I thought about all the horrible Forager talk. How my father hated them, but I was one. “But, Father—I’m one of them.”
He pulled away and then grabbed me firmly by the shoulders. “You are not! Dunningham excused that offense. You were branded with the symbol. You are a Grim, period.”
I nodded, but we both knew that Human blood flowed through my veins, and there was no denying that.
Father grazed my cheek with his thumb. “Naomi, I know this is hard for you. We never intended for you to find out, but you need to forgive your mother. This is something that happened a long time ago, and we’ve all moved past it.”
“But that’s not fair. You’ve known about this for sixteen years. I just found this out a few days ago. This is my life, my heritage. I need time.”
“I see,” Father said. “You’re right, but at least go and talk to your mother.” He motioned toward the door.
I had no desire to speak to her, but I did as I was told. I found Mother on the sofa in the living room, embroidering. She only did that when she was stressed. I watched her as she worked. Her eyes and the area around her mouth looked tired. She seemed to have aged since we had left for the assignment. I took a seat next to her on the sofa. She looked up from her work and smiled.
I considered being kind and forgiving, but I wasn’t ready for that yet. “How could you cheat on Father? I thought you loved him.”
Mother sighed and tossed the hoop on the couch. “I do love your father, Naomi. I made a horrible mistake. We had only been married for a couple of years, not that it makes it right, but I hadn’t come to love him yet as a wife should love her husband. I told you, it takes time, but eventually you’ll get there. Your father has forgiven me for it.”
“He didn’t have a choice.” There was no such thing as divorce in our society. Once you were married, you were stuck for life. 'Til death do us part meant just that. Father had stayed with her because he didn’t have a choice. Who knew if he had really forgiven her? For all we knew, he could have been holding his disdain inside.
“Naomi, I know you don’t understand this, but sometimes the heart just wants what it wants, and being a Grim doesn’t change that.”
I thought about Hunter. If I were given the chance to stay in the Human world, I would be with him (if he didn’t think I was a monster), but liking someone and having their baby were two different things. “Still, you should have been more careful, now because of your mistake, I’m a hybrid. It’s not fair.”
“I’m sorry. I did everything in my power to make this right. I did everything I could do to keep this under wraps and to make sure that you were recognized as a full-blooded Grim. Naomi, nobody knows about this, except for us. Dunningham promised to keep our secret, and we had to promise not to give you a name that represented darkness or death. That's how you ended up being Naomi.”
“And you and Father compensate for that by calling me Darkness as a nickname.” I stared at the silver swirls in our marble coffee table. “All my life, I’ve wondered why I felt sorry for Humans, why I couldn’t disconnect my feelings like the rest of you. You knew it was something I struggled with for a reason, and you still didn’t tell me the truth.”
“Darling, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say.”
I took a deep breath before asking a question I didn't really want to know the answer to. “How did you get Dunningham to forgive that offense? I mean, relations with a Human—that's one of the worst things you could do, Mother. He banished his own brother for that.”
Mother looked down. Her dark hair cascaded around her face, preventing me from seeing her eyes. It was probably better that way. “That's not important.”
I'd heard whispered rumors about Dunningham—things about him and other female Grims—but I'd never put much thought into them. After all, Dunningham would be the last person to break Grim Covenant, right? Even if the rumors were true, my mother would never let that reptile touch her. “Mother, tell me.”
“A mother will do anything to protect her child. That’s all you need to know.”
Just then, the knob on the front door jiggled. We were all home, so it had to be Dunningham. He had a master key for every home in Nowhere.
I stood, struggling to remember where I’d left the invisibility cloak, but it was too late. Dunningham stormed in with Doyle and two Watchers. He wore a black fedora. “Good night, ladies,” he said, tipping the hat toward us.
Father and Bram came rushing down the stairs. “Mr. Dunningham, you don’t have to do this,” Father pleaded. “We can come up with a suitable punishment.”
Mother wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Please,” she whispered.
Dunningham sneered at her. “My dear, I’m afraid you’ve exhausted your favor card. You all know what has to be done.”
Father rushed toward Dunningham with Bram on his heels. “Please, take me. Let me pay the price for her,” said the man who wasn’t really my father.
My heart ached. In the light of his bravery, I wanted to be his so badly, but I wasn’t.
The Watchers held Father back, and Bram shoved one of them. “Take your hands off my father! He hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Doyle moved swiftly from Dunningham’s side, pinned Bram’s arms behind his back, and threw him to the ground. I had the overwhelming desire to rat Doyle out at that very second, but his secret would be more beneficial to me at a later date. I didn’t want my family going through any more pain at my expense.
“It’s okay. I’ll go. I’ll go,” I said, but Mother wouldn’t release me.
“What’s going on?” Dorian asked from the top of the staircase. He rubbed his eyes and surveyed the scene. “Father, what should I do?”
“Go back to bed,” Father ordered. But Dorian didn’t move from his spot.
“Mr. Dunningham,” Father began quietly. “Please, it's not her fault. Let me take her place. Take me.”
