by G. K. DeRosa
“Yes, they were fine,” I finally answered. “Why are you keeping me here?”
“Careful, young lady.” He raised a finger, his yellow brittle nail making my skin crawl. “I’m the one asking the questions today.”
I gritted my teeth to keep my mouth from exploding a slew of curses.
He walked toward me, grinning like the Cheshire cat. His white mustache moved with his lips, the ends pointing upward. “Let’s put aside for one moment the fact that you stole Collective property, a crime that alone could imprison you for the rest of your life, and focus on where you’ve been for the past week?”
“Collective property? I thought that was your personal jet?”
“Everything belongs to the people of Imera. You know that.” His words slithered from his thin lips like molasses.
I grunted. “Of course. How could I forget?”
“And? Where have you been?” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“Wandering around the Shadow Lands trying to make my way back here.”
He furrowed his unruly white eyebrows. They were permanently arched, giving him a perpetually surprised expression. “And the plane?”
“At the bottom of some lake.” I grinned. The only good thing about losing that magnificent jet was the look on Turstan’s face right now.
“You crashed my—the Cessna?”
“It wasn’t my fault. The whole system shut down. I was lucky I made it out alive.”
He huffed. “Yes, you’ll have to tell me how you managed that without a scratch.” His icy glare raked over me. Maybe taking Kaige’s blood to heal all my wounds hadn’t been such a great idea.
He pulled a chair from the corner and moved it next to the cot. He eyed it with disgust before lowering himself onto it. “Sit.” He pointed to me, then at the makeshift bed.
I shuffled over and slumped down.
“Tell me everything. Do not leave out a single detail.”
I went through the whole story, using most of the real facts. Those were always the best lies, the ones with as much truth as possible. I, of course, omitted the part about Kaige and the blood bags.
“So, the entire plane caught on fire?” he asked, glaring.
“Yup,” I swung my legs back and forth, “right before it rolled into the lake.”
“And you never saw border patrol as you neared the wall on your return?”
“Nope. I looked for them for help but didn’t see any. I remembered hearing about that secret entrance so I went for it.”
He stood and paced in front of me, his fingers twisting the ends of his mustache. “Now, Ms. Levant, did you see anything in the plane before you took off or perhaps after you crashed?”
“See anything? I was kind of preoccupied with other things like getting away and saving my butt.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why? Are you missing something?”
He scratched at his beard, the sound like nails on a chalkboard. “Hmm? Oh yes, I believe a few personal effects may have been on the jet. I was hoping they didn’t end up at the bottom of the lake as you so eloquently described.”
I tapped my foot on the cement floor. “So can I go home now? I’ve told you everything.”
An unexpected chuckle burst from his lips. “Can you go home?” He approached me, his frosty eyes narrowing in. A chill slithered up my spine. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?”
I gave him my best smile. “Oh, come on, Head Minister, can’t you cut me some slack like usual?”
His jaw twitched. “I believe I’ve done that too often now, Ms. Levant. And for the wrong reasons. Your mother’s untimely death can only excuse you so many times.”
A pang sliced through my heart, like a hot knife through butter. Somehow I always knew that was the reason Turstan had looked past so many of my prior transgressions. It wasn’t just because of Malcolm’s undying loyalty. It was guilt.
A far, dark corner of my brain knew the reason why. No one would admit it, not even Malcolm, but I was certain. Now more than ever. Turstan had been behind my mom’s mysterious death.
I wrapped my fingers around the metal frame of the cot, squeezing so not to scream as Turstan marched out.
Not only would I prove he was behind the blood bags being sent to Draconis, I’d also find out why he had my mom killed.
And then I’d kill him.
Chapter 3
Solaris
I stared at the cement ceiling, my vision blurring. It had only been a few hours of solitary confinement, and I was ready to blow my brains out. I couldn’t just sit there, not knowing what Turstan was up to. It was obvious he was behind the blood bags. I didn’t buy his story about personal effects for a second.
I shot up and began pacing the length of the cell. It was only about ten feet across so I spent most of the time turning. I reached the wall and slammed my palms against it. “Let me out!” I shouted to the void. The longer I stayed in this cell, the more I thought about my time in the royal dungeon in Draconis.
An icy chill raced through my veins as the dark memories flashed across my mind. Xander had almost killed me. My hand flew to my neck, my fingers tracing the invisible scars. Kaige had erased every physical remnant of the attack; too bad he couldn’t remove the emotional ones.
Where was Kaige? What was he doing?
I wished I could tell him about Turstan’s connection to the blood bags. I knew I promised him to let it go, but how could I? If he knew me at all, he’d know that.
Earlier I’d felt a twinge in my chest. For a second, my heart rate had skyrocketed and just as quickly as it had come, it vanished. It was the strongest emotion I’d felt through the bond since Kaige disappeared through the tunnel back to the Shadow Lands.
Gods, I miss him.
I chuckled. Now I even sounded like him—in my head anyway.
