NaNoWriMo 2023 A Sky Full of Secrets

Chapter One - Natalia

Parliament City had always been my homeland. I'd been born, raised, and loved in the city. My parents, all their family being dead, had no reason to travel beyond the protective steel walls, so I’d never been anywhere but Parliament City.

Unfortunately for me, that didn’t mean that I was an expert on the city. I carried with me only a small gray duffle bag filled with some clothing, a family photo, a water-filled bottle, some biscuits, a few pieces of bread, and a bag of Rubis, the Paliscades’ official currency. That was it. Yet the bag still felt so heavy, as if the weight of all the grief in my heart had poured out and into the bag, filling it up with the ice cold nothingness that I felt inside.

The Rubis in my bag definitely weren’t enough to rent the room across from my home, even for a single night. Even the middle class sectors of the city wouldn’t let me in with the amount of money that I had in my pouch. Which meant the only place for me was the lowest district, crawling with criminals and thieves, blackmailers and kidnappers. Guess I have to brave it all. Wasn't that fun?

Stepping off the free public bus and onto the library stop at 302nd Street, I did my best not to gag. The stench of rot, death, and decay filled the air, contributed to by the stinking garbage littering the sides of the roads and the flies buzzing about. Even the library, which seemed abandoned, was worse for wear, its once pristine white walls a dirty ash gray and graffitied. People skulked across the streets, their hoods up despite the calm, warm weather, their eyes searching for threats.

In that aspect, at least, I fit in. Though my clothing was one of the only that wasn’t ripped, stained, or stinking on the street, I wore similar things to the residents of the area. Tight fitting jeans, dark against my pale skin tone, a loose white tee with my family name printed on it in cursive, Grant, and a light gray hoodie with the city's name in bright bold letters. The hoodie had been a last minute addition, something I’d grabbed after thinking about my future, alone. The weather in Parliament City was almost never as good as today’s, and a jacket, even a light one, would be essential for the everyday temperatures.

Looking around, I started walking. Just standing there made me nervous, as if someone would come up and steal my precious duffle bag. Spying a bright red “to let” sign, I made for a small red brick house. The shutters were closed and the walls had cracks in them. Not the most welcoming sight, but it was better than many of the others. I knocked on the door. In a moment, the peephole had an eye in it. The door opened, revealing a short old lady. She had gray hair tied neatly into a bun and a wrinkled face wearing a faded flower skirt and a once-black sweater. “What do ya want, young’un?”

I stepped back, shocked by her tone of voice. Where I came from, the highest sectors of Parliament City, everyone spoke in milder tones, their words kinder and softer. “I saw there was a room for rent, ma’am. I came to ask about the price.”

The lady looked at me weirdly, one of her eyes closed and the other bulging, her face tilted slightly towards me on the bulging eye’s side. “How much are ya offering?”

I had spent the entirety of the hour-long bus ride counting, recounting, and budgeting my money. I’d always been good with finances and math, an unlikely subject for a painter like me, and had the situation not been so dire, I might’ve enjoyed the experience. “Twenty-three Rubis per night.” That was four Rubis less than the amount I could spend without going broke for a month.

“Ha!” The lady’s laugh was an ugly sound, more like a hacking cough than an amused sound. She spit onto the ground by her feet, then looked up. “Twenty-three Rubis?” Did I offer too little? Should all twenty-seven go in? “Deal, girlie!” She opened the door wider, letting her new lodger into the house. “The room’s up these stairs right here. Two warm meals come with the room. I got a worker girl, but she ain’t do much, so if you want something done, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.” I was worried that she was going to spit on the ground again, but she looked expectantly at me instead.

Confused, I opened up my little money pouch and counted out exactly twenty-three gold coins, handing them to the lady. “Thank you, ma’am.” With a nod, I carted my duffle bag up the stairs and entered my new room through a cramped doorway.

The room was a stark contrast to my bedroom at home. The bedroom that used to be mine, I corrected, wincing as I remembered my parents’ disappearance. Each time I thought about my situation, my self-pity only grew. Grief had clouded my vision as she stepped, but I’d always been a look-on-the-bright-side sort of girl, and I’d tried to forget about it. Now, as I relaxed in my new surroundings, I collapsed with the weight of everything that had happened.
Don’t think about it.

I forced my eyes to look around the room and examine it, though I couldn’t have cared less about the room at the moment. There was a small fireplace, a counter which had shelves beneath it, and a four poster bed. Everything was in a shade of gray, black, or white, unlike my old bedroom which had been a rainbow of different colors, each one brighter than the last. A wooden dresser sagged on one corner of the room and a door, which I assumed led into a closet of some kind, was at another. My eyes strayed to a floorboard that was slightly shifted from its original position. Dropping my duffle bag on the counter, I crouched down. My parents’ disappearance had made me question everything, and this upended floorboard made me question a lot, both about my new landlady and the sketchy part of Parliament City that I was in. Did I make the right choice by coming here?

Maeve’s offer to let me stay with her for a while rang in my ears. Maeve was my best friend. Her parents had been close to mine, always speaking about their work while their daughters grew up together, like sisters. The offer had been made on her doorstep after I’d trudged over to their home that morning, tears in my eyes, but I’d declined for a very specific reason.

I had seen the haunted look in Maeve’s parents’ eyes. I’d seen the disapproval and the worry. If the government was kicking me out of my home and making my parents suddenly disappear, wouldn't the Doyles get in trouble for harboring me, the outcast? Of course, Maeve had made the offer anyway, though she’d probably been thinking along the same lines.

It’s better to protect them. How could I ever forgive myself if they too are taken away by the government? The Doyles had always been like a second family to me but my staying there would only result in more misery, both for them and for myself.

