For His Love

by Nya Rayne

  Phia bowed her head. “Your Highness.”

  “Ms. Zen,” she said as she stepped forward, her hand out for Phia to take.

  She took it and brushed her lips across the woman’s cool skin. “Your Highness.”

  “Phia Zen. You look lovely as always.”

  “Likewise.” Phia stepped back as Gloria closed the distance and took a seat in one of the oversized pastel cloth chairs beside the couch. Following protocol, she adjusted her purse and sat down on the couch to face the woman.

  “Your mother, Baroness Zen, is quite the woman,” Gloria said, her eyes trained on Phia. “When she called last night to tell me you wanted to make amends, I thought she was going to inflict serious injury on you. She didn’t, did she?”

  “No, of course not. She’s very disappointed in me at the moment, but I can only hope she will be able to one day find it in her heart to forgive me as I hope you will also.”

  “Child, there is nothing to forgive. Sometimes these things happen. However, as long as they are dealt with swiftly, it is always forgotten.” Gloria leaned forward, placing her hand on top of Phia’s. “Your mother told me that you have always had a rebellious streak. Can I assume you have gotten the last of it out of your system?”

  Phia nodded and bit down on her lower lip in order to stave off the need to curse the woman. How dare she talk about her as if she were an ill-tempered child? “What happens now?”

  “Depends,” Gloria said without pretense as she crossed her long legs and settled back in the chair. “I’m hoping this is all an innocent mistake on your part and not something premeditated.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If it was done maliciously, then it would be considered treason, which is punishable by death. If it was a mistake, the punishment would not be as severe.”

  “Punishment?”

  “Of course, Phia. You didn’t think you could waltz in here, apologize for taking something belonging to me, and walk away, did you? If I let such a thing happen, and my constituents found out, what would it say about me?”

  “What did I do so wrong?” Phia asked. “I didn’t even tell my mother the truth. I told no one.”

  “Yes, of course you didn’t. I will be forever thankful to you for your discretion.” Gloria gazed at her wordlessly for a few seconds before she finished, “It is for that reason I find what I must do so difficult.” She stood to her feet, strolled to the wet bar in the far corner and filled two glasses with a few cubes of ice and a clear substance from a crystal carafe. “You would have made a wonderful baroness and future member of the ruling class, Phia.”

  A block of ice settled in the pit of her stomach at the Higher Highness’s use of “would” instead of “will” with regard to her impending government title.

  “You spent quite a while with my dear friend Lorraine, didn’t you?” Gloria glided over to the seat she’d vacated. She placed a glass in front of Phia before settling back. “I’m curious. How much did the blabbermouth tell you?”

  “Thank you.” Phia adjusted her purse beside her, and picked up the glass. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Let’s pretend we’re two old friends talking, Phia. I assure you anything you tell me will not be held against you.” She made a flippant motion with her hand, and finished, “Besides, the damage is already done.”

  What the heck is that supposed to mean? Phia took a sip from her glass and allowed the syrupy liquid to coat her throat. She took another drink before setting the glass down on the table between them, uncertain as to how she was supposed to respond to the woman’s question. She was sure there wasn’t a thing she could say that would surprise Gloria. Even so, the thought of repeating anything the doctor had told her in confidence seemed like a betrayal of their emerging friendship.

  “Come now, Phia,” Gloria prompted, setting her glass down.

  Phia swallowed, picked her glass up again, and took another drink. She was buying time, nothing more. She hoped, however, the Higher Highness would only see it as a sign of her nervousness. Setting the nearly empty glass back down, she slid back on the couch and rubbed her palms against her slacks again before she trusted herself to begin speaking. “I know you and the other Elites have been lying to us for decades.” Phia watched Gloria, looking for the smallest change in her demeanor.

  She found none.

  “Have we?”

  Nodding, Phia added, “I know about the Zoos, I mean the Farms, where you keep real, human men. I know you and the other Elites keep them locked away from the rest of us as if they were prized cattle.” The lack of emotion from the woman was causing Phia’s forced bravado to falter. Her voice wavered a little as she finished, “I know you keep them there under the pretense of finding favor in a Utopia that doesn’t exist.”

  “My, my,” Gloria taunted. “And Lorraine told you all of this?”

  “I mean no disrespect, ma’am, but does it matter where I heard any of this? The fact that I know is all you should be concerned with.” A moment of silence passed between them and Phia added, “You don’t seem to be denying anything I’ve said.”

  There was a quick quirk of an eyebrow Phia nearly missed as Gloria said in an ambassadorial tone, “Darling, I would seem like a true shrew if I stood here and tried to tell you any differently. Besides, what would be the point in my lying to you? You’ve been with Xavier long enough to know how real he is, haven’t you?”

  The woman’s arrogant, holier-than-thou façade made Phia want to growl in annoyance. She wasn’t denying a thing and appeared so matter-of-fact about it all, it seemed like she was happy to gloat about her malicious, deceitful actions.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?” Gloria countered. Her tone sounding a little agitated for the first time since they began talking.

  “Why lie to us all of these years? Why force us to couple with machines under the pretense that outside of the frehores, men are extinct? Why keep human men locked away?”

