After The Fires | Book 2 | The Trials Ahead

by Greene, Kellee L.

  “Goodnight,” I whispered.

  “Please consider what I said. Give it a little thought, okay?” Watcher Brody asked.

  I hugged myself and swallowed hard. “Goodnight.”

  I slept like a baby after I settled down. Watcher Brody didn’t understand. He didn’t get that I didn’t have anything as long as I was a prisoner on the farm.

  After what I’d done, I’d never get a chance to leave. Hell, those who did far less like having sex before marriage or told a white lie, were stuck on the farms for life.

  There was no way someone like me would ever get to be free unless, of course, Watcher Jones came through for Hawk and me. But with each passing day, that seemed less and less likely.

  In the morning, I was abruptly woken by Watcher Brody knocking on the closed bedroom door. He was repeating my name over and over again.

  “Yes,” I said, sitting up. I wrapped my arms around myself as he cracked the door.

  “The storm is dying down,” Watcher Brody said, keeping his eyes on the floor. “You should probably head out.”

  I swung my feet over the side of the bed. “Okay.”

  Watcher Brody closed the door, and I quickly got dressed. I looked too clean after having showered, but whatever was left of the sandstorm would probably rectify that before I got back to my cabin.

  “Thanks for everything,” I said.

  “It was no trouble,” he said, running his fingers down his stubbled chin. “I liked having the company.”

  He grabbed my hand and pulled me back before I reached the front door. Heat rushed to my cheeks when our eyes met.

  My pulse raced as he intensely looked into my eyes. “I don’t want you to leave like this.”

  “Like what?” I asked softly.

  “Mad at me,” Watcher Brody said. “It’s not like I have a lot either. I wish you could understand that I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “I do understand, but what you don’t get is that I don’t want this life forever,” I said. “I’m not happy like this. Maybe I can be if I know they’re okay, but with how things are, I blame myself. I worry about them.”

  Watcher Brody nodded. “I told you I’d find out more about them, and I will. It’s just going to take time.”

  “Okay,” I said, giving him a tight-lipped smile.

  “I’ll go out and look for her,” Watcher Brody said softly.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  His intoxicating smell filled my nostrils. I reached forward and touched his chest. It felt like a bolt of electricity entered my fingertips. The sensation was so sharp I pulled my hand back.

  “Thanks again,” I said. “For everything.”

  He let go of my hand and nodded. I looked at him one last time before I left his house.

  Watcher Brody looked incredibly hot but also really sad. I could tell he didn’t want me to leave. What he didn’t know was that it was nearly impossible for me to walk out his door.

  I didn’t want to go either.

  I dipped and dodged my way through what remained of the storm. The buildings were easier to see, and the winds no longer screeched in pain.

  I turned a corner, sucking in a breath of dirt. I pressed my hand to my chest and coughed as I stared at the familiar pair of boots in front of me.

  Commander Godfrey clasped his hands together. “What do we have here?”

  24

  “Blessings,” I said.

  It was the only thing I could think to say. I was in trouble, but I wasn’t sure how much trouble I was in just yet.

  “Yeah, Blessings,” he replied. “Where have you been? Why are you out in the storm?”

  “I was lost… hiding.” The words spilled out of my mouth as if I had no control over my tongue. “Waiting out the storm.”

  Commander Godfrey looked me up and down. “It doesn’t appear as though you’ve been waiting out the storm.”

  “I was curled up in a ball behind a building,” I stammered. “I found a safe spot.”

  He cocked his head. “You look awfully clean for being out in the storm.”

  “I protected myself as best as I could,” I said.

  There was dirt on my scalp from just the short walk, but my skin didn’t look as though I’d been out in a storm all night. My smock, however, did.

  Commander Godfrey didn’t even try to hide his suspicions. “Follow me.”

  “Of course,” I said, bowing my head.

  He was likely leading me to the torture room. Maybe he’d bring me to Keeper Marie first to get her side of the story so he could know how much of a beating I’d deserve. The good news was he had no idea I’d been at Watcher Brody’s house.

