Twisted Metal Heart (The Deviant Future Book 3)

by Eve Langlais

  “How did you get arrested? What happened to you?”

  “I might have taken a wrong turn and gotten here.” All because he’d listened to a robot. Poor Alfred.

  “Where is here? Last I recall I was in the Marshes fighting.”

  He almost laughed. “You are still in the Marshes. In the want-to-be kingdom of Roark the First.”

  “Who? You’re gonna have to give me a bit more info.”

  It wasn’t hard to give him the spiel. “Roark, the king of the Marshlands, self-proclaimed, I should add. He’s a nobody. Came out of nowhere, barely educated, unmarked, but powerful, apparently. Somehow, he convinced the marsh clans to stop fighting each other and the Enclave and band together.” It was kind of impressive.

  “Hold on,” Gunner interjected. “You mean we’re not dealing with an Enclave member?”

  “Nope. Roark and the united Marsh clans rebuilt this old city. Rumor has it he wants the Marshes to be recognized by the Enclave and declared a sovereign nation so they can build trade channels.” The idea of trading openly with other towns and cities and kingdoms…It blew the mind.

  “What does that have to do with us?”

  “Nothing. We’re simply used for entertainment. The Marsh king employs the use of tournaments as part of his justice system. Meaning fighting matches with lots of blood.” The kind perfect for venting frustration.

  “So we’re under arrest?” Gunner asked. “But I haven’t done anything.”

  “It doesn’t take much to be arrested. Turns out Roark is a good ruler because there aren’t enough criminals anymore to please the crowd. So they started conscripting trespassers.”

  “I wasn’t drafted into this fight club. Someone sold me,” Gunner remarked.

  “Because they found you trespassing. Perfectly legal according to Marsh law.” He’d read the list along with some other books. They treated him remarkably well.

  “That is severely fucked up.”

  “I don’t know. It’s brutally efficient from what I’ve seen.” Titan couldn’t help his admiration.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “Too long.” Part of what Riella said made him grumble. He was not sulking. Was he?

  “I wish we’d have known you were a prisoner. We thought you’d left and needed time to deal with the accident. We would have come to rescue you.”

  “I don’t need rescuing.” The very idea filled him with shame. Did everyone think him useless? This was why he left. It wasn’t the only reason, though. “But I have needed time to come to grips with the fact I’m not dead.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come back with me to Haven?”

  Did Gunner not know? “Still trying to be funny I see.”

  “I’m serious. We are not staying here.”

  “Maybe you don’t want to stay, but I gotta say, this place ain’t half bad.”

  “It’s a prison.”

  “It’s easy,” Titan said softly. People told him what to do and when. No decisions required.

  “Have you tried to escape?”

  At the query, Titan chuckled. “Why would I? I have everything I need here.” Everything except that spark that used to move him. “So what happened to Haven?”

  Gunner’s news widened his eyes.

  “Axel led a raid on a dome for real?”

  “We took it over, but it was under attack when I got lost.”

  “Lost how?”

  “Long story. Listen—"

  They might have spoken more, but he heard the cadence of boots, meaning visitors. The king and his guard had come to speak to the newest prisoner. Titan remained slouched in the corner half listening, kind of in shock.

  The realization Haven hadn’t been destroyed did much to alleviate some of his depression. His friends were alive, and he was being an idiot for moping in the dungeons. More than ever, they needed him, metal limbs or not. Time to win the next fight so he could get out and start living again.

  Hours later, the clang of the bars was a familiar sound as the door opened and the fighters were ushered out of their rooms. Time to pretty up for the fights. Couldn’t disappoint the crowd. He limbered himself on the way to the showers.

  The king himself came to see him as they prepped Titan to fight. They oiled him, the creamy kind for his flesh, the lubing kind for the metal.

  Roark leaned against the wall, indolent and yet deadly. Having spoken to him a few times, usually to refuse an offer of freedom, Titan knew better than to cross this man.

