Naomi Grim (Part 3) (The Silver Scythe Chronicles)

  Naomi Grim

  Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

  (Part 3)

  Naomi Grim

  Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

  (Part 3)

  Other books by Tiffany Nicole Smith:

  Books 1-4 of the Fairylicious Series

  The Thing About Scorpions (Scorpions 1)

  Naomi Grim (The Silver Scythe Chronicles)

  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 © 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.

  Cover Design by Damonza

  Twisted Spice Publications

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  Naomi Grim

  Book One of the Silver Scythe Chronicles

  (Part 3)

  Tiffany Nicole Smith

  Naomi Grim

  Part 3

  Chapters 22-33

  Part 3

  Repercussions

  Chapter 22

  I stepped inside Kennedy High’s office. Mrs. Clark, the same woman with the red-rimmed glasses who had helped us the first day, just two short weeks ago, was behind the counter yelling at a boy. "The copier is not for student use. Now get!"

  The boy mumbled something under his breath and left.

  I leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. "Excuse me."

  "Yes?" Mrs. Clark said, flipping through a stack of yellow papers. After a few seconds, she looked up at me. "Oh, hello. How are you adjusting, dear?"

  "Great. Can I speak to Principal Sharpe, please? It's very important."

  "She's meeting with a parent right now. She should be done in a few minutes. You can see her then. Is everything okay?"

  No. "Yes. Everything's fine."

  Mrs. Clarke smiled. "Have a seat. I'll let you know when she's free."

  I took a seat on the row of chairs against the wall. Having to wait would give me the opportunity to change my mind. I sat tapping my foot, hoping this wouldn't take long. If it did, Bram would come looking for me. If he found me in the office, he'd know what I was up to.

  A security guard came in, dragging a boy by his arm. The boy was glowing. Seeing another Fated made me realize that I was doing the right thing

  "Sit right there and wait for Principal Sharpe!" the security guard ordered.

  The boy yanked away from the man. "Get your hands off me!" He plopped down in a chair five seats away from me.

  Great. I was sure this would take precedence over me. The security guard left. I grabbed my backpack and followed him before I chickened out.

  He walked briskly and turned a corner. School had been out for over ten minutes, and the hallways were slowly emptying.

  "Excuse me," I said. He kept walking. "Wait!"

  He looked over his shoulder and did a double-take. "Are you talking to me?"

  "Yes. I have to tell you something."

  "Are you all right?"

  I nodded. I looked into the man's eyes. They were blue and concerned. "I—something . . ."

  He frowned. "What is it, honey?"

  I took a step back. What was I thinking? They were only humans. How could I put them before my family and friends? Before my home? I thought about my father, who was waiting so eagerly for this. For his home in the Upper Estates and the status he'd worked so hard to earn. I was about to betray them all and for what?

  "Nothing," I said, still backing away. "Sorry I bothered you."

  I turned and ran. "Hey!" he called after me, but I didn't look back.

  I got to the car, where my brothers were waiting.

  "Where were you?" Dorian asked.

  "Bathroom," I lied.

  Bram began to back out of the parking spot. "Well, guys, this will be our last time doing this. Tomorrow we go home."

  As we pulled out of the parking lot, I looked back at the school, wondering what it would look like the next day.

  * * *

  Bram said we needed to celebrate our last night on this assignment so the five of us went to a restaurant—me, my two brothers, my best friend Keira, and her brother. It was a nice place and the food smelled great, but I didn't have much of an appetite. I ordered a side salad. Keira looked at me strangely because I never ate so little, but she didn't say anything.

  After the waitress left with our orders, Bram leaned in. "Okay, so tomorrow no one's going to class. We need to get to the school bright and early. I want us to spread out—one person in each hallway. Don't forget the bags Doyle gave us to collect the lifestones. We have to move fast. There's going to be a lot of lifestones to grab quickly. When we're done, meet at the vehicle."

  It sounded so simple. I told myself I was doing the right thing. I was doing my job.

  "I can't wait to get back home and sleep in my own bed," Keira said. "Not that I haven't enjoyed sharing a room with you, Naomi."

  I nodded. Maybe when we got back to Nowhere, our friendship wouldn't be so tense. That's what I was most looking forward to.

  "I can't wait to get back to my lab," Dorian said. "I have lots of new things I want to experiment with."

  "I miss my parents," Josh said.

  "What about you, Bram?" Keira asked.

  "I can't wait for us to collect our money and move to the Upper Estates. At least there Father can find a better girl for me than Rosaleen."

  Keira stirred lemon in her water. "It's about time."

  "What does that mean?" Bram asked.

  "Most boys already know who they're going to be engaged to before they turn eighteen. Once they do, they get Confirmed and married right away."