So yes, maybe the right choice wasn’t the most comfortable. Or safe, my mind chimed in. But it had to be done. Right?

Shaking her worry and concern away, I took off the floorboard. It came out quite easily, only requiring a slight push from my end. Putting it off to the side, I crouched lower. The space beneath the floorboard was a small one, perhaps large enough for a raccoon or any such rodent to nestle in. Within that space, I found what seemed to me like a piece of paper torn out from a journal. Examining the paper carefully without unfolding it to reveal its contents, I saw uneven edges and the vestige of a messy scrawl. A note?

Carefully, I opened up the torn notebook paper. As I’d predicted, the inside held a message written in terrible handwriting.

I always greet the new kid on the block. Meet me at 7 PM near Brookridge’s Mansion. Don’t be late. -Livie

Chapter Two - Grayson

I’d lived in Parliament City for less than two years, yet I’d already grown accustomed to the dreary weather here. The undying cold. It was funny, the Paliscades was a country made up of a sequence of islands and atolls, and Parliament City was situated in one of the largest of the islands. Still, though tourists came to enjoy the one-of-a-kind beaches, it wasn’t warm. Instead, the water was burning hot and the air was freezing cold, the oddest pair.

Today, however, a warm front had approached the city, making the weather bearable for once. Not that it keeps me inside.

Mother had always called me a free spirit. Always wandering, never lost. Always home, never comfortable. Her perfect little angel of a boy. How wrong she’d been. I had turned out much worse than what she’d envisioned. Well, she can’t see me anyway. Mother was long gone. So was Father. And so was Yanira.

Stop it.

I slipped outside of the crumbling library building and was hit by a current of cold air. The warm front didn’t help much, it seemed. My black cloak, a gift I was very grateful for, was wrapped tightly around my body, my hood pulled low over my face.

The cracked sidewalk was crowded today, filled with people basking in the unusual warmth. I slipped past all of them, not speaking to any. Not that I could anyway. Two years of living in Parliament City, two years in the Paliscades, and my Palinese still wasn’t the best, and I wasn’t comfortable making conversation.

As always, no one noticed me as I slinked to the back of the library building, an abandoned area that no one used. I was told that the area used to be a courtyard of some sort, full of greenery and life, a miniature park for children who lived too far away from the closest one. Now, it held no such significance. The area smelled of death and decay as the once-beautiful plants rotted with no care. Their brown, dried up leaves and petals crunched underfoot as I walked.

Right behind the unused back door of the library was a large metal box about a foot taller than me. My patrol leader, Olivia, had once told me that the box had once been a waste bin for the library. Now, though, it was dirty and graffitied on the outside. The inside, I’d heard, was the ideal place for lovers to get some alone time in a sector as toxic as this one.

Yanira.

I shook myself. There was no use dwelling on the past when my life could only go forward. Climbing onto the metal box, I reached for the rungs that hung from the library’s concrete roof. They were a few feet higher than where I could reach, but I’d done this so many times that I knew exactly how high to jump. Effortlessly, my hands grabbed onto the rungs and I pulled myself up onto the roof, rolling onto my back so that I stared directly at the darkening sky.

I laid there, watching the clouds shift comfortably, before I felt a nudge at my shoulder. That was fast, I thought wryly as I sat up, turning to face the skinny little girl that stared at me, her eyes wide. She wore pink rags and her hair fell to her shoulders in stringy brown clumps.

“I’m hungry.”

“I know, moya detka my baby girl.” My heart went out to the little girl every time I saw her. She wasn’t my charge, not officially, yet I still cared for her like she was. I reached into my satchel and pulled out the scraps that I had snuck out from the mess hall. Two pieces of hard bread, a slice of cheese, and a bottle of water. Not enough for a growing girl of six, but it was all I could afford to swipe. “This is all for you, baby.” I handed her the food, carefully wrapped in a napkin, another pilfered item.

The six year old eagerly grabbed at the food, her eyes suddenly alive as her mouth watered. Anything pleased the little girl nowadays, even the meager food supplies that I brought her. Hard bread and cheese couldn’t be tasty, but at least it kept her fed and alive.

I’d first met the girl two years ago, when I’d first moved to the Paliscades, on my first patrol. She’d only been four then, abandoned by her parents and scavenging for food in a dumpster behind one of the pubs in the sector. I’d, thankfully, been alone then, having strayed away from my patrol after hearing the strange sounds coming from the dumpster. The poor child must’ve feared for her life, running away the moment I saw her. Of course, I was much faster and caught up to her, holding her wriggling form in my arms and murmuring comforting words to her in my mother tongue, knowing she couldn’t understand.

Though she kept protesting, I hadn’t given up, finding the girl a hiding spot and improving my Palinese as quickly as I could to communicate with her. I’d asked her about her family and her history and learned that she had no idea. I just remember waking up one day and my brother, who took care of me, was gone. I’d never met my parents. I don’t remember anything about myself, not even my name! The girl had cried in my arms and I’d vowed to protect her from the evils of the lower sectors of Parliament City.

She’d reminded me of my past, the one that I’d tried so hard to get rid of, but in a good way. She reminded me of my old lover. My dearest Yanira. And so I named her after her. Every day, I visited her here, on top of the library, bringing her as much food as I could and keeping up my promise.
I watched Yanira stuff the bread pieces and cheese slice into her mouth and chew. After she was done, she stared at me with those captivating and large brown eyes. “I’m still hungry, dyadya uncle.”

My eyes watered at the sight of her sunken cheeks and sallow skin. The girl had so much potential, if only she’d been birthed by someone higher up, someone who could afford to keep her and love her. The girl deserved so much more than the feeble help I could provide, than digging around in dumpsters for dinner. I pulled Yanira into my arms, wrapping her shivering body in my cloak. I gasped as my hands found her face. “You have a fever, malyshka baby girl!”