  A benevolent ruler with an iron-tight grip. He would judge fairly until you harmed those he considered his own. King Roark, First of the Marshlands, ruler of Eden, named after the ancient garden of paradise, had a method of governance that, while harsh at times, proved effective.

  A pity Titan had not had his epiphany earlier. This was just the kind of place Haven needed. And it wasn’t too late. Someone could tell them.

  Roark broke the silence. “I hear you refused the offer of a certain lady today.”

  He snorted. “That wasn’t an offer. It was her buying off her guilt.”

  “So you know who she is.”

  “The Emerald queen’s daughter.”

  “She’s more than that.” The king pushed off from the wall. “She is extremely powerful. Your arm and leg are proof of that.”

  “But the queen doesn’t want her for her magic.”

  Roark offered a shrug of his wide shoulders, clad in a slim-fitting coat a dark velvet blue. “The Emerald queen is rabid with rage. I don’t think there is anything she won’t do at this point. One has to wonder if breathing in all that dust has addled her wits.”

  “Oh, she’s fucking crazy, all right,” Titan muttered.

  “Even though you’ve chosen to not accept her offer, I am still providing protection to the lady in question.”

  “You think she’s in danger here?” he asked.

  “I know she is. There was an attempt to kidnap her after your meeting.”

  The words had him bristling. “Is she okay?”

  “Fine. She handled him in a way that ensured he could still fight tonight.”

  “Put me against him.”

  “Why would I do that? So you can shake the hand of the man who tried to take Riella to your enemy?”

  “No.”

  “Then why?”

  “To punish him.”

  “And again, I ask, why?” said Roark softly.

  Titan frowned because he didn’t want to examine the reasons why someone going after Riella bothered him. “Fuck you, stop screwing with me.” He saw the trap after he fell in it.

  “Nothing wrong with wanting to administer justice to someone who would do evil. Even if she is a princess with a wicked mother.”

  “Do you think someone else will try and take her?”

  “More than likely. The prize for her capture is tempting.”

  “Then hand her over,” Titan said, even as the words soured on his tongue. She was capable. Surely, she could handle it. A petty thought that he felt ashamed of.

  “I would never stoop so low. I don’t care about the prize. We don’t sell people,” the king muttered.

  “But you buy them,” Titan stated.

  “A better alternative to what the Marshlanders used to do with trespassers.”

  “I’m not so sure given you toss them in the arena to fight and don’t care if someone dies.”

  At that, Roark shrugged. “It’s a sport. Accidents happen.”

  “I doubt you’ll like all the violence and death if the queen attacks.”

  “Let her try.” Roark spread his hands and smiled. “Our enemies will find we’re not so easy to eliminate. And once Riella has connected the hamlets, we’ll be able to monitor for danger.” He eyed Titan. “The Marshlands could use more good fighting people.”

  “Offering me a job? I thought I was your arena champion. The Tin Man, justice bringer.” The name still made his lip quirk.

  “Who better to fight and defend th
is city than someone who earned their freedom?”

  “You make it sound altruistic.”

  “No one needs to know what drives us to do the things we do. Anything said aloud is usually a lie or half-truth. For example, if asked, I would say I forged this kingdom as a way to offer an alternative to the Enclave. A place where people could make their own choices, within certain boundaries. But a half-truth it would be. I like being in charge and telling people what to do. I speak, they listen.”

  “In other words, you enjoy your work.”

  The king stared at him a moment before chuckling. “Yes, I guess I do. And you could, too, if you gave it a chance. Win tonight, I’ll give you your freedom.”

  “One last fight before shipping me off, eh?” Titan said, flexing his flesh hand wrapped in a thin fabric.

  “You might say. You’ll be fighting your friend Gunner.”

  “Of course, I am.” Bad luck for Gunner. Tonight was his chance to win.

  “You don’t have to kill him. But feel free to slap him around. Make it look good. But whatever you do, win.”

