The Boy in the Field (21 page)

It wasn’t long before people began to pound on the door. You
ignored them, cramming some of your things into a bag. If he could do that, he
didn’t deserve to come home to you. You shook your head as you heard a window
smash at the front of the house.

Maybe he wouldn’t have a home to come back to, with you or
without you. Those people sounded enraged. They would tear the house down
before long.

You could hear glass breaking. They would be inside soon. You
fastened the bag and unlatched the bedroom window. All that climbing on ivy you
had done as a kid came back to you as you scurried up the outside of the wall,
kicking the window closed behind you. You hauled yourself onto the roof and
began to run, hopping from building to building and hoping no one would notice
you.

At the end of the row of houses, you dropped from the roof and
continued on the ground, travelling through the back alleys as you had when
you’d run from the Taatars in Landia. You changed your name and cut your hair.
You never settled down. People never spoke of your husband – ex-husband – but
you often thought that they suspected you. You moved on every time the people
around you got too close to you. Never making a home. Never stopping running.

The End
(Back to start)

It wasn’t long before people began to pound on the door. You
ignored them at first, but then the glass in the window smashed and you knew
you had to do something.

“He’s not here!” you yelled. “He’s not here!”

“You let him do this! You can’t plan an assassination alone!”

They shouted at you, accusing you of conspiracy, accusing you
of knowing what he was doing. You denied every accusation. Eventually, you
convinced them of your own innocence, even if you could do nothing to defend
your husband. They left you alone with your broken door and tear stained face.

They looked at you, though. Everyone looked at you as you went
about your daily business. Some shopkeepers refused to serve you while others
simply refused to speak to you or acknowledge your existence. You had to change
your whole lifestyle, now bearing the moniker of the ‘Traitor’s wife’. Part of
you still hoped it was a mistake, but it seemed unlikely.

Choice:
150. Leave Town
or
151. Wait
for Him

“Yeah. About that.” You turned, pushing past the men and
fleeing towards the street. From nowhere, the magister appeared in front of you
and as soon as his hand touched your shoulder, you fell unconscious.

When you came to, you were in the holding cells in the city
station. The other members of your group were there too – Ethan and two other
men named Luke and Romir. Romir was nursing a black eye.

“What happened?” you asked, shielding your eyes from the shaft
of sunlight streaming through the window.

“We were ambushed.” Ethan glanced over his shoulder. “They
offered Romir a deal and he sold us out.”

“They shafted me!” Romir protested.

Luke raised his fist and Romir flinched away. You shook your
head.

“There was a magister in our house. He caught me.”

Ethan smiled. “I love you.”

“What?”

“I love you.” He sighed. “If he was in the house, there will be
no trial. They will execute us and I want you to know that I love you.”

You laughed. “I love you too, Ethan.”

* * *

The Serlorans were mercifully quick with their executions.
Their hangman was competent and they didn’t enjoy feeding prisoners while they
were awaiting their fate, instead scheduling the hangings as soon after
sentencing as possible – in your case, the very next day.

There was a small crowd in the hanging square that morning,
mostly curious passers-by. Ethan took your hand as they read the charges. You
didn’t feel a thing.

The End
(Back to start)

You sighed and did as the man said, allowing them to walk you
to the station without argument. When you reached the holding cells, the other
members of your group were there too – Ethan and two other men named Luke and
Romir. Romir was nursing a black eye.

“What happened?” you asked, shielding your eyes from the shaft
of sunlight streaming through the window.

“We were ambushed.” Ethan glanced over his shoulder. “They
offered Romir a deal and he sold us out.”

“They shafted me!” Romir protested.

Luke raised his fist and Romir flinched away. You shook your
head.

“There was a magister in our house. He caught me.”

Ethan smiled. “I love you.”

“What?”

“I love you.” He sighed. “If he was in the house, there will be
no trial. They will execute us and I want you to know that I love you.”

You laughed. “I love you too, Ethan.”

* * *

The Serlorans were mercifully quick with their executions.
Their hangman was competent and they didn’t enjoy feeding prisoners while they
were awaiting their fate, instead scheduling the hangings as soon after
sentencing as possible – in your case, the very next day.

