Chosen: Dystopian Fantasy (Absence of Song Book 3) Read online

  “I’d venture to say you’re around the same age as me. Maybe slightly older,” I offer.

  Nodding, Noah appears to agree. “A bit older, I’d imagine. I think I’ve had a little more life experience than you, honestly.” He pauses for a moment, then says, “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but it kind of feels like you’re a baby sometimes.”

  Blushing, I frown, feeling none too pleased to hear his opinion of me. I’ve always considered myself to be a grown-up. Mature for my age. Knowing Noah thinks of me as a baby surprises and upsets me.

  My frown deepens. “I’m not a baby, Noah,” I counter, staring down at the ground beneath my feet as we walk, my face feeling warm as I tug my fingers from his grip.

  I notice grass sprouting up beneath my steps, but it disappears as quickly as it comes, as if it somehow knows not to leave a trail. The riot of color and life we inspired in Bethel remains nowhere to be seen as we trudge on, and for that I’m grateful.

  Noah opens his mouth to speak, but before he can form any words, Fay, walking up at the head of the army, stops short. The soldiers marching behind her stop as well, causing Noah and me, caught up in our conversation, to almost run right into the back of a man, as tall and rotund as a tree, who’d been walking ahead of us.

  “What is it?” the man asks, his voice husky and gruff, yet somehow still managing to sound like a faint whisper of wind breathing through the trees.

  “There’s a town up ahead,” Fay calls back, not bothering to whisper. By the tone of her voice, it must mean things are okay. There are no Ministry troops, no armed marauders, or anything else of that sort. She makes her way back to us, grinning widely.

  “Do we stop there, then?” Noah asks.

  Faye turns toward Noah and nods, “I think so. This can be the first town to witness your miracles with their own eyes. What do you say, Jaelynn?”

  The fact that Fay turns to me for advice lifts my spirits a touch, and I straighten. I cast a look at Noah, as if to tell him I’m not a baby, not with the commander of an army asking my opinion on military matters. Stepping forward, I stand even with Commander Fay and look out over the tiny town nestled in the small valley beneath us.

  “It’s quaint, that’s for sure,” I clear my throat, speaking louder, “But probably a good place to start. As good a place as any, I’d say.”

  “I agree,” Noah quips, smiling over at me. “What’s the next step, boss?”

  After his baby comment earlier, I naturally assume he’s talking to Fay, but when she doesn’t answer, I realize all eyes are on me. I clear my throat again, shifting my feet, and try my level best to keep myself from turning a bright shade of red.

  “Who? Me?” I ask.

  “Well, who else?” Noah replies, chuckling.

  “I assumed you meant- never mind,” I mutter, shaking my head, already feeling my face heating up despite my best efforts.

  But Fay figures out what I mean immediately. “My expertise is battle strategy, I leave the actual miracles up to you two. If only I could be so lucky,” she says, offering a small smile.

  For a moment, I imagine that maybe, just maybe, Fay is slightly jealous of me. But jealous of what? My relationship with Noah? I don’t get the vibe that Fay is interested in him at all, but maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe Fay is jealous of my relationship with God?

  But Fay herself says she’s talked to Him in her dreams, so that can’t be it either. Still, I can’t help sensing a hint of envy radiating from the battle hardened girl, whatever the reason.

  “Open up your heart and just listen,” Noah encourages me.

  Wanting to ask, “Listen for what?” I shut up and do as I’m told. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, letting the scent of nearby flowers soothe my sense. Wait. Flowers? I didn’t see any flowers?

  A voice in my head responds, They were sent to the town, by you in a way. Think of it as a welcoming gift.

  The answer is clear. “They know we’re coming,” I say. “They’re expecting us.”

  Noah’s forehead wrinkles. “Are you sure? I mean, I’m not doubting your intuition-,” he starts to say, but no one is listening. Fay is already leading the army downward, toward the town. “Won’t an army this size freak them out if they’re not expecting us?” he tries again, as the group starts moving forward.

