Harvester of Light Trilogy (Boxed Set)

by S. J. West

  Even though Ash and I never had much to call our own, at least we had the freedom to choose if we wanted to stay in one place or not. Now, I was a prisoner doomed to fulfill the barbaric wishes of Harvesters.

  I let Kirk and Teegan weave their magic on me once again as they did their best to prepare me for Freddy’s party. The dress Teegan brought for me to wear was the complete opposite of the wedding gown Freddy had paraded me in as the virgin queen that morning. The front was basically just two pieces of red silk joined together to form a plunging V neckline to the waist, leaving nothing to the imagination of anyone who saw me. The skirt was short and hit me at mid-thigh, making leaning over without showing anything impossible. I wasn’t even sure I would be able to sit in it and still maintain any semblance of dignity. The red patent leather stilettos Teegan put on my feet made me genuinely laugh until I realized she actually expected me to walk around in them. The only upside to the shoes was the real possibility I would trip and break my neck accidentally, releasing me from any guilt that I didn’t try my best to find a way out of the predicament I had been forced into.

  Kirk didn’t do much to my hair. He let the still-curled strands fall naturally down around my shoulders and complimented me on how beautiful the color of it was.

  “I have my mother’s hair,” I told him proudly, calling into question what my mother would think about her only daughter’s virginity being a fought over commodity. I prayed wherever she was, she couldn’t see me now; dressed up like a trollop meant to entice the greed and lust of the Harvesters in Alliance.

  I didn’t even look in the full length mirror when Kirk asked me if I wanted to inspect their work. I didn’t have the courage to face the girl in the mirror again. My inability to save her and my need to get rid of her as quickly as possible riddled my heart with guilt.

  I practiced walking around my room in the shoes. I was slightly disappointed they weren’t as hard to walk in as I had initially thought. After a few trips back and forth across the room, I felt comfortable enough to leave and get the night over with.

  The Hole guards waiting for me in the hallway were dressed in black Harvester uniforms with stun batons holstered at their sides like weapons. They were both male with brawny builds and were about as personable as statues when I walked out into the hallway to be taken to Freddy’s party.

  I saw no sign of Meg as I left, but I did catch glimpses of the other girls who worked in the house entertaining “guests” in the living room beyond the red tapestry curtain on the first floor.

  A black Harvester SUV was sitting outside waiting for us. It was only after I stepped outside that I realized I hadn’t been given a coat to wear. I didn’t bother asking for one. The upside was I might catch a cold. Who would want to bed someone with a runny nose and hacking cough?

  One of the Harvesters got into the driver’s seat while the other one sat in the back with me. I wasn’t sure if he was there to keep an eye on me or to make sure no one got to me during the trip, probably a little bit of both.

  We drove through Alliance past the town square and into the countryside. We soon turned off onto a gravel road lined on either side by large naked oak trees. Their twisted limbs arched over the lane like a natural canopy. Freddy’s house was a traditional red brick two-story colonial, complete with pillared veranda and second-story balcony. It looked a bit old fashioned for Freddy, but odds were he didn’t have much of a choice in such a small town.

  As we pulled up to the front of the house, Ian sauntered out the front door and descended the steps to the SUV. Before the Harvester sitting in the backseat with me could react, Ian opened the door on my side and held his hand out for me to take.

  “About time you arrived,” he said with a lopsided grin, taking in my outfit in one quick glance. “I thought I was going to have to give Freddy a tranquilizer.”

  “I didn’t realize I was on a time table,” I replied, placing my hand into Ian’s and stepping out with legs crossed, just in case the skirt decided to ride up my thighs as I scooted off the seat.

  “You’re not.“ Ian casually looped his arm through one of mine. “He’s just a natural worrier. If he didn’t have something to worry about, I think he would die of boredom.” Ian’s eyes traveled the length of me once again. “I think I liked you better in the other dress.”

  I wasn’t sure if his statement was meant as a compliment or not but realized it didn’t matter.

