“No. I won’t tell anyone.” Greer leaned against a tree. He took out his phone right in front of me and called his contact. He didn’t care that I was listening.
From what I gathered, the men hadn’t even been close to town because they were actively fighting a group of Libratiers they’d found on the outskirts of Lawrence. They weren’t part of the nano storm, but they weren’t safe either. Meeting with them was no longer an option.
He talked for a long time, or rather the person on the other end of the line did. After listening, I wasn’t any closer to knowing what we would do next or if the Galvantry would try to meet with us again.
When Greer hung up the phone, he hung his head in his hands.
“What happened?” I had heard very little.
“The men are safe, and they have a good idea of where the other Libratiers relocated, so we have that too.”
“So what happens now?” I asked, for Greer appeared to be a little lost himself, like everything had suddenly changed.
“They called the Galvantry off, at least for a while.”
“Why?” From the sound of the other lurking Libratiers, we could use the extra help.
“Not safe enough for them.”
“But safe enough for us?”
Greer leaned back on a tree. “I don’t want to scare you, but safe isn’t in your cards. There isn’t a safe destination for you. The rest of your life, people will always be after you because of what you can do.”
Deep down I knew Greer was telling the truth. There was no going back to normal, no more safe. “So, what do we do?”
“We need to get moving and make camp and then get sleep. We’ll talk more about things later, but we are so far away from everything right now. These woods are too dangerous for backup. We’ve had to circle all these towns, and we’re only fifty miles from Boston. The Libratiers are closing in, and there are people like the Diddles who would serve you up for the money. There are others out there who will kill you as soon as they recognize your eyes. You’re in danger, I’m in danger.
“No one wins in this thing,” he continued. “Most of my life has been trying to get rid of the Merrics and now...” He was quiet a long time before he added, “Now I’m trying to keep one alive.”
“If this is so bad, why do you stay?”
Greer sighed. “Because right now, I’m all you’ve got.”
Chapter 30
Destination Known
Greer stared at me. Self-consciously, I let my hair fall in front of my face while I finished eating my morning Cloverfield bar. When I finished, I pushed my hair back only to discover Greer deep in thought and still staring at me.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. I was just… can I see the necklace? I’ll give it right back.” Hesitantly, I unclasped the back. This was the first time I had taken it off. Even when my skin was ripped open, I had kept the necklace on.
As soon as I handed it to Greer, he held it up to the light.
“I did that too,” I told him. “It’s solid.”
Greer nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the clasp.
“I would love to know what Lothaire had to do with all of this,” Greer said. “When he gained the throne, he cut off all ties with the Americas. Lothaire hated the Merric’s powers.”
“You don’t think that since Lothaire had the necklace, he must have known the words too?”
“I’m not sure if he did. The fortune teller who started your quest to find the words isn’t known for being straightforward.”
“You know who the fortune teller is?” This surprised me. The description I had was so vague. I honestly thought it was just some random fortune teller.
Greer closely examined the stone. “Yes, she’s the Pythia. She’s a very famous oracle in this world. What did Lothaire say to you when he gave you this necklace?”
The story of me and that necklace wasn’t pleasant but lying to Greer wasn’t an option. He was my only hope.
“I was friends with my doctor. So, when he showed up with Exodrodinal in his system, I wanted to help him. That’s how I ended up in the dining hall hiding under the table.
“I honestly don’t know what I saw because I’ve never seen anything...” I swallowed down the tears building in my throat. “Anyway, um, when Bollard left, Lothaire was there and his coat fell open and I saw a picture of him and Grandma and the necklace.”
Greer nodded. “Did the picture have any writing on it?”
“No. Nothing on the back or anything. It was a picture of the two of them arm in arm, standing in front of a ship. It was worn, like he had been carrying it around with him a long time. At lunch, he had said he still loved her. The necklace… I think he wanted me to have it.”
Greer’s face filled with distaste and disgust. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him everything. I continued, “I don’t know what I saw, but it was... I still don’t know what the powers are, but I can’t do that. I won’t. I’d rather be... I just won’t.”
Greer nodded. What I said lightened his mood if only for a moment. “It’s better you don’t know. The Galvantry trial will demand to know what you know and what you can do.”
The last time Greer mentioned the trial, we weren’t on such good terms. “What do you mean by trial, exactly?”
“The Galvantry will force you to testify under Exodrodinal.”
“So I’m going on trial?” Acid sloshed in my stomach. “Under a truth serum?”
Greer nodded. “Every new member has a trial. It is the only way to keep the Galvantry free of Libratiers.”
Me under truth serum. I’d seen how this worked, and it terrified me. I’d tell them everything, what I had seen, what I felt. My face went bright red. “Will you be there?”
“Let’s not talk about it. We are so far from the Galvantry or
