Solace: Book Three (Strange in Skin Trilogy)

by Sara V. Zook

  “Don’t threaten me,” Emry said, his breathing labored from the pain. “You’ll only end up making a fool of yourself.”

  I wrapped my arms around his naked stomach, relieved and worried at the same time.

  “And don’t ever tell Anna what to do,” Emry added. “I would never keep her from seeing you if she wanted to.”

  “I don’t,” I said.

  “But if she doesn’t, I will keep you from seeing her.” He turned to me. “Go get in the car,” he instructed me.

  I hesitated to leave him.

  “It’s fine,” he assured me.

  John just stood there, his shoulders slumped. He was defeated. Helene had tears streaming down her cheeks. This was the conclusion to my being part of the James family. I turned around and headed for the car.

  “You are a sad excuse for a man,” Emry told him. “You’re a sad excuse for a preacher.”

  FIFTEEN

  I just sat on the chair, my head in my hands as the med tech on Evadere patched up Emry’s arm. His face kept twisting as they sewed up the hole from where they had extracted the bullet. They had offered him pain medication, but he had refused. He was so stubborn.

  Carlin had driven back to her place. She had apologized a million times for taking us to John and Helene’s house. She wanted to take Emry to a hospital. We told her we’d go ourselves. We didn’t feel like having anyone keep us company anymore for the day. She left it at that and said goodbye, promising for a better dress shopping day the next time and asking for a wedding date. I told her I wasn’t sure yet, that now Emry had to heal and so forth. She just stared at us both for a few minutes before giving us both a hug, apologizing one last time, and watching us walk away.

  I was relieved John had only gotten Emry’s arm. Guilt washed over me as if this whole thing was my fault.

  I looked up. Emry was mumbling something.

  “What’d you say?” I asked.

  The tech finished wrapping a bandage around his arm. He thanked her and she left. He walked over to me.

  “I was saying there are just as many people after us on Earth as there is here.”

  “Yeah, really.” I frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  He sighed. “I’ll be fine. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “Of course I am.”

  He took my hand in his. “If John would’ve killed me, and you would’ve been left to be with those people …”

  I forced a smile. “Well, it didn’t happen like that, and John would’ve had to shoot me to get me to stay there with him.”

  Ben came into the room. “What happened?” he asked.

  “Bad trip to Earth,” Emry replied. “I’m good though. We’re going to avoid that situation again.”

  Ben stared at him as if trying to decipher exactly what he meant, what had happened, but decided to drop the subject.

  “Any news?” Emry asked.

  Ben sat down on a bench across the room from us. He folded is hands together in front of him. “Nobody’s talking.”

  “News on what?” I asked. It was as if these two had a constant investigation going on.

  Emry took a deep breath. “We were trying to find out if anyone would talk about minx distribution, who has bought it lately, those kinds of things.”

  “Unlike Earth, there isn’t much imprisonment here,” Ben explained. “If you’re caught doing something bad, Atavia would just have you killed. Even though minx is a bad drug, the way in which it was used on you would mean the need for a high quantity. Unless someone was saving it up, we figured they had purchased it in bulk, and we were looking for a trail of some sort, someone that was willing to spill information.”

  “No one trusts me, even if I say they won’t be killed, that things will change from how my mother did them.” Emry began messing with the bandage on his arm. “No one’s going to want to tell me anything, especially since I have human roots.”

  “Meaning what?” I asked.

  “You know how Earth is perceived here,” Ben stated. “Emry was raised on Earth.”

  “Yet they’ll come to our wedding,” I said, feeling sorry for Emry and me, the multiple predicaments we were thrown into. I wondered if there would ever be a time in our lives where we’d truly live peaceful lives, remain in solace.

  “Contributors thrive on historical significance,” Ben commented. “You and Emry’s marriage, both of you becoming official royal members, that’s a huge piece of history that no one wants to say they didn’t witness for themselves. That is why they’ll be there.”

  “Not for our support.” I crossed my arms in front of me and leaned against Emry.

  “Unfortunately, no,” Ben said. “Maybe that’s not true for all though. It’ll be a process for them to gain your trust. That’s just how it goes.”

  “So … is the same person who gave me minx the same one who murdered Jillianne and Raleigh?”

  “We’re not sure. There’s just no evidence …” Ben trailed off. “How are you feeling, Anna, since the minx?”

  I shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I still don’t feel I have all my strength back, but it’s coming day by day.”

  Ben nodded. He stood up. “So does that still mean the wedding is on?”

  I looked up at Emry who questioned me back.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Emry pressed his lips together. “Nothing’s going to ruin our special day together. Nothing.”

  “The day is approaching,” Ben stated.

  “I’ll be there,” I said, nudging Emry with my shoulder.

  Laughing, Emry held up his hands to pull me up. “If you don’t show up, I’ll try not to take too much offense.” He winked at me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Well, before I devote my life to this crazy and confusing world of yours, I do have another favor to ask.”

  Emry raised his eyebrows. “When you say it like that, I’m afraid of what you’re going to ask.”

