titles.
“Technically it’s our room now.”
I whipped back to him, my neck cricking a little with the speed.
“ Excuse me?”
“Normally a trial candidate is paired with someone of the same sex, but in your case I figured you would be most comfortable with me.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“I have seen how you are with other people and to be honest I think quite a few of them are afraid of you. But with me you don’t seem quite as… tense.”
I stared hard at him looking for any sign of ruse. My gaze shifted to the only bed in the corner of the room. His eyes followed.
“You and Mouse can have the bed. Arden is bringing me a cot. Don’t worry, we won’t have to share.”
I continued to stare blankly at him.
“I know it’s not ideal…” He looked hurt.
Somehow I had offended him. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. A month ago I wouldn’t have cared, but today guilt seeped into my emotions.
“Mouse won’t sleep on the bed, so I will take the cot. There is no point putting you out any more than I already have.” I didn’t want to owe him anything. He had already volunteered to be my sponsor. I didn’t need to add taking his bed to that list.
He opened his mouth to protest but seemed to think better of it, simply shrugging. I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last of the conversation.
Throwing my bag next to his bed, I sat and picked up the splayed book. It was a novel by Charles Dickens. I repressed a smile as I turned to him.
“I’m surprised you can read, not many can anymore.”
“I could say the same about you.”
I thought he was teasing me.
“My mother taught me to read. She thought it was important that our generations’ educations not be lost. I now teach other defectors to read as well.” He picked up a random book from the pile, running his fingers over the title. “I guess you could call this The Subversive library.”
I smiled at him. I am not sure what came over me but I actually smiled at him. His returning grin was equally surprising. Not wanting this strange moment of comradery to go too far, I began to press for more answers.
“So, my being here was a setup from the beginning. Your people have been testing me since the moment I arrived.”
That wiped the smile from his face.
“Yes.” He put the book back, the moment gone. “You know better than anyone else how hard it is to trust someone in Tartarus. We must take every precaution possible before exposing you to our people.”
“You still don’t trust me though.”
He sighed, folding his arms. “You’re different than anyone else we have come across. The people we rescue from the streets always come from a Tribe. Everyone defects for his or her own reason, but ultimately they chose to leave. You on the other hand were a loner. You weren’t disengaging from allegiances to free yourself, you were already free. Your only alliance was to yourself.”
I stared hard at a crack in the floor. “No one is free in Tartarus.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I agree, but unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. They see you as an anomaly to the system, and people fear what they don’t understand.”
He was right. If I wasn’t one of them, then I was against them. Even if this wasn’t a Tribe, the “Join or Die” mentality still lived in their every breath. I suddenly felt like a rodent trapped in a very large cage of hungry cats.
“How would you feel about letting off a little steam?” Triven was watching my left leg that had begun to bounce rapidly.
My body went rigid as he stepped toward me, his hand raising. He stepped back immediately. Without saying another word he turned and walked out the door. I sat for about two heartbeats before going after him. I caught up just as he turned the corner.
“Don’t we have work we should be doing or another pointless meeting with Arstid?” I actually felt bad for my reaction to his friendly overtures.
“Today is my free day and since you are
“Technically it’s our room now.”
I whipped back to him, my neck cricking a little with the speed.
“ Excuse me?”
“Normally a trial candidate is paired with someone of the same sex, but in your case I figured you would be most comfortable with me.”
I raised my eyebrows at him.
“I have seen how you are with other people and to be honest I think quite a few of them are afraid of you. But with me you don’t seem quite as… tense.”
I stared hard at him looking for any sign of ruse. My gaze shifted to the only bed in the corner of the room. His eyes followed.
“You and Mouse can have the bed. Arden is bringing me a cot. Don’t worry, we won’t have to share.”
I continued to stare blankly at him.
“I know it’s not ideal…” He looked hurt.
Somehow I had offended him. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. A month ago I wouldn’t have cared, but today guilt seeped into my emotions.
“Mouse won’t sleep on the bed, so I will take the cot. There is no point putting you out any more than I already have.” I didn’t want to owe him anything. He had already volunteered to be my sponsor. I didn’t need to add taking his bed to that list.
He opened his mouth to protest but seemed to think better of it, simply shrugging. I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last of the conversation.
Throwing my bag next to his bed, I sat and picked up the splayed book. It was a novel by Charles Dickens. I repressed a smile as I turned to him.
“I’m surprised you can read, not many can anymore.”
“I could say the same about you.”
I thought he was teasing me.
“My mother taught me to read. She thought it was important that our generations’ educations not be lost. I now teach other defectors to read as well.” He picked up a random book from the pile, running his fingers over the title. “I guess you could call this The Subversive library.”
I smiled at him. I am not sure what came over me but I actually smiled at him. His returning grin was equally surprising. Not wanting this strange moment of comradery to go too far, I began to press for more answers.
“So, my being here was a setup from the beginning. Your people have been testing me since the moment I arrived.”
That wiped the smile from his face.
“Yes.” He put the book back, the moment gone. “You know better than anyone else how hard it is to trust someone in Tartarus. We must take every precaution possible before exposing you to our people.”
“You still don’t trust me though.”
He sighed, folding his arms. “You’re different than anyone else we have come across. The people we rescue from the streets always come from a Tribe. Everyone defects for his or her own reason, but ultimately they chose to leave. You on the other hand were a loner. You weren’t disengaging from allegiances to free yourself, you were already free. Your only alliance was to yourself.”
I stared hard at a crack in the floor. “No one is free in Tartarus.”
He was quiet for a moment. “I agree, but unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. They see you as an anomaly to the system, and people fear what they don’t understand.”
He was right. If I wasn’t one of them, then I was against them. Even if this wasn’t a Tribe, the “Join or Die” mentality still lived in their every breath. I suddenly felt like a rodent trapped in a very large cage of hungry cats.
“How would you feel about letting off a little steam?” Triven was watching my left leg that had begun to bounce rapidly.
My body went rigid as he stepped toward me, his hand raising. He stepped back immediately. Without saying another word he turned and walked out the door. I sat for about two heartbeats before going after him. I caught up just as he turned the corner.
“Don’t we have work we should be doing or another pointless meeting with Arstid?” I actually felt bad for my reaction to his friendly overtures.
“Today is my free day and since you are
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