23. Ash
Chapter 23
Ash
“Ten more.”
I had already been on the ground for what felt like hours, doing exercises to strengthen my body. My arms shook and would give out any second, and Kane still demanded more.
“I hate you,” I said through tortured breaths, pushing my body to its breaking point. Chest to the floor and then rise. Nine more… Then he would make me do some other backbreaking movement.
“Good.”
He wouldn’t find my ability this way. The only time it showed up was when I fought, when my panic and fear got the best of me. I made it to the ground, and my whole body shook. No matter how hard I pushed, my muscles wouldn’t respond until I collapsed on the ground—the first sign of failing Kane had seen.
“You need to eat more. You have no strength. ”
No kidding, asshole. Eating had been a problem since arriving. The food looked and tasted delicious…the few bites I ate. I couldn’t seem to find my appetite. “I eat plenty, thank you. It’s your unrealistic expectations that are the problem.”
He snorted. “Don’t lie to me, Blondie. Your plates go back to the kitchen untouched almost every night.”
I kneeled from my prone position on the floor with a gaping mouth. How the hell did he know that? Jerek. It had to have been him. Either he or one of his men was always outside my door. I gathered that he and Kane were close, seeing as how Jerek often worked out on the opposite side of the building when Kane allowed no one else in.
“Don’t you have better things to do than monitor my eating habits like a creep?” It was only my seventh day of training with Kane, and I already wanted to rip his throat out.
He crouched down beside me, and the corner of his lip twitched. I had never seen him smile, only smirk, and I wondered what it would be like to see him genuinely smile…or perhaps laugh.
“You would think,” he mused. “Now hurry up and finish, so I can get back to more important things.”
I glowered at him, but finished my remaining push-ups, after much struggling. He dismissed me, and I turned to leave with Jerek by my side. Before we left the room, Kane called out.
“Eat your food, Blondie…”
I held up a crude gesture for him without turning around.
The breakfast that Ryan brought after Kane’s sadistic torture was over sat in front of me on the table. The eggs and bacon had gone cold. I stared at the plate with a mixture of nausea and hunger rolling through my stomach. I was starving, but every time I looked at a plate of food I thought about all those people back in Cedar Hill—the ones who starved to death over the long winters from lack of sustenance. I thought about all the people that had died to bring me such food, and I couldn’t eat it. This was the second time I tried to sit down and eat this morning, heeding Kane’s warning, but I still couldn’t manage it. Even after a hot bath, the food reminded me of all the people I couldn’t help, and it turned my stomach sour.
I shoved the plate away and sprinted to the bathroom. I pulled out the book that Nan had given me from Pop. I had stashed it in the wall where the warm air came from, after I had pried the vent off. I had yet to read any of it.
In the toilet room, I locked the door and sat down to read. The aged leather covering the pages had worn away with time. It wasn’t big. It fit right in the palm of my hand. I opened it for the first time, revealing yellowed pages with barely legible words. The pages were crinkled around the edges from where the water of the river touched them. Thankfully, the main parts were still decipherable.
There was a sentence scribbled inside the front cover in Pop’s handwriting that stilled my beating heart .
Honey buns, warmed up with extra butter and raspberry jam made with the wild raspberries from the head of the Aspen River.
My mouth fell open. Silas had said those exact words to me that night in Three Forks. Did Silas know Pop? I jumped to my feet and paced the small room, searching for further answers.
I analyzed and studied the words for hours under the flickering glow of the toilet-room light. Even when Ryan brought lunch, I told her to go away. I was busy, devouring the secrets that Pop had left behind for me. A structure for a new country, based on the writings of the country that fell before Novum existed—before a King existed. Every part of it was brilliant. No wonder he told me I could change the world with its contents. The book contained everything one needed to start a new democracy. It included locations and names, but I couldn’t identify what they were for. I could only think of one thing—that the names were part of the blonde rebellion, and if Pop had this book, that meant… it’s not possible. The world spun around me. Pop had always been part of the blonde rebellion. I sank onto the toilet once more and stared at the wall.
It felt like another stab of betrayal. Pop had been part of this all along, and he knew who I was. He knew about the blonde rebellion, and he never told me. He died too soon. That was the reason he never told me, or at least that was what I told myself so it didn’t hurt so much.
I read more and found political words I didn’t quite understand. I wished for a book with definitions, so I could dig deeper into some meanings. Did Maximus have a room with books in his mansion?
Late in the afternoon, after long hours of reading, my eyes and backside ached from sitting on the hard seat. There was one name and place listed that was in Hope, and I knew that was where I had to go for more answers. I stuffed the book back into the wall and entered my room. It was time to get out of here. I yanked the door open, and Jerek stood in the hallway, showered from our workout session this morning.
