Powerless: Aeos Book One

by Sarah Anne Fields

  “I’m going to help them run it, in fact.”

  “Sweet deal.” Conner hopped up on the counter and sat down. “I never thought it would come to this,” he said, frowning. “All because the Union thought we were engaging in ‘illegitimate business practices.’” He looked over at the notice that had been fixed to the outside of one of the shop windows.

  * * *

  Detrick paced back and forth in front of his fireplace. He was at a crossroads, trying to decide if he should ask his parents what happened to families whose businesses were forced to close. He knew they knew the Wicklow’s shop would be closing—they’d seen the notice earlier that day. But they’d also told him, along with Victoria, to leave Conner and his family alone. How much were they telling Victoria that he wasn’t aware of? He couldn’t know for certain, and he didn’t even want to ask. If they were relaying his actions to Victoria, then they’d probably just tell her that too.

  The wondering and the suspicion were driving him crazy. Every day it became truer that Conner was the only person he could trust. The Union was solely interested in turning people against each other. And the funny part about that was how short-sighted it seemed to Detrick. They always boasted about unifying people…it might seem that way on the surface, but beneath, it was all just broken.

  “You trying to get a good workout in?” his dad asked, coming in from the kitchen, a hand towel draped over his shoulder.

  “Not exactly. Just…thinking.”

  “What about?”

  Detrick pulled his hair behind his shoulders. “I guess I’m wondering what will happen to Conner—I mean, to the Wicklows, once their shop closes. They’ll have to leave their home, you know.” Simply inquiring about the Wicklows’ fate didn’t have to mean he was interested in Conner’s fate, per se.

  “I know, Detrick.” His dad motioned for him to take a seat on the couch, and then took a seat next to him. “It’s normal you’d be so concerned. After all, you’ve known Conner for—well, for years. But we’ve got our own problems to worry about. Conner’s just another person.”

  “Conner is not just another person,” Detrick said sharply. He stood up and moved to leave the living room, but his dad grabbed his arm.

  “What is it between you two? What exactly does he mean to you?”

  No. Detrick wasn’t going to hide his feelings. Not this time. He glared at his father. “Everything.”

  Yanking his arm free, he left the room.

  CHAPTER 22

  EXODUS

  September was a week away, and James Morley’s end was nigh. At long last, the Union was ready to commit him to cleansing fires of Catharsis, along with the three others who’d offended Lilith grossly enough to be sacrificed in Her name.

  A radio conference with Victoria and the Lismores took place to iron out the final details: James would be apprehended later that evening and imprisoned in the Edgewood paladins barracks until his death. Adrianne, since she’d no longer have her mother to watch over her, would have to be transported to an orphanage in the neighboring province of Kilena, to the south. Detrick felt terrible enough once it had been decided that James would be put to death…and then Rebecca had killed herself, and Detrick knew the poor girl was far too young to understand what had happened to her mother. Either way, she was originally destined to at least have one parent around. Now…now, she had neither.

  Detrick was content to hide at home until this entire thing was over. There was nothing he could do for James or Adrianne, and even if he tried, well…he didn’t want to think about that. The only reason he ended up not hiding away in his room that day was to ensure that Conner didn’t try something similar.

  Later that afternoon, he loaned a hand moving the last of the Wicklows’ belongings into a couple of spare rooms in The Weary Traveler. No one was talking much, so Detrick did the same until Conner joined him out back from their shop for a break.

  “This is such bullshit,” Conner said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He’d been on edge the whole afternoon, and Detrick was making sure to tread carefully around him.

  “I know. Maybe after you guys get back on your feet you could try opening another shop?”

  “Fat chance. By the way…I haven’t told you yet,” Conner drew in a breath. “It looks like we’re gonna have to move to Pine Ridge. We’re still sorting it out.”

  “What?” Detrick stood from leaning on the wall and swung around to face him. “But that’s…that’s, like, a two days’ walk!” No way. Conner couldn’t leave. What in Aeos would Detrick do without him? He didn’t want to find out.