Yanira jumped out of my grip, her eyes wide and terrified. “No!” A sob escaped her lips and she closed her big beautiful eyes. “No.”

As I’d gotten to know Yanira better over the two years, she’d told me the bits about her brother’s disappearance that she did remember in more detail. He left, but it wasn’t sudden. The days leading up to his disappearance, he left me alone in our hideout more and more often. He brought home less food and his skin became paler. He coughed often and talked in his sleep. The day before he left, it was the worst. He didn’t even leave our hideout, didn’t move. I coaxed water into his mouth, but he spit it out. Then, he was gone, leaving me alone with the stench of death. Through her detailed descriptions, I’d hypothesized that maybe her poor brother was the victim of some illness. From then on, the girl feared every cough, every sneeze, every fever symptom.

“Yanira, baby, come here.” Keeping my voice upbeat and warm, I reached out for the little girl again and pulled her towards me, keeping my cloak wrapped around her to keep her warm. The girl was running a fever, and I didn’t want to make it worse for her by exposing her to the cold, even if it was warmer than usual. “You’ll be okay, moya detka my baby girl. No reason to worry, okay? We just need to warm you up and then you’ll be as good as new.”

Yanira’s thin face turned up towards mine, her eyes full of worry. A worry that I mirrored. She won’t die. Not because of some common cold. She’ll be absolutely fine. I couldn’t let my second chance at saving Yanira fail.

“How will I get better? My brother didn’t.” She wailed, tears welling up in her eyes, ready to start streaming down.

I don’t know. I don’t have any medicine and I don’t have any money to buy some. How will I cure you? “Simple. We’ll go to the beach tomorrow. You and me. The warm water is sure to fix you right up.” The confidence in my voice was fake.

Yanira’s face broke into a smile, making me smile back. How I loved this little girl. “Really? The beach? You always say you don’t have time to go to the beach, dyadya uncle.”

I didn’t have time. Especially tomorrow when there is a group meeting to discuss our next steps. But Yanira was my main concern, not my patrol. “Tomorrow I will make time. Just for us. You and me, malyshka baby girl.”

Yanira closed her eyes, humming off-key, laying her head on my chest, ready to fall asleep. I smiled. Somehow, I’d grown to trust her, and she trusted me. Wouldn’t Mother be surprised if she saw me now? Free spirit Grayson, taking care of a child.

I will protect you, Yanira. I might’ve failed before, but I won’t fail again.

Chapter Three - Natalia

The closet, it turned out, held a black cloak left behind by the previous resident. It was long and flowy with a hood for cooler temperatures. Trying it on, I was amazed that it was the perfect size for me.

Deeming it more comfortable than the hoodie that I’d worn before, I chose to wear the cloak outside. To Brookridge’s Mansion.

When I’d first read the note, I’d believed it had come from some criminal, someone who would use me for their own gain or kidnap me for ransom. I’d come up with plenty of scenarios in my mind within an instant and only after calming my brain did I realize how silly many of them were. One step at a time.

Then, I’d spent more time thinking, coming up with more likely situations. The one I kept circling back to, however, was one that got my hopes up. What if Livie is my parents under a false name? Or maybe one of their agents passing the message along from them? I suppressed the thought, not wanting to get crushed when I realized that wasn’t the truth. Because that scenario couldn’t be true, could it? I hadn’t even understood the message. I always greet the new kid on the block.

Finally, I’d decided to go meet the mystery person. What harm could it do? A lot of harm. I shushed the voice inside me and walked out the door, my new cloak flapping at the sudden movement. Running down the stairs, I waited in the main house’s lobby for the old lady from before to come out. When she didn’t come out for a minute, I stomped my foot, trying to alert her attention. When she still didn’t show up, I shrugged and walked out the door. The lady couldn’t stop me from leaving anyway.

As soon as I stepped outside the house, closing the door gently behind me, I felt a cold gust of wind greet my face. Though the luxury of a heater wasn’t available in the old, almost broken down house, it was still much warmer there than outside.

Wrapping the loose fabric of the cloak tightly around myself, I walked forward. Brookridge’s Mansion. Now, where was that? I knew nothing of the lower sectors of Parliament City. Where could I start?

Sighing, I walked up to an old man quietly hobbling down the beaten pathway. The abandoned library loomed beside us, casting its shadow upon us. “Uh, sir-”

“No.”

Taken aback by his abruptness, I raised my eyebrows. “Sir-”

“No.”

“Could you please-”

“No.”

“The location of-”

“No.”

“Brookridge’s Mansion.”

At my last two words, the man’s eyes widened. He looked suspiciously at me. “Why d’ya want to know?” And then he spit on the ground.
What’s with the people here and spitting on the ground? I mean seriously, like that’s gross.
Trying to be kind, I smiled. “I was called there for a meeting by a friend, but I’m new here, you see, and I don’t know where that is. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

The man huffed, seemingly angry. What did I even do? Before I could say something else to coax him into helping me, a woman’s voice entered the conversation.

“Leave her be, Rob. Brookridge’s Mansion is a public spot, after all. Its abandoned vibe makes it the perfect meeting spot for everyone.” I whirled around to find a woman in the exact same cloak as mine. The most I saw of her was a few wisps of black baby hair sticking out from her hood. Even her hands were tucked into the sleeves, unable to be seen.

The old man, Rob, seemed to recognize the woman by her voice, however, and quickly stopped his interrogation. “‘Course, Olivia.” He smiled, revealing three missing teeth. “It’s great to see that some of us are still fighting, even when a lot have lost hope.”

The mysterious woman, Olivia, barked out a laugh, though it probably wasn’t supposed to be as impolite as it sounded. “Oh, Rob, knowing that you have our backs is enough. Plus, we vowed not to stop until our goal was attained.”

