Read Mine to Tarnish for Free Online

door.
    “ This way.”
    I follow him through a hall that leads to a large room lit by candles and full of tarnished. They’re all ages and genders. All staring at me.
    “What are you doing with one of them down here?” one of the women asks.
    He made it sound as if he conversed with girls often, but she makes it sound as if I'm a bad thing. A very bad thing.
    “Helping.”
    “ Helping get us all caught, you mean.”
    What does she mean by caught? Are they in trouble too? If so, is hiding with them putting me at more or less risk? What happens when my owner realizes I’m gone and comes looking for me? Will it endanger them? Doesn’t matter the risk. On my own, I was going to end up back with Nigel. Besides, I thought the male tarnished and mother said that is what they did: help.
    “We aren’t only helping a few chosen people, Helen. You’ve got to understand this,” the male tarnished says. “Other people besides just you need us.”
    Any remaining doubts about him flee. Though I don’t understand his reasoning or purpose, I know he’s trustworthy. The tarnished girl questioning him, though, her I’m not certain about. I can understand not wanting to help me, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to trust her. Or any of the others.
    As he leads me past those gathered, I get a better look at her. She’s a little taller than me and older, with slight curves hiding behind her dark purple skirt and maroon blouse. Her nose is thin, made sharper with the ink on her cheeks. She glares at me. At least the rest of them have the decency to leave me be.
    The male grabs us a candle from a table, lights it, and takes us down a hall tunneled out of the mountain. I peer at the ceiling above us, the craggy rocks formed at a slant. How much mountain are we under? More importantly, what is keeping it up?
    It weighs on me, making the way seem longer until he turns into a room. It's a good change, though. Perhaps there’s still rock overhead, but at least it's completely covered with wooden beams and is bigger. I only have to pretend I’m in a windowless room. Not pleasant memories of being punished but better than Katherine-crushing rock. There’s a desk with nothing on it and several rickety chairs. Other than the furniture, the whole place reminds me too much of being locked in a dark closet.
    “ This should do. Feel free to get settled. I’ll return shortly and we can talk more. Please make yourself comfortable.”
    He’s gone before I’ve decided if I’m fine with this arrangement or not. At least he left the candle on the desk. There’s nothing else. In all likelihood the roof is about to collapse on me, and so far I’ve only seen other tarnished here. Not ideal. But preferable to Nigel.
    Still not willing to let go of my pack, even if the danger seems to have lessened, I keep it on my back as I ease into the chair. It’s a heavy reminder of the little I have to help me escape. After walking around for so long, my feet pulse and ache. The bruise on my leg isn’t fairing any better. The last time I felt this horrid was when the class matron caught me sleeping during her lecture on our hair, how it can never be cut and must always be in a tight bun. Enough to put anyone to sleep.
    The minutes tick by as my worries increase. What is to become of me? Am I to go hungry? Where is the water closet? Am I allowed to leave this room if I wish? Or am I more a prisoner here than I was at Father’s? Even if I am a prisoner, at least it smells damp and musty instead of like rotten things.
    My head nods, but the action reminds me of Nigel, and I jerk awake. Though I’m exhausted from such a wearing day and night, I can’t let my guard down enough to sleep.
    Sometime later, it’s hard to guess how long with the worries distracting me, the male tarnished returns with an older woman. The tattooed slashes across her face are creased with age, but in a much more stately way than Nigel’s wrinkles. She looks wise and temperate,