Dunningham glowered at Father. “Nox, I suppose I’m partly at fault, and for that reason, I won't execute your entire family. I should have known this wasn’t going to work. A simple branding wasn’t going to make her a real Grim; she was always a Forager. I went against my better judgment, but she has caused us a huge loss. You know what has to be done.”
Mother didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that dripped from her face. “Are you taking her to Gattica?”
I almost laughed. That was wishful thinking. Very few women went to Gattica. Very few women were arrested, period, but when they were, they usually became permanent servants in Dunningham’s home. If their offense was great enough, they were taken to Gattica and put in a small female holding cell.
I would have preferred Gattica over being Dunningham's servant, but we all knew what I’d done warranted execution. My decision at Kennedy High had been the equivalent of committing suicide.
“Three days,” Dunningham said. “You’ll have the opportunity to see her once before the execution.”
Doyle pried me away from Mother as the Watchers restrained Bram and Father. “Where's the cloak?” Doyle demanded. “I know he gave it to you.”
My heart skipped a beat. So they had known all along that I had been coming here. I should have known. Dunstan cherished that cloak. It was the only thing he had as a souvenir of his former rank. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
Dunningham sneered. “Is that so? Which one of your brothers would you like to join you in Gattica for lying to me?”
“I suggest the young one,” Doyle said.
“It's on the kitchen table,” I blurted out.
Doyle went to retrieve it as Dunningham slid his cold hand around my arm. The chill seeped through the sleeve of my hoodie. I shuddered again. His hand was much colder than any other Grim’s. My skin crawled underneath his icy, rough touch.
Dunningham yanked me through the door as chaos broke out behind me. Mother screamed my name at the top of her lungs, saying over and over again how sorry she was. I heard grunts and blows being
thrown as the Watchers attempted to hold my father and brothers back. I wanted to tell them to stop fighting. There was nothing more they could do.
A driver sat waiting in the front seat of Dunningham's black carriage car, an antique that he cherished. Doyle appeared behind us with the cloak draped over his arm. He opened the back door. Dunningham climbed in. Doyle gave me a push, and I got in after Dunningham. Then Doyle himself got in, leaving me trapped in a sandwich of hatred.
Dunningham tapped the back of the driver's seat, and he took off.
I looked back at my home. The Watchers had yet to emerge. What were they doing in there? Was my family all right? “They won't—”
“Silence!” Dunningham snapped.
“You're not to speak again unless asked a question,” Doyle explained.
I sighed and tried my best to enjoy my last moments of freedom before being locked away.
Chapter 33
We pulled up to a large box-shaped building. Gattica had rows and rows of windows covered with metal. This would probably be the last time I would see the outside world before my execution.
I stumbled out of the carriage and walked between Dunningham and Doyle. Two guards with rifles stood at attention. They nodded at Dunningham and opened the gate. There was a fifty-foot walkway from there to the building. I tried to walk as slowly as possible, inhaling as much fresh air as I could, but Doyle dragged me along.
Another rifle-wielding guard stood at the door of the building. He greeted Dunningham and then opened the door for him. The three of us stopped at the front counter, where a large woman in a black-collared shirt and black pants stood. She wore a gold name tag that read Kora. “Hello, Mr. Dunningham, Mr. Doyle. What do we have here?”
“This is Naomi,” Dunningham answered. “The one we've been looking for.”
The woman nodded and glared at me. “Is she going in the women's holding cell?”
Dunningham shook his head. “Solitary confinement. She may partake in meals with the rest of the population, but other than that, she is to be in her cell alone, where she may think about her unfortunate actions. She's a Forager, but don't worry. She won't be here long enough to cause any trouble. Just three days.”
The woman nodded. “Sure, Mr. Dunningham. I can take it from here.”
Finally, Doyle released his tight grip on my arm and the two of them left.
“This way,” Kora ordered.
I followed her behind the counter and to a little room off to the side. Another guard stood still by a back wall, like a mannequin. The room was small and unpainted, just gray cement bricks, a large metal cabinet and a bench attached to the wall.
“Sit,” she said, pointing to the bench, so I sat. Kora opened the top drawer and pawed through it. She stopped and looked at me. “Hmmm, I've never had a female as young as you, so we're going to have to make do. Your gown might be a little too big.” She tossed me a black garment. “You'll take a shower with the detergent we've provided. Make sure you wash and then put that on. You got ten minutes.”
I took the garment and prodded into the tiny bathroom. Removing my necklace with the scythe charm, I hoped they wouldn't take it away from me. I stripped and stepped into the shower.
At first I was thankful for a shower, but after waiting for the ice cold water to warm, I realized it wouldn’t. I bathed quickly, using the funny-smelling soap as I had been instructed. I lathered my hair with it and then rinsed it out. The water soaked through my bandage that needed to be changed anyway, but I doubted anyone would do that for me.
I turned the water off and then stepped out onto the cold gray tile. A shot of coolness soared through my body. I longed for the warmth of my comforter. I grabbed a dingy-looking towel from the pile that sat in a corner, unfolded. I wondered if they had been used before and if so, if they had been washed. Probably not.
