by Nina Walker
I smiled despite myself. Nearly all my loves were seated around one table, and I couldn’t help the happiness warming me. This was what I’d wanted for so long, if only we’d come together under different circumstances. I’d learned to push the “if onlys” of life away a long time ago, and yet here I was, foolishly wrapping myself up in one of the most dangerous ones of all: family.
I didn’t run from it.
Because I’d also learned over the last year that the more courageous thing was to let them in.
We’d found each other in the dining hall—Lacey and my parents, Tristan and Hank, and of course, Mastin. All of us had never talked about sharing a meal together, it just happened. As we began to settle into our spots on the long benches and dug into the array of fresh-cooked food, an unspoken rule had fallen over the group. Nobody talked about the war. For that, I was incredibly grateful.
“Can you pass the butter, dear?” my mother asked me shyly.
Things with Dad and me were going okay, probably because we’d shared so much during our time in the New Colony prison. Mom and I, on the other hand, hadn’t had a lot of time to talk, and the energy between us was still strained. I couldn’t avoid her. We’d have to air everything out eventually, but as I’d watched her from the corner of my eye, saw the way she’d doted on Lacey, it stirred old resentment inside my chest — and I knew I wasn’t ready.
Another time.
I passed her the butter with a guarded smile and turned back to Mastin, who was busy shoveling food into his mouth at my side. The man could eat. I’d learned that living with his family. The Scott men worked hard and practically worshipped their mealtimes. Not that I blamed Mastin; the food spread out in front of us was better than anything we’d had since leaving the west coast. The plane that had brought the alchemists had also brought provisions, and General Scott had decided to treat everyone to a feast of steak and potatoes, fresh dinner rolls, green salad, and rich creamed corn.
“Here, try it like this.” Mastin lifted a chunk of potato he’d stabbed with a fork. He’d slathered it in creamy salad dressing, so much it was dripping. I wrinkled my nose.
“I like to keep all my food separated,” I teased.
“What? It all ends up in the same place.”
“But it tastes better if it doesn’t start out in the same place.” I leaned into his side, his familiar warmth surrounding me.
“Don’t be a baby.” He chuckled, and I elbowed him in the ribs. Not willing to let him get the upper hand, I dove in and bit the potato off his fork. The hot food mixed in my mouth, savory and sweet, and I swallowed, licking my lips.
“Okay, fine, you win.”
His bright green eyes stared intently at my lips and I became immediately and unbearably aware of how we weren’t alone. I sighed and looked away.
Across the table, Tristan joked with my father, his voice ringing out like a church bell. Dad doubled over in laughter, nearly choking on his food. Tristan always did have a way of making people laugh until they cried. I’d lost count of how many times he’d done it to me. A small part of me was jealous of my father; I’d love to be the one on the receiving end of one of Tristan’s jokes. It had been a while since he’d treated me that way.
“Look what I found.” Lacey’s sweet voice tickled my ear and I smiled down at my sister.
She held up a jug of some kind of frothy orange punch or juice, her eyes twinkling in delight. The citrus scent wafted through the air and my mouth watered. I glanced around, noticing that over the chatter of the room, the other alchemists, all dressed in simple gray uniforms, were enjoying the meal. Before they’d seemed nervous, but now that had melted away. Good food could do that to just about anyone.
“Can I pour you some?” she asked, nodding at the jug of juice.
“Of course. Do you need any help with that?” I reached out to steady the jug that looked a tad too heavy for her small arms.
Determination filled her normally timid expression and she shook her head. “No, I don’t need help. I got it.”
I sat back, impressed, as she filled my cup to the brim. She was growing up so fast, and just thinking that made me feel like an old maid. I laughed to myself.
She continued around the table, charming each and every person along the way.
“She’s cute,” Mastin whispered in my ear. We watched her, both of us clearly enamored. I let out a laugh and elbowed him in the ribs.
“She is cute,” I agreed, joy rising up. Tears gathered in my eyes—I was so happy.
Wait a minute…
I caught Lacey’s eye and raised my eyebrows. She nodded once, giggling, before moving on to the next person.
Holy crap! She’d become incredibly adept at orange alchemy! We’d had some lessons on it back at the Resistance basecamp, but I had no idea she’d come this far.
Everyone at the table fell under her spell. They were alive with happiness. She’d made a connection with each person, giving them this gift. And quite honestly, with everything going on, it was an amazing gift to be had. I tried to get my mind to focus on something else, but I couldn’t. I was simply happy. The orange had taken what I was feeling and enhanced it, and it would continue to enhance whatever I felt until it wore off. I eyed the orange bubbly drink in front of me and smiled from ear to ear.
Talented little stinker!
“I’ve been wondering where you went.” A female voice cut through the chatter, voice flirty. I looked over to find the source, noticing a woman had come to chat up Tristan. “You still owe me a rematch.”
Tristan turned to converse with one of the soldiers…one of the female soldiers. Envy riled up in me. She was beautiful—exotic, sweeping dark hair and hooded eyes, gorgeous caramel complexion, curvy in all the right places. What the hell was she doing talking to Tristan?
