“Now, I’ll assume you already know why you’ve been summoned here today, so we’ll move on promptly with the interview,” Rupert says abruptly, gathering his papers in his hands.
“If I may sir, there’s something I’d like answered first,” I interrupt, eliciting scandalous looks from my colleagues.
“And what is that?”
“Illegal memory erasion. It’s recently come to my attention that multiple members of the Corp and Royal families, respectively, have had Nano-machines placed into them without permission. If I understand correctly, is that not against protocol?” I’ve been practicing this speech all morning, hoping to get some leeway on the council. Instead, it backfires.
“You are out of line, Miss Madden. Any procedures that were performed were given approval by the entire council, and were done only to protect the masses,” chimes in an older man, who I think runs the Western base.
I feel the anger bubbling inside me, the injustice of this council making my blood boil. “Rupert, how could you do this to me? This wasn’t just some stupid procedure, you erased my memories! Now you expect me to just sit back and accept that? I’m not the one in the wrong, here! The Corporation killed David with technology, and now you’d like to do the same for the past. All this time we’ve been fighting Harpies, when maybe we don’t have to!” I shout, exasperated.
Myra glares at me from across the room, shaking her head slightly, no. Not yet.
“Piper Madden, you will learn your place. This is an official tribunal, not a free for all suggestion box. There will always be war between the Hunter and the Harpy. It’s in our nature. Harpies feed on the bones of our human families, could you honestly allow that to happen without fighting back?” Rupert booms angrily.
I shake my head, unsure of what to say. “But with all our technology, couldn’t we just clone meat for them? Sell it, make a profit from it?”
“I’ve had enough of this, Rupert, let’s move on to the tribunal,” the Western leader butts in again. In this instance, I wish I was older, so these people would actually listen to me.
“Charlene, ask the questions,” Rupert says gruffly.
His assistant focuses on me, her eyes perhaps the only ones not filled with disgust. “Piper, did you know Asher was a Harpy, and did you not report it to Central?” she asks.
“Yes, but—”
“Just a yes or no, please,” she quips. So much for expecting to be favored.
“And is it true that you persuaded fellow hunter Grier Lan to embark on an unsanctioned hunt?” she continues. Her head is tilted downward, eyes judging me behind wire-rimmed glasses.
“Yes,” I reply quietly. How do they know all of this? Grier must’ve told them.
“And is it true that you found a body that night and didn’t report it?” she continues, barely masking the contempt in her voice.
I’ve had about enough of this. “Where is this leading?” I ask, looking pointedly toward Rupert.
He frowns, taking a thick puff from his cigar. “Piper, you have seriously abandoned protocol during your time here. The Council needs to decide an appropriate plan of action,” he drawls, no doubt reciting it from his stupid rule book.
I’m left wondering when everything changed. In the past, it was never an issue if I veered a little bit off course; we just brushed it under the table. Now it seems like any infraction will line me up against the firing squad.
“You have to be kidding me,” I retort, “I’ve gone against protocol? You illegally erased my memories!”
“To protect you and the rest of the world,” Charlene interrupts.
I send her an angry glare. “From what?”
“From him,” she replies, sending a venomous look toward Asher, who’s sitting dejectedly at the other end of the table.
“This is ridiculous. He’s not a monster!” I shout.
“Piper, please,” Asher says quietly. The look in his eyes is unbelievably sad. What have they done to him to make him this way?
Rupert slams his fist against the table and stands abruptly. “Would you listen to yourself? What would everyone think if they found out one of the top Hunters of the generation fell in love with a Harpy?” he growls, twisting his face with contempt.
“What would they think if they found out the President of Elder Corp deliberately broke the law to save face?” I retort angrily. I’m expecting another angry outburst, but instead Rupert sits down slowly and takes a long drag on his cigar. There’s almost a smile glimmering in his eyes.
“You seem to forget, Miss Madden. Elder Corp is the law.”
