Seed of Trust: Guardians of the Seeds, #2

By M.A. Olesen

Some shadows can crush you...

Living in Alistair's shadow, Annora is tied down by rules and the watchful eye of the entire Eram.

 

She was reborn as a Mahre, blessed with the same powers as Alistair. But when she was dropped off at the Eram that just lost him, everybody needed to adjust. Feared her entire life, all she wants from everybody is a bit of trust. When she breaks the rules to save her friends, she has to decide between her family and her freedom.

With Godfrey at her side, freedom is the only choice that she's allowed to make. The two young Mahres want to find all the seeds in the outskirts and they need to determine how many rules they are going to break in order to succeed.

Fighting against the Eram, their friends and each other, will she become their biggest ally or enemy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: MA Olesen
• Release date: May 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9788797294932

M.A. Olesen

Hi! I write dystopian books. My goal is to always create a world on the page that is more terrifying than the real world, with characters as flawed as the worst of us and as heroic as the best of us. I'm inspired by current politics, twisted anime series, and the worst articles in the news. My writing is a strange experiment in what would happen if the worst was to come. All that with a hint of paranormal abilities to give the world a chance to survive and for the heroes to give their best shot at making a difference.

Book preview

CHAPTER I – Willa

Y ou can’t always expect me to stay behind while everyone else goes out and feeds, Annora said, raising her voice.

Willa could see the blood rushing to her pale cheeks.

We don’t, Willa said, shifting her glance from Annora to Max. We take you out to feed. You are always welcome to come with us. You’ll learn more from us than you could ever learn from your friends.

She had been Annora’s mother since the day she’d arrived at the house as a little girl, with a note in her hand warning them away from her. It had never been easy to be around her, especially before she’d learned to control herself. When the same had been true for Alistair growing up, Willa had simply avoided him. But now, as a Parent, she had to be there for Annora and teach her boundaries.

Annora always pushed back, every step of the way, demanding to be treated like everyone else even when she was so different and dangerous. She never stopped pushing, Willa thought to herself, exhausted already at the thought of yet another confrontation.

Max was sitting in a chair, following the angry words the two women were throwing at each other like a spectator at a ping-pong match he was somewhat bored by. Willa wished he’d get more involved.

"But I want to go out with my friends! I don’t want to be tied to you two. I’m the oldest Mahre that’s never been inside the city without a Parent! And I’m more capable than any of them. And I get in much less trouble than they do!"

You may get into less trouble, Max said, but I doubt you cause any less, and you know it. Maybe your power helps you with that.

"I would never use my powers in the Eram. I know the rules: never in the Eram, never, ever on a fellow Mahre, and never, ever in the outskirts." Annora repeated mechanically the three rules that had been given to her the moment she stepped foot in the Eram.

Well, there’s no way for us to know that, is there? Willa said.

You could trust me for a change. Would that be so hard? Annora threw herself onto an armchair opposite Max, as far as she could get from Willa while still talking to her. Around them, the rest of the sitting room was empty, as was often the case when they started arguing. The scrappy old armchairs were the only seasoned witnesses to their fights.

The silence built up between them like a wall. Willa had heard all of these arguments before. They hadn’t worked on Max then and they wouldn’t work now.

She was about to open her mouth again when Max cut in sternly.

You seem to forget that this isn’t about you or any of us in the Eram. We are here to help the destitute free themselves from the oppression of the government and of Otisom. Unless we get the farms up and running, and protect the heirloom seeds, they will never stand a chance. He sighed. We need to restore the seeds and bring them back into the hands of the people.

Annora rolled her eyes.

Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Max snapped at her. You may feel like you’ve heard this a million times, but you still aren’t fighting for the cause. It’s all about what you want, not what the Eram needs from you for the sake of all of us.

But this isn’t about the seeds. It’s about you not having any confidence in me. Annora argued.

She sounded angry, but Willa could see the sadness in her eyes too. Still... You need to learn to control yourself so that what happened to Alistair won’t happen again, Willa said.

You’re doing a pretty good job of controlling me on your own, Annora said, glaring at them.

Max broke the silence again. You should just go read more about the city, learn your way around the maps as we always tell you. You need to know it all by heart. If you ever get in trouble out there, that information could save your life. He seemed determined to end the conversation and Willa was grateful. It was becoming their weekly ritual when Godfrey and Azai went to feed, and they all looked worn down by it.

The seeds and the farms are the most important thing right now, Max continued, and we can’t take any risks. You’ll be able to go out on your own when the time is right.

You say that it’s all so important... liberating the outskirts, the seeds, the farms, but you never let me help. I could do so much more!

The time will come eventually for you as well, Willa said.

She looked at Max, who was sitting silently again now with his brows furrowed. He’d made up his mind and this discussion was going nowhere. Just like all the other ones they’d had.

At least if I ever get to go to the city, I’ll be able to get away from you two! Annora said.

The comment was addressed mainly to Willa. Max seemed to have switched off from the conversation having made his own points.

You should try standing up from time to time, see how it feels to have a spine and be a man! Annora threw at him as she stormed off, without even bothering to look back to see how it hit.

The shock he felt reached Willa, but Annora didn’t seem to care enough to sense the feelings that would follow. She slammed the door behind her, leaving the Parents in the sitting room to think about it.

It was exhausting to go through this every week, but Willa understood why Annora kept at it. Water shapes canyons if it runs through them for long enough. Annora clearly thought she was bound to break them down sooner or later.

Eventually we’ll have to let her out of our sight, Willa thought. And then we’ll have to accept whatever comes.

Now that they were alone again, she looked to Max. He was a mountain of a man. He looked young, like all Mahres, but he was as tall as a door, with lean muscles packed onto his solid frame. Not a man to feel emasculated by Annora’s brash insult. The years hadn’t left their mark on him physically, but he moved as if the life he’d led weighed his body down.

He’d been working on the liberation of the destitute for hundreds of years. He tracked down seeds, unearthed information, and undoubtedly had countless arguments with overly zealous teenagers. Max was a patient man who’d spent hundreds of years chipping away at a cruel system, and now finally they were on the verge of seeing some results. The first farms were thriving, and his hard work was the foundation of it.

As Willa sat on the couch fidgeting with the map of the city, he stood and walked closer to her.

"Are we wrong