Within the Walls

Chapter 17

"You can't." I somehow muster my voice.

"You know full well that I can, Elizabeth." Hatchman's lip twitches as it pulls into a grin.

I glance at Aston's gentle, unconscious form, with his pinched brow and scar beneath the eye, and my heart rips into tiny pieces. "Punish me, not him. I am the one who is treasonous. I am the one who deserves to be sent to the cavern. Not him." My tone is firm, sharp, although laced with panic.

"I think you are forgetting, Elizabeth, that your friend has committed a crime. He deserves everything that he gets."

"Take me!" Ruben snaps, standing in front of Aston as if it will make a difference. "Put me in the cavern, not Aston."

Hatchman's polished face remains impassive. "We have other plans for you, Ruben."

I barely gasp as Ruben raises his fist and slams it into Hatchman's nose. He reels backwards, smacking bodily into the wall behind him. Ruben grabs him by the scruff of his shirt, pulls him back an inch, and shoves him into the wall again. "For God's sake! Stop being Sneya's little bitch. Take me to the cavern, not Aston, or I'll kill you."

Hatchman licks his lips, smearing the blood running from his nose with the back of his hand. "I know you won't, boy. Your father would never let you get away with it. He would–"

Ruben's hands lock around his throat. Ruben's face twists with rage, unlike anything I have ever seen, and my breath hitches as he squeezes the life out of the doctor. Hatchman's face flushes red, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. He gags, desperately trying to pry Ruben away.

My senses click, and I lunge forward, gripping Ruben's shoulders, yanking him back. "Get off, Elle!" Ruben snarls, knocking me out of the way.

I wrap my arms around his waist and with all my strength, drag him back. "You do not want to kill him, Ruben! Stop!"

His body falls limp. He breathes erratically and his body trembles as he gradually regroups. I let him go as Hatchman finally rises back to his full height, gasping over and over to regain his breath. His throat bruises a deep purple and red.

He steadies himself against the wall, rubbing his neck and wincing. "Your friend is going to the cavern, Elizabeth. No point trying to fight it."

He leaves without another word, slamming the door.

—

My cry jerks me awake and I sit up straight, panting as I grapple to get a hold on reality. They still sedate Aston in the nursing wing. Images of his pleading, crumpled body on the cavern floor permeate my nightmares. A Tranq and his finger over the trigger.

Dawn is hours away. I allow myself to fall back to the pillow, but I do not want to sleep again. Eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, the image of my nightmare takes a long time to dissipate. Along with it, my eyes still deprived of sleep, become heavy and against my will, I fall back to sleep.

The rapid knock on the door drags me back to consciousness. I groggily sit up, pushing my curls out of my face. The door clicks open and Ruben steps into the room.

"Ruben, do you mind? You woke me up."

"I know," he says, pacing in. "Lord Sneya would like to speak to you, today."

"Speak to me?"

"Yes." He runs a hand through his hair. "With coffee, in his room."

"Coffee? I've never had that before." I toss the blanket off and sit up.

"You've never had coffee?"

"No, it was too expensive in the Convex Sector."

"You might find it bitter then," he says, shifting his weight and handing me a pile of clothing and my boots. "The maids cleaned these. Larissa will arrive soon to do your hair, so get dressed."