by Silver, Ruth
I shuddered at the thought and didn't let it linger as Jaxon grabbed my arm and led me out of the Governor's study, closing the door behind us. “What was that?” I asked, glancing at him as he led me down the stairs to the first floor. Jaxon didn't understand my question: he gave me a confused look before I elaborated. “You don't think this other Governor will give it away that he didn't send me as a gift?”
Jaxon laughed. “Hopefully it won't get to that and no, I think he won't admit to not providing a present. It'd look tasteless, like he forgot some momentous occasion.” He led me down the hall and gave a swift double knock before opening the door. “Your quarters, ma'am,” he teased, taking a step back.
“You're leaving me here?” I chewed anxiously at my bottom lip. This was a bad idea, all of it.
Jaxon reached for my hands. “You'll be fine.” He gave them a tentative squeeze before letting go. “Just stay out of trouble,” he warned me before retreating out of my room and down the hall.
It wasn't long before one of the servants walked by the room, stopping the moment she caught sight of the door ajar. “Hello?” Her soft voice echoed as she knocked on the open door.
“Hi. I'm Jacqueline.”
“Lisa Vazquezanzua.” She returned the handshake twice as strong. “You must be new?” she questioned. “How odd, we don't usually get new employees until graduation.”
“I was a gift,” I said, knowing it would sound strange but laughing to lighten the tension. It seemed to work as the curious look slowly turned to a warm, inviting smile. Her deep caramel eyes looked amused. “I used to work for the Governor in Livery,” I explained.
Lisa tilted her head slightly, taking my words in. “How, interesting.” I knew I shouldn't have said anything since it could probably get me killed, considering no one ever leaves their town, but it wouldn't take long for questions to emerge when no one knew or remembered me growing up in Genesis.
“Yes.” I smiled brightly. “Can you tell me where my change of clothes is?” Although the uniforms were similar in style and design, each city had a different emblem embossed on the arm. Seeing the mark of Livery, I knew I could change it, but not with Lisa watching me.
“Of course, follow me.” She led me down the hall and towards a storage closet. Opening it, she revealed an array of outfits situated with their appropriate sizes by shelf. “You can take a few, they'll be replaced when the next shipment comes in,” Lisa assured me.
“Thank you.” I took three sets of clothes in my size, walking with her back towards my room. “Do you live here too?” I asked.
“No.” Lisa smiled. “But our head housekeeper Anita does. She was from another city just like you were.” That caught my attention. I tried not to act surprised. “You'll meet her in a little bit. She'll tour you around the mansion and then give you an assignment. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you so much, you've been helpful,” I acknowledged as she led me back to my room. I closed the door, changed outfits, and tossed the extra clothes in the drawer. Like Jaxon had told me, it was easier to glamour when you had few things with your appearance to change.
CHAPTER 21
The head housekeeper, Anita, gave me the quickest tour imaginable. I felt as though I was in her hair just being around. She was polite but displeased to see me. I wanted to ask why but held my tongue. Now was not the time to cause trouble. I needed to keep to myself, find out when the Governor's Ball was scheduled, and relay the information to Jaxon.
I spent most of the afternoon with a dust rag, grateful I'd been assigned a task that would allow me the opportunity to snoop around. I worked the first floor rather quickly, knowing there wasn't anything interesting worth finding. I waited until Craynor disappeared for dinner before taking the cloth with me into the study. At least if I got caught, I'd have an excuse for being inside his office. I shut the door behind me as I stalked over towards his desk. Papers were strewn everywhere. Most of it made little sense to me. I fingered through reports on cotton and fuel, pushing them aside. I needed to find the date of the Governor's Ball. It had to be coming in the next few weeks. I knew I hadn't missed it yet, I just hoped I didn't have to wait months for news. I wasn't sure how long I could deal with these people. Letters to Governor Craynor were stacked to the right of his desk. Curious, my eyes glanced over the delicate script.
Craynor,
I beg you to consider what alternatives we have. Negative population growth is an ever present and growing concern; maybe not today or tomorrow but our children's children will have to face our consequences based on foolish actions.
