
Naomi Grim

Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

(Part 1)

Naomi Grim

Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

(Part 1)

--------

Other books by Tiffany Nicole Smith:

Book 1-4 of the Fairylicious Series

The Thing About Scorpions (Scorpions 1)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.

Copyright (C) 2013 by Tiffany Nicole Smith All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be copied or reproduced in any matter whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Printed in the United States of America.

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Twisted Spice Publications

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Naomi Grim

Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

(Part 1)

--------

Tiffany Nicole Smith

Part 1

The Assignment

# Table of Contents:

Chapter l

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

# Chapter l

--------

Screeching tires followed by the sickening sound of metal colliding with something solid, prevented me from almost dozing off. I peered from around the thick trunk of the pine tree I had been leaning against to see what was happening. My dispatching device had led me there to wait.

"Where is she? Where is she?" Haley screeched. "Aiden, do you see her?"

I stood and prepared myself.  Falling asleep would have been a drastic mistake. After brushing the dirt from my backside, I grabbed my scythe and watched the two.

Aiden, on all fours, felt the asphalt for his glasses. "No. I can't see anything."

I walked out into the shadows cast by the trees.

"Jessica!" Haley's scream was more urgent this time.

The girl lay sprawled on the concrete, and I emerged. Jessica was obviously the one because she had the glow about her. I stood over her. Her eyes widened when she saw me. I could only be seen by the one I was supposed to take. She was definitely the one.

"Jessica!" Haley screamed, running to her best friend's side. But Jessica's eyes didn't leave mine. She squinted. She was fighting hard, but it was no use. Her time had come.

What a terrible way to die. Thrown from a car. Bleeding to death on the road. I admired the bright red pool that had formed around her head, soaking her brown curls. Death was a beautiful thing. Nothing was more divine than watching a human's last breath. Jessica's lips trembled as if she were trying to say something.

"Call 911!" Haley yelled to Aiden as he crawled over. I would be long gone with Jessica's life by the time an ambulance arrived.

I had been following this trio of friends for almost two weeks. At the time of the accident, they had been coming home from a study group--good kids. I'd almost grown a little fond of them. They were good-hearted and genuinely cared for one another. The one who was to die had only been revealed to me at that very moment.

With my scythe in my right hand, I squeezed my left fist tight, holding Jessica's gaze. Then I finally felt it. Her life was in my hands. I opened my palm to reveal a black stone that looked like a lump of coal. The lifestone. I would give it to Father, and he would turn it in to Mr. Dunningham, our ruler, for a nice sum of money.

Haley was hysterical as Aiden yelled poor directions at the 911 operator. My job was done. I closed my eyes and waited to be taken back. A strange sensation flowed through me as I became absorbed in a whirl of wind. Transportation only took seconds. When I opened my eyes, the transporting chamber opened, and I found myself in my kitchen.  The chamber was how we traveled from home to our assignments. It took us from the kitchen to anywhere we needed to go and then back to the kitchen again. The chamber also served as our pantry.

"Naomi, you were gone a long time," said my brother, Dorian. I stood in the doorway of his bedroom. Dorian hadn't even turned around. You couldn't really sneak up on a Grim.

"This one took longer. She was a fighter."

Dorian laughed as he adjusted his microscope lens. "I don't know why they bother. You can't fight death."

"It's in their nature, Dorian. Most people don't want to die. There was a lot of blood, though."

"Yeah? How'd she die?"

"A deer ran into the road. Her friend hit it, and Jessica was thrown from the car."

Dorian nodded. "Nice, I love the bloody ones. Father will be happy with that."

I left Dorian and went to my own bedroom to hang my scythe on its hook. I'd missed the comforts of being in my own room, but that was the Grim life.

I tiptoed down the hall to Father's study. I didn't want to disrupt him if he was studying. He sat at his large oak desk, his broad shoulders hunched over a book as usual. I watched him for a few seconds.

"Hello, Darkness. You made it back."

"Yes, Father." I walked to his desk and handed him Jessica's lifestone.

He opened a tiny silver box and placed the lifestone inside. "Good job. How old was she?"

"Seventeen," I answered. She had just turned seventeen the week before. I'd had to endure a very rowdy birthday party. By the way things were going, I was sure someone would have gone that night.

Father smiled. "So how many years does that make for you?"

"Four hundred and thirty-two." I was only sixteen, so I had a long way to go.

Father made a note on my page of his notebook so we could keep track.

That's how it worked, being a Grim. When we brought back a life, Mr. Dunningham paid us. That was how we lived. The younger the person or the more gruesome the death, the more money you got. In addition to that, the person's age got added on to our lives. For example, Jessica just added seventeen years to my life, so it was a catch twenty-two. The younger the life, the less years, but more money. The older the person, you got more years and less money.

We were Grims by birth. There was nothing we had done to earn this job and nothing we could do to escape it. We weren't monsters. We were just doing our jobs. Death was a necessary part of the cycle. Grims didn't cause deaths--we were just there to pick up the lifestones, that's all. It's a common misconception that we collect souls. Souls were different. What happened to a human's soul was between God and Satan.

When duty called, we had to leave our families and follow the human who was about to die. Sometimes we could be gone for weeks or months. At that moment, my older brother Bram and my mother were away on assignments. It was very rare that our entire family was ever together at once.

I took the picture of my mother from my father's desk. She had the same features as all the Grims--black hair and black eyes. Our family in particular had pale skin, but Grims came in all colors.

"You miss her, don't you?" Father asked.

"I do. I haven't seen her since forever."

Mom had been on an assignment for two months at a military camp.

"Well, she came home last week," Father informed me, "then she got called out again. I think your brother will be coming back soon," Father offered, as if Bram were a suitable replacement. Bram had just turned eighteen and thought he ruled the world.

"Great," I muttered. I had actually been looking forward to a Bram-free night.

Father turned his attention back to his book so I left him alone.

Dinner that night was salmon and steamed vegetables. Dorian was halfway through the story of how he'd discovered yet another new life-form. According to him, he had done an experiment with a beetle and turned it into some sort of mutant. Dorian was pondering what he should name the mutant-beetle when Bram came through the transporting chamber.

Bram slammed his scythe to the ground. I waited for Father to say something about Bram's disrespect toward his sacred scythe, but he only looked concerned. Being Father's Golden Child, Bram got away with a lot more than Dorian and I.

"What's the problem, son?"

"It was a suicide."

Suicides were no fun. We got almost nothing for those. When a person commits suicide, it's not really their time to go, so we're not prepared in advance. The person took their own life before we could get to it, so the lifestone was virtually worthless.

"Waste of time!" Bram growled. He shook the entire table as he sat, almost spilling my glass of water.

"Calm down, Bram. We all get those every once in a while," I said softly. He glared at me and I looked away. I knew better than to talk to him when he was angry.

Bram and Father were alike in so many ways. For one, they were both money and power hungry. They would do anything to stay in Mr. Dunningham's good graces. All they cared about was moving up in society and a mansion in the Upper Estates.

Right now we lived in the middle of Nowhere. Really. Our colony of Grims lived in Nowhere, and my family lived in the middle-class section. Nowhere was just that--nowhere. It serves as our waiting area as we travel back and forth between the world and home. There were three sections of Nowhere. Litropolis was the lower end. The people who lived there were poor. Mr. Dunningham rarely gave them assignments. They died early for lack of earned years, and we had nothing to do with them. We lived in Farrington, the middle-class area. I loved it. I loved our home. My friends lived in Farrington, but that wasn't good enough for Father and Bram. Mother once told me that a Grim man's worth was measured by his riches and his home. That was the reason Father would never be satisfied until we made it to the Upper Estates, where Mr. Dunningham and all his favorite families lived. They had thousands of years and anything they dreamed of and desired. They looked at us like we looked at the Grims of Litropolis--like we were nothing. Served us right.

It was a simple process. Dunningham decided who lived and died. If he didn't like you, he didn't assign you deaths and you expired.

Bram threw the lifestone onto the table. Instead of the rich, black color it should have been, it was white and crumbly. That's what happened when a lifestone didn't fall into the hands of a Grim immediately. It dried out. If the lifestone was left too long, it would evaporate completely. We always had to be prepared to grab those stones. Bram shook the table again as he stood. I forced myself not to comment. He'd begun to storm toward his room until Father whistled and pointed toward the discarded scythe. Bram huffed, but he picked it up.

Scythes were precious. They were given to Grims on their thirteenth birthdays, the year we began collecting lives. Each Grim had his name engraved on his scythe along with the words "Long Live Death". We all had a hook in our bedrooms where our scythes were to be hung, and we were never to leave Nowhere without them. One of the many rules of being a Grim.

I awoke the next morning to the smell of potatoes frying. That meant only one thing--Mother was home. Usually we had fruit and oatmeal for breakfast, but when she had been gone a while, she'd treat us.

I pulled on my black sweatpants and matching hoodie. Father would have had a fit if he knew I slept in only my underwear. Grims had to be prepared for being dispatched at any moment. I slid my feet into my black flip-flops and ran downstairs, taking two steps at a time.

Mother flipped potato cakes at the stove. My brothers sat at the table, already starting their daily reading. All young Grims had to study the Covenant and other subjects for hours each day.

"Mother!" I squealed.

She turned slightly, keeping her eye on the food.

"Hello, Darkness," Mother said as I kissed her cheek.

I wrapped my arm around her neck. "It's been absolutely dreadful living with the boys." Mom and I always joked about how awful it was being the only female in the house when the other was gone. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, my love. Set the table, please."

After fighting with the boys to get them to clear their things from the table, I finally managed to set it.

Father came in, scrolling his finger across his tablet.

"Uh-uh, not at the table, Nox," Mother scolded.

"I'm in the middle of some important research, Eleanor."

Mother set a stack of plates on the table. "This is the first time we've been together as a whole family in a few months. Your research can wait."

Father sighed, leaving his tablet on the counter to join us at the table.

"So, Mother, tell us what happened," Dorian said.

Mother placed the bowls of food on the table so we could help ourselves. "I had to follow a family around. Father, mother, and an infant. I kept wondering which one I was supposed to take, but there wasn't a glow until the last minute."

It was that way sometimes. Our dispatching device would take us to a group of people to follow, but sometimes we didn't know who the Fated would be until right before the end. That person would be surrounded by faint yellow light. The glow was how we knew the person was one of the Fated.

"Who was it?" I asked.

"All of them," Mother replied. "The father drove his family off a bridge on purpose. Just slammed on the gas and took them over."

There was silence for a moment. Well, except for Bram's loud chewing.

"So," Mother continued, "I'm not sure how this will work. The father committed suicide, but technically the mother and child didn't."

"Three deaths at once. Either way, Dunningham should be pleased," Father said.

"Why would somebody do that?" I asked.

Everyone stared at me.

"I mean to their family. Why would someone want to kill the people they loved? Were they having problems, Mother?"

Bram scoffed and shook his head.

Mother buttered a piece of bread. "It doesn't matter, dear. You know we don't get involved in their affairs."

"What do you care?" Bram asked bitterly. He always accused me of being too soft. He said I didn't have the heart of a Grim.

I shrugged. "I'm just curious, that's all. I'd like to know what would make a person do that. I mean, Father would never do anything like that to us, right?" It was impossible to kill a Grim unless their time was up or they had less than one hundred years, but I needed to know that he would never want to.

Father cut into his potato pancakes. "Of course not, dear. There's no point in trying to understand them. Just collect their lives and move along. That's our job."

Just then, Father's dispatching device rang. I sighed to myself. We couldn't even have a full twenty-four hours together.

Father pressed a button and held the device to his ear. "Mr. Dunningham!" he said, sounding a bit too eager.

