Tainted Plans

by Jenn Vakey

  There was a reason I had chosen today as the day that I would be back in Eden to get my sister. It was my birthday. Lillith’s birthday.

  I didn’t want to be around people. I wanted more than anything to find a place where I could hide away from everyone and not have to deal with what today was. It was surprisingly not easy to achieve, even in a place like this.

  I sat in the garden after breakfast and let my thoughts drift to just how messed up my life had become. My sister was being held by the future king of Eden, her life dependent on me doing something I knew I wouldn’t be able to do. I didn’t even want to think about how much worse her situation might have gotten after Rhydian’s last trip into the city. Whether or not Adler was taking his actions out on her.

  Then there was the fact that the man I had been developing feelings for was a murderer. Not just the prince, but now the king. I knew there was no way to deny that one anymore. He wouldn’t have been able to get the princess out of the palace or Eden if he hadn’t at least been a part of it.

  I wanted to hate him for that, but I was having a hard time. It was these damned feelings. They were confusing me, twisting my thoughts. Making me feel vulnerable and unable to control my thoughts and actions like I wanted.

  I could just make out the corner of the training field from where I was positioned in the garden. I could see him there, working with a man that I’d seen but didn’t know. How was it possible for someone like him to have done heinous acts like that? This wasn’t killing someone in self-defense. He went into the city, into the palace, and willingly killed the king. Assassinated him. I knew it, but I was still having such a hard time accepting it.

  When my morning job was done, I went into the dining hall and grabbed my lunch early, before anyone else was there. Then I slipped out and ate it as I walked and looked for a place to be alone. I couldn’t go out to the fallen tree. Rhydian would know to look for me there. The same with my room. Probably the river too. I had gotten really lucky yesterday and his schedule kept him busy enough we hadn’t had much interaction. I couldn’t count on that being the case today.

  So I just walked for the tree line, hoping to get lost in the woods.

  Not much time passed before I found that tree I had seen when I was walking back to camp with Rhydian a week before. The tree house that sat in the top of it.

  Perfect.

  Grabbing onto the crudely built ladder, I moved up it carefully, pulling myself into the small wooden room when I reached it.

  It wasn’t very large, maybe six feet in each direction. There were a few different holes cut into the sides that were clearly windows. The room itself was dirty, a thick layer of dirt and dead leaves covering the floor. I didn’t mind.

  Lying back on the floor, I sighed and let the weight of the day really hit me.

  This would be the first birthday ever that Lillith and I hadn’t spent together. It was the one day each year that our parents let us stay home from both school and training. Even when they themselves had to work.

  Lillith loved birthdays. She would decorate the entire house with paper decorations. She even learned how to bake and would make cakes for us every year. They weren’t very good the first few times, but we always smiled and ate them. How could we not? She would sit there with her wide violet eyes and that sweet smile of hers, so much joy on her face. How could we even consider taking that away from her?

  It would be late, but if we both made it out of this mess alive, I was going to make her the biggest birthday cake I could. Anything to see that smile again.

  I wasn’t sure how much time passed before the silence of the woods was shattered by the sound of voices. I stayed still, not wanting to alert anyone that I was there. Especially when the voices became clearer and I could tell who it was.

  “When’s the big guy getting back?” Auggie asked, the sound of leaves crunching growing louder as they drew closer.

  “I’m not sure,” Rhydian answered, making my heart do one of those involuntary flips that it seemed to like so much. “Probably next week. I sent a runner out there to tell him what we got.”

  What they had. The princess. That little flip quickly rolled and turned into a knot. This one definitely not as pleasant.

  “So what’s with you lately?” Auggie asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  A deep chuckle echoed through the woods, one that actually eased my discomfort. Auggie was a shy guy, but there was something so warm about his laugh. It seemed to make even the worst moods better. “I don’t know,” he admitted, though it sounded very much like he was smiling. “You seem different. I don’t want to say happy, because you’re never really happy, but that’s the closest I can get.”

  I closed my eyes, unsure how I should feel about that. God, I hated being confused like this. Part of me wished I had never called Adler. That he hadn’t told me what he had and burst the happy little bubble I had been in.

  “Don't know what you're talking about,” Rhydian answered, but even I could hear what sounded like a smile on his voice. I could also tell that he was lying.

  Was it me? Was I the reason he seemed happier? I felt like I was being torn in two just thinking about it. Part of me wanted to be happy that there was even a possibility that I could make someone happy like that. Make him happy like that. It was for that same reason I didn't want it to be me, though. I had accepted that there was a good chance I wouldn't be coming back after leaving for Eden. Even if I did, there would be so many questions. I would have to tell him what I’d done. I might be able to lie if it was just the community, but that just didn't seem right. Lying to him. Surprisingly, I hadn’t actually had to do it yet. I had just left some stuff out.

  There was also everything that he had done. As soon as I told him about my betrayal, everything that I knew would come into the open. He would know that I knew, and I would have to hear him admit to it. There would be no denial after that, and I didn’t honestly know if I would be able to look at him the same way after.

  Things would never be the same again.

