Cardinal Tower (Trinity Central Book #1)

Chapter 3

"That can't be possible," I mutter under my breath, though it's not only the ice that astonishes me; it's the fact that this child seems no older than nine years old.

* * *

If you gave birth after Carpa Malum, the child was most likely immune to the effects of the radiation. Depending on the family's class and socioeconomic standing, most families often have to make a decision: stay with the children, or sell them for a quick canto. Many parents leave, forcing the children to raise themselves in the streets or find another group of orphaned children to survive with. The oldest these immune children could possibly be is five years old. If the children are born before the bomb, then the youngest any child could be would be fourteen or fifteen as the radiation killed off everyone in between, leaving a ten year age gap between the two generations. How could this girl have survived Carpa Malum at such a young age. Who is she?

"Can you believe that?" asks Devon. The report ended a while ago, but we both still sit in awe, allowing the reality of it all to sink in. "The ice, the age, I mean, how could either of those be possible?" he raises his hand and pinches his fingers between his furrowed brows. "Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

"Everything is a lot," I remind my brother. I think he's expecting me to say more, but I have nothing more to tell him.

He shakes his head, deciding the information isn't worth badgering me over and finds a new topic of discussion instead. "So," Devon starts, standing up from the table, "You officially work at Stafford now, huh?"

"Technically," I laughed with pride, "I just finished my last assignment, which means I start with my first official project tomorrow." He nods as though actually caring about what I'm saying, which honestly I can't really think about either as my thoughts are still occupied by that little girl. There haven't been many questions I couldn't answer before.

I contemplate whether or not I should mention spotting Kai at Trinity Central earlier today, but decide against it. It's not really something I need to bring up as it probably won't happen again. Devon suddenly perks, his face lit up as he starts digging through his bag and pockets. A goofy grin dances on his lips as he drops four apples, two loaves of bread, a rusty silver necklace, and a pair of silk gloves on the table. This beats anything that either of us had ever managed to get in a single day before.

"Beat that," he says slyly. I drop an orange, the meat, and the wool scarf on the table and throw my hands in the air in defeat.

"Ha!" he yells elated, "I won! I finally won!" he pumps his fist in excitement, jumping like he just won the lottery. As I pull out the last of my loot from my bag, my finger closes around a treasure I've forgotten about: the gold ring embroidered with diamonds worth more than twice what he's stolen in his entire life. I watch as his smile drops into an expression of disbelief, radiating with astonishment.

He stutters amazed, trying in vain to form a coherent sentence.

I lean back in my seat smugly, and tuck my arms behind my head. Diamonds are found on the ground after a natural storm, but never as clear as the one on the ring. Gold is a rare commodity that no one ever sees, the tools for digging it up just don't exist anymore and no one cares enough to try, making this ring priceless. Seems as though I've won again.

"Maybe you should figure out how to be a better thief." I turn away towards the kitchen counter and start fixing supper. After a few more moments inspecting the ring to make sure it isn't fake, he retires to the mat on the floor where he sleeps, and slumps in the corner in defeat.

My attention is consumed by the open flame as I start to sear my stolen scraps of meat over the griddle. We eat it with a few pieces of half burnt toast and an apple each, not really speaking if only to ask for something to be passed. The rest of the night fades away into mindless small talk blocked only by the static from the cable set.

Soon, the clock blinks 2200 and Devon decides to turn in for the night. I could never sleep before midnight, so I decide to wile away the hours by the "window" - a hole left in the wall from before we moved in - and stare out towards the moon. Light trails in through the hole and shines on my face, slowly rising through the sky. I sit up a bit and rest my palm on the broken cement and listen to the dust fall on the other side, allowing myself to be mesmerized by the night sky.

A sigh that I can't control leaves my mouth, the brevity of my thoughts falling away with it. The events of today replay in my mind, taunting me with the questions I couldn't answer and the people I couldn't avoid. Tomorrow won't be any different, and neither will the days that follow, all I can do now is survive through them.

A crunch from the other side of the door notifies me that it's that time of the night once again, and so I leave my thoughts behind at the window.

I saunter towards the door, repeating the motions as if this were a normal daily routine. My body leans against the door, close enough so that my ear is pressed against the wood and I can make out each sound on the other side. I hear breathing, mischievous snickering, and footsteps loud enough to notify me that whoever's on the other side of this door is an amateur.

My hands closes around the dagger in my boot, pulling out the object that feels all too familiar. I toss it in the air a bit, realizing just how natural it feels in my grip and throw open the door, thrusting the knife to my right side where it finds a home in my victim's chest. She lets out one more surprised gasp before she falls to the ground, lifeless on the gravel. Glaring at the fallen body and the dagger marked on her collar, I recognize her as Blondie from the market earlier.

It's been a year and the Karmas have never missed a day, but then again, neither have I.

I wipe the blood off of the blade, shaking my head at these tedious attempts at assassination, and put it back under my mattress.