Denounced (Exalted Trilogy: Book 2)

by Elizabeth, Tara

  When I enter the office, Dr. Fredericks greets me with a smile. He’s looking particularly snaky today in his all-white suit and slicked back hair. “Anything to report, Mena?” he asks. It’s unusual that he didn’t greet me with a hello or good morning.

  “No, sir.”

  His smile broadens and my heart slows. Does he know where Ryker and Lily are? Did he hurt them? I am going to kill him.

  “Very well. Today we are holding an important meeting at the stadium. All Exalted are required to attend,” he states. He nods toward one of the guards behind me. “Return her clothes to her. Go change and be there in 30 minutes.”

  A ball of black clothing and a pair of boots are shoved into my hands. I head toward Dr. Fredericks’ personal bathroom where I changed once before. “No! No! Not there. Change in the restroom in the hall. Leave your green things there. When you return, you won’t have to bother me. Go!”

  “Yes, sir.” I leave the room feeling like I’m going to vomit. Something is definitely not right. What is going on? All I can think about are Ryker and Lily—and the “something” that is squeezing my heart so tightly, I feel as if I will faint.

  I try three doors in the hall before finding one that opens. It’s a small bathroom with only a toilet and a sink. I quickly change and leave my green clothes there as instructed. Then, I run straight to my old room—the one in the Exalted dormitory.

  When I burst through the door, a young girl is sitting on my old bed. It gives me pause. For an instant I feel like she stole something from me. Then I ask, “Where’s Valesca?”

  “She’s on duty,” the girl answers. “Who are you?”

  I slam the door shut behind me without answering her. The walk back toward the stairwell is lonely. The empty shaft swallows me as I step through the door. I sink down and rest on the steps. A feeling of dread washes over me as I contemplate all the possibilities that could happen. Ryker and Lily are missing. Dr. Fredericks is acting strange. He called a meeting at the stadium. That’s only ever happened once since I’ve been alive. This can’t be good.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  The stadium is filled with more Exalted than I’ve ever seen in one place—even more than at the Trials. I search for my friend, Val. I spot my parents almost immediately. They nod when they catch my eye. Their faces are grim. Then I notice Val sitting amongst the other trainees in our year. I make my way over to her. She scoots over to make room for me next to her. “What do you think?” she whispers in my ear.

  I shake my head no. I don’t know what’s happening.

  Ethan is sitting in front of us. “Mena,” he says with a slight nod in my direction.

  “Hello, Ethan,” I respond. I feel like a giant void has grown between us. I can’t imagine how he feels. I’m in a position he thinks should be his. I’m to be his United and he never sees me anymore. It must be difficult on him. And though I have told myself that I would try to grow to have a romantic affection for him, I have to be honest and admit that I’m glad that I’ve been able to avoid him. The feelings are present . . . but they are reserved for someone else.

  The stadium comes to life when Dr. Fredericks strolls out onto the arena floor. It’s no longer set up for the Second Trial. There is only a podium in the center, which he goes to stand before. He thumps the microphone with forefinger and clears his throat.

  “Good morning my strong Exalted!” he greets us. The Exalted stomp in response. When everyone eventually quiets, Dr. Fredericks speaks once more. “I would like to start off by congratulating our trainees on finishing the Trials. Well done! Mena and Ethan are our first place trainees. I look forward to joining them at the United Ceremony.” He picks me out of the crowd with his beady eyes. I stare back with no expression.

  “Now, onto other business. I am here with unfortunate news. It has been discovered that we have a traitor in our midst. This person has been communicating with marauders and disobeying our rules.”

  My heart feels like it isn’t beating any longer. I grip the edge of my seat with great pressure. Val tenses beside me. She places her hand on top of mine and squeezes tight. Is it me he’s talking about? Is it Ryker and Lily? Is it all of us? What’s going to happen? I can feel him watching me, and I can’t be sure if my face is betraying me or not.

