Sequenced : A YA Dystopian Romance (The Sequencing Chronicles Book 1), page 1
Sequenced: A YA Dystopian Romance
THE SEQUENCING CHRONICLES
ELAYNA R. GALLEA
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2021, 2022 by Elayna Doucet
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: elayna.gallea@gmail.com.
First paperback edition December. 2021
Second edition May 2022
Cover by getcovers.com
Map by Daniela Pray
Created with Vellum
To my husband, Aaron.
For always believing in me and being my biggest cheerleader.
I love you.
To Britanny and Jack,
For being my reason every day.
Contents
Prologue
Part I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Part II
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Part III
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Keep reading for a sneak peek at Rise of the Subversives
Want to know more about Solange and Rafael?
Acknowledgments
Also by Elayna R. Gallea
About the Author
Prologue
553 Years After Inception,
The storm raged through the night, thunder booming through the skies as bright lightning provided much needed glimpses of the path ahead. Torrential rains fell as the wind whirled around the hooded pair hurrying down the road. The scent of fresh rain flooded their senses as it washed away the sweat and grime that encrusting their clothing after days on the run.
They ran through the night; the lightning guiding their movements as their black capes billowed in the wind. They moved swiftly, ignoring the puddles on the ground as they hurried towards their destination.
The rain soaked through their cloaks and blood-red tunics, causing never-ending streams of water to run down their bodies. Strands of their hair stuck to their faces as they traveled. They had left the relative safety of the Forest of Resim hours before. There, the blackened trees and ebony leaves had successfully hidden them from their pursuers throughout the day.
Once night had fallen, the time to leave had arrived. The couple had packed up their small camp; the male holding his sword and sharpening his daggers while the female slung her bow over her back before she placed the precious bundle in a sling on her chest. Neither of them spoke. Every breath, every movement was taken with the utmost care.
The only sounds were the twigs cracking under their feet. Even the birds were silent, as though they too understood the urgency with which the pair moved. With a quick prayer to the Source, petitioning Her for safety and well-being, the couple had left the forest the moment the sun slipped beneath the horizon.
Anyone watching from afar would have seen two Royal Protectors patrolling the Queen’s Road. In and of itself, this wasn’t too far out of the ordinary. It wasn’t unheard of for the Queen’s Protectors to be safeguarding the trade route, although she hadn’t left her castle in years.
Most people didn’t know that, though. The Officials had made sure that word of the Queen’s illness hadn’t gotten past the Firsts. There were whispers of speculation that rang through the streets of Deavita late at night. Some people in the capital said that the Queen had gone mad after the Purge. Others argued that disease had eaten away at her mind. Regardless, everyone in Tiarny knew of and respected the Queen. To do anything less would be to invite the Source’s wrath.
If anyone got close enough to the Protectors running down the Queen’s Road, their distance from the capital wouldn’t matter. Prying eyes would know something was wrong when they saw the couple’s evident exhaustion, the bags under their eyes, the weight of sleeplessness hanging over them.
If the wrong person saw the bundle they carried, it would all be over. This was their only hope. The Prophets often spoke in riddles, but on this, they had been clear. Extremely so. Frighteningly so.
If the Sequenced got their hands on what the bundle the couple was ferrying through the wilderness, Tiarnians would lose all hope forever.
Minutes became hours, and still the couple ran. Their muscles burned and their hearts pounded, but they ran.
Stopping just long enough to eat and take care of their basic needs, they ran as though their lives depended on it. Which they did. The precious supplies they had brought with them when they left the Oblitus Mountains, but even these were running low. They ran and ran, constantly going northeast until the sun rose once more over the grassy hills.
“Julian. Wait,” the woman huffed. Her voice was hoarse as she broke the silence of the night. She stumbled off the Queen’s Road, practically falling headfirst into the trees as her legs shook with exhaustion. She put out a hand, the rough bark cutting into her skin as she wrapped her other arm around the bundle.
The woman’s eyes were bleary, her black hair damp and sticking to her sepia skin as she leaned against the trunk of a large evergreen tree. The rising sun loomed above. It reached out with its tendrils, shoving back the darkness they so desperately needed. With every passing moment, their ability to travel safely was disappearing.
She panted, “We need to find a place to rest. It needs to eat again.”
Even in the stillness, they didn’t dare speak out loud the truth of what they were carrying. In Tiarny, it seemed even the trees had ears. The memory of the Purge was fresh in everyone’s mind and no one wanted to risk the Queen’s ire.
