by S. J. West
Ian stepped forward slowly until he was standing right in front of me.
My initial happiness over him winning instantly dissipated.
Before I could brace myself, Ian grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and pulled me flat up against his body. When I looked at him, his eyes looked possessed with anger and hatred. Hatred of me for being the reason Meg was dead or anger at himself for thinking Freddy would be lenient with her punishment, I wasn’t sure. His face lowered to mine before I could turn my head, his lips finding my own deftly.
The kiss was one filled with violent intent. I didn’t know what to do or how to react. I had only kissed two men in my life and neither of those experiences prepared me for Ian’s harsh, demanding onslaught on my lips. When I tried to pull my head away from his, I felt one of his hands grab the back of my head and an arm encircle my waist, trapping me against him like a snake would its victim. I felt the sting of hopeless tears, not knowing why Ian was trying to punish me.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and Ian’s hold on me vanished. I stumbled back, holding a hand to my bruised lips as I saw Jace pull his arm back to hit Ian in the side again. The sound of bones snapping was unmistakable. Holding onto his injured side with one arm, Ian turned on Jace intent on smashing him in the face, but Jace was faster, capturing Ian’s hand and squeezing it until Ian dropped to his knees. When Jace let go, Ian fell to the platform, hugging his injured hand and ribs as he groaned on the floor.
Jace growled in anger, swinging a foot to kick Ian in the side when the Hole guards finally intervened and restrained him. It seemed like they were having a harder time keeping Jace within their grip than they had Ian earlier.
“Take him back to the Hole until it’s time for the final fight tonight!” Freddy ordered. The guards drug an unwilling Jace down the stairs, tossing him into a waiting black SUV.
“Well, well,” Freddy said to the crowd. “I guess we might actually have a good fight on our hands this evening folks. Jace, the jealous boyfriend, seems to be able to hold his own against a Harvester. Hopefully, Ian’s injures won’t hinder him much tonight. The fight will take place in the rotunda of the courthouse at seven o’clock sharp. Make your bets and see you there!”
The two female guards who had brought me were immediately back by my sides. Each grabbed one of my arms as they led me back to the SUV. My feet barely touched the ground. We drove back to town and to the courthouse. Once there, the guards took me inside through the rotunda to a small room with one window for light. The room looked like it had once been an office with its remaining desk and scattered paperwork. After being safely deposited inside the room, the guards shut the door. I heard the turn of a key on the other side and realized I would be stuck in the room until the final fight between Ian and Jace.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sometime around midafternoon, one of the guards brought me a ham and cheese sandwich, some chips, and a bottle of water. If there was one thing I couldn’t complain about in Alliance it was the food. The Queen may not have wanted to give the infected Harvesters freedom, but she was certainly providing for their every need. It seemed odd to me why she would even let them live and not just kill them off to end the risk of infection. How many of these camps existed? It was the first one I had ever seen, but then again, to the outside world it probably looked like any other breeding camp.
I sat in that little room until the light grew faint outside. The turn of the key in the lock brought my attention to the door. A natural smile of pleasure spread my lips when I saw Kirk and Teegan walk in, their arms filled with their magic paraphernalia that always transformed me into the girl in the mirror.
I leapt from the chair behind the desk I was sitting in and hugged them both.
“I wasn’t sure if I would ever see you guys again,” I told them.
“You almost didn’t,” Kirk whispered. “But I convinced Freddy you needed to look your best for the last match.”
Kirk turned on the overhead light in the room, chiding me for not doing the simple task for myself. To be honest, I was using the fading light of day as a way to mark how close it was to fight time. Now that it was almost dark outside and Kirk and Teegan were here, I knew it was only a matter of minutes before Jace and Ian would be forced to fight each other.
I told my friends about the tournament and the harsh way Ian had kissed me. In turn, Kirk told me what happened at Meg’s house that afternoon.
“Ian barged into the house and stormed up to Meg’s room. He was still in there when we left to come here.”
“What was he doing in there?”
“Breaking things from the sound of it.”
