The Divide (The Divide Series Book 1)

by Kaitlyn Kroner

  “I heard after they captured Leader Cowan, he tried to offer her life so he could live,” the man said, shaking his head. “That whole place is gone. It’s been taken over by—what did they call them? Oh, that’s right. Rebels. They’re trying to command the other regions, but, of course, the Ambassadors are fighting against them. I wonder what will happen now.”

  My hands shook. My chin trembled. I blinked back tears as they started to rush in; I didn’t want to make a scene. My own father offered me up? I looked down at my placemat. Why would he offer me up? A tear broke loose and slowly slid down my face like a funeral march. A large hand grabbed mine and pulled me out of the chair. Gregory threw money on the table and pulled me out of the restaurant. We were halfway down the road toward the inn when I had to stop. I couldn’t breathe. I tried gulping down air, but my lungs wouldn’t work. The world tilted and my stomach churned. It felt like a hand had shoved through my chest and was twisting my heart. I couldn’t breathe. I put my hands on my knees and tried to suck in some air. Nothing. Gregory squeezed my hand and pulled me into an empty alley.

  “Breathe,” he said. He put his hands on my shoulders.

  “I…I can’t.” I gulped at the air. My heart was pounding like a freight train. The world tilted even further as the dizziness swooped in.

  Gregory lifted my head and cradled my face. “Mia, breathe in.”

  “I…I can’t,” I said. Tears formed in my eyes, blurring my vision.

  “Yes you can,” he said. “Breathe in.”

  I shook my head, a tear breaking loose and marching solemnly down my cheek. Something flitted across Gregory’s face before he drew my face to him, and our lips touched. His lips were soft and smooth as they moved against mine. Closing my eyes, my lips started moving along with his. He’d kissed me. He’d really kissed me. And it was nothing like the kiss I’d had with Tyler. This was so much better. This was a firework kiss. Lightness exploded in my body and overpowered the darkness. In that moment, I forgot about the conversation and my father, I forgot about my mother, I forgot I was running for my life. In that moment, I could only think of Gregory and what he tasted like: chocolate tangled with maple syrup. I grabbed hold of the collar of his jacket and hauled him closer, and kissed him back. Harder. Right now he was my air, and I needed it all. He pushed me up against the wall in the alley. We were body-to-body, lips-to-lips, yet I still felt we weren’t close enough. A yell broke out and we tore apart. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Gregory and I sucked in air, trying to catch our breaths. He lay his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed. I wanted more. I wanted to drown in him.

  “Umm…” He had to clear his throat a few times before he lifted his head off mine. “We should get back to the inn. Figure out what to do next.”

  I just nodded my head, because I couldn’t find my voice to say anything. I shouldn’t have kissed him. He shouldn’t have kissed me. I definitely shouldn’t have felt the way I had. Closing my eyes, I put our kiss in a box at the back of my mind with a lock and a key; I would go over that when I was alone and not running. Gregory started striding down the alley, but I just stood there. The conversation at breakfast came back to me. “How could he do that?” I asked.

  Gregory stopped and turned toward me, confusion written on his face. “What?”

  “How could my own father offer me up like some worthless animal, so he could live?” I started to get angry. “Parents are supposed to protect their children, not offer them up for slaughter.”

  Gregory walked back toward me. “Mia, we should ge—”

  “How could he be so cruel?” I asked. My hands shook, and my nostrils flared. My heart pounded painfully against my chest. “How could he let his wife drink so much to the point where she didn’t care about her children? How could he feel justified in beating his child until she’s limp on the ground? How could he cause so much grief for a child who is supposed to be having the time of her life? How could he ruin Lorburn?” I was so angry. Everything I went through, living in that house, hit me in full force. I should have never cowered to him—I should have given it back somehow. Escape should have been my only priority. And Gregory was right, my father might have actually killed my sister and instead of listening to Gregory, I got angry at him. He probably had killed my sister. My father was a monster. And there was no way in hell I would offer myself up for him.

  Gregory stood in front of me but kept a good deal of distance between us. “He will get what he deserves, I promise.”

