A sharp rap on the door draws me to consciousness. A warm glow permeates my vision as I ease my eyes open and part my lips. Ruben stifles a moan from my side, shifting closer to me as he had rolled to the other side in his sleep.
Someone knocks on the door again. "Mr Chander, breakfast is ready."
"Shit," he gasps, wrenching the blanket off his body, leaping to his feet. He yanks the blanket off me, and I tense as the morning chill hits my skin. "Hide in the bathroom, Elle."
I mutter a curse to myself, feet hitting the floor as I scurry to the bathroom, closing the door just enough so no one sees me, but I can still watch.
Ruben paces to the door and cracks it open.
"Oh!" the maid lets out a squeak as her eyes fall to Ruben's shirtless chest.
"Good morning," Ruben smiles and I watch as her cheeks flush crimson.
She tears her eyes from his chest and hands over a tray of food. "Your breakfast, Mr Chander."
"Ruben. Call me Ruben, Grace," he corrects her with another smile, accepting the tray graciously. "Oh, and I'm feeling hungry this morning. Could you please bring me a second helping of eggs and toast?"
"Of course, I will be right back, Mr Chander–Ruben." Grace blushes again, eyes darting to her feet as she turns and scurries away.
"I think that you just made her morning," I say, emerging from the bathroom, stifling a laugh.
"All I did was ask for more food," he shrugs, striding to his drawers, placing the tray on top. He snatches a shirt from the drawer and shrugs it on. I cannot help but watch the muscles in his back contort as he moves. Ruben then picks up the tray again, trudging back to the bed. He pats the spot next to him and when I sit down, he hands me the tray. "Eat, Elle."
I smile at him, accepting the tray. As I swallow a mouthful of toast, I tilt my head to him. "So today, we are getting Aston out."
"I have a plan to rescue Aston. And the prisoners."
He pauses as there is another knock on the door and he opens it to accept his second tray of food. He thanks the maid Grace before sinking back onto the edge of the bed. "We will need a Tranq gun, your sword, and a small but significant pair of my school friends who escaped Sneya."
"How are we getting my sword back?" I ask. "Doesn't Sneya have it?"
"Yes," he says. "He will eat breakfast soon. I will go up to his quarters and get it."
"And who are these friends of yours?"
He grins. "They are Concaves. They hate the cavern. They will help us."
Ruben finishes his breakfast then stands, placing his empty tray on the bedside table. "I'll go get that sword of yours now."
He grins at me before he strides to the door and yanks it open. "I will be back, Elle. Hold tight."
I smile at him as he disappears. And I am left to my growing anxiety. I trust Ruben, but his friends, well, I have not met them. Perhaps I should cut them slack. If Ruben says they will help, I should trust that. But letting strangers help Aston terrifies me. What if they are of no help and it ends in tears?
My hand brushes the scar on my forehead, and I think of Aston. Is he being flogged? Is he thinking of me? His gran? My mind filters through memories of the first time I met Aston. We were only eleven and I remember how I knew I would grow to adore that boy.
My knee shakes and I let out a small moan. Can Ruben hurry? I jump to my feet and begin pacing the room, back and forth, back and forth. I take the time that I must change out of Ruben's sweatpants and shirt into my tattered brown pants and white long sleeve. When I continue pacing, I stop at the window, unclipping the clasps and pushing the window open. An icy morning draft drifts in, coaxing blood to rise to my cheeks against the chill.
I jump as the door opens and Ruben strides into the room. "Look at what I found," he says.
Low and behold, he has my sword sheathed in its tattered scabbard. Ruben hands it over and I cannot help but grin as I slip the scabbard over my shoulder, so it rests against my back. "Thank you, Ruben."
He smiles. "No problem. Shall we go meet my friends?"
I nod and follow him out of the room. We tread through the hallway and down the steps, crossing the foyer to the grand doors. The doors are as grand as the ones to court. They rise to a monumental height, boasting colours of red and gold, and adorned in snakehead handles. Tranquillity Patrolmen glare at the pair of us, and I regret coming this way. But Ruben draws back his shoulders, raises his chin and strides right up to the centre of both doors.
"I want to take Elle to the Concave markets, today," he says without hesitation. "Please open the doors."
"Lord Sneya forbids the Red Leaf from leaving the palace, Mr Chander," the one to the left says.
Ruben blinks at him. "Her name is Elle. You must obey my orders."
The Tranq's jaw tightens, but he nods to his fellow Tranq. Together, they pull the doors open. Ruben mimics cocking a top hat before turning to me. "Come on, Elle."
I march after Ruben as we walk along the wide, flower boarded path to the enormous golden gates. Again, Ruben uses his quick wit to bypass the Tranqs at the gate and we emerge in the Concave Sector. The buildings that surround us are tall, gleaming in various colours. Glamorously dressed Concave people mill about the streets. They sip coffee on the decks of cafes, and babble to each other about things that concern their narrow lives. As we move into the busier streets, I notice the abundance of horses and carriages with Concave people being taken to their morning destinations. Ruben pauses and waves at one. A scarlet red, open carriage pulled by a sleek, black horse trotting to the side of the road, stopping beside us.
