by Kelli Kimble
I sipped at my drink and watched as woman after woman approached Leo. I did my best to maintain a neutral expression but as each woman stepped into his arms, I clenched my glass even tighter.
“Careful,” came a voice beside me. “The glass will cut you if you crush it.”
“Hello, Barrow.”
“Fiona. I see your lover is enjoying the spoils of the colony. Maybe things aren’t as perfect as you’d hoped.”
I set my glass on a table behind me. “Would you care to dance?” I said.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said. His voice sounded like an old crow cawing.
We moved to the dance floor and began to dance. Barrow let his hands roam just beyond propriety, and I fought the urge to squirm.
“Don’t make me use these shoes on your toes,” I said, smiling.
“Don’t make me remind you of all the women fawning over your president.”
“They won’t get anywhere,” I said. “Let the baby have its teat. They’ll soon realize what I already know.”
He laughed. “You think you know him, but you don’t.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“He’s a ruthless man, Fiona. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Like you’re any better.”
“Your mother trusts me.”
“Well, I don’t. So, you can save your breath. Can we finish this dance in silence?”
He didn’t answer, but his hand tightened on my waist.
“You’re hurting me,” I said.
Again, he said nothing, but he squeezed my hand hard.
The music ended, and he stepped away from me to applaud the musicians. I turned and searched the crowd for Leo. I spotted him in the middle of a pack of women. Undeterred by their sharp looks and jostling as I all but elbowed my way to him, I managed to reach him just as the music was starting again. He rewarded me with a wide smile, and he excused us from the lady herd. He led me a few feet away, and we resumed dancing.
“You seem awfully popular amongst the ladies,” I said as soon as the last one had dispersed.
“What can I say? I’m all charm,” he said.
“Hmm.”
“Don’t worry. They may be chasing me, but I’ve already been caught.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Well, that’s good to know,” I said. The flicker of doubt that Barrow had ignited extinguished itself easily.
“I’m sorry if it upsets you. I have to be nice to them. They remember the smallest slight, even when it seems benign to you. And I need their support.”
“You speak from experience?”
“Not personally. I saw it happen many times to the previous president. He was not always mindful of how others saw him.”
“And you are?”
“Most of the time.”
Over his shoulder, I noticed a woman approaching. I tensed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Someone is coming to take my place,” I said.
He spun me to the left, and then around in a circle, artfully dodging the pursuer. “Not right now. I’m enjoying my moment with you.”
I smiled and nestled closer into the crook of his arm.
“Are you having a nice time?” he asked.
“Now, I am,” I said.
“Good. We’ll get all these stodgy people to accept you in no time at all.”
Our dancing had reduced to a steady sway. I rested my head against his shoulder. He seemed to believe they would accept me, but I didn’t know. I didn’t like feeling so unsure of the situation. “Maybe we could visit the village soon,” I said.
“Why would we do that? We have people here to convince.”
“But, we don’t even know if the queen will cooperate with this. With us.”
“We can only do one thing at a time,” soothed Leo. “I can’t leave the colony until I’m sure I have the support of both the people and the council.”
A tap on my shoulder alerted me to another interloper. This time, I didn’t wait for her to speak. I stepped back, and she swooped into Leo’s waiting arms. I wondered how long it would take for him to notice I’d left.
Chapter 16
Instead of going to my apartment, I went to Willow’s. She didn’t answer when I knocked. She was probably still having a good time at the reception. I leaned against her door, the zipper at the back of my gown digging into my skin, and sunk to the floor. I took off the horrid shoes she’d given me and rubbed at my feet.
I heard someone talking around the corner. My face burned—they were talking about me.
“. . . can’t believe she’d sell out her village like that,” one voice said.
“She’s just trying to help Leo join our groups together,” another said.
Someone laughed. “Leo plans to use those outdoor people for labor. They’re going to build his precious city.” The woman’s voice rose with sharp glee. “And then, he probably won’t even let them live in it when it’s finished!”
The group dissolved into laughter and moved away, but never in my line of sight. My chest felt like someone was stepping on it. I couldn’t breathe. The niggling feeling I’d had all along finally broke free and lodged in my throat in the form of sobs. I knew Leo’s interest in the village offered him no advantage. He didn’t want us to teach him about living outside. He wanted us for labor.
There was a whistling further down the hall, around the corner. It was a familiar tune. I dashed the tears from my cheek and went to see whom it was, leaving my shoes behind. Without them, I had to lift my skirt from the floor so that I wouldn’t trip. I reached the corner and looked around.
It was Ray.
He was on the floor, cleaning up what looked like spilled spyro. I hadn’t seen him since the day he’d shown me to my apartment. I started to retreat, but he looked up and saw me.
“Well, hello,” he said. “Shouldn’t you be at the reception?”
I winced.
“Oh. Something happened.” He stopped trying to sop up green goo. “Let’s see. You realized that Leo only cares about himself?”
I shook my head.
“He stepped on your feet while dancing.”
