Smoke

by Mariah Esterly

  The camera pulled back and a man in a grey suit stepped in front of Liam, looking into the lens, a sickly smile on his face. The light glinted off his grey hair. Gertie clutched at the back of the chair that Graves sat in trying to keep herself upright.

  “Miss Penn,” Mr. Saunders said. “As you can see we brought in Mr. McDonagh after you left the city to try to fill in the blanks of your departure. What we’ve learned from him has been… illuminating. Though we still have some questions that we would like to ask you. What we need from you is for you to return to the city of your own volition. You will be granted safe passage and treated as a guest of the Chancellor.” He glanced down at the sleeve of his jacket and picked a piece of invisible dirt off of it. “We really don’t like to resort to threats, so I will leave what we will do to Mr. McDonagh–should you fail to do as we request–up to your imagination.”

  Behind Mr. Saunders, Liam started struggling against his restraints. “No! Don’t do it, Gertie.” He pleaded, his gold eyes fixed on the lens, as though he could see her through the screen. “Don’t come.” Gertie blinked as her eyes stung.

  Mr. Saunders smiled into the camera, staying perfectly calm. “It’s up to you, Miss Penn. But know that there will be consequences should you fail to do as we ask.”

  Liam thrashed against the ropes that held him, but they stayed firm. “I swear to God, I’m going to rip you apart.” He snarled. “Don’t come, Gertie. Stay safe.”

  Before she knew what she was doing, Gertie was outside, running past the car and down the winding road that led away from the house. She heard her name called behind her but didn’t stop. With every pounding step, she took she could hear Liam, begging her to stay safe.

  She had to get to him. She had to save him.

  Someone barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. She cried out from the pressure on her ribs, but lashed out with her fists and feet, struggling to get out from under Vail’s weight.

  “Gertie, stop,” He panted, trying to get a grip on her.

  “Let me go!” She screamed, bringing up her knee. His grip loosened and she sprang up, running down the road again. I’m coming, Liam, she thought. Hold on. I’m coming to save you.

  Arms wrapped around her, pinning her own arms to her sides, and she was pulled off the ground so that her feet kicked helplessly in the air. “Let me go, Vail!” She shouted. He didn’t. She could feel him dragging her back toward the house.

  She kicked backward at his legs, but he showed no sign of slowing. She muttered a string of curses at him, calling him every name she could think of, but his grip on her remained firm. He carried her into the front door of the house backward, past Dicie and Graves, who watched stunned.

  “You did this,” he growled at Dicie. “Happy?”

  He heaved Gertie on the bed in his room and slammed the door behind him. Gertie sprang to her feet and lunged past him, but he caught her easily, pushed her back into the room while he stood in front of the door. “What was your plan, Gertie? To run all the way back to the city?” His voice was harsh, his breathing heavy.

  She clenched her fists and squared off against him. Echo was roaring in her head, begging Gertie to let her out so she could dismember the man who had dared to lay hands on her.

  She took a few deep breaths to calm the shade and then raised her chin at Vail. “If that is what I have to do to save Liam, then yes.”

  “Jesus, Gertie, do you have any idea the direction you need to go? The distance we drove to get here?” Gertie hesitated before she shook her head. “Seventy five miles.”

  Her knees gave out and she sank to the bed. She’d never heard of anyone going that far into the wilderness. There were heavily guarded roads connecting city to city, but no one ever went this far into the woods. It wasn’t safe.

  She never would have made it back without supplies, without a map.

  Vail squatted in front of her, took her hands in his.

  “I have to help him.” Gertie said, simply, a tear trickling down her cheek. “I can’t just leave him there. What about my parents? Oh, God, I didn’t even think about them.”

  Vail shook his head, brushing his fingers over her cheek. “I’m sure they’re fine. The Chancellor would have let you know that he had them. The same way he let you know with Liam.”

  “You don’t know that for sure.” He pursed his lips, but didn’t answer. “I have to go.” She pleaded again.

  “I just got you back, Gertie,” Vail’s voice was heavy with emotion. “Don’t think for an instant that I am going to let you out of my sight.”

  “He helped us. He let us go.” She whispered.

  “Exactly! He let us go, so that you could get out and be safe. I don’t like the guy, but I know he wouldn’t want this. He was begging you not to come.”

  Liam had told her to stay away. He was only there because of her, because the Chancellor wanted her. If Liam had never met her, he would be safe. He would have met some other girl by now, they’d probably be engaged and he would be looking forward to a happy life.

  Instead, he was going to die.

  For her.

  “I can’t just let him die for nothing.” Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

  “You’re not nothing.”

  “Yes, I am. I’ve been trying to tell you that since I met you. I’m not worth his life.”

  “You are the granddaughter of the last reigning monarch. You are worth more than his life.” She felt as though he had hit her and she curled in on herself, clutching at her chest to keep her heart from breaking. She felt tears burn her eye as she stared at him.

