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Chapter 29 .1
Nyla and Eason were unprepared for the bark of Edmond’s voice when they entered the house from outdoors. Ever since Eason had graduated at the beginning of the week, he and Nyla had taken to spending the afternoons in the backyard once she got home.
Edmond was standing next to the back doors waiting for them, his arms crossed, and his eyes hard. “You two. My office. Now.” His clipped tones did not foreshadow a pleasant conversation.
They followed him into his office where they found Veronica waiting, wringing her hands methodically.
Edmond gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk. “Sit.” Nyla and Eason sat. Edmond began pacing behind his desk. Nyla didn’t dare glance at Eason. They were in trouble; she just didn’t know what for yet.
Turning on his heel, Edmond gave the two of them a deadly glare. “Do you have anything you’d like to tell me?”
Bewildered, Nyla shook her head and assu
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As dawn was reaching her fingers out across the sky, Nyla arrived. She stood at the front gates that blocked her path and contemplated what to do. She knew she looked a mess; her hair must be a rat’s nest after all the flying. It’d be rude if she flew over the wall. Without any other option, Nyla pressed the buzzer.“Yes?”“This is Nyla Bra- just Nyla. May I come in?”She heard a scurry of movement and then a muffled, “Oof,” before a bell chimed, and the gate swung open. Taking it as an invitation, Nyla started up the long drive. About halfway up it, she was met by Madame James, who flung herself at Nyla, hanging onto her by her neck.“Nyla! We’ve been waiting all night for you!”Michael loped over, his pace much more sedate. “Mom was about to go out looking for you herself if you didn’t get here soon.”“How did you know I was coming?” Nyla asked,
What Is Love? Chapter 30
The days in the James’ household fell into a pattern. Every morning she rose later than she ever had been allowed to before. She then traipsed downstairs to have a light breakfast with Madame James, who was delighted to have a young woman in the house after having raised only boys. The rest of her day was spent reading or exploring the mansion, which was old enough to have hidden rooms long forgotten. This morning Nyla rose the latest she had yet and headed downstairs still in her pajamas. Yawning, she entered the family dining room only to find two guests sitting with Madame James. “Sarah! Breanne!” The girls leaped up, squealing, and attacked Nyla with affection. They each squeezed Nyla tight enough to make her ribs crack. “Nyla!” Gazing over their heads, Nyla found Madame James smiling serenely while sipping on her tea. “What’s going on?” Nyla choked out. Sarah and Breanne let her go and backed up a step. “I was about to send someone up to wake you
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One thousand thirty-three, one thousand thirty-four, one thousand thirty – The conversation outside of her sterile room interrupted Nyla’s counting.If they don’t want to be overheard, they should speak softer.She paused and listened to the voices. Even without her heightened hearing she would have been able to understand their heated debate.“She’s still too ill to be taken away, General,” a woman pleaded. Nyla recognized the strained voice as Dr. Bunder, the physician who had been attending to her.“Have her wounds healed?” a man asked. His gruff, low voice held its own authority, which led Nyla to believe that the man was a high ranking official of some kind. He had to be with that kind of self-assurance.Nyla lifted her heavily bandaged hands to her face. The hospital had continued to wrap them even after the skin stitched back together had healed. She thought it was unn
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“That has changed as well. You will be joining the civilians at Alet Academy. All Menhits are being integrated into the general population after they’ve been decommissioned.” “Are we all being decommissioned, Sir?” Nyla had only met one other Menhit before, but she knew of at least half a dozen. “All juvenile Menhits, yes. The adults’ fates are still being determined.” They were interrupted by a knock on the door. A nurse poked her head in and announced, “General, the family is here to pick her up.” Stepping inside, she placed a folded pile of clothes on the chair next to Nyla’s bed before hurrying out. “Good, good. Get d
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One never knew when they would have to make a quick escape. While getting out of the hovercar at the house, Nyla couldn’t believe the size of it. She knew that civilians didn’t live in tent barracks, but she had never been to one of the grand estates. Edmond is Governor, Nyla reminded herself. And the Governor was just another word for President here. “There’s plenty of space for you, don’t you worry,” Veronica said, starting up the wide white stone steps that led to the front door. “Come, come,” she gestured Nyla forward. Hesitantly, Nyla placed her foot on the first stone step. She half expected to leave a dirty shadow of her shoe on the creamy surface. Accustomed to the trials of war, she was comf
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Someone using her name downstairs roused Nyla from her nap. Even with her ring on, Nyla could clearly hear the discussion in the family room.“Mason, go get Nyla for dinner,” Edmond barked at his daughter. There was no rustle of movement. “Now,” he hissed, his tone frigid with displeasure.“Why do I have to?” Mason whined.Edmond sighed. “Because I told you to. Until you are eighteen, you will do as I say.”Mason snorted in disgust. “You’re so old fashioned, Dad. It’s not like that anymore in the real world. Imagine what the voters would think if they knew that you run your house like a prison.”“Mason,” Veronica warned. “Do what your father says.”“Why? I don’t want to be around It.”“For the last time,” Edmond growled. “Nyla is not an ‘it’, even if she’s a Menhit.”“
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“My problem,” Edmond boomed, “is that you are treating our guest like scum on the bottom of your shoe! An inanimate object you can abuse as you will!”Mason laughed. “You’re kidding me, right? She might as well be an inanimate object, Dad. I mean, look at her. Her face hasn’t changed once, not even when the soup hit her. She’s just a breathing doll. And you saw how she caught that bowl, she moved so fast that you couldn’t even see her hands! She’s a freak.”Nyla unconsciously reached up to her face and felt her mouth. It was relaxed, different from the tightly pressed lips all around her. She knew that her face was different – it was part of being a Menhit. Emotions were a foreign concept she didn’t understand and couldn’t display. “It’s okay,” Nyla cut in. “I know I’m different. Mason is just pointing out the obvious.”The room froze, and Nyla
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“Well, don’t you look nice!” Veronica squealed, fluttering around Nyla. The pair stood before the new smart mirror hanging over Nyla’s closet door, inspecting her appearance.After dinner the night before, Veronica had brought bag after bag of clothing into Nyla’s room. As she unpacked each item, she explained why she had picked it out for Nyla. Most of the reasons had to do with Nyla’s blonde hair, which was so different than Veronica’s curtain of ebony.She had arrived at Nyla’s door at six that morning insisting that Nyla needed help getting ready. When called upon to pick her outfit for the day, Nyla settled on a plain long sleeve top in a color Veronica called ‘sea-green’ and a pair of jeans. It would hide the lingering burns on her arm from the night before. “So simple, yet they look so stylish on you because of your tall frame! I’m so happy they fit!” Veronica admired loudly. “I
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