Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Elora
I’m sitting on my bed feeling completely alone. My stepmom had gone out for wine, not that it makes much of a difference. She was just going to end up in the hot tub drunk anyway. I want to call Beva or Serrill, but Beva is probably sleeping in preparation for her big day tomorrow, and Serrill is cracking the whip to do better at school, so he has a chance of escaping Paradise Falls. I don’t want to bother any of them.
So I do the only thing I can think of: I head into the attic.
Knowing that Ari was aware of my hiding place has made me feel even more so like my stuff isn’t safe in Paradise Falls. I go to the chest, dig through the pictures, and select my favorite ones of me and my parents, including the one of them on their wedding day, then I put everything back the way it was.
Slipping back downstairs, I take my mom’s journal out of my backpack and slip the pictures into it before repacking my bag. Now, when I go to Neverwood in just a few days, I’ll be able to hide my most important things from any eyes in Paradise Falls.
I hear a crashing sound from in my house and feet running. Tensing, I leap to my feet, not sure what to expect, but trying to be ready for anything. My bedroom door comes flying open… and I spot Teth and Callum.
“We need to go,” Callum says, his face pale, his voice full of panic.
Before he says more, Teth says, “I’m going to run to your house and get your bag.” Then he takes off running like there are ogres chasing after him.
“Go?” I ask, shaking my head in confusion, staring between Callum and where Teth had disappeared. “What’s going on?”
Callum looks like he’s about to break some really terrible news, his expression a mixture of sorrow and fear. “Your stepmom must have heard about us being pregnant…”
My gut tightens. “What? No.”
“She went to the Council and told them, and I found out what they have planned for us…” And there’s something dark in his words.
“What are you talking about?” I say, head swimming.
He grabs my arms. “Elora, the new science building, that scary floor, it’s meant for us. They’re planning on imprisoning us and killing our baby so they can harvest our eggs and sperm and create an army of Gold Keepers that they can raise to be their perfect servants.”
I feel the color drain from my face. “That’s impossible.”
“Elora.” Those brilliant blue eyes of his lock onto mine. “I heard it all. They’re sending Security for us tonight. Right now.”
My heart hammers. “Where are we going to go? What are we going to do?”
Was this what Ari was trying to warn me about? It must be. Fuck. Why didn’t I listen to her?
“We need to go to Neverwood, just like our dads did. We need to run away from the Council and this whole damn place. It’s our only chance.”
“ Live in Neverwood?” I ask, just imagining never returning to Paradise Falls.
He takes my hands, holding my gaze. “We don’t have a choice.”
I nod unsteadily and grab my bag from off the floor, except the scientist’s badge falls out from the pocket I hid it in. I ignore it, but Callum grabs it.
“There’s something we have to do first.”
I frown, confused.
“We need to steal their goldarium. There might be a way for them to use it to come after us.”
I feel sick. They could possibly follow us in?
He grabs my hand, and we start running. We leap into the truck and pull out of the driveway when Teth comes running up. I open my door, and he tosses in Callum’s backpack.
“Good luck,” Teth says, his dark gaze saying a hell of a lot more.
Be careful. I care about you. I’ll miss you.
“Just make sure you’re on that plane in the morning,” Callum tells him. “And go home and pretend this never happened.”
They clasp hands, then step away from each other. Teth slams my door shut, and Callum steps on the gas. We go speeding down the quiet streets of Paradise Falls for the last time, not stopping until he pulls into the alley beside the science building. At the door, I say a quick prayer that the badge still works, and he swipes it.
Green. We’re in.
We’re more careful this time, aware that security and the scientists might be walking around, even this late. We take the stairs up to the second floor and head straight for the big ball of goldarium. Callum swipes the door, and it opens.
It’s encased in a crystal container, but we open it and grab the soccer ball sized piece of goldarium and force it into a crystal chest, then close it tightly. We can’t take the risk of leaving it open, because it’ll draw everyone in Paradise Falls to it. We close everything up the way we found it, and Callum carries the chest down the stairs, while I hurry along beside him.
We make it to the first floor and head down the hallway to the side door before we hear, “Freeze!”
We turn and spot Security, a man in dark clothes, reaching for the taser at his side.
“This is official Gold Keeper business,” Callum tells him. “So, stay out of our way.”
Instead of reaching for the taser that would do nothing against us, he reaches for his radio.
We bolt, exploding out the side door and climbing into the truck. I put the chest in my lap and Callum’s bag at my feet, while he steps on the gas and gets us out of there. We’re speeding through town, faster than I’ve ever driven in my life, but there’s a countdown in my mind. An awareness that if we do anything wrong right now, our lives will be forfeit.
I picture us strapped down in those cages. I picture them killing my baby and then harvesting my eggs. The thought makes me sick. These people are twisted. Wrong. Anyone who could do that to another person is a monster.
