remembered the little hands so often creeping around the edge of my cots as Mouse sought reassurance in the night from beneath me. It seemed a part of her had grown up in my absence. I had missed it. Triven’s hand reached back, seeking to reassure. I took it.
“She started sleeping like that the day we made a plan to get you out.”
“Thank you for protecting her.” I said staring at my hand in his. His fingers squeezed mine and we both fell silent again.
They’re alive…
Triven led me to another smaller room, not far down the narrow hallway. He pushed the door open for me and stepped back.
“I will wait right here.” He promised.
When I stepped into the room he pulled the door closed behind me, sealing me in. I turned abruptly and stared at the door. The room felt oddly suffocating but I couldn’t seem to make myself move. I knew I was in a bathroom. That Triven’s intent was meant to give me privacy, but I could feel that irrational fear rising. I didn’t want to be locked in. I didn’t want to be alone. I must have stood there for some time, frozen in panic. When I finally managed to move, there was a soft knock and the doorknob began to turn of its own accord. Triven’s voiced carried in before his face appeared in the crack.
“Prea, are you alright? I couldn’t hear the water running and just wanted…” He trailed off when his modest eyes at last met mine. The anger that had burned in them from our encounter with Ryker was gone, now only understanding and shame shone through.
I stared blankly at him, still marveling at his gentle face and unharmed body. He’s safe. He’s still alive. I reminded myself again. Even after witnessing with my own eyes that he and Mouse were alive, I could still see their dead bodies in the street. I could still feel their blood against my skin. It felt like every time I lost sight of Triven—even just for a moment—that this was all fake, that I would wake up and find them dead again. I wondered if that feeling would ever go away.
“I can’t…” There were no words to finish the sentence, or maybe it was that there were too many words to pick just one. Mercifully, he seemed to comprehend.
Moving swiftly, Triven slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. He locked the door before pulling me into his arms. I didn’t resist. Normally, he was so careful about not touching me, but right now neither he nor I cared about politeness. We both needed the physical contact to remind us this was real. I rested my head against the hollow of his chest. Slowly, my body began to thaw, melting into Triven’s as his steady heartbeat thudded solidly beneath my ear. He smelled good. He smelled real. Alive.
“You’re really alive.” I finally mumbled into his shirt, breaking the silence.
“ You’re really alive.” He whispered into my hair, kissing the top of my head.
I clung to him as I stared blindly at the sink. “It was… The bodies were so…” I took a deep breath. “Who were they?”
Triven sighed sadly. “Two unfortunate citizens. Fandrin chose them because they looked like us. He murdered two innocent people because they fit a mold… My mold.” His arms tensed around me, both protective and angry.
I blinked trying to purge the images from my mind. I had been too quick to believe. Not in my right mind, I had not questioned what I saw. The bodies were so like my friends, but now I realized that their faces had been so brutally damaged to hide any potential flaws. They weren’t my loved ones, but they were someone’s loved ones. That innocent man and child had been unjustly killed simply to teach me a lesson. They were used merely as fodder in The Minister’s personal vendetta. Hate raged in my heart and my body shook with anger, but my heartbeat was steady. I meant my next words, committing to them wholly.
“I will kill Fandrin, if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
11. ANSWERS
MERCIFULLY, TRIVEN SEEMED to feel the same way
“She started sleeping like that the day we made a plan to get you out.”
“Thank you for protecting her.” I said staring at my hand in his. His fingers squeezed mine and we both fell silent again.
They’re alive…
Triven led me to another smaller room, not far down the narrow hallway. He pushed the door open for me and stepped back.
“I will wait right here.” He promised.
When I stepped into the room he pulled the door closed behind me, sealing me in. I turned abruptly and stared at the door. The room felt oddly suffocating but I couldn’t seem to make myself move. I knew I was in a bathroom. That Triven’s intent was meant to give me privacy, but I could feel that irrational fear rising. I didn’t want to be locked in. I didn’t want to be alone. I must have stood there for some time, frozen in panic. When I finally managed to move, there was a soft knock and the doorknob began to turn of its own accord. Triven’s voiced carried in before his face appeared in the crack.
“Prea, are you alright? I couldn’t hear the water running and just wanted…” He trailed off when his modest eyes at last met mine. The anger that had burned in them from our encounter with Ryker was gone, now only understanding and shame shone through.
I stared blankly at him, still marveling at his gentle face and unharmed body. He’s safe. He’s still alive. I reminded myself again. Even after witnessing with my own eyes that he and Mouse were alive, I could still see their dead bodies in the street. I could still feel their blood against my skin. It felt like every time I lost sight of Triven—even just for a moment—that this was all fake, that I would wake up and find them dead again. I wondered if that feeling would ever go away.
“I can’t…” There were no words to finish the sentence, or maybe it was that there were too many words to pick just one. Mercifully, he seemed to comprehend.
Moving swiftly, Triven slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. He locked the door before pulling me into his arms. I didn’t resist. Normally, he was so careful about not touching me, but right now neither he nor I cared about politeness. We both needed the physical contact to remind us this was real. I rested my head against the hollow of his chest. Slowly, my body began to thaw, melting into Triven’s as his steady heartbeat thudded solidly beneath my ear. He smelled good. He smelled real. Alive.
“You’re really alive.” I finally mumbled into his shirt, breaking the silence.
“ You’re really alive.” He whispered into my hair, kissing the top of my head.
I clung to him as I stared blindly at the sink. “It was… The bodies were so…” I took a deep breath. “Who were they?”
Triven sighed sadly. “Two unfortunate citizens. Fandrin chose them because they looked like us. He murdered two innocent people because they fit a mold… My mold.” His arms tensed around me, both protective and angry.
I blinked trying to purge the images from my mind. I had been too quick to believe. Not in my right mind, I had not questioned what I saw. The bodies were so like my friends, but now I realized that their faces had been so brutally damaged to hide any potential flaws. They weren’t my loved ones, but they were someone’s loved ones. That innocent man and child had been unjustly killed simply to teach me a lesson. They were used merely as fodder in The Minister’s personal vendetta. Hate raged in my heart and my body shook with anger, but my heartbeat was steady. I meant my next words, committing to them wholly.
“I will kill Fandrin, if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
11. ANSWERS
MERCIFULLY, TRIVEN SEEMED to feel the same way
Similar Books
