2 Matthew

Part 1- The Courts

"I'm gonna need more than that, hun" Blair said, strumming her stubby fingernails along her wood desk. Her short brown hair tied up into a ponytail. She was two years younger than Matthew, but always succeeded in making him feel like a child.

"I don't have anything more" Matthew said in a resigned tone. He stared at the stack of bills on the table, wondering why he ever thought this was a good idea.

Blair frowned, clearly disappointed. "I'll tell you what," she said, greedily sliding the stack of bills towards herself. "For this, I can tell you where The Society usually meets, but not where their meeting tonight."

Now it was Matthews turn to be disappointed. Blair sold information, if he didn't have enough money, she didn't tell. She told him before she wasn't a charity. "Ok," Matthew said finally. "Deal."

Blair's face lit up, brightening all of her features. She stuffed the stack of bills inside of her plain brown skirt and then started scribbling on one of the papers strewn across her desk. "How did you manage to find it?" Matthew asked, watching her pencil fly across the thin paper. "The address, I mean. That's information that only infernal-links should know." Infernal-links were unearthly creatures, placed here thousands of years ago by the Gods of Aetherial to preserve the earth. They are all linked to different parts of the earth, their talents.

Blair looked up, her mouth turning upward into a smirk, "that's the nice thing about being a mortal," she crows, sliding the paper towards Matthew. "The Society doesn't care about what we know or don't know, cause the infernal-links'll never take any of our words for it anyways."

Matthew thought about Blair's words on the way home. He didn't think there was anything nice about being mortal. In infernal-links got to live in manors and do as they pleased. While mortals were stuck with curfews and identification cards. Matthew exited district 8's village and started speed walking towards his apartment. Ever since the war against Vanishing Talents, his mother said Infernal-links went from kind and generous too power-hungry and corrupt. During the war, thousands of infernal-links were turned into mortals by the Vanishing Talents, causing the king to lash out and rid the world of all of them. There are still vanishing talents out there, those who went into hiding and those apart of The Society, a group that is trying to overthrow the queen. Matthew hated The Society, but the only thing he cared about was pleasing the infernal-links.

Matthew trudged up the apartment stares and burst into the house. Blair had written down the address on a thin piece of paper, but not the time. He grabbed a thin dagger of the kitchen table and slid it into the empty sheath at his waist. It wasn't the best, but-

"Matthew!" A voice called, making him cringe inwardly. He turned to see his mother curled in the corner of the sofa, her round eyes trained at the dagger at his waist. "Hi." Matthew said quietly, "I'm going out for a while, I'll be back." He backed up against the front door, pushing it opened a crack.

"The men are there, they will take you." She frowned, her brown eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"The guards? No, I'm not leaving the district" Matthew was skilled at lying, but felt bad doing it to his ill mother. Matthew's father died during the war, leaving his mother so grief stricken she had gone insane. It was uncommon to see someone his mothers age that wasn't effected by the war.

"Oh" she sighed, and wrapped a blanket tightly around her. Matthew used that moment to grab a flashlight and slip out the door.

The two guards next to the entrance of the gates had heart talents, Matthew knew that they had the ability to stop your breathing in less than a second. But he'd also been in and out of the district multiple times, all of which successful. He approached the guards, pulling his leather jacket tighter around his waist to conceal his dagger. The guards automatically recognized a heartbeat and started looking around, Their eyes resting on Matthew.

"Identification card?" One of them asks. Matthew put on a fake scared voice, "I left it at home, There was movement by my apartment building." Matthew said, The guards looked unconvinced, but he pressed on, "I don't think it was a mortal."

They both snapped up at that looking at each other with wide eyes, Matthew was seemingly forgotten. He knew what they were thinking. The only infernal-links that prowl around at night are those in The Society, it could be a vanishing talent.

"We should check the perimeter." The other one said, looking much like he didn't want too. They both straightened up and regained composure, "Go home, mortal." They said as a parting and went on their way.

As soon as they were out of range, Matthew scrambled up the gate, letting his muscle memory guide him before he lifted himself over the top. He hit the ground softly, his boots covered with dust. Right now, Matthew knew he was in the outskirts of Clearfield, the capital city of Mathonia. He could only guess why The Society would want to meet here.

The Clearfield villages were neater than the ones in District 8. There's pavement instead of dirt and units instead of wood stalls. Matthew walked through the village, enjoying the view. He reached into his jeans pocket for the address when something flickered in the corner of his eye. He had his dagger out in a second, surveying the area. Footsteps came from behind him, Matthew whirled around, but not before a strong force knocked him off his feet and sent his dagger flying.

It took Matthew a second too long to realize that it wasn't a force, but a person. They rolled Matthew over, shoving his shoulders onto the pavement. Matthew squinted. It wasn't a patrolling guard, as he expected, but a beautiful blond-headed boy. The boys cheeks were flushed and he wore an odd expression as his dark blue eyes looked Matthew up and down.

"You" he started, slowly pronouncing his words, "You aren't one of them. Your a mortal."

It didn't take a genius to know what this boy was talking about. Matthew struggled against his grip, "No. I'm not-"

The boy pressed harder on Matthew's shoulders, causing him to wince. "Your a mortal." He said again, as if realizing the situation. "Your not supposed too be out here, are you?"

Matthew realized the boy's words were slurring together, as if he were drunk. "No." Matthew gasped. "I'm just walking around, we aren't really allowed that in the district, What are you?"

The boy didn't answer his question, but Matthew could guess from what he was wearing that he had some kind of authority . He had sharp silver daggers attached to his waist and sleek black clothing on. Matthew didn't realize they recruited guards so young, they were always short after the war, but this boy looked like he was Matthew's age, seventeen.

"Then how did you get this." The boy finally asked, holding up the thin piece of paper with the address scribbled on it, not once letting go of Matthew.

Matthew didn't want to rat out Blair, so he went with the simple answer, knowing he looked as guilty as sin. "I payed for it." Matthew said, trying to sound confident. "What's your name?"

The boy didn't answer him again. His expression going from blank to nervous. Matthew wondered what he had to be nervous about. The boys hand went to his waist and produced a sliver dagger with rubies inbedded in the hilt. Matthew thrashed, "Wait." He cried, "I don't know anything about The Society."

The boy finally looked him in the eye, his face coated with hesitance. Finally, he drew the dagger up above his head, and sent it crashing down.