Geared for Pleasure

by Rachel Grace

  Most were docile, tamed after generations, despite the stories the elders would spin for them. Stories of a time when the Felidae were wild. When they outnumbered humans and lived freely, honoring their abundant world and soaring through the trees. Soaring on the wind.

  Now they watched the gears of the giant shift clock at the settlement’s gate, living and dying by its chime. Those who chose to disobey its call led a different life. Scorned and spied on by their own kind, learning to steal or starve. To pleasure Wode instead of being forcibly taken. For Phina all of it had been untenable.

  She slid along the back walls of the mound homes, breathing harder through the heavy air around her. She already missed the Deviant.

  Felidae milled about, most preparing for their shift, finishing their meals or refreshing the fires of the outdoor ovens that would soon be used by their returning family members.

  “Seri, I thought you had learned. Eli may kill you if he finds you’ve snuck in again.”

  Phina lifted her ton defensively out of instinct before she realized who the voice belonged to. “Nob, how are you, my brother? Have you bedded that luscious girl with the facial markings yet? I remember she had her eye on you.”

  Nob looked around, his body’s movements a strong indication of his disapproval. Phina used the time to slip her weapons back into her belt loops. “Shift is about to change and he’ll be heading back. We cannot let him see you, though I suppose you timed it this way. Why do you play these games with our lives, Seri? And why are you back?”

  She would not admit how the words made her heart ache. Eli was the eldest. The strongest. Out of all of her relatives, he most despised her. But Nob had helped her get into the mines many times, as had Jobi, despite their displeasure with her. It seemed their patience was running out. “Is Jobi with him?”

  Nob narrowed his gaze, as piercing green as hers. “You did not come back to see him, then? Neither has Nephi. We sent word to her weeks ago. Eli believes the palace life has corrupted her. Made her forget her family the way you chose to.”

  “What happened to Jobi?” The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and the pain in her nerve endings made her flinch. If anyone had hurt him—a Wode or another Felidae—they would suffer before they died.

  Nob shook his head. “An accident in the mines. A stupid accident. We lost control of one of the ore carts. It slammed him against solid rock, pinning him for hours until we could reverse the magnetism.” Nob paled at the memory. “His arm is crushed beyond healing. His tail… it had to be removed. The settlement elders have helped us hide his infirmity, but he will be seen. And when he is, he may be taken by the Raj.”

  Or their science ministers. How many Felidae had disappeared after they were too injured to work? Told they would be cared for and given the best Theorrean medicine they had to offer for their sacrifice. Phina knew there was more to it than that. She could not let that happen to Jobi.

  She gripped the woven shirt Nob wore, which was identical to her own. “Listen to me. I must get into the mines. Nephi is in danger again.”

  She had his attention now. “Raj Ellsworth?”

  Phina nodded. “The queen cannot protect her. I can. There is a place for her where she will be free. Where he can never hurt her with his obsession again. I can take Jobi as well, but I need your help.”

  Nob pulled away from her. “You would take everyone from me. Kill or steal every person I love.”

  She felt her claws extend and forced herself to close her fingers into fists. The pain would keep her on task. “You could come with us. It never occurred to you, did it? To leave. There is so much out there, Nobel. So much life and sunlight.”

  He shook his head. “I will help you one last time, Seri. For my brother’s sake. And for Nephi. After this I want your true oath—in moon’s blood—that you will never put our family in jeopardy like this again. Never come back to our home.”

  Moon’s blood. It was a Felidae oath that was unbreakable. She freed one hand and reached down to take a slender blade from the lining of her boot, the only weapon other than the ton she’d dared carry into this place.

  She opened her palm, which was already bleeding from her sharp nails, and sliced into it with the blade. Nob held out his hand and she did the same to him. With the moonlike silver of the blade pressed between their palms, she swore, “Help me, and I will save our family. I will never return.”