  “You heard the lady,” the gruff spoken man says over his shoulder. “She said they know we’re coming, so they know we’re coming.”

  Noah closes his mouth and doesn’t bother to argue any further. It’s obvious no one is paying him any mind anyway. I smile at him, feeling a sense of peace welling up as I snag his hand again and pull him along. The scent of flowers delights my senses, and I can’t wait to see what awaits us in the small village.

  Stopping, Fay turns and motions us forward, toward her. “You lead the way,” she says. “They’ll be looking for you.”

  Noah and I walk ahead of the marching unit, and make our way through tall gates, once silver, now tarnished with age. The smell of roses is now almost overpowering, and I pick up the pace, wanting to reach them as quickly as I can. Following my nose, we travel through the gates and into the town. I stop dead, amazed at what I see.

  There are people, lots and lots of people. This many people can’t possibly live in this town, I think to myself. They are all milling around large, lush rose bushes that have sprouted up in the middle of the town’s square. A hush falls over the crowd as we walk toward them. As I feel hundreds of eyes shift and land on us, for the first time since deciding to come here, I wonder if we’re making a mistake. Do these people really know who we are and why we are coming? Does the army behind us make them feel threatened at all? Will our entrance lead to violence?

  No one says a word for a few moments, but the crowd parts, all eyes still on us. Even the children are gazing at the army in awe, while their parents’ gazes focus on Noah and me, leading the pack.

  I step forward. “My name is Jaelynn.”

  Noah steps forward too, flanking me. “And I’m Noah. We come in peace with the army of Bethel at our side.”

  Whispers break out amongst some of the younger people in the throng, but they are quickly hushed by the elders. Finally, someone walks to the front of the crowd, while everyone else holds their breath. An older woman who looks to be about sixty years old- an age rarely seen in the world we live in- steps forward. I stare at her, the knot of uncertainty in my stomach almost doubling me over. My insides feel like roiling water.

  “Welcome Jaelynn, Noah, and the army of Bethel,” she greets us, her tone formal yet full of warmth. “I’m Clarisse, and we’ve been waiting for you.” Her gently aged face breaks into a grin. “In fact, we couldn’t be happier to see you.”

  “You mean – you were expecting us?” Noah asks. I notice Fay look over at him and shake her head, a faint smile playing around her lips.

  “Of course,” Clarisse replies. “Once the flowers sprouted up out of nowhere, we knew they were a sign. We’ve been waiting years for you to come. I dare say, it’s the only thing that’s kept me alive so long,” she quips, chuckling. Everyone behind her laughs too. “In any case, we’ve read the prophecies.”

  “The prophecies?” I inquire.

  My head has begun to spin in confusion, and I’m starting to feel overwhelmed. This is the first I’ve heard anything about a prophecy.

  “Yes, love, the prophecies. Years ago, we had a prophet within our town. He was young, like the both of you, and he delivered word of your future coming. While many people closer to the main City have long forgotten the old ways, we’ve remembered, thanks in part to elders like myself being able to pass the stories down over the years. And thanks to the people of Bethel for fighting back against the tyranny and managing to keep this part of the world free from Ministry control.”

  “What was this young man’s name?” Noah asks.

  I look over him and I can see he looks as confused as I feel. Apparently he’s never heard any of this befor
e either, which secretly makes me feel marginally better.

  “You mean you’ve never heard of the prophet? I guess that’s not too surprising. You come from the City where they keep these things from you. Where they tried to erase any and all references to the past. At any rate, his name is one I’ll never forget. He was quite the handsome young man back in the day,” she says, eyes twinkling as she gazes over at me. “But I was much too old for him, even back then.”

  “His name, Clarisse,” a gentleman nearby urges her, interrupting her trip down memory lane. “They asked for his name, woman.”

  She throws up her hands. “Oh, silly me. I often get carried away with talking about these things. I love sharing the stories of the events I witnessed so long ago,” she bubbles.

