Free Across the Universe by Raine Winters Page B

place back the way it was, or remove the pieces until The House falls apart.
    I don’t want to be the one responsible for the future of The House, but if the Seer said it, then it must be true. My heart flutters nervously against my chest as I realize Oman’s universe dying isn’t the end of the destruction that has been slowly infiltrating the walls of my home.
    It’s just the beginning, and now I have two days stuck in my room to wait for more chaos to unfold.

Chapter Nine
     
                  My room is dark and dry, and I hate it. The only time I spend here is when I can’t keep my eyes open any longer and am forced to sleep. The two days Nim confines me inside my bedchamber seems to drag on forever, and when she finally comes to the door to release me I am desperate to leave. I say all the things she wants me to, and more.
                  “I’m sorry, Nim. I’ll never disobey The House again, I swear it.”
                  Nim raises an eyebrow. “We all know that’s not true, Amara. But it means something that you’ll try.”
                  “And what about Dante? Did he find out about me going to see the Seer?” I ask.
                  “I didn’t tell him, and it’s best if you don’t mention it, either,” she replies. “He’s a Leader, and isn’t particularly fond of you in the first place. If he found out he’d send you into the void in a heartbeat.”
                  I set my hand against my chest and feel my own heart flutter against my ribcage. It isn’t like Nim to keep secrets from The House, and the idea of her doing so for my benefit makes me feel something more for her than my usual disdain and disregard. I realize in that moment she cares for me the way Noah’s parents care for him, and my cheeks turn warm at the thought.
                  “Thank you, Nim. Really. I don’t know how to repay you,” I say.
                  A smile flits across her mouth, there and then gone again in an instant. “Just stay away from trouble, and we’ll be even. Now, you better come with me before I change my mind.”
                  “Where are we going?”
                  Nim’s expression turns grave. “Oman isn’t doing well. His universe is at the end of its cycle already and his health is failing even faster than Dena’s. I know you only just met him the day you found him ill, but I’m guessing you want to see him one last time before his funeral.”
                  I nod. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
                  Nim leads me through halls and past doors. The air in The House is more somber than usual, and every time one of my footsteps echoes out through the expanse I cringe. We make it to the Sick Room alright, but once we arrive we’re cast to the back of a long line of fellow Watchers. They all say they’ve come to wish goodbye to their dear friend Oman, but I know the real reason. They are guilty over not doing the same for Dena—guilty for disposing of her before her last breath.
                  As I think it, part of me becomes sure Oman’s demise is punishment—the sentence for not taking better care of Dena, for not listening to her silent screams before dumping her into the void.
                  As Nim and I advance closer to Oman’s bedside, I catch sight of him. He lies frail and shaking on a marble altar, the thin white sheet covering him providing little warmth to stay his shivering frame. The knuckles of his right hand have gone white as they clutch down on a circular object: the orb that holds his universe. Even through the small slits in between his fingers, I can make out explosions of red and orange—planets succumbing to destruction.
                  “Nim?” I ask, pointing at the sight.
                  She inclines her head slightly and lowers her voice to a