Veracity (The Seven Cities Book 1) (12 page)

KATHERINE

I dream of him lying next to me in our bed, telling me a silly story about a rabbit and a turtle. I laugh as he acts out the different voices, using his hands to draw pictures in the air. He has this way with words, a way of winding them so they wrap themselves in my imagination. His story finished, he rolls to his side, looking down at me with that adorable half grin.

"You are so pretty," he says. "I can't get over how your eyes change color. It's fascinating."

"They don't change color," I laugh, taking his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. "My eyes are brown, and brown eyes don't change."

"They do so. Sometimes they are so dark, I can't see the center . . . what do you call it?"

"The pupil. The colored part is the iris."

"Right. Sometimes they are so dark you can't see the pupil, and sometimes they are so light they are almost amber. I have never seen brown eyes more beautiful than yours."

There is a loud banging on the front door, and I jump off the bed in a panic. I make a mad dash for the closet, heading for the small trap door we have cut in the floor. We jokingly call the small, dark space under the floor our last hope, but it is also my last resort. As I watch my companion creep out of the bedroom, I crouch near the open hatch, determined not to go in until I absolutely have to.

Shouting begins to rise up from outside the cabin. I should continue to hide, but my curiosity gets the better of me. Creeping out of the closet, I leave the door open in case I need to make a hasty exit. Tiptoeing down the hallway to the living room, I crawl across the floor, moving the curtain aside slightly to peek out of the window. Outside, I see my usually calm and collected protector yelling at a man in a green and black uniform. The soldiers have found us!

"I don't care what you say," he yells at the soldier. "She is staying with me!"

"Jack listen, it is just not safe anymore. She needs to come with me."

"No one can take care of her better than I can."

"I am not questioning your abilities," the soldier says. "I am questioning the safety of these woods. What are you going to do when they find you? How are you going to explain all this?"

"Then let me go with her!" Jack cries. "You can't take her out there without me. It's not safe. She could be killed or worse!"

"I know you have feelings for her, but things have gotten a little more complicated than we expected. You chose to run Jack, and I am just trying to clean up your mess. If I take her back, you have a chance, but if they find you with her, you are as good as dead."

"I won't let you do this, she is not going out there. You just see her as a pawn, someone you can move around for your own political gain, but she is so much more than that."

"You don't think I know how important she is?" the soldier cries. "She is so much more than a pawn, Jack. She is the Queen in this damn game, and it's my job to see that she stays protected."

"This isn't happening," Jack warns with a growl.

"Tomorrow I will be back for her. The only reason I'm not taking her now is because you are my friend, and I owe you time to say goodbye. Don't run again Jack. We will find you, and next time my influence won't be enough to save your life."

Ignoring him, Jack turns back to the house, and I run for the bedroom. I can hear the soldier calling out for him, but I don't wait to see if he turns around.  My only thought is to get to the closet. I don't know what I am going to do with this information, but until I figure it out, I need to keep my cards hidden.

I wake with a start. Jack! His name is Jack! I can remember the sound of his name on the soldier's lips as he threatened to take me away. Who was the soldier and where did he want to take me? Does Jack's passionate argument prove he really loves me?

Maggie comes into the room and opens the drapes, letting in the sun and ending my time alone. I hide my head under the covers, the bright light too much for my tired eyes. Maggie laughs when she sees me, pulling the curtains closed some before ringing Sadie to start my bath.

"Maggie?"

"Yes, love?"

"Do you get scanned?"

She frowns at me. "Why would you want to know something like that?"

"Just curious. I was just wanting to know if everyone gets scanned on a regular basis."

"Most do," she says as she pulls me out of bed. "People who work in the big house are scanned often. Out in the city you can go a month or more without being scanned. It just depends on how busy the soldiers are, and if there is any reason to be concerned."

"What happens if you fail the test?"

"All these questions!" she huffs. "You don't want to fail a test. Tell the truth, love. It doesn't matter what you know or what you have done. Lying is the worst thing you can do."

"I am sorry if I'm bothering you. I guess having my memory wiped has brought out the curiosity in me."

"I wish we could blame it on that, but you have been a curious thing your entire life. You used to give your poor mother such fits!"

"I wish I could remember that. Or her."

"When we have more time, I will be happy to sit down and tell you what I know of the poor lass, but for now, there is a bath getting cold in there."

Leaving Maggie to her work, I start the routine of bathing and dressing. Sitting quietly as Sadie works, I listen to her as she chirps away, talking constantly, but never revealing anything interesting. Today, she dresses me in an almost identical green gown as yesterday, but my accents are all silver instead of gold. A wide silver belt is fastened below my breasts and I wear an ornate necklace with silver birds and branches around my neck. My shoulder is bare of course, and after being around so many marked ladies, I am starting to feel a little naked and exposed without one of my own. I may not be excited to have a number inked into my skin, but I can't wait to feel like I belong.

After dressing, I walk into the sitting room expecting to see Travis, but find Amber instead. This can't be good. She smiles at me for the first time, and I am shocked at just how staggering her beauty is.

"Katherine!" she cries dramatically. "I am glad to catch a minute alone with you. I have a favor to ask of you."

"Of course," I say cautiously as I sit across from her. "What can I do for you?"

"You are such a sweetheart," she drawls, her voice sweet and sticky. I am instantly put on edge by her tone. She is trying her best to appear friendly, but I can see that this favor is not designed to bridge the gap between us.

