Pearl's Number: The Number Series

by Bethany Atazadeh

  PEARL’S NUMBER

  PEARL’S NUMBER

  Copyright © 2018 Bethany Atazadeh.

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For information contact:

  Grace House Press

  gracehousepress@yahoo.com

  Bethany Atazadeh

  https://www.bethanyatazadeh.com/

  Cover Design: Eight Little Pages

  Editor: Beth Dorward

  Author Photo: Verismo Studio

  ISBN: 978-0-9995368-8-9 (paperback), 978-0-9995368-7-2 (ebook)

  First Edition, 2018

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  THE NUMBER SERIES BOOK 2

  PEARL’S NUMBER

  BETHANY ATAZADEH

  Grace House Press

  ALSO BY

  BETHANY ATAZADEH

  EVALENE’S NUMBER

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  1

  Evalene

  THIS IS MY RESIGNATION from my chair on the Council.” Evalene spoke into the microphone. The cameras recorded her every word. All of Eden was watching. But also, for the first time since the revolution six months ago, the rest of the world would be allowed to see this broadcast.

  In the first half of her speech, she described that fateful day to their new viewers. In terms that made Eden look good, of course. How beneficial it was for their country that the Number system had finally been abolished. That part was extremely true. The other side of the coin, which they did not include in her speech, was how much people struggled with the change, how many small uprisings still happened on occasion. But the Council had decided Eden was finally stable enough to reveal the truth to other countries.

  The second half of the speech was designed to explain the new government: the Council of Eden. And Evalene had stuck to the script right up until a few seconds ago.

  She kept her gaze on the round, black eyes of the cameras surrounding her at the front of the large conference room, even as Luc stepped forward reflexively and Olive’s hands flew to her mouth. Murmurs rose among the camera crew and the rest of the room, barely holding back their questions until the end of her speech.

  Her chair on the Council could be filled. The only reason she’d been thrust into the role in the first place was because of her speech that day, six months ago. She was the girl in the purple. The one who didn’t quite fit in. The one the citizens of Eden listened to because she could identify with both high Numbers and low—this girl made people feel safe. Represented. This girl had been almost unanimously voted onto the Council, despite her age and lack of experience. It hadn’t even mattered if that was what she wanted.

  Evalene ignored the gasps and muttered conversations. She leaned into the microphone and enunciated so there could be no mistake. “Now that we have a system in place, we’ve decided it’s appropriate to begin holding elections immediately.”

  Saying “we” was a bit of a stretch. She hadn’t asked permission. She hadn’t even told anyone until right now.

  But her time on the Council had taught her a few things. This broadcast would determine how the rest of the world viewed their country, her home. The last thing she wanted was to make Eden look weak. So, she smiled, pretending they were a united front, while Luc scowled in the back.

  “Thank you for your encouragement to myself and the rest of the Council, as we’ve navigated hard situations,” whoever wrote this part had meant it to be a segue, not a goodbye, but it would work, “removing the Number system and creating something better for you over the last six months.” She cleared her throat, looking at the wide-eyed reporters, microphones at the ready, on the edge of their toes as if to give chase. Picking up her notecards, she took a step back. “No questions please.”

  The ending of her speech was intentionally abrupt. She swiveled to the exit on her right, moving quickly. Chaos burst out in the room as the reporters immediately began shouting questions, despite her request, begging her to come back and tell them more. All of Eden watched her practically flee the room on live television. No, she reminded herself, cringing as she ran toward the door: the whole world watched now.

  The Council would be stunned. But she’d needed it to be a secret. Luc was too good at talking her out of things, or into them, depending on what he believed was necessary. And she couldn’t let anyone talk her out of this. Not now.

  Evalene pictured her mother’s face. Pearl’s clear, blue eyes, just like Evalene’s own. Her matching brown hair. The rest of the details were fuzzy. She couldn’t quite remember her mother’s smile anymore. Or her laugh. Would she recognize Pearl Vandereth if she saw her on the street?

  Only yesterday a man had come to her office with news that changed everything: Your mother is alive.

  The words still shook her.

  Her mother’s death had been faked. Evalene had spent half her short eighteen years of life believing her mother was dead. But just last night she’d learned Pearl was one of the refugees who fled from Eden during the Bloom rebellion. She’d been helping lower Numbers just like the government had suspected. But the reason they’d never found her body was not the punishment they’d assumed—it was because someone had rescued her!

  Evalene still felt numb thinking about it. All these years, Pearl had lived outside of Eden—did she know it was safe to come home now? Was she even still alive? Evalene had known what she needed to do within minutes of hearing the news: find her mother.

  So, she was leaving. As soon as possible.

