Marital Law Page 5

  Noticing the small boy, Isaiah, waving at me, I couldn’t help but smile at him. He was bent over, actually petting the chubby squirrel that had obviously become his friend.

  After a brief, secret meeting with Jeremiah, Colin came back over and tied a five-foot length of rope across the one already securing my hands in front of me, and gently pulled me back towards the forest, like a donkey, an ass, which was exactly how I felt for allowing them to capture me.

  Instead of heading west, towards Providence, we went northeast. I felt like a common criminal, being led around on a leash. And I detested the dwellers for it.

  As we left the crowd of onlookers, Hannah said, “Keep an open mind, Sidnie. Try to separate yourself from everything you've been led to believe over the last fifteen years.”

  I didn’t respond, but instead I tucked my head into my chest and avoided eye contact with the dwellers. I was confused, and still a bit angry. I didn't like being captured and bound like a criminal—I had come to bring the lawless to justice. Feeling like a failure was something I liked even less than being treated like a law breaker. These people will pay for this!

  I fully understood the way these things went. I had been given three days. Two and a half days left before they officially declared me missing, dead. I could envision my mother and father, and Adeline mourning my death. It pained me to put them through such an ordeal. No, I have to get free, and Colin will be coming back to Providence with me: dead or alive.

  Focusing on what little positive I could find in this situation, I was thankful Thomas hadn't been given babysitter duties, because as I’d walked past him, he’d given me a look of death. Glad I at least made a life-long friend.

  After walking for nearly a mile in blistering heat, I stopped and said, “Exactly where are you taking me?”

  The weather had become so unpredictable of late. One minute it would be bone chilling cold, and the next, the sun felt like it had decided to come down from the sky and sit on top of us for a spell. Some said it was the result of the war, but I wondered if Mother Nature was showing her displeasure with us.

  “Just another mile and we'll reach the bank of the river. From there, we will take a canoe straight northward to our main village,” Colin said.

  “Why? You know this is nothing but a waste of time, Colin.” I protested, making a mental note of the location of the dwellers’ village.

  “Maybe. But even if it is, you will at least see that we aren't your enemy, Sidnie. We only want to live freely, to grow old and have families just like you,” Colin said.

  Noticing the way Colin was looking at me again, I said, “Why are you being so nice to me when your brother wants to rip my throat out?”

  “Ah, don't mind Thomas. He's just mad because you really did get the best of him. I am always amazed at the fighting skills displayed by the girls from Providence.”

  “Some skill. I failed to see the trap your little brother laid for me.”

  “You fought off two young men and bound me up like a sack of potatoes. It's understandable that you were a little distracted.”

  “Are you evading my question? I asked why you are being so nice to me, not why your brother had been so mean,” I said boldly. I'd been raised to read people, and there was something about the way Colin looked at me and the way he treated me that screamed opportunity. If this foolish boy actually thinks he might have a chance with me, then he's got another thing coming.

  “I, I don't know. You just seem like a nice girl. We've had all kinds of girls come through here, but there's something different about you. I knew it from the minute I laid eyes on you.”

  This gave me pause. During that short time I eyed Colin, taking him in, comparing him to the only other boy I'd actually taken the time to consider as my mate, Caleb. Colin was of medium build, dark black hair, enticing brown eyes and he had a lean, muscular frame. But muscle wasn't really something needed in Providence—unlike here in this place, obviously.

  “Are you okay, Sidnie?” Colin asked concerned.

  “What? Yeah, I'm fine.” I said, shrugging him off.

  “I was just telling you that we need to get moving. Night will be upon us soon, and we don't want to be out here when it does.”

  “And why is that? You forest dwellers afraid of the dark?”

  “Not the dark—what’s in the dark.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “The savages. And don't tell me you haven't heard of them. They are the creation of MOM's evil wizard, Lucius!” Colin said intensely.