She slid in next to him, straddling the bench, facing him, body leaning in with a knowing smile, laughing in a low, throaty voice.
Rage burned through me, closing in on my clenched fists and my tense jaw.
“Are you okay?” Mastin’s question lingered on the outside of the haze, yet not strong enough to penetrate it. I ignored him, glaring darkly at the woman. The intruder!
Why was she so openly flirting with Tristan? He wasn’t interested, couldn’t she see the way he was treating her like anyone else? She needed to back off!
But then he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling intently, and I lost it.
I sprung from the table, my plate clattering.
“Sasha!” Mastin jumped up with me. “What’s going on?”
A handful of nearby faces swiveled, chatter growing silent, as the joyous mood flipped to something much more curious and invasive.
I sucked in a breath, realizing what had just happened.
Damn that orange alchemy, always getting me into trouble.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I spat, annoyed with myself. The magic flitted away into nothingness, and my emotions settled back to normal.
I’d gotten jealous, insanely jealous, of Tristan flirting with that girl. It was so stupid! Where had that even come from?
It had to be because I cared about Tristan. As a friend, my best friend. And surely, if it had been Mastin the girl had touched and flirted with, I’d have gotten even more angry. I probably would have punched her.
Right.
Okay.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Everything is fine.
“I’m good.” I laughed awkwardly, belly flopping, and grinned at the people who were still staring at me like I’d just picked my nose or something. I couldn’t meet Tristan’s eyes—nor Mastin’s. “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
I sat back down, gripping the seat. My cheeks burned. That was so weird. And so embarrassing. And everyone was still gaping at me! Oh, heavens, I needed to get out of here. I needed to go for a run alone to clear my head.
“Thank you all for your service.” Nathan Scott’s deep baritone voice rang out over the mess hall
. Five hundred voices quieted as every pair of eyes turned to watch their leader at the front of the room.
“We have three thousand more forces moving into the area at this moment,” he continued. “They’ll arrive shortly, ready to fight.”
The room grew even quieter. Mastin shifted next to me, stiffening and transitioning into his usual soldier-self.
“I hope you all enjoyed your meal. You deserve that much.” General Scott cleared his throat, steadying his gaze and sweeping it across the crowd. “Please prepare yourselves tonight. Tomorrow is a new day, a day to stride forward in our valiant efforts. Tomorrow we join our comrades in battle. We leave at first light.”
16
Jessa
Nashville was a fallen city. As we landed in its center, my heart sank. Fewer buildings were on fire, the rubble was beginning to get cleaned up, and many more people were out on the streets. It was starting to resemble a normal city, and all that meant that Richard was gaining control faster than anyone had anticipated.
After another long day of conducting interrogations on his own people, Richard had announced it was time to head back into Nashville. I didn’t know how many lived here, or how long it would take, but I knew that eventually, I would get to everyone. Richard would make certain of that.
First, he’d secured the borders, trapping everyone inside. Then, he had alchemists enforcing the rule of law, rounding people up in hordes. And finally, he had his secret weapon to finish the job.
Me.
And so we continued, taking over the city like a swarm of deadly wasps. Our job was to go from shelter to shelter where the soldiers had rounded up innocent people and forced them inside while they awaited my arrival. We would tell the West Americans what to expect and what would happen to them if they didn’t do as we asked. Then, I got to work. It was usually over quick, people didn’t have anything to fight with and most were trying to keep their families together, but it was still exhausting and emotionally draining work.
Mark Addington and his wife Sabine had taken over so Richard could do whatever kings did during wartime. It didn’t take long to confirm why I disliked the couple for reasons that had nothing to do with Celia and the broken engagement. They were pushy, self-important, and constantly leered at me. I was beginning to think they either saw me as their enemy or as their salvation, I couldn’t tell which. And I didn’t know which I’d prefer.
Our boots clomped across the pavement, the soldiers leading us into yet another school turned into an internment camp. It was our first of the day and already my body ached for rest. I hadn’t been getting much sleep; I was too haunted by the faces of those who’d died, not to mention the countless people who’d been turned because of my interference. It felt like a spindly pit was twisting in my stomach and I groaned, squinting as the morning sun shone off the reflective surface of the glass building. This one was bigger than any of the others and a pool of dread welled within me.
“Chop, chop!” Sabine Addington barked, her arm motioning for me to hurry through the door she’d propped open. She was a classic beauty with delicate features, a slender face that had aged well, and vibrant ruby hair perfectly coifed in a twist at her neck. I’d learned that sometimes the most beautiful people on the outside were the most ugly on the inside. The Addington family was proof.
“Can’t we go easier on them today?” I said, eyeing the door wearily.
Mark laughed, smoothing a wrinkle in his pressed dress shirt. “Whatever do you mean?” He matched his wife in style, almost like they’d grown to resemble each other over the years. He motioned to some of the guards and alchemists at his disposal, urging them to take position.
“I’ve been thinking about it and I have a question,” I continued, trying to sound as persuasive as I could. “Why do we immediately kill them if they won’t willingly participate with this? I mean, if we can restrain them, then I can use alchemy on them and bring them to our side either way. This way, we don’t have to kill so many people.”
