by S. J. West
When he stepped through the door, I thought maybe I had fallen asleep and was having a nightmare or, at the very least, hallucinating.
Freddy, dressed in a black Harvester uniform, stood in the doorway of the transporter. Blue barked at Freddy and made to attack him, but Kirk tugged on his leash, preventing him from rushing forward.
“Long time, no see, Skye, my love,” he said.
Ian made to get up but was quickly forced to sit back down by Freddy’s stun baton.
“Don’t push me, Ian. Any excuse to kill you will work for me.”
“What do you want, Freddy?” I asked, fearing I already knew the answer.
“The Queen said it was time for you to come home, love. She’s grown impatient. She told me if you try to fight, I should kill as many people as needed to gain your full cooperation.” Freddy looked around at my friends like he was trying to decide which one of them would die first.
I stood up.
“Skye, no,” Ash said, grabbing hold of my arm.
I looked down at him. “It’s no use, Ash. Don’t you see that? I might not agree with the things my father has done, but I can’t say for sure I wouldn’t have done them to protect you guys. Besides, what Lucena wants, she always gets. I refuse to have your blood on my hands.”
“Ah, so you’re Ash,” Freddy said. “The Queen said to bring you and Zoe along too. She has some plans for the two of you from what I gather.”
“No!” I surprised even myself with the force I put behind the word. Freddy even jumped slightly. “Leave them alone.”
Freddy shrugged. “Like you said, love: what the Queen wants, she gets one way or the other. If you want me to start killing people to win your complete cooperation, I will. Kirk first perhaps? Or maybe little mute Teegan? She shouldn’t make much noise while I squeeze the life out of her.”
Ash and Zoe both stood at my sides, sacrificing themselves to save the others.
“Then you should take me too,” Ian said, standing to his feet.
Freddy punched him in the gut with his stun baton, forcing him to sit back down.
“Now why would I take a git like you to see the Queen? I don’t figure you’ve used sweet Skye’s blood to cure yourself yet, since you’re still with the bleeding heart humans.”
“Leave him alone, Freddy,” the words sounded like an order when I had actually meant them as a plea.
“Or what?”
“You may still think of me as the little girl you tried to auction off,” I said. “But I’m the Queen’s daughter. Do you honestly think she wouldn’t give me your head if I asked for it on a shiny silver stake? If I were you, I would watch what you say and what you do to the people I care about. If you’re smart, you won’t make me into more of an enemy than I already am.”
I wasn’t sure where the words were coming from, but they had the desired effect on Freddy. He didn’t look as sure about himself anymore. If nothing else, the Harvesters feared the Queen more than death. They knew she was the most heartless of them all and nothing could be put past her.
“We need to be leaving,” Freddy said. “There’s a helicopter waiting to take us to the Queen’s residence.”
I took a deep breath and felt Zoe grab hold of my hand. I squeezed it reassuringly, even though I had no idea what was in store for us.
When we stepped out of the transporter, I saw my father’s body lying face down on the ground. I ran to him and turned him over, looking for any signs of life. He was breathing but a large red lump was forming on his right temple. I lifted my hand to heal the wound.
“Maybe you should just let it be,” Doc Riley said, coming to stand on the other side of my father.
I looked up at her. “Why?”
“It’ll keep him unconscious until we reach the second facility. It might be easier for him if he doesn’t have to see you go, child.” Doc Riley pointedly looked around at the other Harvesters standing nearby.
I knew what she was getting at. She knew if my father were awake, he would do whatever he could to keep me with him. Such a foolish act would probably lead to his death or the death of others.
I pulled my hand away and leaned down to kiss his forehead.
“Tell him I love him,” I said to Doc Riley.
“He knows that, child.”
“Tell him anyway.”
“Can I tell him you forgive him?”
“You can tell him I understand why he’s done the things he’s done.”
I couldn’t say I forgave him of his decisions, but I knew the burden of being responsible for so many innocent lives was the reason he agreed to sacrifice others to keep the ones he cared about safe.
