And for some bizarre reason, I feel like I might just end up doing the same thing for Aurora.
PART II: the cure
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
AURORA
I host a last-minute party that night in my own mansion. I figure it’s more personal this way. Titus never hosted parties in the mansion. He didn’t want to risk people exploring and finding me in the basement. This was his sanctuary full of one thousand secrets and guarded with one hundred Defenders. The only people allowed inside the mansion—apart from Defenders—were Forest and Krin.
For the first time since Father’s death, the mansion doors are open to the public. We have a ballroom, a waiting room, a kitchen large enough to provide food for all who have been invited, and the entire first floor is packed by seven o’clock. I don’t bother sitting on a throne and watching my people hate me this time. I allow them the privacy to enjoy themselves for a good hour without my mood-killing presence.
At approximately eight o’clock, I enter the ballroom only to make the announcement. We’re not going to tell the people about how the rest of the country was brainwashed and under mind compulsion. Many politicians already know, but those citizens who don’t are better left in the dark. I am going to let them know that the rest of the country hasn’t received the antitoxin, and we’re distributing it just to ensure the White Plague doesn’t make a reappearance ever again. I’m not going to tell them the reappearance is impossible—the White Plague hasn’t showed its face in the past century.
I find Rain standing by the wall, laughing at something Mcallister says. I haven’t seen him smile like that since before Ember passed. His eye catches mine, and the smile is replaced with a scowl. The friendliness in his eyes replaced with hatred. I nod at him, signifying it’s time, and I can barely see his jaw clench before he sets his drink down and strides toward the stage.
Krin stands at the microphone already, waiting to get the attention of the people for my speech. Rain mounts the stage and steps past her without looking at her. She says something, but he just shakes his head and takes his place along the wall behind her, staring at nothing with his hands locked in front of him.
When I arrive, Krin pulls me in to a firm embrace. Rain looks at us now, a look of pure disgust and something else—jealousy?—filling his eyes. I pull away, suddenly ashamed.
“You’re doing great.” Krin squeezes my hands reassuringly.
I release a laugh. “It doesn’t feel like it. The dislike coming from my people is almost palpable.”
Her maternal smile warms my core. “Only these people, Aurora. One fraction of Ky. Once you get out and begin saving the others tomorrow, you’ll get to experience the love and admiration every true leader knows.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Krin turns to the crowd and gestures toward the band, which stops playing.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please?”
The dancing stops. The talking stops. My heart stops.
There’s nothing worse than having the full attention of people who hate you.
“Chief Aurora Whitcomb was generous enough to host this party in her own home as a way to welcome you all into friendship with her.”
“About three weeks late,” someone shouts. “She’s been a leader for too long and we don’t even know her.”
Krin doesn’t miss a beat. “That’s because your leader has taken very little time to herself, even to sleep or eat—because she’s been trying to keep this country on its feet.”
“The country was already standing strong before her leadership!”
“We were thriving!”
I wish I could disappear.
“The country was thriving on lies,” Krin says. “Aurora plans on bringing ethics into this government and getting rid of the lies. But don’t let me speak for her. Here she is now. Give it up for your chief, Aurora Whitcomb.”
At least maybe three people clap, halfhearted as they are. I step up to the microphone, release a shaky breath and inhale another and cut straight to the chase. “We’ve found thousands of antitoxin vaccines stored up. As many of you know, there rest of Ky hasn’t been vaccinated yet. Starting tomorrow, at Rain Turner’s request, Rain and I will be traveling around the country and distributing the rest of the antitoxin to the population.”
Shocked whispers ripple through the crowd. I don’t know if it’s because Titus rarely set foot in the rest of Ky, or if it’s the news that we found the antitoxin.
“I hope that you can all support us in this endeavor that will better all of Ky.”
Silence. Pure silence.
Until—“Good riddance.” I scan the faces until I find the voice. Brendan. I never did like the kid. He tries too hard to be liked by everyone else and doesn’t care who he walks on to get that affection. But his efforts must work, because one scathing remark from him, and everyone else starts jumping in.
“Maybe Chief Titus will take the reins while she’s gone.”
“…get our black tigers back and throw her to them.”
“Pray she catches the White Plague and dies on the journey.”
The voices keep rising and merging together until I can’t single out one from the other.
“Your people hate you.” Rain’s breath on my ear sends chills across my skin. “You should just go ahead, lay down and die.”
And I can’t help but wonder if that’s exactly what I should do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
AURORA
I leave right after the speech and head straight to my room, my hands trembling, my blood raging through my veins. I can’t believe I envied Titus for hosting these parties. I have no idea what he liked about them. Too many people. Too much judgment. I guess if I were the star of the show, it would be a little more enjoyable. But these people wish me dead.
When I arrive at my room, I shut the door—the familiar relief washing over me when I hear it click shut, confirming my solitude—and I curl up on my bed. I don’t cry. All my tears have been spent, and I’m more angry than sad right now. Because I’m trying to help Ky. I’m trying to make this country run on ethics instead of slave-labor. And though some of the Patricians are on my side, there are too many who oppose my leadership, and that scares the shoddy rot out of me.
