Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
margaret
“You don’t really hate Benedict, do you?”
Four days passed since the party. Four days since I’d had my little rendezvous with Gideon.
And for four days, I’d been choking the question back, but it had finally come out. A girl could only stay curious for so long! She’d literally STABBED the guy weeks ago, and yet she did god knows what to him in the streets at midnight? I was confused.
Katherine didn’t even look up from the dish she was scrubbing. We’d been on kitchen duty since the party, and I didn’t mind. I was used to doing work like this.
It reminded me of home. Cleaning. Cooking. Keeping my head down.
Was it the riveting work I expected would be part of joining the resistance? No.
But it wasn’t awful. And if it helped the defiance, then so be it.
Shrugging, she pursed her lips. “I’ve never really hated him. Why would you think that?”
A guffaw escaped me. “Are you kidding?”
She handed me the wet dish and picked up another, scraping tonight’s dinner—pork and berries; may that delicious pig forgive me for my sins—off the surface. “Why would I be kidding?” She frowned at the soapy water. “He’s my claimed. Of course I don’t hate him.”
“It sure seemed like he hated you. And vice versa. I guess you don’t really act like you like each other.”
“We’re very different people,” she explained. “I admit, I was skeptical when I was first brought to the Ministry. But Benedict is kind. Pure. And he took care of me.”
I blinked rapidly. I’d never heard her speak of Benedict in any way that wasn’t foul. “That’s why you claimed with him?” I asked. “Did you fall in love with him?”
Still focused on the soapy dishes, she smiled. “Love is a strong word. I don’t think it’s safe to love anyone in this world. But I grew fond of him, yes. And when the chance came to perform the claiming and get out of those dungeons, I took it. We took it.”
“Interesting.” I sucked in a breath and tamped down on my next question, but it forced its way out of me anyway. “What changed, then? Because you obviously have very different world views.”
Katherine was a fighter for the Ministry. Even here—even scrubbing dirty plates from the resistance’s dinner, she sided with them. With Director. With the people who were locking up mystics and murdering earthlies.
She stayed quiet long enough that I was certain she wouldn’t answer. I wouldn’t have blamed her. We weren’t exactly the type of friends who discussed this sort of thing.
After she handed me the next plate, she blurted, “Benedict and I grew up under very different circumstances. Benedict has…well, he has hope. It’s what keeps him fun and light. But it also causes delusions. It gives him this overwhelming sense that he can do the right thing.”
The way her lip curled when she said right implied that she didn’t believe such a thing existed.
And that broke my heart a little.
“How is it that you and Athena are so different?” I asked. “You were raised together, yet she’s clearly against the Ministry.”
“She doesn’t even know what she’s fighting against,” Katherine snapped. She let go of the dish she was washing and gripped the edge of the sink with her wet hands. “Sorry. It’s just… Athena was taught to fear the Ministry. But look at her. Look at what she’s done.”
My chest tightened. “It isn’t her fault that she was born with strong magic.”
“Maybe not. But she hid it for years, assuming the Ministry just wanted to tarnish her. She could have turned herself in. She could have gotten help before she murdered our entire family.”
A heavy silence fell over us, and pain radiated through my chest. I hadn’t really considered that she’d also lost her family. Siblings. Parents.
And in her mind, Athena was at fault.
“Is that why you don’t get along with Benedict? Because he wanted to help Athena?”
“It isn’t just that.” She picked up the dish and handed it to me, then moved on to the next, her hands tense.
I’d struck a nerve. And—I would never say this to her face—but Katherine did scare me a bit, so I considered backpedaling.
Before I could, she sighed. “It’s because he’s so sure he’s right. He’s so sure the Ministry is evil. He won’t even consider that they’re trying to save mystics, not destroy them.”
“Forcing mystics to have sex so their magic will be stronger? That’s considered saving them?”
“Nobody forced me to claim with Benedict. We just… I don’t know. We both wanted it. Though after the claiming is when he started to change.”
“When he started to hate Director, you mean?”
She sighed heavily, her thin collarbones rising and falling under her black tank top. “I guess.” With a frown, she used her wrist to brush her hair from her face. “Why are you so interested in this stuff, anyway?”
I lifted a shoulder and set the now dry plate on the stack. “I don’t know. I just can’t wrap my mind around how you two seemed to absolutely hate each other’s guts, but then the other night…”
My throat constricted. Oh no. No, no, no—
“The other night what?”