Those who did were never seen again. Those who had escaped Sequenced society and lived in the Oblitus Mountains knew that better than anyone.
Julian nodded, his own eyes heavy. He heaved a sigh, leaning up against a tree before dropping his pack on the soft green grass below. “You’re right, Mari. I don’t think we’ll make it to Ion today.”
The scent of pine filled the air as a cool breeze blew by. Julian crouched, rifling through the contents of his pack before he pulled out a small bottle. He extended it to his companion, eyeing her carefully.
“Here, take this,” Julian said. “There’s a grove of trees over there. No matter what happens, stay hidden. Keep it safe. I’ll find us a place to stay and be back soon.”
He yawned, rubbing a hand over his face as he stood.
“Be safe, my love,” Mari said.
Reaching over, Julian pecked her cheek. “Source-willing, I’ll be back soon.” Picking up his pack, he shouldered it once more before he ran deep into the forest.
Mari paced among the trees, gnawing on her lip.
“Come on, Julian,” she muttered under her breath. She ran her hand down her hair, twisting her braid in her hands. She hadn’t been so nervous since her Sequencing fifteen years ago. “Come on. Please.”
She waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Hours went by. The heat of the day came and went, and Julian still didn’t return. A cold sweat appeared on the back of Mari’s neck every time a branch snapped behind her. Tension radiated through her body as she waited.
The threat of their pursuers loomed large over Mari’s head. Protectors and Officials had been tracking them since they had escaped from the Oblitus Mountains. The storm last night had bought them some time, but Mari knew it wouldn’t take their pursuers long to find them now that the weather had cleared.
The bundle was restless, its bottle long since run dry. Soft cries were filling the air and Mari was running out of ways to keep it quiet. She was down to the last few pieces of bread and cheese she had in her pack. Her water supply was dangerously low.
Her heart was pounding as every second felt like an eternity. Mari kept peeking out from the trees, glancing to see if Julian was nearby. Every sound, every twig cracking or crunch of leaves caused her to jump as she waited for her partner to return.
Finally, she could wait no more. The sun was setting; the day was coming to a close. In her heart, she knew he wasn’t coming back. There was no way Julian would have left them here alone on purpose.
Silent tears tracked down Mari’s cheeks as she shouldered her pack and grabbed her bow. She placed the bundle in the sling around her chest, tears falling on its bald head. Murmuring prayers to the Source, Mari took in deep, shuddering breaths. This was it. She had to succeed. They had no other option.
Sending prayer after silent prayer to the Source for Julian’s soul, Mari left the grove of trees that had shielded them throughout the day. Her stomach protested her lack of proper sustenance as she once again began to run, her legs pounding on the dirt road. She had to make it to Ion tonight. She had no choice. Mari knew she wouldn’t last another day on the road.
Once again, she ran through the night, her muscles crying out in pain with every footfall. The woman was grateful her movement lulled the bundle to sleep. At least in sleep, it wasn’t wailing, threatening to give away their position. There was no storm tonight, no clouds in sight. The stars glittered in the sky, lighting the path ahead of her.
Hour after hour, Mari ran. Her lungs burned with the effort. Her throat was dry and her mouth cried out for water, but her limited stores of water had run out hours before.
And still, she ran.
Finally, when the moon was high in the sky, Mari almost cried out in relief as her destination came into view. A modest wooden cottage with a thatched roof was in the distance. The night was dark, but she clearly saw the lantern shining in the window. The flickering light cast deep shadows on the garden. A few fruit trees surrounded the home, their branches creating eerie shapes in the darkness.
Relief poured through Mari’s weary body, coating every nerve and numbing her grief. She had made it. She was alone, but she had made it. Tiarny had hope once more.
For the first time since Mari had realized Julian wasn’t coming, she felt that maybe, just maybe, the Source was still with them.
The Protector let out a silent sob as she ran the final few miles to the cottage. She arrived on the doorstep, her sudden stop waking the bundle once more. Mari saw its eyes grow wide as it threatened to scream.
“Shhh—” she started.
Just then, the door swung open, its hinges groaning their protest into the still night air. A young couple stood in the doorway, their faces tired but alert.
“Quick, come inside,” the man said urgently. He held the door open, gesturing for Mari to enter. She gazed upwards to look him in the eyes as he murmured, “We expected you yesterday. Where is your companion?”
His dark eyes searched Mari’s.
