‘Hope, don’t be crazy, they’ll arrest us. They think we’re a part of it.’ Purple pulled harder and his muscle was way too much for me. I couldn’t fight him. He flew us to our hideout in the side of the mountain just outside the city.
Purple tried to drop me delicately but I wouldn’t have any of it. I shoved against him as we came in to land and fell hard. I landed on my butt and grunted.
‘Why did you stop me from going in?’ I said, taking my phone out of my pocket.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Purple stood in front of me. His muscles bulged as he crossed his arms.
‘My stuff…’ I gestured towards nothing. I felt a lump in my throat at the thought of the only thing connecting me to my mum now being taken away.
‘It’s just stuff, Hope, you’re better off alive.’
Purple walked away and went to get our emergency pack out of its hiding place. I was trying to phone our neighbour, but they weren’t picking up.
‘They’re probably interrogating them,’ Purple said over his shoulder. He was getting into my head again.
‘Stop doing that,’ I snapped, standing up and redialling.
‘I can’t help it when you think so loudly.’
I turned away from him and punched the air when someone answered.
‘If you return, we’ll be kind,’ said the clipped tone of a guard. Crap! I switched the call off and was tempted to throw the phone.
‘Okay, so what do we do now?’ I asked, turning back to Purple who now lounged on a sleeping bag. Luckily our phones couldn’t be traced anymore. The systems that were set in place had been broken a few years ago and the government were too scared to try and repair them.
‘We wait until tonight and go to the meeting.’
I huffed as I went over to the stash and grabbed a blanket. It was cold in this cave. I sat across from Purple and ignored him. He acted like he was my father sometimes and it really bugged me.
‘Do you think she’s dead?’ His voice was quiet.
I turned to look at him. His hair flowed around his chiselled face. His square jaw was set and his big dark eyes were hidden from me. The black clothes he wore were dark against the bright sleeping bag. His t-shirt hugged his huge frame. I always wondered why he had small ridges on his arms and back, but none on his front. I tore my eyes away as an image of Jason popped into my head.
‘I don’t know,’ I replied.
We knew that Sandor wasn’t happy. We even knew that she’d become involved with a man from the rebels, but we didn’t realise that she would go this far.
‘Do you think she managed to kill many of them?’ I asked after a moment of silence.
‘She was extremely intelligent and knew the layout of the whole place…’ His words drifted off.
‘Revenge is not the answer!’ I thumped the ground with my only arm.
‘We know that, Hope, but not everyone is an angel, remember? Most Avoidables live in the gutter with their dark nature.’
Purple was right. Avoidables had been discriminated against for so long that they’d actually started to believe that they were gruesome. They were just ordinary people, but because some had powers or were not great looking, they were classed as a lesser man. Angels had been coming down to the earth to help since the beginning of time. I knew that they’d stopped for a while as the Perfects took over and separated themselves from Avoidables, but it seemed that we now had a mission to bring the world back into harmony. I’d needed to be unaware of the mission as I grew up so that I could know what it felt like to be an Avoidable.
I stood up and started to pace. I’d only recently found out that I was part angel and was still trying to figure it all out.
‘So, the plan of action is to go to the meeting tonight and then what?’ I didn’t want to get into the angel discussion right now.
‘Who knows? Maybe we go to sleep…’ Purple ducked as I threw my phone at his handsome head.
The meeting tonight would have a very different topic to what was originally planned.
Chapter Five
‘OKAY, PEOPLE, LISTEN UP!’ Artie called.
We were in an old theatre. It had been closed down since the arts had taken a back seat when the Perfects had stolen our most talented actors for their own plays. They made them play the bad guys. Artie was a tall thin man. His scraggly blonde hair was starting to grey slightly. He had a huge scar down the left side of his face. No one knew where he’d got it, but everyone could see that he was a handsome man under it. Artie was a city enforcer, in charge of trying to keep the peace on Lower Side. He’d made it his personal mission to try and help the Perfects and Avoidables get along. We’d been working as warriors for him for five years. We would track rebels, spy on the Perfect government and keep the peace on Lower Side.