“No,” I licked my lips. I felt something fundamental click into place. I needed him to take me home. “You know where the village is, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Can you take me there? Tonight?”
“I’m not sure that—”
“Need I remind you that you rendered me unconscious and had me thrown into a cage after I trusted you?”
He turned his gaze to the floor.
“I know we can reach it in one night. You could be back here before lunch tomorrow. Nobody would even know you were gone.”
“Leo would be angry with anyone who aided your escape.”
“To say I am escaping implies I am locked in here. Am I locked in here?”
“That isn’t what I meant. You’re Leo’s now. He—”
“I am not Leo’s possession,” I interrupted. “If he wants to see me, he’ll know where to find me.”
Ray gaped at the floor.
“Please,” I said. “If you won’t take me, at least tell me how to get there.”
“All right. I’ll take you outside and show you which way to go. But, I’m not taking you there.” He finished cleaning his spill and stood.
“Thank you,” I said. “Can I borrow a cape, and maybe some shoes, too?”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on.”
I followed him as we went down the hall to his apartment. We went in, and he went through his wardrobe. He extracted a ratty-looking cape from the floor of the cabinet and a pair of nearly-worn-through boots and handed them to me. “These were mine before my last growth spurt,” he explained. “Sorry about how trashed they are.”
The boots were a little loose but not bad. The cape was stiff and smelled like old sweat. But, it would do. I put it over my shoulders and clasped it under my chin. It was scratchy over my bare s
kin.
“Let’s go,” I said.
I followed him as he made his way down to the exit level. He seemed to be taking an indirect route, which I assumed was to avoid anyone who might alert Leo to what I was doing. I hoped it didn’t mean he was taking me somewhere to get caught on purpose.
Finally, he pushed open the door that led outside. We were standing on a ledge, not quite at the bottom of the mountain.
He pointed to the sky. “See that star over there? The bright one?”
I followed the path of his finger and nodded.
“Follow that star. You should reach the village before the sun rises if you follow it.”
He indicated steps that wound down into the dark. “Those lead to the ground. When you get to the bottom, follow the fence around to the gate. There’s supposed to be someone at the guardhouse, but I’ll distract him, and you should have no problem slipping by. Any questions?”
I took a deep breath. “No. I’m good.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Okay, you’ll want to hurry. I’ll start my distraction in five minutes, and you’ll only have a few minutes to get past him.”
“Okay.”
He turned to go back inside.
“Hey, thanks for your help,” I said.
“Don’t mention it.”
I turned and began running down the steps—as quickly as I could while wearing boots that didn’t quite fit and a long, billowing skirt. I wished I’d gone to my apartment to change. But if I had, I might have encountered Leo.
I reached the bottom, stumbling only once, and made my way around the fence. There were a few lights on, but the shadows near the fence were deep. It was hard to see where I was going, and my skirt kept catching on the rough wall.
Ahead of me, I heard Ray talking, and I knew the distraction had begun. I quickened my pace. The voices moved further to my left. Just as I heard Ray saying goodnight, I stumbled upon the gate. It was unlit, and I scrambled, looking for a hook to lift so that I could open it. It clanked and squealed loudly as it swung open just enough to let me pass.
“Hey, who’s there?” I heard as I banged the gate shut. I didn’t wait to see if they opened it to look for me. I collected my skirts and sprinted toward a line of trees. Behind me, a light came on, but it was too weak to illuminate me. I didn’t stop until I reached the cover of the trees. The gown restricted my breath, and I had to stop and collect myself. I glanced back towards the fence, but I couldn’t see movement. The light had already been doused. Apparently, the guard was not the most trustworthy of men.
When I’d settled my breath, I stood up and searched through the trees for the star I was to follow. I had to move around some, but I finally found it, glinting between the branches and leaves of the canopy. I started towards it. I had to get there before Leo knew I was gone. I had to get there, and I would.
◆◆◆
I smelled it before I saw it. Burning wood, the animal keep, disturbed dirt. A tear rolled down my cheek, and I allowed it. But, I swiped it away a moment later when the outlines of the village came into view in the scant light of dawn.
I went straight to the queen’s hut. The guards stopped me. “The queen wants no visitors,” said one.
“She’ll make an exception for me.”
They glanced at each other. Neither of them recognized me.
“She’ll be unhappy if she finds you’ve turned me away.” I threw back the cloak, revealing my fine gown, and bowed. “Please, will one of you announce to her that Fiona is waiting to see her?”
“Tell her to come back in an hour,” said a male voice from inside.
“But, I’ve nowhere to go,” I said.
“You heard him. Scoot!” said the left guard.
“Go to the well,” the other guard offered, his tone apologetic. “There’ll be breakfast there soon for the field-hands. I’m sure they’ll allow you to share.”
I turned from them and headed toward the well, my resolve trickling away from my grasp. She would see me in an hour, I reminded myself. At the well, the servants were milling around, waiting for their meager breakfast. I wouldn’t share in it—knowing how little they had—even though I was hungry. Anyway, once I was with the queen, I’d be offered real refreshment.
