by Cheree Alsop
When Anaya didn’t stop, I shouted, “That’s enough!”
She lowered her hand and Redden’s torture stopped.
“I thought you said it tickled,” he mumbled as he fought to get his legs back underneath him.
Anaya ignored him and turned back to me. “Ready to bow?”
“I can’t,” I said, allowing a hint of the desperation I felt to color my words. “I truly can’t, not and live. I told you about the price on my head.”
She scoffed. “The price that will only be dropped if you return me to your precious Parliament? You might as well bow; you’ll have better luck with Malivok.” Her hand lifted back up to the button on my harness.
“Not if he plans to destroy Evia to get the rest of his Andenite,” I replied.
Anaya paused. “Where did you hear that?”
“From his right hand crony, apparently,” I told her. “Is it true? Is this Godking ready to destroy an entire planet to get what he wants?”
She hesitated for a moment, then said, “It doesn’t involve me.”
“It does if you’re on his side,” I replied. “You can’t turn a blind eye to this, Ny.”
“Don’t call me that!” she shouted.
I didn’t see her right hook coming. It knocked my head back and sent stars spinning through my vision.
“You got the family gift for punching,” I said.
She snorted. “When will you accept that we’re no longer family?”
“When I’m dead,” I replied.
“I can arrange that,” she said.
She hit me again.
This time when her fist connected, something snapped in my mind. My thoughts whirled and I blinked, but the darkness that filled my vision refused to leave.
“Leave him alone,” Redden said. “It takes a coward to strike someone who can’t fight back.”
That apparently struck a nerve because I heard his grunt when she pressed the button on his harness.
I blinked rapidly, but my eyes refused to clear. Fear that she would kill Redden if I didn’t stop her pressed against me from all sides.
“Ny, remember the parade?”
Silence filled the room. Redden let out a little moan. I hoped that meant she had stopped.
I continued, hoping to keep her distracted from the Quarian. “Remember when we climbed on top of the steps and watched the Lords and Ladies pass in their fancy carriages pulled by faroks adorned in gold?”
“What about it?” she said in a level voice I couldn’t read.
I pressed my advantage. “We used to dream about what it was like to be one of the Lords or Ladies, remember? We’d talk about how we would decorate our castles and what we would do if we had all the marks in the ‘Verse.”
Her words were clipped when she said, “Of course I remember. Why does it matter?”
I turned my head toward her, hoping I was facing her directly. “If you return with me to the House, I’ll be made into one of those Lords.” I softened my tone. “I’ll have to power to protect you forever.”
The silence that followed my words was charged with emotion.
Anaya finally said, “We Sunders don’t need anyone.”
They were the words my father repeated many times after Mother left us. They were the last thing I had heard from him when he left me in Grand Lord Calladar’s hold. Be strong, Kove. We Sunders don’t need anyone.
“The people in that dungeon down there need me, Ny,” I said. “The people on Evia whose entire planet is about to be destroyed with them on it need me. I will do whatever I can to save them. Come with me. We can help them together and stop Malivok’s insanity. We can make a difference and save those who can’t save themselves.”
I thought for a moment that she would accept. Hope filled me. I wished I could see her expression. The lack of eyesight was more alarming than I wanted to admit.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re horrible at saving people, Kove?” she said. I felt her hand rest on the buttons of the harness. Her voice was hardened when she said, “Bow to the Godking or die.”
“I’d rather die than look the other way as millions of lives are taken for some insane plan of achieving immortality,” I said.
She pushed the button.
I came to when the soldiers were dragging me down the hall. I could hear Redden talking to the guards and was relieved that at least he had survived his first torture session. I kept my head down and pretended to still be unconscious; it wasn’t that hard considering that I still couldn’t see and my legs didn’t want to respond anyway. I wondered how long Anaya had kept the button pressed.
The fact that my sister had denied my request for her to throw in with me and rescue the people the Godking threatened was nearly as disturbing as being tortured by her. Needless to say, my first interactions with my sister after so many years hadn’t gone nearly the way I thought they would. By her own words, I was to blame for this.
I had thought of the little girl dragged away by our father and sold to the pleasure ships every day since we were apart. I had always imagined rescuing her and carrying her away from it all like the big brother I used to be. We had been best friends, confidants, and I had protected her from everything until the ‘Verse turned out to be too big to track down one little girl.
I had never given up, but I knew that entertaining thoughts of her throwing herself in my arms and thanking me for freeing her from those who had used her had changed. Yet never in my wildest imaginings did I think she would be the one with the power to rescue me, and instead she had tortured me with her own hands.
Her trust had turned to hatred; I heard it in her voice when she spoke. I had seen such things many times in the arena. Powerful emotions like love and trust didn’t just die away; they morphed into formidable feelings of hatred and anger, and I was the one on the receiving end of Anaya’s feelings. It was a very dangerous place to be.
The sound of the cell door being opened was followed by the guards dragging me inside. I managed to catch one of the guard’s belts on the way past and took him down with me when they dropped me on the floor. He fell beneath me with a cry of surprise and fumbled to push me away. The other guard kicked me and I doubled inward to protect my stomach as the man scrambled back to his feet.
