Read The Unspoken: Book One in the Keres Trilogy for Free Online Page A

We would get them killed, or worse captured, for sure.
    The all too quick mind that got me in trouble with The Mothers so many times has abandoned me. Everyone is outthinking me, which rattles me into anger. It ’ s not their fault I had some sort of silencer around my room and they couldn ’ t share their ideas with me, but it still gnaws at my stomach when I think of them in contact with each other and plotting for months without me. They had each other, if only in voice, for months while I had nothing but my round terra-cotta bed and blurs of The Mothers ’ lavender tunics.
    “ It must be late, ” I say. “ We still have to check in with the Service Leaders before the feast. ”
    No one moves, so I tap on Frehn ’ s arms and he lets me go. I pack the black suit back in the box, place it in my room and walk out of our block. I don ’ t wait to see if they follow me. I ’ m as angry as I was two years ago at the sound of The Mother ’ s hand connecting with Harc ’ s check, at the sight of her blood. I get to the Gratis Building before I can clear my thoughts. The building is almost blood red in the late afternoon sun. “ Fitting, ” I snort.
    The Keeper at the front desk glances up at me when I enter the vestibule. Without a word, she points to an area in the corner of the hall and buzzes me through to an elevator that will take me to the location where I am to meet my Service Leader. The elevator car drops so fast my stomach lurches again. Inwardly thankful there is nothing left for my stomach to expel, I can ’ t stop a smile from forming when I think of the doors of the elevator opening to an Unspoken with an elaborate hairstyle and a labyrinth of patterns tattooed all over her body gazing down at me in a pool of sick. That would certainly make an impression.
    When the car finally stops and the doors slide open, I step out into a hall of doors, each one with a lantern and a number. I stand awkwardly in front of the elevator, not sure where to go. The door in front of me opens and a man with a twisted swirl pattern tattoo that sweeps up from his neck and across his forehead appears. He is wearing a black suit like the one in my box, only his is just form fitting and not skintight like mine will be. “ I ’ ve been waiting for a while, Keres, ” he says, not totally void of kindness.
    “ I ’ m sorry, I haven ’ t been used to so much, uh, activity, ” I apologize while trying to avoid looking at his tattoo. It seems to be moving, pulsating.
    “ Yes. I can imagine. Well, come inside and have a seat. ”
    I follow his lazy gesture and sit in the chair he indicates. He takes a seat at the desk and looks at me, hands behind his head. He looks like he hasn ’ t shaved in days and there is an unsettling scar running the length of his right forearm, cutting through a massive tattoo. Having appraised me for a minute, he introduces himself as Abbot.
    “ What do you know about us? ” he asks abruptly.
    “ Nothing. I mean just what everyone else knows. ”
    “ What do you think you know about us? ”
    This question startles me. I hesitate, mouth agape.
    “ That ’ s what I thought. Quick minds make too many assumptions. Assumptions which display gross ignorance. Well, forget everything you think you know. It won ’ t help you to have preconceived ideas of what your training will involve. Tomorrow morning, don ’ t put on your uniform. Just wear your black diamond ornament and everyday clothes. You can carry your uniform in this pack. ” He hands a brown pack to me, larger than my everyday pack and much sturdier. “ We don ’ t wear our uniforms when we are off the hall. Black is not a common color and it would cause a certain level of unease among the others. Come on, I ’ ll show you your den. ”
    I ’ ll bet it would cause unease , I think. If anyone else in Chelon has had a visit from the five, chaos would explode were the Unspoken to prance around the city in black.
    We get up and walk down