  Phina wanted to believe she saw pain or regret in his expression, but she knew it was a lie. She had caused her brothers too much suffering for them to forgive. Jobi as well as Eli and Nob, may hate her for what she was about to do, but Nephi would understand. And they would be safe.

  Her brother nodded his agreement with the sound of the clock’s chime. He tugged her hat lower on her forehead and took away his hand, licking the blood off with his tongue.

  Phina did the same.

  He took her blade and stuck it in his own boot. “Wode haven’t searched me in over a year. Since the last time you paid us a visit. Keep your head down and follow me.”

  They merged into the thick queue already forming in the settlement. Factory and mine workers together in a single line that would only diverge once they reached the pipeline of the large metalworks that surrounded the factories.

  She’d snuck inside once. Despite their haughty demeanor the factory Felidae had the harder job. The heat, the mechanisms that had to be maintained, the danger… Mining was simple in comparison.

  None of the other Felidae—who Phina knew could easily sniff her out—said a word to alert the Wode to her presence. Perhaps they knew she had come to save Jobi from his mysterious fate. She knew how well loved he had always been by his peers.

  They seemed to understand her purpose. As they passed her old mound home, two Felidae ducked out from the open door, keeping the injured man between them.

  He looked terrible, his skin pale and sweating, one sleeve of his shirt dangling past his hand to hide it from view. The handsome face she had looked to throughout her childhood was bitter. Twisted. He saw her and curled his lip in disgust, but did not speak.

  They moved into position ahead of Nob and Phina, and she watched her brother lay his palm on Jobi’s back in support. How hard would it be for them to say goodbye to each other? They were each other’s only consolation. The one left behind would have only Eli, who had no love in his heart to give. Nob may as well be alone.

  The Wode asked why the men weren’t in single file and one of the Felidae holding Jobi’s weight mentioned something about too much Spotted Ale. It was a plausible excuse. It was the most plentiful resource in the settlement and, Phina imagined, the reason for most Felidae offspring.

  They were allowed to pass and none of the guards glanced her way. But she was not out of danger yet. Her only hope was that Eli was in the first batch of the return shift. That he would not seek out his brothers in the line. That he would not catch her scent. It was a slim hope, at best, one she knew Nob was clinging to… for Jobi’s sake if not hers.

  Half of the crowd headed to the right, including one of the men who had been keeping Jobi upright. Nob quickly replaced him, leaving Phina to keep up behind them.

  Jobi’s low mumble was meant for his brother, but Phina heard him. “Do I get to go be the queen’s pet Felidae now? Will I be fed queensfruit tarts and ale? Or does Seri plan to sell me to a passing noble?”

  Moons, how they saw her. She knew. Of course she knew. She was reminded each time she returned that she was unwelcome. She had never allowed herself to care. Perhaps she had grown soft. Fair Dare, who cared about what she was feeling, had softened her. Or perhaps it was the guilt that Cyrus had awoken within her.

  She straightened her spine, stilling the restless motion of her tail. Nephi mattered. No one else. Let them think what they would, she knew who and what she was. She had never needed their approval before. She did not need it now.

  Phina looked up and saw the entrance to the mine with fresh eyes. Dare would no doub
t see the large opening to the underground as another marvel she had yet to witness, large enough for the Deviant to sail into and framed by carvings on either side. The images were of the same female. Not Queen Idony, but an elder Felidae whose name meant Peacemaker.

  She was beautiful, her hair wild and decorated with feathers and flowers from the marsh as well as the desert. An open floor-length robe revealed a body covered in sensual markings. Not merely along her spine or arms but along her belly. The markings lined her collarbone instead of jewels. The image, it seemed, welcomed her children into the deep, secret places of the world. Into her womb.

  Phina recalled the stories from childhood. The Peacemaker was the leader of all Felidae. Under her they had been one tribe united. Her mere presence inspired peace and harmony. She’d ruled at Queen Idony’s side for an age, ensuring her people were kept safe. Protected.

