Nada's Escape

11- Actress.

As I follow Amy into the hall I marvel at the bobbing waves in her hair. She's brainstorming.

"Do you think the great enemy could be important? I'm thinking caves underneath Seven... How much can we really believe, though?" I can hear excitement thrumming under her words.

Instinctively, I leap forwards into Amy. Something had moved to my left behind the door, startling me. It's Mildrith, shaking her head.

"I'm reminding you two, you can't sit together. Move it." Mildrith snaps.

My stomach growls as I dance around Mildrith, frustrated. Even the most inane conversations are interrupted around here. Someone is always watching, controlling. I examine the mortar around the bricks by the windows for a second. Still too small to slip through, still too hard to pull out a brick. I'm so eager to uncover a new escape plan that I'm happy to retrace old ground.

I've realised that Finley isn't coming today, not that I expected anything less. I'd never wanted to see him before and yet he still came by. Now that I'm waiting for him he seeks to frustrate me by not coming instead. His promises mean as little to him as mud. It's no wonder the Huntsmen have to bind all their oaths with magic. They can't even trust themselves to keep their word.

So I'm back to the same old problem: I need to find my own way out. No one else can do it for me.

Now that Mildrith has moved on to supervise someone else I sneak over to snatch my mid-day meal, cold as always. I churn through new allies and information in my head, processing and cataloguing my experiences. Can I get the Huntsmen to do my work for me? Sneak us out in an empty food container? My eyes fall to Macie's table, politely quiet as they eat. Though infuriating, Macie's smart and she's been outside at least twenty times on the arm of her sponsor. I only have my pride to lose at this point, so I make a beeline for the worms.

"Hello, worms," I say, layering as much sarcasm and disgust on that last word to make it clear that I don't want to talk to them. Macie shoots me an icy look of dislike that wrinkles the freckles on her nose and ignores me. A silent wall is erected in the middle of the table and I am happy enough to let it hang for the moment whilst I scrutinise them.

I swirl spaghetti with my fork, weighing up if I should tell her about the new deadline too. Is it a bargaining chip or does she have the right to know? Watching the kicks on the ends of her red brown hair slip over her shoulder doesn't tell me if she'll snitch to the wardens though. Yesterday I'd been close to contemplating Finley as an ally. If I can trust a Huntsman even a little surely I can give Macie the benefit of the doubt?

"Can you keep a secret?" I blurt out as she scoops watery pasta sauce onto her fork. Her eyes flash with interest but she doesn't look right at me. Instead she raises the fork to her lips and licks the sauce from it, probably stalling while she thinks about how to respond.

"I might... if you do me a favour. Okay?" She replies, pressing her tiny mouth into a smile. Frustration rolls over in my chest and I grind my teeth.

This is why I don't associate with Macie. She is not just superficially vapid but eighteen months in Seven have transformed her into a scheming actress. On her original documentation she'd been labelled a fighter but with amazing tenacity she had proved them all wrong.

"What is it?" I reply, remembering the time she'd tried to bully me into holding hands with Finley. That attempt had not turned out well for her.

"Oh, I'm sure it's as good as your secret. I want you to come to the ceremony tomorrow. The least these two lucky girls deserve-" At this she puts her arms on the shoulders of her two lackeys, "-Is your devoted attention on their special day." I had forgotten about the ceremony. Now glaring at Macie I can't decide if it is wholly bad that they are leaving Seven before the termination day. If I had no other choice would I pledge my life away to ensure that I at least had one?

"Fine." I sigh. "But even you can't force me to enjoy myself." I always avoided ceremonies. Loitering under the attention of dozens of Huntsmen and wardens was slimy. A much better day was spent slipping away while everyone's attention was turned. Unfortunately my best hideout had been smoked. Macie ignores me as she dives her fork into her pasta again.

"Come over here and I'll tell you mine." I growl, wishing that I didn't want her attention. She drops her fork and folds her hands on the table before her, staring me down. A second of tension dominates the area.

"Excuse me, Liza." She asks and her friend who still has her mind slides aside to let her out. I bite my lip to cover a smile. At least Macie gives me the time of day every so often. She takes a seat beside me, sliding her plate over.

"Seven is closing in eleven days. We are all going to be terminated." I whisper. Macie glances at me under her hair, perhaps a way of hiding her worried expression?

"And what will termination mean for me?" Macie's words are oddly honest for her, plain and concerned.

"Imprisonment, somewhere worse than this. I'm told it's underground." If the thought of being underground terrifies her as much as it secretly does me her face doesn't reveal it. Her shoulders lift and fall in a number of enormous breaths though.

"I have something for you too." Macie whispers under her breath. I frown at her, tension coiling in my gut. She's about to snap the trap shut. She'll call over one of the wardens and tell them I've got hold of privileged information.

"Finley apologises that he can't make it in today. He says he will definitely be at the ceremony though." Somehow she conveys all the sincerity of Finley in the words.

I rock back on the bench seat, breath whistling out between my teeth. When did she talk to Finley? Are they in league?

"Thank you for telling me," Macie smiles, cutting through my confusion. "What are you going to do about it?"

What is Macie asking? No doubt she wants my plan to sell to the Huntsmen in exchange for her own escape. I huff in derision. As if I have a plan to give her. I haven't had time to prepare anything.

"We'll all be fine." I lie.