It's amazing how days can stretch on, how they become weeks and then months.

The day of Alessa's execution disappears like some half-remembered nightmare as, day after day, Rose seems to come back into the world of the living.

Emilio, too, seems to cope as well as anyone could with the loss of his parents.

By the morning of September fourteenth, we're about as fine as we can expect to be.

The day starts off like most of the others, with all of us huddled around Siena's kitchen table. Breakfast this morning is cereal, and though it's not the greatest none of us will ever complain.

Siena has just gotten back from downtown Florence, bringing a newspaper and several different herbs back with her. She's singing joyfully in Italian as she scampers around the kitchen, depositing the newspaper in the midst of us as she moves gracefully toward her cabinets. Herbs are sorted in a blur as Siena never stops singing.

"Why is she in such a good mood today?" I wonder, glancing over my shoulder at her.

No one at the table has an answer for me. Theo, Rose, and Jason continue eating without a care as Dimitri and Shemik wait impatiently for Emilio to translate the contents of the Italian newspaper. Emilio's expression takes me by surprise, a combination of what appears to be hope and joy manifesting itself on his face as he reads the front page headline.

Eventually, He all but throws the paper onto the table. He ignores the majority of us as he captures Shemik,  who is sitting next to him, in a hug that almost looks painful.

"They did it!" Emilio declares, "A peace treaty, they've agreed to discuss the new one. The leaders of twenty-one countries are meeting in Paris tomorrow for a conference. They've had so many of these treaties over the past few years, but they never get far enough to seriously consider one. Do you have any idea what this means?"

Shemik doesn't answer, and Emilio rolls his eyes.

"Happy birthday, Shem. The war is almost over."

Shemik studies him intently, eventually escaping his grasp. She doesn't seem all that joyful at the mention of today's significance, as though the acknowledgement of her seventeenth birthday means nothing at all to her.

It takes only a moment for me to decide that she might actually believe that.

"The world leaders met to discuss a treaty in 2047." Shemik tells him, returning her attention to the pitcher of water in the center of the table, "Treaties mean absolutely nothing in today's world. The same goes for birthdays."

"She's right." Dimitri agrees, "Treaties don't mean a thing anymore."

"This one could be different." Theo snaps, "Come on you two, don't be so pessimistic about it."

Dimitri ignores Theo's comment, taking in another spoonful of cereal as though signifying that the conversation here is over. Emilio only sighs, as though some part of him knew that this would be the result.

I can't decide what I'm feeling. I should be unimaginably hopeful, but I'm not. I remember a bit about my life before the war, but for me there will never be a way to go back.

Life before all this consisted of Mom and Dad, of school and routines and everything normal. I'm not normal anymore, I never was. I'm a Superior, always destined to be different for better or worse. My parents are gone, and I doubt that I could take one more look at Mathers Hill, Indiana without dissolving into an emotional mess. It was home, but it'll never be that for me again.

I can't go back, because I've moved too far forward to make myself look over my shoulder.

The end of the war can't fix all the issues. I'm not sure anyone could. There will always be Inhumanes, always be people who hate Superiors and want to harm us.

No treaty can cure that.

In that moment, I understand exactly why Shemik can be such a pessimist. When everyone you care about seems to end up dead because of the world you live in, it seems only logical that the same world will claim you as a casualty. Even if that world does find a way to change, there'll never be a way to escape the things you saw in the old one, to forget the awful consequences of growing up during a war.

I'm afraid of this world, but I'm more frightened of the future.

I have the nightmares myself, and I've only seen a fraction of what Shemik has.

Unlike her, I've never lost my sibling, and I hope more than anything that I never do.

I'm beginning to wish that I could force myself to feel as hopeful as the younger kids, to let my mind wander with all the things that could be. Jason and Rose are staring at Emilio as though he just told them that a decent life might actually exist someday. The two youngest look more hopeful than even Emilio, like one of their make-believe scenarios has been lent some level of validity.

Whatever the rest of us are thinking, no one can dream of telling them there's a chance that this too will fail to solve the problems.

It seems too cruel to destroy a fantasy like that, to tell children who only remember war that it might be all they ever know.