  “His name is Marcus. Marcus Rose, to be exact.”

  VII

  MY head begins to swirl even faster as my knees grow suddenly weak. Things go dark for half a second, and I worry I’m about to faint. Noah steps forward to catch me when I hear the name, and I’m thankful he’s there.

  “My – father?” I croak.

  Noah props me up, and while this is obviously news to him, he doesn’t look entirely surprised.

  “Remember what they said about your parents?” he asks me. “You took after your father, not your mother, apparently.”

  “That you did, child,” Clarisse smiles. “Even from here, I can see that you’re very much your father’s daughter. The strength, the fierceness in your eyes, everything.”

  “But- he’s a Ministry guard,” I argue, trying to make sense of it all. “He’s the enemy. Isn’t he?”

  “Remember, I was once in the Ministry guard too,” Noah says calmly. “Sometimes it helps to have people on the inside.”

  I nod. That makes sense.

  “But wait, he was here? Years ago? When?”

  “Before you were born, child. He was only a kid himself, not even 18 yet. I was surprised he made it all the way out here from the city, but he managed to do it. He told us that one day you would come, and that a mighty revolution would follow.”

  The pressure inside my head right now is almost too much to bear. I really need to sit down, but there is nowhere but the ground to plop down on. Thinking that would be seen as rude, instead I allow myself to rest more of my weight against Noah. He supports me without protest, much like he’s supported me through this entire journey thus far.

  My tongue feels glued to the roof of my mouth, and since I’m in no way able to speak, Fay steps up. “And we, Clarisse, are the start of that revolution,” she says. Then she looks around at the faces that surround us, her gaze intense. “As such, we are looking for people to join us.”

  Hands fly into the air. Everyone from the oldest men to the youngest of women is eager to join in and do their part. And Fay says this won’t be easy. It’s looking pretty easy from where I’m standing. So far, it appears as though they’re all ready to fight alongside us, come what may.

  Not everyone will be this eager, especially the closer you get to Ministry territory.

  The words of warning must’ve hit both me and Noah at the same time because we share a tense look.

  “Of course, not everyone can join in combat,” Fay continues. “And for those who are unable to pick up arms, we provide protection in the knowledge that there are still a great many important things you can do to help in this endeavor. We will need you to be our messengers of faith, to share the Message with all nearby villages and towns, alerting them that the time has come. We will set up a meeting place, and in time, we will gather and finally begin the revolution we’ve all been waiting for, in earnest.”

  “God be with us,” Clarisse says, kneeling before me and the group and bowing her head. “As long as He’s on our side, we can never be defeated. Some may lose their lives in this battle, but they’ll have life for eternity in God’s embrace.”

  I can’t help but shudder at the mention of people losing their lives. While I know we are going to war, and that with war people die, I still don’t want to think too deeply on that. No one who fights on the side of good should ever die, it makes me feel sick to consider it.

  “It’s not a fairytale, Jaelynn,” Noah comments aloud, obviously reading my mind.

  I shoot him a glower. “I hate when you do that,” I whisper. “At least let me know you’re there.”

  Noah lifts a shoulder nonchalantly, a smile playing about his lips as he looks at me. “You have to let me be there. If you don’t want me to hear your thoughts, you can close yourself off from me.”

  I already know that of course, but at the same time, having Noah inside my head feels natural and safe. Like he’s supposed to be there. It’s something I honestly can’t imagine cutting off. Not since that time- which seems like ages ago now- I feared he was dead at the hands of Ministry had I purposely shut him out of my thoughts.

  “I thought you could choose to listen,” I admonish him. “And choose not to.” I give him a pointed look, raising a brow.

  He studies my face for a few seconds, just long enough that I start to shift somewhat uncomfortably, feeling a faint warmth beginning to creep up my collarbone. “Perhaps I can, I dunno,” he finally offers, with another shrug and enigmatic smile.

