Shymers (35 page)

The memories I have of my father are of him as a brave and kind man, and my mother has always been loving and generous. It isn’t too hard to believe they spent so many years planning something that would give so many people back their freedom.

“They must have had their reasons for keeping everything from me,” I say.

Harrison presses his lips to the side of my head, letting them rest there for a moment. The wonderful feel of his tender skin against mine makes me want to kiss him again.
 

“You really think you want to be part of this takeover?” he asks. “I can’t stand the thought of you going back into Society, Olive. It will be even more dangerous for you now that they know who you really are.”

I squeeze his hand. “I can’t just stay here, knowing how Shymers are being treated. It breaks my heart to know so many of you have never really known a parent’s love and don’t think you’re worthy of eve
n
bein
g
loved.” I search his eyes. “Can you imagine if you and I had never met? It kills me to think you’ve spent all these years with the attitude that you didn’t think you weren’t worth getting to know. You’re an amazing person, Harrison. You’re kind and smart and thoughtful. You deserve nothing less than all the love in the world.”

He looks down on me with somber intensity. “I don’
t
wan
t
to imagine what the rest of my life would have been like without you. I knew from the first time I saw you at school that my life would never be the same.” He breaks out into a toothy grin. “Did you know in the old world they used to call tha
t
love at first sigh
t
? My grandparents fell in love that way too.”

He looks so delightfully happy in this moment that I am unable to hold back any longer. I crane my neck to bring my lips to his. His fingers drop mine and work their way into the base of my thick hair. He responds to my kiss with so much passion that my lips begin to tingle right along with the rest of my body. I clutch him desperately, thinking I can’t get close enough to him even with our bodies pushed up against each other. My lips can’t devour enough of him.

When he finally pulls back, we are both gasping for air.

“Wow,” Bree says with a giggle. “You two are really in love, huh?”

My cheeks grow warm when I look over at my friend. Her head is turned toward the entrance. “Sorry, Bree.”

“That’s okay. I’ll give you guys some more time alone.” Her eyes sparkle against the darkness when she smiles at me. “I’m so happy we found you, Olive. I don’t know what either of us would have done without you.”

“Same here,” I tell her, smiling back.

She vanishes into the black corner.

“You don’t have much longer,” I whisper to Harrison, resting my forehead against his cheek. “If you truly don’t want me to join the Rebels, then I won’t. Either we can find a way out of here, or we can stay down here together. I don’t care. I just want to be wherever you are.”

Chuckling, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. “I can tell you one thing for sure. We most definitely aren’t staying down here.”

* * *

Being locked up in the underground city is miserable and almost feels as hopeless as living in Society. We are not let out for any air or sunshine. The guards take turns bringing us scraps of bread for “meals” and a pitcher of less than fresh water for us to share. At least we are allowed to use a bucket in another cavern as a bathroom. Still, the dark and quiet of the cavern are suffocating. Before long, it feels like the walls are growing closer.

The boy and girl being held captive along with us are both Shymers. Bree tells me they were looking for a place to hide from the soldiers when they found this city. Nicky, the girl, looks to be around fourteen. She is slender with nearly pearlescent skin and bright green eyes. Her long brown hair is tinged red at the ends and hangs in sullen curls around her petite face. She is very quiet and only peers up at us with her head bent down.

Alexander looks older than Nicky and seems a bit more confident, although he doesn’t have much to say. He is also taller than her, with a wide frame and broad shoulders. His eyes and skin are the same dark brown color as his hair, making him harder to see in the dark room.

Bree tells me Nicky and Alexander have been down here so long that they have lost track of time. They claim to be just friends, but the way I catch them gazing at each other or see their hands touch when they think no one is watching, I think they may be in love and just don’t know it. That seems to be how it is in the life of Shymers.

By the second serving of bread of the day, the new guard tells us it is nearing nighttime and he will be back before long to turn out our light. I begin to worry what has become of my brother and the others. What if Kiki is captured by Thaddeous? Has something else happened to them in the forest?

Harrison hasn’t l let go of me since I joined them, although I make him rest his leg over my knees to keep the swelling down on his injured leg. Bree sits quietly at my side.

“We have to bring Nicky and Alexander with us,” I whisper.

“They’re too scared,” Bree tells me.

“She’s right,” Harrison whispers. “Maybe we can come back for them later with the Rebels. If we try to bring them with us now, we more likely to be discovered. Nicky is terrified of everyone down here.”

My heart swells with his suggestion at coming back with the Rebels. Does this mean he’s wants us to join the Rebels together? I knew he had a compassionate heart from the very first time I saw him—I saw it in the way he looked at me. Fear of the unknown has made him reluctant to actually show anyone he really cares. It’s probably just another side effect of not feeling unconditionally loved all his life.

“What do you think they’re planning to do to us?” I whisper to my friends. “That Thaddeous guy is really creepy. Somehow I don’t picture him showing us any mercy.”

Harrison chuckles softly, confident. “He’s just a coward. He’s afraid of being discovered by Society. He doesn’t know what to do with us.”

I wrap my hand around his. “Being afraid can lead to some really stupid decisions,” I mutter, thinking of all the people I met in Society who were afraid of the government. “How are we going to get you out of here with a bad leg?”

His fingers squeeze mine. “I can hop around on my good leg—it just takes a little longer for me to get anywhere.”

My stomach twists in more knots. What if Kendall can’t find a way out of here that doesn’t involve climbing? Harrison and I could be stuck down here until we’re both healed. “How did you and Bree get down here?” I ask.