  That was true. Bram was in this weird place between being a kid and a man. He wanted the privileges that came with being an adult, but he wasn't yet Confirmed so he couldn't have them.

  "Well, I'm not going to marry just anybody. When you're as hot as me, you get to be picky."

  Keira and I both rolled our eyes. I wondered what would happen once we moved to the Upper Estates. My parents would surely fix me up with some snooty boy I wouldn't be able to stand. But like Mother always said, I'd learn to love him. I couldn't help but think about Hunter and how I longed to have more time with him.

  The waitress brought our food, and we had a perfectly civil dinner discussing the future. As I ate my salad, I knew I had made the right decision by not telling Principal Sharpe or the security guard. I loved everyone sitting around that table, and I didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize their futures.

  * * *

  Surprisingly, I slept well that night until Bram woke us up at four in the morning. We needed to get to the school while the boys set up and planned so we could position ourselves in areas that would have the most carnage. We all wore our usual Grim attire: black jeans, black shirts under black hoodies, and black boots. Even though wearing hoods was against the rules, it didn't matter that day.

  Keira and Josh rode with us to school. The sky was still black like it was nighttime. There were no cars in the parking lot at a quarter to five. Finally a long maroon car pulled up and parked in
one of the spaces closest to the school. Mr. Jannigan, the custodian, got out and went inside the building.

  Five o'clock rolled around and there was still no sign of anyone else.

  "You'd think someone planning something so important would be punctual," Josh said.

  "Maybe they chickened out," Dorian suggested. I hoped so.

  "Don't say that!" Bram snapped. He turned around and glowered at Dorian. "Sorry, they're just running a little late, that's all. There could be a variety of reasons."

  At 5:16, a beat-up black pick-up truck pulled into the parking lot. They parked as far away from the building as possible. Six boys dressed in camouflage sat in the bed of the truck. Bram grabbed the door handle as the boys unloaded and walked toward the school.

  Each of them wore a black backpack that bulged. Who knew what was in there? Three of the boys also carried large duffle bags. They walked right through the front entrance of the school. I guessed there was no danger in that. It was still dark out, and no one was around but us and a custodian. The only lighting was provided by two bulbs that hung over the front entrance and the light posts in the parking lot. My heart sank. This was going to happen.

  "Let's go!" Bram ordered. Obediently, we exited the car. We each pulled our hoods over our heads and walked briskly toward the entrance.

  Without a word, the five if us split up and went to our pre-assigned stations. I had been assigned to the 500 wing, which was the school's middle building. When I got there, the hallway was empty and quiet. It was close to collection time now, so soon our visibility to humans would wear off. Only the Fated would be able to see us. Until then, we had to be careful not to be seen.

  The hallway was very dim. The security lights that always stayed on gave off a small glow. I situated myself in a gap between two sets of lockers. I heard the heavy doors at the end of the hallway open and close.

  "Yeah. I'm set. I'll be waiting in the bathroom until it's time," said a voice.

  There was static. "Okay. We're securing the cafeteria and then the library. Over."

  He was speaking to someone over a walkie-talkie. I heard some movement, and I wanted to know what he was doing. I peeked at him from where I stood. He had a locker opened and was doing something inside there. He shut the locker and opened another one about ten lockers down. He knew the combinations for both. I wondered if they had placed bombs in various lockers.

  Suddenly the hallway became bright. Either the school's lights were set on a timer or Jannigan had turned them on. The boy quickly rounded the corner. I heard a door open and close. He had probably gone into the bathroom like he'd said.

  The hallway stayed quiet and empty for what seemed like an eternity. I stood there, impatiently twisting my life-collecting bag in my hands. I wondered what the other boys were doing around the school.

  Not wanting to stand there any longer, I decided to go to the cafeteria to see what was going on there. I looked through the windows of the double doors. Three boys milled around inside.

  I thought about being invisible, which was all I had to do to become unseen when on assignment, and walked through the doors. One boy looked at his phone while another sat casually on one of the tables, as if planning a massacre was something that happened every day. I noticed none of the boys were glowing. They were about to take the lives of others while keeping their own.

  Looking around, I tried to figure out what they could possibly have done in there—then I saw it. Underneath several tables I spotted backpacks. They weren't the black backpacks the boys had carried in. Each was different. Pink with zebra stripes, bright orange, leopard print, and an assortment of others. I imagined they were full of explosives. Once the cafeteria was filled with students, it would be impossible to tell those backpacks didn't belong.

  A noise came from the kitchen. The boy who sat on the table jumped up. "Come on, they come in early to start making breakfast." The boys grabbed their backpacks and walkie-talkies and ran right past me.

  When I got back to my assigned hallway, Bram was standing there. "What are you doing, Nay? You're supposed to be in your place."

  "I wanted to see what was going on."

  "Well, you can't do that. Stay where you're supposed to be."