  “You coming tomorrow morning to meet the newcomers?” Auggie asked.

  “Can't. I have something I have to take care of,” stated Rhydian. “You should take Leeya. She has good instincts.”

  “Plus she's hot,” Auggie said with a smirk on his voice. “That never hurts when calming new people down.”

  “No, it certainly doesn't.”

  Their voices were growing more distant now as they started getting further away, and my curiosity was getting the better of me. I pushed up slowly and moved to a window, careful to keep out of sight. The boards creaked under my movement. I cringed and froze, but neither reacted.

  They were walking slowly. Rhydian had a bag tossed over his shoulder, and Auggie had a crossbow in his hand. More training.

  “I'll ask her when we get back to camp,” Auggie said, bringing the crossbow up and resting it on his shoulder. “If I can find her. No one’s really seen her today.”

  Rhydian stopped walking abruptly and grabbed Auggie’s arm. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “Not since breakfast. She was being quiet, so we decided not to bother her. Zaydan and I have a rule about that. When chicks are quiet, it's best to leave them alone. Then she wasn’t at lunch at all. The girls were wondering where she was.”

  Rhydian looked back in the direction of camp. I could see even from where I hid in the tree that he was concerned. His body was tense, his expression torn. I actually liked it. That he would be worried about me.

  Stop, it would only complicate things further. I couldn't have him looking for me before I made it far enough away from camp.

  Auggie didn't seem to notice. He just looked around casually, not a care in the world. Typical Auggie. “Are we doing this or what?”

  Rhydian looked at him, shaking his head a little like he was clearing his thoughts. Then he nodded and shifted his body back in the direction they had been going. “Yeah, let's go.”

 
I watched as they walked off, disappearing into the trees. I wanted to stay up there in my safe little getaway, but I knew I needed to get back before he actually started looking for me. So I waited until the last sounds of them disappeared, then slowly climbed back down to the ground.

  I still had no desire to see or talk to anyone. Definitely not Rhydian. He was good at reading me. Better than anyone else in Alkwin. I had no doubt that he would question my mood. At least if we were alone together. So the only way to avoid it would be to actually be around people, or hidden without looking like I was in case anyone did find me.

  The clinic was a nice compromise. I headed straight there when I walked back into camp. Noella wasn’t in, which was perfectly fine. I didn't know what her role was in this whole kidnapping thing, but I had no doubt that she was involved. I wasn't really in the mood to pretend to be oblivious. So I walked back into the room across the hall from where she was being held and sat down on the bed. Then I just stared out the window.

  No one bothered me in the hours I was there. I might have just stayed until after everyone went to bed, but I knew I would never make it that long. If I wasn't at dinner, Rhydian would come looking. Especially after what Auggie had said.

  So I just had to fake it.

  The conversation at dinner was light. Evanly and Aarys were trying to name what the best combination of abilities would be. I might have enjoyed it if my mind wasn't so far away.

  “Hey, Leeya,” Auggie said when he sat down a few minutes later. I hadn't seen him since I overheard him and Rhydian in the woods. He looked freshly showered, though, so I was guessing they had been back for a little bit. “I'm going out to meet a newcomer in the morning. Up for an outing?”

  “Sure,” I answered, trying to look positive about it. He nodded, then turned his attention back to his brother. When his eyes left me, I let mine move around the room. Rhydian caught my attention almost instantly. He was sitting at his usual table, his eyes finding mine just moments later. Like he could somehow sense I was looking.

  Rhydian dropped his eyebrows slightly like he was asking a question. I gave him a faint smile in response, hoping it would be enough. Then, before he could push it, I turned back to the conversation. I didn't have to listen to put on a fake smile and appear like everything was fine. Hell, that's what I'd been doing for weeks now. I was getting good at it.

  I left the dining hall without lingering after dinner and went straight to my room. Leaving the door open so I could get in and out quickly, I tugged at my dresser drawer and started looking for some night clothes. I needed a shower. I had to try to rinse the shadow of this day away.

  “You okay?” a deep voice asked, low and almost timid.

  When I looked over, I saw Rhydian leaning against my doorframe. He had one arm bent across his chest, fingers digging into the other one. I wondered what he was thinking in that moment. He looked almost hesitant. Not something I was used to seeing on him at all. Did he think it was him?

  “Yeah,” I answered, trying to sound light. “Just getting ready to grab a shower.”

  His eyes made a sweeping glance over my face. He wasn’t as adept as I was when it came to knowing when people were lying, but I could tell he knew. I wasn't fooling him. Not even a little bit.

  Without saying a word, he reached up and placed something down on the corner of the dresser. I looked down at it, blinking in surprise. It was a small cake. Simple, yet its impact was enough to almost knock the wind out of me. My eyes filled with tears, and I knew I was helpless to stop them.

  Rhydian looked back into the hall, checking both directions before he stepped into the room and closed the door. He didn't try to find words to comfort me. He just walked quietly toward me and wrapped me up in those strong arms of his.

  I couldn't hold it together after that. It was like all of the walls I had built up crumbled away, and I broke down and started crying against his chest. It felt like my heart was broken, the emptiness from Lillith not being there like a deep hole I had no chance of filling.