  “Savages? Are you serious? The only savages we're aware of in Providence are you and your family of forest dwellers,” I said.

  “Manumissionists. We are Manumissionists, not forest dwellers. Heck, we really don't even live inside the forest. No one wants to live in here, for fear of the savages,” Colin said.

  “Sounds like you are making this up. Look, this sort of stuff might scare you forest...Manumissionists, off, but I'm not afraid of anything.” This wasn’t entirely true, but I wasn’t about to let Colin know that.

  “Well, you should be. There is much evil in this world, and we learn to survive when we fear and adapt to our surroundings. If you don't fear your enemy, you overestimate your abilities. That could be a fatal mistake.”

  It took my mind a few seconds to process all Colin was saying. I had never heard someone from the opposite sex speak so boldly, so knowledgeably. I was impressed, and I didn’t want to be. “So, tell me more about these savages,” I finally said, my curiosity peeked.

  Closing his eyes, Colin appeared to be going back to that instance. Finally he said, “Jeremiah was the first one to actually see them and the only one who survived the encounter that day. His sister, Meredith, was taken from us by one of your kind, and imprisoned in Providence. Jeremiah took a small team of four and went in search of Meredith. They knew better than to venture out into the darkness, but the loss of his sister clouded his judgment. They weren't out for more than an hour, before Jeremiah returned back to camp with a look of panic on his face. Hannah said he was frantic, eyes bulging, sheer terror on his face. He had blood all over him, that of his three companions. He kept mumbling something about how the evil Lucius had transformed our people into monsters. Jeremiah wasn't the same after that. He seldom sleeps, regularly patrolling the perimeter of the forest, to protect us against the savages.”

  “Did he ever find his sister?” I asked, more interested I realized than I probably should've been.

  “No, but I heard him talking with Hannah one night about it, and from what I could gather, Jeremiah thinks Meredith is most likely one of the savages, the things Lucius is using to rid the world of my people,” Colin said, mechanically.

  “Why does Jeremiah think Lucius has transformed people from here into these, these savages?” I asked, not completely following Colin’s story.

  “He said some of the savages were still recognizable, a small part of their former selves hidden underneath the monstrosity Lucius transformed them into. Jeremiah also said these creatures had the strength of five men and were able to rip limbs from his men like pulling a leg from a cooked chicken.”

  “What about you? You ever seen them for yourself?” I asked.

  A beat. Finally, Colin said, “Once, when I was nine. Let’s just suffice it to say that I barely made it out alive.”

  Colin didn’t go into the details of his encounter, and I didn’t feel it my place to push. But everything in me wanted to know what had occurred.

  Chapter 7

  Even though it sounded a little too make believe for my rational self, the look on Colin’s face, the serious tone of his voice, told me I shouldn’t simply dismiss what the boy was saying.

  “Until a few days ago, I didn't even know Lucius existed. As with all newly turned fifteen-year-olds, MOM came out and briefed me on my upcoming journey here. Her entourage included Lucius. I'd never seen a man of his stature before. He stood nearly seven feet tall, had the largest belly I’ve ev
er seen, and three-quarters of his hair was white, while the other quarter was blacker than tar. He was beastly, ominous. I’m not normally afraid of...” I stopped myself, not wanting to admit fear to a boy, especially one from the forest.

  “Why was he with her? I mean, I assume Marcella just came out to pump you up for your big day—why would he be there?” Colin prodded.

  “I'm still not too certain, but before they left, Lucius gave me this,” I said, pulling the necklace out from underneath my shirt.

  The medallion was thick, maybe one-quarter of an inch, and it was heavy. It appeared to be gold, which according to my mother had once been worth quite a bit. Now it just looked pretty. Well, at least the medallion itself—the drawings contained therein were a different story. It was a depiction of the palace surrounded by seven eyeballs. The eyes each had a ray of light emanating from them, forming a circle around the palace.

