Chapter 1

Sick.

That’s one word I would use to describe the scene in front of me. A young girl kneels on the boxed Dias in the center of the courtyard. Walls of surround us, and the more I stare, the space around me seems to get smaller, the crowd larger. Laura Morgan eyes fill with tears, and she struggles to keep her hands up as lash after lash hits her palms. All because of Joseph darlyn, one of the dralyns sons. This is what the Darlyns do to children, to people. They use pain as punishment, no matter the circumstances. I’ve seen children as young as seven, on this same wood block, same place as Laura is. They are cruel people, and this is how they keep their captives in line.

With another slice in the air, the leather of the wip makes its target on the girls palm- earning another a whimper from the terrified girl. My eyes snap from the girl to her lasher, a tall and broad man- with a black trimmed beard. I’ve seen him Before, he work for the Darlyn’s, not in the way we do, he is here on his own will. The large smirk on his face makes me clutch my fingers together at my sides. Hatred and anger consumes me, a continuous fire burning in my chest. I stare at the man, men like him don’t deserve to live. My feet move towards the Dias. But I stop myself, and pull my body back until I’m behind the watching crowd. I burrow myself in the shadows, my back sliding against the side of the stone pillar. Stepping In wouldn’t help this girl, it would probably bring more burden.

Just yesterday, a young boy was sent for lashings, and someone, a new face, tried to step in. He failed to stand up for him, all he gained was 5 more lashes for the child, and a rough beating for themselves. That man was big, and he still failed. I’m too frail, I weigh enough to be counted as a child- I’m far too tiny at 5’4, and I don’t know what I would even do when I arrive on the dais, demanding to stop this madness. I can’t use ether, they will see and want to use me as one of their weapons.

With another slash- I close my wet lids and turn my body. I hadn’t realized I was crying, until I felt something wet run down my cheeks. I can’t bear to see this anymore- my stomach flutters with my breakfast. I might throw up its contents if I don’t get out of this place anytime soon. Quickly, I turn and run into a solid wall- a chest, Ryan’s chest. “..hey- you okay Cher” My eyes fly open at the nickname he’d given me years ago. But I don’t look up at him. Another wet drop falls down my cheek as I stare straight as his chest my eyes blinking rapidly. “Oh, Cher…” he voice softens and he tuggs me against his chest, his arms wrapping around my back.

The only one who understands me, who’s been there for me, is the one who has his arms around me. The one who burries me deeper in his chest as he walks us away from the crowd, practically carrying me with him.

Ever since that day in the medic cavern years ago, he’s always been there for me, for sera.

“I-I don’t know ..” my breaths come out uneven, as I try and fail to get air into my lungs. He pulls back slightly angling my head upwards, his eyes staring into mine. “Breath, baby, breath.” So I do- staring into his calming ocean blue eyes, I’m finally able to pull in air.

I breathe..take another; again and again I take in more until my heart and mind settles, until my breaths are steadier. “she’s so young,” I manage out as he slowly removes one arm from my back and pushes back red hair from my face. “I know..I know darling.” He pulls me back to his chest, kissing my head, once, twice. I breath in his scent, the smell of timber and wildflowers, mixed with earth. He must have just arrived from his shift. I pull back my eyes searching his body, his black trousers and his deep green jacket that’s buttoned to his neck, is stained with large spoches of dirt. He definitely was patrolling in the fields. My eyes finally make it back to his face: his strong jawline and high cheekbones dance in the flame light and I realize where we are. The storage room: a small four by four room lit by a single torch. This room is stocked with, sleeping Mats and wool blankets, scraps of clothing, medical equipment, extra canned foods and bottles of water. “It’s all gonna be okay.” I flick my eyes back to him. It’s not. It won’t be okay, it’s never been okay here. I shake my head. “I can’t do this anymore, Ryan.” I pull back, my body leaving his arms, my hands come

Up and wip my tears from my cheeks. “What if it was sera- what if that was her up there.” Closing my eyes, tears threaten to fall again. images of my younger sister, bent over, the wip making contact with her palms, races in my head.

