he never had a vendetta against me. Even when he wanted to throw me in jail, I had—admittedly—shot a friend of his unprovoked. Maybe he isn’t even an asshole. Maybe it was just easy to imagine him as one, because every time I saw him, I was reminded of all the lies I was telling. He never bought my bullshit. Of course that scared me.
In a strange way, that makes him a lot like Sid.
“Thank you, Tom. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course.” He nods appreciatively, and I realize, I finally managed to do that thing Sid told me the islanders wanted: be grateful. The thought disgusts me, except when I think about it… I am. I’m happy to be here. I’m on an island with medicine for my sister, a bureaucrat who wants to protect me from Astolia, and a man who loves me.
As Sid and I leave City Hall, the chill of outsidesurprises me, and I pull my coat tight. My breath clings to the air in a vaporous puff as the rain thickens to snow. Great, globby flakes of it fall from the clouds to melt against the pavement.
And it’s beautiful. Here, where it’s safe, for the first time in my life, snow is beautiful.
“Look at it,” I whisper.
“This is gonna mess up the roads,” Sid grunts, and a laugh bursts out of me.
“Grumpy much?”
“Well… no. I don’t think so. We’re on the same page, right? About your impending freedom?”
That tiny hint of doubt makes me love him even more. He’ll never take me for granted. I’m too wonderful to him. I hope he knows I feel the same way about him.
But I am nothing if not obnoxious, so I swoop in and place my hands against his chest. “Of course. I promised not to leave until you get elected.”
“Very funny, Kayla.” He takes my hands in his and bends over me, so that his height and wide shoulders shelter me from the cold.
