Bound (The Guardians) Page 16

  The room has one large bed and a very small bathroom. There is an old projector that only gets one station. The show playing is a repeat of an old comedy film from two or three decades before my time. I flick it off and sigh loudly.

  My mother comes out of the bathroom, drying her light brown hair with a towel. She hears my moan and puts her hand on my shoulder. Trying to cheer me up she says, ‘Did you know we’re close to a place called Port Thion? It’s got beaches and food stands. I even hear there’s a carnival every few months.’

  ‘I know,’ I reply. This is the place Anrella got the cake that I took to Leo.

  Leo… I feel sick because I actually miss him. Has he gotten out of bed yet? I wonder if he knows I’m gone. Is he worried? He’s probably making that angry face he does. He’s going to be so upset with me when I go back… or… if I go back. Once more I sigh loudly, with a pain in my voice this time.

  ‘It’s going to be all right,’ my mother says softly. ‘You’re free now. We can start our own life. Maybe find a nice new home?’

  I’m not free. She doesn’t understand. The Guardians are like bloodhounds. They’ll sniff me out eventually.

  I scrunch my face. ‘Momma, I know Da has a history with the Guardians. I saw a picture from years ago with him and young Lord Neros. It’s time you tell me what happened. I need to know why he would become a MECH. I have to.’

  Mother sits gently on the bed and flicks her wet hair over her shoulder.

  ‘I think so too. I wanted to tell you, years ago, but your father wouldn’t have it.’ She gently crosses her legs and says, ‘When we first got united, before you were born, Noran was a water miner. Do you know what that is?’

  I shake my head. I’ve heard of it, but it’s never been explained to me.

  ‘It’s a technique that allows towns to gather water from underground springs to be used in their homes and for everyday use. It’s a delicate skill, finding streams and tapping into them. Plus there is the construction of the pipes which, in itself, is not easy. But he was good at it. So good in fact he was commissioned to tap into a water mine and create pipes, the biggest ever, for the most unbelievable of clients, the Guardians.’

  I stare at her intently.

  ‘But…the project… was a disaster,’ my mother says painfully. ‘The Tower isn’t simply the pointy pillars at the top. It has a large underground section as well. You probably know this better than me.’

  Not really. I have seen some of the underground areas like the kitchen, but I had no idea the crystal extended that deep.

  ‘During construction, crystal from those underground sections began to chip and fall into the water as they dug. Selyu, a small town east of Poridos, was also connected to that spring they were tapping into. The Selyu townspeople quickly became gravely ill from the fragments. The project team, including your father, was unaware of the damage they were causing. Within three days, almost everyone in that area was dead. Less than a handful survived and they were horribly crippled.’

  Mother closes her eyes. ‘Your father…he never forgave the Guardians for putting that blood on his hands. He never forgot the faces of those parents who stood out in the streets, holding their lifeless children, crying for help. He feels responsible, like he killed them himself.’

  I blink. ‘You could have told me this. We could have kept it a secret from Da.’

  She glances at me. ‘Well, it’s not a story that’s easy to tell. I was there too, you know? Back then I was a new wife not much older than you, listening to your father throwing up at midnight from the disgusting dreams he would have. And even after you were born, and our lives became so much richer, your father was still haunted by those dreams. Knowing that, how could I possibly ask him to relive those memories? Perhaps the emotional scars from those dead children are why he’s always been over-protective of you.’

  ‘And now he’s joined the MECHs to fight them - no kill them - to get revenge. Did the Guardians even know that this was happening? That people were getting sick and dying?’

  ‘Your father always believed that they did.’

  I think for a moment before asking, ‘Who was the leader of the Guardians back then?’

  ‘It was still Sir Dorkarn. However, those were his last few days in power. About a week after the poisoning he ordered the already installed water tunnels to be locked up and never used again. Then he stepped down and handed his leadership over to Lord Neros and Lady Lethia. The joy of a new leader swept the story of Selyu under the rug. All anyone could talk about was this beautiful new set of leaders, their adorable Successor son Arin and the big story of Lethia being pregnant with her second Successor child, Leo.’