I slump, defeated in my chair. Of course, he’s right. All of the angry faces staring at me confirm it, I’ll never win. Even if I quit the Corp, the council will find some way to pin a suit against me, but what will they decide? Prison in the very slums of the underground? Torture? Death?
“I won’t let you get away with this,” I spit under my breath. This time, Rupert lets out an audible laugh, sinister in its malice.
“We already have. Take her to her room while we deliberate. Guard her door,” he says, motioning toward two burly Hunters I’ve never seen before. I think about struggling and causing a scene, but Asher’s face stops me as he slowly shakes his head. Begrudgingly, I let them take my arms as I trudge out the door, wondering what disastrous outcome my fate will hold.
Grier’s waiting in the room when the guards toss me in there, warning me there’ll be trouble if there’s any funny business. The door slams behind me and I realize she’s been pacing, her eyes lined with smeared mascara. She nearly crushes me when she sees me, wrapping me up in an unbearable hug.
“I am so sorry!” she sobs into my shoulder, “They made me tell them, they said they’d hurt everyone in my life.”
“It’s okay,” I whisper, delicately pushing her back to a standing position.
“It’s not okay. You can’t let them get away with this!” she shrieks dramatically.
I let myself fall onto the bed, cherishing the awkward creak of springs like I might not hear it again. “There’s nothing anyone can do, Grier. Rupert controls everything and everybody. And I’ve commit like, the cardinal sin of Hunterdom, we can’t forget that,” I point out.
“I made out with a guy once, if it makes you feel any better, and I had no idea he was a Harpy before he was dragged out by the squad,” Grier replies.
I can’t help but laugh at the look of disgust on her face as she recalls the memory. “This is different. I knew Asher was a Harpy the entire time, it’s not a case of mistaken identity, it’s a case of mistaken morals.”
To my surprise, she lays next to me, resting her head lightly on my shoulder. “No one should be able to tell you who to love,” she says.
In this moment I’m so glad Grier exists. Having even one person supporting me means the world to me.
Then she looks quickly at her watch and gasps. “Looks like it’s just about time for you to go,” she says, leaping from the bed and rummaging through my closet, bringing out a stuffed canvas bag.
“What are you talking about?” I ask, just as there’s a light rapping at my window. Grier squeaks excitedly, carefully opening the window to reveal a fresh-faced Asher. My heart nearly skips a beat as he squeezes through the window and rushes to take me in his arms, kissing my neck with intensity.
“What’s going on?” I ask breathlessly, kissing him once deeply.
“We’re leaving,” he whispers, hurriedly taking my bag from Grier. Leaving?
“But where?” I ask.
Asher motions for me to be quiet as Grier hugs me quickly. “We’re getting out of here before the Corp can ruin our lives again. I’ll explain more once we’re in the clear,” he says quietly. Then, before the guards can even realize it, he pulls me out the window and we fly off into the cold, snowy night.
We soar with incredible speed, the icy wind nearly blinding me, until we’re about a mile away from the city. I cling onto Asher tightly as he drops to the ground, narrowly
avoiding the sprawling branches of dense forest. He leads me to a clearing where the moonlight softly peeks through the tree-top, covering everything in soft blue.
Shivering, I intake our surroundings as he places our bags on the ground, breathing heavily from exertion.
“What are we doing here?” I ask. The forest hums in its quietness, the lack of sound transforming to sound itself.
“Waiting,” he replies, dropping onto his suitcase, “Sandy’s meeting us here.”
Settling down next to him, I rest my cheek on his shoulder, relishing his warmth. It feels like forever since we’ve been alone and I’ve been able to actually talk to him. After a year of not knowing each other, I need to revive my senses by filling them with him.
“So we’re really doing this?” I say, torn between mirth and anguish. Here we are ready to embark into the world together, but there’s still so much pain in what we’re leaving behind. Families, friends, and enemies alike, we may never see again. There isn’t even a guarantee of our survival. Seeing Rupert’s face, I can’t say that he wouldn’t put in to have us destroyed. It makes life seem so clinical.