I sat on a bench near the well and watched as breakfast was distributed and the bustle of the workday began. A line formed, and the gears screeched as the bucket was dropped and pulled back up repeatedly. The repetition of their motions as they each collected the days’ water was comforting, and I found I couldn’t take my eyes from it.
The servants were finishing their rations and moving into the field. I watched them leave, wistfully thinking that their lives—though brutal and harsh—were simple. They knew only work and rest, with very little else to complicate matters.
Deep in my chest, I felt a tiny coil of flame come to life. It unfurled until it filled my body with rage. How was it that we felt so free to marginalize people into a life of such hardship? Why was my mother allowing these things to happen—and why had she allowed it to happen to me?
I stood and began stalking back towards the queen’s hut. But before I could even cross the well clearing, a thunderous shout cried, “Murderer! A murderer, here, among us!”
As if I were in a dream, I turned toward the shout. A burly man with huge shoulders and hardly any neck was pointing at me. Orion’s brother. And he was still angry.
The remaining villagers eyed me. A few turned and walked away. But, nobody came forward as he stomped toward me.
He grabbed me by my arm. “I’m arresting this murderer!” he cried. His grip was tight. I tried to wrench my arm away. He cuffed me hard on the back of the head. “Go ahead and give me a reason,” he said. His breath smelled bad.
I stilled. Then, I had an idea. “You can’t arrest me,” I said loudly. “I’m a servant of the queen. Only she can name me for arrest.”
He grunted. One or two of the villagers openly stared at him as they waited for him to respond. He shook my arm hard enough to rattle my teeth, and then released his grip. “The queen will be hearing about this,” he said. He pointed at the villagers who’d remained. “She’ll pay for what she did.” He spat at my face.
I closed my eyes just before it struck me, and I wiped it away with my cape. “Maybe I’m not the one who owes a debt,” I said.
He scowled and stalked away. The villagers looked at me for just a moment longer, then collectively turned away, as well. Loneliness curled through me. I was as out of touch there as I had been inside the mountain.
I drew a deep breath and continued back to the queen’s hut. There were different guards outside now.
“I’d like to see the queen, please,” I said.
“Do you have an arrangement?” one said.
“No, I was here earlier. I was told to come back.”
The guards exchanged a glance. “You can wait there,” the other said, pointing towards a bench.
I sat on the bench and waited. Several people came and went. I thought about how Leo knew the names of everyone in the mountain, and I felt shamefully out of touch. I could not name a single person visiting my own mother.
Eventually, the guard signaled me and told me I could enter. I pushed aside the heavy curtain and entered the hut. It was larger than most, with two rooms. In the outer chamber, where I stood, a fire burned. There were benches arranged around the fire. A woman was seated there, and she looked up as I came in.
“So, it’s true, then,” she said.
I stepped toward her and held out my hand. “I’m Fiona. And you are?”
“Not someone you need to bother with,” she said, bowing her head to the floor.
“Nonsense,” I said. “It would be a pleasure to meet anyone esteemed by my mother.”
“Her name is Fern, Fiona.” My mother entered the room.
I wanted to run to her and throw my arms around her, even though I’d never done that before. But, I needed to prove this woman wrong.
She was worthy of attention. “Hello, Fern.” I extended my hand into her line of vision, which was still pointed at the floor.
She looked up and accepted my hand. “Hello,” she said in a soft voice, raising her gaze.
I smiled, and she smiled hesitantly in return.
“All right, now,” said my mother. “What is it you need, Fiona?”
It saddened me that my own mother—who knew nothing of my whereabouts for these past few months—would greet me so coldly. But, I had to press on.
“Mother,” I said, bowing. “Might we speak alone?”
Fern scurried from the hut, and Mother gestured towards a bench. “Please sit,” she said.
We both sat, though my mother sat on a separate bench.
“You look very well,” I said. “I’ve missed you.”
“Mm, thank you. It’s nice to have you here.”
I pursed my lips. “Mother,” I said, using every ounce of effort to keep my voice even. “We must change things. Here in the village, I mean.”
She nodded, though not in agreement. “Change things how?”
“First, we have to stop forcing those who don’t bear to be servants. If we’re willing to enslave our own, we only make it easier for others to enslave us all.”
“And whom would you mean by ‘others’?”
“The colonists in the mountain,” I said. “Why do you hide them from everyone?”
She looked down at her hands. They threaded together, and her thumb worried over her other thumb in a slow, careful circle. “I hid them because it was what Barrow advised me to do. I didn’t learn of them myself until I was actually queen. Perhaps it was not wise of me to follow Barrow blindly. He said we shouldn’t break tradition, that over the past four or five decades, people have forgotten we’re not alone. He said it would scare everyone to know they were there. That they’re watching us.”
“Does it not scare you?”
“Of course. But, Barrow visited them every year. He said they were amiable.”
“Barrow is a bully.”
“Yes, I suppose he is. But, he’s also wise.”
