by Hazel Grace
Arranged: An Array Novel
Book One
By: Hazel Grace
Copyright 2018 All right reserved
To my Sheep, my boys, my Mom and my Athenas
Prologue
The rooftop was my only solace in this prison. The only place without screaming children, or hovering guards—just me. I pondered over my four years of current exile, taken away from my home and placed here with strangers. Looking up at the sky; the sun was setting, displaying ribbons of pinks, purples, and oranges. It was the only color I experienced outside these gray walls, which seemed to inch closer to me as the years dragged on.
I pulled a small book out of my tattered dress pocket and opened it. As the sky darkened, I lit a small candle I’d brought with me and held it by the pages. I’d been studying the Taurus star alignment for days with little progress, making my frustration grow daily.
“Knew I’d find you up here,” commented a familiar voice from behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know Sam was approaching.
“You didn’t have to think very hard. I’m always up here,” I replied, keeping my eyes on my page.
“Always the smart aleck.” Sam sat next to me and crossed his long legs. “Did you find the jewels to the crown yet?”
I sighed. “No. I thought they’d be the easiest to find, but with all the smaller stars so clustered together, I’ve been having trouble. Now that you’re here, you can help.”
“Don’t know how much I’ll be, but I’ll try.” He reached for the book and studied it for a moment. “Doesn’t look too hard.”
I tsked. “Say that after you’ve found the Zenelou point.”
Sam furrowed his brows. “The what?”
“This star here.” I pointed to the picture. “It never seems to be bright enough for me to link it to the Aldebaran.”
“Can we eat first, and then come back up here to look for the Alde-whatever it is? Mrs. Reynolds sent me to get you.”
“What for?”
Sam squinted his eyes at me. “Are you getting senile in your old age?”
He smiled at me, and I smirked. I could never forget what today was; it was just another reminder of time, my worst enemy.
“Not until I find the Zenelou point,” I remarked, surveying the sky.
Sam hopped to his feet, moving a lock of sandy blond hair out of his face, and held his hand out for me to take. “It’s too light yet, A. C’mon.”
Rolling my eyes, I conceded and gave him my hand. He pulled me up, linking his arm in mine as I pocketed my book. We took the winding stairs to the first-floor dining room that was packed with jumping youngsters, orphans who had been here most of their lives. I chastised myself for being a brat as Sam escorted me to the head of the wooden table. I was lucky to have a parent in this world and to know I was loved. Even though I hadn’t seen him in years.
“Miss Ava, you took too long,” Henry said, his blond bouncing as he jumped in his chair.
I gave him a smile. “I apologize, Henry. I was in the middle of something.”
He squinted his olive eyes at me, not impressed with my answer. “What were you doing?”
“Looking at constellations.”
He crinkled his nose. “Boring.”
“Settle down, settle down!” Mrs. Reynolds exclaimed, pushing through the pine door that led out the kitchen. “Take your seats, children. Napkins in your laps too.”
Mrs. Reynolds set a large cider cake with raisins down in front of me. I smiled at the remembrance of my mother. She used to make this cake for me when I was a child. After she died, I'd grown more attached to Papa, using his affections to my advantage for my own selfish wants. A new doll, dress, a pony. I needed only ask, and he'd buy it right away.
Then, he bought me a one-way ticket to hell.
“Happy day of birth, my darling,” Mrs. Reynolds said, wiping her eyes. Sam handed her a handkerchief and patted her back. “You’re like one of my own; the daughter I never had.”
And she was the closest thing I had to a mother in almost a decade.
“Thank you, Mrs. Rey. It looks delicious.” She cut the cake and dispersed slices among us. “If you keep baking me heavenly things like this, it’s going to go straight to my figure.”
Mrs. Reynolds chuckled. “You’re sixteen; you run around enough with these children and those Harris boys.” Her smile was tight as she looked at me. “While you try to convince them to teach you how to wield a sword.”
I smiled the same smile I would give Papa when he was mad at me. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I may be old, but I’m not blind, Ava Barlow.” She placed her hands on her wide hips, blowing a piece of gray hair out of her face. “Ladies of sixteen do not hold swords, nor do they tramp around in the dirt in a dress.”
I wanted to tell her that my dresses weren’t worth saving, but she made sure I had ones that fit, and I appreciated it. “Well, I need to keep myself busy somehow.”
She raised a brow. “Would you like me to teach you how to knit? I can send Charlie out for yarn, and—”
“No, thank you. That sounds mundane and wearisome,” I answered, as I ate my cake. The thought of sitting for hours with yarn and needles made me cringe inwardly.
“You should be focusing on proper etiquette and decorum. Why, one day, when you are crowned—”
“May I give Ava her gift now?” Sam interjected, standing from the table.
Mrs. Reynolds studied him for a moment. “Right this minute, Samuel?” Sam nodded. “Very well.”
Before following Sam, I promised the children I’d be back shortly to tuck them into bed and tell them a story. When we were by ourselves and back on the rooftop, Sam pulled a small box out of his back pocket.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I told him.
Sam gave me a weak smile. “I wanted to.”
