SHATTERED

by S. C. Deutsch

  “Go to hell,” she hissed, causing him to roar in both rage and frustration. Grabbing her chin, he forcibly turned her head and kissed her hard, bruising her lips as they mashed against her teeth. Struggling, Ana desperately tried to break free. Rylen broke the kiss and pulled back, smiling at the small amount of blood staining her lips.

  “Don’t worry, little girl. I’m not going any further. That was just a kiss good-bye. Hope you liked it.”

  Rylen let go of her chin and arm, grabbing her throat with both hands. Smiling again, he slowly started to squeeze, causing her to struggle to breathe as she attempted to escape. Rylen squeezed harder and she started to see stars. Harder still and blackness began to creep in around the edges. Ana yielded to her soaring temper and bought the bone knife up, stabbing Rylen under the breastbone. Rylen’s hands immediately dropped as he backed up, staring at the small knife sticking out of his torso. Ana took several steps backwards, choking as her hand grasped her throat. Bending over, she took several deep, whooping breaths, missing Rylen’s look of shock as he slowly crumpled to the ground.

  When she could finally breathe despite the awful pain in her throat, Ana looked up, confused because Rylen hadn’t attacked again. When she saw the body, she moaned, then rushed to the crumpled form lying on the path. Tentatively reaching out, Ana felt for a pulse, dismayed when she couldn’t to find one. Grunting, she rolled Ryan on his back, laying one hand on his chest. Feeling no heartbeat, she moaned again, then looked at the knife protruding from his body. There was no blood and the knife had entered well below his heart. Ana couldn’t figure out why Rylen was dead. She had intentionally stabbed where she believed it would only hurt him. Instead, Ryan had died, and she was going to be sent into exile, if not sentenced to death. Knowing there was no way to hide what she had done, she rose and made her way back to her room, curled in a tight ball on the bed, and waited for the summons that was sure to come.

  The incessant beeping of the tab woke Ana the next morning. The summons had arrived. She opened the message, dreading what she would find.

  “You are to report to the main office directly after breakfast.”

  Nothing more. No mention of Jax, her classes, or what she should bring with her. Nothing. Ana would have preferred to go immediately and get it over with. But she wasn’t given a choice, so after breakfast it was.

  Dragging herself off the bed, Ana took a hot shower, lingering under the powerful spray with her eyes closed. Exiting, she considered how to dress, wondering if she was going to be sent away immediately or be allowed to return to her room first. Finally deciding the school uniform was the only option, she dressed carefully, making sure everything was neat and perfectly aligned. Taking her time, she carefully did her hair in a tight braid, hiding the digi-drive inside and covering the bulge with Jan’s bracelet once more. If she were going to be sent away immediately, at least she could get the digi-drive out. The papers from her father’s journal would have to stay where they were. Ana had no idea what would happen to her belongings, but she had no doubt they would be searched again. The pet bed stood the least chance of being taken apart and might even survive, going wherever Jax did.

  When she could delay no longer, Ana gave Jax a huge hug, trying hard not to cry. Even if she could return to her room, Jax would be in her session with Niall. This would be the last time she saw her furry friend and she hated that she couldn’t say anything. Kissing her companion good-bye, Ana fled, wiping away the tears as she made her way to the commissary.

  Once inside, Ana grabbed a tray and got in the food line. She didn’t feel like eating but if she was being sent into exile, this might be the last meal she had for a long time. The atmosphere wasn’t much different than usual, although she heard several people talking about how Rylen had failed out and been sent to the military. She kept her head low, not wanting anyone to see the guilty look on her face, and hastily consumed her breakfast. It tasted like cardboard and got stuck in her throat, but she forced herself to eat every bite, washing it down with several cups of strong black coffee. Finishing, she checked her tab, killing time until she could leave. Looking neither left nor right, Ana walked out of the commissary and up the hill.