  ***

  We stood outside of the once abandoned house where I had been in search of answers of Lucas Banesberry and what had happened to him. The house was now cleaned up, the porch fixed, flowers lined the sidewalk and a soft glow came from inside.

  “Wow,” I said.

  “Didn’t look like this before, huh?” Emry asked.

  “Not at all. It’s definitely had a makeover.”

  We both walked up the steps to the porch and knocked on the door. Just as I had suspected, Cassie Banesberry opened the door. The color drained from her face as soon as she saw us.

  “It’s okay,” I assured her.

  “You’re … not coming to take me back, are you?” she asked, wiping her hands on the front of the apron she was wearing.

  “No, no,” Emry replied.

  She sighed. “Oh, thank goodness. What is it that you want then?”

  The aroma of apple pie floated from the house. “Can I just come in to talk for a little while?”

  Her forehead wrinkled in concern. “Of course. Come on in.”

  I turned to Emry. “Would you mind waiting out here?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Going to be talking about me?”

  I grinned. “Probably.”

  “It better be all good things.”

  I flashed him a smile and turned to follow Cassie in. The inside had been transformed also.

  “Have a seat,” Cassie said. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

  I took a seat on a soft brown couch. “No, thanks. It looks great in here. You’ve done a wonderful job.”

  She turned and smiled. Her hair was tied back loosely. Her cheeks were red from the over-heated kitchen she had just come from. “Thank you.” She looked around the room. “It was as if the house had been waiting for me. I hired some men and they fixed the place up. Feels just like home. I thought I’d never have that feeling again. It was only something I dreamed of. Thanks to you, I’m able to be here.”

  I looked at the piano, now polished and clean, remembering how du
sty it was. “How have you been?”

  She took off the apron and tossed it on a chair, then sat down herself. “Really well. It took me some time to adjust. I had to get sleeping pills and anxiety medication prescribed to me, but other than some paranoia issues about this only being temporary, I’ve never been better. I’ve been able to visit with my relatives and regain relationships. I’m still mostly antisocial though.”

  I nodded. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to appear in another world and have to live there in fear to only dream of the people that once surrounded you.

  “I’m so grateful to be home though. Thank you, Anna. Thank you.”

  I felt my cheeks burn red. It was surreal to know she would have to adjust on Earth while I had to adjust to Evadere. “You’re welcome, Cassie. I’m so glad I could help. I just came here because I needed to talk to somebody, and the only person I thought would talk to me about things and understand at the same time was you.”

  Cassie raised her eyebrows. A beeping sound came from the kitchen. She held up her finger. “One second. That’s my pie.”

  I nodded. “Smells delicious.” I wondered what kind of story Cassie had come up with to tell her relatives for the reason of her disappearance all those years ago.

  After a few minutes, Cassie came back into the room with two plates full of steaming apple pie. “Let it cool off a bit and then eat it.” She set it down on the end table beside the couch. “I’ll give this one to Mr. Logan. He was so kind to me, too.” She walked over to the front door and stepped out on the porch.

  “I haven’t had this in forever. Thanks,” I heard Emry say from the porch.

  Cassie returned to her seat and crossed her legs. “Okay. What is it you need to talk about?”

  “Emry and I are getting married in a few days.”

  “Oh.” Her expression was one of shock. “Will you be living at the castle?”

  I sighed. “Yes, but people are after us, Emry and I. I just got kidnapped and drugged. Emry found me, but we don’t know who’s up to what. The contributors won’t talk to me. I think they hate me.”

  “Well, you’re a human,” she said. “I mean, honestly, that’s why.”

  I nodded. “The contributors make Evadere out to be a place of wondrous things. Everything is beautiful and tidy, the contributors keep to their groups mostly. They have their fun, but what is it really about that place? How did you see it?”

  She paused for a moment. “I didn’t see it as fun. Of course, I was a servant of the queen’s. She was all about glamour and entertainment, lavish parties and always guests to show off what she had. I thought Evadere was terrifying. Everyone was trying to please the queen, keep her in good spirits. If she was angry or didn’t like something, people died. That’s just the way it was.”

  “So the contributors were afraid of her?”

  “Oh, my, yes. A lot of them didn’t even want to step foot in the castle if she invited them. They were afraid they’d offend her in some way, not dress the way she wanted, but they came anyway, because if they didn’t, that would be offending the queen as well. She got revenge and got it often. If she didn’t kill the person who directly offended her, she’d kill a member of their family, someone close to them.”

  “Wow.” I glanced over at the steam still rising from the pie. “Atavia is even worse than I had imagined.”

  “Her abuse of her powers was terrifying to even me. Of course, I had no way to defend myself at all. I’m merely a human, too.” She smiled a little.

  I smiled back. “I love their use of the term human. It makes me feel like such a … special person.”

  She laughed aloud then. “Oh, yes. As special as a Scave.”

  “Well, now she’s getting a taste of her own medicine. Now she’s as powerless as a human or Scave, too.”

  “What happened to her?” Cassie asked.

  “She’s in the dungeon. I don’t think Emry knows what to do with her. He doesn’t want to kill her, but he doesn’t want to be around her either.”

