Scheming Against Devotion (Book 2 of The Transition of Pinn)

Ivy:

I vomit.

It isn't pretty, it isn’t delicate, and it’s followed by dry heaving as my body seeks to somehow expel what I have just seen.

I shouldn’t bother; I will never un-see that.

Luckily I have the presence of mind to retreat a little into the alley to vomit. I feel someone pull my hair out of my face as I dry heave and I know it is my escort.

Oh my god, oh my god… what have I just witnessed?

“You needed to know who you live with” my escort, the uncle of the man with the stunning green eyes says.

I would argue, or question, or maybe even agree if I could do anything but dry heave.

I hear the crowd roar and I force myself to move. I use the building to hold myself up as I walk back towards the square.

“Maybe you don’t need to…”

I ignore him. Maybe he was trying to help me, maybe he was trying to scare me, but whatever it was he could have warned me before I witnessed that.

Leaning against the building, I look around the corner at back at the stage, ignoring the slumped body in the center. The leader has walked towards the temple and stands before the large metal temple door. He is holding the dagger above his head. Blood drips down his arms and lands on his white hair.

The leader turns so that he is facing the door and places the dagger in some sort of slot. He then turns the dagger as if it were a key. Several moments pass as the crowd waits in anticipation.

Suddenly, I hear the buzzing sound of old electricity. I look around to see where in the square it is coming from.

Then I see it. Slowly, flickering, a large florescent outline of a woman with a veil covering her face shows up on the side of the temple facing the market square. Once the outline fully appears, a masculine cheer goes through the crowd.

I can’t watch anymore of this madness. I start walking back through the alley, ignoring my escort and trying to get away from everything I just witnessed.

“You needed to know” I hear him say behind me.

I stop and turn back to him, “Why?”

“You needed to know” he simply repeats.

“No you said that, but why me? Why show me?”

He says nothing and just looks at me.

Screw this. I turn again and steadily walk away from him.

“Look, Ivy, you need to be careful with them”

I continue to ignore him. I am too upset. Everything is too upsetting.

I see movement at the end of the alley where I am heading and I stop dead. My escort nearly runs into me before he sees the movement as well.

“Ivy, I need to go”

I whip around back to him and look up into his face “who are you?”

He stares down at me and ignores my question “just make sure to keep them happy and you will be fine”

“Who are you?” I try again, my mind running through the possibilities. Someone with a vendetta against Giddean? A helpful stranger?

“I need to go” He passes me and walks ahead down narrow alley.

I chase after him, my shorter legs and long dress preventing me from catching up “Why did you show me?”

He reaches the end of the alley and makes his escape around the corner.

I follow him and have to make an abrupt stop when I turn the corner. My escort stands, his back facing me.

“Akashis” a familiar voice spits out in greeting.

I look around my escort to see Sean, standing there, threatening my escort, Akashis. His arms are bulged and his eyes narrowed in anger.

“Mr. Garett, how nice to see you” Akashis says in a false pleasant voice.

“Mr. Hertilz” Sean corrects him, before throwing a glance at me “What are you doing near Mrs. Senator?”

“Still not family I see” I can almost hear Akashis’ menacing grin.

I think I hear Sean growl and I decide I’ve had enough.

I step out from behind Akashis. “Okay Sean, let’s just go home.”

I nod at my escort, “Thank you, Mr. Askashis…. It’s been… um… informative”

Askashis nods back at me, “Its Antin to you, Ivy” he says with a big smile on his face.

“What the fuck!” Sean grabs Askashis or Antin or whatever his name is by his shirt and slams him into the stone building. “You will stay away from Ivy, do you hear me?”

Askashis raises his arms in surrender, but somehow seems unphased by Sean’s outburst.

I have never seen Sean react like this. His face is flushed red, he is practically snarling at the man. Honestly, he almost never shows any emotion so this is a stark difference.

I decide to do something before I see my bodyguard beat the man to a pulp and reach up and place my hand on Sean’s arm. “Let’s just go home”

“He’s not going to hurt me, Ivy, we go way back” Askashis says with a smile. God, what have I managed to get myself into? Things were never this complicated on earth.

I feel a presence next to me and turn to see a tall man in a dark gray hood robe standing behind me. He’s no doubt one of Askashis’ men.

“Maybe I should just turn you in” Sean seethes into AskashIs’ face.

“Uh… Sean?” I nearly whisper.

Askashis keeps smiling, “And risk an investigation?” He shakes his head.

“Sean!” I whisper-yell.

Sean backs off Askashis still glaring at him.

Askashis looks at me with his eerie glowing eyes, “Until we meet again, Ivy” and then he walks off with hooded friend down the street.