“Princess?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“I’m dying of boredom. I’d like to go on a tour, please.”
He sighed. “As you wish, but get a coat. It’s damn cold outside.”
I quickly grabbed a coat from my closet, and Jerek led me around on a tour of the mansion, pointing out certain areas of the house. I was careful to note them, in case I needed to remember them later.
Relief bled from my body when we finally pulled the door open to the outside. The winter air bit my skin, and I relished it. Soldiers moved along the outer wall, making their rounds about the estate. I peered past the wall and up the mountain, wishing to escape, but that wasn’t my objective today. What help would I have been outside these walls? The greatest impact I could make was within them. I couldn’t leave the belly of the beast… Not yet—not when I hadn’t stolen its heart.
We strolled around the grounds, Jerek pointing out buildings as we went, mostly soldiers’ barracks. Another soldier stopped Jerek to discuss a matter, and I pretended to lean against a wall, bored as ever, until he finally took his eyes off of me. I ducked around the corner as soon as he wasn’t looking.
I slinked through the buildings to make my way back to the small brick building we had passed earlier with MEDICAL painted on the outside. Taking one last breath of the sharp winter air, I cracked the door open and peeked inside.
The space appeared the same as last time, except soldiers scattered about the room idly spoke to one another, waiting to be seen. Various wounds marred their bodies—a cut needing stitching here and a finger hanging at an odd angle there. No way I could sneak through the room unnoticed.
The door softly closed, and I rounded the building to find a back entrance. The door was locked, so I hid in the shadows. Hopefully, someone would come out before Jerek raised too much alarm. As I waited, the wind stirred against my skin. My fingers were red from the cold, and I rubbed my hands together. It was the most I had felt in days, and I longed to stay out in the cold weather, even if it froze me to death.
Voices sounded from the other side of the door, and I pressed my back into the wall. The girl from the desk the first night. She strode out without a second look back, and I stuck my foot in the door before it closed. A stretch of hallway weaved down either side of the entrance, with various doors lining the hall—examination rooms for patients. Doctor Jones had to have an office in this building somewhere; I just had to find it. I picked the direction that looked more promising and slipped down the hallway.
Each door showed a number until I got to one that read Doctor Jones. Feet shuffled from down the hallway—it was now or never. I pulled the door open to find the office empty and slipped inside. The doctor had to have records of patients. He looked old enough that he may have some from when I was born. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but there had to be answers in here about me—about the blonde people with abilities. Filing cabinets sat against the back wall of the office, and I pulled the first one open. Files and files of names shone back at me but none that I recognized. I pulled open a second drawer to see more of the same. Footsteps sounded outside the door, getting closer and closer. Damn. I hadn’t had enough time. I threw myself in the chair across from the desk just as the door opened and Dr. Jones strode in.
His eyes widened in surprise, and I hid my racing heart by picking at my too-short nails.
“Princess?” His eyes darted around the room, looking for anything out of place. “What are you doing here?”
I shrugged. “I was told to come for a check-up on my leg and shoulders.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and shut the door with his back. “And you couldn’t check in with the front desk?”
“They didn’t want me to be seen.”
“Then where are your guards?” He glanced at the filing cabinets again. I kept my eyes on him. It would only raise his suspicion more if I followed his eyes.
“The buffoons…” I guffawed. “They’re waiting outside.”
“Mmm…” he replied, inspecting me too closely. “I’m not sure why you are here, but I’m afraid you won’t find what you’re looking for in my office.” He raised a questioning brow.
“Where’s Emma?” I asked.
“Safe.”
“How can I know?”
His lip quirked. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? ”
Our eyes battled. He knew something. He had to. He was the doctor, and he knew about blondes. The question was, how much control did the King have over him? How much did he care? I didn’t want to reveal my hand first.
“Well…I guess I’ll go alert the guards, then,” he said, turning toward the door.
“Wait.” I had to ask the right questions, or all would be lost. “How did Emma know about the tooth in my leg?”
“That is a very dangerous question. One that could get us both killed if the information falls into the wrong hands. Are you willing to die for answers, Ash?”
I snorted. “The better question would be whether I was willing to live for them.”
He looked me up and down. “Are you okay?”
“I haven’t been okay for a long time, Doc. How much do you know about blondes?”
He looked as if he felt sorry for me, but then he finally answered. “More than most. I have studied them for years.”
“Are they all like Emma, with special abilities?”
“Yes, I have never met a light-haired person without a unique talent.”
“How is it possible?” I asked.
“The virus that obliterated the population… You’ve heard of it?”
