CHAPTER ELEVEN #2
The dining room was as exquisite as the others, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than the five people in the room and the dark clouds outside that swirled as viciously as my thoughts.
Vincent stood at the head of the large table, which was big enough for twenty.
The seat to his right sat empty. Next to it, Richard, then Gregory.
On Vincent’s left was Helen, followed by Phillip.
Next to Phillip was another open place setting, most likely my intended seat. They all stood waiting for me.
In no world would I ever be next to my birth father. Guests of honor sat next to the host, my HI had informed me this morning. I would never be that important, not to him. I could just remain quiet at the end.
I looked at the end seat. Gregory sucked his tooth, looking at me like he would allow no such thing. It was odd that Gregory sat so far from my birth father when he was second born.
Helen’s tinkling voice rang out. “Emeline, since Collin cannot make it, come sit across from me,”
“It is fine. I can sit here,” I said.
“Honestly, no manners.” Richard sneered at me. “Do Defects often insult their hosts?”
Helen gasped loudly, not at Richard’s words but at me. She stood in her rich burgundy bell-sleeved dress, staring at me. “Your gown. Why are you in that color?”
“I was told to wear it.”
“Have we insulted the Illum? Is Collin angry with this match?” Helen demanded of Phillip next to her.
A laugh escaped Gregory that he instantly contorted into a cough. Vincent gripped the back of his chair almost as fiercely as I held my clutch.
Phillip simply shrugged. “The Illum do not explain themselves. We should take this and be cognizant of our actions and any that might have offended them.” His eyes swept the table before landing on Gregory, who nodded somberly.
“Helen, this insult is to her alone. She should get used to the color,” Vincent drawled, pulling out his chair. “It will be permanent when she messes up.”
When, not if, like my fate was a foregone conclusion.
“I believe you meant if,” Gregory contradicted.
“No. I spoke correctly,” Vincent said coldly.
Everyone stood waiting, watching me.
“By all means, take the entire moon to sit, sister. We all enjoy being made to wait,” Gregory said dryly.
“Apologies,” I muttered quietly, making my way around the table to the chair on Vincent’s right.
“You shall learn,” Helen encouraged, her elegant eyes on the blue once more.
I swallowed tightly, instantly wishing for another mind-befuddling drink.
I waited until the others were fully seated before pulling my own out.
A hidden door opened before I fully sat, and several dark-gray-clad Defects waltzed in, setting down beautiful plates laden with delicious smells and enticing displays of food.
My stomach growled at the rich aroma. Everyone’s plate was different, each clearly tailored to our nutritional needs.
Phillip flipped out his napkin and placed it in his lap. I glanced down at mine, still on the table. I hastily swiped it, putting it in my lap as I heard Gregory say to one of the gray-clad men, “The good stuff,” before starting on his food.
Richard cleared his throat. “I wanted to let you all know Poppy is with offspring again.”
“A male?” Vincent asked, cutting his food.
I took a bite, hiding any indication that I enjoyed it. I glanced up to find Gregory watching me from behind his cup as if he knew.
“It is still too new,” Richard informed us.
“Regardless, what wonderful news,” Helen exclaimed as a worker filled the glasses with a deep-red liquid. “Four offspring, what fertile blessings.”
“Oh, yes, how smashing,” Gregory added snidely. “Have you not tired of her, though?”
“Poppy and I have had great success together. She is of strong genes. We have three Elite offspring. So no, I have not.”
“Let us hope your fourth is of better stock than that.” Vincent jabbed his fork in my direction. “I should have switched Mates after three.”
My birth mother took a long drink as silence fell. Gregory’s mouth became a hard line. I stared at my plate, unseeing. Phillip recovered first.
“What of your new match, Gregory?” Phillip retorted, taking a small sip of the red liquid.
Gregory drained his glass. “I assume I have you to thank for my Defect mating, little brother.”
“Well, when you opt out of another offspring contract with an Elite member, you have fewer options,” Phillip responded.
“I wish you and Katherine had agreed to another Offspring Agreement,” Helen expressed quietly. “Why did you end it with her?”
“Because Katherine was a bore,” Gregory responded, “and, quite frankly, the sex was terrible, Mother.”
I choked on my food, grabbed the glass of red liquid, and took a sip. It was rich and heady and didn’t burn like the drink Gregory gave me. Warmth pooled in my stomach. I took another deep drink, washing down my shock.
