Glimmer (6 page)

"Of course, there is another option," Integrity says. "You can be Bound with one of our Vessels. After which you would of course need to travel to each Refuge to present yourselves as Nobleman and Noblelady." He looks right at me as he says this.

Travel to each Refuge.

"So you are saying if I refuse to be Bound, I'll be forced to stay, but if I agree, you'll let me travel?" I ask, shaking my head. They are putting me in bind no matter what I choose. And either way I am in their grip. Still their pawn.

I can't spend two months being stuck here. Lucy will think I have forgotten her if I wait around that long. Not to mention Basil and Grace. I can't let their blood be on my hands for not doing something. But if I am Bound to another Vessel, I am betraying Lucy.

"Why do you want to leave so badly Nobleman?
Why now
?" Rely questions, his eyes boring into me.

"I'm restless. You know after a month I am always ready to go. And besides, this place is making me sad. I mean, I really thought I was going to end up with Lucy. And she left me."

"So a case of lovers betrayal, is it son?" The Head Councilman says, his face empathizing with me and diminishing the value of Depend's question. Thankfully, because going down that rabbit trail will keep me in their burrow forever.

I wish I could ask Lucy what I should do. Or I wish my family were still here, to help me decide. But everyone I have ever loved is gone. No one is left to help me.

I think of Lucy, how she arrived at this Refuge and changed the course of my life. She kissed my lips and touched my soul. I will never betray my love for her.

              Integrity coughs into his hand, breaking the silence of the room. The Councilmen are all studying me closely.

              "If you agree to be Bound with a Vessel from this Refuge," Discernment chimes in, "we will have the word of the Head Councilman that you will return here more often to sustain our energy supplies, and donate extra to the cause of our growth. Isn't that right men?"

              "Of course it is. How do you want to play this out, Lukas? Either way you know who ultimately is in control of your life," says the Head Councilman icily. He knows what a dagger calling me by my given name is. It's a name reserved for my family, only. He's only using it to pull on my heartstrings even more.

I look back at Integrity. Something about him being the one who told me I would have a chance
to travel to each Refuge
strikes me as odd.

Unless.

Unless his reason for saying it was for me to know he's on my side. On Lucy's side. I want to believe he is. I need to believe someone is looking out for me.

And I know, deep down, staying here for two months is not an option. Too much could happen in two months. There is only one choice to make.

"You're right, Head Councilman," I say, grimacing as the words come out of my mouth. "There is nothing I'd rather have than a Vessel by my side. As soon as you can arrange the Binding ceremony, and a mate for me, we should hold it."

"Good, we already have a Vessel chosen, one who has been waiting for this moment her entire life."

It's not until he finishes speaking that I realize who I'll be Bound to. There is only one Vessel at this Refuge who has been waiting to be my mate.

Perfection.

CHAPTER SIX

Lucy

I wake with a start, as Timid's hand pinches my knee. I was dreaming of the Refuge, of Lukas. A heaviness washes over me as I look at my surroundings. I want to be back in my dream world where I am with Lukas and he is with me and we are both free.

While sitting cross-legged in the dirt cell with Timid, I'd dozed off. She must have been braiding her hair the whole time I was out. She now has dozens of tiny woven strands in her light hair.

"What is it, Timid?" I ask in a whisper. Timid wouldn't have woken me unless she needed something; she's one of the least selfish people I know.

"There, look," she says, pointing towards the brown trailer Colton walked into earlier.

"What about it?" I ask. The courtyard and the trailer look the same as it did before I fell asleep.

"He's packing to go. We should go with him."

I notice how he has a few backpacks on the steps. The girl who followed him earlier walks out with a sleeping bag in her arms. She bends down strapping it to one of the packs.

"It's impossible. There's no way out of here," I say, as I shake my head. "And look around, there are too many people." The courtyard still has a dozen or so people milling about, cleaning guns, laughing, and eating.

"They're about to go out patrolling again. I heard them."

"Well, even if they do all leave, we still can't get out of here. Jax locked us in pretty good."

"You can though, Lucy." She nods her head, and smiles at me.

My hand.

It will open the lock. I remember the Refuge, freeing the Vessels from their dark rooms. Lukas and I working against time to free Mom. But we were too late.

"I know my Light could open the gate." I had thought of that earlier; it was my original plan for us. "But Reagan is nuts. He won't let us leave without a fight. And we can't fight men like this."

"Yes, we can, Lucy.
We must
. We have to go find the boy you said can help us. We need to get help for the Nobleman and Basil and Grace. Charlie isn't here; we need to find him."