  “Believe me, I don’t want to. But I don’t think I have a choice.”

  “We have to figure something else out. You guys can’t leave. I’d go crazy without you here.”

  “I know. I would too. But I don’t see how I could stay.”

  Detrick leaned back beside Conner, and they rested their heads against each other. “We need to figure something out,” he repeated.

  A distant voice broke the silence. “Morley! Get your ass out here!”

  “What the…” Detrick said as he and Conner jumped up from the wall. Then there was a distant pounding that sounded like a knock on a door. “Oh, no. I bet they’re arresting James Morley. I don’t think I want to be around to hear this.”

  “Nonsense. Let’s go look,” Conner said, pulling Detrick by the shirt toward the source of the noise.

  “No, Conner. I don’t want you doing anything to get yourself in trouble.”

  “I won’t. I just want to see the paladins get their heads blown off when Morley inevitably draws a gun on them.”

  “That’s…not going to happen,” Detrick said as the two crept toward the edge of a nearby building. They peeked around it, and about one hundred feet away they saw two paladins standing in front of James’ house. Even though Detrick had known all day that this was going to happen, it somehow still made him nauseated that it was actually happening. The end times were here, and they were sick to death of waiting.

  “This asshole better hurry up. I gotta take a piss as it is,” the taller paladin said.

  “Classy as always,” Conner whispered.

  “Real nice, Norman. Just use Morley’s toilet. Ain’t like there’s a law against it. What’s Amos gonna do, throw us on the pyre with him?” the shorter one said.

  “Conspiracy to commit a urination,” Norman quipped.

  Both paladins laughed, but Detrick and Conner looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

  Norman knocked on James’ door a second time. Still no answer.

  Where was James? Detrick peered farther out from the corner to get a better vantage point.

  “That’s it,” Norman said. “I’m busting this door in. He won’t need it anymore anyway. Here, Leon, hold my holster so I don’t shoot myself in the foot like that greenie did last month.” Norman slammed himself against the door, and eventually it gave way and burst open. Both paladins quickly entered and shut the door behind them.

  “Well, this is an interesting development,” Conner said, slipping back behind the building. “Should we move closer? I want to see what happens.”

  “No. You’ll see what happens when they come back outside with James.” It felt wrong to be standing here witnessing this. Detrick wanted to leave, but Conner apparently wanted to stay.

  “Fine.”

  So they waited.

  And waited.

  “What’s taking so long?” Conner asked impatiently. Both had resigned to sitting on the ground.

  “I don’t know.” Detrick peeked back around the corner, but nothing had changed. Had the paladins and James already come back out, and they just hadn’t heard it? Or maybe it was possible James had given up and… No, he’d never do what Rebecca did…

  A nearly inaudible yell escaped the house.

  “Hey!” Detrick said, he and Conner both shooting to their feet. “Did you hear that?”

  “I sure did. I bet that’s the pala
dins getting their comeup—”

  “Shh!” Detrick pulled Conner toward him, and the two looked toward the house to see a cloaked figure escaping out the back of the house and racing into the forest. “No way! No way!”

  “Holy shit!”

  “What do we do?” That had to be James. Had he hurt the paladins? Killed them? Detrick prayed to Lilith that if that was indeed James escaping, that Adrianne was with him under that cloak.

  Conner was laughing and whooping.

  “Stop that, will you? We need to get out of here before someone thinks we were part of this.”

  “Fine, fine,” Conner said, still laughing. The two of them returned to his shop.

  * * *

  James had indeed killed the paladins, as the newspapers confirmed. Their decomposing bodies had been discovered a week later, after a search party had followed the foul odor that led them to the bathroom. James had trapped them in a pit beneath the floor and locked them inside before escaping.