  “So I can come work for you.”

  “But of course.”

  “Will Riella be watching?” He couldn’t have said why he asked. It was pathetic.

  The king smiled. “In the royal box of course. It’s going to be an action-packed event.”

  Knowing she was there meant the moment he entered the ring, he searched for her. He couldn’t help himself. And then he couldn’t stop glancing, even as he fought Gunner.

  Make it look good, the king had said. They traded punches. Sweat and spittle flew. Bruises were forming.

  All he had to do now was deliver the knockout punch. But he couldn’t.

  If he won, Gunner didn’t. Why did the king not want that to happen? Who was the second woman sitting anxiously in the king’s box, leaning forward?

  Why did Gunner keep peeking at her too?

  Fuck me.

  In that moment, Titan made his decision. He threw the fight. He lay on the ground, pretending to be senseless, eyes slitted and once more straying Riella’s way. One last glimpse. For some reason he wanted to engrain her image on his mind.

  She stood, one hand to her mouth, the other across her middle.

  Then he saw nothing as he was carted from the field of battle, but he couldn’t stop thinking of it. Thinking of how that hand rested on her belly.

  Surely it wasn’t possible. Then again, they’d been apart for at least a month.

  He knew enough of biology to know how babies were made. Was she taking precautions when they were together? He certainly hadn’t. Careless of him.

  Could be nothing. Could be someone else’s. Yet she’d sought him out.

  It must mean something. It changed nothing. It…

  Titan sat on his cot, feet flat on the floor, his hands on his knees, eyes closed. But he could hear. Heard the tap of heels as a person came down the hall. Knew their identity even before he smelled the perfume. Still the same subtle sweet scent. The effect on him hadn’t diminished.

  Riella stopped in front of his cell.

  He didn’t look. Wouldn’t. He’d been strong that afternoon. Rejected her, as he should. He didn’t know if he could do it again, not since he’d had a chance to think on it.

  She wore not the loose clothes of a city dweller but the tight leggings that could withstand hard travel. His gaze strayed below her flat navel.

  It couldn’t be. Surely he imagined it. He shut his eyes.

  “Hello, Titan.” She spoke his name softly. A way that curled around him and made him tingle. She always made him tingle.

  The voice purred. She came for you.

  He didn’t care. He closed his eyes tighter and whispered, “Go away.” Before he said or did something stupid like forgive her.

  The voice whispered. Listen to her. Give her a chance.

  A chance to what? Betray him again?

  “Titan.” She sighed his name. “I can’t leave until—”

  “I can’t. I don’t care what the voice says.”

  “What voice?” She moved closer and looked between the bars, not touching, but her intent stare pinned him in place. “Let me help you, Titan. Please.”

  At her request, something in him snapped, and the ugliness he’d been trying to handle came out.

  Thirteen

  Riella saw it the moment something in Titan flipped. A shimmer went over his gaze, a metallic sheen, and then his voice when it emerged was silky smooth. Cold.

  “We don’t need your help.”

  Not I. We.

  Combined with the voice he claimed to hear, that could mean only one thing. “Your Deviant gene activated.”

  The statement startled Titan. He frowned at her. “What are you talking about? You tested me. I don’t have it.”

  “You’re hearing a voice?” she asked, and then continued before he could answer. “It’s passing itself off as your arm and leg, correct? And before you answer, you should know it’s not.”

  “Not what?”

  “Your limbs aren’t alive. They can’t possess you.”

  “Shows how much you know,” he said with a smirk.

  “I do know,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’re rejecting the parts by seeing them as separate of you, instead of embracing them.”

  “Hardly rejecting. You saw me use them.”

  “I did, and the only reason they could move so well is because your gene must have turned on. That’s the only way to achieve such control. It’s probably behind the imaginary voice too.”

  “I am not imagining it,” he snapped. He approached the bars, and she held her ground at the intense look on his face.