  I looked at his face. “I don’t want to go back.”

  Confusion lit his face. “What do you mean?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want to go back to Gildonia. I want to escape and start over. Go somewhere new. Hell, I even have enough money to start a new life.” I could hear the hysteria in my voice. “I could learn how to plant food and maybe learn how to kill a cow. I could find a cabin and live there all alone. Read books and entertain myself until I die.”

  Gregory looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “You have this thing call responsibility. If anything happens to your father, you have to take your rightful place, which is leading Lorburn.”

  “I want to have my own life,” I said. “I don’t want responsibility.” I knew I sounded juvenile, but I didn’t care. I was not going to lead. Nope. No way.

  Gregory ignored my comment and walked back toward the street. Reluctantly, I followed him, trying to think of ways to convince him to see it my way. We walked the rest of the way back to the inn in silence. I let him lead while I followed, deep in my thoughts of a new life. How would I get a new identity? Where could I live where no one would recognize me? I was watching my feet as we walked, so I didn’t notice Gregory had stopped until I crashed into the back of him.

  “Why did you stop?” I asked, coming around him. Looking ahead, an older man with six younger men, dressed in green and brown uniforms (uniforms I'd never seen before, the army wore blue) were standing in front of the inn. “I’m not sure this is a good sign.” Gregory gave me a look that said, You think?

  “Mia,” the older man said. “You have no idea how pleased I am to see you.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Do I know you?” He didn’t look familiar.

  He smiled. “I don’t think we’ve ever met, but I know you.” He walked up to us, his smile turning into a sneer. Chills ran down my back. “I’m Kieran Roderick.”

  I looked at him blankly. The name sounded oddly familiar, but I couldn’t figure out where I had heard it. His hair was graying, and he had a round belly. The skin around his eyes was wrinkled, not even hiding the evil that roamed in them.

  The man, Kieran, smiled a grimy smile. “I plan to be the new Leader of Lorburn.”

  Shit.

  “What do you want?” Gregory gritted out. He positioned himself in front of me, either to protect me from Kieran or to hide me. Either way it didn't work.

  “I would like to have a word with Mia,” Kieran said. A pleasant smile was creeping across his face. Pleasant my ass. I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “I don’t think so,” Gregory said. I nodded my head in agreement. Whether Kieran could see it or not, I didn’t care. Way to be tough when the actual worst thing to happen, happens.

  “I’m not going to hurt the girl,” Kieran said. “I just want a word. We can even have it here.” He motioned to the inn and walked in. The men stayed behind, their hands on their guns. Gregory watched as Kieran’s back disappeared. “I don’t like this.”

  “We should run,” I suggested.

  Gregory shook his head. “You’d end up getting shot.”

  “You think you wouldn’t?” I asked incredulously. I wouldn’t get shot. I would zigzag the whole way when I ran. It would be kind of hard to hit someone who was not only moving but also all over the place.

  “Of course I wouldn’t.” He smirked. “I can outrun you.”

  “But you’re not faster than bullets,” I pointed out.

  “You’ve never seen me run, so how could you
say that?” he asked.

  My mouth gaped, and I put my hands on my hips. “There’s no way anyone’s faster than bullets. You would have to be inhuman, and will you look at that.” I waved my hand around him. “You’re completely, one hundred percent human.”

  “You really just have to be faster than the other person.” Gregory shrugged his shoulders.

  “You would seriously leave me behind and—” My words were interrupted by a clearing of a throat. Looking over, one of the men that stood next to Kieran was standing in front of us. I hadn’t even heard him approach.

  “Mr. Roderick would like to see you now,” he said sternly.

  Guess it wasn’t the time for Gregory and me to get into an argument about leaving me behind so he could save his own ass. The man marched toward the inn and I followed reluctantly, Gregory right on my heels. The man stopped short of the entrance and stepped aside for me; I walked in and found Kieran sitting in a chair. Two men stood behind him in a military stance, holding their guns across their chests.

  “Please, have a seat.” Kieran gestured to the decaying sofa.