She had been expecting this question. She had prepared a response. Even so, it was too much.
“He didn’t make it,” she whispered. Mari choked on the words, forcing them out. “He never came back this morning.”
Tears streamed down her face once more, the reality of the situation hitting her over the head. He was never coming back. She was alone.
The sight of Mari’s tears stirred the other woman into action. Her white cap bobbed as she moved to the fire, grabbing a kettle that was hanging above it. She poured a cup of piping hot tea, placing it on the table next to Mari.
“Here,” the woman said. “I’m Berta and this is Rolf. Let me help.”
Berta sat down and gestured for Mari to hand her the bundle. Grateful for the offer, the exhausted Protector gently took the baby out of the sling before passing it to Berta.
Mari rubbed her hands over her eyes, letting out a long breath as Berta pulled open her shift and put the child to her breast, nursing the child. Instantly, the sound of suckling filled the small cottage.
With a sigh of relief, the Protector reached around her neck and unclasped the necklace she had been wearing since they fled the Oblitus Mountains.
“Here you go,” she whispered. “Take it, please.”
Rolf nodded, extending his hand. Mari placed the delicate chain into Rolf’s awaiting palm, who quickly pocketed it.
Exhaling, Mari ran a hand over her face. She had done it; she had accomplished her mission.
Mari knew she couldn’t stay in the small cottage. The presence of a Royal Protector would attract too much attention. She finished the cup of tea and warmed herself by the crackling fire before she stood in the doorway, going over things one last time.
“You know the plan?” Rolf whispered urgently.
Mari nodded. She and Julian had gone over it step by step while they were on the move. They had always known it was possible they wouldn’t both make it to Ion. They had been willing to sacrifice everything for this baby.
“The baby is the hope for us all.” Mari repeated from memory. “You were handpicked because Berta gave birth to your own daughter two weeks ago. You will take in the baby and raise her alongside yours as twins.”
As if on cue, a wail came from a crib tucked in the corner. Berta hurried over, placing both babies side by side. Mari smiled softly before continuing. Her voice lacked emotion as she recited the plan.
“Your cottage is far enough out of town so as not to raise many questions. Your baby hasn’t yet been Blessed by the Officials. There is a sympathetic Midwife who will write paperwork for her, legitimizing her presence in the city.”
Mari stopped, her voice catching as tears ran down her cheeks.
Berta stood and took over the telling of the plan, having picked up both babies in her arms. She whispered, “The child will grow up in Ion and live with the other children. We’re a two-day ride on horseback from the capital and we don’t see why the Queen would bother coming out this far. She shouldn’t even know the child exists.”
Shouldn’t.
That was the key word that everything was relying on. There weren’t many Firsts in Ion. It was almost exclusively populated by Seconds. Known for their work with their hands, the Builders and Protectors in Ion were renowned throughout Tiarny. The baby would be safe here. She had to be safe here.
If she wasn’t, then all this, Julian’s death... it was for nothing.
Mari ran her hands through her hair, reciting the rest of the plan to herself as she prepared to leave. The baby would be warded with Rolf and Berta, learn with them, and grow with them. No one would speak of Mari ever again.
As Rolf opened the door, Mari twisted around.
“Wait,” she said anxiously, holding up her hand. “You’ll give her the necklace?”
The firelight reflected off Berta’s white cap as her head moved up and down. “On the morning of her Sequencing, we will give her the pendant and tell her of the prophecy.”
“Thank you.” Mari bowed to the couple as she exited into the darkness. Her job was done. There was nothing to do now except wait for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
And so they waited. The situation in Tiarny grew more and more dire.
Sequencing Ceremonies came and went.
Days became weeks, and weeks, years.
Generations passed.
Soon centuries went by.
Part One
Chapter One
Two hundred years later,
It hadn’t rained for three years, seven months and twenty-two days.
Not that Nellie had been counting or anything.
Every morning, she went about the same routine. She would wake up and look at the sky, anticipating something different. But it never changed. Everything was always the same.
Today was no different. The early morning sun shone on Nellie as she walked down the dusty street in her sky-blue tunic and leggings. She was hurrying to the warding center, her braid flying behind her. With each step she took, the dry earth crackled under her feet.
Late. She was late today. Of all days.
“Of course,” she muttered as she hurried along past the wattle and daub hovels that housed the Servers. The buildings were a far cry from the beautiful homes of the few Firsts who resided in Liantis.
