“We'll get it back and you'll be able to wear it again.” Braven said as though reading my mind. “It's too obvious. They know you have something important and I know if they see it, they'll ask questions.”
The moment Lark had yelled out for Braven to protect me when we were running away from the earthlings he'd made me a target. The redhead leader had known I held the secret Domino had eluded too and if I didn't they at least knew I was important if I needed to be protected.
A shuffling sound echoed above us drawing our attention to the hole in the ceiling and a bright light flashed past it before they removed the cover and it beamed down at us.
“You next Miss. He's ready to talk to you now,” a feminine voice came from above us before the ladder was again lowered towards the floor of our dirt hole.
“If you want her, come down and get her,” growled Braven.
“Sir, if you don't want to be hurt you will back away from the ladder.”
“Hurt? What do you call the stuff you poured down my throat?” he yelled at her.
I reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It's okay. If you can do this I can.”
“No, it's too dangerous. You have no idea how horrible that stuff is.” Tears formed in his eyes. “I promised I'd protect you.”
“You are protecting me. You made it through and I'm sure I will too. I can do this.” I wished for the words I spoke to be true.
Braven stepped away from the ladder. “You okay to climb it?”
My vision blurred for a moment as the sudden rush of blood through my body made me dizzy. Please don't let them poison me.
“I'll be fine,” I raised my voice so they could hear me, “Would be easier if they hadn't taken my damn sling though.”
“Be strong. I'll see you soon.”
I stepped onto the first wooden rung of the ladder and began climbing. It wasn't easy. It was rickety as it was, and having one hand to climb with meant I had to use my elbows and knees to stay on as I reached for each rung. It also didn't help I was in no hurry to climb out. After seeing the state Braven had been in when they returned him I was afraid what awaited me above ground.
Chapter Two
As I reached the top of the ladder the blinding light forced my eyes closed. Someone's hands gripped under my arms and yanked me out, the tug on my shoulder sending pain shooting through my neck and arm. I gritted my teeth letting out a whimper and opened my eyes to find a petite girl with jet black hair woven into a braid standing in front of me.
“Her arm,” she growled.
The two young men who had hold of me let go and I settled onto my feet.
“As long as you do as you're asked we'll let you walk on your own. If you behave you might get your sling back,” she said.
I wanted to tell her getting my sling back was the least of my worries, but decided to keep my smartass mouth closed. I would do everything in my power to make sure I didn't end up in the same state as Braven. Everything except for give them what they want.
“I know you don't believe me, but we're a peaceful community and will avoid harming you at all costs,” she said.
“Just like you avoided harming my friend?” I spat back before remembering my vow to keep my mouth shut. Dammit. It was going to be harder than I thought.
The girl glared at me unimpressed, before walking away. As she retreated I realised we were standing in a wide tunnel. The walls were formed of damp rock and dirt. Lit torches were mounted at intervals along the wall.
“Walk.” With a prod from one of the men flanking me, I took up pace behind the dark-haired girl, watching the end of her braid bounce between her shoulder blades.
We continued for a moment before following the tunnel to the right until bright daylight appeared ahead of us. As we approached the opening, the suns light stung my eyes making it hard to keep them open.
“Here, these'll help.” She handed me a pair of glasses with dark lenses.
I held them up to my eyes and looked them over.
“They're boring, plain, old sunglasses, they'll make it easier to see in the bright light after being in the dark. But you don't have to wear them if you don't want to, your friend didn't.” She shrugged.
I slid them on my face to prove to her I wasn't afraid of her sunglasses. Not like big brave Braven. A bit my lip to suppress a laugh, but the girl was right. The dark lens made it much easier to see in the brightness of the sun. Leaving the mouth of what was a cave of some sort, a small town came into view. Dwellings similar to the cabin we'd been in were built in a large clearing surrounded by trees. The trees were different from the ones we'd been trekking through in the rainforest, these ones were duller greens and had dryer cream coloured trunks.