When a palm cups my cheek I am thrown from my thoughts, my eyes flicker open and find him again. “It won’t- and will never be her, I promise.” I search his face, he looks genuine but he can’t be. “You can’t promise anything Rhy. So don’t.” He shakes his head and presses his thin lips together, his fingers brush more hair from my face. “Please Cherub.” With a soft press of his lips to my forehead, he tugs me back to him his arms form back around me, and I let him, the fight falling out of me. “Don’t do that, You know she will be safe” he rephrases “she is safe.” I nod into his chest, but I don’t believe him. He’s can’t promise anything here. No one is safe here, this place is a prison, a prison filled with false hope. It’s all a flaunt, that we are here willingly. We serve the Darlyns, because we have no choice. We are their soilders, servants, entertainment, anything, because we choose life over death. And we aren’t promised anything in return, no one is safe here.

“Where is sera.” I pull back again and he drops his arms at his sides. “In the kitchen with Amara.” He searches my face, his eyes worried. ignoring him, I nod, feeling a little relieved. “I’ll go see her.” I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. Ryan doesn’t smile back. “She’s fine Cher.” I nod as I slowly turn towards the door- but he grabs my arm to stop me “Cher- I wanted to see you, can we talk?” I turn back to him moving my arm from his grasp. “Later, I promise, okay?” He watches me for a second searching for, I don’t know what, in my expression. He just nods and steps back “okay, just-“ he pauses then picks up his words again “you know I love you right?” I smile turning around, then close the distance between us. My arms wrap around his neck as I stand on my toes and press a kiss to his lips. He’s tall, around 6’2 to be exact, and I Seamlessly lift off the ground as he wraps his arms around me. He returns the kiss, his lips soft and gentle. I pull back little too quickly, my feet returning to the floor and my arms pull from his neck, a real smile forming on my lips. “I know.” I finally awnser. I move away from him and back towards the door. “I’ll See you later.” Giving a small wave I walk out, leaving him alone in the charter room. The door clicks shut behind me, and face immediately falls as I reenter the small housing complex. The crowd is slowly diminishing- the show must be over. I notice the Dias is empty as I peer beyond the pillars. I try not to remember who was chained there moments before I entered the charter room. I move my body in the opposite direction, and I remove the image from my mind. My legs bring me to a door beyond the pillars, on the opposite side of the room. It’s the back-door to the kitchen, it also is where the garbage shoots are settled. I shuffle around the towering trash bags that surround shoots is over filling piles around the door. I turn the knob of the door and it creaks open, stepping inside I look around. It’s empty, except for one the head of brown and gray frizz, Amara. I walk across the tile floor, my work boots clicking on the marble as I make my way to Amara-our main cook who is half bent over, washing pans in the small sink. Her curls, spray around on her head in a rushed bun and she hums to a song, that I can’t quite put the name to. “Amara?” I say and her head snaps in my direction, her browned face settling out as she notices me and a smile plays across her lips. She quickly shuts the water off and dries her hands off with her towel that was lain across her shoulder. “Cherub, it’s good to see you, sweetheart.” I walk little closer to her and focus on the dishes lying in the sink “do you need any help?” I ask my eyes going from the dirty silverware, then back to her. “Oh no, I got it just fine.” Smiling she went over and pulled me into a short hug, the towel now forgotten on the countertop. Her curvy and tall body overtowers me. She steps back “it’s just good to see you.” “You never visit as much- though your sister sure makes up for it.” I bite my lips, looking at her- her “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve just been really busy lately.” I paused trying to change the subject. “Sera loves it here, I hope she isn’t much of a burden” She shakes her head and smiles as she adjusts her apron. “She never is, she’s a great help.” She continues “I’m guessing your here for her?” She asked a smirk reforming “Yeah.” searching the room, my eyes look for any sign of her dandilion blonde head. Her hair like mine falls to her waist, but hers is a bunched of blonde curles as mine falls in firey waves across my back and shoulders. She shares our mothers eyes, just like me. The bright green flecked with brown pebbles decorated with long lashes. I continue to search but there’s no sight of her in the kitchen- or anyone in the kitchen other than me and Amara. where is she? “She’s not here.” She awnsers my weary thoughts, like she could read them. “Where would she be then?” My voice is chased with worry, terrible thoughts filling my head. Amara quickly intercepts them, and corrects herself. “She’s not here- but she’s out looking for more rashions, with carters son.” She rubs my shoulder “no need to worry cherub.” I nod my smile reappearing as focus my attention back to her but then my mind reshuffles her sentence in my head. Carters son? “carters son?” I repeat the words out loud and my brows crease, my lips forming a tight line. I search my head for his name, and then it clicks. “Maliki?” I shake my head “what is she doing hanging out with him?” She just shrugs and moves back to the sink “I don’t know honestly, I hardly know the boy.” The facet switches on and Amara begins scrubbing the pots again “where did they go?” my voice is weary, I knew who Maliki was and I knew his father even more. His father abused his own wife till she was found dead a year or two ago. People saw it off as suicide, no one knows the truth. But I know, I knew his wife, she and I crossed paths multiple times, she was a sweet but reserved woman. Nothing about her hinted towards those type of thoughts.

