Chapter 10
TEN
Callum
Teth and I had snuck through the side entrance to the Council room and up the service stairs. We’d crawled into the little alcove overlooking the Council’s meeting room, then sat together in the near darkness, every light off other than the emergency one. This was our place. The one we’d been going to since we were kids. It was like a hideout from the world, and right now, that was exactly what we needed.
“What does it feel like to know your family is on the outside right now?” I ask.
He gives a small smile. “They’re away from the pollution. Away from the stuff giving them a cough and ruining their bodies. It’s all I ever wanted. I’m going to build them a whole life out there.”
“Yeah, you will,” I tell him, smiling. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” he repeats.
We’re quiet for a minute. There’s not even the hum of the air conditioner to disturb our conversation, or even an awareness of others in the building. Security doesn’t keep a careful eye on things here, cockily believing that no one would be dumb enough to break into this building.
Teth clears his throat. “About Serrilll…” But then he says nothing more.
I shift, uncomfortable. “Yeah, so you two are…?”
“Yeah.”
“And he’s… good to you?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re happy?”
“Yeah.”
I settle back. “Then that’s all that matters.”
“Really?” He sounds shocked.
“Yeah,” I tell him, then knock him with my shoulder.
He smiles.
I hold out my fist and we bump fists. Any tension that might have been between us fades away. It’s true that I’ve never heard of two men being together, don’t even know why it’s in the rules to begin with, but I love Teth. That love isn’t conditional based on whether he loves a man or woman.
“You know I’ll–” Miss you.
“I know,” he says. “And you know I’ll–” Miss me.
“I know.”
We give an awkward hug, and the dust in the air stings my eyes. I’ve known Teth all my life, and here, in this quiet building, we’re saying goodbye forever. The good thing is that saying goodbye doesn’t erase all the wonderful memories we’ve made in life. If anything, it makes them more precious because we’ll never make another memory again.
Suddenly, the lights flicker on in the Council meeting room, and we stiffen, releasing each other. My mom storms in, and the other council members file in behind her, looking like they’re full of dread. I don’t blame them. If my mom is mad, things are going to get bad.
When everyone is seated, she turns to them. “On whose authority did you reschedule the physicals for the Gold Keepers?”
“Mine,” Councilman Vyn says smugly, sweeping his hand through his steel-gray hair weaved with black.
“For what reason?” There’s a tick in her eye.
He glances at the others. They look away, and his arrogant voice comes out, “It hasn’t escaped our notice that you’ve dragged your feet in building the new science building every step of the way, even though this plan was agreed upon when Callum and Elora were just children. Even though Paradise Falls would be in a much better position right now if the original science building hadn’t burned to the ground. It’s our belief that you don’t agree with our decision.”
My mother stutters, and she never stutters. “T-that’s a blatant lie. I have been there every step of the way, making certain the building was perfect.”
Vyn lifts a brow. “Yes, there every step of the way slowing down everything and demanding perfection. Come on, Council Member Kela, are we to believe that all of that is just a coincidence?”
Her back is straight. “You should see that as a sign of me doing a great job, just as I always have.”
The thing is, my mom is lying, and I don’t understand why. Is it because those labs in the new science building are set up for the creatures of Neverwood, and she’s rightfully decided that such a plan is idiotic? Or is this something else? Because I’ve never seen my mom so transparently trying to lie. All over a science building. It’s bizarre.
There’s a loud knocking at the council chamber door. My mom uses the distraction to motion for the person to be let in. A second later, Elora’s stepmom is there. She looks half-drunk, walking a little unevenly, her hair a mess.
“Fiodee,” my mom greets, “to what do I owe the honor?”
Elora’s stepmom lets her gaze run over all the council members, and there’s uncertainty in her expression. It hangs over her so much that I find myself rooting for her to turn around and walk away, because anything a person is that worried about saying probably shouldn’t be said.
“Fiodee?” my mom prods.
The blonde takes a shaky breath. “I have something important to tell you.” No one interrupts, and she pushes forward, her words slurred. “Elora is pregnant.”
Fuck. My stomach sinks. Every muscle in my body tightens. I don’t think Elora has had time to talk to Ferone already. What the hell are we going to do?
My mom looks horrified, but not surprised. The others look surprised though, staring at each other like their world has been turned upside down. It’s weird. They don’t even know that the baby is mine. Shouldn’t they be happy? Shouldn’t this be cause for celebration?