The horseman at the reins wears an unnecessary gold suit. He shifts around, the friendly grin under his groomed moustache dropping as his eyes lay on me. "Red Leaf," he gasps.
"Her name is Elle," Ruben says, hopping aboard without being asked. He offers me his hand to me, pulling me on beside him.
"I can't take her anywhere, Mr Chander," the horseman says, eyes darting towards me.
"Well, you are taking me, and Elle is with me," Ruben tells him. "So, if you please, take us to number seven Somerset Avenue."
The horseman grumbles beneath his breath before ushering the horse onward. Being seated several feet above the hustle in the street gives me the opportunity to take in the Concave Sector. Below me, women wear flowered or feathered hats, dressed in fur or dyed leather coats. The men dress in suits of various styles and colours. They have slicked-back hair and groomed facial hair. Blooming flowers decorate the windows of buildings, and golden or marble fountains appear in every square we cross. We soon leave the busy streets and turn into a narrow alleyway. A blue sign on the street reads Somerset Avenue. The horse pulls up short to the doorstep of a narrow townhouse. Someone nailed a large number 7 to the front door.
"Here you go, Chander," the horseman turns around, eyes darting to me again. I thank him anyway and climb out of the carriage. Ruben presses a couple of coins into the man's hand, thanks him, and bids him goodbye.
Ruben turns to me as we traipse to the front doormat. "Are you okay, Elle?"
"Of course," I say, offering a smile.
He grins at me, and my cheeks burn. He steps up to the front door and knocks. After several moments, the door swings open and a boy greets us. I first notice his dark, scruffy hair, the tips dyed bright green. He has a ring piercing in his lip and a tattoo painted up the side of his neck beneath his white shirt. He throws me. I have seen no one similar, both Convex and Concave.
The boy grins. "Ruben!" He sticks out his hand, which Ruben takes with a sharp clap. They hug, slapping each other's back. "I haven't seen your pretty face in a while!"
The boy's smile never wavers as he averts his vivid blue eyes to me. "And this must be Elizabeth Fallon."
Ruben smiles. "That's right. But she prefers Elle." Then Ruben turns to me. "Elle, meet my friend, Ajax."
"That's me," Ajax grins again, sticking out his hand for me to shake. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you, Elle?"
"Ajax!" Ruben hits him, stifling a laugh. "Leave her alone."
"What?" Ajax shrugs, gesturing for us to follow him. "I was just trying to make her comfortable."
"Poor effort, Ajax," another voice laughs as we make our way inside.
It is more modest that I expected it to be. The square room is small, with a kitchen off of the entrance. On the floor are four canvas sacks. I assume they are chairs. There is a rickety old coffee table in the middle of them, with empty mugs stacked in one corner, and several glass bottles of beer are beneath it. A burning wood smell lingers from the fireplace in the far corner. A small television mounts to the far wall.
Another boy, who appears around Ruben's age, 18, emerges from the kitchen, holding a tray of cookies with mitts. The toasty, sweet scent rumbles my stomach as he hurries over to the coffee table and places them down. He yanks off his oven mitts, tossing them aside.
The boy has a messy mop of auburn hair with high cheekbones and a squared-off jaw. I notice his nose has a dusting of flour on the tip. His sharp eyes peer at me curiously, taking me in as I do him. The boy smiles.
"You must be the Red Leaf, Elle Fallon," he says, offering his hand out for me to shake. "I'm Killian. Killian Brooker."
I accept his calloused hand in my small one, returning the gesture. "It's lovely to meet you, Killian."
He gestures to the canvas sacks. "Please sit and help yourself to a cookie. Although, be careful, I did just take them out of the oven."
I remove my sword from my back, placing it on the floor in front of me as sink into a sack beside Ruben who grins at the pair seated in front of us. Ajax leans forward, picks up a cookie and takes a massive bite. He gives Killian the thumbs-up before swallowing. He then turns back to us.
"Ruben has told us all about you, Elle," Ajax says, polishing off the cookie and reaching for a second.
"How? What did he say?" I ask, at last finding my voice.
"I wrote to them," Ruben tells me. "I told them about Aston."
Killian snorts, snatching a cookie from the tray. "Ruben also said that you are a sword fighter, and that you are remarkable."
Ajax takes another cookie from the tray, pushing his hair out of his face. "Both Killian and I have links to the slaves in the cavern. We need to help."
Curiosity claws. They have links to the slaves. Curiosity gnaws at my guts, but I swallow the questions.
Killian leans in, lowering his voice as though someone else could hear us. "Has Ruben shown you the underground network, yet?"
I nod.
