The Gray Institute (The Gray Institute Trilogy Book 1) (39 page)

I can't be seen favouring you, I can't be seen to be lenient or going soft. Others will start to skip class, take liberties and then where will I be?' He asks. I shrug agreeably.

'I understand.'

'Usually I don't hand out second chances. Usually in this situation I would send you straight into isolation. However, you are aiding me with my daughter and I did promise that your efforts would not go unrewarded. I don't like to break my promises.

So this once, I will let it slide. But in future, you
must
attend every class, unless my daughter is your reason for skipping, is that understood?'

'Yes, Sir Alec.' I nod, breathing a sigh of relief.

'Good. Now, as far as my daughter is concerned, you have less than a month to change her mind, Miss Ryder. I suggest you buck up your ideas, the pressure is on you now and I expect results.' His voice takes a hard tone and I swallow, my throat dry.

'Yes, Sir.' I nod, avoiding his gaze.

'Very well, you may leave. Go to class. I will deal with Miss Beighley.' He raises an eyebrow and I jump from my seat, not needing to be told twice.

Sir Alec's warning sends me into a state of panic like none I've ever experienced before. I'm keenly aware that my skipping class was merely an excuse, a ruse, to get me to his office and issue me with a warning.

Sir Alec's message is clear; look what I'm doing for you, allowing you to break the rules with no consequences, because I'm counting on you to carry out the task. However, if you don't – and soon – I will no longer bend the rules for you and you will suffer the consequences of your actions.

He's stockpiling reasons to punish me, allowing me – just for now – to go free, until the time comes when I have to admit that I have failed in my task.

As quickly as my displeasure at Malachy and Islwyn's seemingly betrayal of me came, it disappears as I realise that they're only protecting their jobs and their lives – like me.

The facts are clear; I must convince Lorna Gray to change willingly within one month or be punished severely for failing, either by isolation, or worse, Confinement.

Or; I must agree to help Lorna escape, spend the rest of eternity in hiding, or pray that in three hundred years time, Malachy may take pity on me and cease hunting me.

Both options are about as unlikely to work as each other, but these are my only options, there is no way out.

I realise suddenly, that if I am to be Confined, I would rather go out fighting. If I'm to be captured, I would rather be captured fighting against the Auctoritas and Sir Alec than captured trying to please them.

As ridiculous and infeasible as Lorna's plan is, it is at least the last thing the Auctoritas would want, and in pissing them off, we will surely succeed.

I have nothing to lose. If I stay and attempt – without hope – to please Sir Alec, I will undoubtedly fail and I will be punished.

Why lie down and let him walk all over me, play me and use me for his own amusement? Take pleasure in instilling fear in me by issuing me with a task I can not perform?

I refuse to be his puppet, his entertainment, and I will, instead, take away from him the one thing that he cherishes above all else. I will have my revenge, not for taking away my old life, but for ruining my new one. For tainting my second chance and making my happiness an impossibility from the start.

The minute class lets out, I'm sprinting to the fourth floor, avoiding the common room where I know Tia will be waiting and praying that Lorna will be in her usual spot by the window, gazing lovingly at her desolate rock.

I know that I have only minutes until Tia comes looking for me and I know that perhaps Malachy is already looking for me, I must find Lorna quickly, but I also must avoid drawing attention to myself.

I take the stairs to avoid the crowds, running with every ounce of energy I have, only slowing as I reach the second floor. I weave my way through the groups of students merrily on their way to their common rooms to relax, safe in the knowledge that their lives and freedom are intact.

The fourth floor is empty, including the dorms and I smile with relief as I spy Lorna's familiar frame, perched on the window ledge, her slim legs dangling by her sides.

I run to her, startling her as she jumps up to hopelessly defend herself, before relaxing, realising who I am. Her expression turns to one of panic as she notes my urgency, gripping my hand tightly as I reach her.

'What's happened?' She asks, her eyes wide.

'Is there somewhere we can go?' I ask, tugging on her hand, eager to get out of the open corridor.

'Come on.' She hisses, leading me back the way I came to the stairwell. We hurry up flights of stairs, Lorna's panting breaths echoing around us. By the fourth flight she's struggling, slowing down, the air in her lungs wheezing as she drags her tired legs.

'I can carry you.' I offer. She nods, speechless. I lift her and run, slowing as we reach the ninth floor and she signals for me to stop.

The door to this floor is coded – the first blocked entrance I've seen at Institute – and she taps in the code, the alarm beeping once before the door unlocks. She pulls it open and hauls me through, tugging me along another corridor until we reach the room farthest the end.

She opens the door, hastily pulling me inside and closing it behind her. This is obviously her room. The four poster bed is draped in a green canopy, a rustic wardrobe stands to the right of it. A dresser and chest of drawers are home to dozens of framed photographs; the largest of them a clear, beautiful picture of Lorna as a young girl and a woman who looks just like her. They're standing outside a stable, their cheeks pressed together as they smile into the camera.

I head towards it, eyeing the other photos of Lorna on a huge white horse, outside a sprawling mansion, jumping into a swimming pool, in school uniform with two female friends.