You may wish to ignore a growing problem, but it won't vanish by simply throwing away my letters. I will have you know I am not the only one up in arms over the failure of our great nation. Politics aside, we must consider a progressive step forward. I will call a meeting in September. With or without you there, a decision will be made.
Richards
Was Richards another Governor? I'd never heard of him but we didn't study the leaders of neighboring communities. It wasn't part of our curriculum. Whoever Richards was, he was right the system was flawed; time would catch up with the town. It didn't seem like a problem now, but I guess that was why Craynor wasn't concerning himself with it either. It wouldn't affect him in his lifetime.
Putting the letter back as I'd found it, my fingers moved over the center of the desk and shuffled through until I reached the bottom page, a calendar of events. Most of them seemed insignificant until I landed on one two weeks from Saturday with the initials “GB.” It was the only thing that made sense. Although I had the date, I couldn’t just up and leave. Not without raising suspicion. Besides, I wasn’t entirely certain it wasn’t something else, although the fact it was a Saturday and Craynor had every other weekend off made it seem the most likely answer.
I jumped as I heard the door creak open and came face to face with Craynor. “Jacqueline, what are you doing in here?” He asked.
“Cleaning.” I returned my attention back to the desk, running the dust cloth over it, tidying the papers as best I could, trying to make it look as if I hadn't been snooping. “Was I not supposed to come in here? Anita told me to dust the entire place, top to bottom.” She certainly hadn't mentioned the study being off-limits, not that I would have listened anyhow. Craynor studied my face, trying to see if I was lying, I could tell. I didn't give him any indication I'd done anything more than clean. “Would you like me to come back later?” I asked. “If you're busy in here?”
Craynor sighed, thinking it over. “You've worked enough tonight. The rest of the staff is off, you may as well go home too.” Although I technically didn't have a home to go to, I smiled, took the dust rag, and slipped out the door past him.
Heading downstairs, I made my way through the dark hallway towards the laundry, tossing the rag into the hamper before doing a thorough search for Jaxon. No such luck. I should have asked where he planned on staying. Turning the corner, I walked straight into Joshua's father, Dylan Warren. He refastened his belt buckle and my eyes widened. He'd just left Anita's room. The door was still ajar and she was sitting at the edge of the mattress naked, putting her uniform back on. My eyes widened as I dropped my gaze. “I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going, sir, I'll be more careful.” I scurried away, doing my best to run from his grasp. My stomach flopped. I hoped he had no intention of doing to me what he had to Anita.
He caught my arm, pulling me back, unwilling to let me go. “You're the new servant, Jacqueline?”
This was a bad idea, using her name. I was stupid, we were stupid expecting no one to know who she was, who I was. Making up a name would have been simpler in some respects: there'd be no ties to anyone. Of course, forging papers takes talent, and the rebel alliance has that talent but they don't have the access to add an entirely new name into the system, at least not yet. I'd have to manage.
“Is it you?” His voice caught in his throat and I let out a hesitant sigh, ner
vously chewing on my bottom lip. At least he wouldn't accompany me to my bedroom. Things could be worse.
“I'm sorry, sir, I don't know who you are.” I looked up at him confused. Dylan Warren always scared the crap out of me when I was a kid, and today was no different. The only difference was that right now, he thought I was his long lost daughter.
“Of course you don't, Jacqueline.” He said my name with such care and adoration, I felt my stomach flop. He reached out, his fingers moving towards my red locks as he pushed an errant strand behind my ear. “You've grown up so much, I can't believe you're here, but if I remember correctly, shouldn't you be in school, in Livery?” He wasn't accusing me of anything yet, or rather his daughter.
“I think you have me mistaken, sir. I don't know your daughter and I certainly don't know you.” I pulled from his grasp and took a step backwards, walking into Governor Craynor. Could this day get any worse? “I'm sorry, sir.” I turned, apologizing, to the Governor. “I was just heading for bed.”
