The Shattered Genesis (Eternity) (83 page)

             
Elijah and Violet were convinced by what he had said. They still distrusted the situation as James and I did. But they knew he was right. I wanted to hug him in thanks for convincing them but I also wanted to roll my eyes in annoyance tha
t was only partially serious. Why was it always James that was able to convince people? We would have to compare notes on the fine art of debating a course of action.

             
“Now we need to tell Quinn, Alice and Nick that we are staying.” I heeded James’s reques
t that we keep them close. He looked at me and I nodded before speaking again, “I might not agree, but it is important to you.”

             
“It is.” James responded, and I could see that he wanted to kiss me to show his gratitude for my agreement. But Elijah was ther
e with us so instead of a kiss, I got a quick squeeze on the shoulder. “I don’t want to see them get killed after everything we’ve survived.”

             
“I know. I am starting to agree with you more and more on that, believe it or not.”

             
“Or not.” He responded sardo
nically, and I swatted him lightly in the arm with a suppressed smile forming on my face.

             
“Well, I don’t agree with that at all!” Violet exclaimed after crossing her arms again, “We don’t need them. You two don’t need anymore responsibility. We were just
saying that you two are leading the way and doing a damn good job of it.”

             
“You thought that was a good job?” James asked incredulously, “I shudder to think what a bad job is.”

             
“Speak for yourself, James Maxwell. I personally believe that we were doing a
stellar job.”

             
“We nearly got eaten by a prehistoric river serpent, we almost drowned in said river, we were attacked by…”

             
“Thank you!” I pressed my fingers to his lips to stop him from continuing.

             
“Whatever your own opinions of it are, even Quinn, Alice
and Nick said that under the circumstances, you guys are doing a good job.” Elijah added.

             
“Oh, so you all have spoken? That is nice.” I replied honestly, “That will make convincing them to stay much easier. I was picturing a slippery, eighty-nine degree
slope.”

             
“
I
talked to them.” Elijah corrected me, “Violet is still mad that they left us to fight by ourselves in the cave.”

             
“Forgive me for being slightly put out by an obvious show of cowardice.”

             
“Alright,
Brynna
…” Elijah snapped sarcastically, “I wasn
’t getting on you about it. I was just telling her what was going on before they disappeared.”

             
“I just don’t think that you two need to be responsible for three people who wouldn’t throw water on us if we were on fire. That’s all I’m saying.” Violet held
her hands up in defense.

             
“I would not go that far. Surely, if all was known and there was a sense of immediacy, not to mention the guilt that would follow watching someone burn to death…” I started.

             
“Oh my God, Brynna!” Violet threw her hands up in frust
ration.

             
While Violet was clearly at her wits end from hearing so many of my overly logistical musings on things, James and Elijah were both laughing hysterically after that particular one.

             
“You think I am being funny but I was just pointing out a fallacy
…” I continued seriously. I sighed heavily and walked forward, heading towards Adam and Don. When they turned to me, I shuddered upon meeting Adam’s eyes. There was a depth to them that I had not noticed before; it was downright unnerving. I looked away fr
om him immediately and spoke to Don instead. Standing next to Adam, he was about as threatening as a guppy swimming alongside a great white shark. I looked between them, trying not to smile; the simile was very fitting, actually.

             
“We have decided to stay,
though as I have stated, I do not believe that we have much of a choice.”

             
“Of course you…” Don started soothingly only to be interrupted by Adam.

             
“You are right, as always, Ms. Olivier. You did not have a choice.”

             
“Adam, I don’t think that making the
girl feel imprisoned is helpful in making her want to stay.”

             
“I would not have let you leave because there are many out there that hunt you. There are creatures that hunt any living food source, of course. But they are the least of your worries. Did Don i
nform you that Richard Bachum and your father have a bounty on your head?”

I was momentarily stunned into silence, which more than answered whether or not Don had told me.

             
“It is of little importance now that you are here. You needn’t worry. You are safe
behind these walls. You can fight like an animal if you venture out and they attack you. You have a strong man who feels great affection for you and will protect you.” His eyes darkened when he looked at James and I could have sworn I heard a note of disda
in in his voice. “And of course, the Bachums and your father fear crossing me.”

             
“I am not worried,” I lied, “Nor am I confused. Nor am I surprised. The Bachums
will
cross you because that is the arrangement of your war, is it not, Adam?”

             
“They are not cr
ossing me if they continue to fight. They are crossing Don.”

             
“What exactly are they offering as a bounty? Is it only me that they are after?” I pressed him.

             
I had to know how to process the notion of being hunted. I needed to know the exact reason behind
their desire to capture and kill me because it could become a weapon if any situation called for one.

