Silenced (10 page)

After several seconds of quiet, he turns his head toward me. A weak smile settles on his face. “My tribe disowned me, so we better pull this off.”

I smile. “What is it anyway? The cure.”

He shakes his head. “No clue. All I know is we can’t get it without you.”

My mouth folds down into a frown. “Wonder why that is.” Several theories bounce around in my dome piece, but none stick around for long enough to make sense out of.

“My guess is power. You don’t go through the extremes they went through to force a guy to cooperate unless he has a skill set you need for a mission to work.”

The frown on my face deepens. “All I do is kill people. Lots of other descendants do it better.”

“You kill people in a specific way.”

I shake my head. “Yeah... but unless the cure is a lost soul, I’m not going to be too helpful.” I drum my fingers against my knees.

“Well, Juliet is supposed to brief us tomorrow.” Tripp stretches his arms overhead. Footsteps shuffle in our direction; I glance up as Kiwi stands on the other side of Tripp.

I lick my lips. Kiwi, bet she’s good enough to eat.

Ha. Like, the fruit. I scan her up and down while she ignores me.

“We’re supposed to eat in the main hall tonight. Show of unity or something. Wanna walk over together?”

The steps creak when he stands up.

“Sure,” he says, then nudges me with a toe. “Pike?”

I wave them off. “Nah, go ahead without me. I’ll holler at you when I get there.”

He nods, then holds up his skinny arm for Kiwi. She takes it and they stroll away. Muttered speech and laughter float back to me, until they roam out of hearing range. When they do, I glance at the fake sky and lean back.

I send Oscar off, and he takes to the air in a rush of muted silver. Alone, I enjoy feeling empty. It’s a good empty. No monsters to disturb the hollow space inside.

I can’t remember the last time I felt peace like this. Even though the serenity isn’t real, I sit with it as long as I can just in case this is my last chance at it.

When I make it to the cafeteria, it buzzes with activity and speech. Keeping close to the entrance doors, I peer through the movement of bodies and try to locate Sadie. When I don’t see her anywhere, I start down the middle walkway, scanning the crowd on both sides of the room as I go.

Something brushes my side, and small groups of people dart pass me. I sidestep to the edge of the walkway so I’m not a roadblock and continue my search.

Finally, I spot her three tables down, seated with a group of kids that look her age. I break into a huge grin. Nice to know there are still kids running around.

Sadie doesn’t seem as happy as I am with her company. She’s the posture of attitude, arms crossed, lips puckered. I start toward her, because clearly she needs a reminder of how the hell she was raised. She glances up almost as soon as I close in on her and stares.

The look gives me pause. Her eyes dart around the room, then jab into me. She does this several times, until I glance around to find out what she’s trying to tell me.

It’s subtle at first. The left side of the room. The right side. The left line to get your food. The right one. An invisible line is set up, humans on one side, and descendants on the other.

At the front of the room, two crudely painted signs announce the same thing.

Out of the Pit, but still not out of the compound.

This is some separate but equal shit.

My gaze rests back on Sadie. Then I avert my eyes and trudge over to my line. I feel her glare on my back the entire time. Shuffling ahead inches at a time, I start to wish for more Orc grass.

This is bullshit.

I mean, I’m used to being regarded with fear. I’m a six-foot tall black man, so yeah, been around soft racism back before this. You know, the kind of thing where white guys act surprised that I pay my bills and graduated Summa Cum Laude.

But this is some before the civil rights era mess. But it’s not my color these people fear. It’s the myth. The make believes.

I get my tray and turn around, intending to find Tripp, only to freeze in front of the room. The memory of Sonya’s head in my hands stab at the inside of my chest. I glance at the descendent side. Several pairs of eyes study me in curiosity.

I glance back at Sadie.

She shakes her head.

Yeah, I’m a shit role model. Not like this should be news to her. Ignoring the contempt-filled glare she’s shooting me, I sit down at the nearest descendent table. Everyone goes silent. I bend over my tray and start to eat.

Movement from the other side snaps my eyes up. Some kind of instinct, as well. Sadie is walking across the room. Across the line. To my side of the cafeteria. After one last hate glare, she sits next to another table of kids. The make believes her age.

My eyes dart around. I make out a few whispers, some surprised speech from the ones that notice. For several tense seconds I wait for her to be forced back across the line. Keeping my eyes trained on her, brightness lights up her face.

Nothing happens and the tension eases out of my muscles. Not that it stops me from keeping an eye on her. She’s leaned next to the little girl next to her, a powder white bald shorty with silver eyes. One of the graces. I can sense her energy right away. It’s a Muse thing. Graces, though, they’re the best of my kind.

In that moment, I’m so frickin’ proud of that kid. She has bigger balls than me. And an allergy to injustice that’s annoying, but impressive.

Fuck it.

I stand and trek to the table. My tray plops down before my butt hits the chair. Again, the table goes silent. Again, I ignore it and eat. I glance up at Sadie. Her bright grin is trained on me now.

I wink, then open my mouth to greet her when the lanky kid I sat next to leans against my arm. Slowly, I turn to look at him. He pushes his glasses up his nose.

“Wow, I’ve never seen a siren before.” He leans even closer until I think he might try to climb inside. I place a finger on his forehead and push him back.

“Geez, kid. Personal space.”

He pouts and slumps back into his chair. With a chuckle, I glance back over at Sadie, who’s twisted around in her chair whispering to a wiry little girl with pigtails. The girl grabs her, trying to pull her up. Sadie snatches her arm away. The girl stumbles back.