  “See? See? I told you this would happen. I told you I would stop being me. That’s all I am to you now, isn’t it? The granddaughter of the last reigning monarch, Victoria St. Clare. The symbol for the great rebellion of the Extras.”

  “You’re more than that to me,” he said ferociously. “But the reality is that you are a St. Clare, and I’m sorry, but that comes with some responsibility on your part to stay safe.”

  Gertie stared at him for a moment, not quite believing what she was hearing. She stood slowly, trying to dislodge his arms from her. Vail pressed his face against her stomach, clutching at her hips to hold her in place. “Please,” he whispered. He didn’t add more. She knew what he was asking.

  Please, don’t leave.

  Please, don’t make me make you stay.

  Please, be the last hope of the rebellion.

  Please, forget everything you were before and be our ember in the glass, our spark.

  Please, let Liam die to keep you safe.

  How could he ask this of her? How could he so thoroughly not understand who she was? What made her Gertie? That was the problem, that would always be the problem now. His view of her was clouded by who she could be.

  She reached down and wrapped her fingers around his wrists, pulling them away from her body while she stepped out of the circle of his arms. He let her go but his eyes continued to plead with her, locked with her own black ones.

  After a moment, she turned from him, nodding and biting her lip to keep from crying.

  She heard him come after her, but she released Echo, allowing her to stop Vail from following Gertie. For the first time, she was glad to have a shade.

  She felt Echo join her in her room.

  The shade leaned against the door, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s right you know. You do have a duty to keep yourself alive.”

  Of course, Echo would take his side, anything to keep her safe. “What kind of a ruler would I be if I let people die for me? If I didn’t do everything in my power to keep them safe?”

  “The type that is alive. That is the way of the monarch.”

  “I don’t want to be a monarch.” Gertie grabbed a backpack from the closet and began stuffing clothes into it randomly.

  “Too bad.” Echo seemed to sense Gertie’s want of secrecy, because she continued the conversation in Gertie’s mind. Why are you packing clothes? Do you r
eally think you’ll need them when the Chancellor has his hands on you? Her red eyes flicked to the camera in the corner. Vail is watching you right now. He will know that you plan on leaving if you continue. On second thought, keep packing so he can intervene.

  Gertie sighed and sank down on the bed next to the half full bag, dropped her head into her hands. Why are you fighting me on this? I thought you would be happy I’m actually doing something.

  While it is a pleasant surprise that you seem to have a backbone, it is my job to keep you safe. Vail is right, Echo repeated. Going to the city to meet with the Chancellor is not safe.

  Well, I’m doing it anyway.

  The voice sighed. Then, I suppose I might as well help you.

  43

  Dicie

  Pain pounded through Dicie’s head, throbbing against her closed eyelids. Whatever she had done the night before she regretted it, and silently vowed to never do it again once she remembered what exactly it was. She rolled over on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, frowning. Since when had she started sleeping in bed? Since when had she started sleeping?

  The last time she’d slept had been with Lanie’s arms wrapped around her, before Gertie had been kidnapped, before they knew who Gertie was. That was Dicie’s ability. Not needing sleep. It made her an excellent security monitor, she could stare at a screen for hours without feeling the weight of exhaustion.

  Yet here she was sleeping when she should have been watching the cameras in the woods. After the message had been delivered and Gertie had run out of the house, they were all a bit on edge. It was fairly obvious that the Chancellor knew where they were. If not the exact location then at least the general area.

  After Vail had retrieved Gertie from the woods and all but locked her in her room, Dicie, Graves and Vail had come up with a new plan. It really just consisted of moving to a safe house farther from the city.

  She brought her hand up to swipe at her hair that tickled her forehead and flinched as pain radiated down the side of her face. She sat up too quickly and her vision swam. She looked around. On her nightstand, there was a glass of water and two white pills. Under the glass was a folded piece of paper.

  Dread building in her stomach, she unfolded the sheet with shaking hands.

  Dicie,

  I hope you can understand why I had to do what I did. Echo promised that she would be as gentle as she can when she knocks you out. She made no such promise for Vail and Graves. I think she actually likes you.

  Because of this I suspect that you are going to be the first to wake and so I left this with you.

  I had to go. I can’t let Liam die because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did.

  I took the car and Echo says she can show me the way back to the city. You’ll be able to have someone from the Office come and get you, right? I hope so.

  Tell Vail I’m sorry. I think he might hate me when he wakes up. I hope he doesn’t, but I think he might. Don’t let him come back to the city. Send him to Brisco or Harferd. I’ll feel better knowing that he is safely away from here. Better able to face what I know is coming, if I don’t have to worry about him trying to rescue me.

  Don’t let him blame you either. I can’t thank you enough for making sure I saw what needed seeing. He was trying to protect me and I love him for that, but I needed to see it, needed to make my own decision on the best course of action.

  And this is it.

