by Kay, Theresa
I hold myself together though, barely. Stand. Smile. Wave. Walk. Flint leads me back down the steps. Once we’re through the crowd and out of sight, huddled in a dark corner behind the library, I turn on my heel and send my fist toward his nose. He must’ve been expecting it. He dodges.
“What. The. Hell.” I punctuate each of my words with a punch to his arm. Those he doesn’t try to avoid. Good. I need to hit something.
“It was the only way.” He winces as another punch lands on his arm.
“It was a stupid way!” I yell. “Of all the idiotic, lame-brained ideas in all the world, it was the worst!”
Flint catches my next jab at his arm. “It was what your brother wanted.” His words are soft, but his eyes blaze with anger. “Stop hitting me.”
I swing my other hand at him. “You’re not my brother. You don’t get to order me around.”
Flint’s shoulders tense and he closes his eyes for a moment before sighing. “I know that,” he says. “I just— there’s a lot we need to do.”
“You’re right,” I say. “We need to plan how we’re going to get Jace back.” I cross my arms over my chest, daring him to argue.
“Jax…” Flint sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t know if we can.”
I step forward until I’m right in front of him, our toes nearly touching. “No. Maybe you can’t, but I can and I will. With or without your help.”
The muscles in his jaw clench and I can see the pain in his eyes. “You don’t understand.”
“No! You don’t understand. I will not leave my brother there. I will not. I will not.” I turn to storm away, but Flint’s hand catches my arm. Before he even has a chance to say anything else, I bring my right fist around, landing it directly on his temple. The hook shot knocks his head to the side violently. His eyes roll back and he crumples to the ground.
Well, that’s one way to occupy him while I break Lir out and go get Jace, but damn my knuckles sting.
SEVEN
The one good thing that came from the stupid ceremony is that everyone is gathered over by the square, entirely the opposite direction from where I need to go. Already late, I walk quickly, the moon lighting my way. A breeze flows down the street and raises goosebumps on my arms and legs. I rub my hands up and down on my arms to try to dispel the chill.
Before the Collapse, Bridgelake was just another small college town. It didn’t really have much of a police station or a jail, but it did have a science building with a basement full of metal lined lab rooms. I guess that was where they kept lab animals or something. Those rooms became the holding cells. There are only about ten cells and most of them are empty at any given time. Breaking the law here will get you swiftly kicked out, so it’s not like people sit around there for long. The cells are more for containing people until Dane can do some sort of public exile ceremony. Though I don’t think that exile is what he has planned for Lir. Not the way Daniel was talking about it.
Probably the only thing keeping Dane from taking care of Lir already is the festival. Can’t keep his loyal public waiting, though many of them may have enjoyed the spectacle of a public execution. I shiver, but it’s not from the chill creeping into the air. What would Dane have done if one of the groups of soldiers had found Lir in the woods? What would have happened if I hadn’t been there when Jace was taken? My brother would have disappeared and I would have never known what happened to him— just like our father.
Dwelling on that isn’t going to help me now. I shake my head and speed up.
“Jax.” Emily’s whispered call comes from my left.
“Yeah.” I slide into the space between two buildings where she’s waiting.
“What the hell took you so long?” Her hands fly up in exasperation. “Did you run into trouble? I’ve been getting worried.”
A chuckle escapes my lips. “Well, if you call running into Dane, getting promised to Flint, and then knocking him out trouble…. Then, yeah I ran into trouble.”
Her arms drop to her sides and she gapes at me. “What?”
“If you call—”
“I heard you,” she says. “I don’t even know what to say to that.” Emily shakes her head and then her eyes find mine. “Did you at least get the keys first?”
That brings a laugh bursting out of my mouth. “Not one to get distracted by the little things are you?”
One side of her mouth twists up. “Seems like you took care of it.”
“Are the packs in place?” I ask.
While I was getting the keys, Emily was supposed to grab the packs at my house and put them by the West gate for Lir and me to grab on our way out. They aren’t even half as full as I’d like them to be since my market trip was…interrupted…but we’ll have to make do. Dane is bound to realize pretty quickly that I’m gone and he’d assume I’d head straight to the city. They’d start looking by the East gate, so I’m going in the opposite direction. We’ll have to make an extra stop for the satchel now too.
“Of course, Jax. You’re not the only one that knows how to sneak around here.” Emily threads her arm through mine and we step out onto the street. “Let’s do this then.”
Two guards stand silhouetted by the doorway and they tense up as we draw closer. Neither of them are anyone I know, but that’s not saying much. “What’s your business here, ladies?”
Emily smiles. “Hello, Brian. Hello, Seth.” One of the guards Emily knows, that’s either really good or really bad.
“Hello Emily,” says Seth, a grin lighting his face. So good thing then? My stomach twists at the hungry look in his eye, but Emily ignores it.
“We’ve come to deliver food to the prisoner.” The guards eye the covered dish resting on Emily’s palm as she shifts on her feet.
“Aren’t you just the good Samaritan,” Brian says, leering at Emily. “Has this been approved?”
