by Shannon Lamb
“Come on, Alex. I’ll give you a tour of the ship. There’s not much privacy, but there are plenty of dark corners,” Fallon dragged a helpless Alex out the door, winking at Marie on their way out.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to leave those two alone?” Marie watched them with a worried expression, knowing she had no right to be jealous.
“Alex can handle himself,” Cayden laughed. “However, I don’t think you can.” Marie snapped her head in his direction, quick to take offense. “If I sent you off with Fallon, she’d dress you in faulty armor and paint a target on your back! You’re better off with me,” he teased, pleased to glimpse the faintest hint of a smile on her face.
“Not that I particularly care for her, but why does she hate me so much?”
“Fallon doesn’t…”
“Stop. I don’t need lies. Why does she hate me?” she asked, watching him expectantly.
“She blames you.”
“Blames me? For what?” She’d just met the woman. What could she possibly blame her for?
“She blames you for the fate of your parents. Your mother, Evangeline, used the last of her strength to save you instead of saving herself. Prior to that…” Cayden hesitated.
“Prior to that, what?”
“Prior to that, your father disappeared after learning of your mother’s pregnancy,” his words were like a punch in the throat.
Marie couldn’t believe the cruel irony. She’d run as far from her old life as she possibly could, only to come across another version of John Sr. and Junior – her father and brother back home – in another universe; two people that hated her simply for being born.
For eighteen years, Marie was reminded of that sentiment every Friday when they went to visit her mother, Melissa, and left her behind. She pleaded with her brother to put in a good word with her father, knowing he had the ultimate sway, but Junior couldn’t care less about what she wanted.
John Sr. was at every one of Junior’s baseball games, and spoiled him on every birthday. He was there to dole out advice at every milestone, and treated his son with endless patience and understanding. Marie could never convince her brother that John Sr. was a bad father, because to Junior, he wasn’t.
“Fallon knows what happened isn’t your fault. She’s just looking for anyone to blame because she can’t control what’s happened to them. To her, you’re the most obvious choice. Deep down, she knows she’s being petty. Unfortunately, Fallon has no qualms with being petty,” Cayden’s face relaxed into a sigh. In this light, Marie could make out every hard line around his mouth, permanently etched into his face from years of frowning. She had no doubt Fallon was responsible for every last wrinkle.
“She’s even worse than I thought!” Now that Fallon reminded her of her family back home, the hatred was mutual. “Does she even like Alex?” This time Marie changed the subject, not liking the direction her thoughts were headed.
“No,” he sniffed. “She’s just trying to get to you. Show her she can’t, and she’ll eventually learn to respect you.”
“I don’t need her respect!” The day I gain favor with Fallon is the day I lose myself.
“Let’s get going, shall we?” Cayden placed his hand on the small of her back and steered her toward the door. “I think you’ll like the Armory. No one sees the beauty in it quite like I do, but I think you’ll be an exception.” Marie shot him an incredulous glance over her shoulder and snorted.
Built into a wiry frame of carved silver was an edifice of angled glass. It soaked up the sun like a sponge and reflected it back like sparkling tides, painting a picture of the surrounding scenery beautifully askew. It was so bright that Marie had to avert her eyes and give them a moment to adjust.
The inside of the building was one of the strangest sights she’d ever taken in. It looked more like the produce section of a grocery store than an Armory. The entire building was lined with sprinklers set to a timer while sunlight filtered in through the faceted glass, illuminating several hundred pieces of glittering armor strategically laid out on soft beds of dirt like dissected flowers.
“It’s like a greenhouse for armor,” Marie mused. “Is it...alive?” Every time the mist coated the armor, it lit up like Aurora Borealis, as if pulsing with life.
“Depends on who you ask,” Cayden smiled. “Infragilis Lilies are nothing short of phenomenal. They’re the only flower known to us that can live just as long off the tree as they can attached to it. They can be morphed into many things and serve several purposes, but they still need to be properly cared for, or they’ll weaken and die. As long as we preserve their lives, they preserve ours.” Marie’s heart warmed upon seeing Cayden’s face light up as he spoke.