~*~

Theo and I end up going on one of our walks after breakfast, traveling to the same park we've been frequenting on days when we don't know where else to go. We've been doing this a lot since that first day, when we weren't sure if Rose would wake up. Sometimes, we sit around and talk about some random scientific theory, sometimes it's the Inhumanes or the war instead.

Today, as we sit on the same stone bench as always, Theo is first to speak.

"I don't know how to feel about this. I'm happy, Lili, I have to be. The war might end soon." He pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he speaks, watching me intently, "But what happens after it does?"

"I'm the same way." I tell him, fingers drumming a pattern on my knee, "I can't go home. I don't think I want to. Everything's too different to go back to normal."

Theo nods.

"I want to go looking for Olivia," he says quietly, "but what are the chances? Mum's gone. Why should I think Olivia is still okay?"

"She is." I encourage, even though I have no idea if that's true, "You don't know she's dead, so until you find out one way or the other, you tell yourself she's alive."

Theo sighs, his expression saying that doing as I ask is proving a lot more difficult than he thought it would.

"What happens to us?" he asks after a while, staring thoughtfully into space.

"Us?"

"All of us. What will we do after this. Are we going to leave, one by one, to go find things to do and places to live? How's this supposed to work? We don't have parents, don't have rules. Well I might have my dad, but there's no way I'll ever live with him again. So, what's going to happen? The only reason we've stuck together for so long is the war, so when it's over we'll be free to do whatever."

"No." My voice is sharper than I mean it to be, and Theo glances back to my expression.

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I mean no. The reason we've stuck together for so long is because we care. We care too much, actually, because every time we lose someone it pretty much destroys us all. Brynn? We hardly knew her but look what it did to us all after she died. I doubt any of us will leave the others by choice. We're all too scared to be alone again."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am." I say affirmatively, leaning back comfortably on the park bench.

The silence that follows is the kind you can't necessarily call awkward, the sort where no one says anything but it's never uncomfortable. We sit like that for what could have been minutes or hours, until I hear the first gunshot.

At first I tell myself that it's because I've been on edge, that I'm hearing things that aren't there because I'm so paranoid about it all.

Five minutes and a lot more gunshots later, both Theo and I are on our feet. Theo throws the pack we brought with us over one shoulder as I assure myself that my boots are still tied.

"What's going on?" I wonder, my voice sounding unusually high-pitched, "Florence...the wall...it's supposed to stay safe."

Theo doesn't answer as we begin to run. I can see smoke when I glance over my shoulder, rising up from the center of the city. We're tripping over our own feet as the shooting continues from somewhere behind us, fear making us run at double speed.

We come crashing through Siena's front door in a blur, and in less than a minute I've thrown our second supply pack over my left shoulder.

"What the-" Jason squeaks, eyes going round as he takes us in. He and Rose are standing near Siena at the counter, helping her make some sort of herbal tea.

"Something...It's...I think someone's trying to..." One of my hands flails through the air as I stammer, sweat covering my forehead.

"Someone's attacking the city." Theo says it in a scarily-calm voice, "Rose, where are Shemik and Emilio? Go get them."

"The Russians," Siena says, dropping the spoonful of ground herbs she was holding, "they've been threatening to make a move on it for a while now. We have supplies, and the border wall keeps people from entering until someone is willing to open the gate. They must have taken the city patrol by surprise and gotten in."

Rose reappears from the guest room, Shemik and Emilio right behind. The two oldest are arguing irritably, one of Emilio's hands running nonstop through his hair.

"We will be fine!" he is shouting, "They won't come for-"

"You don't know that, Emilio. We're leaving."

"But the city patrol will take care of-"

"We're leaving." Shemik skewers him with a death glare, marching across the kitchen toward me and Theo.

Siena is watching us all, her gaze going from us to the door and back again. For a moment I don't understand her look of fear.

Then I follow her gaze.

A miniature army of soldiers stands on the doorstep, their battle-hungry expressions reflected in the glass pane. All the color has drained from Siena's face as she grips the counter.