They both glowered at me like I was a total and complete idiot, their expressions dripping in utter disdain.
“You really don’t understand social pressure, do you?” Sabine finally replied coolly, looking down her nose.
I shrugged, because actually, I didn’t know what she was even talking about. Social pressure?
“Those who are killed are used as an example,” Mark supplied with exasperation. “They keep everyone else from rising up. If we show leniency then we also show weakness.”
I glared, stepping back. “You call it weakness. I call it mercy.”
They shared a knowing look, smirking in unison.
“We give them a crystal clear understanding of what will happen if they fight us. They know what they are doing and they know there are no second chances. Period.” Sabine explained it simply, as if she were rattling off a recipe. She spun around and strolled through the door with her husband in tow. I followed closely, drilling holes through their backs with my eyes. Inside this building were innocent people whose entire way of life was about to be changed, all with little force and a lot of manipulation.
I could relate to these poor people more than they knew.
I had lost count long ago of how many of them had been shot and killed in front of me. If the King had no qualms about murdering people right in front of me, then how many more had been killed when I wasn’t there to witness it? I had no idea what the death count was, but I couldn’t imagine it was anything short of staggering.
It wasn’t totally my fault, but still, I was ravaged by guilt. Truth was, at the forefront of everything happening here was my red alchemy. I was working for the King now, plain and simple. Now that his threats to kill more people if I didn’t help him had become plainly evident, I didn’t see what other choice I had. So, I worked.
I did exactly what was asked of me, taking away people’s freedom to the point that they didn’t even realize it. Deep inside, I kept hoping my magic would wear off and the people would return to normal, but so far, nobody had changed. Even if the magic was gone, their minds had been twisted by my power. They now saw Richard as their savior come to deliver them from their terrible democracy, rather than the other way around. Apparently, many of them had even enlisted in our army. He’d boasted last night about how they’d willingly joined up. It seemed I’d swayed these people to Richard’s plans because they accepted my words as absolute truth. It was brainwashing at its finest.
And I hated myself for it.
“Don’t you look chipper this morning,” a sly voice echoed down the long glass hallway. I looked up to find not only one unwelcomed man leering at me, but two. Reed stood next to Dax, the intense broody kid with purple telepathy who made my skin crawl. Dax sneered darkly, and Reed ran his eyes up and down me, exuding sheer creepiness.
“Come on, boys,” Mark called to the pair. “Remember what we talked about.”
I folded my arms over my chest and glared right back at them. If I ever had the chance to get at either of their blood, I would take it. I would make them pay for the way they so clearly enjoyed their roles in this war. They had probably become murderers ten times over at this point, and not a lick of remorse showed in either of their cold expressions.
Hello Jessa, Dax’s scratchy voice pilfered through my mind, like nails on a chalkboard. Nice to see you again, Princess.
I refused to reply through the telepathic link that he’d opened between us. The very idea this psychopath could talk to me anytime he wanted, assuming I was in close enough proximity, made me sick with anger.
I know you can hear me, he pressed.
I didn’t say anything. Didn’t react in any way. If I was lucky, I’d make him paranoid I couldn’t hear him. If I could make him sweat, that would at least be a silver lining to this awful morning.
Reed and I have made a little bargain with Mark, in case you’re wondering why we’re here. In fact, if things go as planned, you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of us over the coming m
onths. I can’t say I’m happy with your presence here. I’ve never liked you and I never will. You’re an entitled little bitch. But oh well, he cooed. Once this is all over, it will be so worth it.
My eyes flickered to him, giving me away.
His grin was slow and wide. As they say, the ends justify the means.
I continued to refuse a reaction or a reply, but curiosity was getting the better of me. I held my breath, the questions bubbling over. These two had made a deal with Mark and Sabine? What kind of deal? For what reason? And what did I have to do with it?
Frustrated, I kept my mouth shut, my eyes forward, and followed the couple into the gymnasium. Reed and Dax peeled off the wall as we entered, the pair bounding in after us like excitable puppies with a new chew toy. I could feel Reed staring at me from behind. I clenched my fists so tight my fingernails razored into my palms. I wanted nothing more than to turn and punch him square on the nose.
How had I ever been friends with him? My first impression of the guy had been so good. He’d come across as funny and charming, a friend. I knew now that it was his blue alchemy at work. He had charisma in spades because of it, but that didn’t make him a good person. Reed had shown his true colors, and those colors were ugly as sin.
There wasn’t a minute off-script about our time in the gymnasium. One by one, I used my magic on at least a hundred people’s blood, turning horrified faces into ones eager to please their new King. Two fought back. They were shot. Even though it wasn’t unexpected, wasn’t a surprise, I was still a shaky mess. Tears burned my eyes and blurred my vision through the whole thing.
Was this my life now? We’d go from city to city, rounding up everyone we could get our hands on, turning them into Richard’s puppets. He wouldn’t stop, not until every last citizen bowed down to his rule. And then what? Would we move north to Canada? South? Would this continue, on and on, until the Heart family ruled the entire planet? I couldn’t do it all in my lifetime, there was no way, but somehow I wondered if Richard expected me to try.
