by Jenn Vakey
Her words were so threatening, but her tone was anything but. It was like she was doing nothing more than making an ill-humored joke.
“Leeya,” I countered, then laid back and curled up on the bed. I wanted this to all be a dream. To wake up in my room in Eden with Lillith by my side. Oh, how I missed her.
“What happens to them?” I asked, unable to meet her eye. “The ones they capture.”
“No one knows for sure,” she answered gently. “The government’s never even officially admitted to their existence. They would have to first do that before they would tell everyone where they were taken.”
She wasn’t saying it, but I could hear it in her voice. Everyone suspected the same. They were killed. It was the only thing that made sense.
I just hoped it wasn't too late to keep Lillith from that fate. I had already failed with my task. Adler wanted me to tell him where Alkwin was, but I had no idea. I needed to get to my bag and call him. Hopefully there was some way of fixing this.
“How long will it take them to verify who I am? I've never been good at being stuck inside. It was part of the reason I was so disappointed to test Healer instead of Grower.”
“Not long,” Aarys answered. “Twins are rare. They just need to confirm you are who you say you are, and that your sister was, indeed, taken.”
My spirits dropped again. What were they doing to her? Adler said I would get her back, but what would they do to her in the meantime?
“I'm sorry about your sister,” Aarys said.
I nodded, then let my eyes close again. This was supposed to be a happy time. Getting away from Eden and being safe. But I didn't feel safe. I didn't think I would until I had her back.
CHAPTER SIX
It felt like only seconds passed, but when I opened my eyes again, Aarys was gone. Sitting on the foot of my bed was a pile of clothes. Not mine, but they would do.
I stretched out my sore body and sat, letting my legs dangle over the side of the bed. I couldn't just stay in bed, no matter how badly I wanted to. I had to get out and do what I could to fix this.
The shirt was tighter than I was used to, but the clothes at least fit. Thankfully the guy hadn't felt the need to burn my shoes along with the rest of my stuff. I was just pulling them on when the door opened and the older woman walked back in.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
I shrugged, running my fingers through my hair. They caught in a tangle. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a shower. Did they even have those here? So far things were far more advanced than the tents I had assumed we would find, but I had yet to see any sign of running water. “As good as can be expected.”
She nodded knowingly, then motioned toward the door. Apparently they had already been able to verify who I was. That was a good sign. Now I just needed my bag back.
“I'm Faida,” she said, turning toward the door. When she did, something caught my eye. Something on her shoulder.
“You're not Tainted,” I said before I could stop myself. I hadn't seen my own tattoo, but hers looked just the way Lillith had described it. “I thought those were supposed to be invisible.”
Faida looked back like she was trying to see her mark, then her eyes found mine. “They are outside of the barrier. There's no need to hide them here.”
She didn't bother responding to my first statement. Nor did she look offended by my bluntness.
Faida walked me through the small building. I was actually impressed by the construction. It wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before, but it was definitely a building. It looked like a house, except the walls were made of wood instead of the stone and metal of ours in Eden. Even the floors were a smooth wood.
She didn’t slow as we walked down the hallway and toward the door. When we stepped out, I had to pull my hand up in front of my face to block out the brightness of the sun. It was sinking lower in the sky, but it looked like there were several hours still left before night set in. I knew that I had been met at the archway in the early hours. There was a chance that this was still the same day. I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t seem to get the words out. Hearing that it had been longer would only crush what little hope I was still managing to hold onto.
“Welcome to Alkwin,” Faida said, swinging her arm around theatrically.
When my eyes finally adjusted, I caught myself pulling in a breath at the sight. This wasn’t just some small camp. It was like a small city. There were dozens of houses off to my right, all made of the same materials as the one I had just left. Ahead of me was a large building. The length of maybe five of our houses in Eden. Two high. There was even a large garden to the side of it. To my left was another large building further back. Nearly as big as the one in front of me, but not quite as tall. Just a single story. Between them were ones of different sizes. I couldn’t tell what any of them were for, although they didn’t look like houses.
Several people looked over at me as I followed Faida out. Most had curious looks, but a few offered me kind smiles. I didn’t know what I had really been expecting from the people here. I knew that most people left before their test, so I guess I had envisioned mostly young adults or teens. That wasn’t what I saw. There were small children running around. Most of the people were adults like Faida, though. I guessed that made sense. Not everyone would have left at the same time. The ones from the previous decades would have grown. Had children of their own.
“The large building ahead is the dining hall,” Faida said, motioning forward. “We eat as a community. Breakfast is at eight, lunch at noon, and dinner is at seven. If you miss a meal, there are always some scraps left over in the kitchen. Any other food you might want, such as fruits from the woods or food smuggled out of Eden, can be bartered for with the person who has it.”
I nodded, watching the people that were working in the garden. No one wore the customary vocational jumpsuits here. Did that mean that people didn’t have assigned jobs? There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I knew they would have to wait. The last thing I wanted to do was make her suspicious.