The old man nodded. “I’ll be on my way, then. Have a good one, Olivia.” He hobbled off, still limping from whatever horrors he’d faced in his lifetime.

I stared at the woman in the cloak, expecting her to say something. Instead, she turned around and walked right into a dark alley next to the rundown library. Not knowing what to do, I followed. Maybe Olivia can lead me to Brookridge’s Mansion.

The spot in which Olivia stopped and turned around was dark and musty. The smell of rot was overwhelming and I could hear rats and mice skittering across the concrete, sniffing around for food. The walls of the buildings around the alley closed up, encapsulating them in a sort of chamber. Good thing I’m not claustrophobic.

Olivia waited for a moment before slipping off her hood. In the dim lighting, I could make out brown hair, a heart shaped face, and rosy red lips. In short, the little that I could see of the woman was stunning already. She was most definitely beautiful. “You must be the newcomer. A pleasure to meet you. And for future reference, there is no Brookridge’s Mansion. It’s just what we call the old library, to be discreet.” She winked.

Oh. That made a lot more sense. If Brookridge’s Mansion was some sort of code language for the library, then of course Rob had been suspicious. I might’ve sounded like a spy or something to him, snooping around where I was surely not welcome.

“Of course,” Olivia continued, her voice airy. “You would already know this if you were a part of our… organization.” She smiled, but her smile held a certain poison in it. “Oh, dear me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Olivia Bennett, as you might’ve heard. But if you call me that, all you’ll get is a bloody nose. It will always and forever be Livie. And you are, little aristocrat?”

I swallowed, suddenly nervous about this stranger. What organization is she talking about? And how does she know I am, or was, an aristocrat?

Livie laughed, this time different from the abrupt sound from before. “No need to look so surprised. You have proper Palinese, which is hard to come by here in the lower sectors. Now, go on. Introduce yourself.”

You do too, but you obviously don’t want to be identified as an aristocrat. Bennett was an aristocratic last name, though I was sure that there were no living members of that family.

“Natalia Grant, but I go by Talia.”

Livie whistled, then descended into a low chuckle. “A Grant, huh? I heard you’ve just become homeless, then. Because of the government.”

There was truth to the woman’s statement, but I didn’t like the way she said it. As if I should be angry at the government when it wasn’t even their fault. The aristocracy of the Paliscades had rules, and the officers were just enforcing them. Yes, those rules were twisted, but maybe one of the aristocratic families would start a petition to change it now that I’d become an example.

Livie seemed to read my mind. “Look, Talia, if the government didn’t take away your parents, then who would? All parents love their children, and Ezra and Sylvia wouldn’t just leave you to survive on your own, would they? Absolutely not. The only people who might have a problem with them would be the other aristocrats.”

The way she said it made everything seem to connect. The fatigued look in my parents’ eyes the night before everything went wrong. The anxiety they faced every single day. The love that always shone in them whenever they saw me. Could it be?

I immediately shut the thoughts down. That was how people got into messes. By thinking stupid things like that and believing that it wouldn’t get them arrested. The government would figure out that you were thinking treasonous thoughts, one way or another, and hunt you down for it.

“I don’t know.” I said, carefully avoiding saying anything treasonous, even though Olivia’s explanation made lots of sense in my mind. “Kidnappers?”

“Oh, please.” Livie rolled her eyes. “Why your parents, out of everyone else? There has to be some sort of connection. Did anything they do anger the rest of the aristocracy?”

I shrugged. I truly had no idea. It wasn’t as if my parents spoke politics with me. It was confidential information, they said. And I didn’t really care anyway. I’d resigned to my fate of one day having to go through the same torture, but I didn’t want to ruin my free years.

“Oh, whatever. That’s not what I wanted to tell you anyway.” Livie started walking back towards the main street and I hurried to follow. “I’m guessing you’re in need of a steady paying job?” I nodded just as we reached the main street. “Well, I think I have one that will suit you very well, Talia. Meet me inside the library at eight o’ clock in the morning tomorrow. If anyone asks, the password is ‘recruit.’”

Now that we were in broad moonlight, I could study Livie's face more closely. As I’d guessed before, she was most definitely beautiful, with perfectly rounded features and beautiful eyes that were a mix between almond-shaped and round. What I hadn’t guessed was her age. I’d believed that I was speaking to someone older, at least in her mid-thirties, but I’d been wrong. Livie seemed to be in her early twenties, much closer to my age of seventeen.

“What is the job about, exactly?”

Livie smiled. “Smart girl.” She looked around. “I can’t tell you quite yet. But you’re going to come tomorrow, right? I promise it will be worth your time.”

I hesitated, but then realized that this was my best chance. Who else would take a seventeen year old with no experience in anything except painting? I loved math and finance, but I didn’t have any official background in it. No matter what type of job this was, it was definitely worth considering. “Of course. The library at eight o’ clock tomorrow. I’ll see you then, Livie.”

Livie grinned, exposing perfectly aligned white teeth. Definitely an aristocrat or a former one. “Remember the password!” She waved, pulled up her hood, and walked away, disappearing easily into the shadows of the road.

I stood all alone on the mostly empty street in the dark. What had looked terrible in the daylight, looked beautiful at night. Without any city interference, the stars shone brightly, and the moon took up a large amount of the sky. The sight was calming in a sense, therapeutic almost.

I had lost so much over the course of a single day. My old life, my loved ones, my expensive house, my paints, and everything else I held dear. My entire world had turned upside down. But this view? It showed that there were constants in life after all.

My chin dipped as I stopped looking at the sky. I knew the warnings that everyone gave about staying past eight on any road in the lower sectors of Parliament City. Just as I was about to leave to get back to my rented room, a moving figure caught my eye. A shadow climbing down from the roof of the library, a lump in their arms.

