Page 14 of Jump or Fall
His brows lifted in disbelief. “If you wanted to move tomorrow, could you? If you wanted a different job, could you work somewhere else? If you wanted to leavehim, could you? Right now, you have to sneak around like a teenager breaking curfew.”
“Do you know what happened to the last one of his pets that snuck around?” she asked, trying to keep her composure. The muscles in her legs twitched, urging her to run.
“Don’t call yourself that.”
“Do you?”
“No.”
“Her name was Liv and he showed me the pictures. He carved his name into her chest before slicing up her face and leaving her to bleed out.” The vivid memory of Dawson’s laughter made her stomach twist. “I have been able to earn my way here through obedience; I don’t talk back, I don’t stay out late, and I don’t fight anything he does to me. Because of this, I have my own apartment and I have a job. That’s the most ‘life’ I can expect.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he said, distress in his voice. “You can be free.”
“Free to be dead ormutilated.”
The way he flinched made her instantly regret the comment.
She was about to apologize when he said, “Silva is risking his life, too. He has already stolen from Hyperion to commit acts of treason. He’s taking a risk meeting you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Please, just talk with him tonight. If you still want out, I’ll take you home and you’ll never hear from me again. I’ll figure something else out for the suit.”
Mara searched within herself for the resolve that had made her agree in the first place. Treason wasn’t a minor offense. If Silva were caught, he wouldn’t just be exiled to the Outskirts with a stripe on his face—he would be flayed alive.
Could she make her hatred outweigh her fear? If she didn’t go through with this, then there was no chance of change. She would return to her comfortable misery, waiting until the day she chose to end it all.
If she was going to continue, she would start carrying the bottle of skiff with her everywhere. At least then she could call the shots on her death if she got caught.
Pressing her lips into a thin line, she waved a hand. “Lead the way.”
They moved in silence, navigating through a labyrinth of tunnels marked by faded symbols painted along the walls and at junctions. The air was cooler here, a welcome contrast to the stifling heat above. Moisture clung to the walls, and the musty scent of damp concrete and chemicals lingered in the space.
Unable to stand the quiet, she asked, “Where is this safe house?”
“These maintenance tunnels stretch across the city,” he replied. “There are safe houses throughout in case of emergencies. The one we’re going to is beyond the south wall.”
She hadn’t known there was a way to bypass the city’s borders. Leaving or entering the city required permission from the Archon, which really meant permission from the Silvers.
“If you can get out, then why are you here?”
“I left for a couple of years and worked in Naxos. They’re more tolerant, but not everyone wants to work with Teichus ‘refugees’.” He met her eyes, fervor shining in his dark irises. “If I can't have a life, then neither can they.”
“Will you tell me why they did that to you? This whole arrangement feels very one-sided since you know a lot more about me than I do about you.”
He studied her for a moment. “Another time. And for the record, I don’t know much about you. Nobody does.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Really. Silva could only tell me your name and that you were one of Knight’s claims. Your employee file lists no address, no previous work history, no schooling, and no emergency contacts. Searching through city records was equally useless.”
“How did you find my apartment?”
“Followed you.”
She snorted. “I guess that makes it simple.”
The unscarred corner of his mouth rose. “Sometimes you have to do things the old-fashioned way. It helped that you don’t really go anywhere.”
“Can you blame anyone for not wanting to hang out with me? Not many places to go when any friends you had were scared off by Silvers hanging around.”
He shrugged. “I think they’re missing out.”
