Disparate - Book 1

Chapter 14

Casper

I'm not used to being treated like this.

Eyana is like a nurse fixing up my shoulder. She carefully stitches my skin back together, and gives me painkillers. She reminds me of my mother, and it almost makes me uncomfortable. I haven't been treated this nicely in six years or so. Devin wasn't necessarily the care-taking type.

"I know you're one of them." She says suddenly, and it catches me off guard. I know what's she saying, though. She knows I'm a killer.

"How?"

"Well, for starters, these scars." She looks at my body, and I tense up. My scars are more embarrassing than anything. People don't know the affect they have on me, of all the memories they bring back.

"Second, I can see it in you," she says, "your actions. Your instinct to not get help. Your toughness."

What? I didn't know someone could just watch my slight actions and see that I'm a killer. Plus I've only been with her for a few minutes.

"I've got to say, that's not something to be proud of."

"It's not," she says, "but it's not something you can just change, either." She looks outside the tent.

"Micah! Come here for a minute."

I watch as a guy walks in slowly. He has light brown skin, and looks almost exactly like Seb in size and built. And when he looks at me, my heart almost stops.

Green eyes.

"Damn!" He says, excited. We shake hands and stare at each other, amazed to see our own kind. I haven't seen a green eyed in years, six years to be exact. My mother had them. His are more dark, but green nonetheless.

"Holy, you sure have green eyes, alright. Brighter than grass, I'm telling you."

"Casper." I say, and the boy nods. "Micah."

"He's Mondrel and I's son," Eyana says, "also I know you're one of them because he was too."

I look at Micah, and nods. "For a year, only. But as you know, it changes a person. This group got me out a year ago, but they can still tell I've changed. Twenty two years old and still known as a killer."

I nod. So Micah is older than me by a good five years.

"Who were you under?"

"Sergeant John. You?"

"Sergeant Devin."

I watch as Micah raises his eyebrows. "I've heard some nasty things about him. Glad you escaped." He says.

"Micah, get him a new shirt. Sit by the fire for a while, relax." Eyana says. Micah nods, and I thank Eyana for fixing me up before I follow him out of the tent. I look and see that Kellie is by the fire with Mondrel. She makes eye contact with me, and I catch a worried look on her face. Is something wrong? She seems comfortable enough, but her face confuses me. It's okay, I mouth to her, but she shows no reaction.

I follow Micah in another tent, a smaller one. I assume it's where he sleeps. He hands me a plain gray shirt and I thank him. I put it on, struggling a bit with getting it over my shoulder.

"So, what brings you and that girl here?" He asks, peeking out the tent to look at Kellie.

"I'm bringing her to the city," I say, "there's one coming up a little more south."

"I know," Micah says, "some people make it there, others don't."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know who Ailani is?" He asks, and I shake my head no. He just sighs. "She's horrible, or so I've heard. She's just like a Sergeant but a woman. More like a queen, people call her. You have to pass near her building in order to get to that city."