  The closer Ana got to the main office, the more her feet dragged. By the time she reached the front entrance, she was having to force every step. Taking a last look around, Ana thought she spotted her father’s fancy transport heading away from the campus. She briefly considered running after him but quickly realized it would only delay the inevitable. The government would eventually find her and dragging her father into it would condemn him as well. Turning around, Ana reluctantly entered the reception area.

  “Miss Swift,” she said quietly, standing with head bowed. “I was told to report immediately after breakfast.”

  “Yes, Miss Swift. You’re expected. Please head straight to Mr. Bromstead’s office.”

  The voice was much harsher than the first day, but Ana heard the tremor underneath. Looking up, she noted the woman appeared scared. Confused, she headed to Wyn’s office while trying to figure out why the woman was afraid. Lightly tapping to announce her arrival, Ana pushed the thought aside and resisted the urge to wipe her sweaty palms on her pants. When the door swung open, Ana saw Wyn seated at the desk, a hard look on his face. Dropping her head, she slowly made her way to one of the chairs and sat down, folding her hands in her lap.

  Wyn abruptly stood, causing her to flinch and shrink back in the chair. She watched warily as he rounded the desk. Dropping into the chair alongside, Wyn continued to gaze at her, not uttering a word. Ana stared back, unsure what was expected, and didn’t see the man who took Wyn’s place behind the desk.

  “Well, Miss Swift,” the voice said. “It seems you still have a problem with authority. And with your temper.”

  Ana’s head whipped around, and her jaw dropped. She immediately recognized the voice and was shocked the Vice Premier has shown up to witness her punishment. Clenching her hands tightly, she could feel the anger and fear begin to rise. Gritting her teeth, she did her best to keep her temper under control but was unable to still the fire that flashed in her eyes. She started to rise, intent on saluting the Vice Premier, but he motioned her back to her seat. Ana sat and wondered what was coming.

  Vice Premier Drake removed his glasses, wiping them with the ever-present cloth. Today’s suit was completely black, and the tie a deep indigo with a white diagonal slash about two-thirds of the way down. He smiled at Ana, placed the glasses on the desk, and opened her file.

  “You do know what the punishment for your transgressions are, don’t you?” he asked, still smiling.

  Ana blinked rapidly, determined not to show this man she was scared. Nodding several times, she continued to meet his gaze, refusing to flinch.

  “And do you have anything to say for yourself?”

  “Can you please send Jax to live with my father?” Ana asked, trying to keep from pleading.

  “Now why would we do that?” Vice Premier Drake asked, seeming slightly taken aback at her request.

  “Jax and my father get along. My father is familiar with Ra-murs and I think he could easily take over with the sign language once I’m gone. Besides, having Jax with my father would allow the sessions with Niall to continue.”

  Vice Premier Drake started laughing. Not a slight chuckle or a harsh bark, but actual laughter. Waving one hand, he dismissed Wyn, wiping his eyes of pretend tears. Ana glanced over and saw Wyn stiffly rising from the chair, his face tight. Her gaze followed him as he left, his movements tense and unnatural. She couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger, deciding it was a little of both. Turning back, she sat silently, waiting to see what Vice Premier Drake would say next.

  “My dear,” he finally said, still chuckling. “Even now, after breaking not one but two of the school’s most important rules, you still look to bargain. Not for yourself, but for someone you care about. I find that incredible. So, tell me, why should I do as you ask?”

 
“You don’t have to,” she replied. “I’m well aware of what I did and what the penalty is. But Jax is innocent. It will destroy her to be separated from me. Cutting her off from Niall and putting her in a research facility or worse, sending her back to the island, will surely kill her. I ask, not only for Jax, but for you. By sending her to my father, you continue to be able to study her, watching as she works towards a breakthrough with Niall as well as learning to communicate.”

  “Well done, Miss Swift. Once again, you have proven my choice correct. Not only are you attempting to bargain when the odds are not in your favor, your arguments are logical and well thought out. I applaud you.”

  “Does that mean you’ll grant my request?” Ana said, not caring how proud the Vice Premier was.

  “Let’s discuss something else while I consider it, shall we?”

