Veracity (The Seven Cities Book 1) (9 page)

GRAYSON

"We found her."

"I'm relieved to hear that son," my father says, looking up from his pile of papers. He stares at me with a sour face, his eyes squinting and his mouth drawn taught. I can see his jaw working, chewing on bitter words he would rather not say.

"What's wrong?" I ask him, unnerved by his dour expression.

"What do you mean," he asks, stalling.

"You have that face," I say annoyed. "The one you get when you have bad news. What's going on?"

"I've heard back from Lucas," he says, clearly uncomfortable. "The boy had firm instructions for his sister once we found her."

"Instructions?"

"Yes . . . well, the good news is that he still wants her to live here. I was afraid that he would want her back home after all the unpleasantness, but he seems resolved in having her married into our family."

"That's great," I say relieved. "I know she needs some time, but I don't think it will take long to get back to how we were. Obviously we would have to move back the wedding, but that closeness between us is still there. She has changed some, but I know I can make her love me again."

"That's the thing son," his says, his eyes struggling to meet mine. "Lucas sees Katherine's memory loss as a sort of new beginning. He feels that since her feelings for you are no longer a concern, a more advantageous alliance could be formed between our families."

"I don't understand," I say, my stomach turning into lead.

"He is a proud boy, son. We've always know that, and to be frank with you, he doesn't feel that a second son is worthy of his sister."

"Father, what are you saying?"

"Grayson, you understand that Lucas is the General of Axiom now right?" my father says softly.

"Of course," I say, irritated at the delay.

"Then you must realize that his word is final on who his sister marries. I fought this, Grayson, I promise you, but the boy's mind is made up. My only option was to refuse the girl all together and lose the alliance, which as you know isn't an option at all."

"Please don't say what I think you are about to say," I beg, the rage already rising in my chest.

"Katherine will marry Travis."

I see red.

All I can do is grip the arms of the chair as the Earth rolls beneath me. The anger has shut off my brain and I can't form the words to refute this monstrous suggestion. Leaning forward, I put my forehead against the desk as I try to draw air into my body. It hurts to breath. The oxygen is sharp as it scrapes against my lungs.

My brother? Kat is marrying my brother? Just because some silly boy thinks my position isn't worthy enough? I try to reign in my emotions, but the best I can do is grit my teeth, press my head harder against the desk, and clench my fists. There is no backtracking from my rage. I have to let it roll off me, let the tide turn just enough to get the upper hand.

My father is silent. As he should be. He knows firsthand the massive reserve of anger that lives inside me. After Kat was taken, he was the one who held me together as I erupted against the world. He was the one who hauled me kicking and screaming through it all. And now this?

Finally my father breaks the silence.

"This is the only way you will ever see her again. If you agree to this, she will still be a part of your life . . . just in another way. If we defy her brother, she will be lost to you forever. Travis will take good care of the girl, you know that he will."

"You realize this plan of yours is dependent on my discretion," I say, staring at my father, my indignation boiling over. "I know she still loves me deep down. If I told her she was promised to me first, she wouldn't go along with this marriage. I can feel it between us father, it's still there!"

He glares at me.

"I will not sit by and watch the girl I love marry someone else, much less my own brother!"

My father stands up, his eyes bulging and veins throbbing, as his face turns an intense shade of red. I have never seen him this furious before.

"I will NOT be defied boy! I've tried to make this as easy for you as I can, but I will not be disobeyed. The girl will stay here, and she will marry your brother! This new General . . . this boy-king, is hotheaded and I will not risk a conflict. He is her only family, and if he says she marries your brother . . . she does!"

Letting his harsh words roll off my wounded heart, I look at the floor defeated. I have never challenged my father, and I don't even know how to start. Feeling the tears roll down my face, I'm just as powerless to stop them.

"How can I just stand by and watch her marry someone else? The only thing that has kept me going for the last six months was the thought that she would be coming back to me. Keeping her from me now would be the ultimate torture. How can you have so much hatred for me?"

My father sighs.

"It's not hate that drives me boy. It's fear. Axiom is growing and I fear they are now large enough to become dangerous. I have to protect this city, and I will do anything to make sure your future is secure. That includes taking Katherine from you. I know you can't see this now, but what I do, I do out of love."

"Father, I can't . . . I just . . . can't."

"Yes you can. You’ve survived so much; I know you are strong enough to survive this. You will not tell the girl about your prior relationship. I have already sent word to everyone in the Big House. Whatever relationship you had with the girl is over. As far as anyone is concerned, it never happened."

"But it did," I say sadly.

"No son, it didn't."

KATHERINE

I am in the middle of a staring contest with a ferocious looking mounted boar, when I hear muffled shouting in the next room. Straining to hear what they are saying, I lean forward in the chair, tempted to get up and walk closer. The thickness of the wall prevents me from making out any of their words, but the intensity of the sound convinces me to stay seated. I do not want to be caught eavesdropping with tempers already running that high.

Violently, the door to the General's office is thrown open, and Grayson storms out with a dark scowl on his face, barely glancing in my direction as he passes.

"He wants to see you," he mutters before he disappears around the corner.

My legs shake as I stand up and walk through the door, even more terrified than I was before. Shutting the door behind me softly, I walk to the center of the room.

