Girl of Glass, #1

by Megan O'Russell

  “Hate me if you want,” Lenora said. “It’s a terrible truth. But it’s one we have to live with. It’s the only way we can survive.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that.” Nola didn’t wait for her mother to say anything. She walked back out the kitchen door, letting it slam behind her.

  Rain pounded down on Bright Dome in fierce sheets, the water tinted brown in the dim light. The rain would burn everything in its wake tonight.

  How acidic would rain need to be to leave marks like the ones on Desmond’s skin?

  Nola wanted to run out into the rain. To scream and cry and let the world burn her for living hidden from its pain for so long. To tell the outsiders there was food and medicine waiting inside the domes.

  Nola walked to the gurgling fountain at the center of the dome. Its noise was barely audible over the rain that grew harder by the minute.

  Nola stuck her hands into water, washing away the dirt before splashing her face. The cold water gave her goose bumps wherever it touched her skin. It was cleaner than any of the water they had on the outside. She stood and ran to the stairs, not wanting to be near the fountain anymore. It was too lavish, too selfish.

  Her feet carried her down into the tunnel before she could even think where she wanted to go.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Iron Dome was near the very center of the compound, beside the atrium, directly above the barracks. All of the Outer Guard with families lived in that dome with the barracks beneath for unmarried guards. The Iron Dome and the barracks were the only residences where weapons were kept, the only place where metal could shield the glass walls in case of attack.

  A guard waited at the top of the stairs to the Iron Dome.

  “I’m here to see Jeremy Ridgeway,” Nola said before he could ask, hoping the darkness would hide her tear-streaked face.

  The guard stared at her for a moment before nodding and letting her pass without another word.

  The homes were smaller here. Utilitarian units meant to house soldiers. There were no trees here that could block sight lines. Only low-lying plants were allowed in the Iron Dome. Nola’s skin tingled with the feeling of being watched.

  Jeremy’s house sat on the outskirts of the dome. The only hint that the home belonged to the head of the Outer Guard was its being shaped like a slightly larger shoebox than the others.

  Light streamed through the windows of the house, and voices came from the kitchen.

  Nola ran a hand over her face as she tried to think. Captain Ridgeway wouldn’t like her crying at his door this late at night. Nola crept around to the side of the house, hoping no guards would be lurking in the shadows, ready to shoot her with one of their shiny needles.

  Nola knelt, tracing her fingers through the edge of the garden bed, searching for a few pebbles. Carefully, she tossed the handful of stones at Jeremy’s window. Nola tensed at the faint clatter of the rocks against the glass. She held her breath, waiting in the dark.

  Please don’t be in the kitchen, Jeremy.

  Jeremy’s window slid open and he popped his head out, looking around. He smiled as his gaze found Nola. “Aren’t I the one who’s supposed to be throwing rocks at your window?”

  “I just…” Nola began, but she didn’t know why she had needed to see Jeremy, only that she hadn’t known where else to go.

  “Are you okay?” Jeremy asked, his tone shifting from light to concerned.

  Nola shook her head.

  She gasped and stumbled back as, in one swift movement, Jeremy vaulted out of his window and landed next to Nola with barely a noise.

  “You’ve been training,” Nola said, her voice shaking.

  Jeremy didn’t answer as he wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head against the hard muscles of his chest. She had never noticed them there before.

  He’s already becoming one of the elite.

  Her breath caught in her throat as she began to cry again.

  “Shh,” Jeremy hushed, petting her hair. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.” He held her for a moment in the darkness. Both of them flinched as a barking voice carried from the kitchen.

  “Come on.” Jeremy threaded his fingers through Nola’s, leading her away from the house to a stand of ferns near the wall of the dome. Jeremy dropped down to his knees, hiding his height in the shadows, and pulled Nola to follow.

  “What’s wrong?” He pushed Nola’s curls away from her face. “Is your mom that upset about us?”

  “Yes,” Nola said before shaking her head. “She is, but that isn’t what’s wrong.”

