Chapter 34
chapter
thirty-four
Haven
Ihave been sulking for days. As someone who claims they don’t care about anyone’s opinion, I certainly seem to give a damn about Ender’s.
It isn’t the worst thing he’s said to me, but it is the cruelest. I made myself believe that he was impressed with my skill, that the proud glint in his eyes when I won was genuine.
You’re nothing but a weak Common.
If only he knew I was Gifted, he would swallow his stupid words. Not that being a Common makes one unworthy.
I haven’t been to Block C in a while. I have Ender to thank for reminding me exactly where I belong. I feel guilty for not making a better effort to visit Sora. She was my first friend in this place. And it’s been months since we last spoke.
“Mercy!” Sora cries.
Her arms wrap around me the second I step into my old dormitory.
It’s strange to return here. Now that I am in better accommodations, I can tell how bad this place is.
Mold crawls along the ceiling, and sections of the plaster are bloated with old water, most likely from a busted pipe.
The mattresses are thin and riddled with loose springs.
“I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I am to blame for that,” I say. “I’m sorry I’ve been so terrible at visiting.”
“I suppose you won’t be able to answer any of my questions.”
I shake my head. “I’m afraid I cannot tell you much. Except…”
“What?”
“Rei and I are sort of friends,” I confess.
Sora gasps. Eyebrows shooting up to her hairline.
“Rei Carver, who tried to kill you every chance she got?”
“That Rei,” I say.
Sora’s mouth is gaping, and I playfully close it shut.
“There’s going to be a party tonight,” I say. “Rei mentioned this guy named Maxen throws a legendary gathering every so often. He’s the dorm leader and has access to the roof. It starts at midnight. Gifted-only, technically, but who cares.”
“What if Aric and the others are there?” Sora asks, chewing her bottom lip. “Won’t they make a scene?”
“Probably.” I shrug. “We’ll just avoid them and have a blast. Rei will be there. I’ll make her apologize for being mean to you.”
“I’d love to see that,” Sora says, with a sparkle in her eyes. “I’m in.”
I smile widely. Tonight is going to be fun.
“Hold still,” I say, tilting her chin up as she wriggles.
“I am!” Sora protests before she moves again.
I sigh. “You’re impossible.”
Finally done, I step back and grin. I skipped dinner to help Sora get dressed for this party. Her eyelids are thickly lined and dusted with a metallic shimmer. She’s wearing the standard sleepwear: cotton gray shorts and a matching t-shirt. As am I.
“The boys will lose their minds,” Sora says, eyeing me. “Might regret all their foolish taunts.”
I tied my shirt just below my breasts, revealing my midriff, and put on some makeup. My eyes appear sultry, and my lips look pouty.
“I hope they do,” I say. “You look stunning.”
Sora hides behind her hair, shyly.
“None of that,” I tease. “Humility is overrated.”
Sora giggles and follows me outside. We attempt to evade the enforcers as we walk to the meet-up point.
Ender has eyes everywhere. Ever since that failed settlement attack, we’ve been on lockdown. I notice them trailing us around the grounds like a mass of drones. There are whispers of a traitor, and the rumors make me nervous.
Once we reach behind the building, I look around for Rei.
A resounding sound echoes as someone hits my ass. I spin around to find Rei smirking at me.
“Sorry,” she says unrepentantly. “I couldn’t help myself.”
I smirk. “You’re a dog.”
Rei barks like one, making me laugh.
Flint isn’t with her; he’s recovering from a broken ankle and a few cracked ribs, which is far better than Tyson, who lost his left arm in the blast. Spider sustained a head wound.
Even Ender, someone who has always felt immortal and untouchable, got injured.
I felt sick when I saw him on that bed with his pale skin and rageful eyes.
Blood trickling down his face like a morbid poem.
My stomach churns as guilt floods through me like a broken dam.
War does nothing but spread violence and pain.
It eats away at both parties until nothing remains but ashes.
We were meant to learn from our mistakes.
After the nukes decimated our neighbors and the last president died, things were supposed to change.
The regime claimed that it would be a new chapter, one focused on peace and rebuilding everything we lost. It was the reason why they chose the sun to symbolize the dawn of a new era.
But everything they promised was a lie. It was a rotten apple filled with worms, crawling between the pale flesh and devouring everything in sight.
“Rei, you remember Sora?”
A pink tint crawls up Rei’s cheeks. Moonlight bathes her shaved head; she looks ethereal in the dark.
“I’m sorry about the whole thing with Aric,” Rei says, under her breath.
I elbow Rei. That was pretty bad.