  The cameras followed her swift exit through the side door. She felt them on her heels as she burst through the second door that said “staff only.” A couple bold reporters pushed through after her, but security stopped them. One of the security officers was a friend, Chase Solomon, a former Regulator. She waved at Sol as she raced past him around the corner. The door at the opposite end of the hall tore open as the rest of the reporters flooded out, swinging cameras around, searching for her, while others turned to bombard Olive and Luc with their questions.

  Evalene ducked out of sight down the nearest hallway, hurrying along the brightly lit halls of the former Number One’s lavish home. Turning another corner, she heard Luc holler her name above the shouting. Instead of slowing down, she picked up speed until she was racing down the halls. Her footsteps were muffled on the lush carpet. She tracked the art on the walls to find her way through the enormous old building, heading toward her office. Her sanctuary. Often if she walked through an unfamiliar wing, she lost her way, but this route she knew by heart.

  As she climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, she wondered again if she should tell her father about Pearl. Byron Vandereth still believed his wife was dead. Not to mention, he had a girlfriend of nearly five years now. Ruby would not be pleased to hear the news.

  Evalene slowed as she drew closer to her office, feeling confident the reporters had given up by now. She wished she could say the same about Ruby. Despite the success of Jeremiah’s revolution, many refused to accept the change. Number-free was still a foreign concept to
her and to all the other former high-Numbers who clung to their status like dogs with a bone.

  Those hateful Numbers—which had declared someone’s value and worth over their entire life in one fell swoop—had been immediately abolished in the wake of the revolution. But it was not so easy to wipe out the leftover traces.

  Removing tattoos was far easier than removing memories.

  Many homes in Eden secretly held onto the old ways of thinking. Even now. Ruby and some of the household staff back home were perfect examples.

  Evalene shook her head, trailing her fingers along the smooth mahogany wall leading up to her office. Maybe she’d wait to see if she could find her mother first. Then she could tell her father the good news by bringing Pearl home to see him face to face. Better not to get his hopes up, just in case… Evalene shook her head to clear the thought, determined.

  She would find Pearl. Her mother was somewhere in the Divided States and somehow, some way, Evalene was going to find her.

  Reaching her office, Evalene flung herself into the task of packing her office into the boxes she’d requested. Luc would find her here soon enough. Which was exactly what she wanted. For this talk, they needed privacy. This cozy room was the first room she’d called her own since her Numbering Day almost six years ago. Her safe-haven. Usually this refuge made her feel better. She sighed, resisting the urge to slump onto the soft couch in the corner.

  Bracing herself, she continued haphazardly packing up books and sorting documents, waiting. It didn’t take long. Bursting into the room five minutes later, Luc entered uninvited. The door smacked the wall, nearly hitting him in the shoulder as it swung back. “What was that? You don’t make announcements like that without talking to someone first! What’s wrong with you?”

  Evalene remained calm, at least on the outside. Moving around her desk to sit, she held a hand out to the chair on the other side of her desk, “Have a seat.”

  “No, I won’t have a seat,” he fumed, pacing back and forth, rubbing the short hair on his head frantically. His dark skin shone with sweat, despite the cool air in her office. He was more upset than she’d expected. “What are we going to do now? Why did you do this without talking to me?”

  “Something important came up,” Evalene said. She forced her spine to stay straight, ignoring the desire to cower in her chair like a low Number. “I just found out last night… I didn’t have time to waste.” She almost added, “arguing with you,” but stayed silent. Politics had taught her a few things about what was best to say and not say.

  Luc dropped into the chair across from her on the other side of the desk, leaning forward on the mahogany surface, hands clasped to his face. He rested his forehead against his hands as he said in a more normal tone, albeit a bit sharp, “What could be so important that you couldn’t tell us first?”

  Olive’s blonde head poked inside the room as she knocked, her excited blue eyes finding Evalene’s the moment she walked in the door. “What did I miss? What’s going on Evie?” Dragging an extra chair from the wall up to the desk, Olive plopped down next to Luc. “That came out of nowhere!”

  Evalene looked down at the desk and bit her lip. Olive was one of her only friends—her best friend really. She should have told her. “I was afraid to say anything until my resignation was official,” she admitted. What if they’d tried to talk her out of her decision? “I found out last night my mother is still alive…” Goosebumps raised on her arms as she told them about Pearl. “I have to go,” she finished. There was no room for argument. Nothing else mattered anymore.

  “That’s amazing,” Olive gasped, as Luc fell back into his chair in surprise.

  “Wait,” Luc shook his head, rubbing his face roughly, once, twice, as if to wipe the idea away. “How is that even possible? Didn’t she die years ago?”

  Evalene held out her hands in defense. “That’s what we all thought—what they wanted us to think.”

  “Sounds like a scam to me,” Luc said, crossing his arms, slouching deeper in the chair.

  But Olive’s mouth hung open and she began to smile widely. “Wow,” she said, letting out a breath, “Of course you’re leaving the Council. You have to find her!”

