Beyond the Walls

Chapter 37

"I didn't want this," I spit, my cheeks burning as I glare at Noah.

"That's bullshit," he snaps. "You wanted this when you exposed yourself when you touched the river."

"You know nothing. I had to touch the river," I say, clenching my fists. "My sister was sick."

"And how did that work out for you, huh? Where is your sister now?" He raises his eyebrows and smirks.

"You are treading a fine line, Noah," I say, fists balling, nails digging into my palms.

He crosses his arms and shakes his head. "You were thoughtless. Now Lord Sneya is dead, and a kid who barely knows what he's doing rules the city."

"Leave then, Noah," I snap. "If you hate it here so much, if you prefer a time of starvation and torture, leave. No one is stopping you. I'm sure Edward Mallory would welcome an extra body to work with."

I turn on my heel and march away. Dozens of pairs of eyes burn into my back, but I keep moving. I storm into Ruben's training room. An arrow thuds as it slams into the centre of a target. His tensed muscles relax as he lowers the bow and reaches into the quiver, plucking out another arrow. He aligns the arrow and pulls back the bow. His chest falls as he concentrates, muscles tightening again.

"Can I try?" I ask and he jumps, releasing the arrow. It fires past the dummy's head, and he curses.

"You had to ask, when I was deep in focus?" he scowls, slumping forward.

I roll my eyes and stomp over. "May I?" I hold out my hand.

"Weren't you in a training session?" he asks, placing it across my palm.

"I was until Noah put me in the spotlight," I sign, pulling the bow to test it. My weaker muscles yank it back slowly. "Noah doesn't like me much."

Ruben chuckles and then sighs. "Odds are, he's just terrified of Edward Mallory and the unknown. Terror brings out the hate in people."

"So, you're saying he already hated me?" I blow out a laugh.

"I mean, perhaps." Ruben hands me an arrow. "He was a Concave before. You upturned his entire way of life and now his life is in danger."

"When you put it like that."

The door opens, smacking against the concrete wall, and I flinch. Ajax marches in, his eyebrows knitted together. He darts his eyes between the pair of us.

"Ajax, what is it?" I say, lowering the bow.

"Come with me." He presses his lips together as if trying to hide the phantoms of fear.

I nod once, and Ruben takes the bow. We follow Ajax back out of the training room and into the palace. He takes us through the hallways, not to his office, but to his bedroom. I suddenly realise I have never been. He has a small room with a single bed pushed against the window. The waterfall stares back at us, roaring over the Walls and mocking us. Ajax sits on the edge of his bed, leaning forward with his fingers pressed together. I stand against his desk and Ruben sits in the chair.

"What is it?" I say again.

"I am not sure how it happened," Ajax mutters, staring blankly at the wall. He snaps his eyes at me, brimming with fear. "I think we can blame Doctor Hatchman."

"What do you mean?" Ruben barks, tapping his foot.

"I mean that more and more people are reporting illness," Ajax says. "The drown is spreading through the streets silently but I fear we cannot contain it."