“I was unkind and treated you both abominably,” she adds. “Being Gifted doesn’t make me better than you.”
“I accept your apology,” Sora says.
Rei’s shoulders loosen, and she tilts her chin in the direction of the forest.
“Come on,” she says. “I know a shortcut.”
Rei leads us through the trees toward the Gifted dorms.
Right when we reach the pavement, a man blocks our path.
“Now, where would you girls be going after curfew?”
Relief spreads through me when I see Grayson’s familiar face. It could have been so much worse.
“We’re lost,” Sora blurts.
Grayson raises a brow.
I don’t think she knows that Gray and I are friends. I snicker as he tilts his head to the side in an ‘are you kidding me?’ look.
“We’re going to a party,” I say. “Want to come?”
He keeps the serious expression for three more minutes before his lips curve into a smile.
“I could use a drink,” he says. “Ender has us all on these stupid rotations. The rebels aren’t foolish enough to attack the Forge.”
Sora’s eyes widen, surprised that he is not punishing us.
“Gray is a family friend,” I explain.
Grayson elbows me. “I had my tongue down your throat before, that hardly classifies me as just a ‘family friend’.”
Rei snorts, and Sora giggles.
Grayson guides us through the thicket, keeping us safe from the roaming enforcers.
He leads us up to the exit door. Music thrums low, vibrating from an old speaker as we step onto the roof.
Bodies are pressed together as the recruits unwind for the night, dancing lazily in each other's arms. There are couches stacked in the corner and several beer barrels scattered around, along with old glass cups likely stolen from the kitchens.
“Looks like we have trespassers,” Bronn drawls from a dark corner, smoke curling from his mouth.
His eyes are sharp and mocking. I haven’t seen him in a while. I wonder if he knows that his old friends are training to join Black Star while he wasn’t chosen. Aric sits in the middle, and Rigel is to his left.
I don’t know how they are enjoying themselves after what happened to Tyson.
I’ve spent the past few days visiting Spider, and each time I passed Tyson’s door, his weeping cries would reach me, and my heart ached for him.
The boys didn’t visit him; instead losing themselves in their strength-training and combat lessons.
“None of that,” Grayson says sternly. “The girls are with me.”
Aric looks like he wants to say something back, but he knows Grayson outranks him. He is a soldier, not a recruit, and the son of the lieutenant. They seethe, and I smirk at them as I head to the table and pour a cup of gin. I usually avoid drinking, but tonight, I want to let loose.
So much has happened during the past few weeks, and the stress of it all threatens to drag me under. Every night, I wonder if my bedroom doors will be pulled open and enforcers will march inside, dragging me to my fate.
There is so much risk involved with my role that it feels like only a matter of time until it all comes crashing down around me.
Grayson raises his cup in cheers. Sora and Rei drift away to give us privacy, approaching a group of boys. I can feel Grayson’s eyes locked on the side of my face.
“I’ve asked to remain in the Forge, but Ender is pushing to have me assigned to Division Five,” Grayson says. “I can’t stand him.”
I feel an inkling of guilt. I can’t help but feel like this is all my fault.
“Same,” I say.
“How are things with him and Mercy?” he asks. “He seemed attached to her during the engagement.”
“He knew it was me,” I say, taking another hearty sip of alcohol to burn away the memory of that night. “He knew all along.”
“What?” Grayson asks, confused. “How?”
I shrug. “He’s smart.”
Grayson curses under his breath.
“He is obsessed with you, Vee,” he says. “It frightens me.”
I chuckle, the sound rough and forced.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m serious.”
I grab his hand, pulling him towards the crowd.
“Let’s dance. I don’t want to speak about him.”
I want one night where Ender Vale is not the topic of conversation. I lead Grayson into the swarm of bodies. I can tell his mind is still hung up on the topic, so I place my hands on his shoulders and move his body.
“I don’t remember you being this stiff, Sullivan,” I tease.
Finally, he smiles.
“I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have fun without you,” he says. “I hated it when I had to leave my best friend behind.”
My eyes soften.
“I’m still here,” I say. “I’m always here for you.”
“Me too,” he says. “Sometimes during rotations, the men and I would sneak off to go to a bar. The soldiers would charm the ladies and rib me for not doing the same. But they don’t understand that once you’ve kissed Haven Warrick, no other woman compares.”
“No fair.” I pout. “You know how much I like being flattered.”
“Don’t I ever?” He chuckles.
I laugh and feel lighter than I have all week. At some point, Sora and Rei return, and I draw them into our circle.
Grayson keeps our cups full and keeps the Gifted from bullying us.
It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I don’t want the night to end.