New World Ashes Read Online Free Page A

that arched over the top connected them. Tiny words were engraved on each of the rings. Equality. Unity. Freedom . In the middle, a strangely shaped spire jutted up cutting the pressed circle in half.  Beneath that was a simple sliver nameplate. The inscribed letters read R. James .
    “Yes sir, officer James . ” I put as much contempt in my voice as I could muster.
    “It’s Major James. And when a Major tells you to get up, you get up!”
    Using my neck as a means of steering, he pulled me from the ground and marched me through the door. I only got a quick glance at the barren, all white hallway before a bag was once again pulled over my head. Simultaneously, shackles were clamped on my wrists. The black linen material was dense. I could just barely make out the heavy fabric as it flexed and restricted with each breath. There was no hope of seeing through the hood. I made a mental note to make better use of those few seconds of sight next time they pulled me from my cell.
    Since I couldn’t see, I counted. It was obvious from the sound of footsteps that there were five other guards walking with us. Apparently, they would not be underestimating me as I had hoped.
    We took a right at sixty-five and then a left at one hundred and ninety-seven. At two hundred and thirty-nine steps I was jerked to a halt by the shackles on my wrists. The cool metal bit into my skin. As my stomach dropped I realized we were moving upward in some sort of lift. One hundred and forty-two seconds later the floor finally stopped moving. I heard the feet around me move again and was rewarded with a barrel of a gun jammed sharply into my spine when I didn’t move forward fast enough.
    The sound of our feet was different now, the echo magnified. After thirty more steps, my hands were freed from their restraints and I was shoved into a chair. As abruptly as it had been put on, the black bag was yanked from my head. I recoiled against the brightness, blinking rapidly.
    The room was huge. Fifteen other soldiers lined the walls, including the boy that reminded me of Mouse. Three of the walls were solid white, covered with strange screens and monitors that didn’t appear to have any depth to them. Moving images of The Sanctuary streets flashed intermittently across the screens. The wall directly in front of me, however, was made entirely of white beams and glass that bowed, curving sinuously into the ceiling. Beyond the glass I could see blue sky and a sea of beige and white buildings below.
    There were large, white marble tiles covering the floor and the sparse furniture was made entirely of translucent materials, including the ornate chair I was currently seated in. While it was warm to the touch, it looked like glass, its rigid lines obviously not meant for comfort. Even the large desk in front of me was made of some kind of clear material, though not quite as see-through as my own seat. Sitting on the edge of the desk was a silver plate filled with small sandwiches. I looked away, suppressing my growling stomach.
    It was easy to discern that all of this was a ruse meant to impress, to intimidate those brought before the great Minister of The Sanctuary. And while most would have ogled the room in awe, I appraised all of the surroundings in a matter of seconds while barely taking my eyes from the man sitting before me. His fingers were pressed to his lips as he studied me. I returned the stare, refusing to break the silence first. I searched his face, trying to find my features in hi s or more accurately trying not to find them.
    He finally settled his hands into his lap and broke the weighted silence. “Our first encounter did not go exactly as I had hoped.”
    “Really? And I thought we were doing so well.” I slouched in my chair feigning an ease I did not actually feel.
    The older man’s face reddened but he held his composure. Sitting up a little straighter he spoke, “We are not barbarians here, but order must be kept.”
    Clearly this