  “Today, I would like to take the opportunity to remind you all of how important our way of life is. Exalted, you are here to protect our citizens! That is your only job!” Dr. Fredericks shakes his head as if weary, but I can see the faint hint of a smile creeping up at the side of his mouth. “Now as you all know, traitors are to be executed.” He flicks his hand, motioning for someone to come forward.

  I hold my breath as I wait to see who it is. What am I going to do? Almost every single Exalted is here. It will be impossible to take them all on. I won’t be able to save Ryker or even Lily.

  A guard pushes a man forward. He has a bag over his head and his hands are bound behind his back. I study his build and the way he moves. This is not Ryker. Relief swells through me, but not so much that I forget about the man being marched to his death. Once the man and the guard reach the center of the arena floor, they stop. The guard removes the bag from the man’s head. My heart stops beating again. It’s Sean, Jenna’s friend.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  I feel helpless. My first reaction is to look away, but I don’t because I know Dr. Fredericks is watching me. He’s waiting for me to react—I know it. Sean is standing before us openly crying. I want to cry as well. His body is shaking as he stands, waiting for his death sentence to be delivered.

  They don’t wait long. The Exalted guard behind him pulls his ax from his back. He readies it to strike. I want to shut my eyes so badly. I can’t watch this. I focus on a spot just behind Sean. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry, I chant in my head.

  I hear the blade of the ax split the air as it sails toward Sean’s neck. Breathe. You can’t fix this, Mena. There is nothing you can do. Sean’s body slumps to the ground. I keep my eyes focused on the same distant spot. Val makes a tiny moan next to me. And in front of me, out of the corners of my eyes, I can see Ethan’s shoulders tense.

  When Dr. Fredericks addresses the crowd once more, I shift my eyes over to his smiling face. “This is your reminder to protect your citizens. We do not want to give them the opportunity to become traitors, nor do we want them Taken. This,” he motions to Sean’s dead body, “is your fault. If you had done your jobs, he would not have had the opportunity to betray us!” Once again, he looks directly at me. Then he strides away from the podium and out of the arena. Did he see Sean speaking to me? Is this my fault? I feel sick.

  It takes everything I have not to run after him. Instead, I slowly stand on my wobbly legs as the others around me do. Val and I don’t speak to each other. Ethan shoots me a mysterious glance. What? All of our bodies so close together, shuffling forward; it is suffocating me. I feel out of control of my body. I’m visibly sweating now from the nausea. All I can think about is that I have to tell Jenna. I’m also thinking about the fact that I am shamefully relieved that it wasn’t Ryker or Lily out there.

  I glance over to the arena floor as we pass by. The executioner is dragging Sean away by an ankle and carrying his head in the bag. My stomach rolls at the horrendous and disrespectful sight. I don’t recognize the guard, but I memorize his face and put him on my revenge list. He has black hair, light skin, and scar running down the length of his jaw.

  Once outside the stadium, Ethan, Val, and I veer away from the crowds. We huddle under a tree. “I know him,” I say to my friends.

  “You do?” Val says. “How?”

  “Remember, I told you about Jenna? That’s her friend, Sean. He’s like us . . . He was like us.”

  “I can’t believe that just happened,” I am surprised to hear Ethan say. “I never thought . . .” His words trail off.

  “You never thought, what?” I ask.

  “Nothing.” He shakes his head.

  I glance
around and notice citizens dressed in mossy green uniforms. “I have to get back to . . . my patrol.” Ethan doesn’t react to my fumble in word choice. His eyes still look haunted.

  I have a hard time leaving my two friends, and an even harder time returning to the blood-red hallway. My things are waiting for me in the bathroom where I left them. I change quickly, but before leaving, I consider taking the Exalted clothing with me. With great reluctance, I leave them sitting on top of the toilet. Surely, Dr. Fredericks will send someone to look for them.

  ***

  The day has been difficult to get through without having a breakdown. I’ve been replaying the vision of Sean’s headless body slumping to the ground. Over and over he falls, the life gone from him. It’s one of the worst feelings I’ve had since coming off of the Pump.

