“Is that all you’ve got,” I say in a low voice with blood running down both sides of my chin.
I do not wait to be told to get up and stay put. Not tonight. Tonight, whatever befalls me will be my choice and my will. I bend my knee, lifting my foot up, placing it flat on the floor, and push with my other leg, until I am standing straight and proud. For a second, I waver as a wave of light-headedness passes over me, beckoning me to sleep, to give in, but I refuse, as I focus my gaze onto the dark abysses known as Molers’ eyes. He raises his fist, and I prepare myself for what I know comes next, but nothing happens. Just as Molers swings, Commander Vye starts for him, but Renal, with a speed I never witnessed before, pushes her to the side, stopping her, before appearing next to Molers, catching his fist in midair.
“You’ve made your point,” Renal growls at Molers.
“I wonder,” whispers Molers to him, “do we have two traitors tonight?”
“If you want a real challenge,” replies Renal in a whisper of his own, “just say the word.”
Molers jerks his fist free and steps back.
“Now,” Commander Vye demands, “What is the meaning of this?”
“Commander,” Molers says, struggling to sound respectful, but Renal’s presence forces him to, and I am reminded of the day Molers tried to choke me to death and how Renal stopped them, and how, ever since, Molers has been wary of him, and once again, I wonder if Renal is a Marshal, “I found Arbiter Noni out after hours. This is not the first time she has snuck out.”
His words confirm that he has been spying on me, and I bet it was Amal who did his dirty work.
“Being out on the grounds after curfew is hardly cause for the display you chose to put on,” says Commander Vye.
“I believe Arbiter Noni has been sneaking into the city at night and smuggling people out,” says Molers.
“Evidence?” demands Commander Vye.
“Look at her. She is defiant. She smells of sewage. And she consorts with plebeians.”
“Is that it?” scoffs Commander Vye. “I know of her nights with a certain plebeian, but…”
“So, you have allowed her to have relations with scum,” accuses Molers.
“By order of President Tapiwa herself,” Commander Vye counters in a stern voice. “Are you questioning her orders?”
Molers rethinks his tactics. “What about her bruises and their unknown origin. The attacks, the riots, they do not account for all of it, but if she were—”
“—smuggling people out of the city that could account for some of it,” finishes Commander Vye.
She turns toward me and scrutinizes my presence. Truth is, Molers needs no proof of my disloyalty. An accusation is proof enough in Arel, but Commander Vye demands it, and I do not know why. I have betrayed her trust, and a bit of shame gnaws at me because of it. Despite her hard-ass ways, Commander Vye believed in me, or saw something that she admired, and I have put her in a terrible position. Yet, I couldn’t abandon the others depending on me to get them out. Such is the nature of Arel: it puts two people against one another as it thrives on conflict and fear in order to remain in control.
“The Master Arbiter is correct,” I say. “There is a traitor in our midst”—I glance at Amal—“and I have been watching him. That is why I was out of bed after curfew. I watched him leave and was waiting for his return.”
Amal starts to protest, but before he can get a word out, Renal seizes him and drags him forward.
“He has been sneaking out into the city under the guise of night and sneaking back in before sunup. I was in the middle of tracking him before Molers attacked me.”
“This is ridiculous!” Amal protests.
“Check his wristband if you don’t believe me,” I say.
Renal seizes Amal’s wrist and removes his wristband.
“It’s all a lie!” screams Amal. “She’s lying!”
“There was another arrested earlier,” says Molers, “for the same crime and it’s believed this individual had an accomplice in the eastern sector and from this manor. Maybe he should be brought here.”
“And how are we to believe this detainee?” asks Commander Vye.
“I’m know you are aware that Arel has ways of getting information, even from those trained to resist,” growls Molers.
Commander Vye purses her lips before agreeing with him. “Very well. Bring this individual here, so that we can get to the bottom of this.”
Molers salutes and stalks away with a smirk on his face, thinking that he has me trapped, and to be honest, he very well may. Who is this person they caught? Luther? I hope not. Luther and I do not always see eye to eye, but he deserves a better fate.
“Take Arbiter Noni and Amal to their quarters,” Commander Vye says, taking command of the situation, and I almost cringe under her hawk-like gaze, as two arbiters take me and Amal by the arms and steer us to the stairs.
In an instant, I spot two pale faces poking out of a crack as the door leading to the plebeian quarters swings open just a little, and I shake my head at both Sheila and Gwen, wanting nothing more than for them, and Chase, to be safe. They shrink back into the darkness and close the door, for which I am relieved. They are safe, for now. My feet stumble on the steps as the arbiters drag me up them, not caring it I fall, and before I know it, we reach the door to my room. It slides open and they throw me inside, allowing me to crash onto the floor as the door slides closed and locks in place, refusing to allow me to pass through.
