by Silver Milan
“Various sources,” Jett said. “We have solar panels and wind farms scattered throughout the mountain range, but much comes from the Strength.”
“The Strength?”
“You really don’t know?” he asked.
“Why would I?” she said.
The question seemed to trouble him, and his voice seemed taut when he spoke: “The Strength is the life-giving energy that runs through the universe. That same Strength powers your gift of transformation.”
“Gift?” she said. “You mean curse.”
“It depends on your point of view, I suppose,” Jett said. “And how you came to acquire the gift.”
“My acquisition wasn’t pleasant,” Ariel said. “Not at all.”
His face further darkened upon hearing those words.
The two of them reached the bottom of the winding path, where two more vampire guards stood on duty. When Jett wasn’t watching, one of them lewdly gazed at Ariel’s bare legs underneath the dress shirt and licked his lips.
The lioness clawed inside of her, trying to get out, but could not. She felt strangely defenseless without the beast.
She quickly looked away and wrapped her fingers around Jett’s hand. It felt so silky and warm to the touch. He looked at her in confusion for a moment, but didn’t release her. She was grateful, because she felt safe with him holding her.
They stepped along a street bordered by estates on either side. Most of the stone walls and fences were gem-encrusted, usually matching the siding of the mansions beyond.
Some of the gates in the fences were open, allowing her to peer into the estates. In addition to the mansions, there were usually various outbuildings, like on a farm. She often caught sight of cattle pens full of cows and bulls. High-powered fans lined those pens, probably to keep the stench away from the mansions. Those fans prevented the smell from reaching the road, too, because she couldn’t smell the animals, even with her enhanced senses. That was probably a good thing. She didn’t entirely trust that her beast would remain caged, despite the invisible power Jett claimed would prevent her from changing—one whiff of those animals and she might not be able to stop the lioness from awakening and tearing apart its lunch.
She could still feel the beast trying to come to the surface, clawing away. It was an uncomfortable, persistent feeling, vaguely similar to being on the verge of an orgasm and yet never being able to find release. Though instead of pleasure acting as the culmination of that release, there would be only pain.
She clamped down, hard, and the feeling finally went away.
The streets were mostly empty save for vampire guards who patrolled in pairs, dressed in those black fatigues and tiny headsets. There was also the occasional bearded dwarf, strolling with purpose toward some estate or other with a lumpy sack slung over one shoulder. The little people regarded her and her shirtless guide cautiously as they passed, and usually nodded stiffly at Jett.
“What are they carrying?” she asked.
“Gems,” Jett said. “We allow them to live among us in exchange for harvesting the precious metals from the depths of our mountains. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. They get our protection, and we get gems for our hoards.”
“Your hoards?” she said.
Jett merely shrugged mysteriously.
As they neared the center of the subterranean city, the estates became smaller and the buildings packed closer together. The walls were lower, too, as if the denizens within wanted to show off their wealth. The mansions here were all gold or silver, and lacked cattle pens. She sometimes spotted swimming pools in front of the mansions, or even embedded in a rooftop, and men and women frolicked in the waters or lounged in chairs. They were all too beautiful to be ordinary human beings.
The streets became more crowded here, too, the dwarf traffic replaced with gorgeous humans of both sexes, their skin bronze like Jett’s. They all wore fashionable clothes straight out of big European cities and haute couture magazines.
The denizens saluted Jett respectfully as he passed, but when their eyes met Ariel, adoration was replaced with contempt, especially among the women. At first she thought it was because she was wearing only a dress shirt over her otherwise naked, grime-covered body, but then she noticed the gazes of the women often dropped to her hand, which still gripped Jett’s, before their mouths twisted into sneers. Some seemed jealous, others amused.
She tried to free herself from Jett’s grasp, hoping to end the unwanted attention, but he wouldn’t let her.
“I want them to know who you belong to,” Jett said.
“I belong to no one,” she said.
But she couldn’t break his incredibly strong grip, and finally she simply surrendered to his touch. Indeed, as she received more of those disdainful looks, she squeezed his hand tighter than ever, hanging on to him as if he were a lifeline in a sea of hate.
It was lucky transforming was impossible here, because otherwise her inner lioness would have been wiping the smirks off all those faces.
Jett took her through a gate guarded by two more black-clad vampires and led her onto a vast estate. The spacious property was at odds with most of the estates she had seen near the center of the subterranean city, where prime real estate was scarce and the mansions essentially abutted one another.
She soon found herself gazing up at the biggest mansion she had seen yet, one so huge that it was essentially a castle. Like Jett’s shirt, the walls were composed of ebony shot through with gold, almost like marble.
Jett led her past two more vampire guards at the entrance.
“You employ a lot of vampires,” she commented.
“They keep hours that work for me,” Jett said.
Inside, strategically placed light fixtures illuminated a cheery foyer of cherrywood panels and bright tapestries.
Jett led her through a luxurious kitchen, replete with hardwood floors and all the amenities of modern life—dishwasher, fridge, microwave, and so forth—and up a spiral staircase carpeted in exquisite white fur. The staircase opened up onto different levels but he continued upward, finally stopping on the fourth floor. He led down a hallway, pausing beside a small room with a pink bed and matching curtains.