  “Others have been lost or hiding in the storm as well,” Commander Godfrey said. “They aren’t in as good of condition as you are, though. Some of our farmers and servants are missing. I’ve been out all morning with others searching for people who’ve gone missing.”

  I bobbed my head.

  “You weren’t reported as missing,” he said. I kept my lips pressed together. “Your cabin mate Farmer Ripley, however, was.”

  “Has she been found, Commander?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

  “No,” he answered quickly. “You don’t happen to know anything about it, do you? Where she might have gone? A place she might have found to hide?”

  I shook my head. “No, sir.”

  “Hmm,” Commander Godfrey said. “She’s been in a bit of trouble lately, hasn’t she?”

  “A bit.”

  “Poor thing nearly died,” Commander Godfrey said. “Do you know about that?”

  I swallowed. “No, sir.”

  “Then she came back and refused to work,” Commander Godfrey said, leading me slowly down the same path. “I know it’s hard to adjust to life here, and she had to endure it twice.”

  He stopped. I could feel his eyes on me.

  “I’d like you to tell me everything you know about Farmer Ripley,” Commander Godfrey said. “What she’s been doing since her return. What she’s told you. Anything that might help lead us to her.”

  “Nothing,” I said.

  He leaned toward me. “We both know that’s not true.”

  “All I know is that she wasn’t happy here.”

  “Who is?” he said with a laugh. “You must know something more than that about her. After all, you lived together.”

  “We didn’t talk much since her return,” I admitted.

  It was the truth, although I wasn’t sure he believed me. There was a high probability Commander Godfrey wouldn’t believe a word that came out of my mouth.

  “Uh-huh,” he said. “So, where were you when she went missing?”

  “On the water farm,” I said, keeping my answer short and sweet.

  “Then?”

  I shrugged. “I lost sight of her. The storm came so suddenly.”

  “That it did,” he replied. “If you know anything at all that might help us find her, or anyone for that matter, now is the time to tell me.”

  “I wish I could, Commander,” I said, biting down on my cheek.

  I could have told him that someone had seen her jump into the lake. Maybe it would have somehow helped. Or maybe it would have made the situation worse for Steph. If she was found, she’d be punished for touching our precious water. There would be nothing that would excuse her actions.

  I didn’t think Steph would survive in the pit for long. She was barely surviving on the farm the way it was.

  “It seems lots of people have gone missing recently,” Commander Godfrey said as he continued forward.

  He didn’t turn on the path that would have taken us to the torture building. Somehow, I was going to walk away without more scars.

  “And it isn’t just because of the storm,” Commander Godfrey said. “People just disappearing right off the farms like magic.”

  Was he referring to Hawk? Did he know something? Did he know about my connection to Hawk?

 
; I started to sweat. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand.

  “Did you know that when we can’t find people, we eventually assume they’re dead?” Commander Godfrey asked.

  I nodded. And they were never spoken of again. It was like they vanished. I was certain that one day, that would be my fate.

  The conversation had shifted. At least, that was how it had seemed to me. We weren’t talking about those lost to the storm anymore… we weren’t talking about Steph.

  “Well, if you think of anything, let your Keeper know,” Commander Godfrey said, gesturing toward my cabin.

  “Yes, Sir. I will,” I said, bowing my head to him.

  He walked off toward the lake. There was a group of Watchers not far off in the distance. Once Commander Godfrey joined them, they walked off.

  “There you are!” Keeper Marie said, pulling me into the cabin. “What are you doing out there in this mess?”

  “I was thirsty,” I said, suddenly tasting bits of dirt. I cringed when I bit down on the tiny grains. “Guess I got lost.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes. Farmer Watson looked at me and frowned.

  “They haven’t found her yet,” I said. It sounded somewhere between a statement and a question. Keeper Marie took it as a question.