I found out a few weeks after I met her, that her husband was a cruel being. She came into the washing corridor with dozens bruises on her skin, she tried to toss it off as a accident, but those were hand prints, nothing but a strong pair of hands could make those forms on her neck and arms. And if his son is anything like his own father, I don’t want that kid anywhere near my 14 year old sister, and he’ll be 17 this year, that’s a no.

Amara finally responds, and she places the pots on the drying rack. “Yeah, they left only-“ she was cut off when the door flew open and a perky blonde girl and a dark haired boy waltzed through the main door chattering and laughing. I quickly turn my whole body facing them, and they abruptly stop. “Hey sera.” I smile as my eyes search her body then glare at Maliki. A small grin plays on the boys face his hair falls over his forehead as he nods at me, his brown eyes dancing with…the same mirth the lasher had in his eyes this morning.

My smile faultered. “Maliki, good to see you.” I say dryly as sera continues towards me. “Sister,” she presses her lips together “what are you doing here?”

“I was checking on you“ I gesture towards her friend “What were you both doing?” “We were just grabbing some mushrooms for the stew tonight.” She moved past me and placed a bundle of brown mushrooms on the counter that I didn’t notice she was even carrying. “Together?” my eyes move back to glare at him “with him?” “Cherub- can you not right now?” She groans, shaking her shoulders “do you know-“ she cuts me off and faces me again “stop, you don’t get to decide everything for me.” Her hair falls back over her shoulder as she turns back to Maliki a smile on her face. “You said you would show me your books?” She asks him completely ignoring me, a small hum comes from Amara who shuts off the water and turns away from the sink, the towel in her hands again. “Sera, are you being serious?” Ignoring me she focuses on him, “yeah, let’s go, I’ll show you.” He smirks at me then he moves to take her hand “sera, you know it’s inappropriate to go into a boys room alone with him.” Making excuses to stop her from going with Maliki. She turns back to me “You and Ryan are always alone” she rolls her eyes “And hes just taking me to see his collection.” Sera is obsessed with reading ever since we gotten a hold of a small copy of a literature book that we found. It was probably used in a classroom. And now shes hooked on them, and she truly is so intrigued by learning, by knowing even small facts about things. In this place, we are not gifted by the option to read, or the option of learning. So it’s very lucky to get your hands on even a copy of anything with writing.

I breathe and let out a humorousless laugh. “These are your own decision sera.” I shake my head, but I make my voice soften “love you, see you later.” I force a smile as I hug Amara goodbye and give a small wave to Sera, completely ignoring the boy standing next to her. I walk out the door I came in, trying to shake off that conversation, as a yelp sounds from ahead of me, and all hell breaks loose.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***