Remy
What Tater asked me to do was impossible. I’d searched the room as best as I could, but there was no sign of a radio or anything technological. Also, there was a security camera in one of the corners. The learning room was sort of like a small auditorium, but nicer. It had fancy carpeting and grand light fixtures between the windows on the walls. Just a big, open space, like a room at a hotel that could be rented for weddings or proms. The desks and shelves of learning materials were the only things in there.
I’d tried peeking into other rooms as I was brought in this morning, but the guards were speed-walkers, and most of the doors were shut. The Baelese were not stupid. Just the opposite. If I got anything from them it would be by dumb luck. As for what Linette expected of me, to get the Senator alone and seduce him? Even more ridiculously impossible. Plus . . . I had no idea if I could pull that off. I’d be a wreck, which was not sexy.
After lunch, before it was time to begin the afternoon lesson, little Milna, the Senator’s daughter, came up to my desk with her notebook. She opened it up like she had a question, but then she took a careful look around her.
“How can I help you, Milna?”
She wouldn’t look at me. She stared at the desk, and gingerly brought her fingers to a lock of her hair.
In a small whisper, she said, “Do you remember when you touched my hair? That was . . . nice.”
My spine went rigid, and I shot glances toward the guards. Milna still would not look at me. Was this a trap? Or was she being rebellious?
“Milna,” I said gently. “You know that’s not allowed—”
“I know, Miss.” She began to gather her notebook, looking terrified. “I am sorry.”
I put my hand on the notebook to stop her, careful not to touch her, and she finally looked at me, showing more emotion than normal, like a cornered cat. My God, she was so small. Only four—too young to have such concerns. I smiled and whispered back.
“I am not upset with you. In my culture, we’re allowed to touch, and it feels very nice. I love to have my hair played with. My mom did it all the time.”
“Your mom?”
“Yes. The woman who gave birth to me.”
She cocked her head. “The woman who birthed me is Mimasol, a soldier.”
“Ah. Do you ever spend time with her?”
“No.” She didn’t sound sad, just matter of fact.
I cleared my throat. “I’m trying my best to adhere to the Baelese rules, so I can’t touch you again. I don’t want to get you in trouble, okay?”
“Okay. And I do not want you to die,” she said straight-faced, sending a sharp tingle down my spine. “However . . . I wanted you to know. That is all.”
She liked being touched. Noted. I blinked at her and nodded.
I’d been so focused on Milna, barely aware of the other students filtering over and finishing their work, that I didn’t notice the Senator and Vahni approaching until they were mere feet away. My chair scraped back as I stood, smoothing down my dress.
“Hello,” I said, clasping my hands in front of me.
The Senator gave me a warm smile and Vahni nodded robotically.
“Beginning tomorrow,” she stated, “an exercise regime will be implemented for the children outdoors. We’ve been awaiting the completion of the area, and it will be finished this evening. You and a guard will escort them out at nine o’clock for one hour, and again at three o’clock for one hour. You will be met by a Baelese instructor. Adjust your teaching schedule accordingly.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
Her response was to turn and click her heels away, but the Senator remained. It took about three steps for Vahni to realize he wasn’t following.
“Bahntan?”
“I’ll be along shortly,” he told her, then looked at me. “How are you, Ms. Haines?”
“Fine, thank you.” Other than Vahni staring venomous rays at me. I tried to focus on him and not her, but it was hard. How was he so unbothered by her evil intensity?
“I will give you a tour of the new outdoor area so you are familiar,” he began, only to be verbally slapped by Vahni.
“That is not necessary, Bahntan.”
He looked at her now. “Is it not? I will say what is necessary.”
“It is not safe.” She gave me a snarly look, as if I was planning to assassinate him.
“I can overpower this female both physically and mentally, so what is it that you are doubting, Vahni?” he asked. “My willpower? My allegiance?”
“Perhaps both,” she muttered, chin high.
He fully turned to her so quickly, I got temporary whiplash. And then I was thoroughly confused when he began to talk to her and it sounded like a mix of garbled words and hissing. I realized with horror that he was speaking to her in Baelese.
I’d never heard anything so creepy.
It only got worse as the two of them squared off, his voice sharp, and her eyes bulging as she went off on him.
The last thing he said made her mouth drop open on a silent gasp.
“You have pushed my hand,” the Senator told her, switching back to English with polite strength.
“You would do that?” she asked. “Over a human?”
His tone strengthened further. “Not over a human. Over your continued insubordinance of my role.” They faced off at arm’s length, and I’d never wanted so badly to slink away from a conversation. “I have already spoken to the board, and they agreed you were to be given one last chance.”
“It is my place to advise you—”
“To advise, not to overrule me at every turn. Your second chance has come and gone.”
“Bahntan, please.”
“My word is final. It is beneath you to beg. Gather your belongings.”