“I think we have to. Piper, we owe it to ourselves and the ones we’ve lost because of the Corp to escape. Then we can find a way to take them down.” His eyes flash violently as he pictures it, and I can’t help but wonder if he imagines tearing them apart and devouring their flesh. It’s not the most comfortable thought.
My mind shifts to David, and conjuring up his face hurts so much. His light auburn hair always ridiculously spiked, and paired with a determined smile. In my mind he’s looking off into the sunset, grass dancing in the wind while his cornflower blue eyes fill up with hope and light. I don’t want to remember the way he denounced me for my relationship with Asher, some of his last words to me filled with such spite. If he knew what we know now, would he be proud of me? Would he accept me?
“I have to do it for David,” I reply, nodding my head with gumption. But is it even possible to throw down an entire organization?
“Myra’s still on our side, just so you know. She’s playing to the Corp that she had no idea we’d ever even spoken,” he says. Myra. I feel like I’ll never know which side she’s really on.
“Whose bright idea was it, anyway to put us in the same city together?” I muse.
Ash chuckles lightly. “I would have found you, either way. Even little robots in my blood can’t erase you from me,” he says.
I smile and grab his hand tightly, fingers weaved through his. The sound of footsteps up ahead startles me, my body shooting up in reflex.
“It’s Sandy,” Asher says, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. Sure enough, Sandy trudges into the clearing, followed closely by Shelley, proudly sporting hot pink Rad gear. When she sees me she bolts over, wrapping me up in her trademark massive hugs.
“I’m so sorry for not telling you,” I whisper.
“I absolutely understand why you didn’t. I probably would have clobbered you. No offense, Asher,” she says pointedly, glancing at Ash apologetically.
“None taken,” he mutters, stifling a laugh.
“Grier explained it all to us,” Sandy offers to me, then turns to face Asher seriously. “I’ve got the co-ordinates you wanted, though it took me a while to find. I’m going to try to get Myra to give them a heads up, so they’ll expect you. I don’t think they’ll attack if you’re with Piper.”
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“We’re going to Valhalla,” Ash says.
My eyes widen in confusion while my eyebrows rise in question.
“It’s where the extradited hunters live. We kind of stole the name for our own branch of the resistance,” Sandy continues. He points it out on the map he has with him. The tiny x is buried deep in the high mountains to the north of us. I look up and note it’s now snowing with intensity.
“I brought you my latest collection. It’s wind-proof,” Shelley says, reading my mind. She pulls out a slender backpack and offers me a sleek jumpsuit, thankfully in a more subdued purple. I hug her again quickly after I tug it on.
“I’m going to miss you.”
“This isn’t forever. You’ll see me again before you know it,” she replies.
I hug and thank Sandy for always being there, then turn to face Asher with a deep breath.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty Four
Cold permeates my head like a nose bleed. My body is unresponsive and my vision shows only a blur of pale light. I feel like I’ve been unconscious for days, and I groan through the pain as the sensation tickles itself back into my skin.
“Piper? Are you awake?” The voice echoes like it’s miles away, and I try to nod, but fail. Warmth. His body is pressed against me and the heat slowly defrosts my face and hands and lips. I’m grateful in this moment for the Hunter gene. Without it I’d probably be dead. As I peel my eyes open I see Asher’s eyes boring into mine as he cradles me tightly. Behind him, the walls are piled logs with rustic photographs, and a fire crackles in the background.
“Where are we?” I force out through jittering teeth. The last thing I remember is taking off into the night sky. Even with Shelley’s newest piece of gear, I must have half frozen.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how cold it must have been for you,” he says, eyes lined with pain.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, nestling further into him, sucking up his warmth. My skin no longer tingles painfully, but feels as though it’s being licked back to life by a fuzzy kitten. A figure enters the room, standing over Ash with hands pinned at the hips. I squint and notice it’s an older woman, pretty even though her face is lined with fine wrinkles. Her hair is braided tightly down her back and she’s glaring down at me.