             
“They are offering safety. They are offering an exit from the war that is starting as we speak. They are offering an abundance of food and royal standin
g. What more could any of you ask for?”

             
“I am going to assume that you were being condescending when you said that and I am going to ignore it for the time being.” I crossed my arms in indignation, reminding myself of my younger sister who was standing th
e exact same way as she watched us. “Is it only me? What is their reasoning?”

             
“Their highest bounty is for you. But they are also hunting your sisters and brother.”

             
“Do they want us dead or alive?”

             
“With you, preferably alive. With the others, certainly
alive.”

             
“Adam, I don’t think this is right, telling her all of this…” Don chimed in. We both scowled at him and he shrunk into the background where he did not speak again.

             
“What about James?” I asked.

             
“They want him dead.”

             
I almost grasped my heart as
the icy fear took a strangling hold of it once again. I suppressed the urge.

             
“And their reasoning?”

             
“Does it matter?” Adam asked me after raising an eyebrow.

             
“It matters to me.”

             
Adam chuckled softly, nodding in a show of respect for my need to learn a
ll that could be known. It showed great wisdom and an embrace of common sense. That is what his mind was saying, anyway. For some reason, he was allowing me to see into it, though his many thoughts were hazy, like trying to see into a mirror after throwing
water on the glass.

             
“You all have been gifted with great powers that we also possess. Each of you has been given at least one. They do not take kindly to being rejected by the One God they follow so closely. They do not blame Him. They blame you.”

             
“Inte
resting…” I mused on that for a moment.

             
“They know that those who embraced their powers will be more likely to win their place here. They do not like being usurped. They certainly will not allow a total victory. They certainly will not surrender.”

             
“May I
ask you something?”

             
“You are going to ask me whether I agree or not. I can sense your stubbornness and your aggression.”

             
“Well, I am not going to apologize for either.”

             
“I would never expect you to apologize, Ms. Olivier.”
             

             
“This is truly a rare
opportunity to get inside the mind of a tyrant.”

             
“You believe I am tyrannical?”

             
I furrowed my brows and stared at him. My silence and the look on my face answered his question. He chuckled softly again.

             
“Continue, Ms. Olivier.”

             
“Why is it that we canno
t all live here? Why do you insist on one group eradicating the other?”

             
It was a question that had been tugging at my consciousness since mine and Don’s discussion. Now, I was faced with what was perhaps the only chance to have it answered. I needed to kn
ow just for my own mind. I could not see the answer clearly the way I could see other things.

             
“That will become evident to you soon enough.” Adam replied and our eyes met again.

             
He reached out his hand to me. Once I clasped it, he brought mine to his lip
s. As he kissed the back of my hand, he never broke his gaze away from my eyes.

             
“Your stubbornness and aggression will persist most boldly in my mind until we meet again, Ms. Olivier.”

             
I blinked and he was gone.

XXX

             
Elijah knew about James and me. When
two women were asked by Don to lead us to our rooms, I was not careful or quiet when I disclosed to them that James and I would be sharing. Elijah narrowed his eyes at me and I shrugged.

             
“What do you want me to say?” I asked him softly.

             
“Can you come wi
th me, please?” He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from our group before I had a chance to tell him that I could not.

             
“Are you serious right now?” He was clearly trying to keep a hold on his anger and disapproval, though I could not imagine why. I was m
ore than capable of dealing with both.

             
“This does not have to turn into anything drawn out. Perhaps I was wrong in keeping mine and James’s relationship status a secret. I should have been open with you from the start. I do apologize.”

“Are you kidding me
?”
“You just asked me if I was serious and now you are asking…”

             
“Don’t even pull that right now!” He exploded suddenly and pointed at me in rage. “You and him? Brynna, are you out of your mind?!”

             
“No, Eli, I am not.” I replied calmly. “I am twenty-two ye
ars old and fully capable of deciding who I want to be involved in a relationship with. I have decided on James.”

             
“He’s like…” Elijah threw his hands up as he tried to settle on exactly which exaggerated number he was going to use to define James's age. I
stopped him before he could speak it.

             
“He is forty-five. I am not going to spend even a moment justifying our relationship to you. I certainly do not have to do that, therefore I will not. I don’t care whether you approve or disapprove.
We have been toge
ther officially for several weeks but I know that you had to have noticed how we were even before then. There was always an attraction.”

             
“I did notice it. I noticed that he was attracted to
you
and it
disgusted
me. That’s why I called him on it the first
night I met him.” He told me as he shook with fury. “He’s preying on you! You’re young enough to be his kid!”