Under My Skin

by Shawntelle Madison

  “Do you regret coming here,” I asked him, “to Myria?”

  “No.” His voice changed to reflect he might’ve been smiling. “I had a decent life until the Guild captured me to become a Water Bearer.”

  I stopped briefly. “I’m sorry about that.”

  I wanted to ask him more, but I was almost done. Soon enough I’d have to pull off the impossible.

  No more than twenty-four hours later, we put our plan into action. Quinn arranged to leave the estate for the day and left early in the morning. Next came my part. Thanks to my incessant need to try to stay awake, my first request came naturally.

  “Des, could you give me some sleeping medicine?” I rubbed my face and tried to give her a weak smile. “I need some sleep, but lately I’ve been too scared to try.”

  The General’s nurse nodded as she cleared my bedding. “Let me get these fresh linens on the bed. Then, when you fall asleep, you can get some rest on something clean.”

  Fifteen minutes later, I had two red pills in my hand. I feigned taking them and then took a generous drink of water.

  “I know you’ve been feeling under the weather lately,” Des said softly, “but after you try to get some sleep, you might feel refreshed to try to...survive another day.”

  She left me alone in bed, with Cecelia lounging on the couch. The General’s Second Water Bearer had finished her breakfast, and she leisurely enjoyed her lemonade while playing games on her wrist comm-console.

  By the time I was ready to create a diversion to dump the goods, Cecelia gulped down the last of her drink. Ugh. Time for plan B.

  I leaned back in bed with the pills in my fist. As I pushed them under my pillow, I glanced at Cecelia. “Could you order some tea and dessert for me? Maybe something sweet to eat.”

  Cecelia made a face. I’d never asked her to fetch me food. “You don’t know how to do it yourself?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t have a personal-comm unit.”

  Cecelia rolled her eyes, but she complied. Her voice was contrite when she ordered the apple cobbler and tea, but I guessed if the General showed up, she didn’t want to show disobedience in his eyes.

  Five minutes later, Des arrived with the tea and cobbler. “How are you feeling? Tired yet? Those are pretty fast acting.” She placed the tray with the cobbler on the bed and left the tea service nearby.

  “Sort of. I’ve never taken sleeping pills before.” I faked a yawn, not a bad one either.

  I snuggled into the pillows and stretched my left hand until it wrapped around the pills. I rubbed them against my fingertips. Hopefully, Des would leave soon so I could dump the medicine into one of the teacups. I didn’t even want to think about how I’d get her to drink the tea.

  Des turned to Cecelia. “Is there anything you need while I’m here?”

  Cecelia shook her head, and then gestured to her breakfast tray. “I’m done with that, though.”

  Des grabbed the drink and placed the glass on the tray. All the while, Cecelia checked out the food I placed on the table next to my bed. With a new idea bubbling in my head, I waited until both their backs were turned. Then I twisted the capsules and dumped their contents on top of the apple cobbler.

  “Let me get that other tray.”

  My hand froze in place over the bowl. Oh, no. Des had to have seen me dump the sleeping powder. She walked toward me. I finished stirring the cobbler and took a small bite. When she reached my side, my stomach threatened to wretch, but I kept my hand steady as I placed the spoon next to the bowl.

  I kept my eyes on the tray. “There’s no need. Someone can get it later.”

  She didn’t say anything or hesitate. She left the room and closed the door. I bet she saw everything. I didn’t have much time. I picked up the spoon and added a lopsided grin to my face.

  “Hey, Cecelia.” I yawned again. “This is some good stuff. You ever had it before?”

  She shrugged. “No, Rebecca doesn’t really offer that kind of stuff to the staff.”

  “That’s a shame.” I put a bite’s worth of cobbler close to my mouth but didn’t put it in.

  I picked up the bowl and gestured toward it with my other hand. “You want it? I’m starting to feel weird.”

  Now that got her attention. “Are you serious?”

