Fif15teen

  ****

  “So what exactly are you asking us to do?” asked a girl in the crowd. Jara had been true to her word; she managed to get every remaining girl to the great hall in record time, and now they were all staring at Quinn expectantly.

  “I’m asking you to figure out what is best for you. Do you want to stay here for the rest of your lives fighting an endless war that has nothing to do with you or would you rather spend your time finding a way out of here?” Quinn asked, staring around the room, making eye contact with as many girls as she could.

  “There is no way out of here!” another girl shouted and the crowd buzzed in agreement.

  “We’ve been lied to girls, there’s a way out of Fifteen, and we’re going to find it,” said Jara confidently. More murmurs rippled through the crowd as the girls began to hope that there really was a way out.

  “So you’re going to the Tree of Laws because Piper told you to go, but you have no idea why she told you to go?” asked a girl skeptically.

  “Yes,” Quinn said, biting a nail.

  “You do realize there’s a war going on out there, and you’re going to be walking right into the middle of it while trying to avoid traps at the same time,” said another voice from the crowd.

  “I can get us there, I’m a guardian,” croaked a girl named Crystal. More murmurs rippled through the crowd as Quinn whispered a question in Jara’s ear. Jara answered her quickly.

  “Guardian’s tend the corn; they know where all the traps are,” Jara whispered, and Quinn beamed in triumph. A girl with a patch over one of her vivid brown eyes raised her hand and asked a question in a language, most of which, Quinn didn’t understand. She did however understand one word perfectly clear. “Nishi,” Quinn repeated, and the girl nodded. “Don’t worry; I’ve got her taken care of. Now who’s with us?” Quinn looked around the room optimistically but to her chagrin the only girl that raised her hand was Crystal. “Well, that didn’t turn out as good as I’d hoped.” Quinn muttered dolefully.

  Jara patted her on the back, “One’s better than none, let’s get out of here, the others are waiting.”