Still, I said, “Thank you. They are lovely.”
“Would you like an escort home? I can carry your bag.” Without waiting for my response, Jem leaned over and took the strap off of my shoulder, loping it over his own.
I rolled my eyes. He rarely waited for me to accept his usual offer. “Sure, Jem. Thanks.”
A nearby villager heard the exchange and released an amused chuckle of his own. Everyone knew everyone in Caldiri, and our friendship was infamous. Again, we’d been practically inseparable since the day we met in that field.
Both Jem and I exchanged pleasantries with the familiar man before heading down the main road towards the outskirts of town.
I lived on outskirts of town where numerous homes were scattered around the land. My two siblings and I used to live near the town center, but my older brother insisted we move farther away from Caldiri’s general population. As the “protector” of the family, he believed the secluded home gave more privacy and was safer than living in the more populated area where unfortunates roamed.
At first, I objected the move. I did not want to be so far from my patients and friends. Two years later, however, I had to admit I preferred the quieter surroundings and fresh air . The town housed several hundred people, and it was full of sounds, even when the sun long disappeared past the horizon. Now, only the sounds of scurrying rodents kept me awake at night.
Besides, it wasn’t like my family lived that far away. With only one small town in the entire region, not all could reside within its limited number of homes. Many Caldirians had to travel a good distance for their shopping and other necessities. We were lucky to be as close as we were.
To my right, Jem tilted his head back and let the sun warm his face. I watched the light glint off the brown stubble on his cheeks. I rarely saw him so relaxed. He, like everyone else, spent most of his time working to earn a living. The calm expression did wonders for his good looks, making them stand out even more than usual.
With an exhale, he lowered his chin and met my stare. He quirked an eyebrow. My cheeks colored even though I told myself I shouldn’t be embarrassed—there was nothing wrong with thinking Jem was attractive. It was an objective fact.
I could see Jem was ready to tease me. I jumped in before he could utter a word. “It’s hard to believe summer is already almost here. It seems like we just had a census yesterday.”
Immediately, my friend’s levity disappeared. His expression hardened. “Yes. It’s coming faster with every year.”
I chastised myself for bringing up the detested topic. I should have come up with something else to distract my friend. No one liked to discuss the Census.
The Census was exactly what it sounded like. Every year at the start of summer, the king of Draekon sent agents to conduct a population census.
However, rather than simply counting the population of the kingdom, the draekon census agents were charged with recruiting new humans to serve the draekon population in the capital.
I scoffed. Recruiting wasn’t the right word.
Recruiting implied a choice, which was not what humans between the ages of sixteen to twenty-one had.
More than one thousand years ago, the draekon arrived on our continent. The strong, powerful beings searched for a new land to colonize; theirs had been ravaged and cursed by their enemies.
Or so the stories said.
The ancient human rulers opened their borders for the powerful and wealthy draekon without hesitation. The rulers’ greed for draekon treasure and their false sense of security made the continent vulnerable. Soon, the draekon established an immense city from which they proceeded to overthrow all human rulers. It took less than fifty years for the shape-shifting monsters to conquer the continent and establish their new kingdom—named Draekon after their kind. Humans became their subordinates.
Years later when King Roderick decided to implement a census to recruit humans to serve in his capital, we had no choice but to comply. Tales of the draekon ruler’s cruelty were legendary, and all information about his twin sons pointed to them sharing their father’s vicious streak. The three male draekon dominated Draekon, their kingdom, and they would continue to do so for many years to come.
Jem and I passed the last shop in town. I felt a strange tingle on the back of my neck. Turning my head, my attention was snagged by a familiar set of dark, brown eyes.
Hyde, Lord Stanley’s son, stared blatantly from the other side of the dirt road. He stood alone, and I briefly wondered where his personal guard was. I’d rarely seen Hyde without the company of at least one of his father’s draekon soldiers—they were the ones responsible for keeping order in our meager region.
I examined Hyde’s clothing, noting the polished gold and silver adorning his waistcoat, and disdain filled me. I quickly faced forward, dismissing him.
I continued to feel his eyes on my back until we turned off of the well-worn path.
Jem waited until we were farther down the road to speak. “It isn’t wise to ignore Hyde,” he muttered.
I looked at him with defiance. We’d had the argument before. “I’m not afraid of him.”
“You should be. His father is draekon and controls Caldiri. It is irresponsible to not take advantage of Hyde’s attention.”
I recoiled. “Are you saying I should encourage him?” The thought was sickening. “You’ve seen how he treats people. He is only half-draekon, but he acts like a full-blooded monster.”
I couldn’t count the number of times I’d seen Hyde stroll around the town, flaunting his father’s immense draekon wealth while those in the town suffered. He and his guard had breezed past dozens of starving unfortunates and townspeople without sparing them even a pitying glance. I couldn’t fathom the level of selfishness someone must possess to do such a thing.
“I’m saying it isn’t smart to be rude to the man whose father controls our fate. One word from Lord Stanley and you could be sent to the capital the next census.”
I crossed my arms, staring at the path ahead. I understood what Jem was saying. As the leader of our region, Lord Stanley oversaw the Census each year. If Hyde wanted to make me pay for my rudeness, he would only need to ask his father to recruit me. But I knew Hyde would not ask such a thing.