I nodded.
“It was unlike anything the world had ever seen before. The virus attacked the brain, altering the patient’s very pattern of thinking. It caused vivid hallucinations and affected the central nervous system so much that victims were known to die from heart attacks from stress. It was terrible. The documentation I have read from years ago said that one day a person would be fine, and the next they would act as if they had gone insane, only to die the next day. Our ancestors’ technology was far superior to ours. They had the ability to create a vaccine that they administered throughout the world.” He shook his head. “But that’s where they went wrong. You see…as a blonde person, you have a unique gene mutation that causes yellow hair. The vaccine reacted with the mutation, and most often, the virus plus the vaccine killed the victims in less than a day, but in special cases, it made the mutation stronger. It altered the DNA, so much so that blonde people obtained special abilities. Heightened hearing, better vision, more endurance, stronger muscles…to name a few. Every blonde person still alive is descended from these people.”
My brain seemed to stutter as it tried to wrap around all the new information.
“What about people with darker blonde hair than mine? Mine is hard to cover because it’s so bright, but the waters have to get murky. I’ve only ever seen anyone with dark, red, or gray hair.”
“Yes, that seems to be a problem the King faces. Some people are hiding their abilities because their hair is dark enough to hide the blonde, and others have figured out how to dye it. It seems only the virus knows who truly has the mutated gene of the blondes and gifts them with superior senses.”
He looked away as if he was ashamed. “I have found a way to test for it in their blood, and if soldiers find someone suspicious, we will test them. It seems most who are wary of being tested have moved to the outskirt towns to hide better.”
Testing for blonde abilities, mutated DNA, and heightened senses. It was all so foreign and new to me. It was like the world that I once knew was changed, and I was living in an alternate universe. I’d gone from living in the backwoods, hunting for my food, to moving to what could be considered a castle and finding out I have superpowers because I’m a freak. My head swam with all the new information.
“Is the virus truly gone?”
“Yes, as far as I can tell. I have never seen anyone sick with it. Those who survived have a natural immunity to it that is passed down—natural selection if you will.” Jones scratched his head like he was thinking all of this over as he spoke.
“That’s why Maximus is so hell-bent on eliminating blondes?” I asked.
“Not eliminating, Princess. Only capturing. He says they disrupt the natural balance of life.”
“And you work for him?” He seemed kind and sympathetic.
He cringed and looked away. “Not willingly. I would not be telling you all of this if I were on his side.”
“Then why’re you still here?”
“You cannot tell anybody about this conversation. Do you understand? Not even your fiancé.”
“I understand. I would never put Emma at risk.”
“Good. Neither would I. Emma is my daughter.”
“But… How?” I peered at his dark hair.
“I was young and idealistic once, but then I met Emma and started questioning the King. I saved her from the Pit when she was abandoned there as a baby, and my wife and I have raised her ever since.”
“The Pit?”
“Yes, it’s where all the blondes are.”
Loud knocking sounded from a few doors down, and boots stomped across the floor .
“We don’t have time to discuss it right now. Someone is coming.”
He jumped up and grabbed a bag from a shelf behind his desk and kneeled in front of me to pretend to inspect my leg, when Jerek barged into the room.
“Yes, it looks as if it has healed well,” Jones said.
“Princess!” Jerek exclaimed. “What the hell?”
“Sorry, I got bored of you droning and decided it was time to pull my stitches out.”
Jerek glowered at me as Jones began to pull the few stitches out. I sat in silence as he worked, Jerek glaring at me the whole while.
“All done,” Jones finally stated and stood.
I nodded to him. “Thank you.”
Jerek and I left the office without another word. I had learned only a few pieces of the puzzle, but it was something.
“Can we go down into the city?” I asked as we walked out of the medical building.
“Are you going to disappear again?”
“Not as long as you don’t start talking again.”
“You’re ridiculous.” He snorted.
We descended the hill into the city, and I marveled at the surrounding wonders. This wasn’t some random tour of the city though. I had a reason for being here. Jerek followed me quietly as we walked the streets, me quietly searching for the street name listed in Pop’s book as I pretended to look at things that interested me. We wandered in and out of buildings, the people all eyeing us skeptically as we passed. Some glared with unashamed hatred on their faces and others with weary indifference.
We encountered other soldiers in one shop, and while Jerek spoke to the shop owner, I overheard their conversation.
“She’s a sick freak,” one said.
“I wonder how Wavern is holding up? I would have killed her myself by now, as would most of the other soldiers I know.”
“King Broderick is doing the right thing. He’s never let us down before; we just have to trust him.”
