by Sara V. Zook
SOLACE
Strange in Skin Trilogy
Book #3
by
Sara V. Zook
Planettopia Publishing LLC
Copyright © 2013 Author Sara V. Zook
Cover Design
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.
This book is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental. All characters and events in this work are figments of the author’s imagination.
DEDICATION
This third and final book in the Strange in Skin Trilogy is dedicated to my family and friends who have encouraged me to keep writing Emry and Anna’s story. I can’t believe this is the final book. What an amazing journey.
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ONE
Atavia’s shrieks echoed throughout the castle.
My head laid against Emry’s chest as he carried me away from the pulsating noise coming from the thing that gave birth to him. It was as if she were being tortured, her nails being ripped off one by one. Maybe that’s what it felt like to lose all of your powers in a world where that was needed to coexist.
My muscles were like jello. I barely had the energy to keep my eyes open and was grateful that my ear had landed upon Emry’s thumping heart. I tried to focus on only this, allowing it to drown out Atavia as she cursed at the guards. Just hours ago, they had taken orders from her, but not any longer. They had turned on her. Everyone had. She had no one to blame but her own heartless self.
My eyes opened as Emry put me down. We were in his room as I now rested in the middle of his bed. He pulled a blanket up around me. My lips parted to speak, but I just couldn’t get anything out. The fatigue washed over me again and again, reminding me of how strong Atavia had been when she did have her powers. I almost died.
Ben’s figure appeared in the doorway. I focused on him for a moment before my heavy lids closed again.
“Why isn’t anyone here yet?” Emry snapped.
“They’re on their way,” Ben reassured him.
“They’d better get here soon. Just look at her, Ben. She’s not doing so good.” I could hear the tremble in his voice as he choked on his unraveling emotions. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Anna’s strong, you know that.”
Atavia let out another high-pitched screech.
Emry growled. “Why won’t she shut up? Where are they taking her?”
“Welcome to the real side of Atavia,” Ben proclaimed. “What a fit. She’s never not gotten what she wants before. Not only do you still have Anna, but she has lost all of her powers. She could keep this up for awhile.”
“Oh, no, I’m not listening to that all night,” Emry stated. “If she doesn’t shut up, have them muzzle her. I’ll deal with her tomorrow. For now …” his voice trailed off.
The bed was comfortable underneath me as I sunk in. Emry came over and wrapped his arms around me. I knew my body was just barely holding on, yet I was happy. Emry Logan was mine once again.
“The medic team is here,” Ben announced.
Emry released his grasp from me as contributors filed into the room. They rushed to the edge of the bed.
“Miss James, how are you feeling?” someone asked.
I sucked in a deep breath. “Just … tired.”
With that, I fell fast asleep.
* * *
My eyes fluttered open. Emry’s body was pressed against me. I made an attempt to turn around to look at him. My muscles were stiff and protested.
“Don’t move. Just rest. How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Is it morning?”
Emry chuckled. “Getting there.”
“How long have I been out of it?”
“Two days,” he answered.
“Two days?” I exclaimed, this time finding the strength to turn around and look at him.
He released his hold on me and flipped onto his back. He turned his head to stare at me. “I almost lost you.”
“Nah,” I whispered. “Not even close.”
My eyes wandered to the door as a muffled scream came from the hallway.
“Queen Atavia,” he said mockingly. “She’s been at it this whole time. I haven’t even dealt with that situation yet.”
“What?” I asked, surprised he had let her just carry on like that.
“I couldn’t leave your side.” He took my hand in his and kissed it. “Besides, I wanted to try and wear her down.”
“What are you going to do?” I questioned him.
Emry shrugged. “Probably take her to the dungeon. I mean, I don’t think I could have her killed, even though she deserves it.”
I lowered my brows and focused on his eyes which held exhaustion mixed with fear. “She’s evil, pure evil, but she’s still your …”
“Don’t even say it,” he said before I could get the words out. “I don’t even want to think about any of this stuff right now. I just want to focus on you.”
“Well, I’m going to be fine.”
His forehead wrinkled. “You still didn’t answer me.”
I pulled the blanket up to my neck and stared at the beautiful, future king. “What was the question again?”
He rolled his eyes, his lips drawing up into a half smile. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“Actually, I’m pretty hungry.”
He jumped out of bed. “Breakfast, lunch, dinner? What’ll it be?”
“Hmmm, surprise me.”
“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” He rushed toward the door.
“Two days?” I asked again, watching him go.
I had so many questions going through my mind. Atavia didn’t have powers anymore and was now a prisoner in her own castle. Where did that leave Emry? Where did that leave me? What about the contributors? How could they function without a leader, and would they want Emry to be their new leader? It was all so overwhelming.