I feel a stab of pity for Lorna; unlike me and the rest of the Institute's students, she wasn't taken from a deprived life, but a good, wholesome one. Taken from people she loved and a happy time, placed into solitude with a man she despises to call her father.

'Your mother?' I ask pointing to the beautiful woman, an older version of Lorna. She nods. Another photograph depicts a frail looking man, his dark hair greying, his posture crooked, but a kind smile firmly fixed on his face.

'The Duke?' I smile and Lorna laughs, eyeing the photo fondly.

'Yes, four months before he died.' She replies sadly. What a wonderful, luxurious life to be taken from, full of love, family and friends, destroyed by Sir Alec's obsession and the Auctoritas' ambition.

In front of those photographs, I understand more than ever Lorna's hatred of our world, of our kind. And of her desperation to escape, to die in a hopeless attempt to save her mother, rather than to stay and grant Sir Alec's wishes.

Like her, I refuse to be a pawn in his games, and like her, I refuse to give him what he wants.

I turn to face her as she stands by the wide, clear window, a view of the main grounds beneath her, the winter flowers blossoming by the narrow stream.

'I will ask you just once,' I state, keeping my tone neutral, ignoring her wide-eyed, apprehensive stare. 'Will you or will you not consent to be transformed into an Immortal on the day of your eighteenth birthday?'

It's a last ditch attempt to keep my life, my freedom and my happiness. A last attempt to save myself, and her, from a terrifying fate. No matter what her answer, having asked the question, I can at least say that I tried.

'I will not.' She replies firmly, her olive green eyes determined. My shoulders sag in both defeat and relief at her inevitable answer.

'Then I will help you escape the Institute.'

Her gasp of pleasure, surprise and relief rings in my ears long after it's ended. Her eyes widen in disbelief and she places both hands over her gaping mouth.

'Do you mean it?' She asks, her voice but a whisper.

'Yes.' I nod, sinking down on her bed without her permission.

'Oh, Eve!' She gushes, rushing towards me and throwing her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. 'Thank you!' She presses her lips against mine, ecstatic tears streaming down her soft, white cheeks. 'Thank you so much!'

'We have to be careful about this.' I warn her, allowing no time for happiness. For me, this isn't a happy occasion. Though I won't remain at the Institute to be a puppet with Sir Alec for a master, I don't wish to leave, and if I had a choice I would stay with Tia, Malachy and Diana, to live the rest of eternity in happiness.

'Of course.' She nods, but she can't wipe the grin from her face. In her ecstasy, she isn't listening to me and I grip her wrists, forcing her to look into my eyes.

'I'm serious, Lorna. For us to get caught before we've had a chance to stick it to them would be the worst outcome of this situation. You have to take this seriously.'

'Seriously?' Her face drops suddenly, all traces of euphoria wiped from her expression as her mouth sets in a firm, straight line. 'No one takes this more seriously than me, Eve. I've been dreaming about this for nearly a year, plotting, scheming. Believe me I take this very seriously.'

'Okay.' I nod slowly, calming her outburst. 'I need to hear the plan.'

She sits down next to me on her bed and opens my bag, pulling out my A4 notepad and cartridge pen, opening the pad to the first blank page and dotting a clear bullet point.

'Seriously? We're going to do this like we're in a lesson?' I raise my eyebrow but she shushes me, tapping my arm.

'Be quiet. Listen, we're going to list this plan step by step, minute by minute – it's the only way we can get a clear idea of it. This isn't going to be easy you know.' She tuts, settling comfortably on her duvet.

'Okay,

-Escape the Institute.

We wait until lessons are in progress, the grounds will be empty and we're less likely to be seen.

We walk to the border casually. The time it takes to walk from the Institute's doors to the fence is the most likely time for us to get caught. If we do, we can simply say we went for a walk and drifted too far, you won't get rumbled for being outside of lessons because you'll be with me and we can try again another day, though a second attempt will look suspicious.

You carry me over the fence – you can jump it easily – and then you run.

-We head to Thailand, we hitch rides, hide on boats, whatever it takes. You have an advantage that others don't have, we won't be caught.

Most of the Rebels' supporters will be there, I know it. They won't be hard to find if we ask the right questions, they will sense your presence.

We tell them of my plan; to distract the guards using me as bait. I'm pretty certain they'll already know where the Confine is and with me to help, we can break into it.

The rest will be down to them to plan and strategise.'

I stare at her, open mouthed, unable to form a coherent sentence.

'What?' She frowns innocently.

'Lorna...' I stammer. 'That's the worst plan I've ever heard!'

'Well,' she huffs. 'Do you have any better ideas?'

I consider this, seeing the plan as a whole, using what little knowledge I have of the outside world of Immortals and realise that in fact, I don't have a better plan at all. Hers is all we have.

'I suppose it's better than nothing.' I acknowledge begrudgingly. She nods triumphantly and I sigh.

A plan full of holes and hopeful guesswork is what I'm basing my future on. Not that I'm under any illusion I have much of a future, Sir Alec will see to that.

'When are we going to do this?' I ask, dreading the answer.

'It can't be rushed.' She replies, to my surprise. I was expecting the answer to be 'tomorrow.'

'We only have three and a half weeks, Lorna, I wouldn't say time is exactly on our side.'