  “Answer a question for me, Phia. What would you or any of the other pathetic wretches out there do with a real man? Marry them? Have their little sickly, annoying babies? Cater to them on bended knee? What would you do? Love them?”

  The woman’s voice was filled with such disdain and sarcasm that Phia sat back.

  Gloria laughed, “We are doing you all a huge favor. Trust me.”

  “You can’t expect us to trust you when you’ve been lying to us all these years.”

  “Oh, Darling, perhaps I shouldn’t have used ‘trust me.’ I honestly couldn’t care less whether you trust me or not, I am the Higher Highness of Serenity and ruler of this country. What I say is law, whether you agree with it or not.” Her long fingers steepled before her. “Men are worthless creatures, Ms. Zen. We can go as far back as the holy days if you want proof. Take Adam and Eve. Adam was nothing without Eve. Had God—and don’t get me started on him—created Eve first, there would have been no need for men at all.”

  Phia was dumbfounded. The woman sounded like a complete narp, not to mention the fact that Adam was led astray by Eve. She decided it wasn’t important at the moment. “I have no desire to get into a biblical debate with you, ma’am. I simply want to know why. Why you’ve been lying to us and why you’re keeping them locked away like animals when they’re not.”

  Gloria glared at Phia, her lips turning up slightly into a snarl, before reverting back. “You want to know why? Well, here it is,” Gloria intoned. “Men, when given free will and room to roam, are no better than unleashed, militant dogs that need to be put out of their misery. Outside of sex, and most of them aren’t even good at that, they serve absolutely no true purpose to the free world. Did you know during the time when men lived among us, they accounted for eighty-five percent of all criminal acts? Did you know the AIDS epidemic, which ran rampant during the latter part of the twentieth century, was started by disgusting men? And, might I add, they have no loyalty to anyone.”

  “You’re talking about the past! These me
n who you have locked away have done nothing to warrant such treatment!”

  Gloria shot her a patient glare. “A smart woman learns from the past, she doesn’t repeat it.” She laughed joyously.

  Phia rolled her eyes. She’s a complete lunatic. “All right, fine. For every bad thing that you quote me about the male half of the species, I can give you numerous accounts of upstanding, strong men who are worthy of praise and acceptance. So, what you’re saying right now isn’t going to change a thing. You lied to us, and you’re continuing to lie to us. And no matter how you try to rationalize it, it’s still going to be a lie.”

  “These men who you would use as examples, which are few and far between, I’m sure, were only strong and upstanding because they had strong mothers and wives standing behind them, pushing them to go on to do great things. Remove the men from the picture and place them in cages where they belong and you’re left with me.”

  “You’re crazy,” Phia said.

  “If I’m crazy because I happen to understand and accept a male’s place in my society, then I will gladly accept the title. On the other hand, Phia, your recent actions have labeled you a traitor. Are you willing to accept that title simply because you allowed a toy to get your panties wet?”

  Phia glared at Gloria. “I understand and accept the things I have done. However, my crimes aren’t crimes against humanity as are yours. You have been keeping men locked up for decades, and you must answer to us for this. You have doomed our society with your selfishness.”

  “My selfishness? Please, I am no different than the poundkeeper of old. Uncivilized mongrels have no place in my society.”

  “No, but they have a place in your bed.”

  “You sound a little jealous, Ms. Zen. How droll.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “If I have to listen to this crazy ass woman for another goddamn minute, I’m going to lose it.” Darius glared at the screen of the teletron hanging from the ceiling of the heli-jet.

  Donté shushed him and leaned forward. “What the hell is she doing on the teletron?” He couldn’t see her face or her body, but he’d know her voice anywhere.

  Dr. Lobush, who was steadily guiding the heli-jet toward Pensacola, Florida, and the birthplace of the little show, said into the headset, “I think this is the part of Phia’s plan she didn’t want us to know about.”

  “She was right not to tell us,” Darius snapped. “I would’ve chained her little narrow ass to a tree had I known.”

  “And I would’ve thanked you,” Donté added from beside him as the conversation on screen raged on.

  “You know, when I think about it…” Dr. Lobush said. “She didn’t seem too surprised when those FAPs showed up for her today, did she?”

  “No, she didn’t, and you know what else?” Darius said dourly, “I don’t appreciate her leaving us in the dark. I could’ve perfected this little plan of hers.”

  “It would have involved every weapon in your arsenal, Darius. She probably thought this was the only way to make sure no one but she got hurt.”

  Donté tuned them both out and turned his attention back to the screen before him. He could hear both of them, but could see only the Higher Hussy. He’d decided her demons went a lot deeper than anyone would probably ever know. She reminded him of a story he’d heard when he was a boy about a wicked witch with ruby shoes. There was something about a house, a dog, and a scarecrow, too.

  The woman on the screen with the dirty brown eyes and heavily painted face glanced around the room as she crossed and uncrossed her legs. “Are you going to tell me this world we live in is not better than the world you read about in your history books? Diseases are nonexistent. Crime is unheard of. Pollution is at its lowest ever. Every woman and child gets a free, quality education. No woman needs to depend on a man for anything.”