“You’re damn lucky you didn’t kill that girl, Harpy boy,” she spits gruffly. Asher ignores her, stroking my hair gently.
“Where are we?” I ask.
The woman squints at me and raises her eyebrows. “So you’re awake. Welcome to Valhalla, refuge of the outcasts. Your boyfriend here carried you through a blizzard to get here, nearly froze you to death,” she says. She sounds like an ogre, voice scratchy and hoarse. She’s also obviously strong, physically and mentally. I nearly cry when she brings me a mug filled with steaming milk.
“Sit up, drink it slowly,” she mutters. Asher helps pull me upright, and I hold the cherished mug in my hands before gently sipping. The milk is deliciously warm and coats my throat in thick froth.
“Thank you,” I murmur. She reaches a hand toward Ash, and at first I think she’s going to smack him upside the head, but instead she places it gently on his shoulder.
“She’s going to be okay, but she needs to rest. I’ll come get you when dinner’s ready,” she says, then retreats and leaves the room, footsteps echoing on the hardwood floors. Asher guides me back to the bed, and I let my face sink into the fluffy pillow.
“I’m going to sleep now,” I whisper, my eyes shutting of their own accord. Asher holds me closely and kisses me lightly on the nose. I fall asleep as he slowly rocks me back and forth.
The sweet scent of cinnamon lulls me out of a deep sleep, and I yawn deeply. My body hurts, my head hurts, and above all my stomach is growling. I roll over and nudge Asher, who’s sleeping quietly on a chair next to the bed.
“Is dinner ready?” I ask.
He blinks a few times before he responds. “Sorry, I must have nodded off. Are you okay to get up?” he asks.
I wiggle my fingers and toes, and decide I’m more than capable of trucking myself around. “Yeah, and I’m starving. Now, where’s the bathroom?” I say. There’s only so long a girl can hold it for. After I’ve relieved myself and splashed my face with warm water, the woman from earlier comes into the room. Now that I’m actually conscious I can see her weather-beaten skin and determined attitude, and I immediately know who she is.
“You’re Gamma,” I whisper, eyes aglow like I’m a child meeting Santa Claus. I swear the legendary wo
man blushes a little, but tries to cover it up with a stern grunt.
“What kind of stories is Central throwing around about me now?” she mutters. If I wasn’t so tired, I’d run up to shake her hand.
“Only that you were the most bad-ass hunter ever, but that you died in some freak radiation accident,” I spurt out. No one back home would ever believe me, but seeing her with my own eyes just proves how many lies the Corp is hiding. Home. Will I ever be able to go back now?
“They would say that. Suffice it to say that I came upon some disturbing secrets about our lovely Corporation, and I wouldn’t stand for it. I took some Hunters with me and started a resistance out here. But enough about that, dinner’s ready if you are,” she says.
I nod gratefully and Asher and I follow her through a corridor with doors leading to rooms probably identical to the one where I’ve been. It looks like an old wood cabin, sparsely decorated but homey just the same. We stop at a large dining table where five sets of plates and cutlery are set up, a large roast and bowls of vegetables surrounding it.
“Sit,” Gamma orders, then turns to Asher, “Will this satisfy your appetite, Harpy boy?”
“I fed a few days ago, so the meat will be enough to tide me over,” he replies awkwardly. He takes a seat beside me and grasps my hand under the table. I can feel him trembling. It must be concerning to be sitting in a room dining with soldiers whose main focus is to kill you. I squeeze his hand tightly as two more ex-hunters enter the room.
“Ah, fresh meat,” says the first, a skinny man with scars covering his face and a badly styled Mohawk.
“Shut it, Slingjack,” Gamma snaps. The second Hunter remains silent as she takes a seat across from me. Her caramel skin almost glows in the soft light of the room, illuminating the ranking tattoos lining her left arm. Though her skin is darker, her eyes are a pale green, her hair cropped short to her head.
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