  Just as we walked into Freddy’s home, I could hear the buzz of voices filling the house like a hive of bees. After we crossed over the threshold, the noise stopped and all eyes turned toward me and Ian. There had to be at least a hundred people inside, milling about eating hors d’oeuvres and sipping sparkling champagne from long-stemmed crystal flutes. Directly across from where I stood, I could see the far end of the house where a pair of French doors opened up to a back patio. There were more people out there.

  “Ahh, finally!” Freddy said, making his way through the crowd from the back of the house toward me. The smile on Freddy’s face made me uneasy. A person like him never looked that happy for the right reasons. “The guest of honor is here, ladies and gentleman!”

  Freddy was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and slim black tie like most of the men in the room. He looked almost as naked as I felt without his signature round-topped hat sitting on his head.

  Freddy practically bounded up to me he was so excited.

  “Hello, love,” he said, leaning into me like he was going to kiss me on the cheek but whispered in my ear instead. “You wouldn’t believe the bids I got today. I hate to even turn some of the lesser ones down they’re so good.”

  I didn’t get a chance to reply to the crassness of his boasting, but I seriously doubted Freddy could be goaded into any form of shame.

  He turned to his audience and said, “And to show that I’m not a total ogre…”

  “Oh, yes you are, Freddy!” someone in the crowd shouted.

  “Oh hush, John,” Freddy said with a wave of his hand, taking the comment good-naturedly. “Anyway, as I was saying, to prove I’m not a complete ogre, I’ve invited another special guest.” Freddy pointed his index finger to the head of the staircase.

  Jace walked out onto the top landing of the stairs. The jacket and tie of his tux had been removed. All that was left was a white shirt with the first three black buttons undone, black slacks, and shiny black shoes. When our eyes met, my heart felt like it had suddenly leapt into my throat. I watched him closely as he took in my outfit in one sweep of his eyes. A scowl of either anger or disappointment, possibly both, formed on his face as he slowly made his way down the staircase.

  I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. One part of me wanted to run to Jace and the other part of me wanted to cower behind something to hide the ample display of flesh Freddy was forcing me to reveal to his customers. I wasn’t sure why having Jace see me dressed so scantily bothered me so much. Perhaps I was afraid he would think less of me for letting Freddy doll me up and prance me around like a whore when I was anything but, at least not yet.

  “Damn,” a blonde woman standing in the crowd in front of me crooned with undisguised lust, drawing my attention away from Jace to her, “if he survives the tournament,” she continued, “I sure hope Freddy puts him in Meg’s house. Kirk’s sweet, but sometimes a woman needs a real man. Don’t you think, girls?” The women gathered around the blonde woman giggled behind their champagne glasses as they continued to watch Jace descend the staircase like a pack of wolves getting ready to feed.

  This time, it was my turn to scowl. Kirk’s earlier confession about being a male prostitute in Meg’s house echoed clearly in my mind. Women did like company in their beds and Jace would certainly be a hot commodity if Freddy decided to have him work there. Even Meg herself would probably want to sample Jace. The mere thought of her and Jace together made my blood boil.

  When I looked back at Jace, he was at the bottom of the stairs, walking toward me with even, fluid strides.
I couldn’t help but smile as I realized no one was going to try to stop him from coming close to me this time.

  Without hesitation, Jace pulled me in tightly to his chest, leaning his mouth down close to my ear away from the crowd and Freddy.

  “Don’t believe anything,” he said before kissing my cheek, his lips cool against my burning cheeks. Jace took a small step back but kept a possessive hold on one of my hands as he turned so we could face the crowd together.

  Jace’s expression was one of determined defiance. Even though we were in a room full of Harvesters who could snap my neck in seconds if they wanted to, it was the first time since we were brought to Alliance that I felt safe. I suppose it was a foolish belief, but something about Jace’s protective demeanor left no doubt in my mind he would do whatever it took to protect me.