  Once Cecelia had the bowl and spoon in her hands, she didn’t waste any time devouring it. I expected her to have comments about a medicine-like aftertaste, but she didn’t. Before long, I heard scrapping noises as she reached the bottom. I lay down and closed my eyes. I sure hoped Des was right when she said fast-acting.

  I must’ve drifted to sleep for a quick nap myself, because when I woke up, Cecelia was fast asleep on the couch with the bowl in her lap. After rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I hurried over to her sleeping form.

  Up close, it was hard not to see how vulnerable she was like this. Gone was the girl who always appeared as if she didn’t care about what happened to her. I shook her shoulder and called her name, but she remained asleep.

  “Why are you shaking her like that?”

  I whipped around to see Rebecca standing in the doorway. She took a step forward. From behind her, I could see Des within the shadows of the hallway. Just as I’d suspected, she’d told on me. “I asked you a question,” Rebecca snapped.

  My mouth moved, but nothing came out. What could I say?

  “She-she made weird noises, so I was checking on her.”

  Rebecca strode over to me. “Checking on her. How original.” She turned to Des. “Check on her. Make sure she’s alive.”

  I backed away to the bed and sat. What would they do to me now? My stomach flipped, and I could almost see my plan collapsing.

  Des leaned over Cecelia and then touched her cheek. “Oh, she’s fine. Just fast asleep. I came in earlier and Tate was asleep as well.”

  Rebecca’s sharp eyes never left my own. “Either way, I smell trouble brewing. Desdemona, bring a sedative and make sure she takes it. After you’re done, I want the door to this room locked. If the Master wants to leave, a passcode will be required.”

  Des nodded. “Of course, Miss Rebecca.”

  The two women left the room, their dark red skirts billowing behind them. Not long after the doors closed, I heard the lock click.

  With the doors locked, everything Quinn and I prepared had been for nothing. I lay down on the bed and waited for whatever fate would bring. I tried to think positively, chewed on ideas of what I’d do next, but I suspected none of them would work if Rebecca didn’t trust me anymore.

  The double doors opened, and I tensed. It was only Des, but the prospects of taking a real sleeping pill didn’t make her presence any more welcome.

  Her footsteps sounded soft across the rugs on the floor. When she reached the bed, I expected her to present me with the pills, but her hands were empty.

  “I thought you were supposed to bring me pills?”

  Her eyes searched mine. “You’re planning something, aren’t you? Do you need help?”

  Somehow, I managed to swallow and nod. “I need to leave the house,” I said slowly.

  “That might be a bit more difficult. But it’s doable. Are you ready to go?” The look on her face was undeniable. The half-smile said it all.

  I jumped off the bed and reached under it to retrieve a bundle. Within the folds of the cloak, I retrieved my clothes. It was an expensive dark red jumpsuit and cloak, but it would keep me comfortable if I needed to walk any distances.

  “Put it on then,” she instructed.

  A few minutes later, with the hood over my head, I followed her out of the master suite into the hallway. The trip through the corridors left me nervous about seeing Rebecca, but the only people we encountered were the other servants. Instead of leading me to the front door, Des took me to the kitchen.

  “Keep quiet,” she whispered to me.

  The kitchen staff buzzed with activity. Des and I darted around staff members as they prepared meals for the General and c
leaned the counters. With the cloak over my head, the man who wiped the stoves didn’t glance my way.

  We walked through the kitchen and entered a pantry full of food. I gaped at the endless rows of shelves with packaged vegetables and fruits—all of it for one household that took care of one man. I shook my head at the ridiculousness of it all.

  At the back of the pantry, we found two men loading the shelves with more food. With their similar features, they appeared to be related. Des grabbed my shoulders and spoke to the elder of the two. “Isaac, could I speak to you for a moment?”

  He smiled at her and briefly glanced my way. “Des? What brings you back here?”