She stared, and I swear there was something like a promise of revenge in her eyes before she turned from him as dramatically and jerkily as a tween having a tantrum, stomping away. He signaled for a guard to follow her. My heart was in my throat as the Senator pivoted back to me, frowning. He didn’t speak until she was gone.
“I apologize that you had to witness that.”
I probably shouldn’t have asked anything, but . . .”You’re not going to, um . . .”
“She will not be killed,” he told me.
Well, that was unfortunate. I let out a breath and cocked my head like I was trying to understand their culture. “So, just fired?”
“Restationed. She needs to be in a leadership position, and the East is in need of her skills.”
“Okay,” I said, feeling relieved that the biggest witch of the west would now be gone, though I felt sorry for the east.
“It’s not your fault,” he said, as if he thought I felt bad. Ha!
I stared down at my twined fingers, biting my lip a few seconds before looking up.
“Do you find me to be a cruel leader?” he asked.
My mouth opened in surprise. “No. I thought you handled that well. You can’t have someone constantly undermining you.” As far as leaders go, he seemed good to his people. As far as enemies go, though, he’d definitely been cruel to humans. I couldn’t let myself forget that.
He nodded, thoughtful. “Let us take that walk now.”
My stomach jumped nervously as he started toward the door with me at a safe distance behind. I glanced back to see all the children diligently working. I followed the Senator through the building. He stopped at one room, and opened the door, letting a group of soldiers know where he would be. A few of them glanced at me with curiosity. I kept my fingers clasped as they spoke, and I tried to peek into the room.
On a desk was one of those huge desk calendars open to July. The third week had a dark line drawn through it.
“Thank you,” the Senator told them before continuing his walk down the hall. I hadn’t been paying full attention, but I knew he’d been telling them about Vahni’s departure.
“Walk beside me,” he said, so I did. He led us to a side door, and out into the gorgeous sunshine. A guard followed us, standing at the doorway to oversee us. My eyes widened as I looked out at the sight of the—what was it, exactly? An athletic area, but definitely not a playground. A huge plot had been fenced in, and the craziest obstacle course I’d ever seen had been put up. It looked complicated, and it seemed to go on forever.
Is this what the kids would be doing for two hours a day? Training to be mini-ninja Olympians along with their freakishly smart minds? Lord, help us all.
“Extraordinary, isn’t it?” he asked.
That was one word for it. I made an accidental croaking sound, and cleared my throat. “Yes, sir.”
We slowly walked the perimeter. I grimaced at a long set of monkey bars that went up and down, zigging side to side. What child could hold on that long? Would they be punished if they weren’t strong enough? I felt ill at the thought of them being shouted at and made to feel bad. Not that I should care, but ugh. Some of them were practically babies. Linette would throw up if she ever heard me say that.
“What do you think?” he asked.
I let out a dry laugh through my nose. “I would never be able to do this now, much less when I was a child.” For a moment I felt like I’d failed the human race by admitting that, but the Senator only chuckled in return.
“Of course not, because you weren’t made to try it over and over again each day, building strength. But you could if it were part of your daily life.”
“Can you do it?” I asked.
He grinned, then rolled up his sleeves. I couldn’t help but smile in anticipation. Was he really going to do it? The Senator walked to the end, jumped with grace and ease to grab the first bar, and then proceeded to work his way down the path, knees and elbows bent, every muscle in his arms bulging. He never slowed or paused. At the end he dropped, breathing only slightly harder than normal, and the big smile he gave me made me laugh and applaud.
“Wow,” I said. “I would give you a high five, but . . . yeah.” No touching.
I grasped my hands behind my back as he brushed his hands together, still smiling. “Well, I appreciate the thought.”
As he neared, I gathered every ounce of bravery to ask, “Senator?”
“Yes, Ms. Haines?” He stopped three feet from me.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or be inappropriate, but I’d like to know.” I swallowed and he waited patiently. “Why don’t the Baelese allow casual touching?”
I could hear my heartbeat in my eardrums.
The Senator put his hands in his pockets, and I tore my eyes away from his forearms.
“That’s a perfectly understandable question. It’s a major difference between our cultures. My people have much thicker skin than humans, over ten times thicker. And in our skin we have more nerves and nerve endings. A simple touch is not so simple. The smallest brush of a hand across our skin can drive us to distraction. It makes us want more. Do you understand?”
Literally, all I could do was nod, because at some point during his explanation, I swear he moved closer. Not close enough to touch, but close enough to make us both overly aware. It wasn’t until my eyes darted in the direction of the doors to check for the guard that the Senator grasped the back of his neck and took a step back, looking away from me and back out at the obstacle course.
“And that is why it is better to leave touching for mating. No other time.”
“Oh.” My heart went crazy inside me.
I heard the little devil of Linette on my shoulder, pushing me to do something or say something seductive. Now, you idiot, while the guard is out of sight! It was hard to be sexy on command.
My voice trembled a little. “I thought maybe it was because it was unpleasant. That you didn’t like being touched.”
“No, Ms. Haines.” He looked straight at me now. “We like it too much.”