"I guess we aren't leaving." Dimitri's voice comes from somewhere behind Shemik, "Not yet anyway."

Siena takes us all in as she finally forces her feet to move.

"All of you," she says over her shoulder, "If you aren't already wearing your boots, grab them. I have heard of these supply raids before. They take everything from you until they are satisfied with themselves."

Shemik, Emilio, and Dimitri sprint across the kitchen, collecting their boots in a blur.

"Hide." Siena barks a moment later, "Now."

We scatter so quickly that there's hardly time to think. I end up in Siena's room, cowering under the bed with Jason and Dimitri. Though the bed frame creates quite a bit of space between itself and the floor, Dimitri is still forced to huddle in an uncomfortable-looking position. Being four inches shorter or so, I'm only slightly squished. I've taken off my pack, and as I listen to the voices in the kitchen, I search around for the throwing knives hidden away inside.

One of the soldiers is yelling in Russian, his furious tone sending shivers down my spine.

"I can't understand you." comes Siena's calm reply, "English? Do you speak English?"

"Where is it!" shouts the soldier, "The money, where is it?"

"I am a peasant." Siena says coolly, "You must be able to tell this from the size of my house. I have no money, soldier."

My hand continues searching the pack until my fingers touch something cold and metallic. One throwing knife is followed by half a dozen more as I distribute them between myself, Jason, and Dimitri.

At least if they find us, we'll be able to fight if the need arises.

The man is bellowing again, clearly furious with Siena.

A cabinet bangs against the wall as, I imagine, someone goes through it.

"This!" a different soldier roars, "No peasant has this sort of china."

The statement is followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"Tell me, where is it?"

"I don't have any money!" Siena exclaims, the plea accompanied by more glass being broken.

"The herbs," comes the first soldier's voice, "you must truly think I am an idiot if you think I will believe that you got such precious herbs for free."

More breaking glass.

"Lil, I'm scared." Jason whimpers from next to me, and reflexively my hand covers his mouth.

"Shhh." I hiss, gripping a throwing knife in the other hand.

"Take them!" the second man shouts, "All of the herbs, take them!"

There's a flurry of footfalls in the kitchen as the soldiers stomp around, throwing open more cabinets despite Siena's protests.

"The cereal, take it too."

"I found dried fruit in this one."

"Oatmeal. I will take it in case it proves useful."

If I thought their previous words frightened me, that can't even compare to the terror invoked by the last command.

"Search the rest of the house. If she will not tell us, we will find the money ourselves."

"Please!" Siena shrieks, "Take the food, take all the food, but nothing else! Surely ... Surely you can get it somewhere else."

I hear the sound of flesh colliding with flesh, and Siena starts shouting in Italian.

"Take care of her," one soldier orders, "worthless peasant."

I have to take my hand off my brother's mouth to cover my ears as the sound of the gun threatens to drown out the rest of reality.

Why, why is our world like this?

A foot connects with the bedroom door, and from the sound I know it splintered upon impact. Several soldiers filter into the room, still stomping around loudly enough to wake someone from their grave. I can see four pairs of boots, all moving in the same general direction. The first member of the group reaches Siena's dresser, pulling one drawer out of the structure and setting it on the floor.

"You," he orders his nearest companion, "go through it."

The second man begins searching the contents of the drawer as the first continues disassembling the dresser.

As the sound of fighting carries from the bedroom next door, I realize that the other two have changed direction and are now heading our way.

Deciding that the best option is to take these two out while the others are preoccupied, I nudge Dimitri with an elbow. The two of us exchange a look, taking a quick inventory of our shared supply of knives.

"Don't move." I whisper in Jason's ear, leaving him with the pack as I slip out from under the bed.

The first knife leaves Dimitri's hand so fast that the soldier it's aimed for never sees it coming. It catches him squarely in the side of the head, and he crumples to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

The second man catches sight of me, opening his mouth in a warning as I don't register in the moment that I'm unconsciously aiming to kill.

"Found it!" one of the others declares, "I knew she had money here. Filthy liar."

He stuffs the currency into his jacket pocket, glancing up just in time to watch my target hit the ground, a knife buried between his eyes.