Emily opens her mouth to reply but Seth breaks in. “Emily’s always taking pity on the prisoners. Just let them go down and get it over with.” He points his finger at Emily with a stern look on his face. “Just slide the food in through the bottom like normal Em, stay away from the door. It’s subdued but it might still be dangerous.” He reaches out and brushes his hand down Emily’s arm. “Then maybe you can keep us company for a while?”
Emily giggles. “I’d like that. You too right, Jax?”
He’s not touching me, keep it together. I fight the desire to close my eyes and count my breaths. “Yeah.” It’s the best I can do, the only word that is small enough to make it up my shrinking throat. Emily adjusts her arm and gives my elbow a gentle squeeze. Some of the tension leaves my limbs. It’s only a part to play. I won’t actually be coming back up here with them.
Brian waves us by and I let out a long, slow breath. Then a hand grabs my arm and I freeze.
“You’re Jace’s sister, right?” asks Brian.
I nod. Emily, slightly ahead of me, looks back. Her eyes anchor me enough that I relax a little. “Yeah, I am.”
“I hear you’re pretty good with a knife.”
“I guess so.”
“You the one that cut its arm?”
Sewed it up too, but I don’t think that’s what he wants to hear. “Yeah.”
Brian tilts his head back a new respect in his eyes. “Great shot. I think that’s the first I’ve ever heard of someone getting the drop on one of them. You must have weakened it enough so it could be taken.”
I did? Obviously the aliens are fast, but someone before me had to have fought with one, injured one, something. If they’re that strong how in the world will I get Jace out?
Brian rubs a hand through his hair and meets my eyes. “You girls just let us know if you have any trouble down there, okay?”
I nod and pull my arm away from his grip. Once Emily and I are out of sight, I stop and lean against the wall. “I just need a moment.” Emily stays silent and I focus on taking one big breath and letting it pass slowly through my lips. “Sorry, I just…”
/>
“It’s okay. Take all the time you need.” She squeezes my arm. “It’s actually a good thing Seth was on duty this evening. I don’t really know Brian, but Seth is one of the good guys.” When my eyes widen and my eyebrows raise, she continues. “You can’t always think the worst of everyone.”
She’s right. When I replay the interaction in my head, it’s clear to me that Emily likes Seth. Her blushing. Her giggling. Maybe he even genuinely cares about her. Even Brian grabbing my arm was nothing like what Daniel did earlier. Between getting knocked out in the forest, getting Promised and my swelling knuckles, it’s been a long day and my fight or flight instincts are on overdrive. I’m no good to Jace like this. I’m no good to anyone like this. I’ve got to pull myself together.
Emily and I descend the stairs into the darkened lower level. Upkeep down here has obviously not been much of a priority. The paint is peeling on the wall and, although it doesn’t really smell bad, there’s a persistent musty odor in the air, like a wet animal. The farther down we go though, the worse it gets. When we finally reach the basement level, my lip curls and my nose scrunches.
What had been only mildewy before has morphed into the stale stench of mold and age. Old equipment clutters the narrow hallway and the lights flicker and buzz, giving the whole place an eerie feeling. I can only hope that Jace isn’t being kept in a place like this. A shudder travels from my shoulders down my back and I swallow while trying to avoid inhaling through my nose. It doesn’t work very well and I gag, a burning starting up in the back of my throat.
“Here.” Emily hands me a small piece of cloth and I use it to cover my mouth and nose.
I smile gratefully. The cloth doesn’t block out the stench entirely, but it keeps the worst of it at bay for now.
We peer into the window at the top of each door until we find one cell with a shadowed form lying in the corner.
Emily glances at me. “Keys?”
I pull the key ring out and toss it to her. She locates the correct key and fits it into the lock. The lock releases quietly, but the door hinges squeal when she pushes it open.
Emily looks from me to the interior of the cell, a questioning look on her face. I nod. I should be the one to go in and talk to him. Lir might not exactly consider me a friendly face at this point, but at least I’m someone he knows.
“Just wait out here for me,” I say, slipping into the cell through the small opening.
The smell isn’t as bad inside the cell. Metal walls reflect the light from the buzzing overhead fixture. There’s a small cot against the wall, but nothing else besides a ratty blanket. Lir is slumped in the far right corner, head bowed down over his chest, the flickering light creating shifting shadows across his face. He doesn’t even look up when I enter the cell. Ropes bind his hands and I can’t tell if he’s even had water. Probably not if Emily hasn’t been down here today. Seth might be one of the good guys as Emily said, but it doesn’t seem like he’s too concerned about their prisoner. Seeing him huddled on the cold concrete floor injured and alone sends a shot of guilt into my gut. It’s my fault he’s here.
“Lir,” I say softly. “Wake up.”
His head slowly rises until his eyes meet mine. “I am not sleeping. The accommodations leave a little to be desired.” A bruise mars his cheek, expanding outward and swelling his eye nearly shut. I gasp and reach forward to put a hand on his cheek, but he flinches away from me. “What is it that you want, Jax? Come to weasel more information out of me? I must admit you guys had a pretty good set up there. How did you know we were coming?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask. He doesn’t sound like the cheerily sarcastic guy I met earlier. Though perhaps this is who he really is.