  Phina was never sure if the stories were true. She had been tempted to ask the queen many times over the years but hadn’t wanted to seem ignorant. She also hadn’t wanted to be disappointed with the truth. To know that those stories, just like the ale they were eternally supplied with, were meant to distract them. To soothe them. To keep Phina’s people compliant.

  The sun was low in the sky when she took her first step into the mine. She would have to move swiftly—Jobi’s injuries would no doubt slow them down.

  No one spoke but went to their posts or picked up the tools left for them by the last Felidae workers. Phina moved to the other side of Jobi, glaring when he momentarily resisted. He was going to make this as difficult as possible.

  Nob was grunting with exertion. “Your luck holds out as usual, Seri. The ore’s veins take us in the opposite direction of your special tunnels.”

  “They are not my tunnels.”

  “You are the only one fool enough to use them.” The voice Phina had always associated with pain froze the three of them in place as they turned the corner that would lead them to their destination.

  Eli.

  “You’re the only one who crawls like a Theorrean worm in the dirt to find someone to spread your legs for,” he growled. “Someone who doesn’t know what you are.”

  She helped Nob sit Jobi down on a flattened area of rock and turned to face her brother. Still just as big as she remembered. So much larger than his life. One eye closed with scars made by a Wode dagger, the rest of his face a continued study in hate and violence. In another world he could have been a warrior. In this one he had long since given up. Long since sold his soul to survive.

  Jobi chuckled morbidly. “I love these family gatherings. All singing and nestling. When do we toast with ale?”

  Eli turned to Nob. “He got past the Wode? What have you let her talk you into this time? When will you learn what she is? The curse you call on yourself by listening to her?”

  Phina stepped between them. “I am here to—”

  Her words were cut off by the back of Eli’s hand.

  She spat out dirt and blood and lifted herself off the ground where she’d fallen. She snarled, claws out. “Thank you for the kiss, brother. I only wish I’d brought my pretty bracelet. Then I’d have something as special to give you in return.”

  He came toward her but Nob grabbed his arm in challenge. “Nephi is in danger. Jobi is ill. She can help them both.”

  Eli’s frustrated roar echoed through the mines. “She cannot help. She is a fiend.” He pointed to his face. “Look at me. I spent my life accepting her punishment. As the eldest it is my duty. A duty that has left me childless. Mateless. No chance of gaining respect as an elder. Nephi suffers without us, unable to be with her family. And Jobi? Nobel, look at us. You are the only one of us who stands whole. Undamaged by her. If I killed her now I could spare you before she destroys everything we love.”

  The fight spilled out of her like blood onto the ground. Was he right? Did she destroy everything she cared about? Everything she touched? She thought about what her family had suffered—what Cyrus had suffered—because of her.

  A few steps took her to Eli’s side. She gripped his wrists and lifted his hands to her throat while he looked on in bewildered rage.

  She smiled sadly, thinking of what he might have been if not for her. “Kill me then, Eli. You go save Nephi from Ellsworth. From being hunted and watched in every private moment. From being raped or beaten each time she feels safe enough to let down her guard. Save her, brother. But kill me.”

  The salty dampness leaking down her cheeks went unheeded as she forced him to apply pressure to her neck. “There is still time to save them all,” she gasped. “Stop them from taking Jobi to sell as a slave or to experiment on for medicine meant to heal the nobles. Kill me and this nightmare will be over. For both of us.”

  He had hesitated before starting to squeeze her windpipe. She could take comfort in that. Only a moment, but he had tried.

  Phina closed her eyes, hearing him weep in self-pity, and sent a silent apology to the queen. She had tried, through service, to make right what was wrong, but perhaps a true sacrifice was required. The captain and fair Dare, strange smelling and special, would save the queen without her.

  When the pressure was suddenly removed from her windpipe, she began to choke, her body desperate for air despite her willingness to die.

  She saw Eli lying unconscious on the ground and Nob standing over him, a shovel in his hand. Phina knelt to see if her prone brother was still breathing.