I dried off, rubbed the towel on my hair, and then grabbed the garment Kora had given me. She had a lot of nerve calling it a gown. It was more like a huge T-shirt, rough and itchy like sackcloth. I put my necklace back on, tucking it into the “gown” so as not to draw attention to it.
I gathered my own clothes and exited the bathroom. Kora stood there with a garbage bag. A guard stood behind her. She opened the bag and I put my clothes inside. She handed the bag to the guard, who left the room.
“Where is he taking it?” I asked.
“To burn it,” Kora answered curtly.
He was about to destroy my nice leather boots. “What about shoes?” I asked, looking down at my bare feet.
“Prisoners in Gattica don't wear shoes, princess.”
“Underwear?”
Kora frowned. “Well, weren't you wearing underwear when you came?”
“Yeah, but—” Who takes a shower and then puts back on their dirty underwear?
Kora sighed and went back to the large metal cabinet. She dug through a drawer and then handed me a pair of shorts. “That's the best I can do.”
I put the shorts on underneath my gown. They were a little too big, and I hoped they wouldn't fall around my ankles as I walked. I would be constantly holding them up, but it was better than going bare-bottomed.
“You're all set. Razi will take you to your cell.”
Razi was huge. He motioned for me to follow him. He didn't bother to grab me, probably figuring there was no way I could escape even if I tried.
We stopped at an elevator. Razi touched a button and we waited for the rusted metal doors to part. I took a good look at Razi. He was 6´8˝, easy, with tan skin, a bald head, and a neck thick like a tree stump.
The elevator doors slid open. I stepped inside first and Razi stepped in behind me. There were ten floors to Gattica. The button for the sixth floor was lit. It was a slow, silent ride up.
Once the doors parted, reality set in. We stepped into a hallway filled with rows and rows of cells. Most of them, I knew, were occupied by my people—Foragers.
We walked by cells filled with men. As we passed the cells, men yelled things and made animal noises at me. I ignored them, wondering where I was going. At the very end of the hallway was a metal door with a small window. I wouldn't have an open cell like the others. I was being kept in a closed-in room.
Razi took a large ring filled with keys from his pocket. He groaned as he flipped through them to find the one for that particular door. Finally he unlocked the door, and it swung open inward. Inside was pitch black.
Razi reached in and turned on the light switch at the side of the door. A light bulb in the center of the ceiling flickered on and off, as if trying to make up its mind. Finally it stayed on, casting dim light over the tiny room. There was nothing in the room except for an uncomfortable-looking cot and a toilet.
I stepped inside and Razi closed the door behind me. I jumped at the finality of the clank—the key locking the door. I turned around and looked at my cell. Before I knew it, tears ran down my cheeks.
I reminded myself that this would only be for three days, but that made me cry even harder.
Dinnertime had been long over when I arrived, so I would have to wait for breakfast to eat. I was tired of being hungry. I felt for the Foragers and the people of Litropolis, who'd dealt with hunger their entire lives.
Guards walked through the halls, yelling, “Lights out!” I turned my light off and curled up on the cot. It hurt my body, and there wasn't even a pillow to rest my head on nor a blanket to cover myself with. I thought about my comfortable bed at home and how I would never sleep there again. I prepared myself for a restless night.
As I forced myself to close my eyes, the murmur of snoring came from the outside cells. I envied their ability to fall asleep. I wasn't sure what time it was.
If I had to guess, I would say it was about two or three o'clock in the morning when I heard a knock on the door of my cell. I rose from my cot and scampered to the door. No one was there. It must have been a guard passing by, so I turned back toward my cot.
“Naomi,” called a gravelly voice.<
br />
I turned. I knew that voice. “Dunstan? You got your cloak back.” I remembered the last time I'd seen it; it had been in the hands of Doyle. I wondered how he had gotten it to Dunstan without Dunningham noticing.
“Are you okay?”
“For now. They're going to kill me in three days.”
“Don't worry, my dear. Everything is going according to plan. Your execution will be the perfect distraction.”
Part 4
The Rebellion
Chapter 34
“What? What does that mean?” I wished Dunstan wasn't invisible right then. I needed to see his face.
“Naomi, you cost us a lot. It's only right that you pay us back. The day of your execution, every Grim in Nowhere will be in one place at the same time. Their guard will be down. It'll be the perfect time for us to attack.”
Dunstan's feet dragged across the floor and I assumed he was leaving. “Wait!” I called. “Is that going to be before or after my execution?”
Dunstan breathed deeply. “I can't be sure, dear.”
I would have appreciated a definitive answer to my question.
A noise came from the end of the hallway. “I have to go,” Dunstan said hurriedly.
The sound of a guard's heavy footsteps made their way closer and closer to my cell. A bright light shone in my face. I shielded my eyes with my hands.
“Back in bed!” the guard ordered.
I couldn't see him because of the light, but I backed away and returned to my cot. My growling stomach wouldn't allow me to sleep. I lay awake, hoping for breakfast time to arrive.
* * *
After what seemed like an eternity later, deep voices bellowed throughout the hallway. “Up! Wake up!” The yelling was accompanied by a loud clanking sound.
Naomi Grim: The Final Breath Chronicles Book One Page 21
