Renegade (11 page)

Which, according to Gavin, is just fine with him. “I like my life. It’s not perfect, but I can do whatever I want instead of following a bunch of silly rules, like curfews.…” He trails off when he realizes these silly rules are probably the same ones I’m forced to obey.

I only ask more questions about his world.

“Can I ask you something?” he asks, and I raise an eyebrow in answer. “I don’t know if you’ll know the answer, but where did all this come from?”

“Of course I know that. Mother is training me to take her place. It’s my duty to know those kinds of things.” I smile. “Mother built it to get away from the Surface.”

“But
why
?”

I frown. “Because Surface Dwellers are bad. They destroyed their own homes. Their people. Why would she stay?” I stop myself before I can say, “Why would anyone?”

“But that doesn’t make much sense. I mean, why not a cave? Why
underwater
?”

I don’t really know, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “She wanted to be completely isolated from the Surface Dwellers.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Okay, fine, but
someone
would have to go to the Surface for supplies. Right?”

“No,” I say, pride filling me. “We are completely self-sufficient. All of our food is grown here, as is the cotton for clothes. We even have silkworms to make the finer things. Like my dress.”

“But what about this glass? The metal? Where does the oxygen come from? Fresh water? Electricity?”

“We mine the metal—I’m not sure how, but there’s a whole Sector devoted to it. The glass comes from the sand. Freshwater comes from the saltwater, we just remove the salt. Electricity is generated by the geothermal energy of the volcano. The oxygen comes from two things: There is an oxygen generator that takes the ocean water and, after the salt has been removed from it, splits the hydrogen from the oxygen. The oxygen is then stored and sent throughout the facility to mix with the oxygen from the trees and plants. The hydrogen is used to fuel the heavy machinery that’s used for mining, et cetera.”

He blinks a few times, then says, “Right. Sorry I asked. I think I’m more confused now than I was before.”

I have to laugh and it isn’t long before he joins me.

When it’s time to leave, I struggle with it. I know I have to go, but I have the awful feeling I won’t ever see him again. That somehow Mother knows exactly what’s going on in this cell.

My new Suitor walks me back. And I have to stifle more than one giggle on the way back when I realize Gavin was right and the Guard does walk with his arms swinging in front of his body. It’s rude of me to keep thinking of him as just “the Guard,” but I refuse to learn his name. If I wasn’t expected to couple with him, I would just continue to call him by his designation. His name would be inconsequential. Therefore, knowing his name would be to accept what Mother is doing, and I don’t. I’m going to figure a way out of this coupling if it kills me. Which, I have to admit, it very well might.

Mother is waiting for me when I get back to the Palace Wing. She smiles at the Guard, then dismisses him. She gestures to the chair in front of her and I sit, making sure my ankles are crossed and the hem of my dress covers my knees.

“Anything from our guest?” she asks with her eyes fixed on mine.

“No. He refuses to give me any information.” My gaze wobbles. I so badly want to look away. But if I do, she’ll know I’m lying. Then again, maybe she already does.

She taps her fingers against her marble end table. “That’s too bad.”

I look down at my hands. “I am sorry, Mother. I will try again tomorrow.”

“No,” she says, and my head jerks up to look at her. She meets my eyes without wavering. “I doubt anyone followed him. The alarms would have been triggered by now. It was a miracle he was able to get here in the first place.”

Unable to stop my curiosity, I take a chance, and ask, “How
did
he get in?”

She stares at me with narrowed eyes, while I fight the urge to fidget. I’m sure she’ll ignore me, but she surprises me when she smoothes out her face and says, “I am not entirely sure. That is why I wanted you to get answers from him.” She smiles at me. “It is not your fault, Evelyn. You did the best you could. But his time for cooperating is up. I have no wish to waste any more time on this. He’ll be executed.”

Panic blows through me, tickling my nerve endings and causing my heart rate to accelerate. This is an entirely new sensation. And I don’t care for it.

“No, Mother. You can’t do that!” I say without thinking.