After all, he had been staring at me for almost four years. Not once had I returned any of his attempts at conversation. In fact, I went out of my way to avoid him at every turn. Hyde had to be aware of my dislike. If he wanted to punish me for my lack of interest, he could have done so the first year I became eligible for the Census.
“I don’t think I need to worry about Hyde,” I told my friend, dropping my arms to loop them around his. I rested my temple against his shoulder. There was once a time when we were the same height, but Jem’s growth spurt had happened sometime during the past year. Now, he stood two hand-lengths above me.
I didn’t mind. It made our walks much more comfortable for me.
“But,” I exhaled my concession, “I’ll try to not be so rude next time I see him.”
Jem sighed and placed a quick kiss on the top of my head. “Thank you, Lissa. That’s all I ask.”
3
“Lorie,” my older brother bellowed our younger sister’s name with annoyance. “I swear, if you do not join us at this table, I will not leave you a bite of breakfast.”
I resisted the urge to laugh outright at Lin’s meager threat. Both he and I knew our younger sister had him wrapped around her pretty little finger. There was no way he would let her go hungry.
One minute later, Lorie bounced out of the bedroom she and I shared, waltzing into the kitchen. Lin and I already sat at the rickety wood table. It was the one day we all ate breakfast together, and Lin and I always waited on Lorie.
“What took you so long?” Lin’s lips curved down as he gazed at our tardy sister. “You were supposed to be awake hours ago.”
Lorie plopped onto her chair and reached out to take a sip of water. Once she swallowed and cleared her t
hroat, she replied, “I overslept. Sorry.” That was all the explanation we would receive.
I had come to terms with the fact that my younger sister could be lazy years ago. Part of it was my fault. After all, I had spent the majority of our childhood doing everything for Lorie. Lin did, too. She had been so young when we lost our guardian, and she was our baby sister. We wanted to protect her, and we ended up coddling her with vain hopes of protecting her from our harsh world.
Lin scowled as Lorie proceeded to fill her plate with the cooked porridge and berries I’d prepared. “You need an occupation. Sleeping well into the day isn’t helping this family.”
Lorie exhaled. “I don’t sleep in every day. Besides, it’s Sunday. Most people have the day off.”
I sipped my water, choosing to not remind her she had promised to work in the herbal garden with me that morning.
“My statement still stands.” Lin leaned back. The chair creaked in protest. “You’re sixteen now. You should begin searching for a paying position in the region.”
“You say that like it’s easy.” Lorie jabbed her spoon in our brother’s direction. “You know there are more people than jobs.”
“Have you even tried?” Lin asked.
I groaned. This conversation was going nowhere but down.
“You aren’t my father,” Lorie bit back.
“No, but Lissa and I are the only reason you aren’t starving with the unfortunates.”
“I feel unfortunate listening to you.”
“Enough.” I placed my hands flat on the table and leaned forward.
Slowly, Lorie lifted her furrowed eyes and met my gaze. Lin crossed his muscular arms. I couldn’t count the number of times I had to act as a buffer between my siblings.
“You are going to help me by checking in at the Brites’ tomorrow. Jane dislocated her arm. I need you to make sure she is staying in bed to rest.”
“Me? I thought you’d be jumping at the chance to see Jem.”
I didn’t falter. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Lorie waved her hand. “You know. You and Jem. The dynamic duo. You two are constantly spending time together.”
Shaking my head, I said, “I have patients to tend to. Much as I’d like to spend time with my friend, I would really appreciate it if you would check on Jane until she is healed.”
“Fine.” Lorie shoved a spoonful of porridge in her mouth. “No problem.”
I leaned back in my seat with an approving nod, but Lin wasted no time in shattering the brief moment of reprieve.
“See? Was that so hard?”
Lorie dropped her spoon. It clanged on the wood. “If all you plan to do today is nag me, then I might as well go back to bed.” She stood. “Despite what you may think, I do want to contribute to this family. It doesn’t feel great to have the whole town think you are a lazy child who doesn’t help her siblings.”
Lorie spun on her heel and turned down the hall, hurrying away from the kitchen. Seconds later, we heard a thin, wooden door swing shut. It was the closest to a slam she could achieve.
I sighed and gave my brother a sidelong glance. “Was that really necessary?”
I fully supported my brother’s desire to see our sister obtain work, but I wasn’t a fan of his method. He knew how ineffective such tactics were with our sister.
Lin rested his elbows on the table and placed his forehead in his hands. “I know. I overstepped. I’ll apologize to her before I leave for the fields.” Being one of the few farmers in the region, Lin rarely got a day off. His occupation was, also, one of the main reasons we always had something to put on the table. Even if it was simple berries with grain, it was better than what most had.
Lin continued to hold his head. I saw his fingers flex.
“Is something wrong?” Aside from Jem, Lin was my closest friend. We were more than three years apart in age, but he and I shared a kindred spirit that could only come from growing up to survive this harsh world together. Something was bothering him. I could tell.
