Geminus

Chapter Nine - Escape The Falseness

Thomas arrived at 6pm to escort me to the celebratory dinner. He stepped inside and smiled. 

"You look beautiful Imogen."

I brushed down the deep purple dress and frowned. I didn't care about looking beautiful and I didn't care about attending this dinner either. It was all a farce, hardly something worth celebrating. I looked up and tilted my head. "I feel horrible." I murmured.

Thomas nodded and held out his arm. "I'd like to say you get used to it... but I would be lying."

"I was afraid you'd say that." I hooked my arm through my uncles and we walked toward the door.

"Maybe this reality won't be forever."

"I hope not."

Thomas led me to the banquet hall. It was hard not to be resentful of the opulence. My life had been barren in terms of the necessities of life, but there was no evidence of that out here. Still, most of them were blindly living under rules they didn't understand. Unwilling to change because they had never known any different.

The Queen arrived and announced the guests of honor. Piper and Oliver walked out hand in hand. I held back a scowl, and looked away.

"Emotionless." I whispered, reminding myself of the promise I'd made.

Thomas pulled at my elbow, I looked at him and he gestured toward the back of the hall. I followed him, confused.

"You are to leave."

"What?"

"I had to make sure the queen saw you, to assure her you're here. You have forty minutes to see your brother. Return before the banquet starts."

"Who told you?"

Thomas smiled and looked over at Oliver. "He tells me everything. I'm under strict instructions Imogen, if you want to go. You need to go now."

He grabbed my hand and slid a small hand held device into it. "The lure will lead you to his location."

I nodded and took the lure. I smiled at Thomas and stole a glance in Oliver's direction. It was fleeting, but our eyes met before I left the room. I escaped the castle grounds and ran undetected through the city, the lure Thomas had given me acted like a magnet, naturally drawing me to the location locked into it.

Once there, I knocked on the door and waited, but no one answered. Carefully I placed my hands against the door and pushed it open.

"Hello." I called into the room. There was no answer, I checked the lure to make sure I was in the right place and then walked inside. This was the address.

Other than a small flickering light in the far corner of the room the place was shrouded in darkness. It was familiar, reminding for some reason of the place I had once called home.

"Hello?" I exclaimed again.

I heard a click by the light, and a floor board lifted. I took a few soft steps until I was close enough to see what was there. A man, clearly older with large thick black rimmed glasses looked at me.

"You must be imogen." He exclaimed.

I nodded, and just like that he lifted the trapdoor away. "Please. We don't have a lot of time to discuss everything."

He gestured down the trapdoor, still speaking once he was already out of view. I climbed down the ladder after him and replaced the trap door after I'd made it through.

"Zander is through here." He noted, leading me down a long corridor. The crisp white walls were a vast contrast to the darkened room that was situated above. "I'm Julius by the way. Oliver employed me many years ago to take care of undergrounders whose owners refuse to treat them."