Without thinking, I impulsively went to investigate.

Chapter Four - Grayson

It didn’t take long for little Yanira to fall asleep in my arms like she did every night. Her bony body rose and sank with her breathing, on beat with my heart. I sat there, resting my head against her frail sleeping form for a moment before taking a deep breath. It was dangerous to stay outside after night fell in the lower sectors of Parliament City.

Murmuring loving words into her hair, I picked Yanira up in my arms, her head resting casually on my shoulder. This was the harder part of my journey. The girl, I knew, trusted me completely, but I did not trust myself to make the jump from the roof of the library onto the dumpster without using my hands.

Carefully, I eased myself onto my bottom, sitting down at the edge. Hoping today wouldn’t be the day that I would fail Yanira, I jumped. As always, I landed squarely on my feet. Bouncing from the momentum, I felt Yanira shiver in her sleep. “We are almost there.” I whispered to her, knowing she couldn’t hear me.

Hopping easily off the dumpster, I walked quickly over to the back entrance of the library that I’d found on my first week caring for Yanira. I’d been worried then about how I would bring her into the building to sleep in a warm bed with me. The front door required a password to enter and the guard on duty would never let me enter with a child. That night, before checking on the girl, I’d walked around the entire library, finally finding a window just large enough for me to fit through before I’d given up. The window led to the barracks on the second floor, which was where I stayed.

I eyed the window now. I kept it open every single night, complaining that the common room, where it led to, was too warm. No one remembered to close it, even after I left. Usually.

Today, for some reason, the window was closed. The lights within were off, like usual for this time. I cursed silently, not wanting to wake Yanira up. The only way in now was the front door, which I couldn’t go through.

I turned around, suddenly alert, as the bushes behind me shook and crackled. Bringing my arms tighter around Yanira’s body in a protective stance, I gazed defiantly at the bushes. If it wasn’t an animal and was an officer, I wouldn’t lie. I would tell them my story, and if they didn’t accept it, so be it. Yanira and I would survive, one way or another.

What came out of the bush, however, wasn’t an animal, but wasn’t an officer either. It wasn’t even one of my patrol squad buddies. It was some stranger of a girl, wearing the signature black cloak of the rebellion.

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“Who are you?” I called. If this was some imposter or spy, then I could easily report her and escape my own punishment. “What are you doing here?”

The girl, I realized after observing a little more, wasn’t extremely young. She was in her later teenage years, eighteen, or nineteen like him. She had chocolate-colored eyes and long dark brown hair with blonde streaky highlights. Her face had worry lines etched onto it at such a young age, but she seemed strong to approach the library.

“Who are you? I just saw you jump off the roof with a body in your arms! Who’d you murder?” The girl demanded. Her voice was oddly confident, something that was hard to find in the cursed lower sectors. Maybe she isn’t from here.

Her Palinese was as near perfect as I’d ever heard. Even better than Olivia’s, for sure. My Palinese, which would be considered terrible in any other part of Parliament City, was like an aristocrat here in the lower sectors.

An aristocrat! Could she be one of those snobby upperclassmen? The thought immediately disgusted me. The aristocrats only cared about themselves. They took such fine care of their parts of the city, then made the rest wastelands. Everyone in the lower sectors scavenged for food, while in the upper sectors they bought exotic catering. It was the aristocrats’ fault that everything in Parliament City, and the entire Paliscades, was so twisted.

“Murderer?” I let out a harsh laugh. “I’m a savior, that’s what I am.” I held up Yanira’s sleeping form, watching her breathing for a moment before continuing. “Unlike you, aristocrat.”

I couldn’t be sure because of the darkness, but it seemed like the girl rolled her eyes. “Why does everyone keep accusing me of that? I’m not an aristocrat. Just because I don’t have terrible Palinese and I got a decent schooling, doesn’t mean I’m an aristocrat!”

I paused. Her reasoning was fair. Everyone in the lower class sectors were suspicious of everyone. So anyone that was even a little different, they shunned. They accused even the smallest of threats and punished them just to feel safe. “Fine. Who are you, then?”

The girl smiled, her face lighting up. “Talia. And I, um, lost a lot of money recently, so I’ve moved into this neighborhood. It’s kind of depressing here, isn’t it? Where I come from, it’s much sunnier. But yeah, the room I’m renting out is practically next door.” She paused. “And what’s your story?”

I hesitated. My story? It was unfortunately very complicated. Not something to explain to a stranger close to the middle of the night. No, Talia only needed to know the basics. And maybe she can help me. Yanira was too precious to me, and this girl wasn’t my top pick, but at least someone had come along to help me get her inside.

“Grayson, or just Gray. My, uh, niece, she’s sick. And they can help her inside the library. But the window is closed. If I get it open, could you please pass her up? Please.” The lie was complicated. The library was neither a hospital, nor a place where children were welcome. Still, I knew that a girl such as this one would probably be gullible enough to help.

Sure enough, Talia perked up. “Like a hospital?” Her eyes had a faraway look to them, as if she wasn’t thinking about the present anymore. “Gray, of course I’ll help!” She stuck her hands out, and I gently transferred over Yanira, wrapping her up in Talia’s cloak just like she’d been wrapped up in mine.

“Take care of her. She’s very important to me.” I said, my heart scolding me for leaving her. Not looking back, I ran away from where Talia stood, quietly rocking the sleeping form of my “niece.”

The front of the library building was ugly, just like the organization had made it be. The abandoned vibes worked even on me, and I was repulsed as I entered the first double doors. The antechamber within was a dark rectangle. As I entered, a small peephole of light came from the second set of doors. “Passcode.”