I felt Craynor's strong grip on my shoulders as he kept me from moving. “What's going on here, Dylan?”
“Nothing, sir,” Dylan shook his head, “I was just asking the servant to bring me some tea.”
Craynor's eyes narrowed. “I see. You do remember, Dylan, we prefer to call our employees housekeepers, not servants. It reminds us of an unhappier time.”
Dylan agreed. “Yes, Governor.”
Craynor's smile faltered, his grip on my shoulders loosening as I chanced turning around to face him. “Was that all he asked of you, Jacqueline?”
Eager to get away from the two of them, the answer flowed like water. “Yes, sir. A cup of tea.”
“Very well.” Craynor nodded. “Please put the kettle on and prepare a cup of tea for Dylan. You can bring me one as well. We'll both be in the study.” His hold relaxed and I slipped from his grasp, rushing down the hall towards the kitchen.
“Tea?” I said aloud to no one in particular. My body froze as a gunshot rang out across the hall. My eyes widened in terror as I dropped to the ground. There were no drones, no planes coming to attack us. My body shook. I hid in the kitchen behind the island. I could hear commotion just outside the door.
“This is your fault,” Craynor scolded Dylan. “You should be thankful I only had one bullet in the chamber.” He laughed as if this was all some joke. “Find Lisa, bring her back at once. Inform her she's needed overnight and will be compensated adequately for her duties.”
“Yes, sir.” Dylan answered. His footsteps echoed towards the front door and a moment later I heard the latch clasp.
Frustration and fear filled me. I wanted to go home, back to Shadow. I was safer there, even with drones attacking our town. I knew I couldn't cower on the floor forever. If Craynor was expecting tea, he would come looking for it.
Picking myself up off the floor, I turned the kitchen light on. The kettle sat nestled above the stove. With shaking hands, I filled it with water and turned it on. It didn't take any training to figure out how to make tea. I dug around the kitchen, searching for tea bags. The cabinets banged shut as I sifted through, searching for the one ingredient I needed and couldn't find.
“Looking for something?” I heard Lisa's soft voice as she stood in the open entranceway of the kitchen.
“Mr. Warren and Govenor Craynor asked for a cup of tea,” I acknowledged. “Maybe you could point me in the direction of where I can find the tea bags?”
Lisa stepped further in and opened the pantry. She dug around for a few moments, pulling out the bags, cups, and sugar, mixing the ingredients just how both liked them. “That's odd, asking for your services so late at night. Even stranger they pulled me out of bed to help you.” She paused, having a good look at me. “You look pale. Are you feeling sick?”
“I'll be fine.” I smiled, trying not to raise suspicion.
Lisa nodded. “Even so, usually they call on Anita, the head housekeeper, for those necessities.” She looked puzzled by the situation. “Any idea where she is?”
“You don't want to know,” I muttered.
“Okay.” She pulled up a stool and sat down at the counter. “I know you're not from around here.” She studied me. I tried not to show any emotion or fear as she scrutinized me. “Even so, you look familiar.”
“How can that be?” I laughed at her words, the bile rising in my throat. It was impossible and so long as I held the glamour, I would be safe.
Lisa confessed with a soft sigh, “I don't know.” The kettle whistled, just in time for me to escape her curiosity and questions. I poured two cups of tea and carefully carried them upstairs to the study. Thankfully, the door was left ajar and I slowed as I approached, listening to their conversation.
“Why didn't you tell me you were bringing my daughter to Genesis?!” Dylan's voice echoed throughout the room.
“She's not your daughter,” Craynor retorted sharply. “You know the rules, Dylan. She shouldn't even be here, you're lucky I don't send her back to Livery or shoot her dead on the spot. I've already got one of your messes to clean up. I don't need two.”
My eyes widened in fear. If Craynor sent me away, I wasn't sure what would happen. Would I actually make it to Livery? What then? Would Jaxon be able to stop and aid in my escape? I needed to last two weeks; that was all.
“I know, sir,” Dylan answered. “I won't approach her again.”
