The Perfect Outcast

by Melissa O. Hansen

  Alina stopped mid-stride and tilted her head. The trail ended at a rotted wooden shack built into the mountain wall. She looked around for the path to continue, and glimpsed Gerard nodding to someone behind her.

  Three men snatched her and stood close, their dirty whiskers catching strands of her hair. Gerard watched her startled face with a smug grin.

  “We made it, pretty girl,” he sneered.

  Alina’s eyes darted around them. “This can’t be the Blue Forest.”

  “Who said we’re going to the Blue Forest? That’s an old plan. Sampson’s adaptable. He thought the situation here needed a more aggressive approach.” Gerard flashed his yellow teeth. “There’s a rebellion to crush, after all, and you’re the fire behind it. You must be extinguished.”

  He cracked open the door of the shack, and as the men yanked Alina toward it, she screamed, digging her heels into the dirt.

  “No!” she shrieked. “What do you need? I’ll go to the Blue Forest, I won’t struggle, I’ve been good so far—”

  “We don’t need you anymore!” Gerard yelled back. “You’re a stupid girl to fight against Sampson. Stormport is almost wiped out by disease, and now it’s Millflower’s turn.” He smiled at her stunned face. “Well, of course we planned to attack them all along! Finish them off, just like Stormport. Then Jaden is all that’s left. We’ll starve them for a while to weaken them, and the rest will be easy. Wipe Jaden out, and Carthem is clean. And only then will someone come back for you, if at all. See if you can keep your wits that long.”

  With one hard shove the men tossed her into the empty air and her panicked scream echoed down the long, dark shaft.

  She fell for a long time, somersaulting through the darkness until her feet met the hard ground. She fell to her knees, sobbing, and yanked at the rope around her wrists until it snapped. She hadn’t seen this coming. Nor had Baylor or anyone, or they would’ve tried something else. Any desperate plan would’ve been better than this.

  She hastened to free herself, then stood up and put out her hands, walking until she met the wall. Her eyes adjusted slightly but not enough to see. She ran her fingers up the wall as high as she could reach, then all the way to the ground. The stone was smooth and slippery; years of movement up and down the shaft had polished all of its rough edges.

  She followed the wall horizontally until it opened up, then yelled into the darkness. Her voice seemed to echo for miles. She took a few steps, then froze and backed up. If she fell farther, she would be lost forever.

  She looked up to the distant, pinpoint light at the top of the shaft—her only hope of escape. She jumped as high as she could along the wall, searching for a ledge, but her hands slid on the smooth rock back to the ground. She crumpled to her knees.

  Gerard was on his way back to Millflower. She cradled her head and screamed, the sound vibrating around her. Oliver and Maxwell’s family. Rex, Jade, and Baylor. Trinee and Zaiden in Stormport. Her scream turned into an anguished wail.

  They would all die, and she’d be left behind. Gerard and his men would become Prian citizens, and the Sad Cases would die carrying out Gerard’s orders. If they did survive, they’d roam an empty Carthem until they starved or were killed by wild creatures. Sampson would never take them back.

  She felt no pain or fatigue; she couldn’t die and yet could do nothing to free herself. Nature’s laws held her. She screamed again, pounding the walls and biting her knuckles.

  I don’t know how to fight the despair. I will go mad before long.

  She huddled on the ground, wishing for sleep—anything to escape the mental anguish. Maybe with enough focus she could enter a trance. But the thought frightened her. That diversion must be how immortals went insane. They stayed in a hypnotic state until their minds were so far gone, they couldn’t return.

  I won’t run away. I’ll focus on the pain, on the memories of those I love to keep my brain alive.

  She reminisced on her favorite memories of Oliver—when they first met in the empty cafe; when they sang and danced in the granary, and the night they said goodbye. She ached for his presence, for the ease she felt with him. She needed him now to make her laugh, to reassure her that somehow things would turn out okay. Despite claiming to be a realist, Oliver seemed to think anything was possible.