He looked up. “No… Yes… I don’t know.” He shook his head, trying to clear an open path for his thoughts. “I think it is the Census. This is the first year Lorie is eligible. I fear she will be chosen if she doesn’t have a respected position in town.”
I set down my spoon. “You think a job will keep her from being recruited?” It sounded like wishful thinking to me.
“It’s worked for you, hasn’t it?”
My spine straightened. “You don’t know why I haven’t been recruited.” It could be due to any number of reasons.
“Please,” Lin scoffed. “I’ve seen how the men of this region stare at you. I am your brother, but I still know a pretty face when I see it. Yet, not one agent has selected you for service. Haven’t you ever wondered why?”
Of course, I had. But I always attributed it to good fortune and nothing more.
“No,” I lied.
“Well, I have.” Lin dropped his arms to rest on the table. “You and I both know the best-looking and healthiest humans are chosen as recruits. I managed to keep myself from being chosen, but I prepared myself for the worst when you became eligible.”
As he spoke, my gaze traveled to the long, puckered scar marring the right side of my brother’s cheek. It was a self-inflicted wound, completed the day before Lin’s first eligible census.
Lin had turned sixteen and quickly decided he could not allow himself to be recruited. Lorie and I were too young to work, and Papa Gil—the guardian our parents charged with our care—had passed away the year before. Lin was our family’s sole breadwinner, and he could not stomach the possibility of leaving us on our own.
Hence, the scar.
Lin was still handsome, but he no longer sported our family’s flawless complexion. That, along with our bright blue eyes and blond locks, made each of us quite striking. A scar might not seem like much, but such a blemish would be unfavorable in the draekon capital. The creatures were all about shiny and flawless treasures. No one would wish to gaze upon such imperfection.
As a result, Lin had made it through six years of eligibility without being recruited. Finally, at the age of twenty-two, he was safe.
“But you were never selected,” Lin continued, disbelief shadowing his features. “Don’t get me wrong, I am happy you have not been chosen. But it doesn’t change the fact that it is odd.”
“You suspect my occupation as a healer is the reason I haven’t been selected to serve?” I did not hide the skepticism from my tone.
“You are a valued member of the community,” Lin said. “I’m sure Lord Stanley is aware of your skills as a healer. I believe he insists on keeping you here so Caldiri doesn’t lose a gifted healer.”
I thought Lin gave the draekon too much credit. I sincerely doubted Lord Stanley cared about ensuring Caldiri had a skilled healer, much less knew who I was. He never interacted with villagers unless absolutely necessary. His soldiers did most of the dirty work.
“Anyone could take my place as healer.” That was what I did when my mentor passed away.
Mistress Molly took me under her wing when I was only twelve years old. Papa Gil had just died, and my siblings and I were all alone. Molly taught me all about the healing arts and gave me means to help support my family.
I would never be able to express the gratitude I felt for the older woman. I was fortunate to know her and train by her side before her long anticipated death at the age of eighty-five. Mistress Molly spent her entire life serving the humans in Caldiri, and in those four short years, she managed to pass along much of her wisdom to me.
Lin shrugged and reached over to spoon the leftover porridge onto his plate. I always tried to give him extra portions. He needed it more than me. “I am only sharing what I believe.” He swallowed a mouthful. “Regardless, Lorie needs a job.”
As I watched him chew, an idea came to mind. “Depending on how she handles caring for Jane, I might be able to request her as my apprentice.” Since positions e
arning coin were so coveted, their placement was partially decided by the ruler of our region, Lord Stanley.
After Mistress Molly’s death, it was easy for me to take over her stipend; she’d already bequeathed the position to me on her deathbed, but I heard frustrating stories from my neighbors. Apparently, they struggled greatly when trying to obtain a wage from the draekon’s disagreeable accountant.
With all of the coin originating from the Lord Stanley’s powerful hands, he and his draekon employees were tightfisted and withholding when bestowing paid positions. I thanked the gods my mentor had handled the money business before her passing. I never had to face the draekon and argue for my pay. If the region’s overseer knew about me at all, it was nothing more than a name and occupation in his ledger.
In spite of all that, I believed my chances to arrange a paying position for my sister were high. I didn’t feel good about it, but I had already figured out a way to get my request approved by the leader of Caldiri.
All I had to do was go against my conscience, but that was a small price to pay, in my opinion.
4
The following day was cloudy and wet. The dirt roads molded together into thick mud, making the walk into town less than favorable. I tried to only move on firm paths, but my laced boots continued to sink into the squishy, unpaved ground. Lifting my cotton skirt, I tried my best to keep it from trailing in the filth.
Beside me, Lorie attempted the same. Her dress was much nicer than mine, partially due to the fact she hardly spent a day working in it. Where mine was stained from various ointments and medicines, the greatest flaw in hers was a loose stitch.
I didn’t begrudge her for it. Again, Lin and I were to blame for her sheltered upbringing. It wasn’t her fault we’d coddled her. The implications of that crime rested solely on our shoulders, whether or not my brother liked to admit it.
Thankfully, my sister acted good-natured about the ordeal. “At least it isn’t raining,” she supplied, toeing around a wide puddle on the road. “That would be unbearable.”
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