  “They haven’t, dear,” she said, rubbing my shoulder. “Have faith. Let’s go inside and pray to our Mother that they find her soon.”

  We gathered in the cabin, kneeling on the floor. There was a sinking feeling as my eyes shifted to Steph’s bed.

  After Keeper Marie finished her random string of words, she stood. “They’ll be expecting us to work today, even with the storm dying down. We can continue to pray while we work.”

  “We should probably expect the worst,” I mumbled a bit too loudly.

  “Farmer Church!” Keeper Marie placed her hands on her hips. “That is no way to talk. We prayed. You need to stay positive. Negativity will only make things worse.”

  “She didn’t want to be here. The Mother would have seen that,” I said as I fought back the tears. “That was a really bad storm.”

  Keeper Marie grabbed my arm, jerking me to my feet. “Our Great Mother would have found her and wrapped her loving arms around her just as she had so many others, including yourself.”

  “Right,” I said with a heavy sigh.

  Only the Mother hadn’t protected me. There were no loving arms wrapped around me. I sneaked away to Watcher Brody’s house, and had I not been there, I wouldn’t have been as lucky.

  “You know what, Farmer Church?” Keeper Marie said, shoving me toward my bed. “I think you need to miss breakfast. You should stay here and continue to pray. We’ll see you at the lake.”

  I folded my hands together and stared at them. I had to bite down on my lip to stop myself from laughing. My stomach was still full from the enormous meal I’d had at Watcher Brody’s house.

  The joke was on Keeper Marie. I wasn’t ready to eat slop when I could still taste the figs when I closed my eyes hard enough.

  “On your knees,” Keeper Marie said from the doorway. She stood there waiting until I dropped down to the floor. “Don’t be too long.”

  I could pray, but not for too long. Working was more important than praying. Would the Great Mother agree?

  I didn’t wait long before I got off the floor and changed my clothing. My skin still felt clean, and there was still a hint of Watcher Brody’s soap that I wanted to cling to as long as possible.

  Had Commander Godfrey noticed the scent? Perhaps that was one of the reasons he’d seemed suspicious.

  I sat on the edge of my bed, resting my chin on my closed fist. Commander Godfrey was going to blame Hawk’s disappearance on the storm. It was almost as though that was the only reason he’d talked to me at all. There was no way he really cared if Steph was missing, or anyone else for that matter. He wanted to put the idea in my head that if someone was missing, they were considered dead.

  I shook my head. I was reading too much into things. Commander Godfrey had no idea that Hawk and I had talked.

  I should have asked Watcher Brody if he had known anything about Hawk. He knew who he was, but did he know he hadn’t been seen in days? He probably wouldn’t care.

  I’d have to ask Watcher Jones about it… but I hadn’t seen him in a while either. Maybe they were both safe in the Capital. I just had to wait my turn.

  Or maybe they’d both been caught.

  I stood, brushing the dirt off my arms and legs. I leaned forward and shook my hair out, letting the grains of dirt fall onto the floor.

  If I didn’t see Hawk or Watcher Jones at lunch, I was really going to worry. But that’s all it would be. Worry. There wasn’t anything I could do about the fact they were gone. There wasn’t anyone I could tell. They’d just be… gone.

  I left the cabin and headed toward the lake. The storm had died down significantly. The dirt swirled from time to time, but it didn’t go higher than my knees.

  The heat had returned, and the sun was hot on my skin. I peered toward the lake, looking out as far as I could see. Steph wouldn’t still be out there treading water, but I couldn’t help but look for her despite the odds.

  Keeper Marie was already at the lake with Ivy and Farmer Watson. She wasn’t alone.

  Another Keeper was standing a few feet from Keeper Marie. They both had their eyes glued to me as I approached.

  “Here she is,” Keeper Marie said brightly. “This is Farmer Church.”

  “Hello,” the Keeper said in a sweet sing-song voice, as if I were a young child that might run off and behind a tree.

  “This is Keeper Lilly Anna,” Keeper Marie said. “She’d like to discuss a possible transfer with you.”