“Back off, Ash!”

My eyes dart around. More people are starting to notice us. I let out a low whistle… not the focused kind, just a regular one to get their attention.

“Scram, shorty.” I jerk my head toward the other side of the room.

The girl Sadie was talking to, Ashley I assume, eyes widen, and she backs slowly away, lip trembling. A shot of fear storms my system. Before I can react to it, the girl spins around and darts to the nearest Enforcer.

I sigh.

It’s about to go down.

“Ugh, I can’t stand that little bitch.” Sadie slams down her fist. The table vibrates.

My eyes don’t leave the little bitch as I mutter, “Watch. Your. Mouth.”

The little bitch points at me, directing a buzz cut my way.

Did I say I was happy to see kids running around?

“Sadie, get back to your side of the room,” I say under my breath. “Now.”

“I’m not afraid of these fascist fucks.”

I roll my eyes. So much stupid bravery. “Do what I say.”

Her chin thrusts up. “You’re not my dad.”

I’m about to hit her with my serious face, when a group of two Enforcers close in on her seat. Two more walk up behind me. My entire body tenses. I push my tray to the side.

“You need to return to your designated table,” one says to her in a gruff voice.

Her face twists into a sarcastic smirk.

Just do what he says, Sadie. Just go.

“And, if I don’t?”

“Shut up,” I say in a terse voice.

“You are in violation of Compound Six rules of conduct. Return to your…”

“Why don’t you shove your rules of conduct—” Sadie begins, and I close my eyes.
Goddammit.
“ —right up your ass?” Her laughter booms around the silent room.

I close my eyes. There is the echo of static mutters and grunting. Slowly, I open my eyes and stand up.

“No need to call your buddies.” I nod to buzz cut’s wrist comm. “I’ll take her back to her side. It’s all gravy.”

As I back away, I lock eyes with Sadie. My stare says I’ll mess her up if she doesn’t zip it. I knock into the two Enforcers behind me. There is a thud. Something crashes to the floor. I twist around.

The little girl that pointed me out is sprawled on the linoleum. Her face screws up, and she starts to wail. Footsteps close in on me. I turn back around.

The Enforcer she mouthed off to jerks Sadie to her feet. An alarm blares. A curtain of deep blue drapes across my vision.

Armed guards enter the room at a running march. Descendants are jerked to the floor. Their faces press to their sides. Many of their hands cover the heads. On the other side, guards usher people out of the cafeteria.

Speakers set in the corners of the room announce that this is a lockdown.

An Enforcer snaps my arms behind my back. I make it easy for him, all the while my eyes are trained on Sadie. She jerks away from buzz cut. In response, he grabs her again, slams her to the table, and twists one arm behind her back.

A wide smile stretches across my face.

Buzz cut done fucked up.

Sadie whimpers. “Let go of me!”

I lean forward, bringing whoever’s got me from behind almost off his feet, then snap my head back. My head pounds into the guard. He lets out a pained shriek and thuds to the ground. I whirl around and slam my boot down into the side of his jaw. Darting out, I slide across a table and clamp my hands around the neck of the Enforcer holding Sadie down.

“Get. Your. Fucking hands. Off her.”

His eyes bulge. Slowly, he lets go. Sadie pops up.

“Come over here. Get behind me.” I tighten my grip on this asshat’s neck.

Sadie blurs past the side of my vision and stands behind me. I tuck buzz cut under my arm and force him in front of me, hands still clenched around his neck.

Glancing up, I notice a crap ton of guards have their weapons trained at me.

“Let him go and get down on your belly,” someone calls out to me.

I grin. “That’s a no go.”

“You have ten seconds to comply.”

“I just want to take her to her room. Ease up.”

Movement from the floor catches my attention. I turn my head. An Enforcer is lifting the powder white grace from the floor. He trains a gun to her head.

“Now, Mr. Richards,” he says.

The girl’s eyes widen in fear.

“Let her go!” Sadie cries.

My muscles tense. I glance around, then nod at the guard. I let the buzz cut go. He swings around, gun trained at my forehead.

Sparks of red explode in my vision. I blink, then start to lower myself to the ground.

“Come here, Miss Evans,” the Enforcer that has the grace at gunpoint says.

Sadie glances down at me. I nod, and she inches toward them.

More red sparks float across my sight. Cool metal presses against my temple. I keep my head turned toward Sadie, Enforcer Ass, and the grace.

“This is what happens when you violate rules of conduct.” A glint of silver rips through the air. My heart almost seizes.

He slams the grace down on the table. Another guard comes and holds down her arm. The other one holds a sword to her flesh.

“No.” Sadie bursts into tears. “I won’t do it again.”

My teeth grind together. I start to push up. The red sparks come again.

No. Don’t move. You’re too weak. Stay.

Stay. Why do you kill everyone important? You think you can save her—

I pound my temples with fists, then dart my gaze around the room. My eyes zero in on Kiwi. I raise my eyebrows. Why is she attacking me?

Another flood of red grips my body. I inhale a sharp breath. Push back against her. When I open my eyes, it’s all in blue. I hear a loud smack and jerk my head to the side.

Sadie is running forward, holding the side of her face. The sword swings down toward the grace. Sadie grabs her, throws her to the floor.

I slam an elbow backward into the guard with a gun to my temple, then leap up. His gun explodes. Wind rushes past my ear. Grabbing the gun, I slam it up into his throat, pull it away, and smash it across the face.