  “I don’t know what it was like back in the day. I only know what it’s like now,” Phia said from somewhere off-screen. “Yes, we as a society run by women have accomplished a lot, save for what’s going to happen when we all get old and begin dying. We can’t procreate with ourselves, or have you not thought that far ahead?”

  “There is always artificial insemination. I approve hundreds of applications a year.”

  “You approve? You shouldn’t be able to tell us when we can and can’t have a child.” Phia’s tone was exasperated, and Donté’s heart went out to her. It seemed regardless of what sensible answer she countered with, the Higher Hussy had something even more outlandish to say. “Except you didn’t stop there, did you? You not only tell us when we can have a child, you make sure they’re all girls, and if a woman should accidentally have a boy, you take it from her.”

  “Like I said, men and even baby boys have no place in my society.”

  “What the hell did she say?” Darius leaned closer to the screen. “I swear if they ever leave me in a room with her, I’ll…”

  “Shush,” Dr. Lobush hissed, and Donté wondered not for the first time how the two of them lasted this long in a committed relationship. They seemed like polar opposites. The doctor was quiet, reserved, and sort of bookish, while Darius was boisterous, outspoken, and seemed to be ruled by his violent tendencies. That caused him to wonder where Darius had gotten such tendencies, because outside of hand-to-hand combat as a means of exercise, violence was not taught or fostered at the Zoo.

  Phia’s angry voice drew him from his musings. “This is not right! You act like you’re doing us a favor by keeping them away from us, yet whenever the urge hits, you go and pick one out. Why are they okay for you and the Elites to be with, but not for us?”

  “Damn, your woman has some balls.”

  Donté glanced at Darius out the corner of his eye. He felt no need to reply, because it was the truth. His woman was facing the devil herself and didn’t seem to be willing to back down an inch even when it seemed like this was a lost cause. He smiled to himself as a feeling he’d never felt before bubbled up in him. He was proud of her, of Phia. She was standing up for him and for all the other men who had come before him and would come after him. He hadn’t known she felt such conviction for their plight. Of course, he knew she cared about him and wanted to be with him, but it wasn’t just for him she was fighting. He knew with every word falling from her lips, she was fighting for all of them. She was fighting for their freedom and their right to be human.

  If he hadn’t known he loved her before, he damn sure knew he loved her now. How could he not? How could he ever repay her for everything she’d done for him from the moment they met? She’d saved him, given him a home, and a chance at a real life. She’d given him what no other man of his generation had ever been given. He promised himself, he would love her from this life into the next, and maybe the one after that.

  Donté shook off his thoughts as a strident voice spoke up.

  “Look at you. You had one for what, two weeks and you were ready to turn your back on the women who love you? And for what, so he could break your heart and toss you to the side like a piece of trash when he came across the next hot thing? They’re all trash and to think otherwise is nothing less than infantile.”

  “Somebody’s been hurt,” Darius chortled.

  “Donté wouldn’t treat me like that. You only see the bad in them because it’s what you want to see. You don’t want to see what they’re truly capable of. Donté, he’s one of the good ones. I don’t care what you say. He’s one of the good ones.”

  “That’s right, babe, you tell her,” Donté whispered with pride. He leaned a little closer to the screen, the urge to see her, to touch, to hold her so strong he felt as if he would die if she wasn’t before him in the next few minutes.

  “I knew I made a good choice,” Dr. Lobush said from the cockpit.

  “Why, because you love him? Or did he tell you he loved you?” The Higher Hussy laughed. “He’s been taught to tell you everything your little heart wants to hear, Phia. He’s a man and he’s a liar. I assure you by tonight, he will be w
hispering sweet words in my ear as he mounts me from behind, and you’ll be the furthest thing from his mind.” She didn’t stop there. “To prove my point, while he’s devouring me, I’ll make sure you’re front and center. I don’t mind when people watch. I rather enjoy it.”

  “Did she say what I think she said?” Darius bellowed.

  Donté was speechless. How the hell could this woman call herself the leader of anything and be so crass and downright vicious for no good reason? The things she said he’d be doing to her didn’t bother him at all because he knew before he allowed his dick or his mouth to touch anything on the wretched woman, he’d scoop out his own heart with a rusty spoon and enjoy it.

  “Your Highness, the Donté I know and love would rather dip his hands in a bucket of acid and lie with scorpions before he ever touched you or allowed you to touch him,” Phia spat. The stiff manner in which she spoke told Donté her rage was barely being contained.

  He glanced at the doctor. “How much longer? I don’t think Phia is going to be able to remain civil for much longer.”

  “Another half hour and we should be there.”

  Agitation flooded him, and he looked back at the screen as he told himself to be patient.

  The Higher Hussy snorted, “He’ll do it because he’s a rutting, lying mongrel.”

  “I swear to God! I swear to fucking God, if this lunatic calls me a mongrel one more time, I’m going to burn down her damn house with her in it,” Darius roared, his tone leaving no room for joking. To prove his point, he dug into his pocket and brandished a sterling-silver lighter.