‘Today Sandor and her lover attacked the government. This completely goes against what we’re trying to do. I’ve just been told that they’ve captured her and have decided to give her a trial. This is not like the government so we need to be careful. They’re obviously planning something.’
The room burst with noise as people discussed this development. I looked at Purple with raised eyebrows. He shrugged at me and turned back to our leader. An attractive Avoidable female was staring at my friend and I had to hide my smile. She lightly touched the ridges on his arm, making him jump. He looked down at her and scowled.
‘Sorry, I just…’ Her voice trailed off as he swallowed and started to look uncomfortable. Eventually he just turned his back and ignored her.
‘Don’t worry, he’s gay,’ I said, laughing when she gasped and pushed herself away through the crowd.
‘Hope!’ Purple growled at me.
I burst out laughing just as the room fell silent again.
‘Is there something funny?’ Artie said, looking directly at me. Purple was the one smiling now.
‘No, it’s not funny,’ I said. ‘Sandor was my flatmate and I know that what the Perfects did to her was messed up. She deserves a trial. The only problem is, there needs to be a few Avoidables on the jury.’
Everyone gasped in horror. They probably thought I was mad. Why the hell would the Perfects let any of us in on the trial? Artie was nodding at me.
‘Excellent. So you’ll volunteer to sit on the jury if we can somehow get in on it?’ he smirked. The man was an extremely clever one. He knew the government and their ways well. He’d started this movement to get Avoidables to recognise that although the Perfect government made out we were dangerous, we weren’t the ones in the wrong. Unfortunately we had to stop acting dangerous to prove it.
‘Yes, I think I have a way to get in,’ I said.
The crowd started to mutter between them. Purple took my good arm and I had to fight the urge to rip it away. I felt a buzzing in my back and was about to turn when the leader spoke again.
‘See me after the meeting then,’ Artie said, his gaze questioning as he watched me squirm. I nodded and the meeting resumed. I spun away from Purple and pushed my way through the crowd as Artie spoke over them. I managed to get outside the building just before my wings and arm burst from me. I grunted and fell over at the force. This was getting weird. It happened at different times and was becoming more powerful.
‘Your wings are getting bigger,’ Purple said. He helped me up and pulled me into the alleyway next to the theatre. I rubbed the shoulder where my new arm now rested. I still wasn’t used to switching from having just one arm to two.
‘Really…?’ I said, trying to put my hands behind me to feel. It didn’t work.
My phone broke out in a tune, making us jump. It was Jason.
‘Hope, are you safe?’
‘Yes, are you?’ I answered. My wings started to hum whenever I heard his voice.
‘Yes, I’m at home now. They managed to kill ten people, including Nicholas Thompson.’
I froze when Purple gasped beside me. He could hear Jason. Nicolas was one of the angels that had managed to get into the government r
anks. He was kind and softly spoken. I closed my eyes as Jason told me the names of the other officials.
‘Hope?’
I swallowed my sorrow before I spoke. ‘We know about Sandor. We need to get some Avoidables on the jury.’
‘It’s already being spoken about. The angels are having a bit of influence on them and they’ve agreed to let two Avoidables in. You can’t be one of them though, Hope. You were her flatmate.’ Jason’s voice was gentle. He was waiting for my backlash, but it didn’t come. He was right. They were never going to let me go on the jury.
‘I know,’ I sighed.
‘Good. Find two people you trust and tell me their names. I’ll load them into the system and make sure they’re picked. Hope, this could be the turning point. Keep your head together.’
I felt my feathers bristle at his fatherly tone. Purple stifled a smile when I looked over at him.
‘Jason…’ I started.
‘Just remember that I know you and I also love you,’ he laughed.