Dark thoughts overtake my mind. Who did they capture? I can only imagine the torture that they put this person through. Feeling exhausted, and my face still reeling from the impact of Molers’ kick, I crawl across the floor and to the cot with its covers pulled taut, just like when I arrived here on my first day in the eastern sector, and haul myself up onto the mattress and their short springs, stretching out on it as I lay on my back. I feel a bruise forming on my stomach as I run my tongue over my teeth, pausing when it sinks into the new gap from the tooth Molers had knocked out of my mouth. How much time passes as I lay there, I do not know, but it feels like an eternity moseys by, taking its time as it allows me to stew in my own thoughts, each one worse than the last.
The engine of a transport pulls up, and my eyes flutter open, telling me that I must have passed out, despite my attempts to remain awake. Doors open and close, and I know what comes next as boots pound up the stairs, heading straight for my door. It opens. Arbiters rush in and seize me before I have a chance to sit up, and drag me into the hallway toward the stairs. I try to move my feet, but they refuse to work, too exhausted to obey my commands as the arbiters holding onto me haul me down the stairs and to the foyer where a slumped figure in cuffs sits in the middle of the floor, guarded by arbiters. The arbiters carrying me throw me on the floor next to the slumped figure, followed by Amal. My heart skips a few beats as the moment of truth rears its ugly head at me, taunting me.
“Tell us,” orders Commander Vye of the slumped figure, “who is your accomplice?”
The figure moves just a little, as matted hair escapes its hold, plastering to the person’s chin, before sitting up and showing a face I almost don’t recognize: Mandi. She got caught. Why did I force her to meet with me that night? She knew she was being watched and she met with me anyway, because I pretended to be Natalie, because I wanted answers. Because of me, she now lays in the middle of the floor at the manor, her face so beaten that it will never pass for human again, and her uniform torn to the point where it appears to be nothing more than rags thrown together in a pathetic attempt to clothe her. I bite my tongue to keep form gasping as she opens her one good eye, the other sunken in as though it had been ripped out, and her mouth so swollen that, when she tries to speak, her words are slurred and blend together, making it impossible to decipher them. What did they do to her? And it’s all because of me.
I steal a quick glance at Molers who stands triumphant over us all, knowing full well who Mandi’s real accomplice is and enjoying
every minute of it.
“Tell us!” an arbiter screams, punching Mandi in the face, and I want to lash out, to demand that they stop torturing her, but, to my shame, I don’t.
“All right,” Mandi whispers, relenting to their incessant demands, and I can only imagine the horror she was forced to endure from the moment of her capture to now, “I’ll tell you what you want.”
“You had an accomplice?” demands Molers, relishing the power he has over her.
“Yes,” whispers Mandi in a harsh voice that sounds like she hasn’t had water for days.
“Tell us who it is!” Molers commands, savoring his moment of victory as his eyes settle on me, certain of what she will say. He either figured it out, or sees an opportunity to be rid of me.
“Him,” Mandi point a broken finger at Amal.
“What? No!” Amal screams in terror. “I never—it’s all a lie!”
“He is my accomplice,” Mandi says, her voice growing stronger as she commits to her story. “We would meet, in secret. I would bring him names of those who wanted to leave and he would smuggle them out. That is what he was doing for me tonight.”
Renal leans in to Commander Vye, holding Amal’s wristband. “His wristband shows that he has been sneaking out for some time now, and that he was in an abandoned tunnel tonight.”
“No!” shrieks Amal in terror. “I never left! I lost my wristband! It wasn’t me! I swear!”
Amal’s piercing screams echo off the walls as arbiters drag him away to a transport, while Molers’ gaze stays fixed upon me, forcing me to keep my face impassive so as not to reveal my surprise by Mandi’s actions, even though, deep inside, I am perplexed and wonder why she lied. I tricked her into revealing herself. She should want to take me down with her, to get revenge, but instead, she spares me.
“You lie,” Molers says to Mandi as he grabs her by the hair and yanks her head back.
Mandi laughs at him. “I have named my accomplice.”
Molers raises his hand to her, but she stops him.
“Careful, Molers,” she whispers, “sometimes, those who revel in the power they have over others, live to regret it.”
Arbiters seize Mandi and haul her away, and I am unable to move as I stare after her, wondering what her motive for tonight was, wondering why she let me live. Out of all the instructors I had at the training facility, Mandi was the only one who tried to be fair, who showed kindness, and who looked out for her recruits, and even in the end, she looked out for me. No, it cannot end this way for her. I cannot let her lie for me. I deserve to be punished alongside her.
I shift my leg and start to stand up, to run after her, when a firm hand presses down upon my shoulder, holding me in pace, as Renal appears behind me, refusing to allow me to undo Mandie’s sacrifice. Does he know? Or is he just preventing me from doing something rash?
“It appears we are done here,” Renal says, staring at Molers, forcing him to remove his gaze from me.
“You were only half-right tonight,” says Commander Vye to Molers. “You had the wrong traitor.”
She stalks out of the foyer and to her office, sealing the door behind her, while Renal glares at Molers, giving an unspoken command. One by one, the arbiters in the room disperse, leaving me alone in a tumultuous wave of guilt and relief as the lights turn off, plunging me into darkness, while my eyes remain fixed on Molers’ form, until he disappears around a corner, but I refuse to move, to go back to my room, as I remain kneeling on the floor with the edge of a cracked board digging into my knees.
