by Rachel Broom
“I know, it’s not the tastiest thing in the world, but it will make you feel ten times better.”
“So what have you been up to since I last saw you?”
He leaned back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head. “Not much. A couple of new healers came in. One of them is incredibly tall.”
“Really?”
“Too tall, actually.”
I smiled. “And how’s Mary?”
Sam seemed surprised that I mentioned her. “She’s well.”
“The skryers didn’t catch her the other night, did they?”
“No, they didn’t. I keep telling her she needs to be more careful. The idea of her getting caught by a skryer is too painful to think about. She deserves better.”
A flame of envy lit in my chest but I pushed it away. I didn’t need to be jealous of Mary; Sam and I were friends. That should have been enough.
“You know, it’s not your fault if they catch her. You can only help a person so much before it’s out of your hands.”
“We promised we’d look out for each other.”
“Still, it’s not your fault if she gets caught.”
“You are acting as if she’s already been caught.” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Do you know something I don’t?”
“I was about to ask you the same question.”
“What?”
“You’re planning something, aren’t you? That meet-up with Mary wasn’t just a friendly visit. Why else would she sound so worried?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Sam.” I looked at him. He knew that of all of the things I wanted, the biggest one at this point was honesty. “Please tell me.”
“It’s nothing, really. Mary had talked about escaping and I was going over the logistics with her.”
“You are going to escape?”
“Nothing’s set in stone. This place is locked up like the Head is in his mansion. We have to be careful if we’re going to be successful. Bad things happen to people who try to escape and fail.”
“There has to be a safe way out.”
“Mary and I are working on it. For now let’s keep it under wraps, okay? If word gets out then we’ll be caught.”
“But you’ll tell me if you find a way out?”
“Of course.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
Sam smirked. “You have a deadline in mind?”
“No, but the sooner the better. I only have two days left of training before I have to start hunting.” The red-eyed Trux version of myself popped up in my head.
“You’ll be fine.”
“I have nightmares every night about killing Pax; I can’t sleep. Once I kill I won’t want to be around you anymore.”
“Are you saying you actually like spending time with a healer who technically doesn’t have the proper education required for a healer?” Sam grinned, nudging me. The selfish me wanted Sam to tell me that he wanted me around no matter what, but right then a skryer interrupted us.
“Violet Hansen?” I froze.
“Y-yes?” I stammered. It was hard not to notice the whip on his belt.
“The Secretary of the Head would like a word with you in her office.”
No one knew who the secretary was, but everyone knew she existed. Some people called her the Head’s right hand, others called her his puppet. She watched over most of the bases. Although I was terrified to become a hunter, I was more scared about this request to meet the secretary. I wasn’t going to punished, was I? I hadn’t done anything wrong. Unless she just wanted me dead. That was always a possibility.
“Why?”
“You don’t ask the questions. She does.”
Sam’s face hardened. I tried to manage words but none came out. I reached out and wrapped my arms around Sam’s neck, whispering in his ear, “see you soon,” then letting go. I didn’t to let go.
“Be safe,” he said. His breath sent shivers down my neck and into my core. “Don’t be a stranger.”
I stood up and walked over to the skryer. My whole body shook. Thoughts of never seeing Sam again and being locked in a cell ran through my mind as I left the healing center with the skryer, glancing over my shoulder at Sam, who watched me leave. Stares followed us as we walked down the hall leading to the hunters’ division, past my eating facility, the training hall, and the living quarters, past any point that I knew of. The air was colder here. The ceilings were taller, hollow and empty.
The skryer stopped by a metal door. It parted and revealed a circular white-paneled room with a large skylight overhead. There was another metal door at the opposite end of the room.
“She is waiting through that door.” The skryer jerked his head. I tried to calm my racing heart as I scanned my tracker against the door, holding my breath as they parted.