“You die tomorrow, Smiren,” he said. “And I look forward to your death.”
The door shut with a crash behind them.
“Kove?” Nova asked, her tone fearful.
I rolled onto my back. The sound of knees dropping beside me was followed by a hand on my shoulder.
Nova gasped and touched my face. “What happened?”
“What do you think of your sister now?” Redden asked from my other side.
I winced when Nova’s carefully searching hands checked my bruised face. “I hate her.”
“Sounds like you have another chance to see her tomorrow when she puts you to death for denying the Godking,” Redden said levelly.
“Is that true?” Nova asked.
I nodded. “So my plan is not to be here when she returns.”
Doubt colored McKy’s voice when he asked, “How do you plan to do that?”
I opened my hand to reveal the key I had pulled from the guard’s belt when we fell together.
“You’re a genius!” Redden exclaimed. “That’s why you said you had to go out one more time.”
“I was hoping it would work,” I admitted.
The Quarian’s voice was thick with distaste when he said, “I’ll bet you didn’t think she’d electrocute you to the brink of death.”
I shook my head without a word.
“Kove, what are you looking at?” Nova asked softly.
I put a hand on my face, covering up my eyes. When I took it away, it was just as dark.
“I can’t see,” I admitted.
Redden swore under his breath. “She’s brutal, Kove.”
“Tell me about it,” I said wryly.
I stifled a groan as I tried to sit u
p. Hands pushed me to a sitting position. I moved back against the wall. Everything hurt. I felt singed from the inside out. Thoughts of retaliation against Anaya whispered in my mind. I pushed them away and focused on the matter at hand.
“We need to escape right away.”
“That’s insanity,” Redden said. “You’re not in any shape to move and I’m not much better, if I have to admit it.”
“It was bad?” Regalus asked in a sorrowed voice.
“It was,” Redden said simply. “And I would prefer not to do it again. I don’t know if my heart could take it, truth be told.”
“Then we go.”
Farlon’s voice was clear and firm.
“How?” McKy asked.
“We have the key and you know where the ship is. We just need to get to the dock and steal a hopper,” Redden’s brother replied.
“It’s not going to be that simple,” McKy pointed out. “We’ll get caught.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not your life on the line if you’re caught, it’s his,” Farlon shot back.
I fought down a smile at the command in his tone. He had found his old self again.
“But he’s blind,” McKy replied. “How’s he supposed to fight if we get pinned down?”
This time, Redden was the one who spoke up. “It might be time for you to defend him for once.”
Shocked silence filled the cell.
A chuckle escaped me that turned into a bone-jarring cough thanks to the well-placed kick in the ribs from the guards. I had definitely recognized the Corporal’s voice who had been so bent on whipping me the first time I was in the torture chamber. It was too bad I wouldn’t have the chance to leave the mark on his hide he deserved before we left.
“Six people, one hopper, herald the ship, and we’re gone,” I said. “It’s not an easy plan, but it’ll work if we’re careful.”
“I’m in,” Redden said immediately.
“Me, too,” Nova seconded. “I’d rather face guns than sit in here waiting for the guards to show up again to torture you to death.” Her hand rested on my arm. “Seems like they got close enough this time.”
I turned my face toward her. “They’re going to have to try a whole lot harder.”
I heard the smile in her voice when she said, “You’re always telling me how hard you are to kill.”
“Thank goodness for that,” McKy said dryly. At our silence, he said, “Fine, count me in.”
“I’m definitely in. Let’s get off this rock,” Regalus said. “Farlon?”
“I was in the moment the Captain showed up,” the Quarian replied.
An answering smile lifted my lips. “Alright then, let’s get started.”
“Hold on,” Farlon said. “I’ve got a plan to get us some weapons.”
The fact that he was taking charge caught my attention. Everyone else paused as if they were shocked as well.
“Farlon and I have seen some of the darkest places in the ‘Verse together. I’d follow any plan he has,” I said.
“Then count me in,” Redden told us. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” Farlon replied. He lowered his voice. “Now here’s my plan. It’s going to be a bit of fun.”
His bit of fun landed me on my back in the middle of the hall near the cell door a few minutes later. Blood colored my face, an easy task given my split lip from Anaya’s beating, and I moaned as if I was dying, which was actually kind of fun and made Nova smother a laugh from inside the cell.
“What’s going on down— what in Vexus?” I heard someone exclaim.
The sound of running footsteps made me want to tense up to defend myself, but I ignored the impulse and lay still.
“How did he get out here?” one of the soldiers demanded.
“I have no idea!” the other exclaimed. “And he’s all bloody and bruised. Is this the one Corporal Bosh has been threatening to end himself if the Sergeant doesn’t do it? Maybe he actually did it.”
I filed that name away in my memory and let out another moan.
“He’s still alive,” the first guard said. “Quick. We’ve got to get him back in that cell—”
The sound of the cell door flying open was followed by a scuffle. I wanted to help, but knew that without my sight, I could do more harm than good. A muffled yell was followed by the sound of several blows. A shout was quickly silenced, then the sound of dragging followed.