She raises an eyebrow. “Why not?”

I wrack my brain for an answer, but the only one that comes out is “I wish to couple with him.” Oh, Mother. Where did
that
come from? A flush creeps across me then, thinking about it. I must have only been thinking it because of the situation with the Guard. Surely she will kill him now. Just to spite me. Just to remind me who’s in charge, and that it isn’t me.

But she only tilts her head and narrows her eyes. “Why?”

I can’t back down now, and since she seems willing to at least pretend to listen, I give her the one reason I’m hoping she’ll understand. “Because I’m sure his genetics are superior to those eligible here.”

That gives her pause. “What makes you say that?”

“You’ve seen him. He’s strong. He’s tall and smart. Uh … hardworking. He won’t be a burden to us.”

She nods her head as if in understanding. “Those
are
wonderful qualities. For someone born here. But he’s a Surface Dweller, and anyway he’s flawed. His eyes are gray. And his skin is a few shades too dark.”

Thinking fast, I try to find every plausible excuse. “His skin color is from the sun. A few months with us will remove any color from the skin. And I don’t think that particular gray is a flaw. He says his whole family has them.” I have no idea if that’s true or not, but it’ll help the excuse I just came up with. “You and I were talking the other day about finding something to set us apart from the Citizens. Instead of something that can be copied by anyone with art sense, why don’t we do it genetically? The gray eyes could be that thing. Obviously it wouldn’t work with you or me, but my children and their children…” I clasp my hands together in my lap to keep myself from going on. I’ve already shown how much I want this. She might kill him now just because she sees how much I want to save him.

“Gray eyes to set us apart?” She purses her lips and taps a nail to them. The silvery striations in her own eyes are already the envy of most of the women. I’ve never been happier her eyes aren’t pure blue. “What was his designation on the Surface?”

I can’t remember if I’d told her before or not, but it won’t hurt for her to know. It would probably help, actually. “A hunter.”

“How interesting.” Her eyes sparkle and she nods. “I like it. We will have to make sure his genetics are appropriate. We don’t want any flaws in your children.” Her eyes turn hard. “If he is not a genetic match, he will die. Are you willing to sacrifice him?”

If I don’t do anything, he’ll die anyway. It’s not like he, or I, have a choice. I just have to hope he’s as genetically superior as his looks promise. “Yes, Mother.”

She arches an eyebrow. “If he is flawed, you will lose
all
ability to choose. I will choose for you, and I won’t change my mind this time. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mother,” I say, even though I know Gavin can’t stay here.
Won’t
stay here. He’s got a family and a life that doesn’t involve me, and it’s not right to keep him. But part of me hopes he will. That he’ll decide to stay here. With me.

She smiles, but there’s a look in her eyes that makes me nervous. “Very well. Let’s inform our guest of his choice, shall we?”

“Choice?”

She gives me a smug look. “Well, he has to approve of you as you do him, Evelyn. It’s only fair. But if he does, he will have to choose to conform to our rules. And if he doesn’t … well.” She lifts a shoulder, then pats my hand as if to console me.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHT

… Sweeter than the honey from a bee,

Softer than the petals of a rose,

Deeper than the bottom of the sea,

Stronger than the mightiest of foes,

Perfect is the love of Mother for me …

—
F
OUNDER’S
D
AY CHILDREN’S SONG

Twisting my hands together, I lead the way to Gavin’s cell. Each of my footsteps echo along the hallways, mocking me. Teasing me. I don’t know what to think of Mother’s easy agreement, especially since she insisted on coming with me, instead of just using her hologram. If she’s willing to risk the turrets, there has got to be a catch to this.

Gavin is sitting in that same corner he seems to favor when we arrive. He smiles when he sees me, but it falters when he notices Mother behind me.

The Guards straighten to attention. They don’t say a word as they let us into the cell and shut the door behind Mother. One stays at the control panel for the doors, his hand only inches from the release button. The difference between their behavior with Mother and their behavior with me does not go unnoticed.