That was strange. When we got an assignment, it was usually a robotic voice from the system, not Dunningham himself. There must have been something wrong.

"Okay . . .Yes, sir . . . Sure, I understand."

Father hung up and looked at us, wide-eyed.

"What was that about?" Mother asked.

"Mr. Dunningham is going to pay us a visit. Right now."

I felt a queasiness in my stomach, wondering which one of us had broken a rule. Mr. Dunningham never came to Farrington unless he was delivering a speech or someone had done something wrong and needed to be punished. The last time he came to our house was almost a year ago. Bram had kissed a girl, and they had both gotten fifty years subtracted from their lives. Dating and any kind of physical affection was forbidden until a Grim's eighteenth birthday, when they were to become engaged. Father had been thoroughly embarrassed and didn't speak to Bram for two weeks.

Father hopped up from the table. "Okay, let's straighten up. Children, get properly dressed. He wants to speak to all of us. Chop, chop."

My brothers and I went upstairs while our parents straightened up. "Properly dressed" meant wearing the Sacred Cloak. We didn't wear it much--only in Dunningham's presence and on special occasions. I hated it. The cloak was hot and heavy. Hopefully, Mr. Dunningham wouldn't stay too long.

# Chapter 2

--------

"Nice place you got here," Mr. Dunningham said, looking around as if he'd never been in our home before.

I knew he was lying. Our house looked like a rabbit hole in comparison to where he lived. I loved our home, though. We were all seated in the living room on black velvet couches. The fireplace was ablaze despite the fact that it wasn't cold out. The reflection of the orange flames bounced off the gray marble walls.

Mr. Dunningham wore an expensive-looking black suit, a black tie, and a black dress shirt underneath. He kept his head shaved completely bald, and he had a gray beard and mustache. He looked his part-- the Lord of Death. I didn't think much of Dunningham. He'd gotten his position by luck. Being born to the previous Lord of Death, who had retired years ago, gave him his power.

Mr. Dunningham's assistant placed his briefcase on our stone coffee table. She looked to be about twenty, with short black hair and a much-too-tight black lace dress. Bram stared at the ceiling, probably trying to make it blatantly obvious that he wasn't ogling the girl. She took a seat in an armchair in the corner. Mr. Dunningham sat in Father's reading chair--the one that no one was allowed to sit in except for him. Mother and Father sat next to him on the loveseat. My brothers and I sat across from Mr. Dunningham on the sofa in the order of our age.

"Well, Nox, I have some very good news for you and your family," Mr. Dunningham began. We all breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing those words.

"Really?" Father said, sitting forward.

"Yes. I know you have all been working very hard. Following the rules." He glanced at Bram. "And being good citizens. I just want you to know your efforts haven't gone unnoticed."

"Thank you, Mr. Dunningham," Father said, smiling broadly.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Father was the strongest person I knew, and it killed me to see him grovel to this man, but I guessed greed would make a man do anything.

"With that being said, I think I have a project that would be perfect for your children. I need several teenaged Grims."

My parents looked at each other and smiled. "What for?" Mother asked.

"Eleanor, this job would put your family on the map."

Father beamed. That only meant one thing--a mass killing. We'd known a few families who had once lived in Farrington and had been blessed with the privilege of collecting from a massive death scene. It was a fast ticket to the Upper Estates.

"One hundred and forty-eight lives," Mr. Dunningham said.

Bram sat forward. "One hundred and forty-eight? We've never done anything close to that before."

Mr. Dunningham gave a half smile. "That's because I reserve those types of jobs for my special, most trusted Grims, so consider yourselves lucky."

"We do, we do," Mother said.

"I'm sorry. What's going to happen to claim one hundred and forty-eight lives?" I asked.

Mr. Dunningham sat back in the seat, stroking his beard. "Six bombs and a shooting spree."

"In a school?" I asked. My family shot me angry glances. I shouldn't have been questioning this. I should have been thanking Mr. Dunningham for the opportunity.

"Yes, in a school."

There were no schools in Nowhere. When we weren't on assignment, Grims studied at home with their parents. My only experience with schools was when I had to follow one of the Fated around. They seemed like zoos, but I knew bombs and shootings weren't normal.

"Is everything okay?" Mr. Dunningham asked.

"Yes, everything's fine," I answered.

Mr. Dunningham continued to stare at me. I shifted uncomfortably between my brothers. He rubbed his chin with his thumb and index fingers. "This one gets attached, doesn't she?"

Father gave a phony chuckle. "Naomi? She's a little sensitive, but she'll be fine."

"Naomi. What do you expect from a Grim with a name like that?" Mr. Dunningham commented, not hiding his disapproval.

My family hadn't followed the norm when it came to my name. Everyone in Nowhere gave their children names that meant darkness or death. For example, my best friend's name is Keira, which meant dark-skinned. My name meant pleasant. Father's friends had advised him against it, but he had insisted. There was some reason he wanted to break tradition and name me Naomi, but he would never tell.

"I like my name," I said softly, as if it mattered what I liked.

Mr. Dunningham snapped his fingers, and his eager assistant handed him an electronic tablet. I imagined it had to be a miserable job working for a dictatorial narcissist who snapped his fingers at you.

Mr. Dunningham punched in his four-digit code then began to swipe the screen with his finger. "Ah, here we are, Family 16747. Brametheus Grim."

I heard my brother draw in a breath and waited for him to tell Dunningham how he hated to be called that, but he said nothing.

Mr. Dunningham continued. "Three infractions. One for fighting in public with a brother Grim. Another for physical affection--kissing a female Grim at age sixteen." That had been my best friend, Keira. Her father had flipped. "And the third for knocking over a bookshelf at the Documents Library. A total of seventy-five years have been deleted." Mr. Dunningham looked at Bram, who looked down at his hands. "You seem to have a bad temper and a problem with authority, young Grim."

"No, sir," Bram mumbled. But that was a lie. I remembered each and every one of those infractions. Bram had fought with a boy named Harken because Harken had stepped on his shoe and refused to apologize. The Documents Library was a sacred place where information on every Grim and every death was documented. It was treated as a church. Bram had knocked over a bookshelf because he was angry that all the work stations were taken, and he needed to do some research. Yes, Bram had anger issues.

But Mr. Dunningham wasn't done. He moved to the next screen. "Naomi Grim, the only daughter of Nox and Eleanor. Two infractions--twenty-five years lost."

I sank in my seat. I knew my crimes. My family knew my crimes. Why was he making us revisit them?

Mr. Dunningham continued on with his tirade. "Infraction number one, making yourself visible to a Fated."

Yes, that had happened, but I didn't see how it could have been avoided. I'd been following twenty-eight-year-old Jennifer Grey. She had a three-year-old son named Ryder. While she was busy in the kitchen cooking, Ryder was playing in the backyard. Jennifer had been watching from the window, but I guess, for a few moments, she forgot. Ryder went through an open fence on the side of the house with his red rubber ball. The ball rolled into the street and, being the three-year-old he was, Ryder ran after it, right in front of an oncoming pick-up truck.

There was no glow around Ryder. It wasn't his time. I jumped in and moved him from in front of the truck just in time. I didn't see the harm. He wasn't the one I'd been sent to collect. Jennifer came out and saw me holding her son. She had wrapped both me and her son in her arms as she cried hysterically. Since Jennifer was a Fated, she was the only one who could see me and everyone thought she was crazy. Still, Ryder was still alive. I never regretted my decision.

I took a lot of flak for that from my parents and Mr. Dunningham when I got back. The only reason my punishment hadn't been more severe was because Ryder wasn't the person I had been sent to follow.

Mr. Dunningham watched me for my reaction. I didn't know what he was expecting. Maybe an apology, a teary outburst? Well, he wasn't going to get it. I was at peace with my decision, however I had no intention of going through the year-subtraction process again. Having years deducted from my life had literally been torture.

Both times I'd had to go to the Mill, the sacred building where lifestones were kept, where they'd strapped me to a mechanical chair. I could still feel the leather squeezing my wrists and chest. Dunningham always flipped the switch himself with demented satisfaction. I would never forget the shocks of electricity surging through my body, causing me to twitch involuntarily as drool ran from my mouth. Anyone who went through the process was sick for days afterward. I had vomited for five days straight. It made me so weak I could barely walk.

"Infraction number two--going to Litropolis with Keira Grim, which every Grim in Farrington and the Upper Estates knows is strictly forbidden."

Yes. There was a perfectly good reason for that, too. We wanted to know what Litropolis was like, so we went. Because the older Grims always painted Litropolis as this foreign dangerous place, I wanted to see it for myself. One of the Watchers turned us in. You couldn't get away with anything in Nowhere. I looked at my parents, who hung their heads in shame.

"Now the youngest, Dorian Grim. Son, you have only been an operating Grim for a year and you already have an infraction. That's not a good sign."

Dorian nodded. In my opinion, his infraction was worse than Bram's and mine put together.

He had been assigned to follow an old woman. It was his first assignment. In his eagerness, he didn't wait for the glow and took the woman's husband instead. It wasn't his time. It was against the Grim Covenant to interfere with death. We were only the collectors.

Dunningham narrowed his eyes at Dorian. "When you break the Covenant, you make our entire colony lose credibility. I mean, that's the first rule of collecting--we only take the Fated."

Dorian nodded. "It was a terrible mistake that I'll never make again."

Mr. Dunningham laid his tablet on the coffee table. "I said all that to say this--I like you, Nox. I think you're a wonderful leader and will make a great asset to the Upper Estates. Because of that, I'm willing to overlook your children's numerous sins."

Father nodded in appreciation. "Thank you so much, Mr. Dunningham. You are a kind, fair man."

So that was Mr. Dunningham's game. He would make my father even more indebted to him by giving his unworthy family such a life-changing assignment.

"We really appreciate this, Mr. Dunningham," Mother said.

"I'm sure you do, dear." Dunningham turned to my brothers and me. "So do you want this job?"

"Of course they do," Father answered for us. "Thank you so much, Mr. Dunningham. They won't let you down."

Mr. Dunningham stood, and his assistant followed suit. "This is a big job, so I'll be enlisting a couple other Grims. This assignment begins in a week. I need them to study and become familiar with high school culture. You won't be invisible to them. You'll actually be living in their world as regular students, so it's very important that you blend in. I'll drop in every now and then to see how things are going. Young Grims, you will have no other assignments for the time being. I need you to focus on this."

My parents walked Mr. Dunningham and his assistant to the door. Father watched through the peephole until they drove away. Then he turned to us. "Woo-hoo!"

Bram stood and high-fived Father. "We're going to be rich! Upper Estates, here we come!"

"Son, this is going to set us up for life!"

Dorian stood and joined them, a boy in desperate need of being accepted like his big brother. "Father, I know we're going to do a great job."

Father removed Dorian's hood and tousled his black hair. Dorian looked like a satisfied puppy who'd been begging for a belly rub. Dorian was more concerned with his science studies than he was with power and money. I think he was beginning to realize that was the reason Father favored Bram over him.

Mother smiled from the loveseat, but she wasn't as excited as Father.

"What's the matter, Mother?" I asked. I could always tell when something was wrong. The boys got quiet.

Mother shrugged. "I'm just a little worried. Where you're going is so much different from what you're used to. I don't want you all to get into any trouble."

"Eleanor, don't worry. They'll be properly trained, and Bram will be there to make sure nothing goes wrong." Dad patted Bram's chest. "Right, son?"

"Of course," Bram answered. Mother seemed to relax a little. Bram was many things, but he was very protective of Dorian and me.

Just then, Father's cell rang and he answered it. "Emery!" Emery was Keira's father and my father's good friend. Father was silent for a moment before he hooted again. I wasn't thrilled about this assignment, but it was nice to see my father so happy. "Emery, we need to celebrate. Meet me at Morton's." Morton's was the only bar in Farrington. "Kids, guess who's going to be joining you?" Father asked after he'd hung up.

