Page 10 of Chosen
I’ll probably be punished for being disrespectful but I can’t hold back my resentment because I’m quickly breaking apart.
Instead of the sharp retort I expect he gently replies. “Jamie it is, then. My apologies for causing offense.”
An apology is the last thing I expected from asuperious, let alone the Sector Leader.
Despite my feelings toward him, I remember that this is the person my sister has chosen to marry and for her sake I will be as polite as I’m able. “I’m sorry,’” I mutter.
“No need for that…Jamie. We haven’t had any time to converse since you’ve arrived at the manor so I wasn’t aware your name was so important to you. I was simply going by the name in the Registry. But getting back to my original reason for wanting to talk to you, I needed to ask you about the incident in your file.”
“Though I don’t know much about you beyond what Noah has told me and what’s in your file, I assume that you’re awoman of intelligence. So I ask that you don’t pretend to not know what I’m referring to.”
I stiffen. Of course I know what he’s referring to. I shouldn’t be alive because of what I did. The rules on the matter are clear. But as I open my mouth to explain myself my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth and the words get stuck in my throat. My body begins to shake and my heart constricts inside my chest.
My head shakes from side to side and all I remember is all the blood.
Jamie!” the Sector Leader calls out to me, but I barely register his voice or that he’s now jumped out of his seat and is at my side.
When he places his hand on my shoulder I flinch away and let out a scream of panic. “No!”
He holds up his hands and backs away. “I won’t harm you, but I need you to calm down, Jamie.”
Calm down? He wants me to calm down when I’m about to get shipped off to what people call the ‘cold hell’. And worse yet, he wants me to recount the nightmare I’ve already experienced?
I don’t know what he would have said next because a voice on the intercom sounded in the office. “Lord Magnus, Sector Leader 10’s envoy is requesting access to the property.”
“Permission granted, the Sector Leader responds.
I thought I’d have at least a few more hours to mentally prepare myself. My knees grow week and I’m thankful to be sitting or else, I’d collapse.
“There’s not much time before Sector Leader 10 arrives. I need to know what happened with Ilian Ferris.”
My entire body tenses. So that was his name? All I knew was that he was a guest of Master Fredresk. But I will never forget that man’s face, his scent and everything else about him. “I don’t know what to say, Sector Leader. Isn’t it in my file?”
He pinches the bridge of his nose and releases a heavy sigh. “You needn’t be so formal with me and perhaps in time you will come to see that I’m not your enemy, but you’ve committed a grave crime, in most cases would be an automatic death sentence. And while I was able to use my influence to prevent that from happening, there are still laws that even I need to abide by.”
I’d tried so hard to forget about it and I’d even arrogantly believed because of my sister’s connection to the Sector Leader that maybe I wouldn’t have to deal with the consequences but apparently that isn’t the case. “Does…does Noah or my parents know?” It’s the only think I can think to ask.
If my family was aware of what happened on my last assignment, I would probably never know peace. Not that they would be angry with me or anything like that, but the looks of pity and the constant hovering over me would only get worse.
“They don’t know…yet. That information is in a section of your file that can only be accessed by those with the highest clearance, basically a handful of top officials and the other Sector Leaders. That means Sector Leader Draken would also be able to read about the incident if he checks out your file. From the little I’ve observed about him, he seems to be thorough. I have a feeling, he already knows about it. I also believe that’s why he’s wasting no time in coming to collect you.”
I run my tongue over my lips that have suddenly gone dry. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Jamesh—Jamie, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about what happened but I need to know the details so that I know how to proceed to handle this situation.”
I raise my shoulder in a nonchalant shrug, although I feel anything but. My nerves are on edge and I’m desperately trying to fight off another panic attack. “Wasn’t that taken care of when I was reassigned to live at the manor?”
He nods his head slowly but the way his eyes shift from side to side tells me there’s something he’s not fully disclosing.
“I sense there’s something more to this, Sector Leader.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose and releases a heavy sigh. “You needn’t be so formal with me. Magnus will do.”
I stare at him, schooling my face to give no emotions away. Who is he fooling? My sister may think he’s Mr. Wonderful but I refused to be swayed by anything asuperioushas to say.
“Jamie, I am not your enemy.”
I blink refusing to speak until he tells me what it is he really called me in his office for.