  “Lucius said the seven eyes were the seven tribes of forest dwellers, and how they were constantly trying to attack the palace. He warned me not to be deceived by the things I might see or hear during my mission here.” I thought it best to leave out the part about killing one of the dwellers.

  “Predictable.” Colin said, taking in the medallion.

  “Really? Sounds to me like he was spot on. Your people have been trying to get me to turn against Providence, to commit treason, ever since I got here.”

  “That's not what we're attempting to do here, Sidnie. We want you to see first-hand that the people of Manumission are good, that we are no different from the families of Providence. We desire to live in peace, to raise our families and enjoy life just like the citizens of Providence,” Colin replied.

  “But you are going against the legal system set in place decades ago.”

  “When someone abuses a system for their own gain, that system is no longer valid for those under it. If the head of an organization expects everyone else to follow the rules, but has an utter disregard of them, why should others be subjected?” Colin said.

  Spotting a murky looking body of water and a yellow canoe off in the distance, I advanced forward and said, “We're obviously not getting anywhere here, so let's get this over with.”

  Honestly, I was beginning to buy into Colin’s story, if for no other reason, his compassion and seeming sincerity. If he was lying to me, putting on a show, then he was a good actor, maybe the best.

  Shaking his head, Colin took up position next to me. It was nearing dusk by the time we arrived at our destination.

  At about the same time as Colin went to exit the canoe, an overly plump scourger jumped into the small vessel. He almost toppled into the water face first. After scurrying for his spear, Colin impaled the nasty creature with the skill and precision of a trained hunter.

  Even though it was impressive to watch one of the opposite sex on the hunt, I told myself surely not all males here in the forest could do such a thing.

  “Are you all right?” Colin asked, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “Me? I’m fine. I’m just glad you got it, before it got us.”

  “These little buggers are getting sneakier by the day. We’ve even found them hiding inside the canoe before,” Colin said as he hopped out and tied off the canoe.

  Helping me out, Colin said, “Wait over there while I skin this critter.”

  It quickly became blaringly obvious that Colin was totally opposite from Caleb. He tore that nasty creature apart within mere minutes. Removing a small sack cloth from his pocket, he proceeded to place the meat inside.

  “You people seriously eat those disgusting creatures?” I asked. Immediately, I realized the irony: Caleb had displayed a similar reaction when I had separated the wild pig I’d killed, down by the river.

  “They might look nasty, but inside they taste just like chicken,” Colin said smiling.

  “Don’t they all?” I said grinning.

  Slowly, I gazed from the edge of the river upward. Halfway up there was a narrow pathway wrapping itself around the side of a mountain which looked like a ring placed around one’s finger. The problem with this particular trail was that it didn't extend to the ground. I couldn't see a way to get up the mountain.

  Following my gaze, Colin said, “We have to walk around the back side—there’s a ladder leading up to the path.”

  Taking it all in, I said, “It's pretty here. I mean, the grass looks greener, the trees fuller. The edge of the forest looks dark, dreary. I can see why your people would choose to live here. It's secluded, the river’s the only way in or out, and the mountain provides an excellent vantage point to see the enemy.” I said, thinking what would happen if I told the monitors how to get back here.

  Around the backside of the mountain, the vegetation grew denser the closer we ventured inward. I glanced back over my shoulder occasionally, Colin’s warning about nightfall and the savages sticking with me.

  Colin stopped abruptly, reached out and grabbed a long vine at the base of the massive oak tree—two others stood not more than five feet away, their peaks even larger than this one. After a hard jerk of his hand, an opening appeared inside the mountain. I could see a long narrow stairwell leading forever upward inside.

  “Clever hiding spot—are you sure you should be showing me all of this? I mean, we are sworn enemies and all. I might come back one day.” I said. But I was beginning to wonder if I would be able to give up the dwellers’ hiding place.

  “I believe you will make a wonderful provider for your future family, Sidnie. You have all the characteristics of a good leader, a caretaker,” Colin said, his intense eyes never leaving mine for a second.