I stood from the couch. "Keira and Josh?"

Father nodded. This made the situation a little better. Keira would be with me, and she always made everything okay. If I was moving to the Upper Estates, she would be too.

Father removed his cloak and handed it to Dorian to hang. "Children, I'll be back in a bit. We should get on your studies right away."

"Don't worry, guys," Bram said. "I know everything there is to know about today's American teenager."

I wasn't so sure about that. Sure, we went to their world a lot and got to observe them from time to time. Learning their ways and culture was part of our schooling. We studied four subjects: life collecting, other worlds, human studies, and languages. Human studies was the hardest to keep up with. The information changed often, and we had to keep up with the new trends and current events. I'd always felt comfortable with that, but this was different. We were going to actually have to live as one of them for an unspecified amount of time. This time we would be interacting with them. Mother's concern began to worry me. If there was any possible way to mess up this job, my brothers and I would find it.

# Chapter 3

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Since Father had gone out to celebrate with Mr. Emery, we thought it only fair for us to celebrate with Keira and Josh. Although I wasn't sold on this assignment, pretending to celebrate was a good excuse to see Keira and get an unscheduled break from our study time.

Mother seemed lost in her thoughts and absently waved us away when Bram asked for permission to go to Brickman's. Brickman's was an eatery where Grims our age socialized. I texted Keira, and she replied that she and Josh would meet us there.

The streets were virtually empty when my brothers and I began the six-block walk to Brickman's. This was study time, so most Grims were home being taught by their parents while we were free to roam the streets. I had to admit it was a bit exhilarating.

The Mill loomed far ahead of us. Its sharp edges and tall cylinder-shaped towers looked sinister in the distance, but the Mill was the heart of Nowhere. It was where the lifestones were kept. Not only did the lifestones keep us alive, but they provided our city with power and electricity. We each had to donate a portion of our lifestones to the Generator Fund. The lifestones were crushed and then put into an enormous generator. Without them, we would expire and our colony would stop running. I had been inside the Mill only once--every Grim took a tour on their thirteenth birthday. I remember seeing the room--where the hundreds of glass vials were stored. Each Grim in Nowhere had their own. Lifestones were added to your vial, signifying how much longer you would live. The Mill was sacred, the most important part of Nowhere.

I took a deep breath of the crisp, late morning air. The sky was eternally gray and bleak in Nowhere. It always looked as if it was going to rain, but I loved it. Classical instrumentals blared from speakers attached to light posts. None of the music we listened to contained words. We were supposed to think up our own as we listened. The sky and the music set a comfortable atmosphere. The human world was much too bright in the daytime. I always had to wear shades for fear I'd go blind. Don't even get me started on their music.

Several Watchers turned a corner, heading toward us. They were men in perfectly pressed black suits and shades. Bram said their shades contained cameras so they could record our every move.

"Just look straight ahead," Bram muttered.

On the opposite side of the street, one of the Watchers whistled to us. Gideon. We ignored him and kept walking.

"Young Grims," he called.

We stopped, but only Bram addressed him. "Yes, sir?"

"Where are you going during study hours?"

"To Brickman's," Bram answered. He knew better than to lie. There was no point. Eyes were everywhere.

"During study hours?"

"Yes, sir. Mr. Dunningham just left our home. We're engaging in a major assignment soon, so we're taking a little break to celebrate before we begin our research."

I breathed a sigh of relief. There was no lie in that.

Gideon nodded as if he knew the assignment Bram was speaking of. "Very well. Carry on."

Bram zipped up the front of his black hoodie and stalked ahead. "That's what I'm talking about."

Dorian and I struggled to keep up with Bram's long strides. He wore a self-righteous smirk.

"What?" I asked.

Bram looked at me. "Didn't you see it, Nay? The respect he gave me when he heard we were on that assignment? That's just a taste of how it will feel when we get to the Upper Estates." Then he turned so he was walking backwards. "You won't be questioning me. I'll be questioning you, pissant!" he yelled to Gideon.

I yanked his arm. "Bram!" I looked back. Gideon was down the street. He paused and looked back, but I was sure he hadn't heard what Bram said.

"What? We're in good now. What's he going to do, turn us in to Dunningham? Dunn loves us now."

"Correction," Dorian said. "He loves Father. I'm pretty sure he hates us."

Bram shoved his hands in his pockets. "Either way, they won't touch us."

The last thing Bram needed was a license to do whatever he wanted. He was putting the cart before the horse because Mr. Dunningham could easily give this assignment to another family if we screwed up. But there was no use telling Bram anything.

Bram pulled the door open once we reached Brickman's. "Ladies."

Dorian rolled his eyes, and Bram kicked him in the calf as he walked through the door. The place was empty except for Keira and Josh, who were already sitting in a booth in the back--our booth. Naturally they had arrived before us--they only lived two blocks in the other direction.

Keira sat on her brother's left side. I hurried to sit on the other side of Keira before Bram could. Bram and Dorian occupied the seats across from us.

Keira beamed. "I can't believe we got this assignment, and better yet, we get to do it together."

"I know." Bram nodded. "I can already picture our house in the Upper Estates. Maybe we'll be neighbors," he added, raising his eyebrows at Keira.

I hated when they flirted with each other. I had the urge to kick him under the table, but I knew he'd only kick me back much harder.

Keira smiled and looked down at the menu. "I'm excited, but we have a lot to learn about them. I mean, when I go to their world, I try to block out as much as possible. So much of it seems so silly." Keira was a diehard for the Covenant rules. If it weren't for me and my brother, she would have a perfect record. Going to Litropolis had been my idea. Keira hadn't wanted to go, but I had to know what it was like over there.

"I think it'd be cool to live there," Josh said. Josh was Dorian's best friend. They were inseparable, much like Keira and I. "I don't know, it's just seems different--not so serious."

Bram nodded. "I second that, Josh. I get tired of following all these stupid rules for no reason. Just because somebody said."

"They have rules in that world too, Bram," I warned my brother. I didn't want him thinking when we went there it was going to be a free-for-all.

"Well, if I lived in their world, I could be a scientist," Dorian said. "That would be cool."

"Sorry, little man, you're a Grim and that's all you're ever going to be." Bram tapped the edge of his menu on the table, which annoyed me to no end. "I know they have their issues, but they can choose who they want to be in love with. Kiss and hold hands when they want, with who they want. . ."

I didn't like where this conversation was headed. "What are you guys getting? I think I might have a cheeseburger."

The table was quiet except for Dorian telling Josh about his recent scientific discovery. Keira and Bram looked at the menu while stealing glances at each other that they thought I didn't notice. Yes, my brother and best friend were probably in love with each other, but I hated to think about that with my whole being. The only consolation was the two-year age difference. Bram had already turned eighteen and would be paired off with someone else long before Keira was old enough to be betrothed. They were both aware of this, so I didn't understand why they didn't just get over each other. What did Keira see in Bram anyway?

Sullivan came over and took our orders--four cheeseburgers, four sides of fries, a chicken salad for Keira, and colas all around.

"Dunningham said we're going to be studying at your place," Josh said, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

Bram sat back in his seat. "You guys are going to be studying. I know everything I need to know about that world. I'm not like you. When I go there, I observe."

I rolled my eyes at my brother's never-ending supply of confidence. Most times it annoyed me, but sometimes I was a little jealous. "This is going to be different, Bram. We won't just be watching them as we hide in the shadows. We have to hang out with them, become their friends. If you want to fit in, you're going to have to study."

Bram narrowed his eyes at me. He hated me telling him what to do. After all, I was younger than him--and a girl. "You think I don't know that? Why don't you worry about yourself and why you feel bad about collecting lives--AKA--doing your job." He looked at Keira. "Do you know what she had the nerve to ask Dunningham?" He mimicked my voice. '"What's going to happen? Bombs and a shooting in a school?' All sad and concerned." He folded his arms across his chest. "You've never had the heart of a Grim."

"Leave her alone, Bram," Keira said, coming to my defense as always.

Bram sighed and shut up.

Sullivan brought our food over and it got quiet for a while.

Just then, the bell above the entrance of Brickman's rang. Two boys from the Upper Estates walked in. I could tell they were from the Upper Estates right away because of the black blazers they wore. Unlike us, they weren't confined to their section of Nowhere. People from the Upper Estates could come to Farrington whenever they pleased. Although most of the rich kids stayed on their side because they wanted nothing to do with us, Tristan and his sidekick Blake liked to visit frequently and cause trouble.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Sullivan called from behind the counter. The boys ignored him and walked up to our table with smirks on their faces.

"Ladies," Tristan greeted Keira and me.

Bram shoved the last bite of cheeseburger in his mouth. "What are you doing here?"

Tristan laughed and looked at Blake. "What am I doing here?" He fingered the intricate G embroidered on his left lapel. "You don't question me, boy. I question you. What are you doing here during the poor people's study hours?"

"We're not poor," I mumbled.

Tristan looked at me. "What was that, sweetheart?"

"We're not poor," I said louder. We weren't. We were middle class. It was a huge sign of disrespect to our father for him to say otherwise.

"Quiet, Nay." Bram scowled at Tristan. "Don't talk to my sister."

"Hey," Blake said. "You don't give us orders."

Bram picked his teeth with his pinkie nail, which I found utterly disgusting. I hoped Keira was wondering what she saw in him.

Bram leaned back and rested his hands behind his head. "Laugh now, gentlemen. Pretty soon we'll be living right next to you."

Tristan placed his palms on the table and leaned forward. "What?"

"Dunningham just gave us a huge job," Dorian said. "We'll be filthy rich by the time we're done."

"Huh," Tristan said, standing back up. He hated Bram, but he loved coming to him to flaunt his money and status. Now that would be taken away. "When is this so-called job?"

"In a week," Bram answered, "so we'll be there really soon. You should throw us a welcome party."

Tristan leaned over, getting way too close to Bram's face. "Shut the hell up. I'm sure before the week is up you'll do something to screw up this opportunity and Dunn will give it to someone else."

"Yeah," Blake said. "Everybody knows your family could have been on the Upper Side a long time ago if it weren't for you."

Tristan stayed in Bram's face as if daring him to hit him. He wanted him to mess up this chance. To my brother's credit, he didn't take the bait.

"Did you have road kill and ass for breakfast?" Bram asked.

Josh and Dorian laughed.

Tristan backed away and pointed at Bram as he and Blake made their way toward the door. "Watch yourself, Grim. You're not on the other side yet, ass-hat."

"Have a nice day, gentlemen," Bram called as they exited.

"Don't they have anything better to do than to come over here and bother us?" Keira asked.

Bram took out a wad of money and began counting out bills. "Apparently not. I can't wait to get over there. It's going to drive them crazy. Lunch is on me, guys." Bram left some bills on the table and we left.

The five of us decided to go to our house to hang out for a while. We were halfway home when sirens blared through the streets. That meant only one thing--Foragers.

#

# Chapter 4

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Several doors flew open as men bolted from their houses armed with rifles. "Kids, get in here!" shouted a man named Colby, pointing to his open door.

I looked at Bram, and he nodded. The five of us made a run toward the house. At least twenty men were in the street now with their weapons. Colby's wife, Lamya, ushered us inside. Bram stopped on the porch and began to back up.

"Bram!" I yelled.

"It's okay. I have to go help."

I called for him again, but he was gone, running in the direction of the other men. Lamya closed the door. Bram was eighteen, the age you must be to participate in defense actions if our colony was raided, but he hadn't had his Confirmation ceremony yet. When my parents chose a wife for Bram and he was confirmed, then he could help the men.

