Catalyst (5 page)

Seven Anderson
returned his smile with a self-assured smile, then at the audience and stepped forward. Her bowed lips inched toward the microphone. The entire building quieted, and I heard a few inhalations of breath. Then her voice, delicate as a songbird, shattered that silence. “I choose number ten as my companion, please.”

She chose me.

I waited, trying to tramp down my nerves, as the other Elites chose their companions. The entire process probably took twenty minutes, but it felt like as many hours. My palms were covered in sweat. It even beaded on my forehead. Cason was chosen last by an older couple who seemed nice enough. But looks were deceiving, and simples weren’t to be trusted. We were led off stage by a soldier and told that we would meet with our new companions in private rooms toward the back of the amphitheater before they took us home with them.

Case’s owners met him at the bottom of the stage steps and the three headed toward the back of the dark building. I didn’t miss the worried look in his eyes. He was scared of the future and the expectations of his new owners. So was I. We all were.

Most of the girls cried. The truth was that some outskirters made their kids apply when they couldn’t feed and care for them anymore. No parent wanted to give up their child, but they’d rather give them into the companion program than see them six feet under, shriveled up into a starved version of the vibrant kid they’d fought so hard to care for and ultimately failed. Some loved their children enough to let them go, to let them survive the only way they could.

Careful of my steps as I descended, I paused just to the side of the stairs that led to and from the stage, as the girls who had stood alongside me on the stage filtered off it. Elect Anderson, Seven and her family were standing near their front-row seats, smiling and shaking hands with anyone who had waited to see them. They were like royalty. What had she been doing in the back of the soldier’s car that day? Why had she been dressed so plainly? I remembered her high heeled shoes. They were a piece of the puzzle that I’d often wondered about but couldn’t solve. The glittery pink heels had tottered themselves into my mind far too often since meeting her that day. Part of me hated her for it. Part of me was intrigued by it.

Now I knew. She was one of Confidence’s Elite. Her father was an Elect. And he was my target. I didn’t want to hurt her. But someone was going to pay for Griffin and it was going to be her dad—my new owner.

Soft fingers rubbed my forearm. I looked into the eyes of the girl who had been sitting with the Andersons, just beside Seven.

“My name is Sonnet. I’m Seven’s younger sister.”

I didn’t know if I was supposed to speak or even allowed to, so I kept still, just watching her. Silence didn’t deter her, nor did the stern look I gave her.

“She made a good choice in you. I’d expected her to choose the mousiest girl of the bunch, someone who would
complement
her personality.
You
are very unexpected.”

Her palm landed on my chest. My eyes snapped down to the intrusion on my body.

“Sonnet,” a harsh male voice snapped. She turned to stand nose to nose with Elect Anderson, her father.

“Back room. Now,” he ordered, staring at me with disgust. His upper lip curled up, and if I was reading him right, his skin wasn’t normally this shade of deep, mottled red.

Sonnet smiled at me and then brushed past me, walking down the hallway that led toward the back of the building. Anderson remained in front of me, staring at me like a cockroach he’d like to squash under the toe of his perfectly polished shoe. Mrs. Anderson followed Sonnet down the darkened hallway refusing to spare as much as a glance in my direction. The only emotion that I’d seen cross her face was surprise, and that was right after Seven announced her choice: me.

Speaking of Seven, she walked around her father and stood to my left. I stepped forward and offered Seven my arm. Her cheeks pinkened, but she slipped her tiny, cool hand around my forearm and let me escort her down the hallway. Elect Anderson’s anger didn’t abate with the chivalry. He either saw right through the act or didn’t care. I bet he’d expected Seven to choose a mousy girl, too.

The funny thing about that jab from her sister was that I saw Seven as anything but mousy. It wasn’t how I would ever have described her—not that I’d spent much time with her. But mousy? Definitely not.

We were the last to enter the corridor, and only one door was left open. Muffled conversations behind the closed doors filtered into the hallway. Sonnet led the way into the empty room, flicking on the light as she entered and took a seat at a rectangular wooden table. She’d saved the seat at the head for her father.

Interesting.

When Mrs. Anderson was seated, her blank expression in place, I led Seven to a seat and pulled it out for her and took the seat to her right. Elect Anderson closed the door and marched purposefully to his seat.

He sat forward, leaning his elbows on the hardwood. I could see his upper lip quivering. He looked to his eldest daughter.

“Explain your choice, Seven.”

“You left the choice to me, Father.”

So formal of her to call him Father and not Dad.

He gritted his teeth. “It appears that I made a mistake in believing that I could entrust you with such an important decision.”

Sonnet giggled. “Like she’ll be around long enough for you to worry about it.”

I narrowed my eyes. What did that mean? Seven kept her eyes trained on her father and refused to look in my direction. She didn’t back down. I thought she would crack under his scrutiny. Most girls would have. He was intimidating, even to me. “You told me to choose. I chose. Number ten is my companion.” She looked to me and asked, “Your name is Mitis?”