  I looked at the couch and sat down, but not before I said a few prayers about not catching something from it. Gregory didn’t budge from his position next to the door. He probably wanted a chance to run if things went south. The rest of the men followed us in and positioned themselves behind Kieran and Gregory, their hands securely on their weapons. I gulped as I looked at the large arsenal that could end my life in the blink of an eye.

  “Mia, my darling, how are you doing?”

  I shivered at his words, and not the good kind of shiver. It was the kind of shiver when you had to touch something slimy. I kept my mouth closed.

  “Just get to the point,” Gregory spoke for me.

  “I’m just trying to be pleasant,” Kieran said. A sardonic smile shifted on his face. “But of course, let’s get down to business. As you know, my men have been looking for you, Mia, and they’ve had some difficulties. You’re a slippery one, aren’t you?” He laughed. “Anyway, do you know why they’re looking for you?”

  “To kill me,” I said. His voice sent chills down my spine and my gut was screaming at me to run.

  Kieran laughed. “Kill you? No wonder you have been running. I’m not trying to have my men kill you. What would be the point?”

  “The point?” Gregory asked. I could hear the annoyance coming out fluidly. “You would get everything you wanted if she was dead.”

  “Of course I wouldn’t,” he said, waving off Gregory. “The Ambassadors would get in my way and become an annoyance if anything happened to Mia. I don’t want that. I’d lose valuable men if I’d have to fight against them. I would still win, of course, but my army would be awfully depleted.”

  “Then what do you want?” I asked. This conversation needed to be over with quicker than it started; nothing good could come from it.

  “Well, of course. Isn’t it obvious?” Kieran asked. He was sitting up straight—perfect posture. He looked down his nose at us like we were beneath him. He cocked his head as a smirk appeared.

  Trying not to grimace, I glanced over toward Gregory, who had his head tilted and lips pursed, confusion written all over his face.

  “I ordered my men to find you and bring you to me.” His smirk grew into a smile. “I plan on marrying you.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help myself, but I laughed. In hindsight, it wasn’t the greatest thing to do, especially if the guy in front of you killed people for fun. It was just so unpleasant and disturbing that my mind thought it was hilarious. Of course, his face turning red as I laughed wasn’t a good sign. I felt the couch bend as Gregory leaned over and covered my mouth with his hand. “Do you have a death wish?” he mumbled in my ear before he stood back up. He kept his hand over my mouth, but I had already sobered up at the mention of death.

  Yet the idea of marrying him was so ridiculous. There would be no way in hell I would marry him.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Gregory asked. I could tell he was trying to keep the disgust out of his voice, but he failed. It gave me comfort knowing I wasn’t the only one disgusted by this turn of events.

  “I plan on marrying Mia,” Kieran said. The vein on his forehead started to tick.

  No way in hell, buddy! “Why?” I asked. It came out muffled since Gregory still had his hand over my mouth.

  “Well, you see,” Kieran said. “You are a young, healthy, and beautiful young woman, but you have no experience leading Lorburn. You’re immature and have no skills. You need someone to put you in your place. Someone who will show you what it’s like to be an adult. Someone to show you how to deal with the uprisings and angry citizens. So you should marry someone who has the experience. Plus, you’re at the right age to start bearing children and raise a family.”

  I could feel bile crawling up my throat. I looked away from him and at the dirty floor. Children with him? Yeah, no. I would rather jump off a train fifty-four-hundred-thousand times than have children with him. I would’ve answered, but Gregory’s hand still interfered with my mouth.

  “If you marry Mia, you become Leader of Lorburn,” Gregory stated. Who cared about whether he would be Leader? I cared about the sickening fact that he wanted to mate with me. My eyes traveled up and down as I looked at Kieran; I cringed as a naked Kieran popped up in my head. He was definitely not God’s gift to women.

  Kieran clapped his hands together and smiled. “Now you understand.”

  I licked Gregory’s hand and felt triumphant when he moved it and wiped it on his pants. I needed to speak. I looked at Gregory, who looked ready to fight. “What if I said no?” I said, turning my attention back to Kieran.

  “You don’t have a choice,” Kieran said.

  “Why not?” I was so tired of people telling me I didn’t have a choice.