"I have a cousin," she says. "She is in her last year at the school and I haven't been able to see her in so long. I was hoping she would land a good marriage here at the Big House, but that fell through and sadly she wasn't matched." she says pouting. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking her on as a lady's maid. The General wouldn't allow me to have a second but I am sure he will grant you a third."

"I would be happy to, although I am not sure she would have much to do."

"Your head maid is getting on in years, so she should be starting to train a replacement soon. Until she is ready to do so, your other maid can act as a companion, giving you a little more freedom to roam about the Big House. I think it would work out nice actually."

"If this is what you want, I will do what I can to make it happen."

"Fabulous! Her name is Alana, and I know you two will get along wonderfully. I am so happy! You have no idea how much this means to me."

Travis makes his entrance then, looking just as surprised as I was to see Amber. He eyes her suspiciously as he takes my hand, bringing me to his side.

"You girls are looking chummy," he says wrapping a protective arm around my waist.

"Would you expect anything less? What kind of mother would I be if I didn't even try to get to know my children?"

Pushing her rounded frame off the couch, Amber waddles out the door. Travis and I follow her out, making our way downstairs for breakfast.

Our morning meal is served in a converted sunroom, with glass walls and breathtaking views of the gardens. Much cozier than the dining area, the room is only large enough for three small tables. The General and his mother are seated at one, chatting quietly. Amber glares in their direction before grabbing a chair at a second table with Grayson and Laura. After a moment's hesitation, Travis claims the vacant third table for the two of us. The General looks pleased with this arrangement, and I am relieved to be far from Amber.

Grayson seems to be a little less sullen today, but hasn't fully lost his brooding air. Laura has successfully pulled him into conversation, and he is drawing something on a napkin trying to explain it to her. He cracks a joke and they both laugh, transforming him back into the light-hearted youth he should be. Amber makes a quip and they fall quiet, the mood instantly changed and soured. I swear that girl is trouble.

A side door opens and young women in tan uniforms serve us light, fluffy pancakes with fresh fruit. Juice is served in chilled glasses, although the General's mother and Grayson choose to sip champagne instead. The old lady is in high spirits this morning, cackling at her own jokes and even being civil to Amber. After draining her second glass, she excuses herself, shuffling comically slow out of the room. At her departure, the General moves to our table.

"Did you have a chance to visit the work camps this week?" he asks Travis.

"I was planning on going out there today, why do you ask?"

"I think you should take your brother out with you this time. It would do him some good to learn the ropes of diplomacy. He needs to start taking an interest in the city."

"Grayson loves this city. He just has a lot on his mind right now."

"An even better reason for him to visit the work camps, don't you think?"

"As you wish, father."

"That's my boy," the General says loudly, smacking Travis on the back. "Katherine my dear, I would like to spend some more time with you later this afternoon. I am very interested in these dreams you are having."

"Of course."

"Good." He smiles. "I will send Weston for you when I am ready."

I spend at least an hour that afternoon discussing dreams and memories with the General. Determined to find Jack, he hopes my unconscious adventures will offer some clue where to find him. The scanner is present during the entire talk and I have grown to loath the feel of it pressed against my skin. It irks me that I must have the faint buzz of a metal bracelet to validate me, and I can't help but be morbidly curious of what it does when it detects a lie.

I notice the General doesn't ask the same questions as previous scans, but refers back to his older notes when curious. His trust in the scanner helps me in this way, as he never asks me for Jack's name again. Even though he helped kidnap me, I still pray they don't find him. With each dream, my heart grows more and more attached to the mysterious young man, and separating my true feelings from the way I feel when I dream is getting harder.

Later in the afternoon, Travis and I sit in the garden, hiding in the shade from the summer heat. He is re-enacting a scene from a play, and I am happy to act as the audience. It feels so good to just be silly, and I laugh as he pretends to trip, doing a full roll on the ground before jumping back up, imaginary sword in hand. As he bows to the sound of my enthusiastic applause, I catch sight of Grayson standing in the shadows behind him. Noticing the shift in my attention, Travis quickly kneels in front of me, taking my hand.

He dramatically recites a poem, trying his best to distract me from my shadowed guest. The true artist that he is, he quickly becomes engrossed in his own drama, closing his eyes as he recites the beautiful words. My gaze flashes to Grayson, and he returns my stare for a moment before drifting further into the shadows and disappearing. My face burns from the intensity of that look. I just can't escape from those eyes. They are always watching, following my every movement. You would think it would bother me, but it doesn't. Knowing he is never far from me, even when I can't see him, is exciting. Given the fact that we have barely spoken, there is no point in denying that my interest in Grayson is simply attraction. The longer I am at the Big House, the further he becomes from the man who held me in the old farmhouse.

Returning my attention to Travis, a wave of guilt washes over me as our eyes meet. He is obviously bothered that Grayson has been watching us, and moves closer to me, drawing me in as though I am something delicate to be protected. It isn't jealousy that motivates him, he just seems . . . cautious. He smiles more and laughs louder, but I can see the fear in his eyes. He does his best to draw me away from his dark brother, and in truth, the further he pulls me, the lighter I feel. If I let him, Grayson would drag me under with his intensity, and I'd burn for it.

Travis is my future, of that I am certain. Once we are married my life here will be secure, so the choice, as if I had one, is clear. It has to be Travis. Noticing Grayson has disappeared into the shadows, Travis draws me closer to his side, leaning over and brushing my cheek with a chaste kiss. I turn to him and smile, his face lighting up, happy to have my full attention. He is so terribly sweet. Life would be so much easier if I wanted sweet, but instead, I long to burn.