I nodded.

“
Mitis
is my companion. He can help me, Father. I need someone strong. He’s strong. That’s why I chose him.”

Elect Anderson guffawed. “Nine was stronger.”

She stiffened. “
He
is my choice.”

Anderson’s face turned a freakish shade of maroon. I’d never seen anyone’s flesh turn molten so quickly or deeply—it kept getting worse. The man was going to combust.

He focused his attention on me, jabbing a finger in my direction. “You will do as she asks and nothing more. Do not lay a hand on my daughters, sexually or otherwise, or I’ll castrate you myself before you’re put to death. Do I make myself clear?” Anderson’s eyebrows raised expectantly.

I cleared my throat and that lovely vision from my head before replying, “Yes, sir.”

He smoothed his dress shirt over his slight paunch and stood from his seat. “Very well. Let’s get you home, Seven.”

Sonnet rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from the seat as though her body weighed too much for her to carry. Must have been the dress. It was…big and poufy. Mrs. Anderson was the first out of the door, making her way out the back and to the car that was waiting for the family. She’d been strangely quiet, just taking it all in, letting Elect Anderson handle the situation as much as he could. What was done, was done. That was what irritated the man the most. He had lost the slightest bit of control by allowing Seven the tiniest bit of freedom.

Walking outside, I grinned at that thought.

I had never seen such a long car. It was black and though the paint was faded into spots along the roof, the moonlight glinted off the dark panels. Mrs. Anderson was waiting inside. Sonnet ducked her head inside and gathered the crazy billowing layers of her dress until she was tucked inside. With that much material, would there be room for us inside? Seven was much more graceful than her sister. She tucked herself and her dress inside quickly and delicately. I looked to my right. Elect Anderson hesitantly nodded for me to go ahead. The interior was long, and all sides of the vehicle were lined with leather-upholstered bench seats, most of which were full of fabric.

“Take us home,” Elect Anderson ordered the driver, as he pulled the door closed behind him. He hit a button and a pane of glass rose to separate us from the driver.

“He will not sleep in your room, Seven.”

“Yes, Father.”

He glared at his youngest. “No funny business, Sonnet.”

She snickered and huffed. “Please.”

Mrs. Anderson finally said something. Her voice was monotone, numb. “Aric isn’t going to be very happy about this development.”

At that Sonnet smiled. “No. I suppose he won’t be. Maybe it will prove to be a motivational factor.”

Elect Anderson scolded, “Sonnet. You cannot marry him until Seven is wed.”

She crossed her arms and Seven stiffened beside me. “We all know that will never happen, Father. It’s not fair! Why should I have to wait?”

“Enough!” barked Elect Anderson.

Truth

/tr
o͞
oTH/

TENSION ROLLED OFF
Mitis in waves. Who could blame him? My father was acting like a jerk, not that I’d expected less from him in light of my choice. The very thought made me smile. But, still. Have some manners, right? The Elite and especially the Elect were held to a higher standard.

And Sonnet. I could strangle her! She wasn’t holding her tongue at all. I wanted to be the one to explain everything to Mitis. He was
my
companion.

I didn’t miss the way she ogled him, or how she kept biting her lip to draw his attention to her mouth. It was her signature move. She’d attracted Aric by doing the same thing—lure his attention to your mouth or breasts and men were putty in your hands, she’d say.

Like now, she was crossing her arms to give herself more cleavage and had formed her perfect lips into a smirk. She was like the cat trying to catch the canary. Only, I didn’t think Mitis could be described as a small-minded bird. He was more of a panther. Strong, silent and stealthy. His eyes tracked everything—even me. He didn’t miss even the subtlest of nuances.

When the car finally pulled up the drive and circled in front of the estate, I scrambled to get out of the car first. Mitis was on my heel, immediately offering his arm for me to take. I didn’t hesitate. These heels were a size too small, and my ankles were in danger of being broken on the brick-lined walkway. The feel of his warm, steely forearm was unlike anything I’ve felt.

Father’s booming voice stopped me in my tracks. “Your mother and I will be staying here until further notice. I’ll have Zara prepare a guest room for your companion. In the meantime, there is something on your bed for him. Make sure he complies, Seven. The city is about to implement some new mandates, and I wouldn’t want to lose track of our new
companion
.”

He walked between the two of us, knocking Mitis’s hand off my arm, climbed the steps and pushed open the painted black, front door. Mitis quietly took in the enormity of our home from this vantage point, his jaw working back and forth. Father said that it was hundreds of years old, but we’d had it remodeled a few years ago with new flooring and fresh coats of paint on each wall. It looked brand new.

“You never mentioned that you were Elite,” he accused.

“You never asked.”

He glanced at me and back at our home. “This is ridiculous.”

“For the record,” I hiked my skirts up to avoid tripping up the steps, “I agree.”

I led him past the waiting staff—Zara and Esther—up the grand staircase and down the long hallway to my room, all the while wondering what in the world my father had been blabbering about. Make sure he complies? With what?