Tall and broad shouldered, the General is intimidating and an almost perfect, though older, version of his son. When I walk in, he is sitting behind a large, oak desk shuffling through a stack of paper, and blinking rapidly. Is he crying? The General doesn't look up at me, and I don't draw attention to myself.  If he needs a few minutes, you can bet I am going to give it to him. His mannerisms and body shape are so like Grayson's, that I am surprised when he finally looks up at me with eyes so unlike his son's. Where Grayson's are a soft, but fiery brown, the General's are a steely blue.

Walking a few timid steps into the room, I sit quietly in the chair facing his desk. Crossing my ankles, I smooth my skirt and fold my hands in my lap. He breaks eye contact and continues to shuffle through his papers for a few moments before finally setting them down and clearing his throat.

"I appreciate your patience," he says, his voice raspy. "It is a compliment to your upbringing. I do hate a fidgety woman."

"Thank you for seeing me."

"Of course, my dear. We have some things to discuss, you and I."

"We do?" I ask.

"Yes, and you might find it a bit shocking, so prepare yourself," he pauses. "I understand you do not remember who you are, but the fact of the matter is, I do. Everyone here knows who you are."

"You know who I am?" I ask, excited.

"Yes. You are Katherine Winters, the daughter of the former General of Axiom. Your parents were my close friends and frequent guests before you were taken."

"What do you mean taken?"

"It's a sad story," he says, looking away, "and one I am not eager to retell. Six months ago, while traveling to our city, your parents were murdered outside of our gates. The men who killed them took you. I am not sure why you were spared, but we are all eternally grateful that you were. I deeply regret revealing such dark news, but your father was my dearest friend, and I felt that I should be the one to tell you."

"The man I was with killed my parents?"

"You met the man who was keeping you?" he asks, surprised.

"Only briefly. I woke up with my memory wiped. He said it was to protect me, and left soon after."

"Well, he may have been telling the truth. About a month ago, we received a letter from him saying he was sending you home to us, but that you wouldn't remember anything. He claims he was working for someone, but the deal was going sour and he was concerned for your safety. According to his note, he was only keeping you hidden, and had no knowledge of how or why you were brought to him. I am surprised he took the risk letting you see him."

"He said he loved me . . . "

"I don't doubt it my dear," he smiles, "You have always been very easy to love.

The two of us sit in silence for a moment, the General clearly studying my face. I am not sure how to feel, or what emotion I should let come to the surface. Sadness? Fear? Anger? Disbelief? They were all equally vying for the right to be displayed. The General seems satisfied with whichever was showing, nodding his head and plastering a sympathetic expression on his own face.

"Do you remember his name?" he asks.

"He wouldn't tell me."

"Would you recognize him if you saw him?"

"Yes, I dream of him often so I don't think I could forget."

"Do you dream of anything from before you were taken?"

"No. Just him. And sometimes I have nightmares but I can't recall them when I wake up."

"Hmm . . . " he says thoughtfully. "That changes things."

"It does?"

"Yes," he says, stroking his chin. "I think you may have been drugged twice. If he is the only person you dream of, he is probably the only person you knew before he himself drugged you. Otherwise you would also be dreaming of the rest of us. You don't remember anything about your kidnapping or what happened to your parents?"

"No, but I suppose it could be the source of my nightmares. Does everyone dream when they have their memory wiped?"

"Well, truthfully, your memories are not wiped but blocked, though I am not sure how that would work if you were dosed twice. You might very well have lost what happened before the first pill. The dreams are a side effect. The drug is not as effective while you sleep, and memories sneak out in the form of vivid dreams. We are not sure why, but we think it has something to do with the effort put into trying to recall them all day. We have noticed the harder you try to remember, the more dreams you have."

"Is this something that happens on a regular basis?" I ask, unintentionally sharp. "Do people just go around wiping memories?"

"Once upon a time it was, although we haven't had access to the pills in 20 years. I am curious as to how your kidnappers got their hands on them." 

"So, let me see if I have all of this," I say rubbing my forehead. "My memories are blocked, my parents are dead, the man who said he loved me was possibly involved in their death, and the dreams I was told were not memories are, in fact, memories . . . is that all?"

"I know it is a lot to take in, but no, that is not all. You have an older brother, Lucas, who is now the General of Axiom. He wanted to be here, of course, but it is very difficult for a General to leave his city."

"This is a lot to take in," I say, sitting back in the chair, overwhelmed.                

"I know, and I hate to pile it on, but there is one more thing I need to tell you before I let you go," he says. "As I said before, you and your family were outside our gates when you were attacked. Your parents were bringing you here to marry my son. You two have been practically engaged since you were children. We hadn't officially announced the engagement or the wedding yet, but it had been decided years ago. Your brother and I still wish for this marriage to take place. After you have had some time to readjust, of course."

Unable to process anything further, I put my head in my hands. Breathing deep, I remain that way, waiting for my nerves to calm. Murder? Kidnapping? Marriage? How was I supposed to absorb it all?

"It was really hard on the boy when you were taken," the General says sadly. "You two had become fond of each other."

"That is actually the only part of this that feels real," I say finally. "I felt very drawn to Grayson, and couldn't figure out why."

"Actually," the General says, looking a little green about the gills, "you were intended to marry my older son, Travis."

"Oh!" I say embarrassed. "I just assumed you meant Grayson. I didn't realize you had another son. I think I am just a little overwhelmed. I just need some time to get a handle on . . . everything."