“Families live in the houses,” she said, turning her back to them as we started walking toward the other large structure. She didn’t slow as she named the other buildings. Storage. Meeting hall. “We have just under one hundred members of our community right now. As I’m sure you can tell, most are families. For the ones like you, we have the dorm for you to reside in.” She pointed ahead. I expected her to take me to it, but she just turned and started walking around the back of what she had called the dining hall. This led to even more buildings. “It’s where all of the teenagers and single young adults live. You’ll have your own room there, and you’re expected to follow the rules of both the dorm, as well as Alkwin.”
“What are they?” I asked.
“The dorm ones are simple. Don't enter someone else's room without their knowledge or permission. Don't touch someone else's belongings. Other than that, it's not up to us to tell you what to do. You're an adult. Just make sure you're making wise decisions.”
She was talking around what she was really trying to say, and honestly, it surprised me. Eden was very strict about relations and contact between the sexes. We weren't even permitted to touch anyone of the opposite sex before marriage. That also included showing them into our bedrooms. While she wasn't exactly saying it, it seemed that those rules didn't apply here. I honestly didn't know how I felt about that.
“As for Alkwin, there are more rules you will need to abide by,” she went on, interrupting my thoughts. “Everyone here must pull their own weight, so to speak. We don't do things the way they do in Eden. There isn't one area for everyone when it comes to the work. Some days you will be tasked with harvesting the food for dinner, other times you will be on child care duty.” As she said it, she pointed to another building that she called the schoolhouse. “You will also be required to participate in training. For those that are Tainted, that also includes classes to learn how to control their abilities. The mos
t important rule of Alkwin is to protect the city and all those who live here. There’s nothing the government of Eden would like more than to wipe us out. Leave the Tainted in the city with nowhere to go.”
There was that guilt again. If I was to provide Adler with the location of Alkwin, what would stop him from going after everyone here instead of just the criminal he sought?
“Other than that, stay in the community until you've earned the right to go out.”
I nodded, my eyes sweeping over the grounds. Then I saw someone sitting on a bench across the way. The same guy. Just sitting there watching a group of children running around next to the schoolhouse. I couldn't help but notice that he looked a little glum. Why? Surely he would be basking in his victory of robbing the king his remaining son. Instead, he just looked sad. But it wasn't my job to figure him out. Just to find a way to get him back to Adler. Hopefully without anyone here knowing what I had done.
“I'll leave you to get to know the area,” Faida said. “You've already missed lunch, but dinner will be served in a couple hours.”
I nodded and watched as she walked away. Then I turned myself and walked back to the dorm.
I had heard the word used in history books from before the war. Places that young people stayed when they were in school. I guess this wasn't much different. Young people living together instead of separated into houses. Almost like the communal buildings in Eden people lived in before they were wed and had families.
Pulling the large door open, I was relieved to see my bag sitting on a shelf near the door. It was much lighter than it had been before. All of the Healer supplies had been removed. Thankfully, whoever went through it hadn't found the hidden pocket. After making sure no one was around to see me, I reached into it and pulled out the Haller. At least one thing was going right.
Tucking it into my pocket, I walked back out and looked for a secluded place to make my call. Faida said that I had to stay in the community, but she didn't say how far those boundaries extended. So when I was sure no one was watching me, I walked to the nearest tree line and stepped through it.
The woods here weren't nearly as scary as those lining the path I had taken from Eden. So I walked out a little further until I found a spot where they opened up into a small clearing. The ground was littered with leaves and grass. There was even a tree that had fallen down, leaving me with a place to sit. Well, if I weren’t too anxious and could keep myself from pacing. After looking back to ensure I was alone, I powered on the Haller and called the only number programmed into it.
“I expected your call hours ago,” the rough voice answered. Adler.
“I'm sorry,” I said, keeping my voice as low as I could. “I was attacked by some kind of animal. I barely made it to the archway before I succumbed to its effects. I only woke up half an hour ago.”
Not really a lie, although I did leave quite a bit out. Nothing that he really needed to know.
“So I’m assuming that means you can't give me the location of the hidden city,” he said, annoyance ringing through his tone. “What do you think you're playing at, girl?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “But, no. I was unconscious when I was carried in. Can't you just pull the location from the Haller?”
“If I could do that, then I wouldn't have asked you to get it for me,” he growled. “Something about their wards blocks it.”
He let out a deep breath, giving me time to look around. The air smelled so fresh out here. The trees filling it with their aroma. It was lovely.
“Okay,” he said, pulling my attention back. “Were going to have to move on to the backup plan. Your job is to earn the trust of this man and get him outside of the wards. All I will need is a couple hours notice, then I’ll have a team nearby watching for your signal. Get him into position so our people can capture him.”
“I want to talk to my sister first,” I told him. “I need to know that she's still alive. Otherwise, I'm not doing any of this.”
I thought he was going to argue, to scold me for making demands. But he didn't. The Haller vibrated in my hand. When I looked down, I saw her. A picture at least. She was in some kind of room, curled up in a ball in the corner. She looked terrified, but she was still alive.