  My thoughts traveled back to the conversation we’d had when we were on our way to Fairmont. He asked me then if I made everyone around me want to keep me safe. It seemed an odd question at the time, but considering the situation we now found ourselves in it was almost prophetic in Jace’s case. I had no doubt he would sacrifice anything, even his life, in order to shelter me from harm.

  I didn’t have time to ponder Jace’s cryptic words to me before Freddy turned to Jace and said in a low voice, “Now, it’s time for you to hold up your end of the bargain.”

  Jace didn’t bother to look at Freddy to acknowledge his words. Instead, he looked down at me with an expression of regret mixed with longing, like he was telling me he was sorry for what he was about to do. He squeezed my hand reassuringly before slowly letting it go.

  I watched him walk away from me and approach the blonde who had made the crass comment about hoping Jace got placed at Meg’s house. He stood in front of her and leaned his head down to whisper something in her ear. A beatific smile spread the woman’s lips as her eyelids lowered and took on a seductive quality before looking back up at Jace.

  The woman wrapped one of her arms possessively around one of his as they walked through the throng of people to the back of the house toward the open French doors and backyard patio that lay beyond.

  Freddy snickered. “Didn’t figure it would take the boy long to make his presence known to the ladies in the crowd.” Freddy turned to Ian, who was standing silently behind me. “Take her out back, but don’t let anyone come too close. They can look, but no touching. You remember the people I told you to talk with?”

  I felt Ian come stand at my side. “Yeah, I remember, Freddy.”

  Ian held a crooked arm out to me. I didn’t take it. I looked over at Freddy instead.

  “What kind of bargain did you make with Jace? What exactly is he supposed to be doing for you?” I demanded, determined to get an answer.

  Freddy’s eyes narrowed on me with undisguised loathing, like I was a bee buzzing annoyingly in his ear.

  “It’s none of your business. Just do what you’re told, so I don’t have to punish him for your insolence.” Freddy walked away from me with a practiced smile plastered on his face as he went to mingle with his guests.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Ian said, looping one of my arms through his. “He’s just mad about not letting more people participate in the tournament. He underestimated how much the people of this town would be willing to pay to be with you.”

  “Well, I guess you should be happy,” I grumbled, feeling my bottled up irritation bubble to the surface and find an easy target in Ian. “You get to play for free.”

  Ian chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly call it free.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked suspiciously.

  “If there’s one thing you should know about Freddy by now is that everything comes with a price.”

  “So, is he actually making you pay to be in the tournament?”

  “In his own way.” Ian tilted his head to the side indicating the same direction Jace had disappeared. “Come on. Freddy won’t appreciate it if we keep his bidders waiting.”

  Ian escorted me through the crowd in the house to the surprisingly warm air on the back patio.

  It felt almost like a spring day, something I hadn’t experienced since I was seven years old. A warm gentle breeze caressed my naked skin, soothing away some of the tension of the last twenty-four hours. I looked around me to see where the warm air was coming from and noticed vents positioned along the low walls surrounding the enclosed area. The heater, which was used to warm the interior, was also being used to chase away the chill of a post-apocalyptic earth. I couldn’t imagine how much fuel Freddy was spending to keep his customers comfortable.

  It wasn’t hard to find Jace once we were outside. A group of women stood around him like moths to a flame. I’m not sure what he was saying, but whatever it was made the circle of women around him laugh. The smile on his face seemed genuine to those surrounding him, but I could tell it was forced. As though he felt my eyes on him, Jace looked over at me, his practiced smile faltering ever so slightly. He looked away as though seeing me caused him physical pain, distracting him from his mission of seducing the ladies of Alliance.

  “Is Freddy making Jace do that?” I asked Ian, unable to take my eyes away from Jace’s perfect performance as a lothario.

  Ian looked over at Jace, eyes narrowed.

  “More than likely,” Ian surmised. “He’ll probably put Jace up for bid after you and wants to make sure the women here are already salivating over him.”