I had dived headfirst into this mystical journey and had survived all of the physical tribulations thus far. There had been a lot of me being without Emry lately, and I didn’t want to ever feel that way again.
When Emry returned, he watched me eat every bite of food as if making sure I was swallowing it and not hiding it under my tongue or something.
Emry cupped his face in his hands. “I have to go see mother … Atavia, try and figure things out.”
I finished chewing and took a sip of water. “I want to go with you.”
He stared at me for a moment, those blue eyes picking at my thoughts. “Okay.”
“Really?” I nearly spit the water out. “No arguments? I wasn’t expecting that to be so easy.”
He shrugged and stood up. “I don’t want to push you away again, Anna. If I had listened to you in the first place …”
Emry Logan had had a revelation.
“Everything’s okay now,” I assured him. “I’m okay now.”
“I almost let you slip right through my fingers. What an idiot I am.” He ripped at his hair with his fingers. It stood up a little. He needed a shower. When was the last time he had gotten something to eat himself?
“Stop worrying about what almost happened. It’s over and done with.” I pressed my lips together and attempted to smile. My eyes moved to my half empty pl
ate. I was stuffed. “Where is Atavia anyway?”
Emry put his hands behind his back. “In a room down the hall that’s being guarded.”
“Okay,” I said, standing up. “I probably look like crap, but let’s go and get this over with.”
He reached out his hand and grabbed onto mine. “Just stay behind me a little. She’s sleep deprived and vicious from what I’ve been told.”
I nodded and followed Emry out of the room. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that she no longer had powers. She couldn’t hurt me.
Emry motioned for the guards to get out of the way as he opened Atavia’s room door. I peered in as he went in first.
Atavia’s hands and feet were bound as she lay on a bed. She looked up. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes red and gleaming with madness. Her eyes darted from Emry to me. She began thrashing, her body like a worm writhing to and fro in pure hatred at the sight of me.
A sudden joy filled me seeing her so helpless, so weak like she had made me feel. I tried to refrain myself from the grin that was playing on my lips.
“Emry! Emry!” she screamed, her voice raspy and shrill from overuse. “Get these idiots to untie me!”
“You had to tie her feet?” Emry asked the guard.
The guard gave him an uneasy look and nodded. “Every time I got close enough to give her something to eat or take her to the bathroom, all she’d do is kick me. I got sick of it.”
“Can’t blame you there,” Emry said, his eyes shifting back to Atavia. “I want to talk to you.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks. “The ropes, they’re cutting into my skin. It hurts so bad.”
Emry glanced my way. I took hold of his hand.
“I’ll get them to take the ropes off, but if you try anything …” he warned.
She shook her head, her hair wild with the movement. “I won’t. Just get these off.”
The guard took a deep breath before walking over to the bed to release Atavia. She glared at him the entire time, hatred emanating from her.
“I should’ve had you put to death,” she growled at him, a hiss escaping from between her teeth.
“Shut up.” Emry’s irritation grew as he shifted his position.
Atavia rubbed her bleeding wrists as the guard cut away the rope. He then moved to release her ankles. She plastered a fake smile on as she wobbled over toward us, her arms held open to her son.
Emry backed away.
Atavia’s face crinkled in disgust. “What, no hug for your own mother?” Her eyes shifted to me. Now uneasy from the fact that she was free to move her limbs, I retreated slightly to stand behind Emry.
“You no longer have the right to be titled my mother,” he said, his voice callous, cold.
“Emry, please, you don’t mean that.” Atavia ran a hand along some strands of her untamed hair sticking up. “I mean, we can fix this, can’t we?”
Emry just stood there, his face inches from her, staring a hole into her face.
“We can start over again, let all of this in the past and forget everything that happened. Please, Emry, you’re all that I have,” she begged, her voice choking.
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re just upset that you no longer have a puppet to control. It was all a show that you ever gave a damn about me.”
“Emry, no …” she mumbled. “I kept you safe all those years on Earth, away from the Scaves.”
“A puppet prince without any knowledge at all about this world who would certainly be in need of a mentor when the time came, his own mother, who would show him the ropes, be taught to rule the kingdom in the same manner as she, but she made a mistake.”
Now Atavia was the one glaring at him.
“Earth made her prince soft, fall in love with a human who could remind him of what really matters when his own mother so blatantly tried to destroy it … love. You possess no love. You don’t care about your family or your people. You only care about yourself.”
“That’s not true!” she shrieked. “I am the queen! The queen!”
“You know what?” Emry said, turning to give me a quick wink. “Let’s let the future queen decide your fate.”
I was as equally shocked with this announcement as Atavia.
Emry nodded toward me. “Go on, Anna, tell the old, washed up queen what should happen to her.”
“What?” Atavia screamed.