“You have your orders,” he went on. “Let me know when you plan on moving.”
Without waiting for me to respond, the call just dropped. I stared down at the Haller for a moment, doing all I could to hold on to that tiny bit of hope. Then I tucked it back into my pocket and sat down on the fallen tree.
How did things get so messed up? I should have listened to Paxton and waited a little longer to move. Maybe the Sentry wouldn't have been out and we could have slipped through Eden unnoticed. Then she would be here with me. I wouldn't have all of this fear and stress. I wouldn't have to figure out how to earn the trust of a guy who clearly didn't like me. Didn’t trust me.
How was I even supposed to do that? I would be lying if I said I was good with guys. Paxton was the only one I had really ever developed a connection with. I doubt that would have even happened without Lillith. Now I was on my own.
So I just sat there and stared out at the woods around me. I wanted to just disappear into them and let all of this go. If it had been anyone but Lillith, I might have. But I could feel the emptiness inside from her absence. I never liked to feel like I needed anyone, but I needed her. My other half.
“You aren't supposed to be out here,” a cold voice said, shaking me from my thoughts.
I turned back quickly, fearing my call had been overheard. But too much time had gone by. I had been sitting there for close to an hour, lost in my thoughts.
And like everywhere else, there he was. Just standing there staring at me, no expression on his face. The way the sun hit his hair left it looking like the wheat in the fields, though. It was oddly comforting. Everything else about him as he stood leaning against a tree took that away. He was almost frightening. Every muscle in his body tight, like he was waiting for a fight.
I started to say something, one of the many remarks that would get me in trouble in Eden, but Adler’s words filled my mind. I had to make him trust me. That meant not saying the first thing that came to mind. So I bit down on my cheek and thought of an appropriate response to give.
“Sorry,” I said, the word feeling like acid on my tongue. “No one told me.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, moving over every inch of my face. I wanted so badly to look away, but I forced my gaze to stay in place.
“That took a lot of effort,” he said finally.
My brow dropped as confusion washed over me. I had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn't even begin to guess.
“Not saying what you really wanted to say,” he explained.
My cheeks instantly filled with heat. I really wasn't expecting him to pick that up. Even if he did, I didn't think he would call me out on it. Almost no one ever did. It wasn’t the Eden way. Despite my efforts, I couldn't keep from smirking. I was thoroughly caught. Not something that happened often.
“That's why they put you with the Healers,” he said when I didn't respond. Again, the statement confused me. “The council doesn't like the negativity associated with a strong will. So if you're smart enough, they put you with the Healers so they can shape you. God forbid they waste a good mind.”
I didn't know how I was supposed to take his statement. It was almost a compliment, although not quite. More like he was just stating facts, ones that happened to show me in a good light.
“And if you aren't smart enough?” I asked, not wanting to let the conversation end. Not with the path it was taking. It was borderline pleasant. Well, at least not as hostile. More than that, I wanted to understand how things really worked in Eden. Everything that was hidden from us.
“Laborers, unless it's bad enough. Then they manipulate the results so they have an excuse to get rid of them.”
“They wouldn't do that,” I snapped back quickly, almost defensively.
Even as the words left my lips I questioned them. What reason would I have for defending anything Eden did? The very people who had stolen my sister from me because she was a little different. Was what he was saying so hard to fathom?
I wasn't the only one that was surprised by my reaction. He raised an eyebrow and stared at me like I was a naive child. Maybe I was.
“You don't think the same people who will wipe out an entire family just because one member shows signs of being Tainted wouldn't also stamp out the troublemakers? People who could disrupt their ideal society?”
Years of ingrained beliefs still wanted me to argue against it, but I couldn’t. I couldn't really put anything past them at this point.
“What do they do to them?” I asked instead. It wasn't the question I really wanted to ask. I couldn't make myself say it, though. I couldn't ask if they killed them. Couldn’t let my thoughts wander over the possible future I might have had if my mouth had really gotten me into trouble.
“They give them drugs to fix the problem during a stint of imprisonment,” he answered, easing some of my nerves. Though only slightly. “Then they become Laborers after.”
I nodded. I didn't agree with drugging people just because they didn't fit into the norm of society, but it was better than killing them. After all, that really could have been me.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. I wanted to believe it was just his attempt at playing nice. Maybe it was my own secrets and hidden agenda that made me question that. See it more as his way of turning me against Eden. Like he really did suspect me of doing exactly what I was. Working for them.
Or maybe I was just paranoid.
He shrugged in a casual way, eyes flittering away from mine for only a fraction of a moment before returning. “Thought you deserved to know.”
He was lying. Although he did a surprising job of hiding it, I could tell. I tried to think of all the reasons why he would lie about something so insignificant, but the only explanation I could come up with was to hide exactly what I thought. His attempt to stop whatever plan he thought I was involved in. Did that mean he could know I was after him?
