The Heartland Trials

Chapter Three

The walk back to Monterrey took a while, as we lived near the mouth of the forest, the entrance to our community of sects. The trail was beautiful; flowers of each color bloomed in the dim sunlight which peaked from the canopy of the trees. The dirt beneath my feet had turned dry, making my skin cracked and my heels numb to the prickly sticks and dull rocks that I walked on. Sarah and Jacob were ten feet ahead of me. I could barely catch up. Images of Scott’s body haunted my mind.

            “Geneva!” I heard echoes of voices between the lining of trees. They seemed angry, perhaps they heard of Scott’s death and that I may have been an accomplice or had something to do with his murder. Or he perhaps overdosed, I let my mind toy with this thought for a moment too long.

            We reached the entrance, everyone immediately came running from their job areas towards me. I looked around, realizing they were circling me. “I—I can explain. I did not kill Scott. Where is Jasper?” I cried.

            Everyone in the group c****d their heads to the side and looked around in confusion. “Jasp, where is he?” I yelled. Jasper was my happy place, he would know how to handle this better than I.

            A second past, and I could hear trees falling to the ground. Something was telling me that Jasp was nearby, or perhaps it was Lewis trying to play a prank on me. But it wasn’t. I trembled at the thought of it being Connie or Numan. I continued to gawk at all the bodies that swarmed me. I was trapped in a game of chess, but this time I was the lone knight that would eventually be taken out. Jasp was somewhere in sight, and I walked slowly, every body slowly parted to create whatever path I was taking.

“Sarah?” I called.

She was behind me, watching as I called for Jasper some more.

“Jasper’s gone.” She choked out.

How? Where had he gone? I thought to myself.

I peered down at my trembling, dirty hands.

“Wh-where did h-he go?” I stuttered.

Sarah didn’t say a word. All she could do was stand there, watching me quiver at the thought of Connie and Numan possibly taking Jasper away for good.

“Don’t worry,” she smirked, and walked over with crossed arms. “He’s inside with Lewis and a few members of the council. They don’t want you in there right now.”

            I looked at her; her blue eyes dug deep into my soul, and they were filled with sincerity.

“I need to see him.” I stood my ground.

            There was no way she could prevent me from seeing my fiancé, or the members of the council.

            Sarah leaned in closer, closing the gap between us. “No, Geneva. It’s not that we don’t want you here. The council has a testimony from Lewis, stating that he witnessed you holding a blade to Scott’s throat, threatening Connie and Numan, and even robbing them.”

I scoffed. I knew Lewis was out to get me, but not in this style. I had to know what his agenda was, and I needed to figure it out fast.

“Why would Lewis do this?” I asked, eyeing Sarah.

“Because he saw you!” Sarah shouted.

            I backed up slightly then, attempting to figure out what exactly was going on, and how to fix this ordeal. “Leave!” I heard a voice shout.

“Not without Jasp!” I shouted, making fists in my hands.

            The doors of the Council Meeting Hall had swung open, and out came a young woman, dark-skinned, and her beauty beyond belief. The man who followed was not Numan, but someone much more frightening. Arlin. The man who, with one simple stare, could haunt anyone’s dream for an unknown amount of time. His arms stuck out like daggers, and his smile was faint to the point where it wasn’t clear if he ever smiled. Behind Arlin, and shoving his way through the crowd, was Titus, a man of great stature, but a terrible temperament. Titus rushed up to me, meeting my eye level. I backed up more, but his gaze kept mine.

“Geneva,” he scowled.

I jumped at the harshness in his voice.

“Yes, Titus?” I whispered.

            Grabbing my wrist, he swung me around, placing what felt like rough leather around my wrists. “You are under arrest for the murder of Scott Drabek.”

I frantically looked around, and no one had spoken up. “I didn’t do it!” I screamed.

            I felt weak then; I had lost the power I was building up to. This was only the beginning of my trial.

            As we began to walk up the same path I had walked up to get back to Monterrey, I saw a familiar face out of the corner of my eye. Slowly, I turned my head to meet Jasper’s gaze. “Wait!” I shouted, stopping myself from walking, and allowing myself to be dragged a few feet before Titus eventually stopped.

“What is it now?” His grip tightened around my arm.

“I need to see Jasper one more time,” I squeaked.

I gave Titus pleading eyes. His grip made me wince, and suddenly he let go of me then. I ran as fast I could, untangling the leather from around my hands, and tossed my arms around Jasper’s neck. His arms laid straight; he didn’t want to return the embrace. I lowered my arms then and gazed up at the man who I had known my entire life suddenly feel like a stranger to me.

I looked around, everyone else continued to stare – most of them snarling and wishing for me to leave their sight. I’d wished I had followed suit. However, I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Jasper. “Jasper,” I said.

He avoided eye contact with me and kept looking straight ahead at the never-ending trees along the trail. “I’ll see you on the other side.”