A door banged and people’s voices brought our attention to the front of the building. My wings instantly retracted and my arm disappeared.
‘I’ll go and speak to Artie now,’ I said, ‘I’ll see you soon.’
‘Hope, remember to read that book I gave you. It could save us.’
‘Yes, okay,’ I replied. ‘Oh and by the way, we can’t go home. I’ll let you know where we are. I love you, Jason, stay safe.’
I clicked the phone off and we went back into the theatre. Artie was sitting on the side of the stage talking to a few hangers on. He saw us approach and waved them away. They stared at us as they went past.
‘Don’t mind them. They think you must’ve been involved with the bombing.’
He stood up and held out a hand to me. I took it and he pulled me onto the stage. Purple climbed up beside us. Artie turned and walked towards the back of the stage. We followed him through a corridor and into a small room.
In the room there was a big mirror with lights around it. On the mirror there were lots of photos. I went and took a closer look as Artie poured us a drink from a tin bottle. The pictures were of Artie before his scar. He was in all sorts of costumes, acting in lots of different plays. I hid my surprise as I realised that he must have been a Perfect.
‘In case you’re wondering, no one else knows. I don’t allow anyone in here,’ Artie said, handing me a cup. I sniffed the liquid, surprised to smell alcohol. It was a banned product. It only caused the Avoidables to become even more depressed and desperate. Purple gulped his down, shrugging when I raised my eyebrows at him. I sipped the drink and grimaced as the burn hit the back of my throat.
‘Is this why you fight so hard to make us behave? Because you know how good it is over there?’ I asked, sitting down on a worn out sofa. Purple came over and joined me, taking the cup from my hand and downing that too. I let him. I needed to keep a clear head.
‘Every Avoidable that has lived here their whole life assumes that it’s wonderful over there. Yes, they have material luxury but they don’t have integrity, love or peace.’
Artie threw his drink back and poured himself another. Purple shook his head when he offered him more.
‘Seriously…? Are you saying that it’s just as bad over there?’ Purple sat forward. The sofa creaked from his heavy muscle.
‘Yep, now let’s talk about something else shall we?’
Artie looked directly into my eyes and I fought the urge to look away. There was a world of something I didn’t understand in the depths of his eyes. His wrinkled, sun marked skin told the tale of a life well lived.
‘I know what you are,’ he said, not looking away.
I kept my face still.
‘What do you mean?’ Purple feigned innocence well.
Artie stood and walked over to the photos. He picked one off the mirror and handed it to me.
‘You probably didn’t recognise her,’ he said, sitting back down in his chair.
My skin crawled as he watched me closely. I pulled my gaze away from him and looked down at the picture in my hand. I swallowed hard as I saw my mother looking back at me. She was wearing an ancient styled dress. A young Artie had his arm around her waist and was kissing her cheek as she grinned at the camera. I blinked a few times and couldn’t look away from the beautiful pair. Purple leaned over me.
‘Who is that?’ he asked Artie.
I looked up and for the first time, Artie glanced away from me. I saw the pain pass through his gaze before he’d turned. He must have been in love with my mother.
‘You look so much like her,’ he whispered, taking another swig of his drink. Purple started to nod slowly as he understood his meaning.
‘What happened?’ Purple asked.
He knew me well enough to know that I wouldn’t be able to speak for a moment.
‘It was that angel. They made a pact together after the accident. She thought she was doing it for me but instead, it killed her.’
Chapter Six
I WAS LYING ON the floor of the stage. Artie had refused to talk anymore and had shuffled us out of his room. He’d told us that we could stay in the theatre for as long as we needed. I was desperate to find out what had happened. The memory of my mother was a faint one now and it hurt to flash back to that time. Purple was nearby. I knew that he was awake because he usually snored loudly. He also grunted. I assumed that dragons must have been noisy sleepers in their day too.