“What will happen to you guys now that Meg is gone?”
Kirk shrugged. “Business as usual. Meg was never in charge, just acted like it. Freddy’s always been the one who owned us.”
I sighed. The thought of Kirk and Teegan having to service the Harvesters of Alliance made me sick to my stomach.
“Figured out that escape plan yet?” I asked, half joking half serious.
“As soon as I do, you’ll be the first to know,” Kirk promised.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to change out of my clothes. It had been so long since I owned a coat that actually fit. I didn’t want to give it up. Kirk curled my hair and Teegan touched up my makeup but didn’t add much to it.
We heard the crowd start to gather out in the rotunda. It wasn’t long before Freddy strolled into the room dressed as he had been earlier in the day and wearing a cocky grin.
“Let’s go, love. Time to get this over with,” he said to me like I was a dog he was taking out for a walk.
I stood from the chair behind the desk and asked, “Can Kirk and Teegan come with me?”
Freddy looked at the two like he just realized they were in the room and said, “Sure, wouldn’t want them to miss all the fun.”
As I walked out the door to follow Freddy’s lead, Kirk and Teegan fell in behind me.
The circular rotunda was filled with people now. Freddy led us up a set of stairs lined by Hole guards. Once on the second floor, I was able to look down at the first floor. Ian and Jace were already there, each being guarded by two Hole guards with batons out and pointed at them. They were staring at each other across the expanse of the rotunda with such intensity it looked like they wanted to kill one another. Ian’s ribs were bound by white gauze and his injured hand was wrapped with the same material. I noticed the glint of gold on one of his fingers and realized it was a ring I had seen Meg wear. Was it a talisman of his lost love? Did he see me and Jace as the reasons for her untimely demise and now felt he had to punish us for her death? One consolation was that he didn’t look in any condition to fight. I was glad. It gave Jace the upper hand. And considering how easily Jace beat Ian up that morning, I had real hope it meant he could actually win this fight.
Whoever ended up winning the fight, I knew my fate would be the same. I would be taken directly to Julia’s house for the tests Freddy wanted her to do on my “miracle” blood. I was looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I dreaded what Julia might do to me, but I desperately wanted to see Zoe and Blue again. I needed to know they were all right and that Julia wasn’t mistreating them. If she was, I wasn’t sure what I would do. Probably go into a blind rage, which would probably lead us all into more trouble.
I tried to keep my attention focused on the first hurdle we needed to get through that night. If Ian somehow won, would he expect me to fulfill the month of pleasure Freddy had promised the winner? Would it even be something that had to be honored considering how much Freddy wanted to use me to get in the Queen’s good graces? Remembering the way Ian kissed me that morning sent a shiver of dread down my spine. If he indeed blamed me for Meg’s death, he might try to punish me for it. He was a Harvester after all. He seemed to have regained his conscience because of the virus but was it enough to override the rage he felt over his lover’s death? Would the man who held me so gently after Marvin’
s attack fight his way back to the surface in time?
“All right, ladies and gentleman,” Freddy said, quieting the rowdy crowd below us. “This is an all-out match. Anything goes!” The crowd cheered, hoping to see blood spilled. “Are you two ready?”
Jace looked up at Freddy and gave a curt nod. His eyes met mine briefly, but I didn’t recognize the person who was looking at me. The hard lines of anger had replaced the dimpled smile Jace gave so easily to others, me especially. He seemed to have one thing on his mind, and I wasn’t sure if it was to just beat Ian and win or kill Ian and win. I knew Jace could kill to protect someone. He had done it for Zoe, but in this case, killing wasn’t the only way to survive. It didn’t seem logical for him to still be mad over Ian’s kiss from that morning. It wasn’t something to kill over. There had to be something else behind it. I just didn’t know what.
Ian didn’t even bother to look up at Freddy. He nodded his head that he was ready for the fight.
“Then, let the fighting begin!” Freddy said.
The Hole guards guarding Ian and Jace dispersed into the crowd, allowing them the freedom to fight.
