Within the Walls

Chapter 6

Words fail me. Here is the man who banished my parents and starved a population. The man who I have only ever seen in pictures on posters on the television. Tangible and real. His skin is a lot older than in the pictures, with creased lines around his eyes and brows. He has thinning dark hair. His lips stretch into a grin.

"At long last, we meet, Miss Fallon." Lord Sneya's voice is smooth and measured as he extends his hand. "How I have been awaiting this moment ever since you defied me."

Swallowing panic, I shake his hand. His sharp eyes regard me, but I refuse to be the first one to look away.

"I'm glad I am such an intriguing matter to you, Lord." I find my voice.

He lets out a chuckle, one that seems to come from deep within his stomach. "Please sit with me, Miss Fallon. I want to talk to you." Sneya glances at Ruben, who stands rigid beside me. "And you can leave us be."

Ruben's jaw clenches, and he turns to me, his gaze distant. He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "You can go." He hesitates, his green eyes darting from me to Sneya, before he reluctantly turns and steps out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I am suddenly aware of how vulnerable I am. The proximity of the walls seems to decrease, and with it, my heart thunders beneath my chest so ferociously that I am sure Sneya can hear it as he observes me with those unforgiving green eyes. He grins again, showing off his polished white teeth before turning away and sitting back down on the red velvet couch. He gestures to the one in front of him and I stride over, sinking down into the luxurious fabric. My hand glides over the velvet, its simplicity and softness mesmerising for a girl from the Convex Sector.

"Velvet is my favourite fabric," Sneya says, and my gaze snaps up. He reaches over to the poinsettia plant and his long fingers pluck one of the large scarlet leaves from its stem. "The poinsettia is my favourite plant."

"Why do you like those things, Lord?" I force myself to ask, taking my hand away from the velvet and placing it on my lap.

"They are red." Sneya pinches the leaf at the top and gradually peels it in half, splitting each side apart. I bite back a grimace as if tearing a leaf physically pains me. "Red is the colour of fire. Red is powerful. Red is unstoppable."

"I see," I say, my hands curling into fists as fury courses through me. It is unbelievably unfair that Sneya gets to enjoy these luxuries, while the Convex people are starving to an unspoken death.

"What I want to know." He remains calm and collected, but his hands clench together on his lap, the knuckles white. "Is that why you touched my River?"

I cannot tell him I touched in the River to chase some phantom cure.

We stare at each other, silence lingering between us, and Lord Sneya sighs. "Very well then." He breaks his gaze and picks up the telephone on the smaller table next to him. He punches in a number and brings it to his ear.

"Larissa, get in here and take Miss Fallon to your quarters. She needs to get ready," Sneya barks into the receiver, before dismissively slamming it back down.

"Get ready for what?"

The door behind clicks open and I whip around to see a girl, no older than my sister, scurry into the room. "Lord Sneya." She nods a polite smile, giving a curtsy before regarding me. "Miss Fallon, please come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Do what you are told, Elizabeth," Sneya orders, rising to his feet and glaring at me expectantly.

Infuriated, I stand and march after the girl as she exits the room, crosses the other room with the balcony and begins descending the spiral stairwell. Blind with anger, my stride quickens, and I slam bodily into her. "I'm sorry," I sigh, glancing at her as she turns around.