Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
Emilia
Claudia leads me to a tall, three-storey Victorian detached house. Its brick walls are dark with grime, and every window—the bays, the arched ones, even the small circular one at the eaves—is boarded up, the glass cracked and jagged.
A wrought-iron gate dangles from its remaining hinge, and Claudia beckons me to follow her inside.
The front garden is a jungle of weeds and brambles, littered with broken glass and the same debris that litters every street the State hasn’t claimed for themselves.
She leads me around the edge of the house, pointing out obstacles to avoid.
The door we approach is faded black, with a heavy padlock hanging from a metal bar, but Claudia isn’t deterred.
Instead, she lifts the metal out of the way, reaching behind and fiddling with something before she pushes the door open.
“Come on,” Claudia says softly, gesturing for me to enter.
Tentatively, I follow her inside the dark room, arms hanging by my sides, ready for anything.
My eyes immediately fall on a boarded-up window that’s barricaded with metal, the only light coming from a swinging yellow bulb above.
Claudia shrugs off her jacket, dumping it on top of blue cabinets before grabbing the dirty dishes beside it and shoving them into a double metal sink.
At the far end of the room, a spiral staircase disappears to a floor above, and a refrigerator hums to my left. My lips part as I try to take it all in as a quiet hum of voices filters from the wide, wood framed doorway to the right, a bright glow coming from beyond.
“This way,” Claudia says, urging me towards the archway with her hand. She smiles reassuringly. “No one will bite.” I swallow my nerves and ignore the urge to wring my hands together. Lifting my chin, I follow her through.
It’s huge. The rest of the ground floor has been knocked into one, broken bricks visible where a wall used to stand, the ceiling held up by a metal contraption.
The walls are a pale brown, muddied with dark marks and scuffs.
Closest to me, there’s a huge wooden table covered in papers and maps and pencils. Just beyond, there’s a worn brown sofa.
Three faces stare back at me—two curious, with small smiles, and the other glaring like I just shot her dog.
“Claudia?” the smiling girl with dark hair, brown eyes, and tattoos snaking across her bare shoulders murmurs, her brow lifting.
“This is Emilia,” Claudia says.
If looks could kill, the scowling brunette across the other side of the table would have murdered me already. Her eyes narrow, and her lips twist. “Why the fuck did you bring her here?” she snaps.
“Anna!” the man mutters.
Claudia shrugs. “Why not?”
“No one should know about this place,” Anna retorts.
“She’s on our side,” Claudia says.
“I don’t care.” She scoffs. “You didn’t need to drag her sorry ass here!”
“Well, aren’t you charming?” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest as my eyes continue to roam. The floorboards are bare, covered with a red hessian rug, and the shelves against the back wall are overloaded with stacks of papers.
“She’s an ally.”
“You had no right to make this decision,” Anna snaps. Her chair scrapes across the floor as she shoves to her feet. “Congratulations. Because of you, they’re going to find out about us.”
“No, they aren’t.” The tattooed girl rolls her almond-shaped eyes and leans forward, resting her arms on the table. “You’re such a fucking drama queen.”
“Claudia?” I pipe up. She turns to face me. “Where are we?”
“This is—”
“It’s none of your business,” Anna interrupts Claudia, her voice sharp.
“Please excuse Anna, she’s always a bitter bitch,” the man says, standing and crossing his arms, a smirk on his lips. His skin is pale, his eyes a glittering green. “I’m Kieran.”
“Bridget.” The tattooed girl gives me a sly wave. “Is Claudia telling the truth?”
“No comment,” I reply. “I don’t know you, your motives, or what you’re doing here.”
“Smart girl.” Kieran smiles, stepping back to lean against the sofa.
“Likewise,” Anna snaps. “Which is why I vote for her body to be delivered to the Enforcers’ quarters at the old university.
” I swear, if I wasn’t trying to hold it together so Claudia doesn’t change her mind and drag me away, this bitch would have my fist to answer to.
I bite the inside of my cheek and fight all my instincts, ignoring the brunette and gazing around.
There’s a staircase in the far corner of the room, leading down into a basement.
“You’re lucky I haven’t done that with yours,” Bridget retorts, rolling her eyes and standing. She walks around the table and holds her hand out to me. “It’s nice to meet you, Emilia.” I don’t say anything, just take her hand and slowly shake it.
“Does Jordan know about this?”
Claudia ignores Anna’s question and just smiles at me. I lift an eyebrow. “Seems I’ve outstayed my welcome.”
“Not at all,” she says. “Anna’s just… difficult.”
“Anna is standing right here,” the bitchy brunette snaps.
“And yet, we wish she weren’t,” Bridget says. “Come and sit down, Emilia.”
Slowly, I sink into one of the rickety wooden chairs around the table. She sits beside me, and Claudia perches on the surface of the table. Anna quickly swipes at the papers, trying to gather them into a pile, away from me.
“So… you live here?” I ask, ignoring Princess Petty’s glare.
“No.” Kieran shakes his head as he takes a seat across the table. “Bridget is married. And you know Claudia and Jordan are, too,” he explains. “The two of us”—he gestures between himself and Anna—“are still single, so we have rooms in Grafton and Brook House.”
“The State don’t know about this place?” Claudia shakes her head in answer. “So, what’s it for?”
“Just somewhere for us to hang out,” Claudia says softly. “Escape the real world. Pretend it doesn’t exist.”
“It’s more than that,” Bridget retorts, scooting onto the table beside Claudia.