The two of them circled around each other as if sizing the other one up. Jace was the first to make a move, running at Ian and grabbing him by the waist easily tossing him over his shoulder onto the ground behind him. Taking advantage of Ian’s position, Jace straddled Ian at the waist and began hitting him in the face. I wasn’t sure if Ian would be able to fight Jace off, but finally he managed to get in a blow across Jace’s right cheek, moving him enough to gain a little leverage and throw Jace off him. Jace stumbled backwards for a moment, shaking his head as if to clear his vision. Ian promptly took advantage by jumping to his feet and wrapping an arm around Jace’s neck. Jace tried to pry Ian’s arm away but couldn’t. He fell to his knees. Ian never let go. At one point Jace’s eyes fluttered closed like he had passed out, but Ian never let up on his grip around Jace’s neck. Even when Jace went completely limp, Ian didn’t let go.
“Ian,” I yelled. “You’re killing him! Let him go! Stop!”
Ian seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and released his hold around Jace’s throat. Jace’s body slumped to the floor, either unconscious or dead.
Freddy leaned over the railing and asked, “So is he dead or alive?”
Ian knelt and touched the side of Jace’s neck. He leaned his head down to Jace’s chest to confirm his suspicion.
Ian stood and looked up at us, no remorse on his face. “He’s dead.”
Without thinking about the consequences, I rushed down the stairs, passed the guards there, and pushed my way through the crowd to the center of the rotunda. I ran to Jace and knelt down by him, placing my ear against his naked chest. There was no heartbeat, no breath of life. I wanted to cry and hit something at the same time.
I stood, walked over to Ian, and slapped him as hard as I could across one cheek. Filled with blind rage, I began pummeling his chest with my fists, screaming one question at him, “Why?”
Ian didn’t try to stop me. He just stood there, letting me use him as a punching bag. It wasn’t until Kirk and Teegan grabbed my arms that I stopped hitting Ian and fell to the floor beside Jace. I cradled his head in my lap and began swaying back and forth, tears spilling uncontrollably from my eyes. Kirk and Teegan sat down beside me, trying to use soothing words to comfort me but having no effect. All I wanted was revenge. I wanted to kill Ian and Freddy for what they had done. It was then I understood the look I had seen on Jace’s face, a need for justice at any cost.
I felt someone try to make me stand up, but I refused to leave Jace, lashing out wildly with my hands at whoever tried to touch me.
He had given his life trying to protect me. I couldn’t abandon him. I wouldn’t.
I’m not sure how much time passed. I was faintly aware of the crowd in the rotunda leaving but couldn’t bring myself to care. Now that they had gotten their pound of flesh, the excitement was over for them, but the heartache had only begun for me.
“What the bloody hell were you thinking?” I heard Freddy ask. “You know I planned to auction him off next week.”
“I was thinking he was going to kill me if I didn’t kill him first,” Ian replied tersely. “Why the hell was he so mad at me?”
“Oh that,” Freddy said dismissively. “I told him about your girlfriend’s little plan to deflower Skye last night. He seemed to assume you were in on it. I just didn’t tell him otherwise.” Freddy sighed. “What the hell are we going to do with her now? I already told Julia to expect the two of you at her house tonight to run those tests.”
“We stick to the plan,” Ian said. “Listen, let me take the body with us. She’s obviously not going to go anywhere without it. We can stop on the way to Julia’s and bury him. Maybe that’ll help her cope with things. You know humans like to get closure on stuff like this. It would be better in the long run to have her cooperative. Give her this small gesture to show her you’re not a complete animal.”
Freddy seemed to mull Ian’s words over before saying, “All right. Do it. Just get those tests run tonight.”
“Teegan and I should go with her,” Kirk said, his voice quavering slightly. This was probably one of the few times he had ever spoken up for himself to Freddy. “She shouldn’t have to bury the man she loves without friends there to support her.”
“Whatever,” Freddy said dismissively, “just get what I need done. But she better bloody well understand what’s expected of her when she returns here. I’ll send a couple of guards to escort you in case she tries to run. If she tries to do something stupid like that, kill one of these two.”
