The Realms [Watty 2017 Shortlist]

Secrets - Part 24

At the click of the bedroom door, I immediately sit up in Maizie's bed, relieved that she is finally home. "What the hell, Maizie? Where have you been?"

She hesitates in the doorway and then says slowly, "I was at the house."

"Oh." Dread sweeps over me. She's been busy figuring out her part in this whole escape plan. I'm almost too nervous and anxious to ask her what they talked about and who she met. "Who was it?"

"The Head Counter or Keeper? I'm a little fuzzy on his exact title; he seemed to think I should know."

"Can you...can you tell me what he said?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Really. He bound me to my promise not to tell you, which I think is stupid actually because I think you deserve to know exactly what you're getting into."

I put my fingers to my temple and press. If she can't tell me anything useful, I don't want to know any of it. "So you agreed to whatever terms they set."

"Yes." She moves around the dark room, getting ready to slip into the bed with me.

"Are you upset? What can you answer and what can't you answer?" I want to know none of it and all of it at the same time.

"I can't tell you my role or how it will impact you and Ryan." She slides into bed beside me and shifts down until her head rests on the pillow next to mine. I ease myself down and stare at the ceiling. "I'm not upset, I guess. Not really, but for people who are supposed to be smart, I think they are using their intellect in the wrong way."

"We should stop talking about this. All this dancing around is going to do me in. I just had the most amazing twenty-four hours ever and I don't want to mar it with questions that can't be answered."

Maizie turns to face me. "I think we could still back out. He told me to tell you that the Time Keeper will want to see you again on Thursday. Nothing is completely set yet, you can still back out."

I shift away from her so that I don't have to see her expression anymore. "No, Maizie. If I'm not backing out for Ryan, I'm not doing it for you either. This is the right thing to do."

"It wouldn't be for me, Hannah."

I don't say anything. I noticed the bracelet on her wrist when she snuck back into the room and I recognize the royal seal. Whatever she is doing on the Third Realm requires her to be bound to Ryan and I wonder how they will accomplish that. He'll never willingly do it. "Maiz?"

She is awake, probably still thinking about her nighttime adventure. "Do you have to put the other bracelet on Ryan?"

She goes still and tense next to me in the bed and I turn over to face her. "You do, right? I mean, that's got to be why you have it on. They're binding the two of you together for some reason." I let my mind wander over all the possible reasons that they could need to be tied to one another on such an intimate level. When the reason comes to me, I almost feel like emptying the contents of my stomach. "It's so he can't come after me this time, right? You're going to act as his anchor." 

I know she can't answer, but the look on her face says it all. The last glimmer of hope I had, that there is some way we can ultimately be together, maybe once the Third Realm is stabilized, evaporates. I don't know how she intends to get him to wear it and I don't want to know. If I agree to do it for her, I will kill the hope I have of Ryan maintaining any positive feelings for me. I won't do it and I flip back over, putting my back to her to remove the temptation to help her. 

"He won't do it willingly and Mason will notice any sort of binding, so just be careful." I pause and then add, "Oh, and Mason knows about you too now. I don't know how he figured it out exactly, but that cover is blown."

Maizie turns her back to me, not even enough curiosity in her to spur further conversation. "It won't matter come Friday anyway."

I stare into the darkness for hours, struggling to decide whether I want it over or I want more time.

####

The next morning as I take off my top to put on my school uniform, Maizie gives me an odd look. "What have you...?" She walks closer to me, squinting at my chest. I forgot about the tattoo last night. "Hannah – is that what I think it is?"

I nod slowly and meet her eyes.

"He bound you to him."

"It's not real. We didn't do the whole ceremony or anything. It's just the symbol."

Her eyes narrow and she seems bewildered. "Does he know what's happening?"

"I didn't tell him, you didn't tell him and Mason doesn't know enough to tell anyone. The keepers wouldn't..." I have to admit, "But, his insistence on this symbol did seem a little out of place."

"But you let him do it."

I shrug, feeling as helpless now as I did then. "It was hard to deny him anything when I know what's going to happen. It seemed like such a small thing at the time."

"Hmmm..." Maizie continues to get dressed, lost in thought.

"You think I'm dumb?"

"I think it's a risk, Hannah. For someone who says she wants to leave, who is sacrificing a hell of a lot to go, you seem equally invested in staying with him."

"I don't want to leave him! It's taking everything in me to hold it all together. He's the one, but he can't be the one for me and for them."

"You should have negotiated harder."

"I have nothing to negotiate with. What can I offer when the one thing they don't want is me?"

Maizie stuffs books into her school bag and spins to face me. "I don't know. I don't know. Part of me just wishes he was getting a choice in all of this; it seems incredibly unfair all of a sudden."

I slip my school shirt over my head, double checking the specifics of my uniform. Now that every moment counts, I avoid trouble at school. I sweep my bag off the floor and think about Maizie's words. It's true; we both have a choice and Ryan doesn't even know there are options available.

My phone starts to buzz and I look down to see a picture of Ryan and me on the beach. I smile as I answer the phone. "Hey handsome."

"Ah, Mason's here. Did you tell him we got married?"

Oh shit.