“I’m easing her in.”
“Bridget!” Anna snaps, but everyone ignores her.
Bridget wiggles her brows at me. “This is our Safe House.”
I nod slowly.
“We keep everything we have on the State here,” Kieran adds.
“Kieran, I swear I’ll—”
“We haven’t achieved much so far, but we’re trying to fight back,” Bridget adds.
I lean forward. “You… what?”
“Only yesterday, Bridget managed to steal another gun.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “What?”
Claudia smiles. “She works in the weapons factory with Jordan. They take what they can get away with to boost our supplies.”
“Supplies,” I echo. “Supplies to…”
“Fight back,” Bridget fills in with a shrug.
“Against the State?” I clarify, my mind reeling.
“And you wanted to tell this girl, why?” Anna says, a cruel smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. “She’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the box, is she?”
“Fuck off,” I finally snap, but she doesn’t flinch.
Claudia rolls her eyes. “I seem to remember when Jordan told me about this place, I fainted. So shut it.”
“Told you about… this?”
Claudia nods. “He waited until he could trust me. If the State were to find out about this, every single one of us would wish for death before they were through with us.”
I exhale. “And you trust me?”
“No.” Everyone ignores Anna.
“I do,” Claudia says.
Bridget nudges her shoulder. “And if you’re good enough for Claudy, you’re good enough for me.”
“Me too,” Kieran says.
“Again, I ask, what. Did. Jordan. Say?” Anna’s voice is a grinding, grating, high-pitched whine that everyone seems to be well versed in tuning out, so I follow suit.
“And how do you fight?” I ask.
Claudia’s head tilts, but she smiles. “Baby steps, Em. I’ve shown you this—our greatest escape. Our true home,” she pauses, swallowing. “And I promise I’ll show you more. But can you give me time to tell Jordan I brought you here?”
My brow cocks. “He doesn’t want me to know?”
“He wanted to respect Zac’s wishes.”
“But Zac was going to tell me,” I argue.
She shrugs. “Jordan never heard that from him. They’re best friends. His loyalties are torn right now.”
“But yours aren’t,” Anna snipes. “Going behind his back—”
“Give it a fucking rest. Don’t you need to get some sleep?” Bridget snaps at her. “Give us a fucking break from your inane shit?”
“Torn?” I repeat under my breath. “It’s too late now, Claudia. I’m here!”
“Em—”
“No, seriously,” I cut her off, stepping closer.
“Baby steps? I’m sick of walking around blind.
What are you fighting for? Are you trying to take down the State?
How? Is there a bigger plan?” My chest tightens as I glance between Bridget and Kieran.
“Are there more of you?” Bridget watches me, tugging her lower lip between her teeth, but doesn’t say a word, and Kieran doesn’t either. Anna’s lips curl once more.
“It’s not that simple,” Claudia says, tone patient as though she’s talking to a child. As though she’s worried about how I’ll react.
“Of course it isn’t,” I snap. “You keep talking like there’s some huge revelation here, but you won’t let me see it.” I straighten in the chair. “You dragged me here, to show me what? A few badly painted walls, an old sofa, some stolen State documents, and you expect me to take this as hope?”
“It is,” she says quietly.
“Then show me,” I say, my voice cracking. “If this is so important to you—to Zac—then show me.”
An animalistic snarl squeezes through Anna’s lips. “Get her out of here.”
“Shut the fuck up—”
“Take her home, Claudia,” Anna interrupts me, her eyes blazing. “Before you regret bringing her here in the first place.”
Claudia scoots to the edge of the table, hopping down, eyes glassy as she reaches out, but I pull back.
“Emilia,” she murmurs, pleading. “I will. I will. Just not tonight.” She swallows, grabbing my hands before I can retreat any further.
“I promise, I’ll bring you back here. We’ll discuss everything. I just… Please let me tell Jordan.”
For a moment, I want to fight back. To argue and demand the truth that they all keep trying to hide. But when I look into her eyes, they shine with a dark depth that I’ve never seen before. She’s begging me.
Claudia hasn’t left my side in over a week.
She’s looked after me when she hardly even knows me.
She’s sat with me through the worst nightmares.
It was her and Jordan who found me by the train tracks, a whole bottle of vodka deep and done with everything.
It’s her who brought me here, cracking open their secrets, even if just a little.
Maybe, just for a day… I can give her time.
I breathe out slowly, force my shoulders to relax, and nod.
“Fine.” She visibly relaxes, nodding before letting go of one of my hands and leading me by the other.
Just before Claudia and I reach the kitchen, something cold coils around my arm, tugging me to a stop.
I glance back, eyes narrowing as they fall on Princess Petty.
“You better keep your mouth shut,” Anna snaps.
“About what?” I retort, ripping my arm from her grip, my patience shattering. “Your bitchiness?”
“Let her go, Anna,” Kieran says. The girl’s jaw twitches, but she relents, shooting me a final glare before heading to the sofa. “We’ll see you again soon, Emilia.” Kieran offers a kind smile, and Bridget waves at me, a somewhat satisfied smirk on her lips.
I duck my head, following Claudia into the pitch black of the night. As she leads me into the alleyway, my eyes flicker to the sky.
And there, straight above us, Lyra sparkles through the darkness for everyone to see. At the edge, Vega burns brightest, twinkling a fierce, silvery gold, mirroring the small, stubborn spark that has ignited inside my chest.
Hope.