  Now, I sit in the cafeteria, shoveling food into my mouth and chewing without thinking about what I’m doing. I realize I’m finished when my fork begins to come up to my mouth with nothing on it. Then I just sit there, waiting. I need to speak with Jenna, but I don’t want to. It doesn’t bother me that she eats slowly.

  Eventually Jenna does finish her dinner, and I follow her out of the citizen cafeteria. I walk behind her until we near the stairwell, where I push the door open and pull her in after me. Once the door is securely closed behind us, I freeze. She looks into my eyes with concern. “What is it?” she asks.

  “It’s Sean,” I whisper. “He . . . Dr. Fredericks had him executed for being a traitor. He knew about Sean.”

  Jenna brings her hands up to her mouth. “What?” My friend’s eyes fill with tears. Finally, I allow mine to do the same. “How did he know?” she whimpers.

  “I don’t know. Sean approached me while we were working. Maybe he had someone watching us. Jenna, you have to be extra careful.”

  “I am always careful. Always.” She sobs.

  “Okay. We have to get ourselves together.” I wipe the tears from my face and stifle my sniffles. “If you need to cry again, do it in the shower.” I fix a piece of her messed up hair. “Ready?” We are both far from ready to face the other citizens, but we must move on before someone catches us.

  I open the door and slip into the hallway. The elevator takes me up to my floor, instead of the more comforting stairs. I shower, lie in bed, and wait to sneak out again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  It has been five days since I’ve seen Ryker. I still don’t know what happened to Lily. I have been to see Jenna for my blood test and had another meeting with Dr. Fredericks. He never accused me of anything in regards to Sean, Ryker, or Lily. And I never had anything to report back to him about any other citizens. He seemed disappointed, but I couldn’t care less.

  The United Ceremony is in three days. I’ve haven’t spent any time with Ethan. Perhaps it’s better this way. This way, I won’t have the opportunity to dwell on the fact that I will have to live as his life partner. I know I don’t want to, but this is my fate. I chose to give up Ryker when I returned here. Why did I do that? I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything.

  Today, I kneel next to a flowerbed, picking the weeds. I place the unwanted scraps into a brown paper bag. The hot sun beats down on my back as I work. My skin is rebelling against the harmful rays. Red splotches form on the exposed areas that my clothes don’t cover. I’ll have to go see the medical citizens for some protective cream.

  “Don’t look up,” a man says. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to tell you anything before we left.” It’s Ryker. I want to look up. I want to look into his earthy brown eyes. My hands continue to work as he speaks. “I found Lily across the hall. She had to sneak into another room when someone came into my room to search it. I’ve never heard of this happening before. I knew I needed to get her out of here right away. I fear that Dr. Fredericks is onto me . . . I heard about what happened with Sean. Are you okay?”

  “No,” I whisper. A lone tear slips from my eye and lands in the dirt below me. “I think it’s my fault. I think he suspects me as well.”

  “Perhaps, but you are too valuable to him. There is no one else physically like you. He speaks about you a lot. I am disposable. I think it might be time for me to leave, but I had to come back to tell you.” He shifts beside me. “I have to leave before I lose my chance to. Come see me tonight.” He walks away.

  ***

  After putting on my stolen Exalted shirt, I slip out into the night. I could navigate the route to Ryker’s apartment with my eyes shut. No one ever comes this way with the exception of the guard that I attacked. Ryker is sitting on his couch, obviously anticipating me when I arrive. I sit next to him, leaving more than a foot between us. We stare into each other’s eyes in disbelief of the way things have unfolded. This is not what I had planned, and I’m sure this is not what Ryker had planned either.

  “Lily is safe with Tom and Francis. She refused to go to Toledo Lake. She told me about them, so I took her there. They were happy to have her back. I wasn’t able to go to the E.S.C.. The trip would’ve taken too long,” he finally says.

  “That’s okay. Thank you for protecting Lily. I believe that’s the best place for her. How was the trip? Did you have any trouble?”