  Evalene ignored Luc’s snort. “Exactly.” She stood, moving back to her bookshelf to resume packing, to make it clear there wouldn’t be a vote. “Look, I know it’s a long shot, but they never found her body. I have to try.”

  Olive nodded, and Luc groaned.

  Each book placed in the box made her feel stronger, as she stood her ground and pushed further, “I’ll stay until the Council finds a replacement. But that’s all.” She took a tiny ornament off her desk, one of many gifts from her father, his way of saying he was proud of her without ever actually saying it out loud.

  “There’s no way they’ll find someone quickly,” Luc frowned, leaning over to take the ornament out of the box and place it back on the desk. “Don’t pack up just yet. It’ll take at least a month, maybe two or three—”

  “I can’t wait that long.” Evalene forced herself to interrupt, something that still made her uncomfortable, returning the ornament to the box and then moving the box out of reach. “I was thinking maybe the people are ready for someone like Olive. She’s been involved since the beginning, but only Eden natives have been allowed on the Council so far. Maybe it’s time she’s promoted from administration to Council member. With her knowledge of computer systems, she’d be a huge asset.”

  Olive had grown up in Hofyn, where technology was so advanced it seemed like Olive only had to look at a computer to make it work. More importantly Evalene figured Olive would appreciate the opportunity to work alongside Luc everyday. She’d had an eternal crush on him that had only intensified over the last six months.

  But Olive surprised her by shaking her head. “No way, Evie, you’re family—if you’re leaving, I’m coming with you. Plus, this is my ‘year abroad,’ right?” She rolled her eyes at the term her parents had given her stay in Eden and shrugged. “That means I should travel as much as I can before I have to go home.”

  Evalene blinked quickly, shuffling some papers on her desk to hide the sudden tears pricking her eyes. A beat passed before she managed to say. “Thank you, Olive. I’d like that.”

  “It’s settled then.” Olive clapped her hands excitedly, standing to help Evalene pack. “Where will we start looking?”

  “They sent the refugees to a place called the Divided States,” Evalene said, smiling at Olive in thanks as they worked together to fill a second box. Luc didn’t move from the chair, but he didn’t try to stop them from packing either. “There’s not much information on it—the Number One didn’t want any evidence of a Number-free world floating around.” That was an understatement. “But they have multiple governments for each part of the country—they call them ‘territories’.”

  Luc’s brows rose and Olive said, “More than one government? That’s so strange!”

  “If that’s true,” Luc finally stood with a sigh, “How would you know which territory your mother is in?” He placed one book in the box. Olive and Evalene filled it and moved on to the third box.

  “During the Bloom Rebellion, they were only in communication with one of the territories.” Evalene shrugged as she worked, wishing she had a map, or something to show them. But the Number One had burned everything related to the outside world that he could find. “It’s on the coast, and they call it ‘Old York’.”

  “Maybe you could go as a representative of the Council?” Luc suggested, placing a second book in the box before leaning against the desk and crossing his arms as if the effort had used up all his energy.

  Evalene bit her lip. His request made sense. For nearly two centuries, Eden had had zero contact with the outside world. Now they struggled to form relationships, install trade, and basically bring Eden out of the dark ages compared to the rest of the globe. Especially now, after her speech this morning, when the rest of the world had just learned that Eden’s old go
vernment had fallen and a new one was reaching out for a friendly handshake.

  But she shook her head. “I can’t, I’m sorry.” She finished the third box and turned to sort the mess of papers on her desk. “I need to focus on finding my mother. It’s been 10 years. She could be anywhere—I can’t waste time on politics.”

  Olive moved to the desk to help her, but Luc turned to pace across the small office. “Why don’t you wait just a few months? Eden is so fragile. Your leaving could hurt all the progress we’ve made, and it’s not like a few months will make much difference after ten years…”

  Evalene stopped working. “Do you hear yourself?” Her voice was shrill and it cracked a little. “This is my mother.”

  Olive tried to be a peacemaker. “Evie’s already announced her leaving, so it’d look bad if she stayed now, right? Plus, it’ll be good for the people of Eden to see their votes matter, to elect someone new.”

  Luc scowled but didn’t argue. Evalene didn’t say anything either, just went back to sorting through the papers on her desk. Poor Olive stood helplessly between them, wringing her hands.

  Evalene shook her head finally, not meeting Luc’s gaze. “My mother could be anywhere. Who knows how long the search could take? I’m going to hire a guide. Someone who’s been to the Divided States before. But also someone I can trust. I don’t know if the territories speak Common or if they even speak the same language at all. What if I need an interpreter? And what if their currency is different everywhere? How will I navigate between these ‘territories’ without someone taking advantage of me?”

  All the questions made Evalene’s anxiety burn hot and her chest hurt. “You might get your wish after all,” she told Luc, dropping into her desk chair and resting her head in her hands. “Who knows how long it will take to find a guide that I can trust and afford?”