"Children, have a seat. I was just about to put on some tea," Lamya said.

The four of us took seats on her living room sofas. I hoped Mother was safely indoors. I couldn't call to tell her where we were--getting a signal was impossible while the sirens were engaged.

Dorian tapped his knee nervously. "I should go after Bram."

"You will do no such thing," I said forcefully.

Dorian shrugged. "They're just Foragers. They can't hurt me."

That wasn't entirely true. Foragers used to be Grims. They were descendants of Dunningham's twin brother, Dunstan. Dunstan had been cast out for falling in love with a Fated and refusing to kill her. That crime was punishable by death, but he'd escaped that by being Dunningham's brother.

Foragers didn't have the years of life we were granted. No longer Grims, they don't receive assignments. They only stayed alive by stealing lifestones before we got to them or by raiding the Mill, as they were attempting to do then. Foragers died of old age. They wrinkled and their hair turned white, something that was unheard of in Farrington or the Upper Estates. They couldn't kill us, but we could kill them. Still, they risked their lives attempting to steal our lifestones. What other choice did they have other than to shrivel up and die? They attempted these raids once every few months, but they had only been successful once a few years ago. They had gotten away with almost a thousand lifestones from the Generator Fund. That put our colony on hard times, but we quickly recovered.

My ears stung from the persistent ringing of the warning sirens. It would only stop once the Foragers were caught, and it was safe to come outside.

Lamya placed a tray with teacups and a plate of cookies on the coffee table. I was stuffed from my cheeseburger at Brickman's, but I partook to be polite. Colby and Lamya had two children, but since they were nowhere in sight, I assumed they were on assignment.

We munched in silence. Lamya looked at us and smiled politely from time to time. There was not much else to do. It was inappropriate to carry on frivolous conversations during a raid.

After thirty-two minutes, the sirens stopped. We all breathed sighs of relief. Politely, we placed our teacups on the tray and rose to leave.

Dorian, being the oldest male in the group now, spoke for us. "Lamya, thank you for the refuge. We'll be on our way now."

Lamya stood. "Okay. Be careful and get your sisters home safely."

"Yes, Madam," Josh answered.

The streets were empty except for the roaming Watchers. There seemed to be more of them now.

"Are you all okay?" Mother asked as we entered the kitchen where she was preparing vegetables for dinner.

"We're fine, Mother," I answered.

"Good. Keira and Josh, call your mother and let her know you're here safe. I know she's worried."

Keira pulled her cell from the pocket of her hoodie.

"Where's Bram?" Mother asked, just noticing his absence.

"He went off during the raid. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen."

Mother sighed and threw down the dishtowel. "Of course." Then she reached for her phone. I was sure it was to call Father to see if Bram was okay.

Keira and I went upstairs to my bedroom, where she kicked off her flip-flops and plopped on my bed. "Do you think Bram's okay?"

"Why do you care?" I hated when she talked about my brother. "They can't kill him."

She sat up and glared at me. "Because he's my friend and I know they can't kill him, but they can hurt him. Don't you care if he's all right?"

"Of course I do, but I'm not worried about it. Nothing bad ever happens to Bram."

"I suppose you're right," Keira said, examining her fingernails.

Just then, my bedroom door was flung open. Our friend Chase came in, smiling broadly as he always did. I guessed if I had dimples like his, I'd smile all the time too.

"Hey, don't you knock?" I asked.

"Why? You guys are always doing the same thing--sitting around gossiping. I mean, what am I going to walk in on?" he asked, sitting next to Keira on my bed. "Besides, I heard the good news. I came to congratulate you two."

"Thanks, Chase," Keira said.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Now, what does a guy like me have to do to get a gig like that from Dunningham?"

I shrugged.

"Oh, I know. My father doesn't kiss enough ass," Chase said answering his own question.

"Hey!" Keira said, slapping his arm. "What are you trying to say?"

Chase shrugged. "I'm just saying that your fathers are a lot better than mine at being up Dunningham's butt. We'll never move to the Upper Estates."

Chase was probably right. His family did what Grims had to do--nothing more, nothing less. They didn't send Dunningham expensive presents he didn't want or need, nor did they make the effort to hang out after one of Dunningham's speeches to tell him how profound it was and make themselves visible. My father, on the other hand, was a big fan of networking.

Chase got serious. "You know what this means, right? If you guys move to the Upper Estates, we won't be friends anymore."

Keira shook her head. "That's not true. Kids from the Upper Estates come to Farrington all the time."

"Yeah, but not to hang out with their old friends. They come over here to gloat and wave their luxurious lives in our faces. I mean, how many times has Lei come back to visit?"

Lei had been our good friend until she moved to the Upper Estates a year ago. Lei left, promising she'd come back and see us a few times a week. We hadn't seen her since. "We're not Lei, and we're not going to stop being your friend because we moved. Keira and I will come back here all the time."

"Yeah, that's what you say now, until those snooty kids get in your heads."

Keira sighed. "Chase, give us some credit. We're not that easily influenced, and if we say we're going to visit, we're going to visit. Now let's talk about something else."

But Chase wouldn't. "Well, even if we stay friends, Naomi and I will never be betrothed."

I looked at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact. Since Chase and I were small, our parents had spoken about us being betrothed to one another. Once I moved to the Upper Estates, I would have to marry a boy from there.

I was never sure how I felt about the possibility of being betrothed to Chase. He seemed happy about it. I knew and trusted Chase, so I figured if I had be to betrothed, it may as well be to him.

Bram threw my bedroom door open. I made a mental note to start locking my door. "Twelve of them, and we caught every single one!"

Chase sat up. He idolized my brother and had probably relished in the fact of being his future brother-in-law.

"Bram, you know you weren't supposed to go out there," Keira said.

"I know, but I'm eighteen now and I should start acting like a man. I don't want to wait for my Confirmation." If I had said what Keira had, Bram would have told me to shut up. But he smiled at Keira. "Why, were you worried about me?"

"No, I didn't think twice about it," she said, standing up. She slid her feet into her flip-flops, so I knew she was preparing to leave. She usually fled the scene when Bram flirted. I didn't blame her. There was no point in loving a person you could never be with. She pushed past Bram as she left.

"I'll walk you home," Bram offered.

"I'm good," she said as she headed to the stairs.

Bram, looking dejected, slunk out of the room. As far as I knew, Keira was his only weak spot.

"So that's still going on," Chase said after Bram was gone.

"What?" I asked.

"He still has feelings for her. I thought losing fifty years would have taken care of that. It doesn't make any sense. Your parents aren't going to wait two years for Keira to turn eighteen. The whole thing's a shame really."

"Why?" I asked. "Keira deserves better than my ass of a brother."

Chase took a marble ball from my dresser and passed it from one hand to the other. "I think she's good for him. She calms him down. Keira's the only one he listens to. Besides, think of the poor girl he'll marry. She'll always live in Keira's shadow. His wife will never really have his heart."

"They'll get over each other eventually. Mother told me you don't always love your betrothed at first, but you learn to love them."

Chase shrugged. "Well, we'll never know, now will we?"

"Want something to eat?" I had the sudden desire to not be alone with Chase in my bedroom.

"Nah, I should get home. I just wanted to come by and say congrats."

"Thanks." I walked Chase to the door just as Father was coming in.

"Chase, how are you?" Father asked.

"I'm fine, Mr. Nox. Thanks for asking," Chase said as he left.

Father smiled and shut the door behind him. "He's a nice kid. Too bad his father doesn't know how to play the game." He kissed me on my forehead as Mother called us all into the kitchen.

Mother rubbed seasoning onto a chicken breast. "Rosaleen and her family will be joining us for dinner tonight."

"Why?" Bram asked, even though he knew very well why. Our parents had been speaking with Rosaleen's family for several months about marriage.

Mother flipped the chicken over to repeat her actions on the other side. "Bram, I expect you to be on your best behavior."

My older brother slumped. "But Rosaleen looks like a velociraptor."

"Bram!" Mother said.

Father put his hands on Bram's shoulders. "Son, you have to understand, your behavior has made it hard for us to find you a wife." Father was correct. Every girl in Farrington had a crush on Bram, but parents feared pairing their daughters with him. To them, he was a reckless boy who would shorten their daughters' lives, like he had done with Keira.

"In other words, take what you can get," Dorian said.

Father shot him a look, and Dorian muttered an apology.

"Don't you want to be Confirmed?" Father asked. "That will never happen until you are engaged."

"Why does it have to be her? I haven't said more than five words to the girl in my lifetime. I'm pretty sure she detests me," Bram said. "And she has bad skin."

I didn't know Rosaleen, but I felt sorry for her being talked about like unwanted goods at a rummage sale.

Father sat in his seat at the head of the table and took his pipe from his shirt pocket. "Well, I'm sorry, son. We can't wait for Keira. Even if we did, Emery wouldn't give her to you."

"Who said anything about Keira?" Bram snapped.

"Don't worry, Bram. You'll learn to love Rosaleen," Mother said softly. She said that so often that I wondered how long it had taken her to love Father. "They will be here promptly at seven, so do what you need to do. Don't be late."

That left Bram a few hours to get groomed and primped for his future fiancee. I planned on spending the time catching up on some reading. Who knew how much time we'd have once we began this assignment?

"Imagine what your children will look like," Dorian teased as the three of us trudged up the stairs to our rooms.

Bram shoved him against the banister.

"Careful!" I shouted.

"Just wait 'til it's your turn and they hook you up with some loser. I'm going to laugh my ass off," Bram warned Dorian.

Rosaleen and her parents arrived promptly at seven, and she looked every bit as velociraptor-like as Bram had described. If my parents thought this girl would get Bram's mind off a beauty like Keira, they were sadly mistaken.

Raiden, Rosaleen's dad, scooped some salad onto his plate. "So it's quite an honor Dunningham bestowed on your family today."

Father nodded. "It is. We're very grateful."

I was sure our upcoming assignment made Bram even more desirable to Rosaleen's parents. If they married before we moved to the Upper Estates, Rosaleen would move and enjoy the sweet life with us.

Dorian tried to pretend he wasn't reading the book that sat on his lap. Bram refused to look up from his plate. He and Rosaleen sat side by side and ignored each other.

I felt sorry for the girl, so I tried to make conversation. "I like your bracelet." I did like it. Her bracelet was silver and dainty with a diamond-encrusted skull and crossbones charm on it.

"Thanks. I got it for my birthday."

"Oh, what was that like?" Eighteenth birthdays were a big deal in Nowhere--even more special than the thirteenth birthday. It was all about rituals. On the thirteenth, you earned the ability to collect lives. On the eighteenth, you could get married, live on your own, and have all the privileges bestowed on the other adult Grims.

"It was the best day of my life. I had a masquerade ball and wore a beautiful gray ball gown. Bram, I invited you, but you didn't come."

"I was on assignment," my brother muttered, still staring at his plate. I knew he didn't like her, but he could at least look at the girl.

I tried to think of something else to say, but I had never been good at small talk. Anyway, she was there for Bram, not me.

After the adults discussed the perks of the Upper Estates and praised Mr. Dunningham to the high heavens, the men retired to Father's study. Bram tried to follow, but Father quickly reminded him that he had a guest. Rosaleen's mother, Mira, helped Mother clear the dishes. I kicked Dorian underneath the table and pointed at the ceiling, indicating that we should leave our brother alone with his date. Bram glared at us as we left.

Up in my room, I lay on my bed, engrossed in the dark world of Edgar Allan Poe. I had just stuffed my mouth with gummy bears when a commotion coming from downstairs tore me away from a twisted story.

I left my room and stood at the top of the staircase, where Dorian was already planted. Rosaleen and her mother were headed toward the door.