We’re bouncing along the path that leads to Neverwood and park in the parking lot. We get on our bags, then Callum takes the chest and we hurry down the path. We’re almost there when I put out a hand and stop Callum.
People are here. I can sense it.
Our eyes lock. A silent understanding moves between us. Our only way out is through that doorway, so whatever stands in our way will need to be destroyed.
He hands me the chest. I take it wordlessly. We leave the path and circle around the back, spotting the council members and Security before they see us.
There are about a dozen security officers. But instead of regular guns, they have tranquilizer guns. A cold awareness flows through me. I’d rather be shot by a bullet then one of those fucking guns.
We get to the edge of the treeline. Callum hands me the chest of goldarium and gestures for me to stay where I am. I shake my head, shocked. He can’t handle all of them alone! But he points to my stomach, and I know that he’s right. I don’t want to risk hurting the baby. Not unless they leave us with no choice.
Callum slowly moves forward until he steps out into the light.
All the tranq guns focus on him.
Councilman Vyn smiles, a deadly smile. “It seems that somehow you’ve discovered information that wasn’t meant for your ears.”
Callum’s mouth curls. “You fucking bastards. We already willingly gave up our lives to bring you goldarium, but that wasn’t enough for you. You needed more. You needed to be greedy, conniving, heartless, pieces of shit–” And his mom flinches at each word.
The councilman shakes his head. “See, you and Jaen, and her traitors, are the problem. You can’t seem to realize that our decision isn’t based on feelings, or what’s best for you. It’s based on what’s best for Paradise Falls.”
Callum’s voice is filled with venom. “Killing our baby and taking us prisoner is what’s best for Paradise Falls? Like hell!”
Vyn spreads his hands. “I’m afraid we don’t have a choice, Callum. This is the decision.”
“You always have a choice,” Callum says. “Just like we’ve had a choice every time we’ve gone into Neverwood. Just like our fathers and past generations have had a choice. And every time, they chose what was best for their people. And in thanks for all of that, you make this sickening decision?” He spits on the ground.
The councilman gives Callum a cold look. “Well, unfortunately for you, you don’t have a choice. Do you see all these tranq guns pointed at you? Just the squeeze of one trigger, and this is all over. Except, where’s Elora, Callum? I know she can’t be far from you.”
My mind starts working. I can’t let them shoot him. I can’t just stand here and do nothing.
I squeeze the handles of the chest tighter, and an idea forms in my mind. It’s not a perfect idea, but it may be the only way we’ll get out of this. Even though it’s a risk.
Taking a deep breath, I stride forward into the light.
The council members look in my direction, and they all seem relieved. Like they feel the chess pieces they needed have all fallen into place. Unfortunately for them, I’m not controlled by anyone.
“Well, well, well, pretty little Elora. I’m going to enjoy visiting you in the lab each day,” Vyn says, a sickening pleasure in his voice.
Callum looks back at me with horror. I know what he’s thinking, but he’ll understand soon.
I smile at Vyn. “That’s if you survive long enough.”
Flipping the top open on the chest, I set it down on the ground and watch as the effect of the goldarium ripples over all of them. Callum yanks me back as everyone comes running. As they get in each other’s ways, they scratch, claw, bite, and fight. A Security guard manages to touch the goldarium, and his fingers burn off, turning to ash as he screams, and yet he continues to try to get to it still.
They’re all trying their best. Councilman Vyn falls on the goldarium, and it eats away part of his face before he’s pulled back. The Security officers start shooting wildly, and Callum yanks me behind a tree along with him. He presses his body around me as screams fill the air.
We stay that way for a long time, until it grows quiet. Then we step out from behind the tree. Callum’s mom has tied herself to a tree, and blood is running down her face. She’s fighting the rope, but she’s unable to escape. Councilman Vyn is crawling toward the chest, and as we watch, Callum’s mom pulls a gun out of her waist and shoots him dead.
Callum closes the lid, and the silence around us is deafening. Unfortunately, it looks like the majority of them were simply tranqed rather than having died, but it’s the same to us now. As long as we escape.
“Mom?” Callum says.
Tears run down her face. “I need you to know… I helped Elora’s mom in secret to burn down that building the first time. I tried everything in my power to stop it the second time, but it wasn’t enough. I’m sorry, son. You deserve so much better than me.”
Callum looks at her, his expression cold. “I do, but I’m not going to go into Neverwood hating you. The last thing I’m going to do is bring hatred and anger into my new family. So, I forgive you.”
She starts weeping in earnest now, the deep scratches on her face bleeding enough that blood drips from her jaw. I want to feel sorry for her, but I just can’t. Not after what she helped plan for us, even if she wasn’t fully on board.
Callum picks up the box of goldarium and takes my hand.
“You know that with you gone, there is no Paradise Falls, right? There’s no perfect place,” his mom says softly.
“There never really was,” Callum tells her, and then we step through the doorway to our new home.