  An emergency alert was issued throughout all of Aeos. Detrick wondered what was going through Victoria’s mind. Her plan to keep James at the mercy of public ridicule had completely backfired. She’d given James’ desire to live far too little credit. Detrick couldn’t help but smile to himself. The guy had figured out a way to survive.

  Patrols were ramped up in all cities, large and small alike, across Aeos. The other provinces of Mayside, Belatira, Akota, Kilena, Napolie, and Nea were all handling the search in their own ways.

  In Briar, curfews had been enforced, and all homes had become subject to search in an attempt to unearth James Morley and his daughter. Families were confined to their homes every night from sunset to sunrise—even night church had been suspended.

  Detrick hadn’t seen Conner in days because of the curfew. Ever since the patrols were increased, Detrick didn’t want to chance being seen with him, lest Victoria find out. He was especially irked at this since Conner’s family was still set to move to Pine Ridge at some point.

  They’d never even kissed… Detrick was so furious with himself. Conner had basically thrown himself at Detrick, and Detrick had rejected him. He supposed it was his punishment that there would be a curfew in effect right when Conner was supposed to leave town.

  But at this point, how would he know if Conner had left or not? Detrick took to watching the road out the living room window, even though Conner and his mom would be traveling west out of town, not south. But it was all he could do.

  And then, one late September morning, James had been caught. He and Adrianne had camped out in northern province of Belatira. Apparently, a vigilant rancher had spotted their camp in an aspen grove on his land and had alerted the paladins. Detrick supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Most people were staunch supporters of the Union and would jump at the chance to win such favor with them. He was sure the rancher was quite pleased with himself.

  Catharsis, though delayed a few weeks because of James’ temporary escape, was still on. On October fifth, the town gathered to finally see the traitor put to death. However, and much to the disgust of Detrick and everyone else, Victoria had announced, as she stood proudly upon the stage, that Adrianne, at a mere three years old, would be put to death as well. As she put it, “James Morley has surely reared a future heretic.”

  As Detrick stood in the crowd, watching a gagged Adrianne being tied to a smaller pyre, he felt like he’d throw up at any moment.

  The crowds, though overjoyed that James had been caught, were demanding Victoria’s head for her audacity to have a small child put to death. Their outburst was slowly rising toward a violent storm. All around him, shouts and fists rose and fell like a tempest and, their anger in vain, they could do nothing but allow it to erupt into a full-blown riot.

  “I will have control!” Victoria bellowed from the stage.

  Things were unraveling fast. Detrick’s priority now was to find Conner, since he was inevitably part of this. He allowed himself to be carried along by the raging torrent, partly against his will, but he took advantage of his quickening pace to search for Conner.

  Detrick spotted him up ahead, joining the rioters and crying out for justice.

  “What on earth are you doing?” Detrick shouted after he’d caught up to Conner, though his voice was almost completely drowned out by the deafening crowds that surrounded them. He grabbed Conner by the shirt and tried with all his might to pull him away from the advance of the brawl, but Conner was blinded by fury and paid him no mind. A wall of people from seemingly nowhere trampled Detrick to the ground. It was like a thunderous flash flood had pulled him under and was attempting to drown him.

  As he fought against the constant flow of stomping feet, he could hear Conner just up ahead, shouting along with the rest of the crowd. “Justice!” they cried. “Amos is a monster!”

  Detrick finally managed to catch up to Conner again, despite having sustained his fair share of kicks to the ribs and face. He ignored the pounding aches all over his body and yanked Conner’s shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Behind them, paladins were barely holding back the ravenous hordes.

  “Are you insane, Detrick? Get out of here!”

  “Not a chance! I’m getting you out of here whether you like it or not!”

  Conner had no time to retaliate. With a swift blow to the head, Detrick knocked Conner unconscious. He didn’t give a damn if there was an insurgency of violence surrounding them; his only objective was to get Conner to safety. He wasn’t going to lose him this way. Throwing Conner’s limp body over his shoulder, he made for a break in the crowd. He ran as hard as his weakened body would allow, and eventually the commotion fell far behind them.

