The Wicked Prince by Nicole Burnham

Author:Nicole Burnham
Language: eng
Format: epub

* * *

Alessandro swore under his breath when his hammer blow landed right of the nail, narrowly missing the tip of his index finger.

“Break your fingers and you’ll be useless to all of us.”

Alessandro stepped away, holding the nail in one hand and the hammer in the other. He used the back of one arm to swipe sweat from his brow, then glanced at the afternoon sun. Thick, humid air had settled over the island, a precursor to the storm.

He glanced at Tommy, who continued hammering away on the other side of the generator shed. “If I break a hole in the side of the shed, I’ll be worse than useless. Think I’ll take a water break. Want anything from the kitchen?”

Tommy shook his head, but when Alessandro returned from the kitchen, he brought two bottles of water and two cookies.

“Pearl?” Tommy asked.

“Of course. Figured you might change your mind about wanting anything if you saw me eating in front of you.”

Tommy finished securing the board at the base of the shed, then crossed to where Alessandro had taken a seat on a nearby rock. He swigged half a bottle of water before taking a bite of his cookie. The mechanic grunted in satisfaction, then ate the rest of the cookie as he circled the generator shed, assessing the work necessary to complete their task.

It’d been nearly forty-eight hours since Frannie informed the staff of the possible storm. Sunday had passed quietly. After an early morning mass followed by breakfast, the older kids used the day to catch up on school reading while the adults made discreet preparations. The kitchen staff reworked their menu for the week, front-loading the fresh ingredients to minimize loss, planning for meals that could be packed for evacuation, and locking away dry goods. Storm shutters were checked, benches secured, roofs inspected.

This morning, when the storm hadn’t turned, Frannie asked the teachers to mention it during the first hour of class. Thankfully, the kids took the news in stride. The wind rose as school let out, causing many of them to cast their eyes to the sky, but that was the limit of their concern. The afternoon progressed as every other Monday since Alessandro arrived. Most of the students busied themselves with schoolwork in the dining hall, the low hum of their conversations carrying across the compound from the open windows. Those who’d finished occupied the gazebo, swinging their legs from the bench seats and chatting while they waited until enough kids had finished to pull together two teams for kickball. The Latu siblings and their cousins, the Sapanis, had packed their belongings and would depart after dinner.

All was going according to Frannie’s schedule. Efficient, predictable, calm.

Alessandro polished off his cookie and rose from the rock. If Frannie could maintain her usual routine, he could do it, too.

“We’re nearly finished,” Tommy said as he finished his inspection. “I’m happy to handle the rest myself if you want to join the kids or take a break.”

Alessandro twirled the hammer and grinned at Tommy.

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