“Hairbrush.” The randomized passcodes were hard to remember, but good for security, according to Olivia. After a moment of hesitation as the guard checked with his buddies that I’d given the correct code, the latch unlocked and the doors slowly swung open.

The inside of the library was nothing like a library. At all. Having been remodeled years ago without the knowledge of the aristocrats, it was now a base, buzzing with members of the organization. I ignored the looks I got from everyone else, rushing up the nearest staircase and into the dim light of the barracks commons.

The window, as I’d observed before, was closed, sealed to keep the warm air inside. Looking behind me to check if anyone was watching, and finding no one, I hurried over to the window and clicked open the latch. Swinging the glass panel up harder than needed, it bumped into the wall, causing a resounding thunk! Wincing, I looked down.

Sure enough, Talia was standing there. Yanira, however, had woken up, and had become frightened at the sight of a stranger and an unfamiliar area. Her wails were soft but I kept hearing my name. Talia seemed relieved to see me up in the window, sighing in exhaustion as she broke through Yanira’s fit and pointed up at me. “Shush, please.”

The little girl quieted, a ghost of a smile present on her lips. “Dyadya Uncle Grayson,” Her murmur carried up to my ears and I smiled back.

“Grayson! Thank goodness. I tried comforting her, but she wouldn’t listen. She even tried running away.” Talia’s voice was surprised, and a little hurt. As if children had never been afraid of her before, as if strangers had never made children cry before.

I didn’t respond. All I wanted was Yanira, safe in my arms once more. I held out my arms and Talia carefully placed her there, cooing, “goodbye, baby girl,” as she retreated.

“I’ll see you around, then?” Talia asked, sounding hopeful. Maybe she needed someone her age around here. Maybe she thought I was as free as she was. Maybe she thought I liked her. Whatever she wanted, I couldn’t give to her. I didn’t respond, closing the window and clicking the latch shut. I didn’t even look back, walking away to my room.

It’s fine, I told myself. It wasn’t like I’d see her ever again. She was just a random girl from the streets of Parliament City, and there were way too many of those to pay attention to each one. Yanira needed my attention right now. Plus, Olivia had said that we were going to get a new recruit tomorrow, and I had to get ready to wake up early.

Chapter Five - Natalia

As the daughter of elite aristocrats, I’d never gone to school, studying instead with private tutors who pretended to care about me for my parents’ Rubis. Since I’d never gone to school, I’d never been disciplined into waking up early, especially after late nights like I’d had yesterday. Since I’d never woken up so early on purpose, I ran extremely late to my meeting with Livie at the library.

The perfect cause and effect of it all hurt to think about, and I looked away from the mirror. I’d taken a hot bath as soon as I’d woken up with the help of the “worker girl” the landlady had mentioned the day before. Now, I wore a blue button up with dark denim pants. I’d pulled my hair up into what my mother had called a “no-nonsense” bun, tight and pristine. After some bartering, the landlady had let me borrow her basic makeup set. I’d applied some rouge to my lips, dabbed on some powder, and drawn on some kohl. It wasn’t enough to look beautiful, and it probably wasn’t enough for a job interview, but it was all that I could do. Pinching some color onto my cheeks and rubbing the dust off of my outfit, I pulled on my hoodie and ran out the door.

While the cloak was still comfier, I had seen the look the boy had given me last night as I’d worn it. As if I was some criminal. Maybe I looked like a thief, wearing midnight black and stalking him. But I didn’t want to leave that impression now, if this could be my one chance at a steady paying job.

At the bottom of the stairs, the landlady’s servant girl brought me to a two seater scuffed up dining table and seated me. “Please, make it quick. I have a meeting today.”

The girl, an orphan of only ten years old, nodded, though she looked at me curiously. Walking into the kitchen, she came back holding a tray of muffins and crepes. Serving a few onto my waiting plate, she stepped back, watching me eat. “Sorry. They might not be so good. I burned myself accidentally yesterday and moving my fingers hurt a lot.” Her voice was soft.

I looked at her sympathetically. “Eat. The landlady isn’t here yet. Sit with me. Food always helps.”
The girl shook her head, her eyes widening. “The mistress will not let me. I need that pay. My life depends on it.”

I smiled, trying to stay kind and patient with her. I knew how afraid she was, and I respected that, but I was angry at the landlady. Couldn’t she tell that this child had no one to go to? That she was working as hard as possible for a few Rubis each day? I reached for a muffin and handed it to her. “Eat it fast and put it on my plate if the mistress comes by, okay? Quick.”

With trembling fingers, the girl took it and started to nibble on it quietly. She reminded me like a mouse, all bony and small. I focused on my own breakfast, finishing crepe after crepe. After I felt full enough, I smiled at the girl and took my leave. “Goodbye, little one. I’ll see you later.”

As I stepped outside, the fresh air was welcome on my face. The inside of the building in which I stayed didn’t have the most pleasant odor, which I realized after spending a lot of time there. Still, it was habitable, which I was thankful for. The rate, though a little expensive, was doable until I got a job.

Which will hopefully be today. Yesterday night’s events came back to me again, and I took a deep breath. If Grayson’s niece could be treated inside that library, then could I be hired as a nurse? Livie’s words had scared me the day before, and I hadn’t known if I wanted to get into whatever they wanted to hire me for. But if it was something helpful, something like a makeshift hospital, then of course I would be glad.

At eight o’ clock in the morning, the lower sector of Parliament City was already up and running. Roadside businesses that consisted of weathered people were already open, calling out to passersby. The pathways were already filled with foot traffic, and the roads were lined with open buses and private vehicles.

Still, there was a beauty to the lower sectors in the morning that wasn’t visible at night. The people, though poor and homeless, still had a light of determination in their eyes. The roads, though cracked and old, were still filled with life and activity. And the footpaths, though overcrowded and hard to navigate, were still overflowing with plants, bushes, and trees, twisting in a place no one had ever thought they could grow.

