The Truly Divine

Chapter 2: Cold Hard Truth

The sound of my laughter surprises him and I as he gives me a strange look.

"You expect me to help you after you just broke into my home?"

"Please let me explain" he says, his expression growing worried.

I can't help but notice he's handsome, and honestly he looks nothing like a burglar. His eyes are a soft green with a glimmer of some emotion; Hope? Determination? I can't tell. His brown hair is messy, and I finally notice the rest of his appearance; dirty jeans and a black t-shirt. He is from Balmer, no one from Golden Grove would be caught dead dressed like that. Once he notices my realization, he starts speaking again.

"I know I look different from what you're used to but please, I am begging you, there are soldiers after me and I really need a place to stay hidden tonight. Once I am safe, I will tell you everything."

It's either the vulnerability in his voice or his face but I am overwhelmed with a sense of trust and stand to lead him to my closet.

"You can stay here until my dinner party is over, and then I will come back and expect you to explain everything." He is still staring into the closet when I clear my throat.

"You can stow away in someone else's home if these conditions aren't up to your standards," I spit out and lean against the door.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just not used to the luxury." He steps inside and sits down, looking up at me with those bright green eyes.

"Can I ask for your name?" He quietly asks just before I shut the door.

"Eliza Harold, and yourself?"

"Matthew Laner, ma'm."

"Well Matthew, scoot behind my clothes and shut the light off. I should be back in a few minutes," and with that I shut the door and head downstairs.

Just as I hit the bottom of the staircase I realize that something has happened. Everyone is standing in the foyer, looking frightened. My mother catches my eye as two soldiers speak with my father.

"Oh Eliza! Are you okay?" She asks placing her delicate hands on my shoulders. This must be about Matthew.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" I question back just as one of the soldiers approach me.

"Do you have any reason to be under the assumption that someone has broken into this house or one nearby?" The tall soldier stares at me with no expression.

"No. I've been upstairs. There hasn't been any kind of disturbance, is something the matter?" I try to sound oblivious and concerned.

"Unfortunately miss, we have a fugitive on the run...who we believe to be very dangerous."

"Well I'll keep my eyes and ears open." I turn to my mother and curtly smile, "I'm very tired now that the parade has passed, please do not wake me until the morning. Goodnight mother." And with a kiss on the cheek, I turn around and head back up to my room. I open my closet door and to my surprise he is still there, with his arms around his knees.

"So I've decided that I will ask the questions and you will answer them all" I say shortly while waving him out. He must be around my age although he towers over me by at least five inches. I quickly pull my blonde hair into a bun, hopefully diluting the elegant style that I'm sure is irritatingly obvious, before we take a seat on the edge of my bed. After a few minutes of silence, I think of the things that I want to ask and dive right in. Our conversations leads through a series of complicated questions and with each one answered I feel less paranoid.

His family lives in Balmer and his father was recently executed for an accused theft. There was no trial or investigation, they simply pulled his father out with the rest, lined them against a wall and shot them in cold blood.

"They made all of the males in the city watch, young and old, telling us that we could face the same fate if we tried to break the city law. My sister stayed at home to try and comfort my mother...she's an absolute wreck." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath; his chest expanding with anger and falling with heartbreak.

"How many have there been?" I whisper in the darkness, more afraid of his answer than the thought of being discovered.

"At least a dozen. One was a 12 year old boy!" He speaks almost too loudly. I feel the urge to scold him for threatening to expose us but instead I place my hand on his shoulder. The electric shock makes me immediately recoil and sit in silence, unsure of what to say.

"And now they are after you?" He looks at me for the first time since we have sat down, his emerald eyes burning into sapphire.

"Yes, because one of the soldiers had tried to have his way with my sister. It was only hours after the executions, and they would simply leave the bodies to rot until the next day...she only wanted to say goodbye when the soldier attacked her.... I had no choice."

"Choice to what?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"I had no choice but to kill him. He would've killed me and my sister after he was done with her." His hands lay on his knees, balled into fists so tight his knuckles slowly drain color. For some idiotic reason I reach over and grab his hands. He doesn't pull away like I expected him too, but he gives me a stern look.

As if he reads my mind he says, "I came here to kill the King, but unfortunately I don't think that I can do it alone anymore. I need to start a rebellion." His hands are still in mine, the electric feeling slowly pulsing.

"Eliza, will you help me? Having someone on the inside will help. Hell it'll more than help, it's probably the key to making this thing work." He holds my gaze until I look away overwhelmed.

Do I have a choice? To be honest I don't know if I ever had a choice once Matthew Laner landed into my room. This is something that has been on my mind for many years...the thought of equality.

Before I realized what I was doing I nodded and said, "I want to meet them first and after that, I am yours."