by Sam Ryder
Satisfied that I was cleansed, she turned her attention to my feet, scrubbing them a bit harder. She hiked up her skirt just a little and then knelt in the water next to my feet and scrubbed my soles, the toes, and everything in between. I tried to smile at her, but she kept her head down, mainly focused on her work.
I felt like I was at a spa, not deep within the Ender stronghold.
She worked silently, but I was determined to engage in conversation, in case I could pick up some valuable info.
“What’s with the cleaning ritual? The Queen doesn’t like dirty men?” I asked, half-joking in the hopes of breaking her out of her shell.
“I follow the Queen’s orders,” was all she replied.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
She kept her head low, still trying to avoid eye contact. “Adi.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Adi. I’m Cutter. Why won’t you look at me?”
Slowly, she raised her eyes, meeting mine. They were a beautiful shade of green. A nervous smile crossed her face. Her massaging slowed, then she caught herself and bowed, continuing to rub my feet.
It’s not that I wasn’t enjoying the foot massage. It felt fantastic. Nobody had given me a massage since before the Blast. But the attention made me uncomfortable—and so did the reason. The fact that this was some sort of preparation to see the Queen didn’t sit well with me.
But my meeting with the Queen was the most important thing I could do. We needed the Enders on our side. Apparently, only the Queen’s approval could make that happen.
I was pulled away from my thoughts when I realized Adi had started pulling my pants up to my knees and was cleaning my calves. I was reminded of what Gehn had told me days earlier about how the male Enders had lost their libido and were unable to meet all the female Enders’ needs.
Her breath brushed against my skin as she exhaled deeply, lifting herself out of the water slightly. She wanted me, that much was clear. Even if it was only because she hadn’t seen a male human body, it was still a major turn on. Tempting, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Plus, I was pretty sure the Queen’s orders to her hadn’t involved sex.
Eventually, she lifted my feet from the water and dried them off, helping me replace my boots without making eye contact again.
“How does that feel?” she asked.
“It feels great,” I said. “Thank you.”
She nodded, then turned and walked toward the door.
“Adi,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Thank you. I hope to see you again soon.”
She blushed, smiling the first real smile I’d seen. “The feeling is mutual.”
Dayum, I thought. She was a cutie.
I grabbed my shirt and pulled it back on. A few moments later, the door opened again. Jarro’s big head appeared. “Oath Lord,” he said, which made me more than a little uncomfortable. “The Queen will see you now.”
“You can just call me Cutter,” I said.
“As you wish, Oath Lord Cutter,” he said.
I groaned but didn’t argue further. I rose from the bench and followed Jarro down another hallway until we reached a set of large, double doors.
“These are the Queen’s chambers,” he said. “You will respect the Queen. You will listen to her. You will not interrupt her. Most importantly, no matter what she does to you, you are not to lay a hand on her. Is that clear?”
“Yep,” I said. “She wants to stab me through the eye, I stand there and let her.”
Jarro blinked. Then he laughed…loudly…which was the only way he seemed to know how to laugh. “A joke,” he said, still guffawing. “My Oath Lord Cutter is funny.”
He pulled the doors open and stepped aside, allowing me to step into the Queen’s chamber.
Chapter 9
The Queen
A long wooden table stretched out in front of me. Two chairs rested on either end, at least twenty feet away from each other.
A woman sat in the chair at the far end of the table. She sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the skylights in the ceiling. The woman wore a silver dress that matched the horns sprouting from her head. Spread across those horns was a multi-pointed crown. All the bright, sparkly clothing clashed with her ebony skin, which was smooth as polished marble.
The woman stood. “Welcome, Cutter,” she announced. “I’ve been waiting to meet you.”
I almost laughed at that. If that was true, why’d she make me jump through all the hoops rather than just letting me in yesterday? Instead of voicing my questions, I said, “Right back at you, uh, Your Highness.” I had to admit, I wasn’t very experienced with royalty.
“Before we discuss the matters at hand, I would like to dine with you.” She stretched out her hand, gesturing for me to take a seat at the far other end of the table.
Dine? That was a word I hadn’t heard in a while. Still, I grabbed a seat. “Any chance my companions can join us?”
“No,” she said. And that was that.
“But they’ll get some food too?” I wasn’t trying to be argumentative, but I didn’t feel comfortable grubbing down while they went hungry.
She smiled, which I took for a good sign. “They will be taken care of,” she said.
It was probably only a few minutes. But the silence hanging in the air forced the time to drag for what felt like hours. Finally, a maidservant placed a bowl in front of me on the table.
My eyes lit up.
For the first time in over a decade, I was staring at fresh strawberries, red and ripe and beautiful. I couldn’t help myself, I grabbed one, sinking my teeth into its flesh. Juice dribbled down my chin but I didn’t care. I snatched another and made short work of.
After I’d polished off the bowl, I finally came up for air. “Where did you get these?” I asked. “Were they part of...”