  One evening, while walking to Maxwell’s home together, he accused her of flaunting her looks. He demonstrated by swinging his hips and flipping imaginary hair.

  She punched his shoulder and laughed. “I do not!” she insisted. “It’s how immortals are. No matter what we do, we look intriguing. It’s all part of the illusion.”

  He stopped laughing and looked at her. “Illusion?”

  “Yes,” she stated. “We don’t seem real, do we? We’re too good to be true, like all things in Pria. Everything is so perfect, so captivating—like a mirage.”

  “Careful how you use that word. It has a different meaning here,” Oliver warned. “Though I think the comparison is quite fitting.” His eyes twinkled. “Maybe that’s what you are. You’re my mirage.”

  Alina hugged her legs in the dark, smiling at the memory. Though his presence seemed so long ago, Oliver felt real—the first boy she’d known as a friend and not a father figure. Zaiden was her friend but in a different way.

  Is Zaiden my mirage?

  She hardly knew him. They’d shared two conversations and one long, intense gaze. Did that make it love?

  How would he be as a mortal? Would she still be attracted to him, and would they talk and laugh easily together? Like Oliver, would he flip her ponytail and look for a reason to touch her, and would it feel natural?

  Her brain was lucid now, but a thought crept in and cut her. It’s useless to examine my feelings. I’ll never have the chance to choose either of them.

  The despair returned, and she allowed her mind to go numb. It was time to surrender. Sampson had won.

  She put her face in her knees and started to cry. Carthem had given her the life she always wanted and not because she was immortal. Here, she had family who loved her: Jade finally open and honest, and a father and grandfather who longed to see her. Now they would never meet.

  I’ll never feel my father’s embrace, look into his eyes, or see how he resembles me. He’ll never be able to tell me about my mother. I’ll never have a family of my own.

  She should’ve killed herself and stopped Sampson when she had the chance. Before Rex rescued her in Gordian, she should’ve cut herself on those sharp instruments, or flung herself into the depths of the laboratories. Rex led her to believe she could go to Carthem and fulfill her mission. Now it was too late.

  Sampson won’t come back for me.

  Why would he, when this pit was as good as his dungeon? Gerard’s army would destroy Millflower and starve the rest of Carthem while Sampson maintained his control over Pria. Carthem would rebuild slowly, if at all. The survivors wouldn’t know what happened to her. Eventually, they’d doubt she ever existed. She’d become a legend: the lost immortal hero of Carthem. One who could’ve saved the world but fell short.

  And she’d live on in this dark hole. Forever.

  She may as well go where she wouldn’t suffer. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift—anywhere open, bright, and far from the stone walls that confined her.

  “Alina!” a voice called.

  Zaiden stood in the Prian fields with a perfect, balanced six-petaled flower, handing it to her with the same smile he’d given her in the school hallway. He said her name again, but his voice echoed as if trapped in something hollow and empty.

  “Alina!”

  Darkness began to swallow the bright colors, shrinking him to a small circle. He stood in the center, smiling, unaware of the danger around him. Alina screamed and jumped to her feet as the darkness enclosed him. She stretched out her arms and felt the smooth, hard wall in front of her.

  “Alina, is that you?” a woman’s voice called.

  She blinked her eyes. Someone called f
or her! She cupped her mouth and answered hoarsely, “I’m here! Who are you?”

  She heard nothing and bit her lip. She was losing her mind.

  Then she heard the voice again. “I’m lowering a rope. Watch for it.”

  A rope! Alina burst into tears. Was the war over? How long had she been in there? Did Sampson send this woman to fetch her? It didn’t seem to matter, as long as she got out.

  A distant sound occurred at regular intervals, and after many long minutes, something hit the ground next to her. Reaching out, she felt a thick rope with a frayed end below a knot. She stepped on the knot and gripped the rope.

  “I have it!” Alina shouted. “Don’t crank it, I can get there!”

  The shaft seemed to run the height of the mountain, but she sailed up the rope, and as she neared the top, a silhouetted figure hunched in the doorway. Alina climbed higher and jumped through the wooden door, embracing the woman as the sun hit her eyes. She pulled away to view her rescuer, then slammed her hand over her mouth.