The lock clicked and I jumped, whirling toward the door. It opened slowly, and a familiar face poked in. Bright green eyes, mirrors of my own, ran over to me. I swallowed down the unexpected emotion tightening my throat.
“Solaris.” He approached me, his arms stiff at his sides, his beige suit an exact replica of Turstan’s, with the exception of the color. The shine in his eyes softened his dark expression.
My legs wanted to run to him and bury my face in his chest, but my brain wouldn’t let them. Things hadn’t been the same between us since mom’s unexplained death two years ago. One day she was dropping me off at school, and the next her body was found on the side of the road.
“Malcolm,” I muttered.
He slowly shook his head, his eyes dulling. “Please don’t call me that here.”
“I’m sorry, Father. Or should I say Minister Levant?” I certainly wouldn’t want to risk his precious position as Senior Equality Agent—whatever that meant. All I knew was that he sat behind a desk at the Capitol and crunched numbers all day.
He took a step closer, his hand extended, and I took two back. I hit the wall and wrapped my arms around myself.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. You know, besides the fact that I’m locked up like some pharma-stealing criminal.”
“You stole Turstan’s airplane for God’s sake!” he roared, his typically calm mask slipping. “What were you thinking, Solaris? Did you really think you’d get away with just a slap on the wrist?”
I shrugged. A girl could hope, right?
“You’re going to be eighteen soon. When are you going to stop acting out like this? I can’t protect you forever.”
My cheeks burned, and hot tears pricked at the back of my eyes. I wouldn’t let them fall. I squeezed my eyes shut and willed them back, my fingernails digging into my upper arms.
“So now what?” I jutted my lower lip out. “I’m going to jail?”
He huffed and raked his hands through the patches of blonde fuzz that still remained on his head. “No. You’re not.”
My eyes widened, a twinge of hope expanding in my chest.
“Turstan tol
d me what happened. He was ready to send you to a public trial to face your punishment.” He walked in a circle, his hands buried in his pockets. “I begged him to reconsider. You’re almost eighteen and if you were tried as an adult, you’d face life imprisonment.”
Crap. I scanned the gray walls around me, and my lungs constricted.
“This is your absolute last chance, Solaris. I promised to be personally responsible for anything you do in the future. It was the only way he’d agree to my terms. That means that if you get caught doing anything out of line, I get punished.”
Double crap. How was I going to find out about the blood now?
“Thanks,” I finally mumbled, “for doing that for me.”
“I’m your father, Solaris. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” He turned toward the door, and my gut twisted.
I couldn’t let him get hurt for what I was going to do. The only way around that was not getting caught.
He stopped at the door and held it open. “Are you coming or not?”
I darted through the doorway, not bothering to answer.
As we marched past the countless doors on this level, I wondered how many were filled with prisoners. What offenses had they committed? Were they the ones Turstan was getting the blood from?
We stopped at the desk adjacent to the entrance of the detention center, and two soldiers eyed me. Their drab gray uniforms were dull in comparison to the royal guards’ sleek black ones in Draconis. I didn’t need a blood bond with either one of these guys to feel the contempt rolling off them.
“Hold out your left arm,” said the taller one.
“Why?” I arched a brow, throwing identical disdain right back at him.
Malcolm looked down at me. “Remember how I mentioned some terms to your release?”
“No…”
A meaty hand closed around my forearm, and a black device was slapped on my wrist.
“What the hell is this?”
He tightened the band, and a lock clicked. “Tracking device, Ms. Levant.” The soldier sneered.
“You’re on house arrest until further notice.” Malcolm squeezed my shoulder with a tight-lipped smile.
A slew of curses sat poised on my tongue, but I held them back. Right now all that mattered was getting out of there. I’d deal with everything else later.
I followed Malcolm down the hallway toward the glass sliding doors and freedom—well, almost anyway. The hair on the back of my neck bristled as I crossed the threshold. I glanced over my shoulder and cold gray eyes locked onto mine. Turstan leaned against a white column, his severe gaze shooting daggers.
I spun back around and quickened my pace. I needed to get home now.
I walked around my room, somehow expecting things to look different. They didn’t. The white walls, the gray furniture and small window were all exactly the same as when I left. I was the only one that had changed.
I flopped down on my small bed, the coarse cotton sheets rough against my skin. It didn’t even smell like me anymore. A smile tugged at my lips as I remembered Kaige saying I smelled like honey and jasmine. I sniffed at my shoulder, and my nose crinkled. Bleh. Definitely not honey or jasmine—I needed a shower badly.
I ran the hot water and stripped down, glancing at my new high-tech accessory. A one-inch monitor showcased a blinking red dot. I yanked at the black strap, but just as I’d suspected it didn’t budge. I jumped in the shower, hoping it would short circuit but no such luck.
The hot water ran through my hair and for a few short minutes, the racing thoughts in my mind stilled. Then the rush slowed to a dribble, hot water turning to cold and I was forced back to reality. Stupid water rationing.
