by Eve Langlais
“Are you sure? Perhaps you should hear me out first, for I was going to name you Duchess Sofia, which comes with the position of master pharmacist.”
She tilted her chin. “I am not a master of anything.”
“You may call yourself whatever you like. I am offering you the opportunity to have your own practice.”
“Serving you?”
The king shrugged. “Serving the kingdom.”
“She can’t heal everyone.” Gunner couldn’t even begin to imagine the toll it would take if she constantly used her powers.
“I wouldn’t expect her to, but perhaps we could have the understanding that you will, at your discretion, use your healing abilities if there is great need.”
“And I would decide?” she said, chewing her lip.
Gunner could see she was tempted, and honestly, it was more than he had to offer. He wasn’t even sure he could find Axel and the others. And even if he did…did he expect her to live in a dirty camp, struggling to find food?
The voice whispered in his head again. What if you could give your people a home?
Gunner’s gaze focused on the king. “Stop poking around in my head and spit out what you want already.”
“I want you, Haven, everyone you know, to join me.”
“Join you?” He laughed. “What kind of fucked-up request is that?”
“You’ve seen Eden. The beauty.”
“And squalor,” Sofia added. “It isn’t all beautiful.”
He agreed. “It is possible for any city to not have its dark places?”
“You killed a man,” she declared. “In front of me.”
“A convicted criminal who would have died anyhow.”
“You mean if I’d saved him—“
“He would have still been executed. I told you, we don’t abide criminals.”
“You tolerate your Marsh people selling folk.”
“I thought we agreed that was for their own good. The old recipes are still in use in many spots.” The grin helped, but it was the lack of pushing on the mental shields that intrigued.
He no longer tried to force their will.
“Why us?”
“You’re a capable man. The kingdom could use more capable citizens.”
“To live in the city?”
Roark rolled his shoulders. “Maybe. The city is getting full, but I am sure we could figure something out that would accommodate you and the rest of Haven.”
For some reason Gunner’s gaze was drawn to the ruins. So many buildings. So many possibilities.
The king probably read his mind, because he said, “Before you ask, you should know this hamlet was destroyed by my enemies. They attacked without warning or provocation.”
“Did you avenge them?”
“I couldn’t until tonight.” The king looked to the shadows. “I am not always as free as I’d like to travel outside my kingdom. The mantle of responsibility keeps me anchored.”
“Why were they attacked?” Gunner asked.
Roark stared him straight in the eyes. “Because there is evil in the world.”
Not the answer he expected. “Do you think that evil might return to this place?”
“Honestly? Maybe. Probably.” Roark shrugged. “At the same time, the previous inhabitants were few and perhaps no longer as tough as the wilder villages. Domestication tends to soften people over time. This outpost town requires strength.”
“Also needs a shit-ton of work,” Gunner remarked, looking around. Benny would kill him if he didn’t bargain, because that was what was happening. They bargained for something that Gunner was scared to believe.
The king smiled. “Indeed, it does require some rebuilding. Given this town is an important line of defense along the border with the hostile territory of the Sapphire domain, aid in rebuilding could be requested from the crown.”
“And who rules us?”
“Ah, that’s a little more complex. Your Haven could keep Axel and its current people in their positions; however, they will abide by the law of the land.”
“Which is your law.”
“Don’t forget to say ‘Your Highness.’” Roark’s smile was cold, but Gunner recognized the firm will.
The question being, would they be ruled fairly, or would they trade one despot for another?
If it were just Gunner… The king was offering a home for Haven. The one thing he couldn’t turn down. He needed to let Axel and the others know.
“What’s the catch?”
“The Marshlands become stronger.” The king didn’t even bother to lie. “Your friends need a place to live. I need someone to guard our borders.”
“That’s a pretty big job. You’re at war with the Enclave and pretty much anyone who won’t recognize the Marshes as a kingdom.”
“Yes.” Still no apology.
It brought a smile to Gunner’s lips. “If you don’t stop, I’m gonna start liking you, I think.” He sobered. “If I say yes, it has to be understood I might have to spend time in New Haven helping out.”
Sofia straightened and added, “Me too.”
The king sighed. “If this is your way of saying you want to be together, in this same village, then so be it. I would ask one promise.”
Sofia didn’t even ask him what it was, just replied, “I’ll help her if needed, but your daughter won’t die. Not of that marsh sickness at any rate.”