  Ana nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She knew she had no business asking for anything but the Vice Premier’s refusal to answer was both irritating and infuriating.

  “Tell me, Miss Swift. How did you get the bone knife into the school? And, considering its source, how did you get it off the island?”

  “I hid it in my shoe the first time I left,” Ana responded, seeing no reason to lie. The knife was gone and she was already a dead woman, so it seemed safe enough to answer the questions.

  “And the school? How did you get it past the scanner? And why did you even bring it in the first place? You had the list of rules before you arrived. You acknowledged them, knowing that even as you agreed to abide by them, you had already broken one. I am very curious as to not only how you did it, but why.”

  “I snuck it in by sewing it in the bottom of my backpack. I knew it wouldn’t show up on the scanner as it was bone, not metal,” Ana said. “As for why, I was scared. Everyone kept telling me how dangerous the Academy is. How it’s as bad as the island, but in a different way. But nobody would tell me in what way. I already knew everyone here was older than me and I expected resentment. I wanted to make sure I could protect myself.”

  “So, you broke the rules because of fear? Why not tell someone if you felt threatened? Why put yourself in a situation where you knew you would be sent away if you were caught?”

  “No disrespect, Vice Premier Drake,” Ana replied, “but have you seen what goes on in this place?”

  “Do tell, Miss Swift. I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

  “The school doesn’t stop the fighting. In fact, it seems to condone it. There are fights almost daily and the only time the administration steps in is if it looks like one party is going to kill the other. I’ve heard them cheer and sometimes even bet on who they think will win. When the fight is over, everyone disperses like it never happened. There is no way I would have gotten any help if I reported being harassed. Instead, I’m sure they would have told me to suck it up, right before laughing me out of the office. Of course, I didn’t know that before I came, but I took the knife precisely because I had no idea what I was getting into. I’m glad I bought it, only sorry that Rylen died. I never meant for that part to happen.”

  Vice Premier Drake tented his hands over Ana’s file, looking at her thoughtfully. His earlier assessment of the girl had been correct. She was much more than he had expected, and Nessa would be extremely pleased when he reported back to her.

  “Please tell me what happened with this boy, Rylen. Why did you feel the need to bring the knife into it? You had to have known it was extremely risky.”

  Ana told him. She left nothing out, deciding it made no difference, and was able to maintain her composure. This death was not affecting her the same way Mikal’s did. She hadn’t wanted Rylen to die, but his death wasn’t overwhelming her. Unsure why, she decided it had to do with the circumstances. Mikal had been forced into his situation, going mad as a result. But Rylen chose to torment her, to assault her, and to attempt to kill her. Ana concluded those differences were why one death continued to plague her while the other hadn’t caused her to shed a single tear. But she sincerely hoped Vice Premier Drake didn’t compare the two. She wasn’t sure she could hold it together if Mikal was bought up again.

  “I can see how someone like Rylen would be humiliated when bested by someone half his size,” Vice Premier Drake said. “And excuse me for saying so, but by a girl to boot. Men like Rylen seem to have a problem with women who can stand up for themselves. They seem to instinctively know which women will prove to be stronger than they are, and often try and intimidate them. But Rylen feared you, Miss Swift. He would have denied it, but you scared him. You threatened his power and his reputation. When you bested him, he was humiliated in front of those he had spent so long trying to impress. In his mind, you had to be punished for what you did. But he couldn’t take a chance of letting you possibly do it again. You were correct in assuming Rylen would ultimately kill you, rules of the school notwithstanding. I commend you for both your forethought and quick thinking. You will not be punished for this, despite what the administration may want. You will continue with your studies, Jax will stay with you, and I will continue to monitor your progress.

  “I do have one more question, though. Do you have any other weapons?”

  Ana shook her head, too shocked to speak. She was not going to be punished. She was not going to lose Jax. She was continuing with her studies as if last night had never happened.

  “Pity,” Vice Premier Drake said, placing his glasses back on his nose. “You might want to remedy that. Although I did not explicitly tell you to do so, understand?”

