You alone?" he asked.
"Yes."
"How long?"
Maya understood what he was really asking. In the early days after the Blight, groups had been common. Families, friends, communities banding together. But groups made noise, attracted attention, and required resources that were increasingly scarce. Most groups had either died out or fractured under the pressure.
"Two years," she said.
Something shifted in his expression—not quite approval, but respect. Surviving two years alone meant she was either very lucky or very capable. Probably both.
"I'm Kane," he said, finally lowering his rifle. "Kane Morrison."
"Hello, Kane Morrison."
He almost smiled at that. Almost.
"You any good with that crossbow?"
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Good enough to have made it this far."
"We'll see. Follow me, and keep your mouth shut until I tell you otherwise."
He turned and walked toward the settlement's main gate, leaving Maya to wonder what exactly she was walking into. But curiosity had always been both her blessing and her curse, and besides—the alternative was going back out into the wasteland alone.
The gate opened as they approached, revealing a second man who was Kane's opposite in almost every way. Where Kane was dark and brooding, this man was golden and warm, with sun-streaked brown hair and laughing blue eyes. He was shorter than Kane but more broadly built, with the kind of easy smile that had probably gotten him in and out of trouble in equal measure.
"Kane, you beautiful bastard," the man said, grinning. "I told you she'd come this way."
"Marcus," Kane said with a warning tone. "This is Maya. Maya, Marcus Reed."
Marcus's grin widened as he looked her up and down—not in a way that made her uncomfortable, but with genuine interest. "Well, hello there, gorgeous. Welcome to our little corner of paradise."
Before Maya could respond, a third voice cut through the air from somewhere above them.
"Would you two quit flirting and get inside? You're letting all the heat out."
Maya looked up to see a man perched on a watchtower, rifle in hand. Even at a distance, she could tell he was younger than the other two, with silver-white hair that caught the light and pale eyes that seemed to see everything. There was something almost ethereal about him, like he belonged in some fantasy story rather than this harsh reality.
"That's Ash," Marcus said, following her gaze. "Asher Vale, technically, but he gets cranky if you use his full name. Fair warning—he's got a mouth on him."
"I can hear you," Ash called down, and Maya could hear the smirk in his voice even from here.
Kane rolled his eyes and gestured for Maya to follow him through the gate. As it closed behind them, she got her first real look at the settlement's interior, and she had to admit she was impressed.
The buildings were well-maintained and cleverly arranged to provide both defense and comfort. Gardens grew in carefully tended plots, protected by clear covers that filtered out the worst of the Blight's effects. Solar panels and wind turbines provided power, and she could hear the gentle hum of machinery that suggested running water and other luxuries she'd almost forgotten existed.
"This is nice," she said, and meant it.
"We've worked hard to make it livable," Kane replied. "Question is, are you willing to work for it too?"
Maya met his gaze steadily. "I don't take charity."
"Good. Because we don't give it."