“He seemed nice to you at the party,” I blurted. I absolutely did not see you get on your knees and perform unspeakable acts on him.
“It’s complicated,” she said. “We may disagree, but that doesn’t lessen the connection we share. It goes beyond any argument, any so-called hatred. You’ll understand it once you’ve performed the claiming.”
God. The thought alone felt wrong. Criminal, even. Did people even claim of their own free will? Or was it a bizarre ritual performed only by the Ministry?
Maybe regular people out there didn’t mind getting freaky with the person they loved under the beautiful blood moon with glowing white butterflies and twinkling stars.
That surely sounded more romantic than whatever the heck was going on in this place.
“You two!” A dark-haired girl I’d seen a handful of times marched into the kitchen. The wet plate I’d been focused on drying slipped from my hands and clattered onto the wooden counter.
“Jeeezuss!” I cried, clutching my chest. “Indoor voices, please!”
She glowered at me. “You’re being reassigned. Head to the archives.”
“The archives?” Katherine asked. “We were told not to enter that building.”
“Plans change. Valerea’s orders. I wouldn’t keep her waiting if I were you.”
Shit. Whatever this was, it didn’t sound good.
The woman left, and the wind shut the door with a bang behind her, leaving us with a pile of unwashed dishes.
“This can’t be good,” Katherine muttered. “Something must be wrong.” She wiped her hands on her white cloth apron and raised it over her head.
I did the same, following her to the door. “Don’t think like that,” I told her. “It could be nothing. There’s no reason to panic until—”
She opened the door and I stopped in my tracks.
For the first time since we’d made it to this secret little village in the valley, I sensed chaos. No, I didn’t just sense it.
It poured over us. Citizens ran down the streets; men yelled orders in the distance. People bumped into one another and hurried in opposite directions.
All right. Maybe there was reason to panic.
Katherine shot me a see what I mean? glance.
“Oh, please,” I spat, even as trepidation ran through me. “We both know you have a pattern of being a slight pessimist. Forgive me for—”
“Margaret! Katherine!” Carter yelled from down the street. “This way! They’re looking for you!”
Confused—why on earth were they summoning us?—we ran toward Carter.
He led us down the street to the very last building.
I’d peered in the small window out front once, but I’d never been inside. I was too much of a wimp to break a rule that seemed like it would have dire consequences.
I was no goody-two-shoes, but I had survival instincts, all right? Besides, Elijah would have killed me if I’d done anything to endanger myself further.
As we approached the door, Valerea waited for us, holding the door open. “Come in.” Her voice was quiet. Almost respectful, even.
Inside, the chaos from the streets nearly disappeared completely. Warm, glowing light filled the wooden, cabin-like structure. Delicately crafted quilts hung around the walls, warming up the place, creating a cozy ambiance.
Then there were the books—dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. More than I’d ever seen.
And then there was him.
Gideon stood in the middle of the room wearing a white undershirt and black pants he’d clearly been training in. His knees and his shoes were scuffed with dirt, and a line of sweat trailed down the middle of his chest.
But his glossy black hair curled perfectly, per usual, glistening under the lantern light.
And his dark eyes were locked on me, sending a strange electric thrill running through me.
“There you are.” His voice was low and calm, yet it was commanding. “Just the woman I wanted to see.”
“You summoned us, so here we are,” I said. “What’s this about?”
He held my gaze a second or two longer before his focus slid to one side. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Katherine,” he said. “I’m Gideon.”
Katherine’s head snapped my way, her eyes widening. She would certainly have some choice words about this when we were alone. “Gideon,” she repeated, turning back to him. “The pleasure is mine.”
They shook hands quickly. Formally.
Then his attention was on me again. “I hate to pull you away from your work, but there’s been some news. I’m afraid I’m heading out on another mission, and I’d like you to come with me, Margaret. You as well, Katherine.”
“A mission?” I asked, my heart taking off at a gallop. “Why does that sound so…secret spy-like?”
I cringed the moment the words were out. I probably should have kept my mouth shut—especially in a very cramped room filled with scary, serious-looking individuals I got the impression that did not like me.
Or want me there.
Or both.
But Gideon only smiled. It was a nice smile. And my legs turned to jelly.