Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
The office is nearly as big as my bedroom. I squint against the brightness of the daylight shining through a large glass patio door. The walls are a light gray with abstract paintings decorating them. Off to the side of the office is a chrome rectangular table with eight chairs, three on each of the long sides, and one on the short ends.
In the center of the office is a massive wooden desk. I note every detail in the room from the hanging white neon lights on the ceiling to the buffered floors. I do this to avoid looking at the Sector Leader whose intense gaze rests on me.
“You may take a seat, Jameshia.” His words are softly spoken but it’s a command, nonetheless.
I take the brown leather seat in front of his desk and fold my hands in my lap. I want to tell him not to call me by my full name because I’ve always hated how old fashioned it sounds but I keep my lips firmly pressed together and head down.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve summoned you here so I’ll get to the point. Sector Leader Draken will be arriving shortly to collect you but I wished to speak with you first before his arrival.”
He pauses but I remain silent.
“I can understand why you’re wary of me, but I wish you no harm. You are after all, one of my precious bride’s family members.”
Is this his way of trying to comfort me? For all the power he supposedly has, why am I being shipped off to Sector 10 to be someone else’s glorified bed slave?
Just the thought of laying under someone else and being touched indecently, makes me sick to my stomach. So his words are meaningless to me. In fact, I think I just might hate him.
“There is something I wanted to discuss with you, however,” he continues when I don’t respond. “And I think you know what it is.”
He pauses and still I refuse to speak.
“Jameshia…”
“Don’t call me that!” I finally snap. “Only my family has ever used my full name. I don’t consider you family.”
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 a superious, 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 a woman 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?”