“Let’s go.”
I turned away just in time to see the President standing with a Harvester near the base of the mountain, laughing like they were old friends enjoying an inside joke. I just stared at him, trying to control the rage I felt. He was worse than the Harvesters. At least they had a reason for being the way they were. He didn’t have the luxury of that excuse. Supposedly, he still had a soul, but I guess that wasn’t the only requirement to being classified as a human anymore. Somewhere along the way, the line had been blurred.
“Where’s the helicopter?” I asked Freddy.
He started to walk in the opposite direction of the transporters. I grabbed Zoe’s and Ash’s hands, leading them toward the next stage of our journey together. I didn’t know what awaited us, but I did know one thing.
I had found my way back to Jace.
CHAPTER EIGHT
We rode in a cable car to the top of the mountain where Freddy said a black hawk helicopter was waiting for us.
“Why do you think she wants me and Zoe to come?” Ash asked me as we sat on the bench in the middle of the car.
“Probably to keep me in line,” I answered. “She knows I’ll take the first opportunity to get away from her. But if she keeps you and Zoe hostage, I can’t do anything unless I know we can all go together. It’s the same way she blackmailed Jace into staying.”
“Do you think she’ll let us see Jace again?” Zoe asked hopefully.
“You can bet on it,” Ash answered for me. “She’ll use whatever leverage she has to make Skye want to stay.”
I could hear the jealousy in Ash’s voice but chose to ignore it. We had more important things to think about than a silly romantic rivalry.
“I sort of doubt you’ll see Jace anytime soon,” Freddy said as he looked out the window, watching the ground beneath us slip away. “The Queen’s been keeping him busy.”
“Doing what?” I asked.
“Finding more freaks like you. He’s brought in at least three since you’ve been gone.”
“What’s Lucena been doing with them?” I asked.
Freddy shrugged. “Don’t know. She keeps them caged in her little laboratory like rats. Guess she’s running experiments on them or something. Can’t say I care what she’s doing as long as it keeps her busy.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because love, when the Queen gets bored, she gets nasty. If you think the little games I played in Alliance were bad, you haven’t seen what a truly depraved mind can come up with.”
I shivered. Not so much from the thought of what Lucena was capable of, but of what I might become. Was I seeing a glimpse of my future self? I had half her DNA, after all. Her blood coursed through my veins. And my father, well, I knew what he was willing to do even if it was to save lives. How close was I to becoming a monster? Would I be able to turn away from my legacy and forge my own path?
Once we were seated in the helicopter, Freddy instructed the pilot to take us to the castle.
“Castle?” I asked.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, princess. We’ll be there in a little over an hour. Now shut the hell up so I can have a little peace and quiet before we have to meet her.”
The Queen had a castle? This I had to see.
I didn’t think it was possible, but the worl
d looked even bleaker from the sky. Miles of dead earth surrounded us. Trees looked like white skeletons against a sea of brown and gray. It was like a still life portrait of a wasteland.
A little over an hour later, we arrived at the Queen’s castle. I recognized it instantly with its towering turrets decorated with gargoyles and tall water fountain sitting in what once was a large grassy front lawn.
It was the Biltmore Estate. I’d read about it in a book once.
The helicopter landed on the south side of the fountain. Freddy instructed us to follow him. As we walked across the stone gravel toward the front door, it opened, but I couldn’t see anyone standing in the entry.
“And of course she’ll want to make a dramatic entrance,” Freddy mumbled.
We followed Freddy into the main foyer of the mansion. As we entered, a circular arboretum directly to our right caught my eyes. It was the only other place besides the Southern Kingdom I had seen healthy, growing plants. The bright greens, reds, yellows, and blues of the ornamental vegetation seemed obscene for a woman like Lucena Day to be nurturing if you considered how they contrasted with the gray world she helped create.
“Welcome home, Skye.”