  She tapped my shoulder. “It’s my niece, Emma. She spent the night here with us, but I need someone to drive her into town for me.”

  The man’s eyebrows rose. “I didn’t know you had any family close-by. Why can’t the General’s driver take her?”

  “Do you think the Master would allow his staff to use his car?”

  Isaac chuckled. “Not really.” He looked at me a bit more closely, so I lowered my chin.

  “Tell her to get in the truck.” He gestured to the open doorway. “We’ll finish up in a few minutes.”

  Des led me through the door to a truck waiting outside. “Wait in the back seat and stay down. You’ll have to ride through a security checkpoint, but as long as you stay hidden, you’ll get through just fine.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Des stopped me. “Whatever you plan to do, don’t tell me for your safety. I’ll create a diversion as long as I can.”

  I searched her face and wanted to reassure her. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

  Her face fell. “I’d hoped you planned to run away. But I guess you can’t truly run away, can you?” She reached into her other pocket and gave me an apple.

  “Stay safe, Tate Sullivan.”

  One bumpy truck ride and two check points later, I left the truck and boarded a public transit train to my final destination: Mount Killian. The whole time, I half-expected the General to pop up in my head. I’d come so far. Everything I’d planned could be lost in a single second.

  The men and women around me resembled the folks I used to see in my hometown. They wore lime green uniforms, but the garments were much more suited to the colder weather up here. One woman, with a child on her lap, eyed me. I had to stand out. I should’ve grabbed a different set of clothing to wear, but the General didn’t have anything simple in the closet. Matter of fact, everything was expensive and high quality, which pretty much meant that I stood out.

  The smaller towns vanished and reappeared as the transit train made its way toward Mount Killian. The mountains of the north were a lot closer now. Close enough to fill the view from my window. While I sat looking out the window, I pulled the apple from my bag. Thanks to Des, I wouldn’t be hungry.

  A half hour later, the city of Mount Killian appeared. A thick fog and cold rain had settled in from the mountains. Mount Killian wasn’t as big as New Amesbury or North City, but just like both places, the modern aspects of a Myrian city had touched this place.

  I hesitated at the entrance, but eventually I left the train station—determined to blend in with everyone else and finish what I had to do. The city’s streets weren’t clean, and too many people filled the sidewalks. Several miners from Mount Killian brushed against me as they passed. Their clothes were dark brown and they smelled like sweat and coal dust. Even though dust darkened their faces, they were all smiles.

  After walking two blocks past open markets and restaurants, the lack of street signs became apparent. I had no idea where I was.

  I circled around a block twice. People continued to walk past me, bumping into me when I didn’t move out of the way fast enough. I pulled my cloak tighter when some rain seeped in through the opening.

  Someone tapped my shoulder. “You’re late.”

  Thank goodness it was Quinn. I sighed with relief. “I got lost.”

  I wasn’t as amused when he chuckled and pointed in the direction where we needed to go. “Is this your first time traveling alone?”

  “You may find the situation funny,” I said as we walked, “but I didn’t get out of my village all that often.”

  Quinn smirked. “That’s apparent.”

  I pushed his shoulder hard enough to shove him off the sidewalk, a rather difficult task, since he was in such good shape. We both laughed the whole time though. It felt really good to laugh for once.

  With Quinn’s help, we were back on track.

  “Did you have any trouble getting out of the house?” Quinn asked as we approached the hospital.

  “Rebecca didn’t make it easy, but with Des’s help, I escaped.”

  “Did the pill idea work?”

  I groaned inwardly. “I hope so. I do feel bad about giving them to Cecelia.”

  The Winston Institute looked just as haggard as it did from the photos on the console. For every step I took toward the building, I questioned how I’d pull this off. I felt myself getting sicker with worry. What was I doing out here?

  “What if we get there, and Peter has been moved? There are too many ways for this plan to go wrong,” I told Quinn.

  “We’ve already made it this far,” Quinn said to reassure me. “All we can do now is try. If we pull this off, we’re one step closer to getting help for you.”