  Ana didn’t think she could be surprised further but what Vice Premier Drake suggested floored her. He was not only recommending she go on breaking the rules but was also condoning her actions. Totally speechless, she nodded again, feeling her muscles relax as a surge of happiness ran through her.

  “Do you have any questions?” Vice Premier Drake asked, closing her file.

  “How did Rylen die? I tried desperately not to kill him. I only wanted to send a message to let him know not to keep messing with me.”

  “It was a combination of things, Miss Swift. You seriously wounded him, nicking his lung. The air was leaking into his abdomen and would have eventually killed him if he didn’t receive help immediately. But that injury is not what caused his death.

  “Rylen had a heart attack. We’re not sure why, since all students undergo a full set of diagnostics to look for weaknesses. For some unknown reason, he went into cardiac arrest. We can only assume it was something in his genetic makeup, something we had not thought to look for and he declined to advise us of. Rylen would have eventually died due to a coronary episode, whether caused by you or something else. Please do not feel guilty over his death. Your intentions were noble, and you had no way of knowing what would happen.”

  Ana nodded, feeling a little better.

  “If there are no further questions about this incident, we shall mark it closed. Is that acceptable?”

  “Yes, Vice Premier Drake,” she responded, wanting only to return to her room. Unfortunately, the Vice Premier was not quite done.

  “Before we conclude, I’d like to discuss your studies. First, we will talk about your sign language classes. The instructor tells me the Ra-mur seems to be struggling. Do you have any idea why that is?”

  “I think it’s because of how literal they are,” she replied. “I’ve been able to teach Jax how to sign words and what the meaning is. But when we try to make sentences, unless they’re really simple, she doesn’t seem to understand. For example, she signs the word love when I come back from class. And she signs the word food when she’s hungry. But when I try to teach her to make a sentence, she gets lost. I know she understands sentences because I can sign a full one to her, but her answers are always one or two words, never a full reply.”

  “Any ideas on how to break through this?

  “I’m not sure we can. When you and I talk, even in messages, we can understand abstract ideas. She doesn’t seem capable of that. For instance,
if I ask you how hungry you are, you understand I’m asking if you’re hungry and how much you would like to eat. But if I ask Jax the same question, she’s unable to understand what I’m asking. At best, she’ll only answer with the sign for food, and I think that’s only because she knows the word hungry. I can ask Jax if she’s hungry and will get a yes or no response. But I can’t ask her how hungry she is. She doesn’t seem to understand.”

  “Hmm,” Vice Premier Drake murmured, clearly contemplating her response. “You may be right. It does pose problems but continue working with her. Her progress, while frustrating, is more than we believed possible. We may yet discover the key to overcoming this issue. Thank you for being honest.”

  Ana had been, but only to a point. Jax did understand complex sentences. She did understand when Ana asked things like how hungry she was. But she was unable to sign her answer. Instead, the little creature would show her how many pieces of fruit she wanted. Ana believed because Jax was so literal, she had no idea how to convert simple thoughts to complex ones. She held out hope that even if Jax could never sign complex sentences, she could at least make her thoughts and wishes known by using words. Until then, Ana continued to work in secret, expanding her companion’s vocabulary weekly.

  “Now about your studies. I see you are struggling in some of the classes. Can you explain why?”

  Ana’s temper began rising again. It was the Vice Premier’s fault she was struggling, not hers. But there was no way she could tell him that. Forcing herself to relax, she tried to answer calmly, hoping her voice didn’t betray her.

  Unfortunately, Ana couldn’t help the fire that once again danced in her eyes. Vice Premier Drake saw it and smiled inwardly. Ana’s temper, while often problematic, was one of the things he valued so deeply. He was under no illusion that Ana was angry at him, probably even hated him. But he didn’t care how she felt. She had not been picked to idolize him, but to perform a service. Her feelings didn’t matter so long as she carried out that task successfully. Ignoring her look of fury, he patiently waited as she struggled to get herself under control, watching her intently as she did so.