The room was small, but the ceiling made up for it. Three story ceilings with skylights poured in natural light, casting shadows on the large metallic sculptures that lined the glass wall overlooking the forest beyond the base. A giant chandelier hung above my head, almost identical to the one I saw in Memoriam. I thought that odd that my memory created that image without ever being in the secretary’s office before. Over to my right was a desk with a slate fireplace that crackled behind it, spitting ashes out and hissing. I was mesmerized to the point that I almost didn’t notice the woman sitting in front of the fireplace in an ice chair, molded to fit her body. Her small legs were like bird legs, crossed one over another. Her eyes were huge, bulging out of her face unlike anything I had ever seen.
“Welcome Violet Hansen.” The woman did not meet my gaze. Instead she watched the fire. I wondered what she saw in the flames, her future or the Trux’s past - either way they both had fire. She took a sip from the cup in her hands.
“You think me strange?” Her voice sounded like the chime of bells.
“No.” It was the first response that came to mind. “So you’re the Head’s secretary?”
“Stella. My name is Stella.” She took another sip. “Have a seat, Violet.”
I didn’t move.
“Violet, did you hear me? I said sit down.”
I crossed the empty space between us and sat down across from her, next to the fire. Her black dress shimmered in the firelight, casting shadows on her bare shoulders and exposed legs. A small white scar crossed her collarbone and snaked down her arm, touching her wrist. It looked similar to the scars on my back. I wanted to ask where they’d come from but I knew better than to do that.
Stella set her cup down and patted her lips dry with a cloth napkin. Her lips left a dark red stain on the cloth. “Hungry?”
I shook my head.
“As you know, the Head is mindful of his hunters.”
I raised an eyebrow. He cared that most hunters were driven insane by guilt, that they were forced to kill against their will and eventually lost all respect for themselves?
“Is he here?”
Stella’s eyes flashed and I saw the reflection of the flames dance in her eyes.
“He is always here, even when he is gone. The Head is impressed with you, though I can’t imagine why.”
A knot formed in my stomach. “Why me? There are countless hunters he could choose from.”
“He claims you are a natural-born fighter. You have completed your training as a hunter and it is time to move on to hunting.”
“I still have two more days of training to complete,” I interrupted.
“And now you do not.”
I wished Sam was here to hold my hand.
“That is all. You may go.”
I stood up and scooted my chair back, crossing the large room and heading back to the entrance.
“Oh, Violet?”
I froze. “Yes?”
“From now on, no more visits with that healer, all right? We can’t have hunters who are distracted by people of lesser status.”
“Lesser status?” I repeated, trying to keep my tone steady.
“It does not bode well for you if this friendship progresses. I’ll make sure of that.”
My whole body was shaking.
“Thank you. You may go.”
I scanned my tracker then stepped outside. Report to the weaponry for your first mission with your combination, a voice played in my head. So this was the beginning. I had no time to prepare. I was a hunter now. My stomach squirmed and my legs were mechanical as I made my way down to the weaponry.
I got off the lift and walked further into the cavern like I had with Trent. Through the darkness I spotted Vince, along with the rest of my combination. I noticed the sallow-skinned man, Severin, glaring at me when I joined the half circle. Zanna, the woman with the long black hair, looked like a warrior as she stood hip-width apart, her hands behind her back. Malina was slouched against a pillar biting her nails.
“You heard then?” Vince asked.
“Just now.”
“It will be okay.”
Malina tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed. “Can we stop wasting time and go already?”
“I’m with Malina,” Severin drawled. Malina smiled at him but Sev did not return it. Lights sprung on as we walked deeper into the cavern and revealed magnuses I remembered seeing in the streets of Kinaron, my hometown. They were what the Trux used when they invaded. Next to the magnuses were cops, blades jetting out on every side. I’d seen cops from a distance in Stoclo when they flew overhead, but never up close. Each blade had to have been twenty feet long, at least. The magnuses were big, too. The tires were taller than me.
