Tainted Plans

by Jenn Vakey

  His brow dropped slightly as his eyes moved over my face, covering every inch of it like I was something he was trying to figure out.

  “No, it’s better that he doesn’t know,” I said, not waiting for him to come up with something to say to that. “He’ll be happier that way.”

  Rhydian looked at me for a few moments longer, then picked another tomato from the plant and just turned and left.

  Once again, I was left taken aback by his actions. Not him just turning and leaving. That seemed to just be Rhydian. It was the very fact that he had someone approach Paxton at all. This wasn’t as simple as someone’s family member he was having contacted. This was the son of the Sentry councilman. Even I knew that it was a big risk. While I knew that Pax would never betray us, that wasn’t something that he would know. All he had to go on was my word. Surprisingly, he took that as enough.

  It was more than just that. Why had he done it at all? We might have been friendlier lately, there was no denying that. I had even caught him watching me in the dining hall or when I was out in the community a few times. I still hadn’t expected anything like this from him. It was almost sweet. An odd outcome from a conversation that began with killing people.

  All I knew was that whatever was happening wasn’t making my mission any easier. Sure, he might be trusting me more, which was what I needed to get him out of the wards of Alkwin, but it was making it harder for me. It was making me have doubts, and those would only get Lillith killed.

  I decided by lunch time that I couldn’t put off going to the dining hall any longer. If I did, I had a feeling it would be something that I would be doing for a while. Thankfully, I wasn’t the topic of discussion.

  “Hopefully the next group of people that come in will have a younger guy with them,” Joury said, smiling brightly at the table. “It’s time we found a boyfriend for Aarys.”

  Aarys barked a laugh, shaking her head before taking a drink. “Why don’t you worry about finding yourself a guy before you try to find one for me.”

  Joury narrowed her gaze, then her eyes shifted quickly over to where Rhydian was sitting with Faida across the room, then back. No one else seemed to have noticed. I wondered if I was wrong about what I detected from watching them interact, although the very fact that she glanced toward him now hinted that I wasn’t. Was it something that no one else had picked up on, or did they just all ignore it. Furthermore, was it a one-sided attraction, or was there something going on between them?

  Thinking about it made that same knot I had felt earlier tighten up within me. It felt oddly like jealousy, although that didn’t make any sense. What did I care if there was something going on between them? Other than the fact that it could make it harder to do what I needed to do. Both in getting him out of Alkwin and the guilt that I knew I would probably never be able to let go of.

  “Come on, Aarys,” Joury said playfully. “You’ve been in Alkwin practically since birth. Auggie and Zaydan were the only guys here when you were growing up, and they’re both older.”

  “And like my brothers,” Aarys added, reaching out and exchanging a high five with Auggie, who was sitting right across from her.

  “My point exactly. We need some guys around here your age who you don’t see as a brother.”

  Aarys rolled her eyes, looking to me as if we shared some big secret that explained why she thought it was ridiculous. Then she looked at Joury, leveling a look at her that said it wasn’t a conversation she was going to win. “You’ve been here for three years, Joury, and you’re seven years older than I am. Seeing as most of the guys that come in here are nearing their twentieth birthday, you’re much more likely to find a match for yourself than me.”

  That was something I hadn’t really thought about. Not that it really applied to me at all. Unless someone’s abilities displayed after they past the age of the test and they decided to leave Eden even without the risk, most of the people coming in would be young. If someone didn’t find a person they were willing to court at that age, how difficult would it end up being for them. Looking around, I didn’t see many single people where the families were sitting. There were a few guys in their late twenties or early thirties, but I didn’t really know their stories. As far as I knew, Rhydian was actually the oldest of our generation. Assuming he came here at nineteen, he would be twenty-three now. Maybe that was why Joury seemed so interested in him. He was really the only guy around her age here.

  Probably not something I should actually ask people. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to think I was interested in finding a partner.

  After lunch, I had my hours in the clinic. I thought I would be in training again, and was actually disappointed when I wasn’t. I wondered if Rhydian had cancelled it after yesterday. Or maybe Noella. Giving me another day to ease the aches from the bruises that covered my chest and limbs.

  It wasn’t all bad, though. I actually liked being in the clinic. With such a small community, there really wasn’t a lot to do. After making sure everything was stocked and in order, my job was basically to just be there if anyone needed something while Noella was out.

  We spent the first hour of my shift going over the items I brought in in more depth. She was determined to recreate them, which would be really good for Alkwin. Anything that could be made instead of smuggled out of Eden was going to make the people here much safer. Besides, as I had become all too aware of, a lot of those supplies were in greater need out here than in the city. Injuries weren’t exactly uncommon.

  After telling her everything I could, Noella took off to go to the lab. She had an added bounce to her step that made me smile. I liked how much she actually took pleasure in what she did.

  Another hour passed before the door to the clinic swung open, causing me to nearly jump out of my seat with a start. Rhydian walked in, his arm around another guy–Nevin if I was remembering correctly–who looked to be struggling to keep his pain from showing.

  Was that a smile in his eyes I saw when they found me? No, couldn’t have been. He was too busy trying to get the guy in and onto the bed. Besides, Rhydian rarely smiled.