Taking the box from him, I opened it, finding a beautiful wooden “A” attached to a gold chain. Around the initial were four carved stars attached to the letter. “Each star is for each of my brothers and I.”
“Oh, Sam! I love it!” I exclaimed, reaching under my auburn hair to put it on.
He held up a finger. “One more thing.” Reaching over his shoulder, he pulled out a carved sword made entirely of pine. “I’ll get you a real one when you aren’t in danger of killing yourself,” he said, winking.
I threw my arms around him and squeezed. “How did you convince Micah to make me a sword my size?”
Sam shrugged his lanky shoulders and squeezed me back. “I didn’t. I just made it.”
I let out a small laugh. “Oh, he is going to kill you, Sam.”
Sam didn’t look worried. “He’ll get over it.”
“Ready to show me some more swings?” I asked.
Sam raised a brow. “Now?”
“Absolutely!”
He chuckled. “That’s why I gave it to you in the evening; so that you’d be too tired.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I’m never tired.”
“Don’t know how you do it,” Sam said. “You make me tired just listening to you chastise me all the time.”
“You deserve it all the time. Please, Sam. Come on,” I pleaded.
Sam sighed. “We could practice some footing. That’s one of the most important things.”
“Charlie already showed me that,” I grumbled.
“He only showed you the basics. Now, if someone comes charging at you, then—”
“Isn’t it my birthday? Don’t I get to choose what I want to do today?”
He rolled his eyes. “All right, princess. Whatever you’d like to do.”
“Don’t call me that,” I hissed.
Sam rolled his eyes and stepped ba
ck, giving us some space. “Hold up the weapon and place a foot behind you, to give you balance.”
I did as he said, as he instructed me to start circling and to “watch your opponent’s eyes.” We practiced a few fictitious scenarios, and as I watched his gaze, it dropped to the ground.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, lowering my sword.
He shook his head and looked up at me. “Nothing.”
“Since when do we keep secrets?”
He glanced at me and scratched the back of his head. “Ben got a message yesterday…”
“And?” I asked, wielding my sword like the amateur I was.
“It was from your father.”
I froze, almost dropping my wooden weapon. “What did you say?”
Hope surged through me. He was going to tell me that I could come home; that I could leave here and go back to my friends. And just as fast as hope surged through me, a hint of fear set in. I hadn’t heard from Papa in over four years. Maybe something was wrong.
Sam approached, placing both his hands on my forearms. “It’s okay, A. He is safe,” he reassured, as if he could read my mind.
“What did he say?” I breathed. My heart pounded; this message could be the key to my fate.
“’Happy birthday, my sweet Ava.’” The tension left my body, tears of blended emotions beginning to fall.
“Don’t cry,” Sam murmured, bringing me into his arms, gently rubbing my back. “You aren’t allowed to cry on your birthday. This won’t last forever.” He rested his chin on my head. “You have me and my shitty brothers.”
I buried my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. “I guess that’ll have to do.”
Sam’s chuckle hummed throughout his body. “We’ve become very accustomed to your outlandish requests. Teaching you how to wield a sword, learning how to chew tobacco.”
I peered up from his shoulder. “That was just the one time. I wanted to know what the fuss was all about.”
Sam raised a brow. ”You just about gave Micah a stroke.”
“Micah needs to be more open-minded,” I countered.
“Sam!” Charles shouted in the darkness. Sam and I jolted, turning toward the stairs that led up to the roof. Charles met us in three steps, the moonlight striking his pudgy face, sweat beading on his forehead. “Get her out of here.”
“What happened?” Sam questioned.
“Someone got into the kitchen and killed two of the servants. They got one of the men,” he said grimly. “The sons of bitches. We got one of them, but we don’t know if there are any more lurking around. She needs to go.” Charlie grabbed my arm, and Sam followed suit. “Take her to the safe house. Do you remember where it is?”
Sam nodded. “How do we get her out?”
“There’s a rope in the corner.” He pointed. “We’ve ropes and weapons around, in case we were invaded. We’ll lower her down the wall of the building.”
Sam shook his head furiously. “Absolutely not. She’ll break her bloody neck.”
Charles stopped in his tracks, halting me with him. “Do you have any better ideas?”
Sam hesitated before answering, “Tie it around her waist.” Charles went for the rope, leaving us both together for a moment. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I nodded, speechless. My stomach knotted, and my head spun as though I wasn’t fully in my body.
Sam shook me by the shoulder. “Ava, are you listening? It’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” I whispered. I trusted Sam and his brothers more than anything, but that didn’t stop the chaos running through my head.
Two servants were dead.
“Charles!” I said in a loud whisper. “Where is Mrs. Reynolds?”
“I’m sure she’s just fine,” Charles answered, tying a thick rope around my waist.
I tried to read his face for an answer. “But you saw her?”
Sam placed a hand on my shoulder again, like it was going to calm me down, but it didn’t. It only made me more anxious.
“She will be fine. Don’t worry,” Sam replied.
I ignored him, my focus still on Charlie. “You must find her. The children…” My mouth went dry, horrible thoughts roaring through my mind. “Where are they? I didn’t tuck them into bed. We must get them out!”