A gentle hand touches my shoulder as a familiar voice whispers my name, taking great care to not attract attention. I jerk away before realizing it is Chase. How long have I remained here? Chase says nothing but holds his hand out to me. I let him lift me to my feet and lead me away, being as quiet as we can. When we reach my room, I move away from his comforting embrace and to the window, staring out at the wall and the reflection of a resolute person hovering over it: my reflection. Molers may have won tonight, but I swear that Mandi’s sacrifice will not be in vain. I do not know how I will honor her, but I will. I… No.
Molers will not be allowed peace.
Noni’s story will conclude in book three: Entombed.
Thank you for reading the first part of Noni’s story. Please take the time to leave a review and share your thoughts.
Coming Soon
If you would like to know when Entombed is released, email [email protected] with the word Entombed in the subject line to be added to the email list. You can always go to www.mcnultyjanet.com to learn more about the series.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading Noni’s story and joining her on the first part of her adventure. If you haven’t already, please consider sharing your thoughts and leaving a review.
Thank you,
Janet
About the Author
Janet McNulty is a self-published author, practicing what she calls the most expensive hobby one can engage in.
In 2011, she released Legends Lost Amborese, which was published under the pen name of Nova Rose. Ms. McNulty has since published three novels in the Legends Lost series: Tesnayr and Galdin.
Ms. McNulty has gone on to publish three more book series in the last nine years: The Mellow Summers Series, The Dystopia Trilogy, and The Solaris Saga.
Currently, Ms. McNulty is working on the next book in her new dystopian series: The Enchained Trilogy.
More From This Author
The Solaris Saga
Solaris Seethes
Solaris Seeks
Solaris Strays
Solaris Soars
Or the boxed set.
Every myth has a beginning.
After escaping the destruction of her home planet, Lanyr, with the help of the mysterious Solaris, Rynah must put her faith in an ancient legend. Never one to believe in stories and legends, she is forced to follow the ancient tales of her people: tales that also seem to predict her current situation.
Forced to unite with four unlikely heroes from an unknown planet (the philosopher, the warrior, the lover, the inventor) in order to save the Lanyran people, Rynah and Solaris embark on an adventure that will shatter everything Rynah once believed.
The Mellow Summers Series
Sugar And Spice And Not So Nice
Frogs, Snails, And A Lot Of Wails
An Apple A Day Keeps Murder Away
Three Little Ghosts
Oh Holy Ghost
Where Trouble Roams
Two Ghosts Haunt A Grove
Trick Or Treat Or Murder
Roses Are Red; He’s Dead
Double, Double, Nothing But Trouble
Ring Around The Rosy, Not Another Ghosty
Hickory Dickory Dock The Ghost In The Clock
Violets Are Blue More Trouble Brews
Hey Diddle Diddle The Zombie In The Middle
Easy As Pie Until Someone Dies
Mellow Summers moves to Vermont to attend college, accompanied by her friend Jackie. They soon find them-selves running into ghosts and one mystery after another.
The Dystopia Trilogy
Dystopia
Tempered Steel
Liberty’s Torch
Or get the boxed set.
Imagine living in a world where everything you do is controlled.
Dana Ginary lives in a world where every aspect of her life is controlled by the Dystopian Government. Forced to work in Waste Management, her life becomes a nightmare with hunger and survival is her only constant. Before she knows it, she is caught up in a resistance movement and exiled from Dystopia, forced to find her way in the barren wastelands. While there, she must learn to live independently and discover how far she is willing to go to live and achieve freedom
The Legends Lost Series
Published under Nova Rose
Tesnayr
Amborese
Galdin
Or get the complete set.
En
ter the Lands of Tesnayr and join on an epic fantasy adventure that spans over 1,500 years.
Begin with Tesnayr, the first king of the five lands as he unites the against a savage foe bent on their destruction.
Next, Join Amborese as she fights reclaim the throne after her family was forced to flee from it.
Thinking peace has finally entered the land, follow Galdin as he returns to Tesnayr to find it greatly hanged. Barbarians, led by a mysterious sorcerer, burn and destroy as they go. And only Galdin can stop them if he chooses to accept his fate.
Grandpa’s Stories
My grandfather grew up in Arizona during the 1920s and 1930s. One week after the attack on Pearl Harbor he joined the Navy. During the summer of 2012, my mother visited him and recorded his stories about growing up, World War II, and his time as an employee at the Pacific Bell Telephone Company. This is the history of the 20th century as he lived it. These recordings make up this book. These are his words.
Get it here.
Children’s Books
The Mr. Chili Series
Mr. Chili’s Chili
Mr. Chili Goes To School
Mr. Chili’s Halloween
Mr. Chili’s Christmas
Or get the boxed set.
The Dragon Who Series:
The Dragon Who was Afraid of the Dark
The Dragon Who Went to the Moon
The Dragon Who Found a Monster Party
The Dragon Who Found a Spider in his Shoe
The Dragon Who Explored the Sea
The Dragon Who Caught a Cold
Ensnared (Enchained Trilogy Book 2) Page 47