“This guest room will be yours,” he said. “You’ll find clothes of all sizes in the closet. Shower, then pick out some undergarments, and a shirt and pants.” He opened the door next to the guest room, revealing a bathroom. “I’ve dismissed the servants from this level. The entire floor is yours. Get cleaned up. After you’ve showered and changed, return to the kitchen. I’ll have a meal prepared. Assuming you’re still hungry after the gazelle meat I fed you earlier.”
“Famished,” she said. Her face scrunched up. “Wait a second, gazelle meat?”
“Yes, it was a gift from one of my subjects,” he said. “We raise hundreds of cattle breeds here. Variety is the spice of life, after all.”
“I have a feeling you guys are big meat eaters,” she said.
“That’s about right,” Jett told her. “We’re certainly not vegetarians. And neither are you.”
“No,” she agreed. “By the way, are you sure you didn’t put something in that meat to make me obey? Or was it really magic?”
“Ah yes,” Jett said. “Thank you for reminding me.”
The tightness she’d felt around her body abruptly vanished.
“I’ve lifted the compulsion,” Jett said. “You’re no longer forced to obey.”
“Uh, thanks,” Ariel said. Guess it was magic after all.
Jett began to walk away. “If you need anything, Dan can help you,” he said over his shoulder.
“Dan?”
“The computer system that keeps Midnight City running smoothly,” Jett said.
“You named your computer system Dan?” she said. “Seems a bit too common for a computer.”
“It stands for Dynamic Assistive Neural Network.”
“Oh, all right,” she said. “I couldn’t hear the second N.”
“It’s a silent N,” Jett said.
“Of course,” Ariel said.
“There are microphones and speakers in every room,” Jett added. “Just say his name and tell him what you need. Think of him as a glorified butler.”
“Or Siri on steroids, as you told me earlier,” Ariel said.
“That works, too,” Jett told her, continuing down the hall.
“I’ll leave your shirt hanging on the bathroom door,” she called after him.
“No need,” he told her without looking back. “You may keep it. I have several.”
She looked at the shirt and frowned. “What am I going to do with an oversized dress shirt?”
But Jett was already gone.
Ariel sighed. She entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
What have I gotten myself into?
4
Ariel glanced uncertainly at the ceiling.
“Dan?” she tried.
“How can I be of service?” a friendly, disembodied male voice responded.
Ariel spotted the small circular speaker. It was flat, and blended neatly with the ceiling. She only noticed it because of the lattice of tiny holes in the center.
“Can you increase the light levels?” she asked.
“There is a dimmer switch on the wall,” Dan replied cordially.
“Oh.” She touched the dimmer switch and increased the brightness of the hanging light fixtures.
She confirmed that the towels were in easy reach of the shower and then entered the enclosure. Soap, shampoo, and conditioner were laid out for her use.
“Dan, are there any cameras in this room recording me?” Ariel asked.
“No,” the computer system replied.
“You’re not programmed to lie, are you?”
“I have never told a lie,” Dan said.
Satisfied, she shrugged out of the shirt.
The shower had one of those spa-style, wide-spray heads, and she relaxed under the soothing drizzle.
When she finished, she toweled off and wrapped the fabric tightly around her body. She opened the door tentatively, and after confirming the coast was clear, she scooted across to the bedroom and locked the door behind her.
She picked out some undergarments and then tried on several jeans and blouses until she found something that fit her just right.
“Dan, I don’t suppose there’s any makeup lying around that suits my skin color?” she asked.
“Try the vanity mirror in the bathroom,” the computer system replied.
She returned to the bathroom and retrieved the makeup kit behind the vanity mirror. She was able to blend a few of the shades to match her skin color, and applied a light touch of foundation, then some bronzer. She finished the look by applying lipstick.
This is silly. Why am I making myself up?
Finally she climbed down the spiral staircase and with Dan’s guidance found Jett seated in the kitchen around a large table capable of seating twelve. The beautiful man had covered himself with another black and gold dress shirt. Too bad. She missed looking at that sculpted chest. The shirt seemed almost identical to the previous one he wore, except the sleeves were rolled down to conceal the tribal dragon tattoos on his forearms.
Jett met her gaze with fervent eyes, and the rest of the room immediately lost focus. There was only him, her, and nothing else. She froze, captivated. Was he using that strange compulsive power on her again? She didn’t think so… she didn’t feel like a vise was pressing down on her on all sides, threatening to choke her, as she had when he’d ordered her to follow him.
Those eyes continued to bore into her, and the fervent look vanished, replaced by tenderness. A sweetness he reserved only for her. Or at least that was the impression she had in that moment.
And then, just like that, his eyes became steely hard and he looked away. The rest of the room came back into focus.
She realized a previously unnoticed woman also sat at the big table, a few seats to his left. Ariel hadn’t noticed her before. The woman was dressed in a black cocktail dress, with green kohl highlighting her emerald eyes, and dark hair flowing down to her bare shoulders. She was extremely beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful woman Ariel had ever seen.
Ariel felt a spike of jealousy.