  I scrunch my face. ‘But wouldn’t people still be asking questions about Selyu? Friends? Family?’

  ‘It was passed off as a highly localised virus. The town was cleared of any health scares, demolished and never spoken of again. It remains, in the history books, as an unsolved mystery. Believe it or not, the virus cover-up was bought by everyone, except your father. He lost all his drive and passion for his work. Then we lost all our money, we had to sell our Poridos home and eventually we landed in Pekkin,’ says Momma standing from the bed.

  Now things finally make sense. Why we had to move, why things have been so hard. Da lost his motivation because he knew the truth and was powerless to tell a soul. He knows what really poisoned those people. It’s clear as day that the Guardians covered it up. I can see why this hurt my father. I understand that someone has to be held responsible.

  But is that worth joining those creatures? He won’t get what he wants, the closure, by killing innocent people like the ones in Selyu. Demmi, Anrella, Soren…Leo, they’ve done nothing wrong. But they live under the label “Guardian”. Now their lives are in grave danger.

  I stand up and shuffle to the bed. Slowly, I slide in between the starched sheets. It doesn’t take long for Momma to join me and turn off her lamp light. It’s nice to be back with her, the smell of her sweet hair drifting over to me. But I can’t seem to close my eyes.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  When I wake up it’s barely sunlight. I feel like I haven’t slept at all. The bed is uncomfortable and I’m too stricken with confusion and panic to relax.

  I sheepishly stumble off the mattress and into the shower, changing back into my old clothes. Momma says to me we will get new clothes and continuously tells me not to worry. After a while it feels like she’s trying to reassure herself more than me. She has only what she can carry in a medium bag. I’m not sure if she plans to go back to the house. I don’t want to ask.

  Mother fishes around in the bag. She’s managed to grab some cereal from home and we eat it by hand from the box. After our slightly unsatisfying meal, we wander down to the shoreline. The smell of the salt air bushes against my face. I can hear the sound of the carnival in the distance. Even if Momma asked if I wanted to go and see it, I would probably say no.

  Before me on the dark sand I watch three children playing. Their parents sleep and sun-bake casually under a nearby tree. I see the children making something in the sand. A boy runs along the side of his sister and scoops more sand away. He’s building a tunnel. The other brother takes a small toy on wheels and rolls it down the other side. The little girl laughs as it gets wedged halfway, the two boys try to free it.

  I gasp, feeling cold.

  I mumble, ‘Tunnels…the tunnels… the underground pipes…’

  ‘What’s that?’ my mother asks me with her eyes closed and mouth soft.

  ‘Tunnels!’ I yell. She stares at me with a shocked face. I continue, ‘The water pipes Da built, they’re like tunnels, yeah? Of course! That’s how the MECHs got into the Tower. That’s how they broke into the vault. It was Da! He must have told the leader about the tunnels, Momma!’ I grab my face. ‘Oh, mighty, spirits! The Guardians and Sentry are focused on looking for the MECHs outside the Tower when the answer is underneath their noses! Everyone’s in danger!’

  My
mother turns to me. ‘What are you going to do?’

  I shake my head. ‘I don’t know, but I have to go back. I have to tell them. I know what has happened with Da is horrible, but I’ve made friends with the people there. The Tower is more than the Guardians. There are other brides and maids and Sentry officers…they’re like me, innocent. I have to at least give them a fighting chance. If the MECHs attack again in bigger numbers it’ll be a massacre. And if the Guardians fall, there’ll be no one to stop them. We’ll all end up like Da!’

  Momma glances at me and places her hands on my shoulders. Slowly she smiles. ‘You do what you need to. But I must keep travelling. The idea of painting new places is the only thing stopping me from checking into a mental ward.’

  ‘No, I understand,’ I reply. ‘You spent a long time in Pekkin putting up with Da’s crap, trying to look after me. You deserve to be happy.’