‘Are you okay?’ he said into the darkness. I could feel the faint heat of him. He’d insisted on sleeping near me just in case. We couldn’t trust anyone, not even Artie.
‘I don’t know,’ I replied, sighing.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’
He shifted closer and I moved away. His familiarity was too much right now. Purple had been my boss for a long time. We’d been working for Artie for a few years now but we’d never really spoken to him. Not like tonight. He was the enforcer for our city and met up with the enforcers from other cities and together they tried to bring more peace to the Lower Sides.
‘No, thanks, I want to…’ My words were cut off as my phone burst into song. It echoed throughout the abandoned theatre. ‘Jason?’
‘I’m outside the theatre, come and let me in,’ he whispered.
I felt my skin flush at the thought of him being so near. I’d texted him an hour ago to let him know that we were staying here. I jumped off the stage, ran down the aisle and unlocked the door. Throwing it open, I stood back and let him in. He grinned at me. He was wearing a jumper with a hood pulled low over his head. As I locked the door, he walked towards the stage.
‘Where are you going?’ I said, taking his hand and pulling him to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and bent to kiss my forehead.
‘Sorry,’ he whispered. I pushed his hood back and kissed him properly.
‘That’s better,’ I said, releasing him. I froze as my wings decided to push their way out of my back and my arm grew to its full length.
‘Can we do it again?’ he asked, pushing me against the door. I wiggled away from him as my big feathered wings cramped from the pressure.
‘Sorry,’ he said again, stepping back.
‘Who’s there?’ Artie called from the stage. It was dark near the entrance so I pushed Jason behind me.
‘It’s just me, Artie. I wanted to make sure we were safe before we slept.’
I walked towards him but stopped when his eyes grew wide.
‘I knew it!’ he exclaimed.
My wings were on full show and I cringed at my carelessness. Why did Jason always make me forget myself? Purple was standing behind Artie with his arms folded. The smile on his face was going to be knocked off if he wasn’t careful.
‘How did you know?’ I carried on walking and stopped in front of the stage.
‘She tried to hide her pregnancy from me. She claimed it hadn’t worked and that she’d been left alone.’
‘My mother…?’ I craved more in
formation about her life before me. I missed her so much.
‘Yes, I wondered if she’d kept you. She disappeared before she started to really show but she was still my woman. She tried to protect me for as long as she could after the accident but I pushed her away.’
He stopped talking and I had to stop myself from begging him to go on.
‘What…?’ I was going to ask about the accident but his face grew hard and he spun away. Purple stepped back as Artie walked past him.
‘Tomorrow, I will train you,’ he called, leaving us alone. My wings started to shudder and sink into my back. I was so used to this now. All I had to do was stand still for a minute. Jason came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
‘Purple,’ he said, nodding at my scowling friend.
‘What are you doing here? Are you crazy?’
‘I had to see Hope,’ he replied, nuzzling my ear.
I spun in his arms and looked up at his perfect face. His blue eyes were sparkling as he looked at me. His hair was unkempt and soft as I ran my hand through it. I heard Purple grunt behind us but his fading footsteps meant that he’d left us alone for now.
‘Was it bad?’
I didn’t want to talk about the bombing but I needed to know.
Jason shook his head and released me. He walked to the side of the stage and pulled himself up to sit on the edge. I went to stand in between his open legs. I stroked his thighs as I tried to get him to look at me. He took hold of my hands gently and kissed them before meeting my gaze. My chest squeezed as I saw the film of water lying over his eyes.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ he whispered, letting his eyes drop. I sometimes had to remind myself that Jason was a Perfect and had only seen a shallow version of life until we’d met.
‘I knew that things were bad over this side, Hope. They scare us into staying away, but it’s just…’
He couldn’t finish his sentence and I knew why. An image of my mother flashed into my mind and I closed my eyes, hoping it would disappear in the darkness.
Riot Girls: Seven Books With Girls Who Don't Need A Hero Page 30