There was a small crowd in the hanging square that morning,
mostly curious passers-by. Ethan took your hand as they read the charges. You
didn’t feel a thing.

The End
(Back to start)

You took out a pencil and wrote a list of all the names you
knew, leaving out only Ethan and yourself.

“You really are pathetic,” he said, scanning the list. “If
that’s all it took to make you turn on your own people, I’m glad you left me.
What chance does your country stand when you’re the best it has to offer?”

“I’m not doing this because of my country. And I’m not doing it
for you. This is for him. Ethan. He kept me safe and I’m going to return the
favour.” You rolled the list into a tube. “I’ll give you this if you promise to
let us both leave.”

He reached out for the paper. “I promise.”

You let him take the roll and stood to leave. “I’m glad you’re
still alive, Noah. And I’m sorry things turned out this way. Maybe we’ll meet
again when this war is over and we can start again.”

“I doubt it.” He smiled. “Good luck.”

* * *

You intercepted Ethan before the team left Itarsi,
disappointed that they hadn’t found their target. You were standing in the
doorway of a shop when a pair of magisters stepped out of an alleyway into the
paths of Luke and Romir, arresting them. Ethan turned to interfere, but you
held his hand and refused to let him go. You knew there would be no way out
once they took you a second time.

“We have to help them!” Ethan protested. “They are our friends
– our team! We can’t let this happen.”

You nodded and fixed your eyes on his. “Ethan, we have to. We
cannot help them.”

“We have to try.” He turned and tried to pull away again.

“No, Ethan, we cannot help. They knew there was a chance they
would get caught. If we do anything, they will catch us too and we will never
see each other again. Do you understand?”

He looked at you and slowly nodded. “You turned them in. You
found out about the mission and you turned them in.”

“There never was a mission, Ethan. It was a ploy so they could
raid our house. If we had all come, as planned, we would all be in jail now. I
made a deal that keeps us alive and safe. Don’t let that be for nothing.”

“I can’t believe you did that.”

You laughed. “I found out a lot of things that I can’t believe
recently. Like the fact that Noah is alive. And he’s a magister. And the fact
that you once hid a body for me.” You slipped your hand into his. “I can’t
believe
you
did
that
.”

He shrugged. “I was in love with you. I had to keep you safe.”

You smiled. “Come on. We should find somewhere to stay tonight.
I think we might have a bit of travelling to do before we’re safe.”

Your path never did cross with that of Noah again, for which
you were grateful. His appearance in your life signalled the end of an era.
People you knew began to disappear, taken in by the Serloran forces. It was
only a matter of time before one of them turned on you.

The End
(Back to start)

You shook your head. “No. I won’t tell you anything.”

“You’d rather rot in jail than simply tell me a few names?”

“There’s no proof I killed him.”

Noah sighed. “You don’t get it, do you? I’m a magister. If I
say I saw something happen, the courts believe me. If it comes to the word of a
rebel fighter against the arbiters of law, whose word do you think carries the
most weight?”

He stood up and crossed the room. As his hand touched your
shoulder, the lights in the room began to fade. Your limbs stopped responding.
You couldn’t stop yourself falling.

Instruction:
178. Verata

You tried to duck under his arm, but he was too quick, his
hand grasping your shoulder before you had taken two steps. The light faded around
you as he held you still.

* * *

“…for evading arrest, I believe. Ah, she is conscious.”

You blinked, looking around you. Three uniformed men stood in
the room, all looking down at you from the other side of a wall of bars.

“Didn’t we meet before at Holoqua?” the first asked.

You frowned, studying their faces for a second. Although you
didn’t recognise them, that question was used by members of the Liberation to
identify themselves.

“I think you must be mistaken,” you replied. “I’ve never been.”

He looked at his two colleagues and nodded. “She’s one of them.
Send her to Verata.”

“What?” You stood up and grabbed the bars of the cell. “
Vasa!
”

As they left, Noah came in, smiling. “Do you know the life
expectancy of an inmate in Verata Imperial Prison?”

“About ten minutes?”

“You’re not far off.” He nodded. “Here’s the deal. You turn in
everyone you know in the Liberation and I won’t send you, since we used to be
friends.”