“Sit,” Jett commanded. He beckoned toward the chair at his side.
Ariel approached. She noticed the white table cloth for the first time, its edges lined with intricate gold trim. The chairs themselves were made of ornately carved cherrywood, with silver and gold inlays at strategic locations on the headrests. Tasseled red cushions covered the seating areas.
She sat down on the cushion of the indicated chair, almost afraid to get it dirty. An insane notion, considering that she had just showered and changed into fresh clothes.
The beautiful woman sat directly across from Ariel, paying her no heed whatsoever.
“Ariel, this is my sister Gwendoline,” Jett said.
The jealousy that had taken root inside Ariel abated at those words. Sister.
However the woman barely spared Ariel a glance. “So this is your new slave?” Gwendoline asked Jett.
Yup. The jealousy was long gone. All Ariel felt now was indignation.
“She is my guest, not a slave,” Jett said.
“Really?” the woman said. “Isn’t that against our laws? You know better than to flout the rules. You must be an example for us all.”
“She was being hunted by the Blue Hurricane and Starry Oak prides,” Jett said. “She entered our territory only to escape them.”
“So she is a fugitive?” Gwendoline said. “Since when do the rules apply differently to them?”
“She knows nothing of our people,” Jett said. “Nor of the rules. I believe she was newly turned. Against her will.”
Gwendoline raised an eyebrow and seemed to regard Ariel in a new light. “Well, that’s unfortunate if true. But I can understand your interest in her, then. You were always one to shelter the broken. Taking in the strays, and the slaves that no one else wanted. I’ve always said you have a strong nurturing instinct, which is quite unusual for a man, though maybe not surprising given your position.” She turned her full attention on Ariel. “Is it true, Lion? The prides turned you against your will?”
“Call her Ariel,” Jett said.
Gwendoline frowned. “Is this true, Ariel?” She nearly spat the name.
“If by turned, you’re talking about how I have a mean-ass lioness waiting to claw out of my skin and mess shit up?” Ariel said. “Then yes, it was against my will. I was bitten.”
Ariel glanced at Jett and realized his eyes were blazing a fiery golden, as if he struggled to contain a sudden rage.
Even Gwendoline seemed taken aback. “Are you certain the lions did this to you? It is forbidden.”
“Of course I’m certain,” Ariel said. “How couldn’t I be certain? When you’re bitten by a lion, you kind of notice it.”
“Tell us how these events came to pass,” Gwendoline said.
Ariel leaned back, folded her arms over her breasts. She suppressed a shiver. “No, I can’t.”
“If I’m to help you, I have to know what happened,” Jett said.
“I guess so,” she said. “But… you won’t look at me the same way when you find out what happened. You’ll see me for the monster I am.”
“Trust me, nothing can be further from the truth,” Jett said.
She swallowed hard and attempted to send her mind back to that fateful day. A terrible cold swept over her, and she found herself trembling as she thought of the man who’d done this. She remembered everything up to the moment when he had bitten her, but had no recollection of the events that took place immediately afterward. Her memory resumed a few minutes later, when she recalled fleeing the site in animal form with blood dripping from her mouth.
“I—“ she began. “I was—“ She dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I just can’t. If you want to arrest me for violat
ing your laws, then I guess it’s your prerogative to do that. But believe me when I tell you, what happened to me was against my will. I swear it.”
“And how long ago did the bite take place?” Gwendoline asked.
“It’s been five days,” Ariel said. “I think. Maybe seven.”
Gwendoline glanced at Jett. “Whoever did this to her must die. We’ll have to send a delegation to the prides, collect the perpetrators.”
Jett nodded. “Have you listened to the recording Dan made at the trailhead? When she was forced onto the mountain trail by the lions? I recognized Cliff Dawson, Alpha of the Blue Hurricane.”
“What was he doing in Starry Oak territory?” Gwendoline asked.
“Obviously, he hunted her all the way from his own domain,” Jett said. “He was trying to talk Ariel down. It almost seemed like he wanted to help her. Then again, who can tell with a lion?”
Gwendoline eyed Ariel askance. “I’ve listened to the recording. Judging from the behavior of the Alpha, my guess is the pride didn’t approve of the bite, and only one or two members were involved. Of course, until Ariel corroborates, we won’t know for sure.”
“There was only one man,” Ariel said. “I can point him out to you. His name was Logan. Logan Kane.”
“Dan, what do we have on him?” Gwendoline asked.
“Logan Kane is the son of Zachary Kane, Alpha of Bounding pride, based out of Colorado,” the computer system confirmed.
“Colorado?” Gwendoline said. “That’s a ways away. I suppose he was involved in an exchange of some kind. I’m not sure Blue Hurricane will be willing to give him up without a fight, since he’s the son of an Alpha.”
“Either way, we’re going to have to organize a trip into their territory,” Jett said. “To dispense the necessary punishment. With or without their cooperation.”
Gwendoline shriveled her nose. “Have you contacted the lions yet?”
“I’ve tried,” Jett said. “Dan tells me Blue Hurricane hasn’t been answering our calls and emails. Nor has Starry Oak.”
“Have you checked the surveillance feeds?” Gwendoline said.