“That’s kind of poetic,” she smiled shyly.
“Here, try this one on.” Cayden handed Marie a small breastplate. The reminder of why they were here quickly erased her already reluctant smile.
Marie straightened her arms and bowed her legs in an attempt to ready herself. If a flower alone catapulted her to the ground, surely Infragilis armor would be monumentally heavier. She braced herself, but the weight still exceeded her expectations.
Her arms shot straight to the ground like anchors, but Cayden’s cunning dexterity stopped the rest of her from sinking with them as he plucked the armor from her grasp and held her upright.
“A bit heavy, I see. Damn,” he laughed heartily. Cayden had a kind smile that always reached his eyes, and age only seemed to improve it. Each new laugh line made him appear more distinguished, dulling the deep creases put there from years of struggle with Fallon.
He handled the armor as carefully as he would a small child, meticulously putting it back in its exact place. He stalked across the room and ruffled through some drawers, returning with simple black clothes; a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of leggings.
“This doesn’t look like much. Is it magical or something?” Marie asked, half-jokingly.
“You’re to wear these under your armor,” he teased, handing her a full set of chainmail. “I’ll give you some privacy to change. Keep an eye out and mind your surroundings. Most of the men here haven’t seen a woman in months, and you are in a house of glass.”
“Fallon’s a woman.”
“Depends on who you ask.” Cayden’s laughter filled the room as he walked away.
Marie changed her clothes at lightning speed. The clothes he’d given her were so tight that they fit like a second layer of skin. How small does he think I am? She fidgeted uncomfortably.
Marie pulled her boots back on and held up the chainmail, eyeing it skeptically as she ran her thumb over the links. She slipped it over her head and heaved a disappointed sigh. It was too big. The chainmail scraped along the floor behind her as she shuffled her feet, slowing her steps and constricting her movements. Obviously, Cayden had no idea how to gauge a woman’s size, much like every other male she’d ever encountered.
“I better go tell him it doesn’t fit.” This whole process felt incredibly tedious, evoking what little patience she had left.
The metal screeched along the floor, making her shudder as she dragged her feet forward. The maddening cacophony of Infragilis scraping over glass diminished with every step. Each step felt significantly lighter than the last as she propelled herself forward with growing ease.
“What the...did it fall off?” It was certainly big enough.
Marie glanced down at her armor to discover that it had changed shape. The glimmering surface shivered as it contracted and expanded with her movements. It melted to the contours of her body, catering to her unique shape and depth of motion as it molded itself into a perfect fit.
“Whoa! Cayden, this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen!” she squealed, grinning from ear to ear.
“I knew you’d appreciate it!”
Fallon’s taunting laughter reverberated off the glass, devouring Marie’s excitement. She warily poked her head out the door to see her and Alex standing beside Cayden. Fal
lon’s amusement mirrored Marie’s, but her menacing smile stripped it away.
“I told you the smallest would be too big for her. Pay up!” Fallon held her hand out expectantly.
“What’s so funny?” Marie eyed them suspiciously, expecting to be the butt of a joke.
“You’re wearing Parvúlus Armor! We use it to train children here on Milités,” Fallon smirked.
“Is that so?” Marie huffed. “What do you wear? Extra, extra, extra large?” She couldn’t believe she was actually sinking to her level. Still, she couldn’t deny that it felt good to stand up to Fallon, even though her remark was juvenile and didn’t seem to faze her.
“I’ll be glad to give you a demonstration of how it works,” Fallon bared her teeth in a ferocious smile as she slowly unsheathed her sword.
Marie sprung out of the way, narrowly missing Fallon’s charge. She oscillated her sword with the strength of a gorilla and equal parts grace. Marie clumsily parried, ducking and dodging best she could, but she wasn’t quick on her feet. Not surprisingly, Fallon was. She had no choice but to run.