  “He’ll live.” Nob was quiet. “He will be sorry he did, as he is each time he wakes, but he’ll live. You and Jobi need to go now.”

  Jobi’s expression was as somber as his brother’s. “He won’t thank you when he wakes up. Sure you want to stay?”

  Nob shrugged. “I am all he has left. Eli could never survive on his own. You know that.”

  It was a surprise to Phina. “Nob?”

  “Go.” His tone was adamant. “Save the ones who must be saved. My life is in no danger.” He tried to smile. “I may finally bed that girl with the pretty face. Who knows? Just remember your oath.”

  She would never see him again. She had sworn it. She embraced him and whispered a soft “Thank you” before hefting Jobi up the rise to the tunnel’s entrance a few feet off the ground.

  “Crawling one-handed without a tail.” Jobi’s voice was cynical. “I will take my chances with the scientists.”

  Phina pushed him inside. “You will move faster than you have in years and do it with a smile.” She gazed at Nob one last time. “We have a sister and possibly an Arendal Sword to save. Then we have a ship to fly.”

  “Fly? Seri, did you say fly?”

  Chapter Six

  He was being led into a trap.

  Cyrus sighed, aggravated beyond all measure that they had barely made an effort to conceal their intentions.

  The Wode at the stormgate had real enough reactions. He’d lowered his hood and they had beamed, slapping him on the back and saying they had known he was alive, despite the rumors.

  He’d watched one young Wode pull the lever that opened the circuit of the gate, breaking the connection to the protective charge around the wall to Queen’s Hill. He then began to turn the crank on the gate’s wheel to raise it up for Cyrus to pass.

  He’d strode swiftly up the three ridges of Queen’s Hill, nightfall making his journey less eventful. Few people wandered about at night. The artisans and scholars were tucked into their houses, raucous laughter and music drifting through the nobles’ open windows. It was always best to leave what they were doing to the imagination.

  Heading up the steps of the Copper Palace for the first time in what seemed like ages, he realized he did not feel as if he had come home. The Wode at the door were strangers to him, which was suspicious in itself, though he refused to show surprise. They knew the name Arendal. After a slight hesitation, they, too, let him inside.

  It was Behrnard, the palace steward, who had given it away. He had gone white as snow on the mountain when he saw Cyrus’s face. A
fter a momentary hesitation, his shock had transformed into effusive welcome. Too effusive. Too welcoming.

  He took Cyrus through the grand hall and up the wide staircase, his words seeming to tumble out faster than he could breathe. He assured Cyrus that both the queen and the Chalice would be overjoyed to see him alive. That they had been beside themselves with grief.

  Queen Idony and Dare, he’d added, were visiting informally with a few members of the Raj in her rooms. He could join them as soon as he cleaned up and changed into his Arendal uniform.

  Cyrus looked around his room and shook his head. Berhnard had lied. Repeatedly. Dare was on the Deviant, hovering in secret somewhere nearby, and the true queen had never allowed any member of the Raj into her personal sanctuary.

  At least his suite had not been invaded. The Wode-sized bed was as neatly made as when he had left it. His personal items, including the tribal hide painting he had been given to remember his origins from the Faro Outpost, still hung on the wall.

  The gesture did not comfort him. The rooms of the Queen’s Sword were not meant to be a shrine. It was meant to be the dwelling for a Wode who swore his fealty to the queen. Someone who would protect her with his life. If they’d believed him dead another should have been chosen immediately.

  The scope of the situation momentarily overwhelmed him and a red haze blinded his vision. The villains who had perpetrated the crime may still be unknown, but everyone in this palace was complicit. Even Berhnard, whose only crime in the past had been that of being an irritant.

  He noticed his sword, the true Arendal broadsword, leaning against the wall beside the open doors of his balcony. As though it deserved no better treatment than to be left to the elements when the servants let the air in each day. He would be taking that, along with the dagger.