"I don't know who you think you are, boy, but someone needs to put you in your place! You have a lot to learn about being a man," Raiden yelled at Bram. Then he turned to Father. "Get that boy under control!" He went on and on about how he should have listened to everyone else.

Father lifted his hands, about to say something, then thought better of it. Bram must have really done something awful that couldn't be defended. I noticed him sitting on the living room sofa, looking very pleased with himself. Our guests left, slamming the door behind them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Father demanded. He very seldom got upset with Bram, even though he should have more often. I could hear our mother slamming cupboards shut in the kitchen. That's what she did when she was upset in lieu of yelling.

Dorian went halfway down the stairs. "What did he do?"

"He put the girl in a headlock and said he'd only release her if she could name every one of her Jurassic ancestors. Raiden had to pry him off."

Dorian's cheeks puffed as he tried to stifle a giggle. I held in a laugh myself.

Downstairs, Bram looked even more satisfied. "I was just joking, Father. No one has a sense of humor around here."

"Go to your room. I don't want to see you for the rest of the night," Father said through gritted teeth.

"I'm a man now, Father. I don't think it's appropriate for you to be sending me to my room anymore."

"When you act like a man, I'll treat you like a man. Do as I said." Bram still hadn't moved. "Now!" Father bellowed.

I jumped. Father never lost his temper like that.

Slowly, Bram raised himself from the sofa and made his way toward the stairs. Each stair creaked underneath his black boots. He took his time, as if trying to show Father he wasn't afraid of him. Father went into his study and slammed the door.

"I know what you're doing," I said as Bram slunk past me.

"What? What am I doing, smartass?"

"You're trying to buy yourself time until Keira turns eighteen. It's not going to work," I told him.

He looked like he was going to deliver an insult before his face softened. "I don't care what Grim law says. I won't marry someone I don't want to be with."

Bram stalked down the hallway and slammed his bedroom door. My heart was confused. I didn't want him to be with Keira, but I also believed that he shouldn't be forced to marry a girl he couldn't even look at. 

# Chapter 5

--------

Preparations for our assignment began the next morning. Keira and Josh came over at eight on the dot. When Mr. Dunningham said that he would be checking in on us, I didn't take that to mean he would be present at our very first lesson, but he was. One of his assistants, Doyle, would be leading our lessons. Doyle was a handsome guy with thick, curly hair, a substantial mustache, and pale skin.

Mother didn't care much for pets, but of course she said nothing when Dunningham ushered his pit bull and bloodhound, named Black and Blue, into our home. At least they were good dogs who sat quietly in the corner. Only Black, the pit bull, would growl from time to time.

Mother had been dispatched earlier that morning and was preparing to leave. There was a very good chance she would not return before we left. She kissed us each on the forehead, Keira and Josh included, and told us to make her proud.

She gave me an extra hug. "Be careful, Darkness. Remember their ways are not like ours." She went into the kitchen, and I heard the chamber door open and close. I hoped my mother wouldn't be gone for too long.

We sat around the living room with our electronic tablets, ready to take notes. Mr. Dunningham sat on our father's chair, rubbing his temples and making me nervous. I wished he hadn't come. Father, instead of working in his study, worked in the kitchen where he could still hear what was going on.

Doyle cracked his knuckles. "I'm sure you are already aware of the importance of this task. You must know what it means to Nowhere as well as your families. This assignment is to be taken seriously. Here is your task."

I had my fingers poised on the screen, ready to type.

"You will fit in amongst the students at Kennedy High to the best of your ability. You need to split up, as you will cover more ground that way. You need to have your eyes and ears open. Look for students who appear to be troubled and rebellious. Try to find the culprits. Learn as many details of their plan as possible so you will be prepared to collect the lifestones immediately. Not being prepared will give the Foragers the opportunity to swoop in."

Bram laughed. "That's not going to happen. Trust me."

Doyle raised his dark, bushy eyebrows at Bram. "Don't underestimate them. They've beaten us to the punch before."

Yes, they had. On more than one occasion a Grim had shown up to collect a life, only to find out a Forager had gotten there first.

That was a sensitive topic for Doyle. He, Dunningham's other assistants, and the Watchers didn't collect lives since they were required to be at Dunningham's beck and call. Their lives depended on the tithes, which meant that each family was required to give ten percent of their accumulated years annually--like a tax. The more lives we earned, the more years Dunningham's staff received.

Doyle continued, "In your backpack, you will keep a knapsack. Once the massacre occurs, that knapsack is where you will put the lifestones. Guard this bag with your life."

I stole a look at Dunningham. He stared intently at something. I followed his gaze. He looked at something over Keira's head--or at Keira.

I cleared my throat. "I think if someone is planning something like this, they'd keep it a secret. They're not exactly going to share that info with some random kids who just showed up."

Dunningham's gaze shifted to me. I shuddered. He seemed creepier than he'd ever been. "My dear, you are a Grim. You have ways about you that humans don't. You know how to lurk in the shadows. Use your training. Surely you know that any adept Grim can outsmart a human."

"Yes, sir," I muttered, but I wasn't sure. There had been several times when I was positive a Fated had seen me before time.

Dunningham continued. "You will still have your Grimbilities while you are there, however you must not use them in the presence of a human, for obvious reasons."

Grimbilities were granted to us on our thirteenth birthdays. This gave us the ability to become invisible, walk through objects, and to transport ourselves from place to place.

Doyle stood and began to pace. "We will spend much time talking about the ways of teenage humans. You need to be aware of their practices and lingo so you fit in, but at the same time, you must uphold the Grim Covenant. This assignment will not be an excuse for you to break the law. The first and most important thing we need to discuss is intercourse."

I sank in my seat. That was the last thing I wanted to discuss in the company of two grown men and my brothers.

"Keira Grim, what does Grim law say about intercourse?" Doyle asked.

"Intercourse is to only take place once a Grim is married and the male has had his Confirmation ceremony," Keira answered, correct as always.

"Right, and how do teenagers where you are going feel about this, Master Dorian?"

Dorian shifted, looking more uncomfortable than I felt. "Opinion varies, but they are a lot more lax than we are."

"They screw like bunnies," Bram added. Dunningham shot him a look, and he immediately looked down. Think before you speak, Bram. "It's not as big a deal to them as it is to us."

Intercourse was a massive deal to us. Partaking in it before marriage or outside of marriage would hinder our life-collecting abilities--at least that's what we had always been taught. Regardless, it was punishable by death.

Doyle ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Young Grims, you must guard yourselves. There is to be no kissing, hand holding, or affectionate touching of any kind. If we find you are doing this, you will be pulled off the assignment immediately and punished accordingly. Is that understood?"

"Yes," we all muttered. This was not a problem for me. I had no desire for physical contact with anyone, much less a strange human.

After that, we talked about what kids were watching on TV. This topic seemed irrelevant since there was no television in Nowhere. I'd watched some from time to time when I was following a Fated. Some of it fascinated me a little, and there were some shows I didn't understand.

By the end of the day, we had covered intercourse, television, and music. We'd looked at pictures of several popular artists from different genres and listened to their current hits. Several times I wished I would go deaf temporarily.

The next day, Doyle came over bright and early without Mr. Dunningham. We had six days until we went on assignment.

We spent the day discussing celebrities. Who was in and why. Some of them were famous for being in movies, playing sports, or just for being born. I found myself completely disinterested, and the day crept along slowly.

Once Mr. Doyle left, Dorian shot from his seat on the sofa. "Thank goodness. I have to get to my lab before I officially turn stupid." He ran upstairs to his "lab", which consisted of the microscope and liquid-filled test tubes that sat on his desk. I wasn't sure what Dorian did there, but in my eyes he spent a lot of time pretending to be a scientist.

Keira sighed. "Okay, is anybody else getting less excited about this as the days go by? I mean, the money is great, but I don't think I can pretend to be one of them. And making friends with them . . ."

"I'm looking forward to it," Bram answered. "I think it will be quite interesting to see how I would fit in if I were a human."

* * *

The following day, we discussed the high school infrastructure, which sounded like the game of politics my father and the men of Farrington played with Dunningham. I found that comparison to be quite sad.

Doyle projected a screen on the empty wall of our living room. "At the top, you have the popular students. These students are often popular because of their good looks, the way they dress, and their big personalities. It's not very likely the kids planning a school massacre will be among this group, so you shouldn't waste your time becoming one of them."

"I don't think I'll be able to help it. Those kids are going to adore me. I know it." Bram was a lot more disruptive now that Dunningham wasn't present. He was popular in Nowhere though, so he just might be popular where we were going.

Doyle ignored him. "Next you have the regular kids. You may want to get to know some of these kids. Then there's the bottom rung. The nerds, outcasts, losers, whatever the kids call them. These are the kids you want to fall in with and really get to know."

Bram pointed at the rest of us. "You guys are going to fit right in with them."

Doyle spoke some more about queen bees, jocks, cheerleaders, student council presidents, and hierarchy. My eyes began to glaze over. I had been exposed to this world quite a bit, but I never knew things could be so complicated. I was on information overload. The lesson that day was cut short because there was a gathering in front of the Mill at two in the afternoon.

We did what was expected of us at gatherings--donned our cloaks and took our scythes. My brothers and I stood next to our father as the Grims gathered in their assigned section in front of the Mill-- Litropolis, then Farrington, and then the Upper Estates.

The sound of a horn blasted through the air. Silence fell as Dunningham made his way to the podium that stood on the platform. I couldn't see him from where I stood, but there were plenty of monitors planted around that I could watch from.

Dunningham leaned over into the microphone. "Dear Grims, I'm sure you know by now that Foragers infiltrated our colony the other day. They have been captured. Now we will brand them and put them to work."

The Watchers led a line of twelve men, tethered together, onto the platform. The men were barefoot and wearing nothing aside from a black loincloth. They were directed to turn their backs to the crowd and kneel. I hated this part, and memories of my own branding made me feel woozy. On my thirteenth birthday, like every other Grim, I'd been branded with a very elaborate G on my right shoulder. It was a blinding pain. I'd never felt anything like it, nor did I want to again.

The crowd cheered, my brothers and father included, as the Watchers removed hot pokers from a small fire pit on the platform. The poker was pressed into the first man's skin. His body shook as he fell onto the platform, and I had to look at the ground. One by one, the other eleven men were branded with an X on their right shoulders. I was thankful the cheers from the crowd drowned out their cries. I kept my eyes focused on the ground and away from the monitors. I couldn't bear to watch their pain.

The X would seal their fate. Foragers didn't have many years left, and that particular group would spend the remainder of their years as slaves, working in the Mill under watchful eyes, shoveling and transporting the very lifestones they had come to steal. I was sure the men would have probably welcomed an execution instead.

Once all twelve men were branded, the cheering escalated.

"This is what happens when they mess with the Grim!" Dunningham shouted. The Grims roared in agreement. The men were led off the platform and Dunningham dismissed us.

I didn't like everything about being a Grim, but those gatherings--I hated them.

# Chapter 6

Four days left. Mother was still on assignment. I needed her to come back before we left. I needed her to tell me I would do a fine job and I wouldn't let my family down. I wished there was a way we could communicate while she was out, but that was impossible. When we were on assignment, we had to be focused on the task at hand.

That morning at the breakfast table, I read over my notes as I waited for Doyle to come over and give that day's lesson. My bagel tasted extra dry. Even the strawberry cream cheese couldn't save it.

Bram entered the kitchen and headed for the coffee pot. "You still sad about them?"

I ignored him. I didn't know what I was sad about.

"They're just Foragers, Nay. They keep money from our pockets and food from our mouths. If we don't take care of them, our colony won't function. Is that what you want?"