“Where are we?” I asked the girl.
“You're chattier than your friend. It should serve you well. We're in a survivor's camp. This place didn't have a name before the end, but our founder called it Camp Freedom,” she explained.
She led me down a dirt walkway past dwellings made of wood, sticks, branches, and mud. They were smaller than the dwellings on Utopia but much roomier than the shanties of the Undercity. Faces appeared in the windows and people stopped and stepped to the side to watch us walk by, the gravel pathway crunching beneath my boots. There were hundreds of earthlings. More than the group of ten or so who'd ambushed us at the cottage. Not only were there people ranging from my age and up to my parents ages. There were also the elderly and children. I hadn't seen children since I was one myself. The Elite had banned pregnancies while we were on the floating cities as they believed the extra mouths would deplete our precious resources.
“Miss,” the small voice came from beside me and there was a small tug on the bottom of my singlet.
I looked down to find two wide brown eyes staring back at me.
“Alice, step away,” said the girl who led me.
“But Ebony, I want to ask her about the floating cities.” Her eyes turned back towards me. “What's it like up there? Is it cool?”
If only she knew how unexciting the floating cities were. From Earth they must look mysterious, an unobtainable world. But all they held were lies and secrets. She twisted a lock of her blonde hair around her finger waiting for my reply.
As I opened my mouth to answer I was cut off by Ebony.
“Alice. Please. I know you're curious, but you need to let Prophet Brent speak to her first.” Ebony bent down to Alice's level to reason with her.
“Who's Prophet Brent?” I asked.
“He's Gods prophet and my dada. He looks after us.” Alice beamed proudly.
“Enough Alice, off you go.” Ebony shooed her away and I watched as the young girl skipped off towards one of the homes.
“No more distractions, you need to speak to Brent before we decide what to do with you,” she said, before leading me towards the left down another gravel pathway towards a bigger dwelling.
The bigger dwellings door was made of branches strung together and as we reached it Ebony stopped. “Ebony reporting with the female prisoner.”
The door opened and we were greeted by the steely stare of the redhead guy. “Thanks Ebony, I'll take it from here. Take those glasses with you.”
I slid the glasses from my face and handed them back to Ebony. She exchanged a glance with the redhead making her blush before she walked away. Part of me believed Ebony's persona was an act and she wasn't as bad as she was trying to make out. But one look at her redhead friend and I could tell, unlike Ebony, he wasn't interested in small talk.
“This way,” instructed redhead.
Inside a large open room spread out in front of me. Opposite to where I stood, a man sat behind an old wooden desk. He wore a white button up shirt, and his arms lay folded on the desk in front of him. He looked up from his papers, sweeping some of his neatly brushed brown hair from his face and greeted me with a charming grin as though I was an old friend.
“Good morning…” he raised his thick eyebrows. “What's your name?”
The kindness of my captors threw me. First Ebony with her relaxed way of taking me to her leader. Now this guy was behaving as though I might be a guest. Braven's voice begging me to give them nothing echoed in my mind and I chose to remain silent. They weren't friendly, they were trying to get into my head.
“We have a quiet one.” He looked to the redhead and they exchanged an unnerving grin. “I'm afraid your friend didn't give us much either. He was however much more vocal than you about being here. Leave us Seth,” he said to the redhead, waving him off casually with his hand. “I'll call if there's trouble. But there won't be, will there, Miss…?”
Once again, he waited for me to give him my name. Instead I stared at my feet listening to Seth's groan before he left the room. His absence made me calmer and braver. Where Seth was broad this man was a smaller build. I was sure I could at least match him in a fight if it came to it.
“Seth tells me you and your friends were using one of our cottages. Do they not teach you on Utopia it's rude to sneak into other people's homes and use their things?”
My muscles tensed at his condescending tone. “Of course they did. They also taught us earthlings were dead, so how were we to know it belonged to someone,” I bit at him. Dammit, Aurora. Shut your mouth.