Leave it to Freddy to figure out a way to blackmail me into behaving. Now that he didn’t have Jace to hold over my head, he was going to use the next two people in town who meant anything to me. As long as he got what he wanted, Freddy didn’t care who had to pay the price.
The next few minutes were all a blur to me. I remember Kirk and Teegan trying to force me to let go of Jace and stand. Eventually, I did what they wanted. Two Hole guards carried Jace’s body out of the courthouse. I followed them, feeling just as confused as when I lost my parents, not knowing where we were going, only caring that Jace not be left alone.
Freddy’s van was parked outside the courthouse. The Hole guards placed Jace’s body in the back. I got in the van and lay down next to him, resting my head on his chest, hoping for some miracle to happen that would magically revive him.
Magic.
My healing was like magic. Could I use it to bring back the dead? What did I have to lose?
I faintly heard Freddy telling Ian something before Ian got in the driver’s seat of the van. Kirk and Teegan got into the back of the van with me, sitting far enough away not to bother me while I mourned over Jace.
“Have her back here by morning,” Freddy told Ian through the driver’s side window.
“I’ll have her back as soon as I can,” Ian replied hesitantly. “But you know Julia, she might need longer.”
“If she does, call me. And don’t get any bright ideas. Remember, I always know where you are.”
I heard the hum of the window being closed as Ian put the van into gear and we were on our way out of Alliance.
It was now or never.
I placed one hand on Jace’s chest, like any woman would to the man she loved. I concentrated my thoughts on Jace’s heart, trying to get whatever power I possessed inside me to make the muscles of his heart contract once again. I blocked every noise and sensation around me out of existence, everything except my warm skin against Jace’s cold body. Nothing happened. Tears of despair replaced those of loss. It was useless. Either I didn’t know how to call on my gift when I needed to, or I couldn’t resurrect the dead with just a touch.
I began to cry even harder than before. Life had never been very fair, but Jace’s death was like the tear of the last stitch in my heartbreak. What was the point of living when your life was just a series of ba
d memories? What kind of life was that? Maybe Jace was the lucky one. Maybe death was the only true release.
The van stopped. I looked up and saw the fence surrounding Alliance outside the window.
“Hey Jake,” I heard Ian say. “Heck of a night to have to be on guard duty.”
“Yeah, missed the fight but heard what happened. That him in the back?”
“Gonna bury him on the way to Julia’s. Let the girl get some closure. You know how humans are.”
In a low voice the guard said, “Freddy really gonna let you have her for a whole month?”
In an equally low voice, Ian replied, “Yeah, as far as I know he is.”
“Lucky guy.” I heard the smile in the guard’s voice and cringed. “Heard a lot of people lost big on the fight. After what that guy did to you this morning, no one thought you would win.”
“Really?” Ian sounded surprised. “Guess folks won’t be too happy with me for a while.”
“They’ll get over it. I’m sure Freddy’ll find something to take their minds off of it.”
“Speaking of Freddy, I promised to be back before morning, so we need to get a move on. See you tomorrow, Jake.”
“Sure thing, Ian.”
The van started moving forward again. A few minutes later Ian said, “Kirk, come up here and get this.”
“Get what?” Kirk asked suspiciously, standing to walk toward the front of the moving van.
I sat up just as Kirk sat down in the passenger seat.
Ian held out his bandaged hand palm up to Kirk. “Unwrap it.”
Kirk did as he was told, not asking any questions. As the last of the bandage came off, I could see what looked like a small vial in the palm of Ian’s hand.
“Take it,” Ian told Kirk. “There’s a syringe in the glove compartment. You know how to counteract Meg’s ring, don’t you?”
Kirk’s eyes widened. He grabbed the vial and syringe from the glove compartment. He filled the syringe with the liquid in the vial and scrambled to the back of the van. Kirk knelt down on the other side of Jace and without warning jabbed the needle of the syringe straight into Jace’s chest.