  ‘We all do. Oh, which reminds me,’ she says, sliding a ring off her hand. ‘I want to you have this. It was a present from my mother when I turned eighteen. Your birthday is only a few days away.’

  I blink. She’s right, I’m nearly eighteen. I can’t believe I had lost track of the date so badly. Carefully I take the ring from her. It’s silver with a white stone in the top. I slide it on my right ring finger.

  ‘I love you,’ I say hugging her tightly.

  She laughs. ‘I love you more.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  I walk back towards the train station with tears in my eyes. I push them back and step up onto the platform. Using money from my mother, I purchase a new pass from the machine and wait. I really hope that I get to see her again.

  The morning is almost over when the train arrives. The carriage is only half full. I’m a mess in a grubby dress and tights. It’s a long trip back to Absotras, then Poridos City. I have a lot of time to kill. I stare mindlessly out the window. I can see everyone’s point of view, the Guardians’, my Da’s…even though I know the horrible truth about what happened to those townspeople in Selyu twenty years ago, I feel like I’m obligated to warn the Guardians about what lurks below them.

  When the train pulls into at the Absotras Link Station, I almost knock people out of the way to make it to the departing Poridos train. Once the doors open again, I bolt through the shopping district, around several corners. I stop to catch my breath by leaning on an alley wall and pick up into a jog once more. I climb the paved hill, passing trees and high-rise apartments. Finally I reach the Tower. I cautiously walk along the cobblestone path to the gates.

  They’re shut! I can’t believe this. The minute I actually want to get in, I can’t.

  Hiding behind the thick fence, I creep up to the slim crystal bars. I can see the guards on the other side facing in towards the Tower. Surely if I go up and say who I am, they should let me in. Easy.

  I begin to move in, but stop and duck back down. One of the guards picks up his radio. The voice on the other end asks, ‘Gate Checkpoint: Update on current missing bride Mellea, over.’

  The guard lifts it to his mouth. ‘This is Gate Checkpoint: Currently no sightings, over.’

  The voice says, ‘If she returns, place her in handcuffs and bring her immediately to conference room A, over.’

  ‘Roger that,’ he replies.

  Handcuffs? Again? What do they think I’m going to do?

  I can hear footsteps coming up the path not too far from me. Three raggedy looking boys run into sight. They scramble and duck behind the solid crystal fence. The trio laugh and quietly speak amongst themselves. I know who they are. Not personally, but I know they’re type. They’re young kids who get a thrill out of seeing how close they can get to the Guardians Tower before getting caught. It’s a well-known sport amongst the kids in this area.

  ‘Boys,’ I whisper, sliding with my back to the fence over to them. They gaze at me with fear in their eyes. ‘Don’t worry; I’m not here to bust you. I need a favour.’

  ‘What kind of favour?’ asks the one with a bandage on his face.

  I glance around and back to them. ‘I need you to distract the guards so I can get into the Tower.’

  The smallest one questions, ‘How’re you gonna do that?’

  I survey the area. I quickly notice a strong looking tree with branches stretching out. If I can climb up it, I should be able to jump onto the fence and slide down the other side.

  ‘There,’ I say pointing at it.

  The bandaged boy scoffs. ‘You’d never make it. You’re crazy lady.’

  ‘And besides, our services aren’t free,’ comments the final, oldest boy.

  I reach into my bra and tug around. The boys gawk at me with wide eyes. I quickly pull out every last note of the money my mother gave me. They look at me strangely. ‘What? This dress doesn’t have pockets. This is all I’ve got, have we got a deal?’

  ‘Whoa, that’s our allowances for a month!’ says the bandage boy. ‘You’ve got it.’

  The three boys run towards the gates, the oldest snapping the money from my hand on the way through. I begin climbing the tree… which is more difficult that I had first thought. The pretty little shoes they gave me to wear aren’t exactly designed for climbing. I throw my leg over the branch. I’m so thankful for the tights I’m wearing underneath my dress.