“I see. Well, at least we know you can speak now. When you arrived, you were out cold.”
“That's because your people chased me and my friends.” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms.
Brent rose from his chair leaning forward on his desk, raising his voice. “You were in our cottage without permission. Things work much different down here on Earth than they do up on those atrocities you call home.”
Brent sat back down drawing in a deep breath and finding his composure once again. His thin lips quirked at the edges. “Seth reported one of your friends mentioned you were on the run from the Elite Guard. Is this true?”
I clenched my teeth and stared towards him. If he wanted to play hot and cold games I could return the favour.
“Come now, we know you can speak. Tell us what you know. You don't want to end up like your friend… Braven. That was his name, wasn't it?” he asked.
Braven told them his name? He'd told me he hadn't said a thing. Remembering the state he'd been in when they lowered him down to me I wondered how he could be so sure. Maybe he'd told them in his half dead state? What else had they pried from him?
“Yes, we're on the run from the Utopian Guard.” I hoped it would be enough to satisfy him for now.
“Seth also said one of your friends mentioned you had something the Utopian Guard want. He told me you were wearing a pendant when you arrived, but now it's missing.”
He gestured towards my throat and my hand raised to brush against my skin where the pendant use to rest. I remained silent trying to stop myself from swallowing hard and giving away my nervousness.
“Where has your pendant gone Miss?” he leant forward clasping his hands together on the desk.
“I don't know what you're talking about. I wasn't wearing a pendant nor have I ever owned one.” I kept my lips straight and trained my eyes on him as I spoke.
“I was afraid you'd be as difficult to speak to as your friend. I was going to keep you separated until I'd questioned you both. Then I thought seeing your friend under the effects of our elixir might loosen your tongue. Appears I was wrong. Seth!” The sudden change in his volume made me jump as he called out to the redhead who came back through the door.
“Yes, Prophet Brent.” Seth stood tall his hands tucked behind his back.
Brent beamed at his title. “Now can you remind me why you didn't remove this pendant you thought you saw while she was asleep?”
Seth swallowed hard. “I had Ebony look it over and she said it was a trinket, nothing more.”
“So you felt it necessary to rid her of her sling but not of the pendant you believed to be important?” Brent questioned him.
“I apologise Prophet, I'll make sure it's found.” Seth straightened his spine.
“Our friend here assures me it was all a figment of your imagination. However, I request when we are finished here you commence a search.”
“Yes, Prophet,” said Seth.
“Now that matter has been dealt with, bring me some of our special elixir, this one needs her tongue loosened a little.”
Seth's face grew paler for a moment before he regained his composure and left the room. He returned, flanked by a broad man and an equally as strong looking woman. Seth held out his palm to reveal a small vial filled with a dark liquid.
Seth's two friends each stepped towards me and I backed away from them running into Brent's desk. They each grabbed a leg, and in one motion I was swept from my feet, and pushed down towards the ground onto my back with a heavy thud. My lungs emptied, and I let out a woomph, before trying to draw air back in, sending pain shooting through my sore arm and neck. They pinned my arms to my stomach and the girl sat on top of me before Seth approached. He pulled the cork from the top of the vial and I squeezed my mouth shut to stop him from pouring it in. The guy who'd helped bring me down came into view and pinched my nose closed so tight I thought it might pop. I held my breath as best as I could, knowing it was pointless because eventually I would need to breathe. My lungs ached, my throat clenched tight and dizziness made my eyes blurry.
I tried to suck air in through a small crack in my lips but it wasn't enough and my mouth betrayed me, gasping open long enough for Seth to pour his bitter mixture onto my tongue. I spat it out as best I could, but the taste of rotten fruit spread through my mouth bringing bile up into my throat. I struggled against them as my mouth began to dry out.
“Water,” I said my muscles giving in and relaxing against the ground.
“Here,” the girl sitting on top of me climbed off my chest and propped me up against something hard. She took a flask and poured some water into my mouth.