I see the desperation in Timid's eyes. I see her fierce desire to grab ahold of the situation and do something. I'm ashamed at my first instinct
. Do what I'm told.
I had decided, the moment Jax placed us in this cell to wait until Reagan tells me what I should do next. After everything that has happened to me the past month, that I'm still waiting for orders.

And Timid, born in a closed-quarters-obey-thy-father-situation, a girl not so different than me, sees this predicament as a chance. A chance for real freedom. For herself and the people she loves.

I'm suddenly the scared girl, the timid girl. Mom would be embarrassed of me, she told me to be strong.

"We can do it, Lucy. I know it. Look, once the patrol leaves, the courtyard will be empty. We can make a run for it, and then hide until Colton comes. We can follow him until we get further away." Her whispers are animated and her eyes grow big as she tells me her plan.

"You came up with all this when I was sleeping?" I ask. "How'd you become so good at scheming?" I look at her quizzically. She surprises me. Now that we are away from the confines of the Refuge, she's braver somehow.

"At the Refuge, it pays to be keen. You have to be smarter than your Humbleman and the older Vessels or you won't survive." She says this quieter, as though admitting the reason for her intellect makes her embarrassed.

I take her hand. "I'm lucky to have you, Timid. I need someone like you with me. Someone smart and brave, or else I'd be stuck in this cell forever."

It strikes me as odd, how I can so easily see the answers to some things, like the next move in chess, yet things of the heart: being brave, being strong, standing up for myself, are impossible for me to do on my own. I was never strong until I met Lukas, and now I am only strong because I have Timid.  

That makes me weak.

"Lucy, look!" Timid points to the baby blue trailer where Reagan is making his way toward the fire pit.

              "Patrols, we are doubling up this afternoon, ya understand?" Reagan shouts to the people standing around. Their eyes are all on him. Mine are too. "We need more eyes ... out there." He seems mixed up; most likely he's still drinking from his flask. "I want to find the fr ... freaks that sent these girls to us. I want 'em, so I can hand deliver the lot of 'em to the Headquarters myself. Got it? Do not come back here without blood on your hands!" He burps, loudly, but no one seems to care.

There's a chorus of "Yes, Sir's" after he speaks, and everyone heads into trailers, gearing up, I suppose. It reminds me of when I lived on the compound, how Dad and the other men would go to the bunker and get their ammunition and hazmat suits ready for a make-believe fight.

Colton pokes his head out of his trailer, listening, and then shakes his head at Reagan, before mouthing, "DRUNK," at the girl still sitting outside loading their packs. He leans down and says something to her before he walks inside. She begins filling her bag more quickly.

They're leaving. Now. Timid is right.

Reagan saunters over to us, reeking of what I suppose is moonshine, and sits on a tree stump. Interrogation time. Well, that's something I'm good at. Direct questions. Exact details. Just lay off the emotional stuff and I'm fine.

"So you girls ready to tell me what you're doing here?" He looks at us, his face filled with fine lines. I'm guessing they were born from days in the sun.

Timid and I say nothing.

"Well, this is how it's gonna to go down. I don't know how mean Jax was with you, but probably not mean enough. But I'm not gonna to take no for an answer."

I believe him, too. He's like Humbleman Discernment, looking for his gain from a situation. I'm guessing finding some men from The Light is worth a lot in these parts. He's stands up and fumbles for his flask then takes a long drink.

"What is the Headquarters? You told your patrol you want to take us there." I need to know what I'm up against.

"Oh, so you're doing a little spying on us, are you?" He looks at me, hard, and then continues. "Well, I don't like spies. I like the truth. And you are gonna give it to me!" He drowns whatever is left in the flask, then flings it to the ground.

"I ... I ..."I stumble for what to say. Because I don't
know
what to say.

Reagan leans into the fence, grabbing hold of the links to steady himself. His head rolls to the back, before he lets go, and falls to the ground.

I gasp, looking at Timid. For a second I think he must be dead, but quickly my fear is replaced my disgust as huge snores begins coming from him. He isn't dead; he's just passed out from too much drinking.

It's a miracle, really, and not one I expect. Quickly, I look around the courtyard and see it's still empty of people. Everyone is off getting ready for patrolling. I close my eyes and concentrate on all the good, pure things I know.

Lukas.

Basil and Grace.

Freedom.

Light.

I open my eyes to see the green light in my palm. It's so shocking; still, that something inside of me is fighting to help. And it's growing. The light covers my hand, creeping higher; I am no longer just a flicker of light.

I am more than that.

I put my hand against the padlock and instantly it falls in my hand. The lock has undone itself. I pull the chain off the gate quickly and quietly, and look at Timid, who beams.

"Let's go through his trailer to the outside, Lucy," Timid says. "He might have some supplies we can take."