  “I know it might seem real—“

  He slammed on the bars, and her hand dropped to her stomach.

  His gaze followed. She fought not to tremble as he said in a cold voice, “You’re pregnant.”

  She wanted to deny it, but she knew he’d see right through it. “Yes.”

  “Whose baby?” he asked.

  “Whose do you think?” she snapped. “I haven’t been with anyone other than you in a long time.”

  “You don’t need a man to ride. There’s other ways of getting pregnant.”

  “You think I’d inseminate myself?” She gaped at him.

  “If you’re desperate.”

  Her lips pinched. “I’m afraid that it happened in a rather boring, old-fashioned way. With your cock inside of me.”

  “So it’s mine for sure?” Was that a hint of triumph in his gaze?

  “Yes. Unfortunately,” she grumbled.

  He recoiled and then barked, “My regular ol’ human genes not good enough for you?”

  “Your genes aren’t all that human anymore, and for your information, we made a Deviant baby.”

  That snapped his jaw shut. “You can’t know that.”

  “But I do. Congratulations, we managed to make something my mother wants.”

  His brow furrowed, and he turned away to pace. “This can’t be happening.”

  “I don’t know why you’re so perturbed. It has nothing to do with you. It is my problem.”

  “You weren’t going to tell me,” he accused.

  “Tell you what? You’re the one who made it clear I needed to go away. So I did.”

  “I have a right to know.”

  “And now you do. So what?”

  “So maybe you could stop being so fucking self-sufficient for once and let a man feel like he can help.”

  She blinked at him. “Help me do what?”

  He growled. “Would you stop implying I’m useless?”

  “Never said you were. Just not sure what you think you can do for me. You’re in a cell. I’m not. I’m being hunted. Again, not your problem.”

  “I hear the bounty on your head is huge.”

  “Thinking of turning me in?” She wouldn’t have expected it of him, but he still seemed rather angry with her.

  “Thinking you’d make
great bait to draw out a queen and take her out once and for all.”

  “You’d give me to her knowing I carry your child?” she squeaked.

  “If I kill her, then you’ll be free.”

  “If. You’re staking an awful lot on your skill.”

  “And you’re assuming it wouldn’t work.”

  “I will not be dangled in front of my mother,” she huffed. “And if irritating me is your way of trying to get out of being a daddy, then you don’t need to bother. I don’t expect anything from you. I might not have meant to get pregnant, but I’ll handle this.” Somehow. She’d been stupid to think he might care.

  “That is my child.” The cold glare met hers. “Do you really think you’ll be raising it alone?”

  “It’s not an it.”

  “I am aware.”

  “Going to be difficult to be a daddy given you prefer to stay in prison.”

  “I could get out if I wanted to.” Metal rolled in his eyes again, the strangest thing she’d ever seen.

  It made her wonder at his psionic nature. Was it making him react differently with the bionics? Was her blood transfusion to blame? The spidus poison even perhaps?

  “If you wanted out, then why didn’t you win?”

  “Because Gunner needed it more than I did.”

  “You could have pulverized him with your bionic hand, but you held back.” She’d noticed his restraint.

  He rolled his shoulders. “Meat sacks are more fragile than metal.”

  The reply had her exclaiming, “Who are you?” Because that wasn’t something Titan would say. Just how powerful was this voice he claimed to hear?

  “I am the Tin Man. Bringer of justice.”

  She snorted. “What about Titan? Nice guy worried about his friends.”

  There was a clanging outside the cell, and she turned away from him. Two people slinked into the hall. Not guards, not the way they slouched and glanced everywhere. One of them caught her gaze, and his hand went to his waist and the hilt of his dagger.

  “I have to go.” Either past them, which meant fighting two at a time, or going the opposite way and hoping the other end of this long hall led somewhere.

  “What’s wrong?” Titan clung to the bars as she walked away. “Riella?”

  She didn’t reply, rather began to run, and heard the sound of steps following.