“We were more than friends, Noah. We were family.”

“Some family. Do you accept the deal?”

Choice:
152. Accept the Offer
or
153.
Refuse to Tell

You jabbed at him, but he was too quick, his hand wrapping
around your wrist before the blade could even scratch his armour.

“It is unlawful to engage the magister,” he said, his voice
flat.

The light faded around you as he held you still. Your limbs
stopped responding. You couldn’t stop yourself falling.

* * *

“…to attack Magister Vapasi. Well, she’s awake. I’m sure she
can explain.”

You blinked, looking around you. Three uniformed men stood in
the room, all looking down at you from the other side of a wall of bars.

“Didn’t we meet before at Holoqua?” the first asked.

You frowned, studying their faces for a second. Although you
didn’t recognise them, that question was used by members of the Liberation to
identify themselves.

“I think you must be mistaken,” you replied. “I’ve never been.”

“Do you want to explain why you attacked the magister?”

“He threatened me.”

He looked at his two colleagues and nodded. “She’s a
Liberationist. Send her to Verata.”

“What?” You stood up and grabbed the bars of the cell. “
Vasa!
”

As they left, Noah came in, smiling. “Do you know the life
expectancy of an inmate in Verata Imperial Prison?”

“About ten minutes?”

“You’re not far off.” He nodded. “Here’s the deal. You turn in
everyone you know in the Liberation and I won’t send you, since we used to be
friends.”

“We were more than friends, Noah. We were family.”

“Some family. Do you accept the deal?”

Choice:
152. Accept the Offer
or
153.
Refuse to Tell

You shook your head, throwing the knife to the floor. “I’m not
going to fight you.”

“Why?” He bared his teeth at you. “Why not?”

You smiled. “Because I don’t want to hurt you. I never wanted
to hurt you.”

“Didn’t stop you, did it?”

“I thought you were dead.”

“Did you even look for me?” He put his hand on the wall beside
your head. “Did you even look back?”

“Every day.” You smiled. “Every single day.” You put your hand
on his arm, the metal of his armour warm beneath your palm.

“How can you just stand there?” he yelled. “Fight me!” He
slammed his fist into the wall beside your head, knocking plaster loose.

“If you want to hurt me, Noah, just hurt me. But you have to
make the first move because I’m not going to. I already hurt you once. I
won’t—”

Your words were cut off as he leaned in and kissed you, his
fingers running up the back of your neck, along your jaw and behind your ear.

Choice:
154. Push Him Away
or
155. Kiss Him

You sighed. “I'll do what I can.”

You looked again at his uniform. He looked so much like his
brother, right down to the untucked shirt. You ushered him up the stairs. So
long as no one else saw him and Ethan together, you thought you might be able
to hide him.

“It’ll be crowded, but it’s my room or the attic.”

You pushed open the door. Noah’s cot was wedged in the gap between
the wall and the foot of the bed. The wardrobe doors could only be opened by
standing on the bed. He spent that night on the tiny strip of floor between the
door and the bed. His cover was blown first thing in the morning by your son,
bounding down the stairs to welcome Ethan home with the question, “Why are
there two of you?”

You heard Ethan’s footsteps on the stairs and nudged Noah
Senior awake. “Think quickly. You’ve been found.”

The door swung open and Noah Senior came in, tugging Ethan by
the hand. “Look. Another one. I told you there were two of you.”

Noah Senior sat up and rubbed his face. “Morning.”

“Noah?” Ethan put out his hand and pulled his brother to his
feet, wrapping his arms around him. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I’ve been looking for you. I didn’t think I’d actually find
you.”

“Where have you been? Have you met Noah?” He pushed him back by
the shoulders. “You look well. What happened?”

Noah smiled. “Wanna let me answer any of those?”

* * *

You never told Ethan the real reason Noah had returned. The
less Ethan knew about that, the better. Noah told Ethan that he was in trouble
and Ethan believed him, going to any lengths to make sure his brother was safe.
Both of them seemed so happy to have the other back that you wondered if Noah
could have taken his revenge even if you had let him go.

The End
(Back to start)