  “Then what is it?” Jeremy took Nola’s hand and pressed her palm to his lips. “You can tell me, Nola. Whatever it is, you can trust me.”

  Nola’s mind raced back. The I-Vent, ReVamp, the break in the glass, Kieran. She could tell Jeremy everything.

  You wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. You wouldn’t have to lie anymore.

  Jeremy would understand why she couldn’t stand her mother or the idea of only saving the chosen few.

  “I do trust you.” Nola swallowed, tightening her grip on Jeremy’s hand.

  Light splashed out of Jeremy’s front door as five Outer Guard in full city uniform poured out of the house.

  Jeremy dove to the side, pulling Nola out of the light and clamping a hand over her mouth.

  They waited, frozen and silent until the group disappeared down the dark path.

  Nola pulled Jeremy’s hand from her mouth. “Why were there Outer Guard in full city uniform in your house?”

  “My dad’s their boss,” Jeremy said, his voice tight.

  “Guards only wear those uniforms when they leave the domes,” Nola said. “Why would they be hanging out in your house like that? If they’re going on patrol, they should be leaving from the barracks.”

  Jeremy looked to the house. The kitchen door was closed. “My dad doesn’t trust the Dome Guard right now.”

  “Why?” Nola asked. “The Outer Guard and the Dome Guard are the same. They’re just an extension of the each other.”

  “You can’t tell anyone,” Jeremy said. “My dad wouldn’t have told me, except I’ll be in training next month. And Gentry has been going out with the patrols lately. I started figuring out something was going on.”

  Nola nodded.

  “The Outer Guard have found a den. It’s a bunch of Vampers all living underground together.” Jeremy glanced back at the house. “The Dome Guard think it’s not our business. That the Vampers should be able to do what they like on their side of the river. But the Outer Guard, they’re out there on the street every night. The wolf packs running around are bad enough, but that many Vampers, if they decided to come after the domes...”

  “We couldn’t stop them.”

  Raina and Julian breaking through the glass. The people from the club coming in search of blood.

  It would be a massacre.

  “But why would they want to attack us?” Nola said.

  “They don’t understand what we’re doing in here.” Jeremy swept his hands up to the glass of the dome. “We’re trying to save the world. We live trapped in here for the good of the species.”

  Trapped in a lifeboat while the rest of the world drowns.

  “It’s okay.” Jeremy pulled Nola to his chest, pressing his lips to her hair. “They’re close to figuring out where the den is. Once they do, the Outer Guard will go in—”

  “And what?” Nola’s mouth went so dry she could barely form the words.

  “Neutralize the threat.” Jeremy looked deep into Nola’s eyes. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Eden. Tiny little Eden couldn’t hurt anyone if she tried.

  “What if they don’t want to hurt us,” Nola whispered, her voice trembling. “What if all they want is to survive? And they have to live underground to protect themselves?”

  Jeremy leaned in, brushing his lips against Nola’s. “You always want to believe in the good in the world. I think that’s why I love you.”

&n
bsp; Nola forgot how to breathe as Jeremy kissed her, holding her close to his chest. Nola pushed away, falling back onto the grass, her heart racing as her body remembered she needed air.

  “Jeremy—”

  “Don’t say anything now.” He stood and reached down, pulling Nola to her feet. “I know it’s a lot. But it’s true. I love you, Nola.” He took her hand, turning it over to kiss her wrist.

  Her knees wobbled as tingles ran up her arm.

  “And I can wait.” Jeremy smiled. “I can wait till you’re ready.”

  A bubble of pure joy washed away all thought. There was nothing in the world but his brown eyes and his smile meant only for her.

  The lights in Jeremy’s living room flicked off.

  Jeremy cursed. “I have to go.” He kissed Nola on the top of the head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He ran toward the house and vaulted through his window before Nola could remember why she had come to the Iron Dome.

  The food.

  She was angry with her mother for not wanting to share the domes’ food with the people the Outer Guard were going to attack.