I nod in agreement, and with Timid's hand held tightly in mine, we run out of our cell into the courtyard, along the trailers, until we reach the baby blue one.

I look around to see if anyone's seen us, and then we slip into the door. Thankfully the trailer is empty of people, but full of things we might need. I grab an empty backpack sitting on the table and look around for things to fill it with.

"No time, Lucy - look!" She points out the window and I see what she means. Some people have walked into the courtyard, ready for their patrol group to gather.

"Crud. Okay, take this!"

I pick up a long-sleeved sweater on the bed and fling it to her and she scrambles to put it on. I wrap an old leather coat hanging on the back of a chair around myself. Both enormous, but our silk robes offer us no protection. I see in the corner what looks like Reagan's travel pack, and toss it over my shoulder.

"We gotta go!" I look out the window opposite of the door we came in, all clear, just trees. I open the door, quietly, and Timid and I hurry out. We book it to the woods, and I look around trying to remember how we came in last night. To the right of me I see a clear-cut path, but it is exactly the way the patrols will walk. We need to keep out of their line of vision.

"This way, Lucy!" Timid whispers, pointing.

Colton and the girl.

They are creeping into the woods, to our left. Out of the way of the patrol, and perfect for us to follow.

We might have a chance at survival after all.

Lukas

"Eeeeeee!"

The peals of her screeches assault me as I stand outside the door. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself for what awaits me in the great room, a Vessel elated that I'm coming to see her. I don't hold the same sentiments.

And she isn't even certain what I'm requesting this meeting for. She's going to be all-out cracked when she hears what I have to say.

This is not what I expected. Not that I had some preconceived idea of what would come next when I told Lucy to jump off the ledge last night.

But this? Not in a long shot.

Still, I know this is a sacrifice I have to make, for Lucy, for our future. I know she will be making sacrifices along the way for me, too. Our connection is stronger than any Binding ceremony The Light performs, this is a mere tool to get what she and I both want. Freedom.

"Nobleman, are you ready?" Councilman Integrity joins me at the door. I haven't seen him all day. After the meeting at the chamber this morning, I spent the day in my room, attempting to sleep, but my mind refused to quiet itself.

"Do you think this is the best choice, for me?" I ask, not sure why I'm revealing my hesitation. Maybe because he's the closest thing to a supporter I have.

"This is about more than you, I think it is the best choice for the people you care about." He looks at me solemnly and adds, "I would like a chance to speak with you later, alone."

"We can talk now if you'd like." My gut is in knots thinking about what's behind these doors. What walking through those doors means, for us all, I'm all for finding a reason to pause.

"Not now. They are waiting on you." He points to the door. He's right.

I nod my head in agreement and push ahead.

The important people who live at this Refuge are gathered, along with the Head Councilman. He stands speaking with Depend quietly. Next to them Discernment and his first Vessel, Honor, stand watching in anticipation. They know what I'm about to request of their daughter. Perfection and her helper, Agreement don't make much effort to hide their delight, their hands are held and Perfection grins.

Other Vessels stand around the perimeter of the room, the same way they do on the days new arrivals come into the fold, singing traditional hymns from our service books. Bright lights shine on us from overhead, and I know my added presence in the room allows for everything to sparkle.

Everyone can make a guess what this meeting is about, there was even an announcement earlier today, letting the Refuge know which Vessels were excused from their duties.

The air is charged with anticipation. I look around, wondering if there have been whispers about where Lucy went. The girl who just days ago announced that we were to be Bound. If there's been gossip about what happened, I'm shielded from the rumors. I'm always a few conversations shy from understanding exactly what is going on around me.

Perfection drops to her knees as I walk toward her, to offer respect. She believes her prophet is before her. Her long blond hair twists around her head in intricate braids, and she looks up at me with a smile plastered on her face. She drops her head, and her shoulders fall. When she glances back up she seems to have steadied herself. Her juvenile glee has vanished in my presence.

This Perfection isn't the one who just squealed with excitement, and certainly this Perfection isn't the who threw a fit a few days ago when I let her know I wasn't interested in being Bound to her. I can tell she's trying hard to be more reserved. Acting different in hopes I will be attracted to her now that Lucy is gone.

"Perfection, you may stand."

It feels weird, things being so formal all of a sudden. I've known this girl forever. She's been preened to be mine for as long as I can remember. She was my playmate when I was younger and would come to this Refuge with my family to perform my duty. I remember her eating meals with us in this very same room. My parents would usually be nearby, talking to Honor and Discernment, as we played checkers or worked on puzzles with Charles. She always was excused from all the duties other Vessels her age were required to perform. It's made her feel entitled.