“Stand still!” Fallon grunted.
“No way!” The length of Fallon’s stride doubled Marie’s, giving her a substantial advantage. “Why isn’t anyone stopping her?” she panted.
Marie ran circles around the building with Fallon hot on her heels. The image of Alex and Cayden keeled over with laughter momentarily distracted her, causing her to misstep. When she turned the corner, she crashed into Fallon’s chest, taking them both down in an explosion of limbs. Fallon had apparently doubled back around to catch her by surprise.
“Why are you chasing me?” she whined, knowing she was cornered.
“You ran.” Fallon shrugged. “I’m not going to hurt you,” she said, rolling her eyes. Marie didn’t believe her for a second, but she trusted Alex and Cayden, and they weren’t rushing to her aid. “Stand still, or you will get hurt.”
Marie cowered with her back pressed against the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut as Fallon raised her sword high to increase the momentum of her swing. She repeatedly sliced through the air at a speed that shattered the sound barrier. Each blow was angled to carve Marie up and whittle her into torn flesh and bare bone, but the blade never made contact.
Marie popped her eyes open and directed her gaze downward. Every stroke felt like an explosion of pressure as the armor repelled the blade like two magnets of equal charge, cocooning her in an impenetrable barrier. The more force Fallon used, the stronger her backswing.
“Do you get it now?” Fallon asked, irritated.
“I get that you’re crazy!” Marie tried to slide away, but Fallon caged her in with her impossibly strong arms.
“Children wear Parvúlus armor when they spar because it repels the blade. It enables them to learn how to effectively block and strike without hurting themselves or their opponent. However, everything has a weakness.” Without warning, Fallon jammed the wooden hilt of her sword into Marie’s abdomen, draining the air from her lungs in one swift blow. “The armor only repels objects with properties similar to its own. Therefore, it doesn’t repel wood. The first child to figure that out moves on to the next level of training,” Fallon sheathed her sword and raked her eyes over Marie disapprovingly. “One fundamental rule is present in all of our teachings: Evolve or die.” Fallon skipped over to Alex and nuzzled into his side. Marie felt a small victory when he shrugged her off to tend to Marie.
“You always take it one step too far, Fallon,” Cayden muttered.
“Why, because I’m teaching her instead of coddling her? This isn’t a game. It’s life or death. I’m doing her a favor!”
“She’s had enough lessons from you to last a lifetime. I can take it from here,” Alex hissed, helping Marie to her feet.
Marie hated that she constantly needed Alex to come to her rescue, the worst part being that she actually liked it. She needed to learn to stand up for herself or she’d never last in this world.
She admired his long, muscular legs and cavalier stride as he swaggered toward an identical neighboring building, signaling for her to follow. He was shirtless for the umpteenth time, and while she couldn’t deny he was a sight for sore eyes, she might feel more comfortable with him if he didn’t always present himself like an Abercrombie model, half-naked and looking distraught from being too damn cool. At least he was wearing pants this time.
“You need accessories,” Alex’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Accessories? What are you, my personal shopper?”
“You have no formal training, so a weapon is out of the question. Fortunately, anyone can use accessories,” he went on. Apparently her lame attempt at a joke had fallen flat.
“Don’t you need to go with them to get armor?”
“I’ll wait until they’re done. I can only stand that woman for so long,” he grumbled, furrowing his shapely brows.
The Ordnantry was set up exactly like the Armory, except it housed weapons instead of armor. Thousands of mysterious weapons glittered in the sunlight streaming through the glass, beating with life. Marie drank in the atmosphere with genuine fascination, fighting the urge to touch everything. Look with your eyes, not with your hands, Amelia had always said. Marie’s curiosity often made her forget her manners.
Alex led her to a section of the building that looked like a jewelry store. Hundreds of sparkling pieces were laid out across narrow beds of dirt. The contrast exploded like a beautiful starry sky over an open field. Her stomach instantly clenched. Beauty seemed to signify danger in this world, and always came at a price.