  Nola’s hands trembled as she reached for the tree pendant at her throat.

  Kieran.

  If the guards went into the tunnels, they would find Kieran. Nola looked up at the sky. Rain still pounded down on the glass. Did the guards already know about 5th and Nightland? How long would it take them to get there?

  Keeping her eyes front, Nola walked back to the guard at the stairs. His helmet and coat hung on the wall next to him.

  “Captain Ridgeway wants you at his house,” Nola said. Her voice sounded far away as though someone else were speaking. “He heard someone prowling around.”

  The guard nodded stiffly before running toward the Ridgeway house. Grabbing the coat and helmet from the wall, Nola bolted down the stairs, not bothering to wonder what the guard would think when Captain Ridgeway told him there had been no prowler.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The oversize coat hung down over Nola’s hands. But she would need the protection from the rain. She’d already tucked the inner glass to the side. Nola’s fingers slid across the outer glass, slipping on the condensation.

  “Please just move,” Nola whispered. What had been such a simple plan when she took the guard’s jacket now seemed impossible.

  What if I can’t find the tree in the rain? What if the door is locked from the other side?

  Gripping the glass, she pulled with all her might, not letting up as she felt a jagged edge slice into her fingers. Finally, the glass moved and she pushed it aside, sucking on the cut. She would have to be more careful putting it back when she came home.

  Nola shoved the helmet onto her head. The stench of someone else’s sweat flooded her nose, overpowering the acrid scent of the night. Wrapping her hands tightly in the coat, she crawled out into the rain, twisting carefully to replace the glass before standing up and running down the hill.

  She didn’t bother searching for guards. She wouldn’t be able to see them coming through the rain, which pounded down on her coat. She could feel the weight of each drop as it struck the fabric. She had never dreamed rain could have such weight—that each drop would have individual definition.

  The sound of her breathing and the rain striking the helmet matched the pounding of her heart as she ran down the hill toward the forest.

  Her heel slipped out from underneath her, and before she could try to right herself, she slid down the hill. She screamed as something struck her spine. Digging her bare hands into the mud, she finally stopped, lying on her back. The helmet had somehow stayed on. Rain and mud smeared the visor.

  Nola pushed herself up. Tears flowed from her eyes as pain shot from her spine. The skin on her hands burned from the rain. Nola wiped them on her pants, but it was no good. Her hands still stung. She looked back over her shoulder. The dim lights of the domes were barely visible.

  Her bed and her shower were at the top of the hill. A doctor who could make the pain in her hands stop was at the top of the hill.

  She turned back to the trees, scrambling to her feet. Her ankle throbbed as she walked into the forest. She searched the darkness for a barren tree with a slit she could climb through. But in the rain, all the trees looked the same. Nola glanced back at the domes. She had been able to see Bright Dome when she came out of the tree with Kieran. Squinting through the visor, she tried to make out which dim light was Bright Dome. It was hidden behind the Amber Dome with its wide stance and low ceiling. Nola walked left, closer to the bridge into the city, studying each tree as she went.

  A shadow passed in front of her. Nola dove behind the nearest tree, pressing herself into its shadow. Her breath came in quick gasps. The Outer Guard. If they had found the tree, they would find Nightland.

  If they find me…

  Nola peered around the side of the tree, searching for the moving shadow. And there it was, fifty feet in front of her. The tree that hid the entrance to Nightland. Nola waited for a moment, holding her breath, searching for an Outer Guard in the night. Nothing moved.

  Run, Nola, you need to run! the voice inside her head shouted, but her feet wouldn’t move.

  Ten seconds, Nola. Her father’s voice echoed in her memory. You get ten seconds to panic. Then you’re done. That’s all you’re allowed.

  Nola nodded.

  Ten, nine, eight, seven…

  What if the Outer Guard were already through the door?

  Six, five…

  What if they had already found Dr. Wynne’s Laboratory?

  Four, three…

  Kieran.