I watched it all unfold, my eyes open to this secret beauty, and I was almost disappointed as the library appeared and I had to veer off the path. Giving the outdoors a silent goodbye, I went up the stone stairs and opened up one of the library’s double doors.

Inside, it was pitch black. I felt disoriented for a moment, reaching out with my hands to find a wall. Then, someone opened up a little bit of the wall in front of me, revealing amber colored light. I walked towards it, lapping it up like I was thirsting for water.

“Passcode?” A bored, gruff voice asked from the other side.

I struggled to remember the password Livie had given me the day before, my urge to stay in the light overwhelming my senses. I was afraid of the dark. I’d never hidden the fact before. Not nighttime, which I thought was beautiful. I was afraid when there was no light, when all I could see was the black wormhole of nothingness encircling me. Recruit.

“Recruit!” I gasped, my voice needy. After a moment of hesitation, the guards opened up the doors and I staggered into the room that it led to, keeping myself from collapsing onto the floor. I took deep breaths, basking in the artificial light that the library gave.

“I see someone is afraid of the dark.” Looking up, I found Livie. She’d taken off her cloak today. Instead, she wore a plain black shirt and light jeans. Her arms were crossed in front of her body, revealing well-maintained muscles. “Come on, Talia, get over it. You have an entire team to meet.”

You don’t understand what it means to be afraid! Sighing, I lifted my head to meet her eyes. “Okay, let’s go.”

Livie led us through a maze of hallways until we reached a door plainly labeled as a meeting room. She unlocked it using a key hanging around her neck, opening the door to reveal a dark room. Panic seized my body and I fought to keep my breathing steady. Livie laughed openly. “Lights on!” The room’s lights flickered to life, revealing a multitude of faces, all of them wearing the same clothing as Livie. We walked inside and I found myself in a room full of unfamiliar people.

“Welcome to the headquarters of this nation’s largest crime operation!” Livie exclaimed, closing and locking the door behind her. She walked up, staying next to me. “And the most heroic heroes the world has ever seen. Welcome to the Rebellion!”

The room erupted into cheers, each face joyous at the sight of Livie, and me. Fresh meat. Their wolves and I’m their fresh meat. They’re going to pounce and eat me up. The thought seemed so realistic and so scary at the same time.

“W-what? I thought this was-” I didn’t know how to end the sentence. I thought this was someplace good. Like a secret hospital.

Livie grinned. “Don’t worry, dearie. We don’t bite, I promise.” She turned to face their audience. “I am the section leader of this many. My personal squad is reduced, however, to select individuals. Would they please step forward?”

I watched, fearing for my life, as six members of the crowd stepped forward. I scanned their faces, finding only cool satisfaction, whatever that meant. When I landed on the last one, however, my heart jolted in surprise. Grayson.The boy I’d helped the night before. He’d known, then. The library wasn’t a makeshift hospital. It was home to some underground criminal organization. The boy’s face, unlike the others, showed a mild bit of concern for me, and his brow held beads of sweat.

“The rest of you are dismissed.” In a rush of movement, everyone got out of their careful formation and made for the door which was behind us. As they shoved past, many smiled at me, none of them meaning well. That left eight people in the room, including me and Livie. “Talia, I have decided, after careful discussion with my superiors, that you will join my select crew, but not as a patrol leader. You will be a special agent. You will be a spy.”

My heart, already racing, started to pound in my chest. So I wasn’t a victim of this criminal organization, I was going to become a member?

Sensing my panic, Livie gently guided me over to a chair and let me rest for a moment before continuing. “You will have your mandatory one week recruit training, of course, but after that, you will be shipped over to the higher sectors of Parliament City to spy for us. You will be paid, supplied with essentials, and well-treated. What do you say?”

How do you expect me to make a choice? I don’t have any information about anything!

Livie caught herself. “Jumping ahead of myself again, aren’t I? Sorry. Let’s backtrack. We are the rebellion, a large uprising against the unfair government of the Paliscades. We are in multiple cities, sectors, islands, and countries, all of us working towards this one goal. We have people both in high and low places, fully committed. I command this base here, my superiors being the Leaders of the rebellion themselves.” She motioned for the others in the room to come forward, and as they did so, she told me each of their names. “My patrol leaders are the next highest in command. Larissa, Juan, Val, Grayson, Link, and Axelle. They can tell you how enlightening being part of the rebellion is. We’re a family, Talia, and we want to welcome you in.”

I blinked. All the information she’d given me in such a short time was flooding my brain. I was processing things slowly, hearing things two minutes after she’d said them as they started to make sense to me. I looked at Grayson pleadingly, the only one I knew besides Livie. “I-”

“Don’t make a decision yet. We need you, and I’m not letting you go. Larissa and Axelle, take her and explain to her why she’ll love it here. Go on. Show her the greatness of the rebellion.”

“Livie, I-” I started. I don’t want to be here. I’m scared. I want my parents. There were so many ways to end that sentence, and Livie didn’t give me even a chance. The two girls who’d been assigned as my babysitters took me by the arms and led me out, more dragging than leading. No!

I looked back and caught Grayson’s eyes. I’d helped him, and he owed me. He had to help me get out of here. They’re going to kill me. I’m going to die. I won’t see Maeve ever again. I won’t buy back my house. I won’t even get to sleep in that terrible mattress for another night. I’m going to die.

Chapter Six - Grayson

Finally, she was out of my view. The first thought I’d gotten when I saw her again was, She’s even prettier in the light. Then, I’d mentally slapped myself. That girl, unfortunately, I knew. That girl, by the amount of times she made eye contact with me, remembered me. That girl would be Yanira’s death. If she even whispered a word about our midnight adventure last night to Olivia, the girl on the roof would be dead and my ties to the rebellion would be cut.

