The playful mood was torn away, settling into a heavy glumness. Romy opened and closed her mouth before finally asking, “Was it . . . bad? After The Retreat?”

Nancy turned her head away. They couldn’t have been alive 150 years before. But it was still raw, judging from the sudden closing of the group.

Her whole life Romy had blamed the Earth humans—for not appreciating what they’d had, for being greedy and selfish, and careless. She’d even thought that they deserved what they got. She glanced around the circle of teens. Romy could tell from the sole tear trickling down Nancy’s face that, no matter the Earth humans’ crimes against nature, they had paid for their mistake time and again.

“Are you guys coming to the settlement festival tomorrow night?” Freya asked shyly, after several minutes of tense silence.

Fred scoffed as he crawled into the car. “Of course they are. Right, Ro?”

Apparently Romy and Fred were on nickname basis now. Romy smiled. “I hadn’t heard about it until now.”

“We have a celebration for the coming of each new season,” Nancy explained.

“Has the season changed?” Romy inquired, looking at the trees.

Nancy answered with a barking laugh. “You can’t feel it, but technically the season ends tomorrow. Plus, what Freya really wants to know is if Thrym will be there.”

Romy’s eyes widened as the other girl punched Nancy hard.

Something dropped inside her. “If our knot goes, I’m sure he’ll be there,” she said in a hollow voice.

“Would you introduce me?” the red-faced girl asked.

Nancy groaned. “Ugh, stop thinking with your pants, Freya. I swear you’re all about boys these days.”

“Just because you still want to climb trees like a child, doesn’t mean I do!” Freya shot back.

The girls sulked as Romy kept up an awkward conversation with the boys.

“How old are you guys?” she asked Eddie.

“Nancy and me are nineteen,” he replied. “The others are seventeen and eighteen. Except—”

“Me.” Fred's chest stuck out proudly. “I’m twenty-three. But mentally, I’m thirteen.”

A grin played on Romy’s lips. When she was out here, it was easy to forget all of her troubles.

“What are you guys doing tomorrow?” she asked carefully.

“Dishes, dishes, dishes,” Nancy groaned, coming out of her mood. She whacked her head on her forearms.

“We only get away maybe once a week, if that. Sometimes, in winter, it’s once a month.” Hannah pouted.

There went her escape plans for tomorrow. Maybe she could go and sit with Deimos. There was no way she was going to that room. And as far as she was concerned, Atlas couldn't make her.

Romy picked some grass. “Tell me more about Earth.”

Nancy turned on her side. “What do you wanna hear about?”

She could be subtle about it. Or. . . . “Tell me about the Mandate.”