  Nola ran toward the tree, ignoring the pain that shot through her back and the grip of the mud as it tried to steal her shoes. Her fingers closed around the edge of the bark as she pulled herself through the opening.

  Crack!

  Pain shot through her head before burning cut through her ribs. Blackness overtook her before the scream left her mouth.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Her mouth tasted like dirty cotton. She tried to lick her lips, but her tongue cracked with the movement. She tried to take a breath, but pain shot through her lungs, and a cough caught in her sandpaper-like throat.

  She opened her eyes. Spots danced in her vision, blocking out the scene around her. The lights in the room were bright—much, much too bright.

  The medical wing. I must be in the medical wing.

  But the skin on her hands still burned.

  Nola tried to lift her hands to look at them; it felt like sand had filled her arms, making them too heavy to move properly. The skin on her hands was red against the white light.

  “Nola,” a voice breathed.

  Footsteps pounded across the floor, and Dr. Wynne and Kieran hovered over her, their faces blurred.

  “Nola.” Kieran knelt, taking Nola’s hand. The cold of his fingers soothed her skin.

  “What—”

  “Don’t try to speak.” Dr. Wynne disappeared from view, coming back with a cup in his hand. “You need to drink.”

  Kieran lifted Nola’s head. She gasped as pain shot through her skull. “Sorry,” he whispered before tipping cool liquid into Nola’s mouth. It tasted metallic and stale, but it coated her throat and made it easier to breathe. Kieran sat on the bed, lifting Nola to lean against his chest before giving her more of the foul fluid.

  “Where am I?” Nola asked after a few sips.

  “Nightland,” Kieran said.

  Nola’s mind raced. Back to the tree. To the pain. “But the Outer Guard. They found me.”

  Dr. Wynne looked at Kieran before speaking. “It wasn’t the Outer Guard. It was our guard.”

  “Why in Hell were you wandering through the woods in a guard’s uniform at night?” Kieran said, anger creeping past the concern in his voice. “They thought you were trying to break in. They almost killed you. If they hadn’t recognized you, they would have.”

  “I had to tell you,” Nola said, remembering
her urgency and coughing in her haste.

  Kieran lifted more water to her mouth.

  “There’s no time.” Nola pushed the cup away. “I only have a few hours.”

  Kieran glanced to his father. “Nola, you’ve been here for two days.”

  The bed swayed. Her head spun, blurring the room around her.

  Two days. Nola tried to reason through the words. I’ve been here for two days.

  “That can’t be right.” Nola shook her head and the world dance in bright spots.

  “Careful.” Kieran steadied her as she tipped toward the edge of the bed. “We patched you up as best we could, but you need to be careful.”

  “They’ll know I’m gone.” Nola pictured her mother calling for her when she didn’t come out of her room in the morning. Did she think Nola had snuck out to be with Jeremy? And Jeremy. What did he think when Nola’s mother came searching for her? How long did it take them to figure out she was gone? Had she already been banished in absentia?

  “Why on earth did you come out in the rain?” Dr. Wynne pressed something cold and metallic against Nola’s forehead. “You could have gotten lost in the storm, or sick from the rain, you aren’t used to the toxicity. And then being stabbed on top of it all.”

  “Stabbed?” Nola asked, remembering a searing pain in her back.

  “They thought you were trying to infiltrate Nightland,” Kieran said. “They didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “The Outer Guard.” Nola pushed away from Kieran to seize Dr. Wynne’s hands. “I have to talk to Emanuel. I have to see him right now.”

  “Why?” Dr. Wynne said. “I know it must be frightening to be away from the domes for so long, but you’re safe here.”

  “No one is safe here.” Nola twisted to throw her legs off the bed. Every muscle in her body ached. “The Outer Guard. They know about Nightland. They’re trying to find a way in. They might already know how. You have to get everyone out.”

  Dr. Wynne and Kieran exchanged silent glances.

  “I’ll go,” Kieran said, lifting Nola and laying her back on the bed. “Stay. Let him take care of you. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared behind the head of the bed, and the slam of a door shook the room a moment later.