  “No. It went well. Lily was reluctant to go, especially without telling you goodbye, but she understood.” Ryker shifts on the sofa so that he’s facing me. He draws his eyebrows together. “As I was telling you before, no one has ever searched my room. Dr. Fredericks has been acting suspicious around me lately. After hearing about Sean, I have decided that it’s time for me to go. I won’t be able to help anyone if I’m dead. You, however, have the upper hand. Even if he is suspicious of you, I truly believe that he will keep you on. Sean was your warning. He needs you. So, if you choose to stay, I think you will be okay.”

  I open my mouth to answer, but before I’m able to, my partner reaches out to take my hand. “That being said,” he continues, “I am going to ask you this again; will you come with me? Please come with me, Mena.” He squeezes my hand and looks into my eyes, searching for an answer.

  “Is leaving even an option? I thought we couldn’t do that?”

  “We couldn’t do it before, because the people at Toledo Lake were at risk if they took us in. We now know the Republic is already planning to attack them. It won’t matter now what we do.”

  I can leave? With Ryker? I never considered that as an option. I thought my fate was sealed.

  I consider my options. Now that I’m stuck with the citizens, I’m not able to do anything useful for our mission. If we leave, we could do more. I thought coming back here was the right choice. Maybe it was. I don’t know. Leaving also means that I won’t have to be United with Ethan.

  Ethan. Val. Jenna. My parents. I won’t do what I did before. I won’t lie. And I won’t leave them here.

  “Yes,” I say with a small smile. Ryker smiles in return and moves closer to me. He leans his face close to mine. A rush of relief and excitement surges through my veins. I can be with the man that I want. I didn’t think it would be possible. When his lips touch mine, it’s with a mutual realization that we are free to love each other. He holds my face with both hands and kisses me. It’s light and sweet, but full of meaning. Like I mentioned before; life changes in a matter of minutes.

  After a moment of losing myself in his kiss, I pull back. “I have one condition on leaving with you. I want my friends and family to come with us. I can’t leave them here. I won’t.”

  He tenderly strokes his thumb over my cheek. “Okay. We’ll work on a plan . . . Now, tell me . . . what were you doing in the Capitol in an Ambassador’s dress?”

  I smile and pull him back into a deep kiss. I run my hand over his short hair and down to the stubble on his jaw. It brings back memories of our first encounter. And like our first encounter, Ryker moves so that he’s lying on top of me. His body is strong. I can feel his abdominal muscles through his tight shirt—just as I can feel his heart pounding faster and faster the longer we are pressed togethe
r. It matches the beat of my own.

  Ryker’s facial stubble tickles my neck, as he slowly tastes the skin below my ear. One of his hands grips my waist, while the other makes its way into my long hair. Our legs become entangled as we try to get as close to each other as possible.

  But Ryker suddenly stops. He pulls his face back, so that he can look at me. “I love you, Mena,” he whispers and then places a light kiss on my lips.

  “I love you too, Ryker.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  As I work in the Republic’s gardens, I feel excited and scared. I jerk weeds out of the ground with fervor, and then shove them into the bag. Nerves are bouncing around in my stomach and in my mind; they are skipping along the cells of my skin.

  Today, I positioned myself next to the trainee cafeteria, hoping to catch Val and Ethan’s attention when they come for lunch. I keep my head down as Exalted pass beside me on the pathway. Time passes, but no one ever stops. If Val and Ethan went through these doors, they didn’t notice me—an inferior citizen.

  I can’t wait here any longer. It’s time for me to report to the citizen cafeteria for my lunch. I walk with small steps and downcast eyes. It still feels unnatural to have to detour out of the way every time an Exalted or a group of them approach. That was once me. I expected citizens to scatter when I got near them or at least not be in my way. I realize that it doesn’t feel very nice being on the other side of that behavior. However, the citizens don’t feel. I have to constantly remind myself of this when I feel guilty about something, though it doesn’t excuse the behavior.

  After lunch, I head back toward the Exalted cafeteria. Perhaps Ethan and Val haven’t left yet. After only five minutes of weeding, I discover that I’m right. They leave the training building, walking side-by-side. Ethan nearly trips on me when I don’t scurry out of his path. “Citizen, move out of the way,” he chides without really looking at me.