“Enough, Gregory,” Vincent snapped.
“Apologies, Father,” Gregory retorted, mockingly bowing his head. “Forgot virgin ears.”
“Phillip,” Helen exclaimed, trying to redirect the conversation. “Have you heard anything about an impending Mate for yourself?”
Phillip looked up from his food. “I have. Given my success in the eyes of the Illum, they will wait. My contributions are more important.”
“The Illum still view you as a success?” Vincent asked as I sipped my drink again. Phillip nodded, weathering whatever Vincent carried in his eyes.
Gregory opened his mouth, but Helen cut him off.
“Emeline, your match. How has it gone? How is Collin?” Helen asked, placing her silverware down. I followed her lead, even though I wanted another bite.
“Collin is very kind,” I said woodenly. I didn’t know what to believe about him anymore.
“Are we discussing the same Collin?” Gregory asked, shaking his empty glass at a Defect. Richard shook his head.
“Collin is a wonderful member of the Illum,” Helen chimed.
“He didn’t become the youngest member of the Illum by being wonderful and kind,” Gregory scoffed, sipping his newly filled glass. I grabbed mine just for something to do with my hands. “Did he, little brother?”
“You have had enough,” Vincent thundered, then snapped at a worker. “Take her wine away. Bring her water.”
My cheeks heated as the man took my glass. A moment later, our plates were cleared. “If you were serious about this match, you would ensure you were a suitable vessel,” Vincent scolded.
A cup of water was placed before me as I blinked rapidly. “Thank you,” I told the Defect, my equal.
A ringing silence followed my words as he disappeared.
“What did you say to that Defect?” Vincent demanded.
Dread filled me at my mistake. “I said thank you,” I mumbled, my voice small.
“They do not need your thanks. They owe us thanks for the ability to be graced by our presence. Do you find yourself unwilling to outgrow your status? Do you still see yourself as one of them? If you do, you’re smarter than I thought.”
His words hollowed me out completely. Why? I wanted to scream at him. Why do you hate me? Was I nothing but my defect? The metal collar became a noose as I contemplated demanding an answer.
Workers came out of the hidden door, bringing more food. I didn’t look at my plate, even as pleasant aromas drifted toward me. I heard the noise of cutlery being used. I swallowed, trying to alleviate the tightness in my throat.
“Did you know,” Vincent drawled, when I finally reached for my fork, “that the Defects should be thanking the Elite for their ability to breathe?”
Lightning flashed in the tops of the clouds outside, and a rumbling boom of thunder shook the place ever so slightly. I met his stare for the first time that evening as apprehension settled in my gut. His meal sat untouched.
“There was a petition to fully eliminate every Defect, both Minor and Major. The Elimination Act,” he said casually, taking a sip of his drink.
“Eliminate?” I asked. The energy around the table shifted. Even Gregory remained quiet.
“Yes, eliminate them completely. They have no use for our goal of repopulating this world. We would be better off without them. They are leeches.” His brown eyes found mine, conveying what he hadn’t said: The world would be better off without me.
“Who would clean our cities and dispose of our waste if they were eliminated?” Richard commented.
“They do have their purposes, I suppose, among the trash,” Vincent said, downing his drink.
“We need them for more than trash. Without their genes our procreation pool would bottleneck, resulting in inbreeding,” Phillip stated. “Inbreeding results in weaker genes.”
My first course turned leaden in my stomach, crawling up my throat.
I shared blood with these people. I had hoped that, meeting my birth family, I might feel less alone, but I didn’t.
They were calmly discussing murdering people, eliminating people for something those people had no control over, and the only reason they didn’t was to avoid inbreeding. I thought I might be sick.
Gregory shook his once-again empty glass, tension lining his face.
“Emeline, with this contract with Collin, it wouldn’t pertain to you,” Phillip told me, cutting into his food. “In the eyes of the system, you wouldn’t be eligible for elimination.”
They all resumed eating in silence. I just stared at my plate of food, provided to plump me up, priming me for breeding another one of them.
That was my life’s purpose: to break myself apart within the cage they created for the Minor women. A meek, compliant woman. Either produce an Elite offspring and be thrust into the next mating contract, or produce someone like me and be cast aside. My heart slammed against my chest, raging.
“Murdered,” I said, not looking up from my plate.
“Emeline,” Helen said delicately—a warning.