  “What happened?” I asked, reaching for the scanner and moving toward the table. I didn’t wait for either of them to answer, or for the scanner to tell me. It was clear just looking at him. The way that his left arm aligned with his body. It was just… wrong. “Dislocated shoulder.”

  Rhydian nodded as I moved back to the cabinet and reached for one of the patches. “Where’s Noella?”

  “Out,” I said, then slapped the patch down on Nevin’s neck. Almost instantly, I watched as the pain dissipated.

  Rhydian let out a loud sigh, shifting his body toward the door. “I’ll go track her down.”

  “No need,” I said, almost defensively, although I think I managed to hide it from my tone. “I can take care of this.”

  His eyes moved to Nevin, then to me. They swept over my body, as if saying that I didn’t have it in me to even manage the force necessary to reset his shoulder. Then he met my eye again, giving me an incredulous look.

  I just rolled my eyes and lowered the top of the bed so that it laid flat, then motioned for Nevin to move further over toward the opposite side. He looked a little nervous himself, while at the same time amused by my complete disregard for what Rhydian thought. But he complied, moving as far over as he could. It still left me with only a narrow place to work with, but I hopped up onto the bed next to him.

  Rhydian moved behind me, as if expecting me to fall, but he didn’t say anything. Just watched.

  I crouched down, extending my left leg so that my foot pushed in just below his armpit. Then I carefully moved his arm into position. Holding onto his hand, I pulled it toward me firmly and steadily until I felt the limb snap back into place.

  Then, giving Rhydian a grin that was oozing with pride, I rose back up and prepared to jump from the table. Before I could, though, Rhydian reached up and placed his hands on my waist, lifting me and planting me down on the
floor in front of him. The move effectively wiped away any clever statements I’d been planning to make.

  “Thanks,” I swallowed, unable to get anything else out. I was almost afraid to say more, feeling suddenly incredibly flustered as a wave of heat moved through my body. I could feel it building in my face, but his eyes were already moving over my cheeks before I had the chance to move. And there it was again. That glint of a smile in his eyes. I was beginning to think that he did things like this on purpose. His way of having fun and messing with the new girl.

  I turned quickly, reaching for the scanner I had put down. Space. I needed some space.

  “So what happened?” I asked, finally finding my words. I ran the scanner over his shoulder and smiled. Perfect.

  “Grappling,” Nevin answered. “Made one comment about his hair looking like my sister's doll and he dislocated my shoulder.”

  I grinned, grabbing a sling out of a drawer and fitting it over his arm. “I think it looks more like the wheat fields.”

  “Wheat fields?” Nevin asked, a look of confusion settling over his face. “Is that a good thing?”

  I shrugged, but it was Rhydian who answers. “She likes the fields.”

  There was something in his voice that made me turn around and look at him. When I did, I found him studying me again. Like he was trying to understand what my comment meant. I hadn't thought about it before I said it. Hadn't considered that he would read into it. When he did, I couldn't think of anything to say. I just gave him a fleeting smile, then turned back to my patient.

  “Your shoulder looks good,” I told him as he flung his legs over the side of the table and stood. “You just need to take it easy and let it heal.”

  “Thanks, Leeya,” he said with a smile of his own, then turned and walked out.

  I expected Rhydian to go with him, but he just leaned a hip against the bed, his eyes not leaving me.

  “Well, there goes my afternoon,” he said. I responded with a raised eyebrow, hiding the surprise that he didn't comment on what I had said about his hair. Not that I was complaining. Something told me it was a slippery road to go down. “I had back to back training sessions with Nevin. Grappling first, then we were going to do crossbow.”

  “You were going to train him to use a crossbow?”

  Rhydian shrugged and nodded. “Not really training so much as practice. Nevin is one of our strongest fighters. That doesn't mean he doesn't still need to practice. But yes, we use the crossbows for hunting. Noella also makes special tranq tips. We take them hunting or to the archway in case there is any trouble.”

  I tried to picture what that would even look like. The image in my head was of a tranquilizer dart attached to the end of an arrow. I knew it must have been more practical than that. I doubted something like that would even come close to being able to fly straight.

  “You want to get more training in?” he asked, pulling me back from my wandering thoughts. “I don't just sit around well.”

  I smirked, I couldn't help it. Aside from joining me at the picnic table at night, this was the first time he was choosing to spend time with me when he didn’t have to. Progress. “Grappling or crossbow?”

  The question should have scared me. I knew what grappling was, two people basically rolling around, bodies tangled as they fought for control. Even asking implied that it was something I was willing to do with him. That should have frightened me. Why didn't it?

  Rhydian's expression stayed fixed and stoic, but there was no hiding the amusement just under the surface. “You're far too fresh from Eden for grappling with anyone other than the girls. Avoid Aarys on that one if she offers.” I nodded, remembering what Aarys said about having werewolf abilities. After that man in the woods, I knew just what that could mean. “So either more of what you’ve been doing or you could try the crossbow.”

  I thought about the options. I really enjoyed working with the bastons. Weapons also scared me. Still, there was something that almost sounded fun about using a crossbow. Had I had one with me in the woods, I might not have had to kill that guy.