  "You're not where you're supposed to be," I pointed out.

  "Because I'm in charge and I have to make sure you guys are where you belong. Stay put. Keep your eye out for Foragers."

  I went back to where I had been standing before between the lockers and stayed put.

  Slowly but surely the hallways became crowded. I stayed invisible, guarding my post as unsuspecting students walked right past me, a few of them glowing. I watched friends walk by, laughing and chatting like they did every day, with absolutely no clue of what was about to unfold. I pitied them. Their carefree teenage existence was about to be cut short. Even the ones who survived would be burdened with this tragedy for the rest of their lives.

  The bell rang for first period, and the hallways became deserted. Only the security guard who I had attempted to talk to the day before ambled up and down the hallway from time to time. I wondered what time it was supposed to happen. None of the boys had said. I figured it would happen when kids were in the hallway, since I'd seen that boy doing something in the lockers.

  I thought about that boy waiting in the bathroom like a coward. I wondered what could have possibly made him or the others stoop to something like this. I had a good mind to go into the bathroom and ask him, then I remembered the rules—just do my job.

  I looked at my watch. First period would be over in twenty minutes. It could be happening then. I leaned my head against the wall and breathed deeply. I had been lying to myself. This was not okay. I couldn't let Hunter, Roxy, or any of the others die. I couldn't just watch these boys commit these murders. I was torn, but I had to make a decision quickly. This could happen at any moment.

  I emerged from between the lockers and headed toward the office still confused. Should I tell Principal Sharpe to evacuate the school or should I let death have its way?

  Chapter 23

  "Where are you going, Grim?"

  I turned to see the girl who had talked to me in the bathroom the other day—the Forager who had threatened me. "None of your business. What are you still doing here?" Why hadn't Doyle taken care of them like he'd said he would?

  "You know why I'm here. You wouldn't happen to be going to the office, would you?"

  I turned and walked away from her. I had to get to the 100 wing where Bram was stationed and tell him that Foragers were still here.

  Before I had taken five steps, she grabbed me by my hair and threw me to the ground. The girl crouched over me, holding a knife at my throat. "You're trying to stop this. I'm sorry, Grim, but we need this. I'm not going to let my people die because of you."

  She pressed the knife into my throat. I smirked, ignoring my pain. "Stupid girl, you of all people should know you can't kill a Grim—not a Grim with 432 years left."

  The girl appeared unmoved by that comment. "Is that what—”

  Abruptly, she stopped speaking and turned her head to the side in a sharp motion. The Forager fell on top of me, letting the knife clatter onto the tile. I looked up to see Doyle standing over us. He helped me push the girl off me. "By the way, you only have 417 years left now."

  "Why was she—" I began to ask, but Doyle cut me off by raising his finger. Don't worry about her. I need you to focus on your job. It's almost time."

  I got to my feet and looked down at the dead Forager. Doyle lifted my chin and looked at me. "Young Grim, you're almost done. Make us proud."

  Before I could respond, he had vanished along with the Forager's lifeless body. I touched where the girl had pressed the knife into my neck. It stung.

  I looked at my watch. There were twelve minutes left until the bell. The girl's words and Doyle's encouragement had caused me to falter a little, but I continued to the office.

  I entered the main hallway through the metal doors a
nd made myself visible again. Bram stood at one end with his back to me. He stared out of the windows on the metal doors at the end of the hallway, not paying attention like he should have been.

  The walk from where I stood to the office was only a few doors, but it seemed to take forever. With each step, I thought about my family and what this would cost them. My body seemed to be working on its own, as if it knew what I should do, although my heart didn't. My father was in good with Dunningham. Maybe he wouldn't hold my offense against the whole family. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Ten minutes remained before the hallway would be full of students again.

  The office was quiet. A few women typed away on computers. Mrs. Clark busily put papers into a file cabinet. The school nurse got herself a drink from the water cooler. For some reason, my eyes rested on the white cone-shaped cup in her hand.

  "Can I help you, honey?" Mrs. Clark asked, bringing me out of my daze.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat felt clogged. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I have to speak to Principal Sharpe right now. It's an emergency."

  Mrs. Clark stared at me for a few seconds. I think she remembered me wanting to see the principal the day before.

  "Well, she's on a conference call—"

  I stormed toward the back where I knew Principal Sharpe's office was. I heard Mrs. Clark's voice behind me, but I wasn't listening to her words.

  I pushed open Principal Sharpe's door. She listened to a man talk on speaker phone while fiddling with some papers on her desk.

  I exhaled. This moment would be life changing for everyone, so I had to make the right decision. I would probably die for stopping this massacre, but I was only one. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, right? If I let this happen, there wouldn't be a moment I didn't think of dead kids—particularly, Hunter and Roxy.