Roark visibly eased. “Now that we’ve clarified our positions, you should make all due haste to your Haven group before the Port City Enclave realizes you’ve bested their spies.”
“Is that who they work for?”
A small smile touched Roark’s lips. “Not anymore.”
It was then that Gunner had to admit the flaw in their plan. “I’ll give Axel and the others your offer, if I can find them. I don’t know how to get to Emerald from here.”
“And here I thought your plan to follow the river was intentional and brilliant.” Roark snorted. “The river forks. Follow it south and it leads to the beaches and cliffs that border the ocean. Take the branch to the east and it will lead you into the woods that form the border between us and Emerald.”
“Getting to the forest does me no good. There’s a crack running through it that can’t be crossed.”
Again, the king smiled. “Yes, it can. You just need to search a little harder. Now, since we’re done here, you should know that there is a truck or two that was left behind in one of the outbuildings. Supplies too. Take what you need.”
“What if we leave and don’t come back?”
The king didn’t bother replying. Why would he? He’d just given Gunner the best chance at a future. The Eden they’d been looking for, though they would still have to fight the land and the Enclave, their enemy. As expected, keeping a home wasn’t going to be easy.
Which was kind of how he preferred it.
Twenty-Three
The king left the same way he arrived, wrapping himself in the water from the river and essentially disappearing. A man of incredible power, and not Enclave born.
“What a pompous prick,” Gunner muttered.
“He is. But…” She hesitated to say it.
“He’s offering us the chance of a lifetime. I know.” Gunner snorted. “Which is why we need to find Axel and the others to tell them. But first…” He drew her close and kissed her then rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you.”
“For what?” she said, not feigning surprise.
“Saving me. I keep trying to come to your rescue, but you don’t need me.”
What a silly thing to say. She cupped his face. “On the contrary, I do need you. Need you to love me. To teach me. And most of all give me the baby you promised. I think I saw a cup in that house.”
For some reason, he found that outrageously funny and laughed. He was still chuckling when he found the truck the king had mentioned. It took only a little fiddling to get it running. She spent that time scrounging in the houses, Kitty keeping watch
over her, until she’d found a medley of items to aid on their trip, including a knife. Not that she needed a weapon. She was deadly on her own. Or she would be once she had a nap.
They set out by midday, and Gunner held her hand and smiled as they travelled, following the river, Kitty napping in the back.
The water engine choked and gasped and made all kinds of awful noise, but having it beat walking, and it proved easy to fuel. It turned out there were waypoints along the river. Also abandoned, like the town, but they offered safe spots to rest.
Kitty, having slept all day, took their stop as an opportunity to stretch her legs and hunt. Whereas Sofia stretched her limbs and smiled. She’d napped in the truck and felt her strength returning. It was an unmistakable feeling, and she couldn’t help but recall that dulling of her senses when in the Ruby City. What was in that drink the master made her every morning? What would happen if everyone in the city woke up?
They took turns watching for predators as they bathed, with Gunner spending more time watching her than the landscape. She laughed at one point and splashed him. Which resulted in him scooping her into his arms, soaking his clothes to kiss her. With the sun setting, they made haste to get inside, where they locked the stone and mud hut against the outside world.
Gunner had made them a bed of spongy branches with a blanket she’d scored from a derelict house covering it. It wasn’t the finest of linens or softest of beds, but she didn’t care, not when his lips pressed so sweetly against hers. His hands made quick work of the motley arrangement of clothes she wore. She stripped him just as quickly.
They came together in a hot clash of breath, teeth, and flesh, with her legs parting to welcome his hard thrusts. Her body undulating to meet the rising pleasure only he could give. To reach that pinnacle where everything was perfect.
And just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, he stroked her body again.
When she awoke the next day, the hut alight with the sunshine peeking through the cracks, it was to find him grinning as he watched her.
“Why are you so happy?” she asked, rising with a stretch.
A soft smile pulled at his lips. “Because I love you.” And then because teasing seemed to be their thing. “I don’t think I put a baby in you last night. I think we should try again.”
They did. And then to be sure, they made love each time they stopped. Quick encounters when they had a short stop to stretch their legs and replenish the engine’s tank. They kept their longer sensual exploration for at night. Except the evening it rained, and Kitty joined them inside. In their makeshift bed. Between them.
They spent days travelling before they made it to the edge of a daunting forest. The trees were so tall, but Gunner appeared excited to see them. They had to ditch the truck, parking it under the boughs, hoping it would remain there until they returned.