  His seemingly knowing smirk makes me wonder what other thoughts he’s heard without my realizing it. All the thoughts I’ve had about him... I feel the flush creeping higher up my neck and clear my throat, shoving those memories aside hastily – Noah continues to smile, giving nothing away.

  “I suppose I need to be more careful then,” I say out loud.

  “As you wish,” Noah says inclining his head. I could swear he’s hiding a grin.

  Fay pulls the two of us aside, away from the townspeople and away from the army. Though we don’t go far and are still within distance for anyone else to listen if they really want to, we are far enough away to give ourselves an appearance of privacy. Although it can’t be all that secretive, or she would have asked for a room somewhere, I would think.

  She crosses her arms and looks us both over before speaking. “Do you two need to rest, or shall we keep moving?”

  I frown. “Keep moving?” I ask. “What do you mean? We just got here!”

  “We need to keep heading toward Ministry territory, and with this many people, it’s going to take some time. Unless you need some rest, I suggest that we keep going. We will assign roles to the people here and take some of their fighters with us. Ultimately, we will all meet at the same spot in a month’s time. But the sooner we get going on this, the better.”

  This is all progressing so fast, my head is still reeling. We haven’t even been traveling for a full day yet, and already our army has grown by practically an entire village. How much farther do we have to go? I sigh inwardly. I am tired and I think a good night’s sleep would do me – as well as everybody else – some good. But instead of asking the difficult questions, I merely choose to follow Fay’s lead and nod my head.

  “Yes, let’s keep moving. We can rest in the next town we find, if needed. Or find some shelter in the woods somewhere.”

  “I think that’s best,” Fay says. “The Ministry’s troops are likely reaching the outskirts of Bethel now, looking for the two of you. We should get as far away from there as humanly possible.”

  “I think so too,” Noah says.

  With everyone in agreement, the new, larger army begins to move again, albeit slowly, like a great lumbering beast. The mass of people head west, away from the newest town, and closer to Ministry territory. Looking up, I smile wryly. “Think this will give our location away?” I ask, pointing upward. I’m loving the coverage the tall pine trees offer from the sun beating down mercilessly, but I’m a little concerned it’s like waving a flag, saying “Here we are! Come get us!”

  “No, because it’s no longer just following us,” Fay says, looking up too.

  “The forest is branching out more. It’s growing farther and farther away from us. Almost like
it’s intentionally misdirecting the Ministry and offering us cover. Can’t you see?”

  Obviously I can’t. I look out into the woods and don’t see an end to the mass of them, as usual. “So what does that mean?”

  “It means that His and our powers are growing with each new person we get to join us,” Fay says.

  It makes sense, in a way, but also doesn’t. I don’t want to have to think about that or anything else at the moment though. My mind is still mush from everything I’ve been told recently, and conflict is tearing at my insides. All I really want to do is walk in silence for a bit and think about what I’ve learned from Clarisse.

  My father, Marcus Rose, right-hand man to Leora Blackwood, had been a prophet before I was born. He told the townspeople in desolate far away lands that his daughter will save them all one day. How did he know? Why did he never say anything? And if this is true, and it sounds like there is no way it can’t be true, what does that mean for him? Does the Ministry know?

  My stomach knots painfully and my heart stutters drunkenly as within my mind, I play out all the different scenarios for my father, a wave of fear roiling through me. Not a one of them ends well. Not only that, but my mother has helped us too. What does that mean for her? What will become of her? Does she know about any of this? Did she know that she married a one-time prophet?

  The fact that neither of my parents has ever mentioned any of this to me rips open a yawning chasm in the pit of my belly, driving it right up through my heart. They at least could have told me. Prepared me. Let me know what was in store for us all and what I was supposed to do when the time came. I feel tears burning my eyes and blink them back.

  Papa, why didn’t you tell me any of this?

  VIII

  MARCUS

  “The troops will be touching down in Bethel in two minutes,” Grayburn says excitedly, his eyes fixed on the computer screen in front of him. He’s nearly vibrating in his seat.