Gavin’s eyes travel back and forth between Mother and me. He unfolds his long legs, and stands slowly. Standing, he dwarfs both Mother and me, and makes the entire cell seem smaller than it was. His posture is cautious but relaxed.

Mother smiles at him. “You’re a very lucky young man.”

His eyebrows jump up. “I am?”

She walks a circle around him, her eyes traveling over every inch of him. “It appears you’ve had a positive effect on Evelyn.”

His eyes move to mine and I see the question in them, but I don’t respond. I can’t. His eyes fill with a tinge of suspicion before they turn back to Mother.

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re trying to tell me,” he says, a bit tense now.

“No. You’re just a foolish Surface Dweller, but not as simpleminded as I had first thought. You were able to get Evelyn wrapped around your finger in only two days. I have to admit I’m impressed.” She gives him another smile when he doesn’t say anything. “Impressed enough that I have decided to honor her request and grant you the privilege of making a decision.”

His eyes cut to mine again and I meet them without hesitation. I hope he realizes I’m not betraying him. The suspicion is still there, but he doesn’t say anything to me.

“What decision?” he finally asks.

“We’re offering you the chance to get out of this cell. Permanently.”

His eyes bore into mine. “And what is the cost?”

She laughs, but her eyes are considering. “Very smart,” she says. “I think Evelyn may have made a good choice.” She pauses. “The cost is you will have to couple with her.”

His jaw drops. “Excuse me?”

I try very hard not to laugh. It was probably the last thing he expected her to say.

Mother, on the other hand, doesn’t bother to conceal her chuckle. “Evelyn has decided you are superior to her choices here and wants to be Coupled with you.” She walks around him again, studying him as if he’s a test subject, while he keeps his eyes glued to mine. “I think she may be right,” she says. “Of course, we will have to do a full genetic workup to be sure. But before that can happen, we need you to make a decision. Will you couple with her?”

I hate that she hasn’t given him the full choice. That if he says no, he’ll die. But I fight the urge to plead with him using my eyes. He needs to make this decision on his own. There’s no way to tell him the consequences should he refuse.

To my surprise, he doesn’t even hesitate before he answers, “Yes.”

“Smarter than I thought,” she mutters. “Very good. We’ll run the genetic testing to make sure you are the perfect match Evelyn thinks you are. I’ll let Evelyn handle that since you seem to trust her.” She walks to the door, pausing when she’s next to me. “You have made a very wise choice.”

She gestures for the Guards to open the door. As she leaves, she says, “Get Evelyn a genetic testing kit.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the Guards exchange a look, but one rushes off to do her bidding. The door shuts with an ominous click, which echoes throughout the room despite the soundproofing.

Gavin hasn’t taken his eyes off mine. “Would you care to explain what the hell just happened?” There’s no inflection to his voice. For some reason that bothers me more than if he was angry.

I turn around and face the opposite wall, twisting my hands together before I force myself to let them fall to my side.

“Mother questioned me when I got back. She was not happy you haven’t answered questions.” I pause to give him time to realize I haven’t shared the information he gave me. “She was going to execute you. The only thing I could think of to buy us time was coupling. I just blurted it out. To my surprise, she agreed and now we’re here.”

He still doesn’t say anything and my nerves stretch to breaking. When I can’t take it anymore, I turn around and see him staring at me. His eyes are blank.

The silence actually feels heavy. As if each tick of the second hand piles another brick over my head and I’m just waiting for them to fall on top of me.

“Please say something,” I whisper.

“What did you trade for this?” His voice is soft, but there’s an edge of steel underneath.

Of course that would have to be the first question he asks. “Nothing important.” No matter how hard I try, I can’t meet his eyes.

“Evelyn. What. Did. You. Trade. For. This?”

I close my eyes and say in a voice barely loud enough for me to hear, “My ability to choose my coupling partner if your genetics aren’t good enough.”

He’s silent again, so long I’m forced to open my eyes to try and see what he’s thinking.