  The thought that Jace might meet the same fate as me hadn’t even crossed my mind. “Would he really do that?”

  Ian looked down at me with a grim expression on his face. “Freddy will use anyone and anything to make himself richer. It’s about the only thing that keeps him going. He hates being here.”

  “Why doesn’t he just leave if he hates being here so much?”

  Ian’s eyes narrowed on me like he was trying to figure something out. “I assumed Kirk would have told you about the virus by now.”

  “Well, yeah, but what’s that got to do with anything?”

  “Alliance isn’t a prison for humans, Skye,” Ian said in a low voice, not meant to be overheard. “It’s a prison for Harvesters with the virus. The Queen put us all here to make sure we can’t infect any of our brethren. Hell, she was just here yesterday to dump her latest lover off because he became infected.”

  Ian’s information solved the mystery on why the Queen was out in the middle of nowhere when we saw her caravan. It was little relief, but at least it wasn’t because she was looking for Jace.

  I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of Alliance as a Harvester prison. It certainly made sense. People through the centuries had placed others with incurable sicknesses in safe confines so as not to infect the healthy. Why would the Harvesters be any different? To be infected with the virus meant certain death—something all Harvesters were trying very hard to avoid. No wonder the Harvesters here were so ruthless.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling pity for Ian, even though he had chosen to live the life of a Harvester once upon a time.

  Ian’s brow furrowed. “Why are you sorry for me? You’re the one being sold off like a piece of meat.”

  “I’m sorry you have to stay here. You seem different from the others, like you might actually still have a conscience.”

  Ian chuckled. “My curse for getting the virus I suppose. I think like a human again. Some of us regained our humanity when we caught the virus, others didn’t.”

  “What was it like when you first became a Harvester?”

  Ian shrugged. “I didn’t really feel too much of anything for a while. About the only things that did feel were greed, lust, and anger, which isn’t exactly a good combination. I felt like I deserved anything I wanted, and if I didn’t have it, I took it, whether it belonged to someone else or not. I mean what human was going to tell a Harvester they couldn’t have something?”

  “Did you ever regret becoming a Harvester?”

  “After a while, you begin to question if the price is
worth it,” he admitted. “There are certain things about being human you begin to miss.”

  “Like what?”

  Ian shook his head at me. “Don’t know you well enough to tell you things like that. Besides, I’m supposed to be parading you around for Freddy’s customers. I don’t think he’ll like it if we just stand here talking to each other all night.”

  Ian walked me around the patio like a horse owner showing off a champion thoroughbred before a race. I could only assume we would be talking to people whom Freddy had tipped Ian off as placing the highest bids. The first person we stopped to chat with was an older man, perhaps in his mid-sixties. His stiff, almost courtly posture bespoke of a man who was used to getting what he wanted without ever having to ask. He was handsome for an older gentleman with black hair streaked by shocks of white on the sides. He wore a short, well-trimmed goatee, which seemed to accentuate the lean features of his face.

  “Langdon,” Ian said as we came to a stop in front of the man. “How are you doing this evening?”

  “Very well,” Langdon replied, holding his hand out to Ian in a cordial manner. His eyes met mine for a moment, but they didn’t wander down past my face. Was he actually being chivalrous by not letting his eyes travel over my half-naked body?

  “Freddy wanted me to make sure I brought Skye to meet you, since you’ll probably be the one to win the tournament tomorrow.”

  Langdon smiled knowingly, like someone who wasn’t easily fooled. “I suppose he told you to tell all the high bidders that.”

  Ian grinned with a half shrug. “I figured you were too smart to be charmed by gratuitous flattery, but I had to try.”

  “Well, I’ll be sure to let Freddy know how well you preformed your duties.” Langdon looked back at me, studying my face with undisguised interest. “You remind me of someone I knew once, a very long time ago when I was in college,” he told me. His eyes softened a bit as he remembered this person from his past. “The resemblance isn’t exact, but it’s very close.”

  “Was it someone you loved?” I asked.