“There’s more,” Fiodee says, taking a shuddering breath. “Callum is the father.”
Oh. No. Oh. Fuck no.
Teth turns to me, and when our eyes meet, I know he sees the truth. The color drains from his face, and we both know. Elora and I are in trouble.
“This cannot be true!” Council Member Runo says, standing up and slamming his fist onto the table, which is shocking to see from the mild-mannered scientist.
“All our plans are ruined,” Council Member Prisma says, angrily turning a gaudy ring on her finger.
“We cannot allow our plans to be pushed off for nine months.” Council Member Abraxas runs his hands over his face.
Fiodee seems to completely miss their distress. “I’m still going to be taken care of by Paradise Falls, right? This doesn’t affect my position?”
My mom looks pissed for a moment before her calm mask slips back into place. “Of course. Now, I think the Council needs to discuss what to do. You may leave.”
Fiodee hesitates. “She’ll be okay, right?”
Councilman Vyn flashes a smile. “You may leave.” And the way he says it chills my blood.
My hands are clenched so hard my knuckles are white. I watch her stepmom leave, and then the council members sit back down, silent. A sense of horror settles over all of them.
“What do we do?” Councilman Runo says. “This will destroy our plans, setting us back months. Hell, all our research suggests that each of the families can only carry one healthy child to term. This may be it. The only child of the two families.”
Council Member Oliva combs her long blonde hair back from her face. “We have worked so hard to save up enough goldarium for when Elora and Callum weren’t able to go to Neverwood. Was it all for nothing?”
What? Why wouldn’t Elora and I be able to go to Neverwood? And why the hell would they let our city go into darkness if they had enough goldarium to keep the power on?
Councilman Vyn lifts a hand to suggest everyone be quiet. “Our initial plan was to tranquilize them, get them restrained in their cages at the science building, and start harvesting their sperm and eggs. We estimated that we’d need a full year of them being restrained to run our trials and see if we could successfully grow their offspring in test tubes, as well as to mix their genetics with other members of our society to see what would produce the most superior offspring. This plan clearly can’t take place with Elora pregnant, so the solution is simple. After we have them properly restrained, we abort the baby, and continue on with the plan.”
What. The. Actual. Fuck? My stomach turns and the world drops out from under me. That torture room, that was intended for… us? And the nursery is for all our babies? They’re planning on using us like animals they want to breed for the best genetics, against our will?
This can’t be actually happening. No one could actually be okay with this.
And they’re willing to kill our baby? Just throw it out like trash because it interferes with their plans?
I look at my mom. Something shifts inside me. She looks pale. Worried. Not at all like the unshakable force I’m accustomed to. Is it possible she really was trying to stop this whole thing?
Councilman Vyn claps his hands together. “Relax, everyone. This little bump in the road changes nothing. Soon, we will produce dozens of Gold Keepers, who will bring us so much goldarium that we’ll have no idea what to spend our money on.”
“I don’t know,” Councilman Runo says quietly. “Last time everything seemed on track, and then those fools burned down the science building.”
Councilman Vyn gives a cruel smile. “This time, Elora’s mom and her traitors aren’t here to burn down the building, and we won’t have to spend our evening rounding them up, killing them, and covering up their murders. This time, no one is here to help Elora and Callum, not even their cowardly fathers. The building is made out of pure goldarium. Once we get them imprisoned, they won’t have the strength to break free. They’ll be completely at our mercy, and we’ll get exactly what we deserve.”
“We should act quickly,” Councilman Runo says, “just in case they try to escape to Neverwood like their fathers.”
Councilman Vyn’s smile only widens. “If they try it, this time we have enough goldarium to force our way in after them.”
Force their way in after us? Is that even possible?
“That’s just a theory,” Councilman Runo warns.
“A theory I won’t hesitate to test should they try it.” Vyn stands. “Our time of having to bow down to the Gold Keepers is over. We’ll own them soon. We’ll run their lives soon. And we’ll produce a whole army of them to do our bidding, raised to be the perfect Gold Keepers.”
Everyone except my mom seems happy. They start chatting, talking about everything they’re going to do once they have us imprisoned. Like we’re nothing. Not even people. And it’s all for their own greed, when they already have so much.
It’s sickening.
“Let’s get security,” Councilman Vyn says. “We’ll get them tonight.”
Teth and I exchange a quick glance and then we carefully crawl our way out of our hiding place, hit the service stairs, and just keep running.
Elora. I have to get Elora.