A light knock at the door, and Krin steps in. More relief. She closes the door behind her and sits at the edge of my bed, begins stroking my back the way she did after Gideon was taken away.
Gideon. He’s my only light at the end of this dark tunnel.
“Don’t let the judgement of spoiled Patricians get you down,” she whispers, her fingers running up and down my spine.
I take a shaky breath. “Sometimes—sometimes I miss being in my old room where nobody even knew me.” I can’t believe I just said that. But in this very moment, I mean every word.
“Oh, no.” Krin’s voice is soft and soothing. “That room was a trap, a prison. Out here, you’re free. The Patricians are just afraid because of the mysterious quality about you. They don’t understand you yet. They don’t know what you’re going to bring with your leadership. Don’t let what they said down there bother you.”
“How, Krin?” I turn to look at her through my tears. “They all hate me. How am I supposed to not let that bother me?”
“Water off a duck’s back, Aurora.”
“That sounds like something Titus would say.”
“Titus’s confidence is part of the reason the people loved him. Confidence is harder for you to come by naturally, being manipulated all your life. In fact, the confidence you possess surprises me, considering your circumstances. You are strong, Aurora. So strong. Too strong to let snide remarks from petty Patricians get you down. Don’t you remember what it was like when you were locked away? You were dying to get out of there so you could make some changes. Do you remember the passion you felt?”
I nod. “And I remember how it all left the moment Gideon
was taken away.”
“But now you know Gideon is alive. And you’re going to get him back. So think, what sort of country do you want to raise your son in?”
Her question fills my head with impossible possibilities. I haven’t really thought past the day that I got my son back. I hadn’t thought about how I’d raise him. Where I’d raise him. I wouldn’t want him to be as snotty as the Patricians, nor would I want him to be as brainless as the Proletariats. Not that he would be since he has Alpha Blood, but the way Titus treated me was like I was brainless. He couldn’t control my mind, so he controlled my circumstances. I would never do that to Gideon. Slowly, the passion returns. The need for a better government seeps into my bones. I think of Gideon taking leadership after I’m gone and how I’d like to leave him with a country that adores him. A country that’s free.
“Aurora,” Krin is saying. “You’ve been through the fire. You’ve dealt with far more pain and heartache than all the Patricians put together. You are stronger than their words. Now be stronger than their doubts. You’ve been taking the unraveled issues of Ky in gulps, but you need to slow down and take them one bite at a time before you get burnt out.”
I think I’m already burnt out, I don’t say.
“Change isn’t going to happen all at once,” Krin continues. “It’s going to take lots of time and effort. When you leave tomorrow, focus only on the mission at hand. Trust Walker, me, and Congress to keep things under control. With the Defenders compelled to follow Mcallister’s orders, we should be fine.”
I cringe. Ironic that I have to compel the Defenders to stay on my side while I’m gone making everyone else uncompellable. Just makes me so admirable.
“Stay strong, Aurora. Stay valiant. Don’t let the doubts of others bring you down, but use them to challenge yourself and to better yourself.”
I sit up and pull my knees to my chest. I missed these pep talks from Krin. They always filled me up, fueled my courage and self-worth, but every conversation with Titus seemed to undo what she did. I relied on her talks and presence to keep from losing my sanity.
“Thanks, Krin.” I smile, and a tear is released down my cheek. Leave it to Krin to break down my barriers and make me vulnerable, while simultaneously making me stronger. “Do you think you will be okay without me here?”
“We’ll be fine.”
I think about all the loose ends I still have to tie up. Too many to count. Small bites. But what makes me most unsettled are the people in powerful positions who oppose me.
“It’s been two weeks since Titus handed over the leadership,” I say. “I’m going to demote some Congress members and promote others to their places. Would you—would you be willing to take a seat in Congress?”
She smiles. “I knew you would ask. And I thought about it hard the past week. I think I like where I am. I’m low enough on the totem pole, few citizens know who I actually am. I’m high enough that I can still glean information from important politicians. It’s easier for people to trust me when they have no idea how much power I have. In my current state, I can be your eyes and ears.”
“If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
“Of course. And whatever you want to do with Congress, do it.” She stands. “I’ll meet you in front of the building tomorrow morning to send you”—she frowns—“and Rain off.” She looks at me again. “Are you sure you’re comfortable taking him with you? I personally don’t know if he’s trustworthy.”
I shrug. “As long as he’s making me look good, I have no reason to harm him. And Mcallister said as long as I’m doing the work the Resurgence wants, Rain has no reason to harm me.”
“But did Rain say that?”
“No. But how else can I show him that I’m not who he thinks I am without showing trust?”
“Is your need for trust something worth risking your life for?”
“Ember did it.”
Her brows furrow. “Okay. Do what you need to do, Aurora. I’ll have my phoneband on me at all times, and I’ll make sure Walker and Mcallister do the same. By the time you return from your trip around the country, I can only hope we’ll have everything under control.”