“Dismissed.” Olivia’s voice had turned harsh again as soon as Larissa and Axelle had left with Talia, the sweet, kind tone that she’d adopted gone in an instant. “Except Merritt.”

I closed my eyes, hoping that Talia hadn’t already slipped up. As soon as Val, Link, and Juan left, Olivia walked forward with the feline grace of a wolf. Everyone called her more wolf than human being in the commons, when they were too drunk to care what the commander heard. Secretly, I agreed, eyeing the thrill in her eyes and the predatory way she seemed to prey on the weak. I would never say so out loud, of course. Too much at stake.

“You.” Olivia growled. “The girl, Talia, she had her eyes on you.” The words were true, but not in the way she imagined. Talia cared only that I already knew her and would maybe save her. There was nothing else between us. And there never will be. “You know how much we need her, Gray.” There was a pause. “I don’t care how you do it, but you’re convincing her to join us. She’ll listen to you, I can feel it. And tell her that she’s required to come back here again in three days’ time, to make her decision.” She studied me for a moment more, her cat-like eyes fixed on me. I was taller than her by a couple of inches, yet I felt small, trapped under her gaze. “Agent Merritt?”

I jumped to a salute, my feet together, my back straight, my hand up by my brow. “Yes, ma’am. Understood, ma’am.”

Olivia smiled, stepped back and licking her lips with satisfaction. “Perfect. Now go.”

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The meaning behind Olivia’s words were crystal clear to me. She hadn’t said it outright, but the implication had been made. It wasn’t just befriending the girl, it was going all the way with her. The thought made him sick. Yes, Talia was a beautiful girl, and seemed perfect in every way. But I’d already fallen in love once. Yanira. And lost my love. How disrespectful would it be to go around courting another girl so close to Yanira’s death?

You have no other choice, my thoughts reminded me. Olivia held all the power over my life at the moment, and if I slipped up, even a little bit, then I would be cut off from the rebellion for the rest of my life, my income would be lost, and Yanira and I would be in mortal danger.

If wooing Talia was the only way forward, then so be it. I would do everything in my power to survive. Even if that meant playing with others’ lives and tainting my memories.

I walked down to the main commons, sitting down at the loneliest armchair that was farthest away from all the others. Everyone instinctively gave me space, especially after I’d first punched someone for speaking to me at the wrong time. It had been only a week since my arrival at the Paliscades, and my heart had only just started recovering from all my losses, including Yanira. The member I’d punched, Larissa, had been angry, of course, but Olivia had protected me by making me part of her elite group.

It didn’t take long for Axelle and Larissa to finish their “tour” of the library. They weren’t supposed to go to anything important anyway. They’d probably shown her two of the bathrooms, the girls commons, and the girls dormitories, before making their way down to the main commons, where I sat, waiting.

Talia’s eyes were red by the time I saw her again, but not with tears. Anyone could feel the fear emanating from her, yet she stayed strong, glaring at anyone that looked at her the wrong way or for too long. Protective. I stayed in my place until Larissa dropped out to find her friends and Axelle started to lead her towards the exit.

Making my move, I got up, slinking towards the exit. No one noticed me, of course. I was in my dark attire, and everyone was absorbed in their gossiping, game playing, or whatever else they were doing. Sidling up to Axelle, I whispered in her ear. “Let her go, I’ve got this.” The girl looked at me curiously for a moment before nodding and letting her hand slip from Talia’s tricep.

Just as Axelle’s hand completely came off, mine grabbed onto her arm at the same exact place. Talia didn’t look back, not feeling the change in captor. She kept walking and glaring as Axelle turned and left, leaving me alone with her.

“Good morning to you as well, Talia.” My voice was steady, as if I’d been there all along. I plastered a smile onto my face. “How are you?”

Talia whirled around at the sound of my voice, her face stunned. “Wasn’t that other girl here before?” She knew the answer, yet asked anyway.

I smirked. “I wanted to drop you off to wherever you’re going now. I mean, you did me a favor last night, I suppose it’s my turn now.” I gave her the smile which I usually reserved only for Yanira, both the dead and the alive one. “And Olivia asked me to inform you of something.” He waited, searching for any signs from Talia, before continuing. “You’re supposed to show back up here in three days. At the same time. To make your decision.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed and she looked at me suspiciously. “You don’t need to know where I stay, Grayson. And why would I ever come back here? I’ve been dragged around, harassed, and I am still fearing for my life. Give me one reason to actually join your stupid rebellion.” Turning her head around quickly, she kept walking, her arm suddenly out of my grasp.

I raced to catch up with her, keeping her in my hold again as we walked out of the building through a side entrance that was also heavily monitored. “Don’t call us stupid. Olivia didn’t treat you right, I understand that, but we’re a good group of people trying to change the world for the better.” I didn’t actually believe a single word of that, of course, but I didn’t let that affect my tone.

Talia shook her arm from my grip and turned back to face me after getting a few feet away. Her brown eyes held a certain fierceness to them that I hadn’t seen before. “Look Grayson, I know what you’re trying to do. I’ve seen it happen so many times. Just leave me alone. I’m never going back into that building, which means I’m probably never going to see you ever again.” She paused, breathing hard. “Goodbye, then.” She turned on her heel and left, speed-walking out of sight within minutes.

But…

I could easily have caught up to her, but I didn’t. There was something about Talia that wasn’t like most pretty girls. I caught the last of her hair turn around a corner, waited a moment, then turned and walked back into the library. I know what you’re trying to do. She knew what Olivia had told me to do, and she was protecting herself.

I’ll make it work somehow, I promised myself. Today might’ve been a failure, but that only led me one step closer to success.