  It was she—the most frightening Sad Case of all, whose sunken eyes had stalked Alina and turned her veins cold.

  Alina took a step away from her. “Who are you? Are you—?” The words stopped in her throat.

  “Insane?” the woman finished. “My mind is whole, if that’s what you’re wondering. It hasn’t been easy keeping my sanity, though.”

  “You’re telling me you lived in Sampson’s dungeon and came out with your mind intact?”

  “Yes.”

  “For how long?”

  “I don’t know. As you probably realized, it’s impossible to keep track of time when you’re locked up. But I was imprisoned before you were born.”

  “But that’s over seventeen years!”

  “Horrible years. I can’t tell you how glad I am to be out.”

  Alina shook her head. “I can’t believe it. I could barely keep my wits in that deep pit, and I was in there for—how long was I in there?”

  “Three days.”

  “Three days! That’s all?”

  “I would’ve come earlier, but I had to wait until nightfall to slip away or the others would’ve tattled on me. Then, I’m embarrassed to say, I got lost. I tried to pay attention when we first left this spot, but I didn’t do a good job. It’s a miracle I got here at all. I was about to give up and let myself die when I recognized the path with the wheel tracks.”

  Alina smiled gratefully. “Thank you. What’s your name?”

  “Mae.”

  “Is there time to save Millflower before they attack?”

  “I don’t know. I tried to overhear their plans. The men aren’t careful with their words around us, but they didn’t say much about Millflower. They were heading back in that direction, though, so we better move quickly.”

  Mae looked pale and gaunt, with bony legs protruding from her ripped dress. “When did you last eat?” Alina asked.

  “This morning. I found some berries.”

  “Is that all you’ve eaten since you left the group?”

  “I ate leaves off a tree yesterday. I’ve been doing that for days. We don’t get much to eat in Gerard’s company.”

  Alina gently took her arm and lifted her onto her back. “You’ve done a service for me. Let me do one for you. I’ll carry you.”

  Mae did not object, and Alina took off at full speed. Mae spoke in her ear, her voice breaking as she bounced against Alina’s back.

  “We were all pretty healthy when we first entered Carthem, coming from an immortal state. But we arrived two weeks ago, and each day we’ve had so little to eat. Gerard gives us one small meal every other day in the evening. The rest of the time we must scavenge for ourselves. The devotion to Gerard provides some adrenaline, but their bodies are weak. We’re so close to death, little is needed to overpower us.”

  “But you’re all so frightening, especially you. I thought you the maddest of them all.”

  “I’ve gotten good at it. I’ve been feigning madness for years, hoping Sampson would set me free into Carthem.”

  Alina raced down the mountain slope. “Do you think there are others like you? Pretending to be mad?”

  Mae groaned as she slammed against Alina’s shoulder. “It’s possible, of course, but I don’t think so. They follow Gerard so faithfully. But if there are, they can only help us because they hate Sampson as much as we do.” Alina chuckled in agreement as she jumped over a fallen tree.

  “We’re making great time,” Mae said.

  “I can travel faster, if you can handle it. Do you think we can beat them to Millflower?”

  “Maybe so. It’s about four days’ travel from Millflower to the mine shaft.”

  “Mine shaft?”

  “That dark pit you were in. Gerard called it that.”

  Alina wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t get tired, so yes, I can go faster. But I want to find you some food.”

  “I can last until we get to Millflower. Don’t stop for me.”

  Alina worried about Mae but also feared arriving too late. She quickened her pace, and after a few hours they reached the base of the mountain and the flat prairie grasses. Mae’s grip loosened on her back. Alina sensed she was asleep.

  As the sun set, Alina ran harder, desperate to reach Millflower in time to warn them. But then what? A knot formed in her stomach. Gerard’s army would be hard to defeat. If Mae was right and the Sad Cases were weaker than they looked, Millflower might have a chance. The citizens might be preparing to defend themselves just in case. She hoped so.