To the left of us was a grand granite spiral staircase. Lucena walked down it with the erect posture and grace of a true queen. She wore a short, elegant black sheath dress with horizontal pleats and sheer short sleeves.
I didn’t reply to my biological mother, mostly because I was having trouble breathing. Lucena looked so similar to my mom. I wondered why I had never realized it before that night by the barrier. It was no wonder I always assumed I resembled my mother. The physical resemblance unnerved me more than realizing I was coming face to face with true evil.
Lucena came to stand in front of us, never taking her eyes off of me, which compounded the disturbing effect she was having on me. A pleasant smile was plastered on her face like any good hostess, but considering who she was it looked more sinister than welcoming.
“Leave, Freddy,” Lucena said dismissively without even looking in Freddy’s direction. Freddy bowed to Lucena and went back out the door behind us with quick strides. I remembered Freddy once looking forward to being in the Queen’s favor. Now it seemed like he couldn’t wait to get away from her. Perhaps he got more than he bargained for and now regretted ever meeting me.
“Won’t you all come join me in the arboretum? I had the cook prepare some snacks for you. After everything you’ve been through today, I’m sure you’re hungry.”
“Why are we here?” I asked, finally finding my voice. If she wanted to kill us, she would have done it by now. I needed to know what her real motives for “rescuing” the three of us were.
Lucena’s smile faltered. “Come and have some refreshments first, and we can talk while you eat.”
“Thanks,” Ash said, cutting me off before I could argue for more information. “I am kinda hungry.”
Lucena looked at Ash for the first time, sizing him up in one sweeping glance.
“You’ve grown quite a bit, Ash. I think you were ten the last time I laid eyes on you.” Lucena’s gaze slid over to Zoe. “And you seem to have grown overnight, Zoe.” Lucena extended her arm out in the direction of the arboretum. “Please, let’s sit and talk.”
Ash took me by the arm and led me to the arboretum.
“What are you doing? We’re not going to pretend things are normal,” I hissed at him.
“We’re in her home,” he replied.
He didn’t have to say more than that. I got the hint. This was her turf. If I pissed her off too much, there was no telling what she might do to us or at least to Ash and Zoe. Me she seemed to want to keep safe for whatever reason. So in his own subtle way, Ash was asking me to behave myself and not lose my temper. My life might not be in jeopardy here but his and Zoe’s were. One or both of them were disposable pawns in Lucena’s game.
I sat down in one of the four wicker chairs around a glass table festooned with small sandwiches, a glass bowl of fruit, and a silver ice chest filled with crushed ice decorated with bottled soda pops. I hadn’t had an ice cold Coke in a very long time. It was an unexpected treat. Lucena played the doting hostess, making sure we all had food on our plates and something to wet our palates. She sat down and poured herself a cup of tea from a white china teapot and nibbled on one of the finger sandwiches.
“Now, I know coming here at this time is quite a shock to you,” Lucena said to me. “To be honest, I hadn’t intended to bring you here for a few more months, but with recent events, it seemed prudent to bring you somewhere safe as quickly as possible.”
“How am I safe here?” I asked, unable to keep the disdain I felt for the woman across from me out of my voice.
Lucena smiled, but it was strained. “You may not believe it, but this is the safest place for you right now. Very few people know I’m here, Harvester or human. And only those I completely trust stay here with me.”
“Is Jace one of those people?” I asked.
“Jace is loyal to you, which means he’s loyal to me since I’m the one responsible for your well-being.” Lucena’s veiled threat wasn’t lost on me. She was still using my safety against Jace. “In fact, he’s out running a rather important errand for me at the moment. I’ve made sure he knows you’re here to give him an added incentive in completing his mission quickly. I could swear he purposely drags them out sometimes, but it’s not really something I can prove since his ability is so unpredictable.”
“I still don’t understand why I’m here. Why do you want me here with you so badly? What’s in it for you?”
“You’re my daughter. Why wouldn’t I want you with me?”