Sierra raised her hand to stop me from continuing. “We eat in silence,” she said, returning to her own bowl. That’s not weird at all, I thought. But soon my bowl was refilled, this time with grapes. I tucked into it, enjoying them as much as the strawberries.
Maidservants walked in and out to serve the Queen’s many requests, which included several more courses, which included some delectable mashed sweet potatoes, fall-off-the-bone ribs from an animal I was unfamiliar with, and even a sweet sort of tart dusted with sugar. Evidently the Queen had access to more food than I’d expected. The only question was how?
As I ate, I scanned the servants’ faces, hoping to see Adi. She wasn’t there.
Once the courses finally ended, Sierra stood and waved me over to a different part of the room. Two large wooden chairs faced each other in front of an unlit fire. It was too hot for it anyway, but I was certain it would be a nice warm spot during the cool desert nights. We each took a seat and reclined back. Sierra crossed her shapely legs.
“I’ve been hearing things about you and your party, Cutter,” Sierra said, apparently finally ready to engage in a meaningful conversation. “There is talk of war.”
“More like a revolution,” I said.
“Why make yourself an enemy of the Rising?” she asked. “You are human. You have proven capable as a warrior and survivalist. Why not enjoy the benefits of your luck?” She’d leaned forward, genuinely curious as to my response. Her narrow horns glistened in the small amount of light.
I leaned forward, too, propping myself up on my elbows. “Look, Queen, Your Highness, there’s something you need to know about me. In the old world, I was a soldier. Some of my fellow soldiers did it for the money, others did it because they had some missing screws and wanted to shoot shit. But I joined up for other reasons.”
“I’m listening.”
“I never liked a bully,” I said. “That’s all the Rising is, including their leader.”
“That’s something a very adept Rising spy might say,” she pointed out. I admired her skepticism. A good leader didn’t trust without proof.
“With me, what you see is what yo
u get, and I won’t try to hide my past. I used to be a killer,” I admitted. “I worked for the Guild, not a full-fledged member, but a hired gun. I killed those who deserved it. And, unfortunately, I killed those who didn’t, no questions asked.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
I met her eyes, unflinching. “You want to know how many Enders I’ve killed, right?” I asked.
“That’s a standard question,” she said.
“It’s also a fair question,” I agreed. “I’ve killed one.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not going to make excuses, though I have them. All I’ll say is that I would kill a thousand Enders or humans to protect those I care about.”
“You speak of the women you travel with. Your party includes Ender and human women.”
I nodded. “I also speak of innocents. I will kill to protect those I believe to be innocent. The Enders may not all be innocent, but I believe most are.”
She still looked skeptical. “Many years have passed since the Blast. You’ve been working toward a revolution all this time? Or only recently, since you realized the error in your ways?”
“I was content for a long time,” I said. “Keeping to myself, drinking and fighting and surviving. But then I met an Ender woman and her human sister.”
“Gehn and Hannah.”
The Queen was well-informed, which didn’t surprise me. “Correct. Gehn has been having visions, visions that led her to me.”
“That is a rare gift, but why would you trust her visions?”
“I didn’t at first. But she’s proven her intuition is a real gift on more than one occasion now. I trust her with my life.”
“And she trusts you with hers.”
It wasn’t a question, which made me frown. She said it like it was a fact. “How do you know?”
She smiled. “I didn’t care whether your feet were clean when you met me,” was her only response.
I cocked my head to the side, thinking. Oh shit. The whole ‘cleansing ritual’ bullshit had been just that. A delay tactic. “You spoke to Gehn?”
“Very good. And Hannah and Belenie. They are good women, good people.”
“To have two Ender women such as them vouch for you…it means something to me. I have to admit, I trust Hannah too. Here’s what I am willing to do: I will make a pronouncement to those in Paris. I will issue a decree encouraging Enders to join with you if they wish. But I will not force my people to march into battle.”
My heart was beating faster. Though I was shocked this Queen wasn’t willing to force her people to do certain things, I was more shocked she was willing to help us. “Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
Sierra folded her hands in her lap primly. “You will need other respected Enders on your side.”
“Like Zodos and Guzron?” I asked.
“They can provide some support, particularly Zodos, who seems to like you and he doesn’t like anyone.” That thought made me chuckle.
“And Guzron?”
“He’s on the fence, but he’s not a warmonger. He’s less violent than his fellow males. A thinker, if you will. Anyway, his friends won’t be very helpful, because they’re more like him than Zodos.” That was very interesting. It seemed not all male Enders were prone to violence like everyone thought. There was a range, just like there was a range of personalities amongst humans.
“Who else do I need on my side?” I asked.
“Lustak and Belogon. They are popular amongst their brethren.”
“Thank you. And you believe the Ender women will answer your decree?”
Her narrowed eyes were back. “The Ender women will stay in Paris. I will not encourage them to march into battle.”
I knew I was pressing my luck, but I didn’t like what I was hearing. I’d served alongside numerous capable women. “And if they want to come with me?”
“They won’t.”
Arguing was probably a bad idea, so I decided to move on. The topic could be discussed later. “Fair enough. When will your decree go out?” I was hoping immediately, but wasn’t in a position to make demands.