  Then another thought came to me.

  “Where do you practice with weapons like that?” I asked. “Surely it can't be safe with all the children running around.”

  The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. “In the woods.”

  There was no need to try to understand his reaction. He had already figured out my fondness for them. Knowing that, I had a feeling he already knew which I would choose.

  “I can't leave the clinic with Noella out,” I said, although I found myself really wanting to.

  As if on cue, the door opened behind him and Noella walked in. He didn't turn to face her, just held my gaze, that small smile still comfortably on his face. “You were saying?”

  “Okay,” I answered, nodding despite the nervousness I now felt.

  “Noella, I'm taking Leeya for some extra training,” he said, turning back to face her.

  “Nevin chicken out on you?” she asked.

  “No, he dislocated his shoulder. I reset it for him. Scans looked good.”

  She nodded her approval, then motioned toward the door.

  We parted ways when we reached the dorm. There was a slight chill in the air today, and I needed to change before going out. Rhydian didn't question it as he headed toward the training field.

  I changed into the black pants, which I now knew were called cargo pants. Then I pulled on a grey long sleeved shirt and a thin sweater that I zipped halfway up. Warm enough for the day, but not enough that I would get hot.

  My nerves were a mess, but I tried to push them down. I understood now that there were dangers outside of the wall that I couldn’t ignore. I needed as much training as I could get before I ended up having to leave Alkwin. Something that I knew would eventually happen.

  It wasn’t just the thought of using a weapon that had me uneasy. I was going into the woods with a murderer. Away from anyone who could protect me. What if I said the wrong thing? Despite a rocky start, I hadn’t actually seen a violent side from him. But there had to be one. What if he figured out the real reason that I was in Alkwin? He was going to be armed. Would he use it on me? Would he kill me to keep me from turning him over to Adler?

  It was something that I knew I was going to have to fight through. I could tell that I was starting to earn his trust. He was willingly leaving camp with me. That was what I needed to make happen. If I backed out now, it might be harder to make happen when the day came that I needed to convince him to leave the safety of the wards with me.

  Pushing all of those thoughts to the back of my mind, I walked back outside and met Rhydian on the training field. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, a crossbow in his hand. It wasn’t large like the ones I had seen in the history books. This one was only about a foot in length, and I could tell by looking at it that it was already loaded and ready to be used.

  Rhydian’s eyes worked their way over my body, then he gave me an approving nod and started walking toward the tree line. With one last breath to steady myself, I followed.

  I knew he said we were going out into the woods, but I hadn’t asked how far. After twenty minutes of walking, well past the point that anyone would hear me if I was crying for help, those nerves started to build again.

  “You aren’t taking me out into the middle of nowhere to kill me are you?” I joked, although the fear behind it was real. “Because all I had was a sandwich for lunch. That would be a horrible last meal.”

  Rhydian looked back over his shoulder toward me with an amused smirk. “If that was my plan, I would have taken you in the direction of the archway. It’s much easier to hide a body in those woods than out here. If you were found, Sentry would be blamed for it.”

  His words did nothing to ease my fears, but I still found myself smiling anyway.

  After another few minutes, we stepped out into a clearing. At the other end there were several objects set up. They didn’t look like people, but instead la
rge bags with different color circles on them. Targets.

  Rhydian stopped and dropped the bag to the ground, stooping down and pulling it open. From it, he pulled out two bottles of water, handing one of them to me. I drank willingly, not realizing until the water touched my lips just how thirsty I actually was. A side effect of my growing apprehension.

  “Safety rules first,” he said, dropping his bottle down and picking the crossbow back up. “When it’s loaded and you’re anywhere near other people, you keep it pointed toward the ground. When you’re outside of the wards, keep it up and ready to use. Some of the Sentry carry guns, which means every second counts.”

  I nodded, not questioning his statement. Most of the Sentry in Eden didn’t use guns. They relied on their batons or physical fighting skills. That was the way Dallin always was. He knew that carrying a gun meant that he might have to kill someone. It wasn’t an option he even wanted to have.

  After that, Rhydian showed me how to load and arm the crossbow. After demonstrating it, he had me repeat the actions several times. It was fairly easy. The only downside to this was that it took several seconds to do. That wouldn’t be good if dealing with an adversary who carried a gun. Then he showed me the two different kinds of arrows. They were easy to tell apart. The regular arrows were made of wood, while the sedatives were metal. I held one of the sedative ones and looked over it. The shaft wasn’t solid like the wooden ones. Half an inch from the tip were what looked like inch long pieces that had been retracted into it. I ran my fingers over them, and was just about to ask what they were when Rhydian anticipated my question.

  “The point of the sedative is to incapacitate, not to kill,” he explained. “The moment the tip comes into contact with any pressure, like it would when it hit a person, those spring out to prevent it from going in any deeper than necessary.”

  It wasn’t something I had even considered, but it made sense. A sedative would be useless if the arrow moved too deep into the body.

  “When using the sedatives, it’s important that you avoid the head or neck,” he went on. “The thigh is always a good target, but it’s a small one. Until you’ve become more proficient, you’ll want to target the torso.”