  Detrick slipped behind a building and carefully laid Conner on the ground. He sat down beside him, trying to catch his breath. His vision and hearing had become blurry from the lack of oxygen, but after drawing in a few deep breaths, he was able to regain his composure. A distant explosion and a chorus of furious screaming told Detrick that the pyre had been set alight. He hung his head in a moment of silence for the Morleys.

  What a mess everything had turned out to be. Detrick’s heart was out there with the rioters. This was insanity, pure and simple. Detrick had grudgingly accepted Victoria’s actions up to this point, but there was a limit to that, and Detrick knew that limit now. There was a part of him that wanted to leave it all behind and let the Union collapse into itself. Another part of him though, a much more prominent part, still wished to become a Magistrate. If he had the say, he could ensure justice, could ensure Lilith’s laws were being fairly enacted. He could prove to those people out there that the Union didn’t have to be something to lash out against. More importantly, he could prove it to Conner.

  Wanting to assure their position was still secure, but not without difficulty due to his injuries, Detrick rose to his feet and peered around the corner to see a few people racing toward him. Returning to Conner, he dragged him behind a dumpster and hoped to Lilith he hadn’t been seen. The couple stopped just on the other side of the dumpster, and Detrick had to cover his mouth to keep from yelling out in surprise as one of them kicked it out of frustration.

  “Listen to me, damn it! We don’t have a choice. We’re getting my gun,” a man said.

  “No,” a woman cried. “We’re not shooting those people! Just because they’re rioting doesn’t mean they deserve to die. And besides, if the paladins see you with a gun, you’ll be in just as much trouble as the rioters are.”

  “What difference does it make if they deserve it? They’ll fight until they kill each other anyway. But I’m not letting them take the paladins down. They’re losing ground, and the only thing we can do is subdue those morons, even if it means shooting them dead. Maybe then they’ll give up on their little rebellion.”

  “Please, David, if they see you with a gun, they’ll shoot you too. Please, it’s not worth it!” The woman was sobbing now.

  “They’ll be thanking me,” David said, walking briskly away with the wo
man at his heels still trying to change his mind.

  Suddenly Detrick felt Conner flinch in his arms. Cradling Conner’s head, he implored him to stay quiet.

  “Ugh, what the…” Conner moaned as he opened his eyes. He rubbed the spot on his head where Detrick had hit him.

  “Shhh. You’re okay. Please just stay quiet,” Detrick repeated softly.

  Regaining more of his consciousness, Conner pulled himself out of Detrick’s lap. “What did you— Where am I?”

  “Please don’t be upset. I got you out of there. You would’ve been trampled to death in that chaos.”

  Conner jumped to his feet. “You did what? I’m going back. I can’t believe you knocked me out, you imbecile!” And with that, Conner tore back toward the town center, Detrick trailing behind.

  As they returned, three men with makeshift bombs pushed past them and tossed the bombs into the wall of paladins. Two detonated, throwing small crowds of people at the ground, and the third was slapped away by a paladin’s arm, exploding over the air and sending flames raining down over the crowd.

  * * *

  As the roaring inferno waned to cinders, the riots had been subdued, and dozens of people were being placed under arrest. Conner had managed to escape being caught, much to Detrick’s relief. And then, after several days, prisoners were being released. The whole town, detained or otherwise, was assured publicly that if they reincited any violence, imprisonment would be the least of their worries.

  CHAPTER 23

  INSIDE THE EYE

  Conner was having a hard time adjusting to his temporary life at The Weary Traveler. Since it was an inn, there was always a stranger or two around, and often the noise from the pub would drift upstairs at night and keep him awake. Not that he would’ve been able to sleep anyway. He was still trying to process the fact that he’d be leaving Edgewood and Detrick behind. But he wasn’t ungrateful to the Vickers family, who owned the place, for letting him and his mother stay there until they figured out new living arrangements.