"Ajax and I know it. Ruben, too. In fact, we were the ones that showed him when we were kids. If we break into the cavern and disable the Tranqs, we could rescue the prisoner from the cavern. We can take them to Convex Sector in groups."
"Killian, I thought I could ignore it, but you have flour on your nose." Ajax smirks at his friend.
Killian wipes the flour from his nose, then gives Ajax the middle finger. "Anyway, we hoped that, if you are ready, we could get the plan underway tonight."
"Ajax and Killian have a collection of tranquil guns. We will disable the Tranqs with those," Ruben says. He leans forward and grabs a cookie, taking a bite. "Although, if you are okay with it, we hoped you want your sword, too."
"I will do whatever it takes to set Aston free," I say, and Ruben smiles at me.
"I know," he whispers.
Killian pushes himself to his feet and kneels by the coffee table. He glances up at me, his eyes catching in the stream of light coming from the kitchen window. I notice they are the colour of caramel. "I'll show you where we keep the tranquil guns and darts, Elle."
Killian moves the beer bottles from beneath the coffee table before shifting the table over to where Ajax is sitting. The floorboard below sits a centimetre above the rest. I know it must be loose. Killian then digs his fingers under the loose floorboard and pulls it away. I crane my neck to see what is below and see that a chest hides underneath the floorboards. Killian punches a code into a pad, the chest clicks open, and he lifts the lid. An impressed grin works its way to my lips. A dozen tranquillity guns, and pouches of darts, stow away in the chest.
"Only four people know the code to this chest," Killian says, handing me a tranquil gun and a pouch of darts.
Ruben, Ajax, and Killian and... who else?
As he passes a gun to Ruben, Killian catches my confusion and sighs. "The fourth person is my–"
At that moment, the television switches on; the screen illuminating in a red silhouette of Lord Sneya before a shot of a nursery fills the screen. Dozens of babies sleep in the rows of cots.
"Good morning, Concave citizens of the Floodgates," a voice-over says. "It is vital that we vaccinate children against the virus, which almost took out humanity 109 years ago. It is essential that we protect our children from this adversity before it becomes even more of a threat than it is. If we protect the children of today, we protect humanity."
The music playing increases in volume before ending in a flourish, the screen winking out.
I blink, perplexed. "The world freaks me out."
---
The rest of the day flies by in Killian and Ajax's shared apartment until we leave for the cavern. I learn Killian is studying food science at the Concave Academy of Technology and hopes to become a chef. Ajax is also at the Academy, training to become an engineer to enhance the access to drinkable water in the Floodgates.
We stand and I pull my sheathed sword over my shoulder. I tuck the gun into my belt and clasp the clip attached to the pouch of darts to the belt too. Ajax busies himself by changing into an attire more fitting for the plan. He peels his shirt off, revealing his lean torso and intricate tattoo design stretching down his back. As I kneel, tying the laces of my boots again, I strain my neck to catch the design. But Ajax pulls a shirt back on. He then strides to a narrow cupboard by the kitchen. Ajax pulls out a leather belt with a scabbard designed for a dagger attached, fastening the belt to his waist before he hands one to both Ruben and Killian. An impressive array of knives and mount to the cupboard. He plucks out a sharp-looking one and slides it into the scabbard at his side. Ajax hands both Ruben and Killian a similar knife.
"I don't have a belt with a scabbard for one," I say.
He pulls out another belt from the cupboard and hands it to me. I take off my belt, switching the gun and pouch onto the new one. Ajax carefully passes me a dainty-looking knife, and as I grip the hilt, turning the blade over to examine it, I cannot help but grin.
"Thank you, Ajax."
"Shall we?"
Ruben adjusts the belt around his belt, and Killian slips his knife into the scabbard. "Let's go," he says.
Ruben and I are to leave first. Killian explained the trapdoor at the end of the road. We will meet in the tunnels. It is best to go in twos, as a larger group could attract attention. Ruben leads me out of the house, and when we are out of earshot of Ajax and Killian, he tilts his head to me.
"What do you think of them?"
"I like them," I say.
The street is a dead-end, bordered by apartment buildings with the curtains pulled for the evening. Groomed and plucked hedges decorate the footpath of the dead end. Ruben leads me to one of these hedges, his sharp eyes scanning the grass at our feet. At last, he bends down, and his fingers hook around the brass handle of the trapdoor. It gives a protesting grunt as he yanks it away.
Ruben peers into the black abyss before turning his gaze to me. "I will see you there, Elle. The others should be right behind us."
He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze before stepping off the edge and disappearing below. I have seen him do it several times now, but I still let out an audible gasp as he drops to the ground. "Alright, Elle. Come on!"
A grin works its way onto my face, and I step off. I drop below, much more prepared for the landing this time. As I straighten up, I draw in a deep breath, doing my best to suppress the fear and focus on the steady, hopeful rhythm beneath my chest.