  As the light from the rising sun hit her face, Mae stirred. “Where are we?” she mumbled.

  “Not far from Millflower, I think. I’ve been running through the prairie all night.”

  “I hope we’re not too late.”

  “Did Gerard or his men speak about the protection Sampson gives them?” Alina asked.

  Mae hesitated. “I think so. Gerard told his men they had to stay close to someone in their group, or they could be killed.”

  “Do you know who it was?”

  “Yes. A man who used to travel with them, but after you came, he walked a short distance away and kept a hood over his face.”

  “Stan!”

  “I don’t know his name, but he was the one your friend spoke to the night they took you from Millflower. I spied on them from behind a tree.”

  “Baylor! What did you see that night?”

  “Gerard led Baylor to this man, who was alone. Baylor spoke with him, then spoke to Gerard, who became so furious I thought he might kill someone. Baylor returned to the gate with Gerard screaming from behind.”

  “It must be Stan. But how does he protect them? Does he carry something?”

  “I have no idea,” Mae answered.

  Alina thought for a moment. “You know, Baylor and Lance wondered why we didn’t encounter more dangers when we traveled from the portal. It’s the most dangerous area in Carthem. But when Stan was nearby, we never met anything. Maybe it’s embedded in him—part of the spying chip or something. That’s why Gerard was so protective of him. I bet if Stan died, they’d no longer be safe.”

  Alina jumped over a stream, and Mae paused to catch her breath before answering. “You’re probably right. Gerard kept him concealed, which says he’s concerned for his safety.”

  Alina’s mind raced. “Mae,” she said, “instead of going to Millflower, let’s find Gerard and his men. Let’s keep this battle from starting. You don’t have to do anything—I know you’re weak. If we sneak up on them, I’m sure I can kill Stan.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she said. “I’ve been worried about Gerard noticing my absence. I don’t think he would, but Sampson might’ve told him to keep an extra eye on me.”

  “Why is that?”

  “A story for another time. Let’s just say Sampson has good reasons not to trust me. But if we find them, I can slip back into the group unnoticed and perhaps aid you in killing him.”

  “Yes, that might work,” Alina
mused. “I suppose we’ll have to see where they are when we find them. If they’re a good distance from Millflower, it’ll work. If they’re close and about to attack, we’ll have to think of a different plan. Killing Stan only works if there’s time for the wilderness creatures to get them. But with a large group like that, it shouldn’t take long.” Alina swallowed. “I hope I have the courage to do this. I killed once but out of self-defense, and I didn’t intend to. This is different.”

  “I understand. But think of it this way—killing him will save many others. And besides—” Mae broke off.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s horrible to be controlled by Sampson.” Her voice caught as she spoke. “Stan is a captive. You’ll be setting him free.”

  Alina had been running for twenty-four hours when she glimpsed smoke twirling in the distance. Could Gerard be making camp already and preparing to attack? Was the smoke coming from the town?

  A panicked cry escaped her throat, and she accelerated toward the smoke. Her body continued to surprise her, especially when confronted with danger. She felt sorry for Mae, who grunted with pain each time her body slammed against Alina’s back. But she did not slow down.

  As she drew nearer, Alina dropped into the grass. She spied the Sad Cases in the woods near Millflower’s front gate, where Gerard took her from Baylor. She crept toward them until she reached a tree, then set Mae on the ground. “Stay here while I go listen to their plans. I’ll be right back.” Alina whispered.

  Mae grabbed her shoulder. “No. Let me go. I can hear more because I don’t have to stay hidden. I’ll sneak in and act as if I’ve been there the whole time. We can’t let him catch you again.”

  Alina shook her head. “You’re too weak, Mae. What if he hurts you? He can’t do anything to me. If he catches me, I can escape.”

  “Please,” Mae insisted, clutching Alina’s arm with renewed strength. “I can do this. It’s crucial Gerard doesn’t find out you escaped. He might change his plans and make things harder for us. I’ll go. I’ll find out what they plan to do and come back as soon as I can.”