I threw my bagel down on the plate. "There are other ways, Bram. Technically, they're Grims too, and there are plenty of lifestones to go around. Unequal distribution is the problem. The Grims of the Upper Estates have more than necessary."

Bram walked toward me with his coffee cup. "Yeah, so we should just share like one big, happy family. That's the best part about the Upper Estates--they live forever. Of course, you can't see that. You'd rather sit around and feel sorry for our enemies. You've never had the heart of a Grim." I'd lost track of how many times he'd said that to me.

Keira and Josh arrived, followed closely by Doyle and, unfortunately, Dunningham and his dogs. Didn't he have better things to do than to sit in on our lessons?

We settled into our usual spots on the sofa. Today's topic: fashion. Doyle handed us several magazines and catalogs to flip through. I saw a variety of short, sleeveless dresses, skirts, and colorfully printed pants. Nice, but not exactly my style. In Nowhere, we tended to stick to black jeans, black tanks, and black hoodies. It was comfortable, and since we could be dispatched at any moment, it was proper life-collecting attire.

Of course a lot of us girls opted for the more fashionable hoodies: the ones with skulls, crossbones, scythes, or the Grim emblem embroidered with crystals. I'd heard that the girls from the Upper Estates actually had their blazers embroidered with diamonds.

Like most girls, Keira and I kept our fingernails and toenails perfectly manicured and painted black, which many human teenagers also did.

"I refuse to wear a tutu skirt," Keira remarked, turning a page in a magazine.

"You don't have to," Dunningham said, "but you cannot wear black jeans and hoodies every day. You'll stick out like sore thumbs. Try to find a style you feel comfortable with."

Once our teachers left, Bram grinned mischievously. "You guys want to come with me?"

"Come with you where?" Josh asked.

"I'll tell you when we get there."

"No, thanks," I answered. Nothing good could come from blindly following Bram anywhere.

"I want to go," Dorian said, but the quiver in his voice told me he didn't really mean it. He was always trying to prove himself to Bram or our father.

"Me too," Josh said. Of course. Every male in Farrington was intrigued by Bram.

"No," Keira said firmly.

"Oh, come on. It won't take long," Bram promised.

Since the boys insisted on tagging along, Keira insisted on going to make sure her brother was okay, so I went along too.

Bram walked briskly with his hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie and, as always, we trailed behind.

After twenty minutes, I realized that Bram was taking us to the edge of Farrington, toward Litropolis.

"Bram, seriously, where are we going?" Keira asked with a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"I want to get something that's really going to help me fit in on our mission," he answered.

"What?"  Dorian asked.

"A tattoo. And maybe some ear gauge plugs."

Both of those things were forbidden by Grim law and considered body mutilation. It was also thought to be low class. Something only Foragers and the people of Litropolis did. I had to admit, since I was ten, I'd wanted a really cool tattoo.

"Bram, are you crazy?" Keira asked.

"Nothing's going to happen. I'm doing it for the assignment. Dunningham will understand."

Keira stopped. "Josh, let's go back."

"No way!" Josh argued. "You heard what Bram said. We're not going to get in trouble."

Keira grabbed her brother's arm. "Bram doesn't know what he's talking about and he's the last person you should be listening to. Let's go."

Bram put his hands up. "Listen, if Josh wants to come along, he should. Let him be a man. Like I said before, Dunningham won't mind. He'll understand."

I wasn't so sure about that.

Keira let go of Josh's arm probably knowing she couldn't change her brother's mind. "Fine, but we'd better make it quick."

We had to pass through a bushy area before reaching the shallow creek. The other side of the creek was where Litropolis officially began. Our view of the city was blocked by an ugly cement wall. There was a place in the wall where the cement blocks could be taken out and moved for someone to pass through. I didn't know why Dunningham had never made a move to seal it. Surely his efficient Watchers had to know about it. I looked around for one of them, but there were none in sight.

"Great. We have to get our shoes wet?" Keira asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"I'll carry you over," Bram offered.

Keira pushed him away. "Don't touch me." She began to tiptoe across the creek and the rest of us followed.

My leather boots proved to be good protection from the creek water, so I couldn't complain. We had to walk almost half a mile down the wall to get to the spot where the stones were loose.

Bram knelt and grunted as he pushed a cement block. It dropped with a thud. Josh and Dorian stepped forward to help, but Bram told them to stand back. He did the same with several blocks until there was a spot big enough for us to slide through.

Bram raised his finger at us and then stuck his head through the space. "Okay, come on," he said before crawling through. Josh and Dorian followed him. Then Keira and I pulled up the rear.

I had been to Litropolis once before, but I was still in awe of what I saw. There were no houses in Litropolis--just rows and rows of tents or, for the more fortunate, tiny shacks made from old pieces of wood and tin. There were countless fires blazing in large tin barrels lining the narrow streets. They had been set in preparation for nighttime. There was no electricity in Litropolis. I couldn't imagine how they lived that way.

One of their biggest complaints was how they had to donate the little lifestones they earned to Nowhere's Generator Fund, yet their city had no electricity. It was a double slap. On top of being poor, they had to give part of their meager earnings to a fund that didn't even benefit them. Their argument was totally understandable, but I wasn't supposed to be worried about it.

As we navigated the street, almost everyone we passed stopped to stare. Of course, no one said anything. Judging from our clothing, we were obviously from Farrington, and therefore, above them. The people of Litropolis were draped in dark-colored rags and cloaks. I remembered that, twice a year, the Grim Ladies' Society did a clothing drive to collect people's unwanted materials to donate to Litropolis. I wondered if I would spot someone wearing my old clothes.

A group of small, barefooted children ran around us as they played a game of tag. They took no notice of the foreigners in their space.

"Bram, where are we going?" I asked after a few minutes.

"It should be around here somewhere." He squinted and looked inside the tents as we passed.

"There it is," he said, pointing to a shack a little ways down. It was the biggest shack I had seen since we'd arrived in Litropolis.

Josh sneezed. He had really bad allergies. "Bram, are you sure this place is . . . hygienic?"

Bram shrugged. "It's fine. What's the worst that can happen? It's not like I'll die. I have six hundred and forty-nine years left. More on the way."

Bram knocked on the outside of the shack. "Come in!" a gruff voice shouted.

We had to bend down to enter. A man who appeared to be in his early thirties, with pale skin and black dreads, sat on a stool in the corner, cleaning something metal with a wet rag.

He didn't bother to look at us as we crouched down, waiting.

Bram cleared his throat. "Excuse me. I'd like to get a tattoo."

The man looked up and gave us each a long once-over. "What are you guys doing here? I don't want any problems."

"I'm not going to cause any problems. I just want a tattoo and some ear gauge plugs." Before the man could say anything, Bram removed his hoodie and lay on the man's rickety reclining chair. He rolled up the sleeve on his right arm. "I'd like a skull--a really ghastly-looking skull."

The man paused and looked from us to Bram. "Sure. I could do that." The man pulled a black case from the corner and opened it up. "You guys can have a seat there," he told us, pointing to a pile of blankets in the corner. Reluctantly, we took a seat in the cramped space and watched the man get to work. "My name is Drake, by the way."

Drake pulled two long, sharp-looking needles from the case. Bram closed his eyes as Drake got to work. At first Bram's face was calm as Drake began to carve into his skin. Then Bram started to grimace. He looked like he was trying very hard to maintain his tough image and not make a noise. I was sure Bram was wishing Keira wasn't there to watch. I almost laughed as my brother bit his lips and pursed them together in an attempt not to scream. Drake stopped occasionally to rub ink into the lines on Bram's arm. My desire for a tattoo quickly faded. Why anyone would volunteer to have someone cut into their skin was beyond me.

Bram lost his sense of pride and began to yell incessantly. I couldn't watch anymore. I stared at my boots, attempting to block out his screams.

We sat for what seemed like forever. I smelled the aroma of food cooking. I wanted to be home. After a while, Drake stuck some type of white paper over Bram's completed tattoo. Then he took out a case of ear gauge plugs. Some of them were as large as my fist, which I thought would look ridiculous in someone's ears. Thankfully, Bram chose the smallest pair possible.

This time he actually shed tears as Drake pierced his ears.

"All right. All done, tough guy."

With his tattoo covered with a white piece of paper and his freshly plugged ears, Bram slid on his hoodie and wiped the tears from his face. "Thanks."

"Um... should we discuss payment?"

"Oh, I don't have any money," Bram lied. "Listen, this is for a major assignment that's coming up. Think of it as doing your part in helping the cause. I'll put in a good word for you with Dunningham. He comes to my house all the time."

Drake didn't look impressed. He wanted his money, but there was nothing he could do. "Whatever, man," he mumbled.

We rose and crawled out of the tiny shack.

"You look cool, Bram," Josh said, readjusting his glasses.

"Thanks, man."

"Bram, you could have given him something," Keira said. "He worked on that tattoo for over an hour, and it looks really good."

Bram shrugged. "It's a business expense. Let Dunningham pay for it."

We crawled back through the open part of the wall, and the boys replaced the stones. We had only moved a few feet away when I heard them being moved again. I turned around. Two boys from Litropolis were crawling through. They looked to be seventeen or eighteen.

"Hey," called one with long hair. "Stay out of our city."

Bram turned and pointed to himself. "You talking to me?"

"Yeah," said the other kid, who had a buzz cut. "You don't belong here. We don't go to Farrington and bug you. And where do you get off coming here, using our services, and not paying for them? In case you haven't noticed, we kinda don't have much and you kinda live pretty good over there."

The boy was absolutely right.

"What do you want?" Dorian asked.

"A little respect," Long Hair answered. "We may be poor, but we're Grims just like you."

Bram stepped to the boy. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," said Buzz Cut, stepping up to Bram.

My heart began to race. This was a whole lot of pride and testosterone. Keira and I exchanged knowing glances--something bad was about to happen.

"You are nothing like me, and how dare you even open your mouth to say that," Bram said through gritted teeth.

"What makes us different? Besides money," asked Long Hair.

"Power," Bram answered. Then he pulled his arm back and punched Long Hair dead in the face. 

# Chapter 7

Long Hair covered his face with his hands. Buzz Cut punched Bram in the stomach. He doubled over for a second and then recovered quickly, punching Buzz Cut in his stomach. Dorian jumped in to defend our brother, and Josh couldn't be left out. Keira and I screamed for them to stop, but of course, they wouldn't listen.

Sirens rang through the air, and four Watchers ran toward us. I had no idea where they'd come from. I pulled Keira away from the fight.

The Watchers pulled the two Litropolis boys away and threw them to the ground. The boys cowered on all fours, looking at the ground almost like animals. I recognized one of the Watchers as Reynold.

Reynold stroked his black beard, standing over the boys. "Let's see what we have here. Wandering out of your confines, trespassing, and violence against fellow Grims. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Long Hair sat up. "I'm sorry, sir. Very sorry. We didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"What's your name, boy?"

"Starkin, sir."

"Yours?" Reynold asked the other.

The boy sat up. "DeCarlo." Starkin nudged him. "DeCarlo, sir."

"Well, Starkin and DeCarlo, you've earned yourselves a lovely stay in Gattica."

"No!" Starkin yelled. "Please, it was just a misunderstanding! Please, just let us go back home and we will never cause trouble again."

A knot formed in my throat from the desperation of his plea.

DeCarlo looked at the ground, his face sullen. "Stop begging, man. It's pointless."

Starkin began to weep, and I was embarrassed for him. "But I don't want to go to prison."

Two of the Watchers yanked the boys off the ground, slapping handcuffs on their wrists. DeCarlo started to fight. I couldn't blame him. Anyone who got put away in Gattica was automatically given a life sentence. There was no trial, no process to see whether you were guilty or not--if the Watchers said you had broken the law, that was it.