  I cocked my head. “A transfer?”

  “Indeed,” she said. “It won’t hurt to listen. Maybe it’s time for a change.”

  I swallowed quickly before Keeper Marie saw the anger filling my eyes. I knew I wasn’t her favorite, but I didn’t realize how ready and willing she was to get rid of me.

  Keeper Lilly Anna took a step closer but maintained a solid four-foot distance from me. It was like she thought I was sick, and she’d catch whatever I had.

  The only thing I was sick of was the farm.

  Keeper Lilly Anna held out her hand back toward the cabins. “Come with me.”

  25

  I didn’t want to transfer to a different farm. The work on the water farm was ridiculous, but I liked it enough. In other locations, the work was more demanding and hotter because it was away from the water. People suffered from heatstroke and dehydration more frequently.

  I wanted to stay where I was, with the people I knew. And I felt more comfortable in a cabin that wasn’t too far from where Watcher Brody lived.

  “Do you like the water farm?” Keeper Lilly Anna asked.

  “Yes, very much so,” I replied.

  “That’s good,” Keeper Lilly Anna said, wringing her hands. “I hear you work hard, and the heat doesn’t affect you much.”

  I shrugged. “That’s only because it’s slightly cooler by the lake.”

  “Yes. Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Keeper Lilly Anna asked without waiting for an answer. “I think you’d like it on my farm, and I think you’d get along well with my girls.”

  “Are you replacing one of your group?” I asked boldly.

  Keeper Lilly Anna chuckled. “No, one has moved on to another farm where she was a better fit.”

  “Another farm?”

  “A servant now.”

  “She was a better fit? Getting demoted is a better fit?”

  Keeper Lilly Anna stopped walking and turned to me. “Watch your tongue, Farmer Church.”

  “My apologies,” I said with a small curtsy. “Which farm is yours?”

  “It’s not much further now,” she said. After a few moments, she cleared her throat. “We do composting.”

  I waited for her to reveal she was joking, but it didn’t happen. Keeper Lilly Anna was completely
serious. She wanted me to leave the water farm to work on the composting farm. She wanted me to help make fertilizer.

  I was being punished. Commander Godfrey had to be behind this sudden change. He probably knew more than he was letting on. Maybe he knew where I’d been. Or maybe he knew Hawk and I were friends. He was getting creative with his punishment, and while I wouldn’t admit it, this one was probably the worst.

  Keeper Lilly Anna pointed and talked. The farmers, both male and female, glanced at me but quickly returned their eyes to their work. It was strange to see, considering everyone that worked on the water farm was a woman.

  “This is the cabin,” she said, gesturing toward the door. “It’s bigger than what you’re in now, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” I said softly.

  I had to find Hawk. I had to get out of the farms before I was transferred.

  “Go on inside. Have a look around,” Keeper Lilly Anna said.

  The room was neat. Each bed was made, and the farmer's shelves had more than just their smocks. They had books, paper, and pens. One had a little stuffed bear with a missing eye.

  “My girls are happy,” Keeper Lilly Anna said, closing the door.

  She looked out both windows before leaning back against the door. There was no way out of the room.

  I dared a look in her direction as I swallowed hard. My hands balled into tight fists.

  The Keeper’s eyes were round and soft. “I know everything.”

  My jaw tensed. I kept my lips pressed tightly together.

  “Something is wrong.” She lowered her voice. “I’m part of the rebellion.”

  Still, I didn’t speak. I wasn’t going to admit a single thing. It could be a trap… Commander Godfrey had set a trap for me, and I wasn’t about to fall for it.

  “I know what you and Hawk were planning. I was working with Watcher Jones to make it happen.” Her shoulders dropped. “I think they’ve been kidnapped.”

  “Why are you saying this to me?” I asked, carefully choosing my words.

  “I want to warn you,” Keeper Lilly Anna said. “I’m very worried they’re coming for me next, or maybe even you. It depends what they know.”