Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles #1)(16)
“You’ll need to take your medicine so you don’t get sick, Evelyn. We can’t have the Daughter of the People getting sick, can we?”
A memory of pain comes to mind and I cringe away from it. “No. I feel fine. I don’t need that.”
He snaps his fingers and my Guards step next to my seat. The room feels like it’s shrinking around me. The walls I’d just admired feel like they’re going to crush me at any minute.
Dr. Friar sprays a little stream out of the needle of the syringe. The air starts to smell like alcohol and a mixture of familiar and terrorizing scents I can’t place, but make my heart go wild and my breath catch.
“Don’t struggle, Evelyn. This will only hurt for a minute. You’ll never remember it.”
“No, please, no,” I whisper as fear clogs my throat.
He gestures again and two of the Guards take my arms, holding me in place. I struggle, knowing I’m not stronger than them. I can’t pull away. The Guards are chosen for their strength and fear has apparently robbed my own muscles of theirs. I can’t escape. No matter what I do, I’m trapped in the leather chair.
Dr. Friar advances on me as I struggle. Whimpers come from my mouth as he steps next to me. His breath warms my neck.
The needle slides into the skin of my neck, just behind my ear. I cry out as my whole body seizes. The pain is excruciating, as if they are holding a lit match to my skin. Nerves twitch all over; it feels like insects are crawling over me—insects that are made of fire and burrow into my skin—and I’m trying to shake them off. Besides the tremors, I’m frozen in place. Eventually the pain is too much and, when it comes, the darkness is a blessing.
But it doesn’t last long.
Soon I’m wide awake. Voices swim in and out as if I’m underwater. One voice in particular is familiar, yet not.
“Evelyn,” it says, “why have you decided to help the Surface Dweller?”
I don’t want to answer, but it’s as if my body has stopped listening to my brain. “I was drawn to him.” My voice sounds strange. It’s slow and slurred.
“No, Evelyn, you were repulsed by him.”
“Yes. I was repulsed by him.”
“You won’t try to help him in the future.”
“No. I won’t help him.”
“He deserves his fate for breaking our laws.”
“Yes. He deserves it.”
“After everything Mother has done for you, you should be more grateful for her generosity and obey her without question.”
“Obey without question.”
The voice stops waiting for me to respond.
Surface Dwellers are manipulative and dangerous. Nothing more than heathens who’d just as soon kill you as look at you.
He’s the worst of them all.
Why am I protecting him? He means nothing to me.
He would not do the same had our roles been reversed.
He is not my friend. I’m only here for answers.
His kind is the reason for the fall of man and our exile to the ocean.
I will share all of my knowledge with Dr. Friar and Mother. Why would I not want to? They are only trying to protect me.
Surface Dwellers are manipulative and dangerous. Nothing more than heathens who’d just as soon kill you as look at you.
He’s the worst of them all.
Why am I protecting him? He means nothing to me.
He would not do the same had our roles been reversed.
He is not my friend. I’m only here for answers.
His kind is the reason for the fall of man and our exile to the ocean.
I will share all of my knowledge with Dr. Friar and Mother. Why would I not want to? They are only trying to protect me.
After some time, the voice says, “Very good, Evelyn. Time to wake up.”
“Very good, Evelyn. Time to wake up,” I repeat as another sharp pain stings my arm. Then darkness bleeds in.
CHAPTER FIVE
Idle hands lead to an idle mind. Therefore all Citizens will be given designations to benefit their city more effectively.
—CITIZEN’S SOCIAL CODE, VOLUME V
My life is just about perfect.
Every morning Mother has the Maids wake me at precisely ten. Then it’s time for a light breakfast followed by a mandatory visit with my Therapist. It’s nice to have someone to talk with.
After, I am free to do as I wish until it’s time to perform one of the duties Mother has requested of me.
After the delightful talk with Dr. Friar about my flowers, Mother instructs me to go back to the Detainment Center. I’d rather play my violin. The soft, dulcet tones are the perfect balm to my soul. For some reason, each and every one of my muscles and joints hurt. As does my throat. Maybe Mother was right and I’m coming down with the flu. It’s a good thing she made me take my medicine.
But she wants more answers from Gavin. Although … I’m not sure what I am to say to him. Or what to ask. I do not wish to be near him. He’s a contemptible Surface Dweller. Why had I ever thought to protect him? Had our roles been reversed he would not have done the same for me.
No answers come to me, but I follow my orders. The sooner I get answers, the sooner I get back to the way things are supposed to be.
Two of my Guards lead the way while the third walks behind me. For this, I am grateful. The stairs from Sector Two are slippery and if not for the younger Guard behind me, I would have smacked my face on the dirty concrete more than once. Not to mention, it is dark and dank in the tunnels. Dirty water runs down the walls. It smells like rotting vegetation. I hold my handkerchief in front of my nose. The lavender scent blocks the other smells.