Charles looked up, fastening the last knot. “The men know what to do.”
Charlie and Sam brought me to the edge of the roof, the height making me feel nauseous while the ground looked to be moving.
“I’ll go down first,” Sam told me, “then you’ll follow. Charlie will lower you. Hold on to the rope with the bottom of your dress so you don’t get rope burn. You are going to walk down the wall; take it nice and easy.” I didn’t answer, but kept looking at the grassy field below us. It began to spin faster, so I closed my eyes. “Ava,” Sam said urgently, when I didn’t respond.
“I understand,” I squeaked. Charles placed a comforting hand on my back. I watched as Sam positioned himself to climb down the wall, when I heard Charles grumble, “Don’t break your blasted neck, or I’ll kill you.”
Sam tsked. “Idiot, I’d already be dead.” With that, he disappeared over the rooftop.
“Ready?” Charles asked.
No. “Charlie, who would want to hurt me?”
He evaded my eyes. “Not sure. They may just be thieves or bandits, trying to find a quick prize.”
“You’re lying to me.”
He looked at me then. “I promise that I’ll tell you everything you want to know later. But you must get out of here. I won’t be able to tell you anything if you’re dea—captured.”
I inhaled slowly. I hadn’t done anything to anyone. I’d been at the orphanage for years. It was as though I didn’t exist.
“C’mon, A. You have to go,” Charles urged me. “Now, just like Sam, you are going to have to lean back and walk down.”
My heart nearly pounded out of my chest as my feet stood frozen to the stone ground. I’ve climbed up and down trees, but never anything this high.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Charlie, I just can’t.”
“You have to,” Charlie snapped. “They will find the entrance to this rooftop any minute.” His voice softened. “I promise. I won’t let you go. Go ahead and sit down. I’ll rope you down and then you can find your footing against the wall.”
I sat down, dangling my feet over the side. I took a deep breath, and before I could tell Charlie I was ready, he shoved me over the edge. My body launched through the air before the rope caught me, the rope digging into my sides. I howled sharply before sucking in a breath, trying to find placement with my feet along the stone wall.
Charlie lowered me slowly, as I used my feet to climb down the wall. When I was more than halfway down, unfamiliar voices boomed above me.
“Stop!” someone roared. I looked up to see Charlie look over the wall.
“Sam!” he shouted. “Catch her!”
Before I had a chance to register the words, I plummeted toward the ground, the end of the rope following me. Hitting something hard, I opened my eyes, feeling a body underneath me.
Sam.
“Are you all right?” I exclaimed. He groaned and sat up with me in his lap.
“You’re heavier than you look,” he replied, wincing as he touched his back.
“I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”
“There are two down there! Seize them!”
Sam shot up from the grass and pulled me with him.
“We have to go!” Gripping my hand, he yanked me toward the short distance to the stable. Sam’s brother, Ben, was already waiting there with four horses saddled.
“Let’s go!” he shouted when he caught sight of us. “Where’s Charlie?”
Sam’s brows creased, and he inhaled sharply before answering, “The rooftop. They found us.”
Ben’s eyes darted toward the orphanage before he pushed me up on one of the mounts by my behind. “Sorry to be so hands-on, darling.”
He looked at Sam. “He’ll be fine. Let’s go.” He mounted his horse and nodded quickly for us to take off.
Through the stampede of hooves, I heard Sam repeat over and over that it was going to be okay, but it didn’t feel like it. The look I’d seen in Charlie’s eyes said that nothing was okay. It posed unanswered questions that I was desperate to know the answers for.
Holding onto my reins for dear life, my horse thundered across the clearing. Small puffs of white mist from my horse’s breathing appeared through the cool night air.
“Across the field!” pierced another voice; one that wasn’t Ben’s or Sam’s. Hearing it was eerie in the silent night in the middle of nowhere, and it sent goose bumps crawling across my skin.
“Push that horse, Ava!” Ben yelled. “Don’t worry about leaving us behind.” Something whizzed past his head, and I couldn’t make out what it was. “Fuck!”
Ben turned his head away from me to say something to Sam. When he looked back at me, he motioned for me to speed up. I did as he asked, digging my heels into the sides of my horse.
Glancing over my shoulder, three shadowy figures rode behind us, and I groaned inwardly. If there were any higher powers watching over me, I needed them to save us.
My body suddenly lurched forward, and I caught myself from falling off the horse. Pain suddenly pierced my left shoulder as I gritted my teeth. Looking down, I saw an arrow tip protruding from my body, blood darkening my dress. Involuntarily loosening my grip on the reins, I reached for my shoulder, wanting to stop the sensation down my breast. My frame started to slide off the saddle, but I regained my grasp. With every gallop, agony pounded through me.
My horse jumped swiftly over something, making me cry out. Blurs of men hollered from behind us, ripping through the cool air, but I couldn’t look back. My vision started to whirl, the ground shifting from left to right. I blinked, trying to regain my equilibrium.
“Ava!” Sam’s voice cut through the array of noise. I slowly looked over at him, making his way to me. He faded in and out of vision as my body started to go lax. “Hold on!”
I tried, but everything turned black.
∞∞∞