“What’s this all for? So every soldier can look their best on the battlefield?” Marie chortled awkwardly when Alex didn’t respond. She was beginning to wonder if he had any sense of humor whatsoever, or if he simply didn’t share hers.
Alex held up a silver necklace constructed of rows of hollow, interlocked circles that formed a downward triangle. A small, opal gem dangled at the center of each finding.
“This necklace serves two basic purposes: offense and defense. Pulling one of the gems off is like pulling the pin out of a grenade,” Marie’s heart exploded into a gallop when he yanked on one of the gems. “You have to twist and pull to initiate the sequence or nothing will happen. Obviously, this is a safety precaution so no one accidentally blows themselves up,” he chuckled. Marie didn’t find the prospect of exploding nearly as amusing. “These hanging circlets work as a flash. It will disorient your enemy and grant you just enough time to get away, ideally.” Alex squeezed the sides together, giving her a blinding demonstration that made her scowl for the remainder of it.
“Why do I even need this? Supposedly, you and Cayden will protect me,” she mocked, completely unaware that her sharp tone cut Alex to pieces.
“Of course I’ll protect you!” His sudden swell of anger was followed by an awkward pause. Emotions muddled rationale, and he needed to be in control at all times. “This is your fight, too. We need to be prepared for anything,” he added softly.
“I’m not sure how comfortable I feel wearing a live bomb, Alex.”
“If you truly knew what we are to face on Anthros, you’d feel all the better for having it.” He made a weak attempt to comfort her with a reluctant smile, but it fell into a frown when he observed her bemused expression in return. “Why don’t you relax while I finish up here? If you follow the dirt path between the buildings, it’ll lead you straight to the ship. I’ll meet you there soon.” Marie was well beyond the Rubicon and relaxation was unattainable, but she desperately needed a moment to herself.
Scrawled on the side of the ship in bold lettering was the name Isabel. A smile played on Marie’s lips as she was reminded of her mother’s rambunctious nursemaid, surprisingly fast on her feet and always quick to welcome Marie with a great big hug and a tray full of pastries. She recalled Izzy’s wide grin, showcasing an impressive array of large white teeth, and couldn’t help but smile in return, as if she were standing right in front
of her.
She glanced at the name on the side of the ship again and sighed wistfully. The overwhelming nostalgia that accompanied its presence immediately eradicated the smile it had dredged up. Marie may never make it back home again. She might not even live past today.
Determined to think positively, she shoved the thoughts away and marched up the stairs to the ship, which was a lot smaller than she’d expected. She hadn’t been expecting the Titanic, but it was barely a step above an RV. Not only would she be stuck here with Fallon, there’d be nowhere to hide.
When she reached the top of the stairs, there was a small bathroom to her right, kitty corner from a bunk bed built into the wall directly across from another. Perfect. They’d be sleeping in close proximity to one another. So much for getting any sleep. If I live, that is.
The entire interior of the ship was cold steel, only adding to the prison-like atmosphere it exuded. The dull gray and hollow metal reinforced the bars Marie had built up in her mind and kept her from feeling connected to the here and now. Past the sleeping area was a storage unit stocked to the brim with the basic necessities, and past that was an engine room that took up half the ship and doubled as an oven.
At the head of the ship was a pair of cushy, singular seats that oscillated before a large window that covered the entire face of the ship. An amused smile ghosted Marie’s lips as she watched the captain swivel back and forth with gleeful abandon. At least he had a sense of fun.
“Hi there. I’m Marie,” she smiled cordially at the captain as she made her way to the head of the ship.
“I know who you are, darlin’. Are you so popular among the men that you’ve already forgotten me?” Raeph spun around in his chair and flashed his dimples.
“You’re the pilot? Seriously?” Marie groaned as she threw herself into the chair next to him.
“Hey now! Watch your tone or I might get offended. The last thing you want to do is get on the captain’s bad side. Being in my good graces will get you places, sweetheart,” he winked.