“So I’m supposed to believe the reason I’m here is motherly love? How stupid do you think I am?”
Lucena smiled, but this time it was genuine. “Of course I wouldn’t expect you to believe such a simple answer, sweet Skye. If you did, then I would have to second guess your chromosomal composition.”
“Tell me why you really want me here.”
“In time,” Lucena said, shifting her gaze to Ash and Zoe. “Anyone need anything else? I have a wonderful cook. She can prepare anything you want.”
When I looked at Ash, I saw him stuffing his face with a sandwich while Zoe was eating with a little more decorum. Of its own accord, my stomach growled. It had been a long time since any of us had eaten or drank anything, almost twenty-four hours. I took a sip of the bottled coke I had picked out of the ice chest before sitting down and found its bubbly sweetness like nectar against my tongue. Once I began drinking it, I couldn’t stop until the bottle was empty. I ate my fill of sandwiches until I couldn’t eat anymore.
After satiating my hunger and thirst, I leaned back in my chair and stared at Lucena.
“Thank you for the food. We needed it.”
Lucena grinned and nodded her head in my direction, acknowledging my gratitude.
“You can have anything you want, Skye. All you have to do is ask for it.”
“Then I want you to have Freddy take Ash and Zoe back to my father. You don’t need them.”
Lucena rose from her chair. “Oh, I’m afraid I do actually.”
“I won’t try to escape if you let them go.”
“Skye …” Zoe and Ash said at the same time, but I held up a hand to cut off any of their attempts to change my mind.
“I give you my word,” I said, staring Lucena straight in the eyes. “I won’t try to escape if you let them go. You can do whatever it is you want with me. Just let my friends go back.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. You see, I have plans for them.”
“What plans?” I asked, realizing my words came out slurred like I was drunk.
“Don’t worry, Skye. I don’t plan to harm them, just make them better.”
I looked at Zoe and Ash. They were both asleep, and I knew I was on the verge of it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered being drugged by Julia once upon a time. When would
I learn to not drink things people who couldn’t be trusted gave me?
“Why am I here?” I heard myself ask again, my eyes feeling like they had blocks of cement on them, forcing them closed.
I never heard her answer.
CHAPTER NINE
When I awoke, I found myself completely naked and lying underneath a silky cream colored comforter. I couldn’t remember undressing myself. The last memory I had was all of us sitting around the table eating the meal Lucena had prepared. Everything after that was nonexistent. I looked around the room, trying to get my bearings, and saw a folded note with my name written on it lying on the bedside table underneath a green and white tiffany styled lamp. The heart-shaped rock Jace had given me was sitting on top of it like a paper weight.
I sat up, pulling the comforter up underneath my arms and reached for Jace’s rock, squeezing it firmly in the palm of my hand to find a sense of calm. Then I read the note:
Skye,
There are new clothes for you in the wardrobe by the door. Please come down
when you are ready.
Your loving Mother
I wadded up the note and threw it on the floor. The smell of flowers seemed to permeate the air around me. It took me a few seconds to realize the scent was on my skin. I held my arm to my nose and took a whiff. It wasn’t that the smell was unpleasant but not knowing how it got there was. I ran my fingers through my hair and found it had been washed and dried by unseen hands while I was unconscious. I curled up beneath the comforter feeling completely violated, mentally naked not just physically.
Having been placed in such a compromising position without my consent was unnerving. It made me question what else had been done to me while I was asleep. And where were Ash and Zoe? Waking up to find themselves in a similar situation was my bet. Whatever Lucena had planned for us, I knew I would win money if I betted it was unpleasant.
Eventually, I let my eyes wander around the room. It was what you would expect from something built back in the late 1800’s. There was a lot of attention to detail from the decorative crown molding to the exquisitely crafted leafy green wallpaper on the walls. I saw a large, ornately carved cherry wood wardrobe standing by the bedroom door and decided to get out of bed to find some clothes to put on. At least that would afford me some sense of protection.