The remaining two soldiers spin to face us at nearly the same moment, and I think I'm ready. My hand moves forward, another throwing knife ready to find its mark.

Before I can throw, the nearer of the two soldiers springs at me, and the next thing I know I'm on the floor. The soldier turns my wrist, positioning the blade against my throat while keeping me pinned to the ground.

"You think you are funny, do you?" he snarls in my face.

I kick furiously, trying to get him off me. He weighs at least a hundred pounds more, though, and already I'm beginning to see it's feudal. He's forcing the knife to my skin with more force now, and I know he's expecting me to reward him with a scream or some squeak of pain.

He's not going to get it, though. I won't let him see how afraid I am, and no matter what he does it'll never hurt.

Where's Dimitri?

I try to turn my head, but the position I'm in prevents me from doing it. Judging from the nearby cursing, I estimate both of us are having a rough time.

Jason.

I can't let this happen in front of Jason.

I snap frantically at the soldier's hand, hoping I can bite down on  one of his fingers hard enough to get a reaction. This is proving equally as unsuccessful, and I've nearly run out of ideas when the weight is suddenly pulled off me.

Shemik and Theo are standing over me, looking as though they've fought several battles of their own.

Theo pulls me to my feet, giving me a look of concern.

"Jason...under the bed." I gasp, "And Dimitri..."

"He's fine." Theo tells me, glancing back to my attacker. The soldier's gaze is locked on something behind me, and abruptly I turn around. Rose is standing next to Dimitri, using her talent to slam the other soldier against the wall for a second time.

Both men look terrified, as though facing children with supernatural abilities was not in today's job description.

Shemik has crossed to the bed, pulling Jason and the pack from underneath.

"That's everybody." Theo is saying, "Let's go."

The six of us sprint from the bedroom, finding Emilio waiting in the kitchen with the other supply pack. The floor is littered with glass and remnants of powdered herbs, blood creeping lazily across a portion of the wood.

Shemik turns her head in the direction of the counter, and Emilio catches her chin with one hand. He forces her to look to the front door again, his expression unreadable.

"You don't want to see that." he whispers, "Just trust me when I say there's nothing either of us can do for her."

We leave the house at a run, a few soldiers trailing fearfully behind. They don't stop us when we pile into one of their two vehicles, all but slamming the SUV's doors behind us.

One pack ends up at my feet, another on Dimitri's lap up front. Emilio sits next to me, looking as though the gruesome sight of Siena's demise still hasn't quite faded from view. Rose is on his lap, and to my left Jason sits on Theo's lap.

Shemik has wound up behind the wheel, and even from the backseat I can see that she's shaking slightly. She turns the key, one foot hitting the gas with a bit too much force. The tires make an awful squealing sound, and she flinches as a result.

"Breathe." Emilio orders from next to me, "They aren't going to come after us. They want supplies, not us."

We start moving again, and this time Shemik seems slightly calmer. Dimitri starts messing with the radio, muttering something about listening to the news broadcast. He can't find it, though, so for several minutes we're stuck listening to an irritating pop station that's playing hits from the 2010's and 2020's.

No one dares to ask him to change it, so for several minutes none of us speaks. We're still riding along in silence when we reach the city gate, numerous city patrol officers sprawled motionlessly inside and outside the wall. Shemik ignores them, maneuvering through the gate without commenting on the state of it all.

"Where are we going?" Theo eventually asks, as though terrified of the answer. Emilio is the one to consider the question, giving the reply in an eerily-calm voice.

"There is a peace negotiation tomorrow in Paris," he reasons, "so it would stand to reason that right now Paris is either the safest, or most dangerous, place to be. We are hoping it's the safest."

Shemik only nods, the tension still clear in the set of her shoulders.

What a birthday this is turning out to be for her, I decide. It's nearly comparable to mine, the day I became an orphan and fought for my life for the first time.

For a moment I wonder if the fighting will ever let up, if any of us will ever be able to feel completely safe one day. Even if this treaty works, the world will always be in chaos, waiting for the next war to come along and rip it apart all over again.