Then, they both mumbled in agreement before leaving. It was clear that soldiers and people in Hope alike had extreme respect for their King. They liked their lives and the way things were. I was the outlier. It was clear on every face we passed that afternoon: they trusted the King, but they also hated me.
Finally, late in the evening, we found the place I had been searching for, a tiny building squished between others, with a hand-painted sign out front that said DENNY’S BAKERY. Heavenly smells wafted out of the door as someone left, and I turned to Jerek. “Can we go in, I’m starving?” I asked, though I was afraid of any more hatred I would encounter inside.
He raised a brow at me in question, then sighed. “I supposed that’d be fine. You’ve been dragging me around all day, and my stomach is about ready to eat itself.”
We entered the small bakery. Piles of bread and baked goods occupied the countertops in the front of the space. A few tables were scattered about the floor, but we were the only people in sight until an older gentleman came out of a door that must’ve led to the kitchen. He looked at us with kind eyes and smiled as we approached the counter. Then he seemed to catch sight of my hair under my warm hat. His mouth fell slightly agape.
“What can I get for you?” he asked once he collected his jaw from the floor.
“This place smells heavenly,” I said with a smile. “Are you Denny?”
“That’d be me. Been baking bread since before I could walk.”
I chuckled and inspected my choices.
Jerek rattled off the things he wanted, and I waited until he was done before I spoke.
“Can I have a honey bun, warmed up, with extra butter and raspberry jam?” I left out the Aspen River part because I thought that might sound suspicious to Jerek. If the phrase meant anything to Denny, he’d get the point.
His eyes shot up and met mine as I said the words exactly as they were written in Pop’s book. I came looking for this man in this very store exactly like what was written in the book. I was sure anyone else would have hatred in their eyes, possibly to the point of not even serving me. But I was here for him, a friend among the enemy. An enemy that stood right beside me in black clothes with a gun strapped to his chest. Jerek couldn’t know.
Denny held out his hand for payment. “You know, I used to know a man that came in here often that ordered the exact same thing.”
My eyes widened. Who was he speaking about? “He must’ve had good taste,” I replied.
He hummed, and Jerek handed over some gold pieces. Denny collected them and began preparing our order. “Have a seat, and I’ll bring your food in a moment. ”
We sat down at one of the tables, and Jerek spoke. “I didn’t know you were so picky about your bread, Princess. Last time I checked, you barely ate anything.”
I picked at my nails, acting bored. “About that. Would you please stop telling Kane if I eat or not? It’s none of his business.”
He chuckled, but didn’t say anything.
Denny brought our food on wooden plates and set it before us. He eyed me skeptically again and went back to sweeping the floor behind the counter. Jerek dove in, shoving his bread into his mouth, while I picked at a few bites of mine.
“I’m going to ask for some water,” I said, standing, and Jerek waved me off while devouring his food.
I stepped toward the counter, and Denny glanced between me and Jerek.
“Can we get some water, please?” I asked.
He nodded and began to rifle around for some cups. “Where did you hear that order?” he asked quietly.
“A book given to me by Henry Evans.”
His eyes widened in shock. “Henry. I haven’t seen him for years.”
He knew Pop? I felt like crying. “He passed away almost five years ago.”
His eyes fell. “I know who you are, Princess. The fact that you have the book and you knew Henry means that you must be here to help, but the rebellion in Hope has been dead for years. It died the day Henry and Liam disappeared. I’m the last one in Hope; everyone else fled. This city is full of people who worship the King and would die for him without a second thought.”
“Then you know something about the rebellion?”
“I used to help smuggle blondes out of Hope and bring information to the rebellion along with Henry, but all that went away when he disappeared. The order you gave me, it’s a secret phrase. Henry was clever. He set up safe houses all around the western part of Novum. He mostly used cafés or eateries of some sort. If someone used that order, then the owner knew they had to protect them. Henry was trying to find somewhere safe for the blondes to go. He had a lot of people willing to follow him against the King. He was a great man, Princess.”
My eyes stung with unshed tears.
“Are they still out there, the safe houses and the rebellion?”
“Possibly. I don’t know. Many became too afraid to help after what happened with Liam’s blonde uprising and after Henry vanished. This part of the rebellion is like old blood. I’m not sure they’d be willing to help anymore, not without Henry.”
“What about Liam? Do you know where he is now?”
“There are stirrings of a new rebellion. One that is under Liam’s command, but I haven’t heard anything of him in years…until a few days ago. Rumors say he is back in Hope, trying to get you back, and that the rebellion is still very much alive, but it’s not here anymore. It’s somewhere south.”
“Can you get a message to Liam?”
He nodded. “I can try.”
“Tell him his daughter is looking for him.”