  “It’s rumored that the queen only became cruel after her husband was murdered. She couldn’t find the Scave that killed him, so she went after everyone else.”

  “I don’t understand why she didn’t go after Karn. I mean, she has all those guards.”

  “Yes, but the guards don’t have the extent of the powers as royalty does. The Scaves are known to be savage beasts. There were stories about Karn, that he had ripped a man’s head off with his teeth.”

  I cringed. “Yuck.”

  She nodded. “I know. I think they were so unknown to the queen, she just didn’t want to risk trying to find him. Sometimes contributors who went out on their own, away from their groups, never came back. It was thought they had stumbled into the Scave camp and had been killed.”

  I thought about how I had seen Karn order two men be killed and how Rooney had shot them both with his arrows.

  “That’s true,” I said. “I saw that very thing happen.”

  “How did you get out of the Scave camp?” she asked.

  “Two young Scaves helped me. They were best friends, and the one who had brought me into the camp was exiled by Karn for bringing me there. Her friend, Rooney was his name, was supposed to kill us, but instead, he ran off with us too. He ended up getting killed by a contributor.”

  “See, all of these things you’re saying are really answers to your own questions,” Cassie stated. “You’re wondering what really is the basis of Evadere. It’s centered around revenge and who has the most power, the upper hand. It’s the contributors against the Scaves, the Scaves against royalty. It’s a battle of the powers. Even though the Scaves have none, they sure do put a scare into that world.”

  I looked down at the floor. “Everyone against humans.”

  “Yes. And now you’re becoming queen I’m assuming by marrying Emry?”

  “Yeah.”

  She uncrossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. “You can only imagine the stirring you’re causing.”

  “Well, they don’t trust me.”

  “They don’t trust any royalty. They’ve had nothing but suffering from them. But more than that, royalty is of the utmost power. They have the ability to do virtually anything. How can a human be their queen? How does that change things for the world as they know it?”

  “So … you think they’d rather have a queen with power like Atavia because it’s familiar to them?”

  “Exactly, for most contributors. Some probably welcome the change, but humans are noted to be too … stupid. They don’t think you’re capable of being their queen.”

  “They helped me with a beautiful wedding dress.”

  “Of course they did, for Emry’s sake, to please him. If they didn’t please him, he could squash them like a bug like his mother did. He has her blood in him. That’s what they’re thinking. He may not seem like he’s abusing his authority now, but as with Atavia, they assume it’s only a matter of time.”

  “This is all so frustrating. I just want there to be peace.”

  “That would be a difficult task. Peace is not in the nature of any of the people there. There has been a battle between everyone for a very long time.” Cassie pressed her lips together and looked at me thoughtfully. “Emry wouldn’t consider being on Earth?”

  I sighed. “He doesn’t feel like he belongs here. His temper and powers have gotten him in trouble in the past. I think he wants to try to make a difference for his father’s sake on Evadere.”

  “I heard he was a very good man. The contributors talked quite a bit in the castle. I was surprised how much gossip I did hear considering they were always fearful of the queen. The servants also talked. I was just the quiet mouse in the background, soaking it all in. Little did I know I’d ever escape that hell.”

  I paused for a moment. I was so glad Cassie knew all of these things. I had come to the right place, but was even more disturbed now by knowing the corrupt nature of the entire world that made up Evadere. “The
re have been people after us from the start. Besides the police, it started with a woman at the courthouse coming after Emry with a knife. Luckily, she didn’t succeed. But I believe those people were part of a group led by Mrs. Anderson.”

  “Mrs. Anderson, the one who was publically killed when the queen attacked you?” Cassie asked.

  “Yes. Ben’s sister.”

  Cassie’s eyes shifted to her hands at the mention of his name.

  “Cassie, do you know something about Ben? How could Atavia have been so terrible and Ben seeming so good, always on Emry’s side?”

  “I don’t know much about him,” Cassie stated. “He would appear in the castle and then be gone. He was a quiet man, never really spoke much.”

  “Like he’s secretive,” I said.

  She looked up at me then. “Yes, sort of, I guess he was like that. He was a faithful servant of the queen’s and just did what she said. I didn’t know what his purpose was until I realized he was Emry’s protector while he was on Earth. Of course no one knew the queen’s son was on Earth. I think the people thought once Atavia was dead, it would be all over. Now that Emry is the heir, it’s like her cruelness is able to continue for another generation longer.” She quit messing with her hands and patted her hair. “What about the murders in the castle? Whatever came of that?”

  “That’s been another mystery. Who killed Jillianne and Raleigh, and why? The castle has felt very unsafe.”

  “Well, it’s someone on the inside of course.”

  “Yes, but even Ben can’t figure out who.”

  “What is it about Ben that you don’t trust other than how loyal he was to the queen?” she asked me.

  I shook my head. “I can’t put my finger on it. Something really bothers me about him. He’s been acting strange ever since his sister was killed.”

  “I can’t help you out there,” she said. “Ben was not someone the contributors spoke of.”

  I frowned. “Somebody kidnapped me. They drugged me with something called minx.”

  “Minx?” Cassie’s face lit up in alarm.

  “I’m guessing you know about it?”