“Cops and magnuses, the bases’s main transportation,” Vince said to me as we walked.
“I recognize them. They’re what the Trux used to invade.”
“That’s right.” He paused. “Are you scared?”
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
Vince reached over and took my hand. I felt warmth and familiarity through his.
“I’m right here if you need me.”
Vince held true to his word. Malina and Sev chose to sit at the front of the magnus on a bench that curved around its side, snaking its way to the back where Vince and I sat, next to the weapons wall. There were no windows to see where we were, only a large block of light pouring in from the slotted ceiling that sloped into a pyramid shape. I noticed a square in the flooring and wondered if magnuses had two levels.
“It’s going to be okay,” Vince kept saying.
“I know.” I didn’t believe myself, though. Another image flashed in my mind of lights ablaze...a man wearing a metal badge on his chest...he was hugging me. I heard a groan and looked over at Vince.
“Are you okay?”
“Bad hip, that’s all.” He smiled but it was forced. For some reason his wrinkles seemed to stand out more when he smiled, his age shining light on the fact that he didn’t have much time left in his life. He was too weak to keep up with the strenuous life of a hunter.
“Can I ask you something? Back when I began my training you asked me if I remembered you before I became a hunter. You were referring to knowing me before, weren’t you?”
Vince pressed his hand into his hip, closing his eyes. “Now is not the time or place to discuss such a thing. And even then, would you want to know something that could possibly destroy your future?”
***
I don’t think I processed what happened when I woke from my deep sleep. Vince told me I had been asleep for almost four hours. When we got out of the magnus we were surrounded by trees.
“This way.” He guided me around the magnus and pointed through the trees. I followed behind the others, watching the trees grow thin. Soon I spotted water.
“Where are we?”
“The Head’s mansion,” Malina said.
My throat closed up. “I thought we were going hunting.”
Vince lowered his voice. “The Head likes to meet his new hunters.”
“His?” Anger flooded my body.
We reached the edge of a rocky beach where a large white dock with pods underneath it was waiting for us. I followed Vince over to the white dock and stepped inside its glass walls, choosing one of the small tubes that stood upright and clambering inside.
The tube began to vibrate. I grabbed the glass walls around me for support, frantically searching for Vince. He was in his own compartment, holding onto the glass. The floor split in two and beneath it I saw a small pod. I let myself drop through the hole and land in the pod with a thump. A glass dome slid across the top of the pod and it whistled as it began to move.
The pod shot through the water, inching higher and higher until it was flying, traveling straight ahead to a small island where a huge building erupted above the trees. The Head’s mansion, I thought to myself. The pod slowed and came to a stop below another white dock.
The glass dome slid back and I climbed out onto a narrow path of stepping stones that led to the shoreline. Zanna and Sev climbed out of their pods and followed me up the path. At the end of the dock were several guards, a large ‘X’ formed with two guns strapped on their chests. I recognized the ‘X’ as the Trux’s symbol: two arms crossed over one another. One hand was closed in a fist as a reminder to always be ready for war, and the other hand open over the heart, a constant reminder to remain honest in all parts of life. The only problem with this Trux symbol was that both fists were closed.
“Hands on your heads!” the guards barked. I drew my hands up and rested them at the crook of my neck, sweat gliding down my back as a guard came over and checked me.
“Clear!” the guard barked. I stepped past him and joined Vince again, heading up the rocky beach to the tree line. The hill sloped up as we climbed. After fifteen minutes of walking, the hill began to fall, leading down to a clearing of trees where a monstrous building sprawled across the land.
My jaw dropped. I lost my footing as I stared in awe. Massive stone pillars lined the front, supporting a giant slab of concrete that was lain across the top of the mansion. A large ‘X’ was carved into the slab. The walls of the mansion jetted out around it, creating a circular shape that was topped off with a dome placed on top, just like the base. A large staircase lay at the foot of the mansion, leading to the entrance.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Malina said to me.