Giggling, Bree says, “Same as you. We fell down through a hole in the forest.”

“Actually, you fell, and I went in after you,” Harrison corrects her.

I frown at Harrison. “Is that how you broke your leg?”

His lips spread into an artificial grin. “No. That’s what happened when that bald-headed guard caught us trying to sneak away. Luckily he took it all out on me instead of Bree.”

My breath draws tight. I had been wrong in thinking Joshua had kind eyes. Maybe the lack of sun has made everyone down here in this city a little crazy. Remembering the dark, unnatural feel of Thaddeous’s touch, I shiver.

“Harrison, there’s something I didn’t tell you…about Thaddeous.”

His body tenses. “Did he hurt you?”

I graze his cheek with my finger, willing him to relax. “No, but h
e
knew who I wa
s
. He called me by my name. There was something really off about him. When he touched me…” I swallow and shake the unease from my mind. “It was a sickening feeling. I don’t know how to describe it. But I know he’s dangerous. We have to be careful around him.”

Harrison drags me closer until I am nestled in his arms. “You don’t have to worry. I won’t let him hurt you,” he promises.

24 – Someone is Coming

Before long, the guard returns to extinguish our light. As he walks away with his own torch, the cavern gradually turns pitch black. Without even the slightest hint of the moon, it’s the darkest place I’ve ever been. The cool mustiness of the underground city fills my lungs, making them yearn for fresh air. My breath becomes short and shallow, laborious.

“I don’t think I can do this,” I whisper. Although my friends are close enough to touch, my fear of being buried in a small underground space is surfacing faster than I can handle.

On one side of me, Harrison holds my hand inside both of his. “It won’t be long, I promise.” His words keep me from slipping into a deep panic. We agreed to leave as soon as the guard outside the cavern is sleeping.

Bree’s slim fingers coil around my arm on my other side. “Don’t be afraid, Olive. Just listen to our breaths and try to slow yours down.”

But I can’t. I am so afraid of what will happen if we are caught that I begin to tremble. Harrison draws closer to push his lips against my cheek. His arm wraps around my waist, holding me tight.

The three of us lay in the darkness for what feels like hours. Occasionally Harrison rests his face against mine so his eyelashes brush against my skin, and his hot breath falls on ear. Finally I am able to keep myself calm by listening to his steady breathing and slowing my own to match his pace.

His kisses to my temple help to take my mind off the moment as well. My body explodes in celebration from each one. I hope that I will never get used to the touch of his lips against my skin, and that it will always feel this amazing.

Soon Alexander and Nicky’s breathing becomes smooth and even as they fall asleep.

“If tonight is anything like the last couple nights, the guard will be sleeping by now,” Harrison decides. “Olive, hold on to my back and follow me. Bree, you hold on to her. We have to be as quiet as we possibly can.”

I rise to my feet with Bree before pulling Harrison up and positioning ourselves into a line. Harrison begins limping down the tunnel, slowly, steadying himself with one hand against the stone wall. Bree and I both stumble a little until we are used to the same pace, and figure out how to walk on the dirt so as not to make any noises. With Harrison only having one good foot to hobble on, he is making enough of a ruckus for the three of us.

My pulse quickens once we start to see light emerging from the underground city. Other than sneaking around in the darkness, there isn’t a whole lot to our plan. If anyone is still wandering around at this time of night, we will surely be caught. I keep thinking of Joshua breaking Harrison’s leg for trying to get away, and my stomach turns uneasily.

We are almost to the opening when the sound of more music and lots of voices drift toward us. I grow fearful that the more exposed the city becomes, the greater the possibility we will have to turn back. A few feet from the end of the tunnel, we find the guard has left his post.

“Where would he have gone?” I whisper to Harrison.

He stops to lean up against the wall, exhausted. “He’s standing up ahead, at the edge of the crowd. The music must’ve drawn him in.”

The three of us stand in the shadows to observe the city’s night life. There are people of all colors, shapes and sizes wearing simple clothing with very few patterns or colors. I finally spot the guard flirting with a pretty girl. Although he stands far enough off in the distance that we aren’t afraid of being discovered, he could decide to come back at any moment.
 

We hurry along to a different cave opening, where Harrison rests. I lean against him and listen to the tune of the music. It’s different from the one played by the man with the guitar. This slower melody is wonderful and sweet. A woman sings in a high voice, accompanied by instruments I can’t remember the names for.

I suddenly wish Harrison and I were alone so we could slow dance. It is one of the things I loved to watch my parents do together while my father was still alive. I wrap my arms around Harrison’s waist and let him shift some of his weight back onto me. He folds his arms over mine and for a moment, we only listen.

“They’re singing about love,” Bree whispers.

I strain to listen and discover she is right. I can make out the words,
“
Love you and your heart.”

“Maybe these people aren’t all bad,” I say. “Maybe Thaddeous was put in charge only because they were afraid of standing up to him. Maybe if we talk to some of the others, they’ll understand we don’t mean them any harm.”

Harrison turns to me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re always trying to find the good in everyone, aren’t you?”

I shrug. “It’s always there. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it.”

“Except with you,” he says with a crooked smile.

“This is all really romantic and everything,” Bree says wryly, “but I think we need to move out of here before the guard decides to come back.”

We look around. The edges of the city are filled with cliffs and openings into other caverns. If anyone is awake inside those caverns, we risk the chance of being discovered. Harrison removes my arms from his waist and holds his finger to his lips before hobbling around the corner. When he doesn’t come back right away, I begin to panic.