It took three days of hiking to hit the crevice that split the forest, too deep to climb down, too far to jump across. According to Gunner even the quickest of drones couldn’t span it. Something oozed from the crack and killed almost all electronics.
Taking the advice of the king, they followed it. Another two days of walking until they found the massive tree that had fallen across.
“It’s big enough to drive over,” she remarked.
Gunner eyed it, and the freshness of the wood where it had split from its rooted base. “This happened recently.”
“How lucky.”
For some reason he found that extremely funny.
The wolgar found them the first night they camped on the other side of the gorge. They appeared from the shadows, and Sofia stuck close to Gunner, who, in turn, murmured, “Kitty, be nice. These are our friends.”
Not according to the large feline. Kitty had her ears flattened and her lip raised in a snarl.
The wolgar didn’t attack, but they did keep track of them, and Gunner seemed convinced they were herding them in a certain direction. That evening they made camp up in a tree—because of a nearby nest of blood biters—with Kitty standing watch. It wasn’t until hours after nightfall that a voice from the ground startled them.
Startled her at least. Gunner appeared to be expecting it.
“I knew you were too annoying to be dead,” said a voice with dry sarcasm.
“I came back just because I knew you’d miss me.” Gunner helped Sofia out of the tree, and she stood in front of a big guy who appeared undaunted by the wolgars sitting at his heels.
“Looks like you’ve got quite the story to tell,” said the man she found out later was the infamous Axel.
“Actually, it’s more than a story,” Gunner said. “I found Haven a home.”
Epilogue
The outpost proved just the right size for New Haven. The fact it had been raided before and the population sent fleeing or dead didn’t daunt them one bit. For one, Haven had more people, people willing to fight for their home. Plus, they had some magical talent of their own. Let the Seaside king try attacking again.
At times, Sofia was convinced Gunner and the others were eager for it. Anxious to do anything to show the Enclave they were done playing their petty games.
No one really wanted to fight, but they would. Because freedom was at stake. The truth needed to be heard. And lives had to be protected.
Her hand went to her belly, and she smiled as she watched Gunner outside with Kitty. He’d decided it would be cool if the feline could do tricks like Axel’s wolgar. It wasn’t working out too well.
Kitty was much too amused by the human who kept telling her to fetch. With reason.
“When I say attack, you look where I point and go nuts. Like this.” Gunner jabbed a finger at the reed figure he used for sparring practice and ran for it, fake snarling. He tackled it, hit the ground, and rose. He brushed himself off saying, “See, how easy it is? Your turn.” He pointed. “Attack!”
Kitty eyed him, padded over, rose on her hind legs, and licked him.
At the expression on his face, Sofia couldn’t help but laugh. Laughed so hard she missed Gunner sweeping close enough to grab her in his arms and swing her off her feet.
“You think that’s funny, eh?” he said in a mock growl.
There was only one answer to that. “I love you,” she said and then whispered the secret she’d just uncovered. “Daddy.”
Right before those bells went off in the Marshland dungeons...
Titan sat on his cot, feet flat on the floor, his hands on his knees. Eyes closed. But he could hear. Heard the tap of her heels as she came down the hall. Smelled her perfume. Still the same. The effect on him hadn’t diminished.
She stopped in front of his cell.
He didn’t look. Wouldn’t.
“Hello, Titan.” She spoke his name softly. As if she had the right. Yet she’d betrayed him. He had only to put a hand on his chest and feel what they’d done to remind himself.
He closed his eyes tighter and whispered, “Go away.”
Because she was a reminder of what had been done to him. How she’d been a part of it. How he’d changed.
“Let me help you. Please,” she offered.
At her request, something in him snapped. His focus shifted.
The next thing he knew, he was running through the night, away from the dungeon that couldn’t actually hold him. A body slung over his shoulder.
Fuck. What had he done?
He tossed his burden onto the ground and, in the cresting dawn, could have groaned as he saw who it was.
Riella, with her flaming red hair, freckled skin, and lying lips.
Why did he take her? The king would have given him his freedom. A place to live. A purpose.
Instead, he kidnapped Riella.
The daughter of his enemy.
And despite knowing they would come after him with everything they had, he wasn’t giving her back.
Stayed tuned for Twisted Metal Heart, where Titan must overcome his anger if he’s ever going to find peace in his heart.
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