  At the entrance to the institute, I greeted a receptionist behind the counter.

  “Do you have an appointment?” She pointed to the bar code scanner.

  “I don’t have an appointment, but I have clearance through the network.”

  After I handed her a disk with my clearance data, the woman stared at me with suspicion for a bit. Most folks didn’t provide their authorization information this way. It was considered archaic when the bar codes identified everyone.

  I kept a small smile on my face while she checked her screen. I hoped and prayed that Rebecca hadn’t seen through my ruse. That she hadn’t locked down the General’s account on the network.

  The receptionist glanced up. “The comm-console’s link is running a bit slow today.”

  I nodded a bit too fast. To keep myself from appearing nervous, I rubbed the scar on my upper lip and tried to relax.

  “Ah, you’re General Dagon’s daughter.” She quickly stood. “I’m so sorry to make you wait. Please take this passkey to the third floor. Scan the key at the elevator’s access panel and head up to room 309.”

  I mumbled my thanks and took the passkey. With that crisis averted, we made our way through the institute up to the third floor, which was quieter than the first. Fewer nurses and doctors checking on patients. Only the sounds of beeping machines broke through the silence.

  The medical records hadn’t said what condition Peter was in, whether he was barely alive or struggling to escape this place. But if he were in good condition, why would he have been in a hospital all this time? My fears were confirmed as we passed the rooms of coma patients. I checked the numbers on each door. 307. 308. Behind the closed metal door of 309, we found a small room. In the bed lay a man who looked like Quinn: Peter.

  He was handsome like Quinn, but the differences between the two were apparent in his dark hair. Everything else about him filled me with dread. Horrible scars covered his face and the skin not covered by the hospital gown. A breathing machine whispered as it pushed air in and out of his lungs. He was a patient like everyone else here.

  Quinn quickly crossed the room. “Damn it.”

  His breathing quickened as he took in everything. I stood back, trying not to get in the way. I could only imagine what went through his head. He found his brother, but not in the state he’d expected. Dagon’s accounts of torturing men flashed through my mind and pierced me.

  Slowly, Quinn picked up the compu-tablet attached to the bed and offered it to me. “Bring up his chart, please. Using your bar code.”

  I quickly complied. To give him privacy, I didn’t look at the informat
ion.

  Quinn took it from me and scanned the screen. I hoped to see his eyes light up. Any indication that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. That this mission would have a happy ending.

  With a blank face, Quinn put the chart back where he found it and shuffled to the side of the bed to take his brother’s hand. For the longest time Quinn stood there, one of his hands holding Peter’s while another gripped the bedrail tight enough for his knuckles to go white.

  “Do you want me to make arrangements to release him to you?” I finally asked.

  “It’s too late for that.” His voice sounded pained, quite different from what I’d always heard. “The damage is already done.”

  “You said you wanted him to be safe from Dagon. You can do that now.”

  “You don’t get it,” he bit out. “There’s nothing to save.”

  “Don’t you have friends who can protect him until he wakes up?”

  He faced me, fury pulsing through him. “His chart said Glasgow coma scale 3. Would you like to know what that means? Let me spell it out for you.” He took a menacing step toward me. “The low-life living in your head ordered his men to torture and beat my brother until he was in the condition he’s in now—brain dead.”

  His words sliced me in half. Enough to snatch my breath away. But I endured it. The General wasn’t here to bear the brunt of his anger. “Pete won’t be talking to anyone ever again.” Quinn let out a pained laugh that turned into an agonizing groan. “I can’t even say goodbye to him properly.” He paced back and forth in front of me then lashed out to slam his fist into the bed’s handrail. I flinched, imagining the pain racing up his arm.

  I wanted to comfort him, to cry for him, but I knew I shouldn’t move.

  “Get out, Tate,” he grated. “I don’t want you or him in here!”

  I didn’t budge.