  “Thank you, Colin. And I’m sure you will make the perfect mate for some lucky girl here in the land of Manumission.” The words just flowed right out of me. I didn’t want to like Colin or anyone else in the forest for that matter, but he was just so, so dang likeable.

  Colin led me into the innermost part of the large tree and reached towards the wall on our right for what appeared to be a lantern. The place was dark, making him fumble blindly to get the thing to bring forth light.

  After a few beats, a small amber glow filled the tight space. I’d noticed the stairs before Colin had even lit the lantern, but not their steepness. There were too many to count, and I knew we were in for a hike.

  “We don't have to hurry, Sidnie. We are safe inside here. The savages don't know about this place, and we're praying you don't tell anyone about it,” Colin said.

  “You kidnap me, bring me here bound, and expect me not to retaliate? You Manumissionists are quite the lot, Colin. Quite the lot, indeed,” I said, hating myself for my playful tone, my unabashed flirting.

  “Open mind, Sidnie. That's all we're asking,” Colin said playfully.

  In an effort to put some distance between myself and this boy, I made for the stairs. Three steps upward and I started toppling back. Instantly, I felt Colin's hand in the small of my back, steadying me. His body was close, too close. I didn’t want to, but I enjoyed his warmth, his strength.

  “You have to lean forward to combat the steepness, or else you'll end back up at the bottom, and get nothing for your effort but a busted head.”

  I wasn't used to being touched by anyone other than my parents and Adeline. Feeling Colin's hand instantly caused me to tense up. But part of me enjoyed it, welcomed it. I could feel my face flush, and was thankful Colin wasn’t looking at me head on.

  “Uh, thanks.” I said, taking Colin's advice.

  We moved steadily upward, my thighs screaming by the time we reached the top. Seeing how Colin wasn't even breathing heavy, I did my best to mask my own fatigue. Being in such a high state of physical fitness, I couldn't help but wonder what Colin's physical regimen might look like. Was he better than me? Stronger? Not a chance! I had bested both him and his brother.

  At the top of the stairs, Colin once again yanked hard on a large rope and a door suddenly opened. Stepping through, I felt like I’d just entered an entirely dif
ferently world. The dwellers had somehow constructed a city in the trees, an entire village above the forest. And the amazing thing was that it wasn’t visible from down below at all.

  “Wow! How’s this even possible? I mean, how did you construct all of this?”

  “Well, it took some time, and quite a bit of ingenuity. Jeremiah came up with the design. He even built the pulleys to help us hoist the building materials up here. Other than that, it was just a lot of physical labor and sweat. I remember working on this place when I was only seven years old, barely able to even climb a tree myself. I learned really quickly though.”

  As I scanned the village, I noted numerous tiny homes, all made of trees and thatch from the forest. They lined each side of the small pathway which separated them. The homes butted up against one another, privacy obviously not standard here in the forest. It was quaint, but something about this little tiny town was also appealing.

  I envisioned living this close to my family and my neighbors. I liked the thought of being in such proximity, thinking it would bring with it a strong familial bond. I was always a sucker for family and knowing it would soon just be me and my future husband, made me a little sad.

  Pulling me away from my marveling, Colin led me to one of the tiny huts with thatched roof and a small glowing lantern placed in the center of the main room. Inside, he said, “It's not much but it will suffice for your two nights here.”

  “Two nights? I can't stay here that long, Colin. I have to get back to my people. If I’m not back in two more days, they will declare me dead.”

  “I'm sorry, Sidnie, but you really don't have a choice. Please don't think me harsh. I'm not trying to be mean, but I have my orders from Jeremiah,” Colin said.

  “Your efforts here are futile. I will never go against my people.”

  “Perhaps. But we will go through the motions, nonetheless. You will sleep in the back room, and I'll remain here,” Colin said, pointing towards the rear of the small abode.