Outside

Chapter 22

"Si... sister?" I ask, feeling overwhelmed with a tense feeling of anxiety in my chest. "Why didn't you tell us?" I ask Occi.

"Because..." She stares at the floor as she speaks, her lower lip trembling. "Because..."

"Because she knows better. She needed to gain your complete and full trust, and knowing her real background would cause suspicion, would it not?" Elizabeth cuts it.

"So... your name isn't Occi?" I ask.

"Occi is my nickname." She answers. "My full name is Occiline Grey, but no has called me that since I was exiled. Except for Elizabeth, of course." She stares at the floor, her bangs covering her eyes.

"You two have been in contact with each other?" Kyan asks. "For how... for how long...?"

"Years." Occi answers. "I... oh I really didn't want you two to find out." She says, pacing. "Elizabeth made a deal with me and... I thought it was for the best, but..." she sighs. "She promised that she'd give me all the supplies I needed to make my and all the Outsider's lives happy. All I needed to do in return was give her any information she asked for and obey her commands. It sounds thoughtless of me to agree, but we were desperate. Getting all the food, clothes, internet, et cetera... all for the price of just giving her information about the Outsiders and occasionally doing something hardly risky... I thought I made the right choice."

"Thought?" Kyan notes. "Past tense. What changed?"

"There were too many of you." Elizabeth answers. "The chance of a rebellion against me is too high once an army forms. I told Occi I was going to attack her safe house, and that she could escape-- on her own-- and I'd rebuild the place so she could restart her process with all new Outsiders who'd never know the better."

"That's why I wanted to plan the attack on the Aequa." Occi cuts in. "It was a way to get everyone out of the building the day I knew she'd blow it up."

"But I sensed she'd do something like that and did it early."

"What about Tom?" I ask, my hands cupping into fists. "Did you send your fiancé off to die? Did he know about all this?"

"You... You think I wanted him to die? Tom... I loved him dearly." Occi replies, her eyes becoming flooded with tears. "He... he knew about me. He was the only one who knew..." She squeezes her eyes shut and rubs them with the back of her hand. "He was only supposed to sneak in and pick up a box of supplies for me, but... but he must have been caught by people who didn't know about the plan..."

"So that's how they knew where we were for that raid two weeks ago..." I say, "you gave us all away and agreed to full obedience to a totalitarian leader. Occi..."

"That's why I tried go get everyone away!" She sobs. "Nox, you don't understand..."

"She doesn't." Elizabeth interrupts. "Do you remember when you were attacked in the woods by Opulent security? It was then that I relayed her this message in private, that if she chose two Outsiders to come into the city first, I would spare their lives if she collected and brought in all the remaining ones she could find alive and bring them to me to execute." She stifles a laugh. "I was going to kill the two anyway, but I was curious who'd she'd pick, and it was the only way I could negotiate with her."

"U...us..." Kyan mutters.

"Us?! Of all people?! What about your son?" My face goes red. "Drew. You... you didn't pick him. Why? Do you want him to die?"

"Of course not!" Occi answers.

"I'll ask again. Why us?"

"Because you two have a chance! A chance at a good future in the Opulent where you make a positive difference! Drew's too hot-headed. Yes, I raised him, but you both know he's a terrible person! Plus, what combination would I do, you and Drew? And kill off Kyan? Kyan and Drew, and kill off you? I spent so much time getting close with the two of you so I couldn't off you both... I couldn't think of a better solution..."