The Watchers began to haul the two boys away. DeCarlo screamed obscenities, but Starkin turned to us with tears in his eyes. "Please, tell my mother. She won't know what happened to me, and she'll be worried sick. Her name is Claudia. Please tell her."

The Watchers wouldn't have the decency to inform the boy's families of their imprisonment. They were only Litropolites, not worthy of such consideration.

Reynold turned to us. "Now, what are you all doing outside of Farrington city limits?"

I looked at Bram and decided to let him do the talking--after all, he had gotten us into this mess.

"I told them to come with me," Bram said. "I wanted to get a tattoo for our upcoming assignment. It's very important. I want to do my best, so I thought a tattoo would help. You do know about the assignment, right?"

Reynold nodded. "Yeah, I know about the assignment. You children get home," he said, before following the others.

We turned to obey his directions. It was only then that I noticed Dorian holding his hand over his eye. I pulled his hand away. His eye was purple and swollen.

"Nice going, Bram." I told him. "Why did you have to fight with those boys?"

"They should have stayed inside the wall where they belong and not followed us."

"They're going to prison because of you, and you should have paid that man," Keira said.

"You don't care about anyone but yourself," I told him.

Bram yanked his hair. "Just shut up! All of you, shut up!" Then he took off running across the stream.

At home that night, I tried to forget about what had happened, but all I could think about was how those boys' families must be feeling, wondering where their sons were.

* * *

Three days left. We were spending the next two days of our training going over academics. It didn't really matter what type of marks we got, but we didn't need to draw attention to ourselves by being totally clueless.

This was the most boring part, and after an hour, my mind shut down, refusing to take in any more information. There were so many topics and things to learn. I could understand that. Human children had to be prepared for whatever occupation they wanted to be, whether it be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, architect, or whatever. We didn't have that issue in Nowhere. Everyone was a Grim and that was it. All we had to study were the rules of the Covenant and our four core subjects.

Doyle had typed a list of subjects on the screen reflected on our living room wall--English, Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, World History, American History, Economics, Chemistry, Biology, and so many others. Then we would also have to take something called Physical Education that sounded completely inhumane. There was no way I was going to take this all in by the time we would be dispatched. I pretended to study and look through the various textbooks Doyle had provided us. While the others read and took notes, I merely looked at the pictures.

When class was over, Keira came upstairs with me. She began to go through my closet so we could coordinate our outfits for high school.

I lay face down on my bed, my face buried in my black comforter, while Keira rambled on and on about today's fashionable teen.

"I'm going back to Litropolis," I blurted out, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"What?"

I sat up and looked at her. "I have to tell that boy's mother what happened. It's been eating at me since last night."

Keira sighed and shut my closet door. "Nay, let me put this in perspective for you. We were caught once going to Litropolis and we've already had years subtracted--your fault, by the way. We got caught again last night, and we both know how Dunningham reacts to repeated offenses. We got away with it, and you want to push your luck by going a third time?"

"Our luck. I need you to come with me."

"No." Keira folded her arms across her chest and plopped on my bed. "Absolutely not. You and Bram have dragged me there twice. Not again."

"Oh, come on, Keir. Think about those poor women, wondering where their sons are. They might think they're dead or something."

"I'm sure at some point they'll figure it out. I'm not going and neither are you. Nay, this is stupid. Why risk so much for something that's not really that important?"

It may have been stupid, but I honestly didn't think we'd get in trouble if we got caught. Reynold didn't seem to angry the night before.

I sat up. "Okay, but aren't you nervous at all about going to this high school? I mean, we've never had to do this before--live as one of them. We've always just lurked in the shadows."

Keira nodded. "A little. I just hope we fit in okay and nothing goes wrong."

"Like what?"

Keira shook her head and fiddled with a stray string on the sleeve of her hoodie.

"Like what? What could go wrong?" I repeated.

"Your family. You get too involved and emotionally attached, and Bram is a hothead."

I tried to push those accusations aside. "So what? You think we're going to blow our cover or something?"

Keira shrugged. "I don't know, but if there's a way to mess something up, you or your brother will find it. He's a horrible influence on Josh. All my brother talked about last night was how exhilarating it was to fight with those boys."

"Bram is a bad influence on everyone. I'm sorry that my brother is such a delinquent, okay?"

Keira stood and stretched. "I should get home and start going through my own closet. See you in the morning."

After Keira left, I slid on my boots and prepared to leave. I wanted to get to Litropolis and come back while it was still light out. Not that I had anything to be afraid of, besides being tossed into Gattica by the Watchers.

I left the house and walked briskly, hoping no one would stop and ask where I was going. I spotted Chase from a distance coming down the street--at least I thought it was him. He waved and I waved back before making a right turn and going out of his sight. I hoped he hadn't been headed to my house.

I walked through rows and rows of almost identical Farrington houses. Twenty-two rows I counted. The houses stopped, and there was still a little ways to get to the stream. I took the path through the shrubs as their sticks poked and prodded at me. I hummed to the rhythm of my boots hitting the ground until I noticed the sound of extra footsteps. I stopped. The other footsteps stopped. I walked again and the footsteps began again. I turned swiftly to see who was following me.

# Chapter 8

"Whoa, don't shoot!" Chase said with his hands up. Keira stood behind him.

"What are you guys doing, sneaking up on me like that?"

"What are you doing here after I told you what a bad idea this was?" Keira asked.

"I'm sorry, but if I don't do this, I won't stop thinking about it."

Chase shook his head. "I swear, you and your brother must love getting in trouble. Didn't you learn from the other time?"

Keira zipped her hoodie up. "I have. Let's go."

"No, I've come this far. I'm doing this." I turned and continued walking down the beaten path.

Keira and Chase groaned, but they followed. We walked a few moments in silence until Chase cleared his throat. "You know, you two are on your way to the Upper Estates. You can get away with this kind of stuff. I, on the other hand . . ."

The last thing I needed was to feel guilty about Chase getting in trouble. I wished he hadn't come. "No one's holding a gun to your head."

"Yeah, like I'm going to let you two go to Litropolis alone."

"We've been there on our own before," Keira reminded him.

"You do realize this is a repeat offense," Chase said unnecessarily, "punishable by prison or execution."

"You really think they'd execute a few teenagers?" Keira asked.

"They'd execute anyone," I answered. We'd all seen that with our own eyes.

A year and a half ago, a man named Ares and his family lived down the street from us. He and his wife Dolores had three kids; ten, nine, and seven. Ares had been close friends with my father until the day he'd made a terrible mistake.

Ares had once been tight with Mr. Dunningham. He had been one of the lucky few dispatched to collect lives after a plane crash. When he got back, he held out on Dunningham instead of handing over all of the lifestones. Apparently, he was saving them for some kind of underground operation he and a few other Grim men had planned on running. They planned on selling extra lifestones to the people of Litropolis for double what Dunningham would give them. I didn't know how that would work since those people were so poor, but Father said they were desperate enough to come up with the money somehow.

Anyway, Ares should have known better than to try to hide lifestones from the Lord of Death. He could sniff them out like his bloodhound, Blue. Ares was found out, but he wouldn't give the names of his cohorts. I admired him for that. I remembered the day when we were all required to assemble in the square. There was a stand set up for the execution. Ares, his wife, and their three children trudged across the platform while we waited.

Before an execution, Grims with years left must go through the subtraction process. If a Grim had less than one hundred years, they could be killed.

I remembered the feel of the crowd. Some people were sad. Most were angry. My father was one of the angry ones. He said Ares was a traitor. That may have been true, but I didn't think his actions warranted death, especially for his wife and children, who had nothing to do with it.

The Watchers began with the children. Dunningham wanted to make sure Ares suffered the full extent of his crimes. The Watchers lined the three little ones up side by side. Samara, the seven-year-old, was to be first. Samara was a sweetheart. She would often come with Ares when he visited with Father and beg me to paint her fingernails. She stared into the crowd with her tiny porcelain face, not shedding a tear.

Ares and Delores had to be held back from trying to protect their children. I closed my eyes and covered my ears. The first shot pierced the air. I closed my eyes tight and pressed my fingers into my ears until they hurt. The second shot made me fall to my knees. My body couldn't hold me up anymore. Bram called my name, but I ignored him. On the third shot, I tore my hands from my ears only to wipe the tears away. By the fifth shot, I had become numb.

I'd knelt until we were dismissed. I pulled the hood of my cloak over my face and turned, careful not to catch a glimpse of the dead bodies on the platform. I walked quickly, pushing my way through the crowd. I didn't want my family to see I had cried. No one was supposed to be crying. The execution of a traitor was a joyous occasion. I hated Nowhere for a long time after that.

"Nobody's getting executed," I assured my friends. "We'll be fine."

We reached the stone wall. I kept my eye out for the spot where the cement blocks could be removed. It took us a little longer to push the blocks away than it had taken Bram, but we got through.

On the other side, Keira brushed the dirt from her knees. "How do you propose we find this kid's mom?"

That was a good question. "We'll just ask around. Everyone knows each other."

I spotted a woman holding a stick with chunks of meat over a tin can of fire. She looked aged, as did many of the people of Litropolis. The woman was silver-haired with bulged and wrinkled skin. Her fingers were abnormally curved and deformed. People in Farrington and the Upper Estates didn't look like that. Her appearance was the result of someone who was running low on years.

With Chase and Keira on my heels, I moved toward her. I cleared my throat, and the woman jumped. That was unusual. It was hard to sneak up on a Grim.

I felt bad for startling her. "Excuse me. Can you tell me where I can find the families of two boys named Starkin and DeCarlo? Someone named Claudia?"

The woman looked at the three of us apprehensively. Then she looked down at the meat and shook her head. The woman probably thought we had bad intentions and wasn't willing to rat out her fellow Litropolites.

"Please," I pleaded. "It's very important. Something happened and their families should know. Starkin asked me to relay the message. He told me his mother's name is Claudia."

The woman thought for a moment before pointing straight ahead, which really wasn't helpful.

"Straight where?" Keira asked. The woman pointed to the right.

"We go straight and then make a right?" I asked to clarify.

The woman nodded. I thanked her and left her alone. Her fear of me made me uncomfortable.

It took us about five minutes to get to the end of the street, navigating through people preparing their suppers over tin can fires. We made the right and found ourselves at a dead end. One tent sat at the corner right, before a brick wall.

"Think that's it?" Chase asked.

"We'll see," I answered, walking toward the tent.

I knelt at the opening. A woman sat on the ground with a whining infant cuddled in her arms. There was a girl who looked about ten and a boy who looked about Dorian's age. There was no place for me to knock, so I had to speak to announce my presence. "Good evening. Are you Claudia?"

The woman nodded. "Who are you?"

The children stared at us, and the baby quieted. "I'm Naomi. This is Chase and Keira."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Why are you looking for me?"

"Your son asked me to," I answered.

She looked at her children and then at me before handing the baby to the girl.

I backed up, and she crawled out of the tent and walked us a few feet away. "What happened to my boy? Is he dead?"

I shook my head. "No, no, but the Watchers did take him to Gattica." We all knew going to Gattica was only a little bit better than being dead.

Claudia gasped and touched her heart. "For what? What did he do?"

"He was involved in a fight. They took his friend DeCarlo also," Keira answered.

Claudia bowed her head and wept. In my hurry to fulfill Starkin's wishes, I hadn't realized I was basically telling a mother she would never see her son again. There were no visiting hours in Gattica.

I looked at Keira and Chase, but they only shrugged. I rubbed the woman's back.

"What did he do?" she asked again. "What could he have possibly done for them to do this to him?"

Keira had already answered that question. I didn't know what else to say. "Um, I'm really sorry."