  “Actually, you do have a choice,” he said. “Either marry me or plan your funeral.”

  “What?” I jumped up from the couch. Gregory came around and pulled me behind him.

  “How sweet,” Kieran said. “Your boyfriend here can come with you. I could use a man like him in my army.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” I said at the same time Gregory spoke.

  “There’s no way in hell I would ever join,” he said.

  I had to think. If I didn’t agree to the marriage, Kieran would most likely kill both Gregory and me on the spot. If I did agree, I would have to marry Kieran. He would run Lorburn—and ruin my life in the process. Either way my life would be ruined. “How would you run Lorburn?” I asked, stalling for time to think of a way out of this. I could feel Gregory stiffening.

  Kieran beamed while my stomach dropped. “I would get rid of this nonsense of titles. No one would be rich. Everyone would be equal. There would no longer be sectors or regions. It would be one giant home for everyone. Every individual would get the same education and have a chance at the same jobs. You and I would rule, of course, but there would be no Ambassadors, no council, no unnecessary laws. Everyone would work for one cause and one cause only: to bring this Nation back to the beginning. I would tighten our army and make sure they roamed the streets and actually enforced the rules. And of course, there would be rules every person must live by. There will always be rules. So, if you decide you value your life, I’ll share the rest of my plans with you one day.”

  Some of it actually sounded okay, but I didn’t like how he wanted the army to roam the streets and enforce rules. How could I even trust what he was saying? I don’t. “Do you think my friend here—” I patted Gregory’s arm “—and I could talk privately?” I asked. A plan started to form in my head.

  “No,” Kieran said.

  I tried hard not to glare. “You’re asking me if I want to die or marry you. Don’t you think that requires some thinking? Especially when the guy you’re dating is just a couple feet away.” I grabbed ahold of Gregory’s hand. Gregory, of course, squeezed my hand until my knuckles rolled. “We’ve been through a lot, and if I
’m going to be with you, I have to end this.” I peered up at Gregory; a muscle in his jaw twitched. “And when you have to end a love like ours, you should do it privately.” I hugged Gregory and hid my face in his chest, sniffling loudly. Gregory jerked his arms around me awkwardly. He stroked my arm with his fingers, and tingles erupted from each stroke.

  Kieran cleared his throat. I leaned away from Gregory and rubbed my eyes, hoping they were red from my “crying.” “Of course,” Kieran said. “I’ll just be right outside.”

  “No,” I said. “Could we go to our room? It would feel more appropriate there.” I could feel Gregory’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at him. So I kept my eyes on Kieran, hoping he would let me have this.

  Kieran’s gaze bounced back and forth between us. “Fine, you have an hour. We are heading back to Gildonia at nightfall.”

  “Thank you!” I said. Kieran nodded his head. I pulled Gregory with me down the hall and could feel his eyes burning holes into my back. As we entered the room, I locked the door I turned to find Gregory staring at me in disbelief.

  “Are you fucking crazy? Do you have a death wish? What is wrong with you? Do you really want to marry him? You guys would have the ugliest children. Did you even think about the children? This is how you would have trolls for children. You realize that, right?” Gregory paced back and forth in the room.

  His questions jumped back and forth between different topics. I tuned him out as I watched him run his fingers through his hair and curse. Somebody’s mind was running a little slow. I smiled at him. “That’s how I would get troll children?”

  “This isn’t a joke!” he yelled. “What is wrong with you? Why aren’t you taking this seriously? I thought when you laughed in his face you might have hit your head at some point. And then I realized you were just stupid.”

  Anger started to boil in my chest. I said slowly, “I’m not stupid. You call me stupid one more time and you will find yourself with something sticking out of you. I didn’t mean to laugh at him but come on, who would take that seriously? And seeing how my life is on the line, I did the only thing I could do other than cry, which was laugh.” I cleared my throat. I was terrified, but I couldn’t focus on that emotion. I would be paralyzed if I did. “Let’s fight later. For now, I have a plan.” Walking over to the window, I peered through it. Kieran had sent men to stay in the hallway. I wasn't surprised. “We need to escape.”