  I shimmy my way along the branch, stomach first. I can see down to the fence. The kid who told me I was crazy was right. It’s a lot further than expected. But what’s worse is the burning irony. I’ve spent all this time trying to get out of the Tower. Now I’ve paid to get back in!

  I wait, as close to the edge of the branch as I dare, looking down at the boys. They dance around near the gates pulling faces, slapping their butts and so forth. But the guards are used to shenanigans and simply ignore them.

  The oldest boy glances at me and shrugs. I push my hands up in the air as if to say, ‘You need to try harder!’

  The bandage boy reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sparkler. He lights the end and tosses it over the fence. It pops and one of the guards turns to give the boy a verbal serve. When he notices parts of the grass are on fire, he and the other guard rush to put out the embers. The boys bolt.

  This is it. I line up and take a deep breath. Bracing myself, I leap through the air, fly over the fence and crash land into some squared bushes. They break my fall, to an extent. I don’t snap any bones or joints. But the spiny little branches stick into my skin and scratch me. Rolling in one stiff position, I topple sideways and crouch down behind them. I poke my head out. The guards are still distracted, radioing in the disturbance. One guard opens up the gate double checking the boys are gone.

  I make a break for it, following the backs of the garden hedges on hands and knees.

  I try desperately not to squeal as insects fly into my face. Finally, I make it to the other side of the Tower. I stand up, dust myself off and shudder from the bug attack. I’m at the rear of the third pillar, the loading dock, it’s the “back door” and the safest bet.

  The doors for the training room and flyer hangar are closed. But as I step closer they open automatically. I look around several times before gradually back stepping into the training room.

  My movements are stopped by a hand wrapping around my mouth and waist. The person pulls me backwards. I can’t see who it is. I kick as they drag me around the corner and into the flight board storage room. The person pushes me hard against the wall. They keep me pinned with their hand over my mouth. I’m now facing the assailant.

  It’s Leo.

  It’s pleasing to see he has finally emerged from his bedroom. He’s also changed from his black funeral clothes, finally. He has on dark blue jeans and a pressed off-white buttoned shirt, the top opened to reveal his lightning stone necklace. The sleeves of the shirt were supposed to be long, but they’re folded around his elbows. On the outside, he looks good. But his blue eyes are still tired and full of sadness.

  He’s doing what is expected of him, even though he’s not ready to m
ove on.

  ‘Do you have any idea…?’ Leo says loudly. I cringe. But he then softens his voice and stares at me with those big blue eyes. ‘Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?’

  It’s an unexpected question, one that throws me off a bit. I lower my gaze at first before flicking my eyes back to him. I try to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ but with his hand over my face all I can manage is the sounds and not the articulation.

  Leo speaks. ‘I came downstairs to find you last night. I wanted to thank you for the kindness you showed me, the kindness I do not deserve. But your room was empty. I questioned Anrella and Demmi they had not seen you. I checked with the guards, the staff and anyone else I could think of. Nothing. It was like you had vanished.’

  I nod casually. I can see why he would think that.

  ‘And, by the way,’ Leo says, ‘that was a very interesting move, jumping over the fence like that. Clearly I need to tell someone to have that tree trimmed… or removed. But did you think we wouldn’t see you? On a normal day we have cameras filming the fence lines at all times. Our security has tripled since the MECH attack. It turns out someone is a bit…reckless.’

  I’ve been called a lot of different things before, but reckless isn’t one of them. But it doesn’t really matter if they saw me. I expected they would. I got back in.

  Leo lets go of me gently. He pulls back and his hands slide into the tops of his pockets. ‘You should not have run away. You know how dangerous things are right now. For your own safety, I would think you would stay here where it is safe. Not go running away the moment you have a chance. I thought you were past all that. You should apologise to me.’

  ‘What?’ I cry out. I’m back five minutes and he’s pulling his old stunts. From his little speech before I thought he might have learnt something. What about all that stuff about him thanking me? I guess that moment passed or I missed it, or something.

  I shout, ‘Hey, even if I did run away, which I didn’t, it’s totally justifiable. You’ve been such a jerk since the first moment we met!’