  “How did you know?” I sniffled.

  “I had my suspicions,” he said gently, then pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “I checked the records. Why didn't you tell anyone?”

  I pulled back and wiped my hands over my face. I didn’t like anyone seeing me like this. Strangely, I couldn’t decide if it actually made it better or worse that it was him standing here. The day had been too heavy, and my thoughts were nearly numb from the heart ache. “I didn't want to talk about it.”

  He sighed. He ran his fingers through my hair, then let his palm come to a rest on my cheek. “You don't have to be strong all the time, Leeya. Almost everyone here has lost someone.”

  I closed my eyes and let my head fall against his hand. I couldn't explain it to him. He wouldn't understand. Lillith wasn't gone. She was just counting on me to get her out of there. Counting on me to either figure out a way to make my plan work, or to sacrifice someone else's life for hers. His life. It was something that no one else could relate to.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I was glad Auggie had asked me to join him the next morning. Well, glad Rhydian had recommended it. Not that either of them had any idea I knew that was the case. I needed the distraction. I needed to get out of Alkwin so I could get my head on straight.

  “Rhydian said he took you out to learn the crossbow,” Auggie said, motioning to the weapon that was in his hand. “Not one to get into things slowly, are you?”

  The smirk on his face was impossible not to return. I had seen a big change in him since the first day we met. He was warmer now, not the shy guy he had been. Well, not nearly as much. It was nice, because he was actually pretty fun to spend time with. He managed to have that balance between being serious and joking around down perfectly.

  “How long have you been in Alkwin, Auggie?” I asked. I had picked up enough from conversations to know they didn't come as teens, but I'd found that people rarely shared their stories unless actually asked. I just happened to be in the mood to do so today. Anything to take my mind off of the mess that had become of my life.

  “Zaydan and I were born here,” he stated. “Our parents left Eden before their tests.”

  “Oh,” I said, shocked by the answer. It made sense when I thought about it, but I hadn't actually picture children being born outside of the city. That was stupid, though, because Nevin’s wife was pregnant. Due any day now. “But, your parents aren't still here?”

  I looked over, hoping I wasn’t venturing into a touchy subject. It didn't appear to bother him, though. Nothing more than a fleeting glimpse of sadness in his eyes. He just shook his head, readjusting the bag on his shoulder.

  “Getting people out of Eden used to be done a little differently,” he told me. “Now people have to make their own way to the archway, but we used to send a team in to retrieve them. About ten years ago, the Sentry started to get more aggressive with stopping people from getting out. We lost a lot of people, our parents included. In a matter of months, Alkwin lost almost a third of its population. After that, our leader decided that we needed to make a change. To protect the people already in Alkwin.”

  “I'm sorry,” I said, not knowing what else to say. The more I heard about the wrongs Eden had done against the Tainted, the more I wondered if what they had been doing to fight back was actually so bad. I didn’t agree with some of their actions. I also couldn't say that I understood the reasoning for all of them. Killing the royal family, kidnapping the princess. Hiding the fact that she was even alive, which would nearly eliminate the chance of using her as leverage. That was only two lives lost, though. How many had the people of Eden killed?

  “So you're a Healer,” he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “What was your sister?”

  “A Maker,” I responded, then smiled. “As much as we didn’t like being separated, it was a good fit for her. Especially since she couldn’t stand the sight of blood.”

  Instinctively, I pulled on the strap of the
bag over my shoulder. Given how the last one of these went, I thought it wise to bring some of my Healer supplies with me this time. Just in case. “She's always loved to tinker. Before her abilities showed, she was determined to make something that would change everything. She never did tell me what she was building.”

  It felt good talking about her like this. Concentrating on the good instead of the bad. It actually made me feel a little better about this whole situation. A little more hopeful.

  Auggie and I continued the light conversation until we neared the archway. As we drew closer, there was a sound ahead that stopped us both in our tracks. Whimpering.

  Auggie and I exchanged a look, then started moving cautiously forward. My heart was racing with anticipation. A sound like that could only mean something was wrong. Sure enough, the moment the source came into view, I broke into a run.

  Standing just outside of the archway was a child. A little girl no older than four or five. And she was alone.

  Dropping to my knees in front of her, I grabbed the little girl by the hands and quickly looked her over. She was frightened, but there wasn’t any sign she was injured. Auggie stayed back a few feet, likely not wanting to scare her more. His crossbow was out and loaded now, watching for any sign of danger.

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. We aren’t going to hurt you,” I said gently. “Where are your parents?”

  Tears flowed down her red cheeks, and she shook her head. “My mommy got hurt,” she cried, then turned and pointed down the path behind her.

  My heart was in my throat. My eyes searched the path, looking for any sign that she was nearby. There was nothing.

  When I looked back at Auggie, I could see the hesitation on his face. He looked so torn. I waited for a moment, but then he shook his head and met my gaze again. “Leeya, we can’t,” he said, though the words actually seemed to hurt him. “It’s the rules. We need to go get the others.”