“That’s not the word I would use.”
I was still in shock from trying to process the size of the mansion when I crossed the field surrounding it. There were more guards at the entrance. My whole body tensed up as the guards checked me again like they had when I exited the pod. Sadness flooded through my body when I glanced up at the cement arch where the Trux symbol was engraved. The open hand that was supposed to be open over the heart was a closed fist. A dull ache spread through the edges of my chest, making its way into my heart. I passed through the entrance with Vince by my side, ignoring the Trux uniforms that had the changed symbol on them as well.
One of the doors opened and a guard let us enter. My eyes widened as I stared ahead at a massive screen projected on the wall opposite us, flashing the Trux symbol repeatedly. Written under the Trux symbol in smaller writing was:
Pax Death Count: 711,939
I suddenly felt sick. The number climbed steadily.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered in Vince’s ear.
“You don’t have a choice.”
A set of doors beneath the large screen slid open and a man stepped out. I blinked furiously, my eyes stinging. My chest hurt like mad. Anger and sadness for my people, the Pax, raged through me as I watched him descend. I wanted to blame everything that I’d lost in my life on the Head.
The man crossed the space between us, greeting everyone with a smile. His small, beady black eyes landed on me and my heart froze. This was the Head.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Welcome,” he said in a rasp voice. The large scar that ran from his right eye to his jaw stretched as he licked his lips. “You must be my new hunter.”
I felt everyone’s eyes on me. My fa
ce was hot.
Say something.
I can’t.
“Yes,” I croaked. The Head stepped closer and tilted his head, leaning into me.
“And your name?” His breath was musty and his teeth were yellowed and cracked. The grey hairs on the top of his head were barely visible amongst his pale blonde hair. I swore I saw bits of dried blood in his scalp.
“V-Violet Hansen.”
“You seem nervous. Are you?”
“No.”
The Head smiled, his peeling lips pulling apart and curling at the edges. He was frightening when he smiled.
“Do not lie to me, Violet. Never lie to me.” He stepped back and exhaled slowly. “It is refreshing to see my hunters in good health. I trust your journey went smoothly.”
“Yes, sir,” Malina said.
“As you know, I prefer to acquaint myself with new hunters, such as yourself, Violet. I think an acquaintance over dinner sounds adequate, yes? Your rooms are upstairs. I will see you within the hour. Do not keep me waiting. Especially you.” He pointed at me.
“Come on, let’s go to our rooms,” Zanna said. She steered us away from the Head and led the group across the entrance hall, our footsteps echoing as we walked.
“Someone looks scared.” Malina smirked.
“Wait till dinner. She’ll be squirming like a worm,” Sev said.
We climbed the rest of the stairs and came around the balcony overlooking the entrance hall.
“It’s so- ”
“Medieval?” Vince finished my sentence. “Yes, it is.”
My eyes darted across the hall, where above us was a series of balconies, climbing higher and higher up the walls, the one at the top of the wall so small it was the size of my thumb.
“But why would he choose to replicate buildings from so long ago? That was hundreds of years ago; the history discs from that time period are rare.”
“The Head has reasons for everything,” Malina said.
We turned down a hallway that led off of the balcony and entered a stone entryway lined with wooden doors. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a wooden door; it was considered a sign of poverty.
“See you in a minute,” Vince said. He and the others went into their rooms, leaving me out in the entryway. I went over to a large ornate door with carved markings on it and went inside, shutting the door behind me. My heart was still racing. In the room was a four-poster bed with velvet gold curtains that hung limp. Lying on the covers of the bed was a long liquid red dress. It was beautiful. I fingered the fabric, running my hand along the silk bodice and detailed stoneware that covered the shoulders and neck, running down both arms and ending in a point on either wrist. I threw the dress on and buttoned it up, throwing my hair in a loose bun then turned around, letting out a sigh as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. None of my scars were visible. I was mostly covered, but I felt naked.