* * *
The next morning, I step out of my office, my hands clammy and trembling. I just demoted Sanchez and Schuster from Congress and replaced them with Olivia Doss and Walker. I trust them far more than I trust those belligerent, disrespectful fools, who couldn’t stop talking about getting Titus back into leadership. If they don’t like my being the leader, they have no right to be a part of my inner circle.
I’m still on the line about Thomas Turner. I thought he would be the first I would demote, based on the way Krin spoke of him. In fact, I was going to have her take his place. But though he questions my reasoning for certain things, he’s always come into agreement with my decisions. No reason to demote him as long as he’s being agreeable.
By the time I step outside, the three buses carrying the antitoxins and medical staff are already waiting for me. My personal vehicle is parked at the front of the line, two Defender vehicles in front of it and two behind. On the sidewalk beside the traveling party, Walker, Rain, Mcallister, and Krin all stand around talking.
Rain is the first to see me. “Nice outfit,” he says.
I look down. I’m wearing my favorite jeans, a red T-shirt, and a bullet-proof vest. I don’t look a bit like a chief now. I look more like a rebel. And I kind of like it.
Rain breaks away from the group and mounts the steps toward me, determination burning in his gaze. “Look, I need to speak to you,” he whispers urgently. “In private.”
“Can’t you just tell me here?”
“Trust. Me.” He stares at me, his gray eyes telling me this really needs to be a private meeting.
“I don’t really want to be in a room alone with you.”
He blinks and steps back, takes on a less threatening post. “It’s about Gideon.”
Hope and dread seize me at the same time, and I nod. I spare a glance at Krin, who arches a brow in question. Lifting one finger signaling her to wait, I turn and follow Rain into the building. He heads straight up to the office, his pace rushed, and I can’t stop the apprehension from racing up my spine. What if Gideon is actually…dead? And Rain waited to tell me after he was sure I would meet his terms? Worms twist and writhe in my stomach. He holds the door open for me, and I step in, head straight to my desk because I feel like I’ll need to be sitting down to receive whatever Rain is about to tell me.
Swallowing my fear, I watch as he closes the door behind him, then turns to face me.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, my voice unable to rise above a whisper.
The same sadistic grin that was on his face the day he tortured Titus, graces his features now, and a different sort of fear consumes me. Dread crushes every bone in my spine.
“Did you—did you kill Gideon?” I manage to whisper.
“Kill a toddler?” He slowly walks toward me. “I would never do anything so barbaric.”
“Then why the grin?”
“Because all my wildest dreams are about to come true.”
My heart is pounding.
“I’m going to do what I’ve been dying to do for a long, long time.” The dark look in his eyes makes every drop of courage bleed from my veins. Then he pulls a dagger out of his belt and charges toward me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
AURORA
I reach for the button on my desk to call the Defenders into the room, but Rain grabs my wrist, stopping me.
“Rain—”
He slams me against the wall. The look in his eyes turns my blood to ice. It’s the same look he had when he dug my fingernail out in the cavern. It’s the same look he had when he said he was going to kill me. He pins both hands above my head with one hand, then uses his arm to cover my mouth. Rain is going to kill me. Here. Now. Holy Crawford, I knew I shouldn’t have met with him alone.
“Gideon is fine,” he says. “For Ember’s sake, I’ll make sure he’s rescued and raised right. But as for you, vixen. You can go to hell.” He presses the blade of the knife against my jugular and all the training from Titus’s lessons kicks in, and my determination to live fills every fiber of my being. I lift my knee and kick him in the groin. He groans, his grip loosening just enough for me to twist away and slip out. I reach over and barely have time to slap my hand over the button when he’s got both my hands pulled behind my back and the knife at my throat.
“Long live the chief,” he whispers in my ear. The knife bites into my neck and begins cutting just as the doors bust open. A blur of red uniforms flood into the room and I hear Mcallister shout, “Rain, stop!”
Mcallister’s voice is deep and commanding and slightly chilling and oddly soothing at the same time. Defenders grab Rain, forcing him to release me.
“Come. On. James!” He barks. “Seriously? I almost had her!”
I straighten and place my hand on my neck, feeling my rapid heartbeat and the warmth of blood.
Bastard.
“We’re not killing her now, Rain.”
“Then when? The longer she lives, the less the Resurgence or the Indy tribe want to come in and make things right.”
“She’s making things right now.” Mcallister’s eyes are black coals, burning with the hot flames of rage—and something else. “We already talked about this. We already decided that we’d let her live if she was compliant. Is she not being compliant?”
Rain glares at me. “It’s just a matter of time—”
“Give her time, then!”
“Then it’ll be too late!” Rain’s lips press together, forming a thin white line.
I stare at him, my eyes burning with hot tears. I want to send him to prison. I want to give him a shoddy death sentence. I open my mouth, just about to say the order, when Mcallister says my name.
“Aurora,” he says again, his voice gentle. “Chief.”
white dawn (Black Tiger Series Book 3) Page 15
