Graymere

Chapter 12: A New Beginning

Luka’s eyes went wide when he saw the three of us enter his store.

“Ha-How may I help you?” he asked shakily, unsure what to do with Sapphire and Mere. His eyes glanced over to me for clarification, but I was too ashamed to meet his eyes. I had broken one of the oldest rules by bringing them here. I shouldn’t have. Why did I? I remember I didn’t have much of a choice.

Fire offered him a smile. Her fingers gripped my arm, removing my glove and raising my arm to show him the wristband. “Familiar with these? We have a train to catch.”

I saw Luka’s eyes flicker down to Fire’s wrist. Her glove was in the way and he couldn’t be sure whether she had a wristband or not. “I’m sorry, there’s no train here. But we do sell some lovely bonnets and parasols.” He turned away to sort through other 19th century fashion accessories.

Sapphire gave me a look, as if there was some secret password I was supposed to tell him.

“Luka,” I said, my voice laced with fake enthusiasm. “I’m sure you remember me from earlier this week.” He didn’t respond. I took a step closer to him. “Perhaps you would like me to try on that dress you mentioned.”

“Miss Redwood,” he responded, using the name I borrowed from him. He knew I borrowed it. I wonder if this is the future me meeting his past self, but then I push the notion aside. If he knows me, how could this be past him. Whatever illness this is must be affecting my brain. It won’t think right. “I’m sure you understand how expensive that dress is. If you damage it, the both of us will surely be punished.” I got the sense he wasn’t talking about the dress. I understood that much. But what was he trying to tell me? My head started hurting again.

“Oh don’t worry Luka,” I took another step towards him, away from her and that monster. They did this to me. No. He just did what she said. She did this to me. I should hate her. I can’t let her into Mortimer. She’s the fancy dress. I can’t let them hurt her. “I have money to buy it. Then only one of us will be upset if it breaks.” My responsibility. I took another step towards him as if to get the dress, but Fire’s icy fingers snaked around my elbow.

“Leah,” she berated me. “Surely you’re not going to handle that dress all on your own. Take me with you and I can help you with the lace.”

Her voice was soothing, like a siren. Then she screamed because Mere was lying unconscious on the floor. A needle stabbed me.

Then the floor came up to smack me in the face.

“Leah! You can’t do things like this!” It shouted at me. I had done a bad thing. “We spent all that money on a nice dress for you to wear, and now look!” It had ashes in its hands.

‘Is Luka okay?’ I wanted to ask. I didn’t because I thought that if I did, the floor would know that it was Luka’s fault and he would be in trouble. And I didn’t want that to happen so I kept my mouth shut as it hit me again.

“I’m sorry” I cried. That must have done something because the floor got all soft and everything turned white.

I opened my eyes. A hospital room. I need to stop waking up like this. My wristband’s gone.

“How are you feeling, Agent?” a woman asked. Doctor Swift. She ran tons of tests on me before my first mission to make sure I was ready.

“A lilo beta” I struggled to say. She smiled.

“Well, I would say you are doing much better, all things considered. I had to give you some medicine. You may feel a little tired now, but it will wear off soon.”

“Wha-what happand?”

“The other girl with you was not a registered citizen.”

“Yea, she past”

“Not exactly. She was neither a registered citizen in our time nor in her time.”

“Then when”

“In fact, she is not a registered citizen in any time. She does not exist. We took DNA samples and it placed her as the child of Calloway and Eloise Graymere. But they never had a child. They died during a vacation to 1842.” The third Incident.

“Where”

“We have her in custody now until we can decide what to do with her.”

“She okay? Can I see?” She ignored my questions.

“We also have the animal locked up here. They’re going to put him down soon. I’ve been able to keep him alive this long because we needed more information about your infection. Now that you’re getting better, there’s no sense in keeping the animal that injured you.”

“No.” I didn’t want that to happen to Mere. But somehow he wasn’t as important as the other captive. “And her?”

Doctor Swift sighed. “Agent, there’s been talk about having her executed as well.”