Wrapping myself in a towel, I walked out into my bedroom, clutching the top and jeans Kaige had given me. The smart thing would’ve been to throw them away. To get rid of all the evidence. I pressed the soft fabric up to my nose and just couldn’t do it. It reminded me of him. His woodsy scent still lingered from our day in the abandoned building after I’d almost frozen to death. The feel of his warm arms enveloping me were still fresh in my mind.
I pulled an old gym bag out of my closet and stuffed the top and jeans inside. I’d wash them eventually but not today.
“Solaris!” Malcolm’s voice seeped through the locked door.
“What?”
“Gavin’s here for you.”
My heartbeat picked up as excitement rushed through me. “Okay, I’ll be right out.” I pulled a gray long-sleeve shirt over my head and slipped into some sweatpants. I usually hated wearing my plain old government-issued clothes, but today even my thrift store finds paled in comparison to the ones hidden in my closet. At least these were safe, and if I was going to succeed in my mission, I had to play the good little soldier.
I rushed out to the living room and jumped into Gavin’s open arms. He laughed as he ruffled the top of my head, messing up my wet hair. In the past few years, he’d become much more than just my flight instructor. He was one of my best friends.
“How’d you know I was here?” I released him and took a step back.
“One of my buddies saw you at the OrderComm detention center.” He ran his hand over his light brown buzzed hair.
“You’re spying on me now?” I smirked. “Don’t you have better things to do as a fancy AirComm pilot?”
“I had everyone on the look out for you. You’ve been gone for a whole week, Solaris. What the hell happened?”
I opened my mouth to respond, and Malcolm cleared his throat from across the room. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
I squeezed Gavin’s hand and pointed toward my room. “I’ll meet you in a sec.”
He nodded and disappeared down the hall.
I threw my hands on my hips. “What’s up?”
“No one can know about the plane, Solaris. Not even Gavin. Do you understand me?”
“What’s the big deal?”
He glared at me. “No one.”
“So how am I going to explain this?” I shoved the blinking device in his face.
“The official story is that you stole a car and wrecked it in the Shadow Lands. There is to be no mention of the secret entrance through the border wall either.”
I guessed Malcolm thought I’d stolen that information from his files too. He didn’t need to know Gavin had been the snitch. “Fine,” I huffed.
I stared at the tracker as I walked down the hallway to my room. What if this was some sort of listening device too? I wouldn’t put anything past Turstan. I needed to figure out a way to get this thing off ASAP, and I knew just who to ask.
Chapter 4
Kaige
Pain tore along my arm and fingers as I gripped the coarse ledge several feet below the window we crashed through. Stone bit into my palm, tearing my skin open. My other arm was in just as much agony as I clung to the flailing taranoi.
“Don’t let go,” he croaked, the white of his eyes gleaming in the darkness. “I won’t make it.”
No. He wouldn’t.
I surveyed the cobblestone street below. Shards of glass reflected the moonlight, making the fall even more treacherous. From this height, I’d make it. I’d break a few bones, but my body would heal. The thin frame of the taranoi and lack of nutrition made it abundantly clear the impact on hard stone would be fatal. His skull would probably shatter.
He was a thief, but he didn’t deserve death.
The tararnoi who attacked Solaris flashed through my mind. His crime had been theft too. He’d stolen her blood right in front of me. Did he deserve to die?
Heat bubbled from my insides.
Yes.
I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
My nostrils flared, and I shook the images away. Now was not the time to brood over missing my little human.
“Stay calm,” I said, wishing he’d stop moving. It was only causing my grip to slide. I surveyed the building, looking for another ledge to jump down to. The next one wasn’t too far. If I could p
osition him correctly then let go, he’d make it. Well, he’d make it if he had good balance.
“I’m going to pull you closer and then drop you onto the ledge below.”
He looked down and instantly shook his head. “No. No way. I’ll fall. Please.”
The angry guy who’d called me a merciless creature was nowhere to be found. A terrified man was all that was left.
“Just try. You have to.” A bead of sweat ran down my nape, disappearing into my shirt. It was already damp, clinging to my body. I gritted my teeth and shifted closer to the building. My arms already felt as if they would rip out of their sockets any moment. No one would have blamed me if I let him go.
A crowd was gathering below, a mixture of taranoi and nobles. Not one single noble would have helped him.
My grip on his wrist suddenly started to slip.
He gasped. “Don’t let go.” His own fingers tried wrapping around mine, but they were too slick with perspiration. His other arm swung forward, attempting in vain to grab mine.
My limbs burned. “Stay still!”
I knew in that moment that my command came too late. A look of utter despair clung to his features as my hold gave way. He fell.
A fury of curses tumbled through my mind, and I made a split-second decision, one that would cost me dearly.
Pain. It was coming.
My feet planted on the building and I pushed off, jumping toward him. Everything unfolded in slow motion. What transpired in a few seconds seemed like an eternity. The cold air brushed over me, numbing my body before impact. I grabbed the taranoi, securing him against me. The unrelenting ground rose up before us.
Red. It engulfed my vision, burning into a blinding white that washed everything out. Muffled voices echoed through my ears, and the metallic scent of blood swirled through the air. Pain was just beyond the overload of my senses.