37. Raelyna #2
“Well, you don’t have much time. I passed two cohorts of RSG about four blocks down, making their rounds this way for curfew. So I’d suggest you make this the short version of the story.”
“Oh, um . . . okay. Well, um—” I glanced toward my friends, who smiled encouragingly, which didn’t actually help me at all.
“The short version, right. Aurum Quarter will be taking Solis in four days, and all those who have fallen to the lies and corruption spread by the royal family and the gods they’ve created will fall with the Quarter. ”
A chorus of alarmed shouts rose up from the gathering of people in my apartment, and I realized that may not have been the topic to lead with.
It was Iver who stood up then, calming everyone in the apartment as he shot me a brief, disappointed look before speaking.
“Long ago, a few others and I became aware of the corruption spreading from the royal family. Lies and cover-ups. Ancient texts began to disappear, and the Eternal—the god who created the City of Gold long before The Rift divided Aurelia—began to shift from reality to childhood lore. They implemented a new marking system, altered our religion, and made the citizens of Solis dependent on their politics.”
A murmur of voices broke out at this, but one voice stood out above the others. “We would remember if this happened.”
“Would you?” he asked. “This began long before many of us could remember our first words, centuries and centuries ago—stemming long before The Rift even appeared.”
He turned, looking over the close friends we’d gather in this room.
“A small group of us have been fighting against the corruption, hiding those who believe in the Eternal as Lucanus hunts them, helping where we can. It hasn’t been nearly enough, but we’ve taken a stand, the only way we could, while we, too, were trapped within the walls built around us. ”
“So why tell us now? Right before everything goes to shit?” a younger voice asked, and this time, I stepped in answering the question.
“Because we have another option. I can’t give you many more details, but there’s a way we can make it out of this alive.”
The chorus of murmurs rose, chatter stemming in all directions as the small group of those we’d gathered began to talk amongst themselves, reeling at the information we’d briefly provided.
“You don’t have much time left, if you hope for everyone here to make it home safely before the RSG arrives,” Iver stated in a sharp tone as he looked at me, and I nodded.
“Listen.” I spoke loud enough to garner the attention of those in the room with me.
“I know it’s not much to go off of. And trust me, I know there’s far more going on than meets the eye.
All I can say is that we have been lied to, deceived, and led astray for the majority of our lives.
To the point where even the gods we dedicated so much of our lives to .
. . aren’t real. And I can say that, because when you choose to seek the truth, the truth will find you. ”
With a shaky breath, I pulled up the sleeve of the sweatshirt I was wearing, exposing my arm, making the golden markings visible to everyone.
“These markings appeared when I sought the truth that has been hidden from us. For so long, we have been surviving in injustice—watching those we love get their wings clipped and freedoms stripped, all while those who are marked higher have been seeking to take power from us.”
Iver signaled to me from across the room, impatiently tapping his watch in a movement that had me sighing in frustration.
“We’ve been informed that my apartment will be marked safe during the attack in a few days. Anyone who is inside at the time of the attack will survive to see another day.” I took a shaky breath before continuing. “This is us, extending the invitation to be in this space the day of the attack.”
Another cry of murmurs and concerns arose from our family and friends, but one question stood above the others.
“What does this even mean for us? If we stay here and live, will it really be worthwhile to survive only to be at the mercy of another Quarter—starting over once again and leaving what we know behind?”
“What if we don’t believe you?” a voice shouted as a male stood up, anger blatant across his features. “The gods—the true gods . . . they wouldn’t turn their backs on us like this. They wouldn’t allow this. You’re spewing lies to frighten us because the enemy is surrounding us.”
“You don’t have to believe me—believe us,” I stated as I gestured toward my friends. “You can leave at any point if you don’t wish to be here.”
“The Guild,” the man spat. “They’ve gotten to you. They’ve corrupted your mind with nonsense. The gods will punish you for this!” he shouted as he stormed out of the apartment, and my hands shook.
“If you are here the night before the attack.” Finn stepped up, speaking for me as I continued to stare at the closed door in shock.
“It means you willingly choose to move to Aurum, to accept their rules and turn back to Aeternus—the Eternal—who created the true City of Gold that Aurelia once was. We are leaving the decision to each of you, but the doors close at ten p.m. in three days.”