  Don’t worry.

  I’ll be fine.

  Love,

  Gertie

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read this book! I hope you enjoyed it, but if you didn’t that is okay too! I still appreciate you taking the time to pick up this book and read it. Without you, writing stories would be like screaming into the void, satisfying in the moment, but ultimately useless. So, thank you for existing, and for enjoying books!

  Thank you to my dad, Rick, for being amazing, for teaching me the value of hard work and kind words. For teaching me that the devil’s advocate is often a useful position and can help you solidify your own beliefs. I love you.

  To my mom, Terry, thank you for teaching me that making mistakes is okay, that you can get back up from them and continue on, that you will persevere if you have a heart and a mind to. Your strength and courage are an inspiration. I love you, too.

  Thank you to my sister, Lindsay. I case I haven’t told you lately you are my heart. You have always been the one constant in my life, and I can’t tell you what that means. Truly. Your willingness to read manuscripts, sit down and talk with me and give me feedback is something I appreciate so much. I love you, big sis.

  Devin, my sweetheart, I don’t even know where to begin. Thank you for being you, for being supportive and believing that I can do this. Thank you for reading my stuff, even though I know you aren’t a fan of the genre. Thank you for letting me cry when I needed it, making me laugh when I needed it and questioning me when I needed it. Basically, thank you for being what I needed. I love you so freaking much.

  Thank you, Jessi, for being so solidly Team Vail when Devin had me questioning him as a character. I needed to hear that in the moment. Thank you also for being my friend, my sister from another mister. Your dedication is inspiring.

  Erin! My darling, darling Erin! Thank you for putting up with me for all these years! For being willing to listen to me complain about so many things, and just nod and let me vent. It helps so much, and I wouldn’t be able to survive without you. Like really. I mean it.

  Lindsey and Bobby, my friends, my confidants. You guys are amazing! Thank you for being you. You are supportive and magical and all kinds of wonderful. I am constantly in awe of both of you, and your kindness.

  Thank you to the girls of Books, Booze and Bizness, Trista and Vanessa, for being so willing to talk about books with me and totally geek out over our favorite characters (ahem, RHYS). It is something that I didn’t know I was missing in my life, and I do truly love our meets. Surprise, bitches! I have ALL the books!

  Thank you, Jen, for always, always being excited to read what I’ve written and pestering me to write more. It means a lot to have your support.

  To my puppy, Boomer, thank you for being a cuddle bug. Thank you for making me laugh by giving my computer kisses while I am trying to work, and wedging your head under my arms, when you think I need to take a break to play with you. You continue to be a very good puppers (even if sometimes you are a butt)

  Adriene of Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. Thank you for making you videos available to all of us. There were more times than I can count when doing a sequence with you would help me regain focus and concentration on writing. It truly is a gift.

  Thank you to Sarah J Mass, Victoria Aveyard, Leigh Bardugo, Tamara Pierce, Meredith Ann Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones and countless other totally bad ass writers that make me excited to write and tell stories when I read your work. I admire each and every one of you.

  And once again thank YOU. For reading this book, for trying out an unknown author and for being awesome. You are amazing.

  Spark Teaser

  Mariah Esterly

  SPARK

  Also by Mariah Esterly

  The Caste Marked

  Smoke Series

  Smoke

  Copyright © 2017 by Mariah Esterly

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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  1

  Gertie

  The car that Gertie rode in was far nicer than the one that she’d left on the side of the road. Her fingers caressed the soft black leather, running idly over the black stitching that held the pieces together. She felt dazed, in a trance of some kind.

  Trees whirred by the window of the car, making her head feel worse. She took a deep breath and glanced away, toward the front of the car and the two guards there.

  She’d left the house in the woods in the middle of the night, after she’d heard Vail, Dicie and Graves make plans for what they would do with her next. Echo had left her and entered each of their rooms, knocking them out “gently,” she’d assured Gertie. “Well, as gently as possible.”

  Gertie suspected that Echo had enjoyed that part of their plan. She’d sworn that she wouldn’t leave any of them with any lasting damage. Not even Graves, who Echo still didn’t trust, even after he’d helped Gertie and Echo to strengthen their bond.

  Gertie closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose, held it for a moment and then let it out through her mouth. The sound like an ocean wave, rising and falling with her chest. She felt calmer, more at ease, after a few moments, and her eyes flickered open again.

  Once Echo had done her job, Gertie had fled the safe house in the woods. Her hands shaking the whole time she was behind the wheel, the white of her knuckles showing through her skin. She’d never driven before and of all the parts of their plan, this was the part that she was the most uncomfortable with. The only vehicles she’d ever been in were the large buses that shuttled the farmers out to the farms outside of the city, and the taxis that Kay had made her take on their few nights out of the city. Gertie felt a clench of guilt in her stomach as she thought of her friend, but forced the feeling down. Worrying about Kay wouldn’t solve anything.