Chase, Keira, and I began to back away.

"How do you know what happened?" the woman asked.

I'd been hoping to avoid that question. "We were there."

"Who was he fighting with?"

I couldn't very well tell her it was my brother and that he, in fact, had started the fight.

"We don't know. We were just passing by," Keira answered, saving me.

"Do you know where DeCarlo's family lives?" I asked.

Instead of answering, the woman rounded the corner to another tent. We followed.

"Nila! Nila!"

Another woman dressed in black rags stumbled out of her tent. "What? What's the matter with you?"

"The boys, the boys! They took them to Gattica!" Claudia shouted.

Nila, who I assumed to be DeCarlo's mother, buckled. Chase caught her and held her up.

"Gattica? For what? They're good boys. They're good boys!"

From what I could tell, Starkin and DeCarlo had only been trying to protect the honor of their city, so I believed Nila.

"Fighting," Claudia answered. "You better believe, if they were taken in for that, they were fighting someone outside of Litropolis."

DeCarlo's mother nodded. "Yes, and they would never leave the city so someone was in here who didn't belong." She looked at us accusingly. We were where we didn't belong as she spoke.

Chase grabbed my arm. Overcome with guilt, I turned away from the women. If Bram hadn't come here to get a tattoo, their sons wouldn't have been taken away.

The three of us, holding hands, started to make our way back to the exit. I was grateful I hadn't come alone.

"You tell your Lord," DeCarlo's mother shouted. We stopped and turned to her. "You tell your Lord, it's only a matter of time. We will have our day of vindication. Justice will be served!"

# Chapter 9

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Two days left.

I didn't know what the lady in Litropolis meant, and I didn't want to know. I needed to focus on the task at hand. We were spending one more day going over academics, and I had learned nothing so far.

"They're going to think you're stupid, Nay," Dorian said as he flipped through a chemistry book.

"Let them. I hear that's kind of cool anyway."

Bram sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. The night we came back from Litropolis, Father had flipped about Bram's ear gauge plugs and Dorian's black eye. I didn't even want to think about what Mother would say when she came back. Bram had yet to reveal his tattoo. That would be a whole new episode.

"Feeling good, kids? The day after tomorrow you'll be on your way," Father said, entering the kitchen with his tablet.

This was all Father had talked about lately. He was already planning how he would decorate our mansion in the Upper Estates. I wanted to tell him what the woman had said in Litropolis, to ask him what he thought it meant, but if he and Bram knew we had gone back, they'd kill me.

Bram blew on his coffee. "Can't wait."

"I hope I have a science class," Dorian said. Then he caught himself. Worrying about a science class wouldn't impress Father. "I mean, I can't wait to collect all those lives."

"Do you think Mother will be back before we go?" I asked.

Father kissed my forehead. "I don't know, Darkness. I hope so, but I wouldn't count on it."

The doorbell rang, and Dorian ran to answer it. Mr. Dunningham entered with his dogs and assistant. It was going to be one of those days. Doyle arrived minutes after.

Thankfully, Father found a way to coax Dunningham to his study to look at some research he had been doing. Even though I often asked what he was studying, I was always told that it didn't concern me.

Keira and Josh arrived, and we took our places in the living room. Neither Keira nor I had talked about what happened the day before. It was best to keep it a secret.

After another day of looking through textbooks, Chase, Keira, and I went to Brickman's.

"I got dispatched. I'm leaving in an hour," Chase announced.

I was bummed that I wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow.

Chase slurped the last of his soda. "This might be the last time I see you guys. Ever."

Keira picked at her chipped black nail polish. "What?"

"I'm going on assignment. Who knows how long you guys are going to be gone? What if I'm on assignment when you come back and you move before I come home?"

I sighed. "Chase, we've already been through this. We will come to visit you all the time."

Chase slid down in his seat like he didn't believe me, but I meant it. I had no intentions of making new friends in the Upper Estates. Chase and Keira were all I needed.

Speaking of the Upper Estates -- the bell above the door rang as Sable walked in with two other girls. Sable had lived in Farrington up until a few months ago. An earthquake had earned her family enough money to move out of Farrington. Sable had been all right when she lived here, but once she moved, she changed into an entirely different person. I vowed not to let that happen to me.

I was surprised they were in a place like Brickman's. They had their own upper-crust hang-outs in the Upper Estates.

Sable sauntered over to our table. She had dark features like every other Grim, but her extraordinary cheekbones made her stand out. I tried not to stare as she stood over us, her long black hair falling over her shoulders.

"So I hear there's going to be a reunion soon," she said as her friends sat at another booth.

"A reunion?" Keira asked.

"Yes. We'll be able to be friends again once you guys move to the Upper Estates."

Keira rolled her eyes. "There was never anything keeping us from being friends, Sable. You can come here anytime you like."

"Yes, of course, but that's just not the way it works there, girls."

Chase cleared his throat as if to say, "I told you so."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Chase," Sable said. "I'm sure you're going to miss them, but who knows? Maybe one day your family will make it over the wall."

"Chase doesn't have to wait for one day," I said. "We'll be seeing him every day."

Chase slid out of the booth. "I have to go. I have an assignment. Good luck, guys," he told Keira and me.

Sable took his vacated seat. "What's his problem?" Neither Keira nor I answered. "Look, girls, I'm sorry. You'll understand once you get over there. Oh, it's absolutely amazing. We have the best shops and restaurants. The houses are spectacular. You'll have servants and drivers. I hardly walk anywhere--except when I come here."

Cars were forbidden in Farrington, but everyone had one in the Upper Estates.

"And the guys. Your parents can hook you up with the creme de la creme. You won't ever have to worry about anything--running out of years, money, anything. Dunningham really looks out for us. Don't even get me started on the parties and balls."

"Is that so?" Keira asked, sounding completely uninterested.

"I can't believe you guys. You should be ecstatic, and you're acting like you don't even care."

"We care," I replied. "What do you want us to do, turn cartwheels?"

"I'm sure Bram is happy," Sable said slyly. Every girl I knew had to work Bram into the conversation.

"Why are you worried about Bram?" Keira asked.

Why was she worried about Sable being worried about Bram?

Sable sighed. "I can see you guys are in bad moods, so I'll leave you alone. You'll come crawling to me once you're in the Upper Estates and you need someone to show you the ropes."

She and her friends left without ordering anything. Clearly, she had only come to offer us her expertise on the Upper Estates.

# Chapter 10

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One day left. Everyone was present for our last and final lesson--Father and Dunningham included.

Doyle placed five black velvet boxes on the coffee table.

"What are those?" Josh asked.

Doyle stood in front of us and picked up one of the boxes. "You can't walk around a school with your scythes, but you can't collect lives without them." He opened the box and held the contents out for us to see. It was a silver chain with a tiny silver scythe charm on it. "So we had these made for you. When you're wearing them, they will possess the same powers as your scythe. You must never take them off. They are just as sacred as your scythes."

Dunningham's assistant handed us each a box. I removed my necklace, letting my fingers run over the cold metal. I loved jewelry. I wished we could wear these all the time instead of walking around with the heavy scythe that could sometimes be a nuisance.

Dunningham stood and took mine from me. "Here, let me." I turned a little so he could fasten it around my neck. My body shivered from his ice-cold touch, and I wanted him to move away. "There," he said and thankfully went back to sit in Father's chair.

Doyle sat also. "Now this is the most important part. You must return to the residence each night. None of the humans can know where you live. You cannot bring them there."

The residence. It was going to be weird with just us kids living together. I was used to being away from home for long periods of time when on assignment, but I was always alone--just me and the human I was following. A smile spread across Bram's face. I knew he was already thinking it was party time.

"Now, Bram," Doyle continued, "I will be dropping in from time to time, but when I'm not there, you're in charge."

Had Doyle never met my brother? What kind of idiot would leave him in charge?

"You will be in charge of making sure everyone is home by their curfew each night. Make sure they are following the Covenant. Keep the humans out of the home. Get as close to the humans as you can without blowing your cover. Is that understood?"

Bram nodded. "Yes, sir. Don't worry. I'll keep these kids out of trouble."

I tried really hard not to roll my eyes. Who was going to keep him out of trouble?

Mr. Dunningham stood, hopefully to leave. "Young Grims, I have entrusted you with a prestigious task--a task I would only offer to the best of the best. Govern yourselves accordingly."

That night, Father gave us a long lecture before we went to bed about how our future in Nowhere was riding on this. How this assignment was going to open so many doors for us. In other words, we couldn't mess up. We turned in early to get a good night's sleep, although I never fell asleep. I was anxious about being a high school student among the humans, and I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. What if everyone hated me? What if I fell prey to a bully? Then I reminded myself that I wouldn't be alone. My brothers and best friend would be there. Everything would be fine.

The following morning, Father made us a hearty breakfast. This was unusual because he hardly ever cooked. We munched on scrambled eggs, sausages, potato cakes, toast, and melon. I was stuffed, but my plate was still half- full. Father told me I needed to eat it all so I could start the day off on the right foot. I didn't think vomiting would be the way to do that.

I dressed in my usual attire--black boots, black jeans, a black tank top, and my black hoodie. Keira and I had decided that we would see how the other kids were dressed first and then we'd adjust our wardrobes. I slid my new backpack on my shoulders. I'd never had use for one before. I grabbed the duffel bag filled with things I had packed and went downstairs.

We stood at the pantry/transporting chamber. Father handed us each an envelope filled with money for various expenses. It was American money, a different currency from the silver coins we used in Nowhere. Bram's wad was twice as large as Dorian's and mine. He would be in charge of keeping the house stocked with food and other necessities.

We loaded our things into the chamber before giving Father a final hug. He gave me an extra kiss on the top of my head. "Take care of them," he said to Bram as the door of the chamber slid shut.

We began to move up like in an elevator. Doyle had said there would be a vehicle waiting for us. I'd told him that none of us knew how to operate a vehicle, but Bram had insisted that he did.

The chamber opened up to a forest clearing. There was nothing but trees and a black SUV, a nice one with black-tinted windows. It was big enough to carry us and all of our things. The trees formed a nice shaded canopy over us. I was happy for that. The human world was much too bright for a Grim's eyes.

"Nice!" Bram said as we carried our bags toward it. The doors were unlocked. We threw our duffle bags in the back compartment. I climbed into the passenger seat. Bram slid in front of the steering wheel, where the keys sat in the ignition.

Dorian got in the middle row. "Bram, don't wreck this thing, okay?"

"Relax. I know what I'm doing."

But he didn't. It took him a while to start the car and get it out of park. We lurched forward. Bram slammed on the brakes and I almost hit my head on the dashboard, prompting me to pull the seatbelt around my waist. I wasn't so much worried about us, but I didn't want Bram wrecking our only source of transportation.

We rode like this for what seemed like a long time. I began to feel sick. Bram made sharp turns and slammed on the brakes the entire time. A little box connected to the dashboard told us how to get to Kennedy High.

Finally, we pulled in front of a huge red-bricked building that had several other buildings behind it. There were kids walking toward the school in all directions. Someone honked a horn behind us.

"All right, all right," Bram muttered. He pulled into the place where the other cars were parked. He turned into an empty space, put the car in park, and turned off the ignition. The finality of that made my stomach drop.

Bram smiled at me and Dorian. "All right, Grims. Let's get this show on the road."

The three of us left the SUV and moaned as we reached for our shades. The brightness burned my eyes terribly. I looked at Dorian. He looked terrified. I patted him on the back as we followed Bram toward the building.

Bram walked ahead of us with confidence. He turned to us, walking backward. "Just think. Any day now, this place is going to be the sight of an epic massacre."

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Stay tuned for Part 2 of Naomi Grim: The Silver Scythe Chronicles