I put a hand out to find the wall and turned to sit with my back against it. By my closest guess, Farlon’s plan had worked and they were busy undressing the guards and stashing them in the room. Now we had weapons and an alibi towards gaining a hopper. Farlon had his moments for sure.
“Come on, prisoner,” Redden said gruffly.
I pictured him standing above me in the uniform.
“One of the guards was a Quarian?” I asked.
“No, but knives make quick sleeve holes,” he replied. “If anyone looks close enough, Farlon and I will shoot them.”
“Good plan,” I replied and held up a hand. The Quarian hauled me to my feet.
“I’ll have to put handcuffs on you,” he said apologetically.
“No problem there,” I replied. “I already know they fit.”
He chuckled as he fastened the cuffs around my wrists.
Nova kept her shoulder against mine as Redden and his brother led her, Lord Regalus, McKy, and I toward the landing bay. She whispered quiet directions so I didn’t fall and Redden made quite the show of yelling at me if I stumbled to help me look like an idiot prisoner instead of a blind escapee. I appreciated how colorful his language was becoming.
“Keep up, you pathetic excuse for Pedonian excretion,” he shouted. “What are you, some kind of Sraysian who doesn’t know his hands from his feet? Move it!”
I felt everyone slow and heard approaching footsteps.
“What’s going on here?” a voice demanded.
“Prisoner transport,” Redden replied without skipping a beat. “The Sergeant wants this sorry bunch taken to our benevolent Godking.”
“Oh, for the sacrifices?” the woman asked. She clicked her tongue. “They’re a sorry looking group. Our gracious Malivok must be getting desperate.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Redden replied.
“Carry on.”
“What sacrifices?” Nova whispered when we turned down the next hall. “Rishton never came back for me. We must have left too early for me to get more information from him.” She didn’t sound like she regretted that at all.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to find out and report it,” McKy said. “What’s common knowledge here needs to get to Parliament stat.”
“We’re almost to the landing bay,” Nova told me. “It looks clear, except—”
“Farlon, where are you going?” Redden asked.
“I’m going to find out about the sacrifices. Meet you at the hopper,” he replied.
“That’s not a good idea. What if you’re caught?” I asked. I felt completely helpless without my sight. I would have been the one to go find out what was happening instead of being a lump of liability if it wasn’t for Anaya. My feelings toward my sister were becoming mixed very rapidly.
“If they’re sacrificing people, we need to know why and where. We’re not going to do that if we leave right now.” He paused, then said, “If I’m not at the hopper in ten, leave me and make your report. You need to save Evia.”
“Farlon!” Lord Regalus called.
But the Quarian’s footsteps faded away.
“Great,” Redden muttered. “A lot of help he was.”
“It’s just nice to see him motivated to do anything,” his father pointed out.
“Not at the risk of his life,” Redden said.
“Do you remember him growing up?” Regalus asked.
Nova surprised me by laughing. “He was always the one getting us into trouble. Leave it to Farlon to think stealing a visiting lord’s faroks and setting them
free in the gryan pastures was a great idea.”
Redden chuckled. “Yeah, and remember the time he wanted us to help him flood the stables because he wanted to see them swim?”
I felt Nova’s silent laughter as her shoulder shook beside me. “That was quite the mess, but the faroks loved it!”
I felt a pang of jealousy for the time they had all spent together. It was strange to hear of such carefree childhoods. I regretted missing it for the sake of both my sister and me. How different would life had been if we had grown up on Evia or one of the other planets in the Accord Systems?
A hand touched my shoulder and broke me from my musings.
“I wouldn’t have thought to go to his old captain for help; somehow, I figured you dealt with the same troubles,” Regalus said, his voice thick with gratitude.
“Being responsible for the deaths of others messes with the mind,” I said quietly. “It’s one thing to shoot an enemy from afar who is also trying to shoot you, but quite another to look them in the face as the lifeblood drains from their body, and to feel the warmth of it on your own hands.” My voice quieted. “That takes something from a soldier.”
“Or a gladiator?” Regalus asked quietly.
I nodded. A thought nagged at the back of my mind. “Does Farlon know what I do, I mean did, for a living?”
Regalus gave a soft snort. “It was all I could do to keep him from going to the Bacarian System and enlisting as a gladiator when he got back from the Wars.” He chuckled at that. “You’ve always been his hero and he followed your career closely. No one was more concerned than he when it was announced that you had disrespected the Grand Lord and been arrested and thrown on one of the prison planets. No one felt stronger than he did that you were wronged in that situation.”
I’d had plenty of time to dwell on what Sigmian Calladar had told the public when he had me cast into the prison on Roan Seven. It wasn’t so much the damage to my reputation that I cared about, but that they would believe that smarmy piece of grint fodder.
“How did you get out of there?” McKy asked. “I never did hear that story.”
“I’m not sure this is the place to tell it,” I replied. I couldn’t help the smile that lifted my lips when I said, “But your sister is quite the negotiator.”
Nova elbowed me, but it was light. I felt the brush of her lips on my ear when she leaned closer and whispered, “Some stories are better left unsaid.” She paused, then said, “Especially the story of two drifters.”