“Tomorrow morning,” she said. “I want to prepare my words carefully.”
That was all I needed to hear. Now that we had the Queen’s support, things were looking up. Against all odds, we were on the verge of creating an army.
“One more thing, Cutter,” the Queen said as I was about to leave. “If you lose this battle, you better hope you are killed in the process.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I am trusting you with my family. These are my people. If you lose and return with the survivors, I will tear you limb from limb.” It was no threat. I could tell—I knew the difference. It was a promise.
“Deal,” I said. “I will live or die with my army.”
As if the stakes couldn’t get any higher already.
Chapter 10
Assassin
Jarro escorted me down the hallway and out of the building. With the Queen’s support behind me, I felt much more comfortable about our position in Paris. The Enders didn’t know it yet, but many of them were about to join our army. I could feel it.
“What can I do for you, Oath Lord Cutter,” Jarro said as we stepped out into the bright sunlight.
This time I didn’t even bother to correct him. “I want to celebrate,” I said. “Where can I get a good drink? The strong kind.”
Jarro tilted his head to the side, as if seriously considering the question. “Medusa’s,” he finally said after the long pause. “It’s a small joint but will be safer for folks like you than some of the more populated bars. It’s at the far end of the city, but I will accompany you as protection.”
“Thanks for the tip and the offer,” I said. “But you still work for the Queen, not me.”
“The Queen will honor my Oath Bond,” he said.
I wondered if it were true. Probably. Still… “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I appreciate it, but I will let you know if I need any assistance. For now, we’re good.”
Jarro looked unconvinced but bowed slightly. It was the least intimidating gesture I’d ever seen a male Ender make. “As you wish, Oath Lord Cutter.” He backed into the facility and vanished.
The women were waiting for me across the street. The two Enders had Hannah sandwiched in between them, which sent a pang of concern through me. “Everyone okay?”
Gehn nodded. “We were just being cautious.”
Good. That was smart. Even with two Enders in our party, Paris wasn’t exactly our ally yet, not until the Queen made her announcement. “We were worried she would execute you,” Hannah said.
“How long was I gone?” I asked.
“Long enough,” Hannah said. I was guessing at least two hours, maybe three. “We discussed what we would do if you didn’t return.”
“And what did you come up with?”
“Storm the fucking gate,” Hannah said with a smirk.
“It wasn’t unanimous,” Gehn said.
I laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“Did you speak to the Queen?” Belenie asked.
“Yep.”
“And?”
“She’s with us,” I said. “We’re in.”
“So we can start recruiting?” Belenie asked excitedly.
“Not quite,” I replied. “The Queen will issue the decree in the morning. But she won’t force anyone to fight with us, so we’ll still need to be smart and use the fine art of persuasion.”
“Thank the gods,” Hannah said. “It’s about time we caught a break.”
Gehn wasn’t as jubilant as the others. “The Queen’s decree is crucial but not the endgame. We need to stay focused.”
“Buzzkill,” I said, cupping her shoulder. “Relax. We’re in the best position we’ve been in since this all started.”
She managed a small smile and grabbed my hand, squeezing. “You’re right. Things are looking up. All I’m saying is we should remain vigilant as long as we’re in this city.”
<
br /> “We will.”
“Also…” She seemed uncertain about whether to say whatever it was she was thinking. This bothered me. I thought we were past any kind of awkwardness.
“Spit it out,” I said. “We need to be open books with each other.”
“I overheard what Jarro called you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You mean ‘Oath Lord Cutter’?” She nodded. I waved it away. “He made some oath to me, said he owed me his life.”
“He made you an Oath Bond?” Gehn asked.
“Yeah. So what?”
Belenie cursed under her breath.
“Is that bad?”
“It’s the highest honor amongst Enders,” Gehn said. “So it’s not bad on the surface, but he’s supposed to be working for the Queen.”
“I know. I told him that and sent him packing.”
“It’s not enough,” Gehn said. “His Oath Bond will supersede his loyalty to the Queen. If she catches wind of this, she may not be so friendly the next time you see her.”
I shrugged their concern off, though the information did worry me. “You call that friendly? She threatened to tear my arms and legs off if we didn’t win the war.”
“That is friendly for the Queen,” Gehn said. “Unfriendly is when she rips your head off and feeds it to the male Enders.”
“Thank you for that lovely image that I will never be able to get out of my head. But seriously, don’t sweat it—I’ll take care of Jarro. He gave me a tip on a place called Medusa’s. You heard of it?”
Gehn nodded and finally offered a real smile. “It’s a good suggestion. We’ll be safe there for a while.” Gehn led us down the main thoroughfare, away from the Queen’s place. “Did the Queen offer any other information?”
“You mean besides the thing about the decree and ripping my arms off? Yeah, a few things. She gave me the names of a couple of influential Enders who will be important to our success. But we have to wait for that decree to go out before we do anything rash. Right now, there’s no reason for anyone to trust us yet.”