The One: Maxon

Chapter 36

NO POV

"Let me go!" America yelled, clawing against Aspen's suit.

"Mer," he said harshly. "Shut up, do you want us to get caught?" At that America silenced herself immediately. Her pulse was rushing and her heart was thrashing against her chest. All she could see was the image of Maxon bleeding out on the ground. If he died... she couldn't fathom the despair she would feel.

"The sooner I can get you to a safe room, the sooner I can go back for him," he said. "You have to do everything I say, got it?" America nodded understanding the severity of the situation. "Good. Stay low and quiet."

Aspen cautiously moved down the hall, his hand protectively in front of her body. They stealthily made their way down before making a right turn. America covered her mouth to stop herself from screaming or throwing up. There were at least ten dead bodies on the ground, most belonging to the royal guard. She turned her head away as Aspen knelt down. He pressed his fingers against his throat and wrist and hung his head in sadness. He reached over and grabbed the gun from beside the guard's body and handed it to America.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" she whispered yelled.

"Fire it," Aspen replied. "But make sure you figure out if it's friend or foe before you do." America stared at the gun in her hands in disbelief. She never thought her quiet life in Carolina would amount to this.

They walked cautiously through the halls, trying to ignore the screams of terror coming from all over the palace. Finally, they came upon what must have been a safe room. Aspen worked to unlock it while they both held their breaths in fearful anticipation. He finally got it unlocked, and opened the door.

"Aspen I- I don't want to do this. Please don't make me do this," America whispered through her tremors.

"You have to, Mer. It's for your safety. And...I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?"

"If something happens to me, I need you to tell-" He didn't get to finish his sentence when a flash of red came from down the hall. America raised her gun passed Aspen, shut her eyes and fired. A split second later, Aspen shoved her inside the safe room and turned around, leaving America surrounded by darkness.

Once she was alone, the gravity of what had just happened set in. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, but the silence was close to driving her mad. She wept and wept for Maxon, for Aspen, for her maids, for the rest of the girls and their families. She even wept for the king and queen despite her feelings toward them. This was the worst thing she could have experienced.

But the one shred of hope and light that she clutched close to her chest was her Love. Maxon loved her. He really loved her and to the same depth that she loved him, if not more. She prayed to God that he would protect him, that he would live. Eventually, the silence became too deafening, so she took it into her own hands to leave.

America grabbed the gun that Aspen had given her for protection and aimed it at the lock. She had never fired a gun before and had never wished to, but in this moment it was her only escape. She put up the bench as a sort of barricade and fired the gun at the door. Once the sound had quieted, she peeked above the bench to see a small crater in the metal above the lock. This encouraged her and she continued firing, almost haphazardly. She stood to try to get a better angle, but all that did was expose her to the splinters of wood ricocheting from the door. Helpless and out of bullets, she fell to her knees feeling defeated.

"If you live," she whispered for herself, "I'll let you call me your dear. I won't complain, I promise."