Leaning towards the door to listen in, I tipped the cup in my right hand, burning flesh as the tea spilled out. “Shit!” I cursed beneath my breath as my eyes widened, realizing I'd likely be caught.
Craynor laughed. “Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. Jacqueline, come on in.”
Carefully, I carried the steaming hot liquid into the study and placed both cups on the desk. “Have a good evening,” I offered, stepping one foot out of the room before Craynor stopped me.
“Not so fast,” Governor Craynor quipped. “I need you and Lisa to clean up Anita's room. There's a mess. Take it out back and put it in the dumpster. Then you're dismissed for the night.” I knew what that mess was before stepping into the room. I headed down the stairs and saw Lisa come out of the kitchen, shutting the lights off.
“We're needed in Anita's room,” I announced.
“Is she sick?” Lisa asked.
“That would be an improvement,” I muttered, grimacing as I pushed open her bedroom door. Anita had managed to get her uniform back on before being shot in the head. Blood stained the pillow beside her as I walked further into the room.
Lisa gasped, eyes wide in horror. “What happened?” Her voice stammered. “Who did this?”
I could hear the echo of footsteps coming down the stairs and pulled Lisa further into the room with me. I shut the door. “We need to clean this up and then forget this ever happened.”
“Why?” Lisa shook her head. “No, the Governor would never do anything like this. He's tough but I've never…” Her voice trailed off. “Kayla went missing a few years ago. Do you think…”
“It's not my place to guess.” Did she need it spelled out for her? Craynor was capable of murder. He'd killed Anita. It probably wasn't his first killing.
“What are we supposed to do with her body?” Lisa asked, walking towards the door, cracking it open to look both ways. The hallway was clear. “I can't carry her to the cemetery and we don't have a shovel.”
“He wants her thrown in the dumpster.” I grimaced as I approached the mattress. “Help me.” I gestured towards the body. “I can't carry her on my own.” Even if I could, I wasn't doing this alone.
“I'm not throwing her away like garbage!” Lisa crossed her arms. “Think of something else, Jacqueline.”
“We could grab some wood, wrap her body, and burn her.” I glanced around the small bedroom. It was mostly empty, except for the dresser against the wall. There were no trinkets, no signs of another life outside of Genesis. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone missed her from back home.
“How are we going to do that
without getting caught?” Lisa asked.
“I don't know. Craynor will know we did it.” We were the ones that were told to throw the body away. “We could find a place in the far end of the lot and bury her.”
Lisa frowned. “No, I like the idea of burning her body. We'd be making a statement. Anita would have approved.”
“If we get caught, we'll be killed,” I reminded her. So much for staying out of trouble.
“He's killing his servants. You don't think that demands attention?” Lisa huffed. “I would have liked to know what I was getting involved in before I worked here.”
“It wasn't like you had a choice.” I reminded her bitterly. That was what we were fighting for: our freedom to make choices. Whether they were right or wrong, they were our choices to make.
“Even so,” Lisa scoffed, “she deserves more than being thrown away like a piece of trash.”
Footsteps clomped through the hallway, just outside the door. “Well whatever we decide, we need to do it fast.”
CHAPTER 22
Lisa and I found a stack of wood at the edge of the property. We carried it to the front lawn and laid it out as a bed. There'd been no more commotion from Craynor or Dylan. “Do you think they're asleep?” I asked Lisa as we wrapped Anita's body in her bed linens.
“Dylan hasn't left yet. They're probably still up in the study,” she answered. We quietly hauled Anita from the bedroom, through the hallway, and out the front door without incident. “Did you bring the matches?” Lisa asked as we placed her body on top of the wood pile.
“Right here.” I pulled out several packs from my pocket. I didn't know how many it would take to light the wood. The first match I struck died from the slight breeze. I wished I had Jaxon's power of being able to create fire from my hands. Right now it would have been helpful. Jaxon! I wasn't sure he could hear me. We never communicated telepathically, though right now I wished I had practiced it with more than just Joshua.