“You have no control of us anymore, over anything really. You’re a measly Scave. Should we cast her out to live off of the dust as she has done to so many others born without powers?” Emry asked me.
I was deep in thought. He was giving me the opportunity to get revenge on Atavia for what she had done to me. She had almost stripped me of my life, of time with Emry Logan. What did I truly want to happen to her for being so malicious? She had been horrible to me from the moment I entered her castle. She hated humans, Scaves, anyone different from herself. I was doubtful she’d ever be able to change. There was only one place for her to go.
“Well,” I began, swallowing the small lump that had formed in my throat. “She’s committed a crime, attempted murder, so as I see it, she deserves a life sentence. I guess she belongs in the dungeon for the rest of her life.”
“The dungeon?” Atavia’s eyes had grown large as she began thrashing her arms toward me, trying to get in a slap, a punch, any kind of physical contact.
There was no doubting that if she were given the chance, she’d wrap her fingers around my neck and choke the very life out of me.
“Get her tied up again,” Emry instructed the guard. “Go help him,” he hollered out into the hallway at the other soldiers. “I warned you,” he told her as she screamed when the guard pulled her arms behind her back.
Atavia threw herself backwards, the back of her head smashing into the guard’s nose. Blood slithered down his lips and dripped from his chin. He cursed aloud from the pain.
“I will kill you!” she yelled out. “Both of you! You won’t even be able to get back to Earth. I wouldn’t go to sleep if I were you!”
Emry rolled his eyes, his grip now tighter on my hand. “Get her locked in the dungeon. I want four guards on duty at all times watching over her. Got it?”
The guards nodded understanding as they attempted to pick Atavia up, one at her head, one at her feet. She turned her head and sunk her teeth into the skin of the guard’s hand. He dropped her, her head hitting the floor with a loud thump. There was no movement from Atavia. The jolt had knocked her out.
“Well,” Emry said on the verge of chuckling. “That’s one way to shut her up.”
The guard inspected the wound on his hand.
“You may want to get a rabies shot just in case,” Emry told him.
The guard looked up, confused. “A shot of what?”
Emry turned to me and I couldn’t help but giggle.
TWO
“I feel kind of lost,” Emry whispered later that night, his head on my shoulder as we swung from a hammock outside.
I stared up at those magnificent white stars wondering how they seemed to close here on Evadere. My heart went out to Emry. I couldn’t begin to even try to understand what he must be going through. Everyone wanted to dump responsibilities on him that he knew nothing about, but at the same time, I didn’t feel lost. I felt content now that no one was coming between us. It was just he and I and this beautiful, strange world waiting for us to help it. It was surreal, as if I had finally found peace in the midst of a crude place.
I wrapped my arms around him, breathing him in. No one was around to bother us. He had a lot to figure out, but he wanted to include me this time. He valued my opinion. My heart swelled.
“Well,” I began. “What do you want to do? Do you want to be king?”
He lifted his blue eyes to the sky as well, his mind being tormented with the distress of what the question meant. “I don’t know what being a king means, Anna, you know?”
I didn’t know what being a queen was either, yet he kept ref
erring to me as the future queen.
“I don’t know how to get the Scaves and contributors to get along. It seems like a lost battle to me. I don’t think either side is ever going to surrender to living with the other in harmony.” He let out a pressured sigh. “I may as well be human.”
“You’re not human, Emry,” I whispered, my fingers gliding up and down the skin on his arm.
“I was raised human.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re from this place, but what makes you so great is the fact that you have the compassion of a human, unlike almost everyone here.” His body tensed up.
“I don’t know if that’s so great. It just makes it more complicated.”
“You want to go back to Earth?” I asked.
Emry turned to look me in the eyes. He really wanted to know what I thought he should do, but I didn’t even know myself. Emry had felt lost on Earth also.
“Maybe.”
I moved a piece of hair out of his face. “When are you going to realize that it doesn’t matter where you are. You’re strong enough to change any world and make a positive difference.”
He smirked. “I’m glad you believe in me even when I don’t believe in myself.” He gave me a quick kiss.
“Of course I believe in you.”
“I love you, you know that?” he asked, his smile now spreading across his face.
“Emry?” a voice came from a doorway that led back inside the castle.
“I’m over here, Ben,” Emry called out.
I frowned. So much for some alone time.
Ben strolled over to us and sat on the edge of the wall. He stared out into the distance for a moment, his mind also full of plaguing thoughts.
“Sorry to disturb you two,” Ben finally said.
Emry sat up and gave my hand a squeeze. “No problem, Ben. What’s up?”
He turned around to us, his eyes difficult to see in the darkness. “We need to talk about some things. Are you feeling better, Anna?”
“Much better, Ben, thanks for asking,” I said.