I swished it around and spat it out at her.
“You little…” the girl raised her hand but Seth blocked her hit.
“Vanessa,” he said with a warning glare.
Vanessa rose to her feet and stood out of sight. My brain raced. I wanted to stand up but my muscles had melted and wouldn't let me move. My body grew heavier and heavier, as though sinking into thick mud, then I was lifted from my spot on the floor and Seth and his male friend sat me in a chair before proceeding to tie me to it. The ropes burnt and bit at my skin as they pulled them tight. My mind urged me to fight, but whatever they'd given me had rendered my limbs useless and I struggled to keep my head from hanging forward against my chest.
“Water Vanessa,” instructed Brent, and Vanessa arrived at my side to pour water into my mouth then stepped away.
I should've rinsed and spat again, tried to get as much of whatever they'd given me out of my body. But my mouth and throat were so dry. I needed to drink it. I gulped down a few mouthfuls hating myself for being so weak.
“Good girl,” cooed Brent.
I wanted to hate him but I couldn't. My heart was racing and the only emotion I could muster was fear. He sat in front of me staring. His face morphed into strange shapes in front of my eyes. I tried to squint then widen my eyes to fix my sight, but it made his misshapen face look worse.
“It's starting to take effect, be on alert all of you. She is much weaker than her friend but we don't want another episode of that now do we?” said Brent.
I turned my head to the side and found Braven standing beside me. They'd brought him to me, he'd be able to help me. A relaxed delighted expression spread across my face.
“Braven?” I asked.
He didn't answer for a moment, then spoke. “Yes, it's me.”
“What did they give me? Why is my head all funny?” I asked.
“What's your name?” he asked.
“My name?” I said. “You already know my name.”
“Of course, but these people need to hear it,” he replied.
I shook my head.
“They're our friends. They're here to help us.”
Looking around at the others. Brent's disfigured face came toward me and I screamed in panic squeezing my eyes shut. Turning back towards Braven he'd disappeared and had been replaced by a smudged version of the guy who'd held me down.
“Braven? Where's Braven?” My heart thudded in my ears, the heat in my veins rising until it was cooking me from the inside out. Pain, so much pain. I yelled out trying to pull my knees to my chest. They were stuck, my legs were stuck.
“Name,” a garbled voice said through the fogginess of my hearing.
No, I couldn't say a word. But it hurt so much, I wanted it to… “Stop,” I spoke aloud.
“It can stop. All you need to do is give us your name,” the words were hard to make out through the thick air filling my ears.
My skin bubbled as the heat intensified, my bones turning to rubber.
“Please,” I begged as the pain grew stronger.
“Name.” The word echoed through my head making it throb.
What harm was in a name? All they wanted was my name. They had Braven's. Why couldn't they have mine?
“Name,” the voice sounded in the distance.
“Aurora,” I cried, “Aurora Adams.”
The face retreated and the others were mumbling words I couldn't comprehend. A glass was pressed to my stinging lips and I did my best to drink down the bitter liquid they'd given me. The room became a blur of red, orange, and black. As though a swirling flame had filled the air around me. Heat, so much heat. It radiated from the swirling mass and my chest grew tight and I failed to inhale fresh air. My burning eyes squeezed shut.
“Aurora?” it was a familiar voice, making my eyes shoot open and for a moment I saw the face of my father before the dark vortex enclosed around me.
Chapter Three
The smash of glass. Bullets ricocheting around me. A gaping hole appearing in my side. Tall trees bending down attempting to grab me. My mother's empty eyes. Running so slow my feet weighed down as though they were full of lead. Officer Bank's face melding into Brent's until it melted away. Alber's deep blue eyes burning into mine, blaming me for his death. Fire and heat swallowing me whole then a chilling wind so cold my body shivered all over. Fletcher reaching out for me but me unable to get to him. Braven lying lifeless on the dirt floor. My father's face peering down at me.
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