A snide laugh passes his lips. “Cut the innocent act. Obviously you have had this planned for some time. Even planned for me to take pity on you, is that it? The shaky hands, the big terrified eyes… I must say, you almost had me.” He pitches his voice up into a mocking falsetto. “Oh dear I’ve injured you come with me and I’ll help you. By the way…what are your weaknesses? How do I get into the city?” His face is cold and hard. “And when it did not work, you had your friends come to lock me up…..and now what? You are trying a new tactic?”
I back away and rise to my feet. “What?”
“The dress is a nice touch too.” His eyes run up and down my body. “Can’t beat it out of me so seduce it out of me, huh?” My face flushes, a mixture of embarrassment and anger.
Lir is on his feet before I can blink, throwing his bound arms over my head so I’m in between them. He pushes me back until my shoulders hit the door, slamming it shut, and he holds me there. “Well come on then. Though I must admit your previous attempts have been rather amateurish.” He leans down to whisper into my ear. “This is what you wanted isn’t it pretty girl?”
The phrase echoes in my brain, ricocheting around in my head… pretty girl… pretty girl…pretty girl. My whole consciousness focuses on those two words. Breathing becomes secondary, and my heartbeat sounds in my ears marking the rhythm of the words. A keening noise escapes my lips and the door vibrates against my back when Emily starts pounding on it from outside. Stone and ice shoot through my veins, stiffening my limbs, but almost as quickly a fiery heat flows through me and I’m kicking and I’m flailing and I’m biting. I’m a blur of motion, pushing back, snarling like an animal.
When I come back to myself, my cheek rests against scratchy fabric and a hand is stroking my hair back from my face.
“Jax,” a voice says in my ear. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Relax.” It’s Emily and my still rapid breaths slow. Color bleeds back in around me and the room comes into focus. My head is cradled in Emily’s lap and she continues gently running her fingers over my head. “Better now?”
I nod and shift into a more upright position, a slight residual dizziness keeping me on the floor for now. The on edge feeling that’s haunted me since this afternoon is gone though. Great cure for creeping anxiety— a panic attack. If only I’d thought of that sooner. At least I feel a bit more like myself now.
The door is wide open, but Lir sits in the corner watching me sit up. “Jax, I—” He reaches a hand out and cringes when I shy away from it. “I did not mean to… I didn’t know. They said…” Emerald eyes meet mine. “I am sorry.”
Lir shifts closer to me, bringing his bruised and battered face back into the meager light. There’s fresh blood dribbling from the side of his lip. From something I did no doubt. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, sending a streak of green blood up his cheek.
I flinch. “Sorry for the…new blood there. Friends?”
Lir eyes me for a moment, a mixture of confusion and guilt on his face, and then chuckles awkwardly. “With friends like you, who needs enemies, right?”
“Well, you wouldn’t be the only friend I hit today.”
There goes that eyebrow of his, amusement flooding into his eyes. “I at least hope I’m the only one you hit twice today.”
“I’ve already apologized for the first one though.” Forehead to palm, I shake my head. “It’s just been a bad day.”
“You’re telling me,” Lir says, raising his bound hands. “And you’re not even the one tied up.”
I rise to my feet, pulling out a small knife that was strapped to my thigh. It’s a good thing I didn’t lose the thing when I was crawling through Dane’s window. Normally my knife would be secure in my boot, but I’m stuck in Emily’s flimsy sandals and my boots are waiting for me in one of the packs. I start sawing at the ropes around Lir’s wrists.
“Are you sure releasing it is still a good idea?” asks Emily. She glares at Lir with narrowed eyes. “I’m worried about you, Jax. You’re going to travel to the city alone? With only that alien to help? After that…” She flutters her hands and pulls her lower lip into her mouth. “I know you have some sort of agreement…but there’s got to be another way. I don’t trust it, not after what it just did. It’s dangerous.”
“How do I know your word is good, alien?” asks Emily haughtily.
Lir rolls his eyes. “What is it with you humans and your affection for labels instead of names? My name is Lir, please address me by it.”
“Okay then, Lir, how do I know your word is good?”
“Does it matter what you know? Can Jax not speak for herself? She obviously trusts me at least that far. You should too.”
“Jax doesn’t know any better!” Exasperation laces Emily’s words.
“What?” I’m not perfect and I make mistakes, but… “What does that mean, Emily?”
Her eyebrows draw together and she puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’re just… Your decisions aren’t always very reliable.”
I shake her hand away. “Well, this is my decision. Like it or not, this is the only way to get Jace back.” The warm friendship I’d been beginning to feel for her recedes a little. Emily is just like the rest of them, thinking I’m some fragile child. “So will your friends upstairs look the other way or not? We’ve got to get out of here.”
“I didn’t mean it like that…I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt,” says Emily.
“Stuff happens, no matter what you do. If anyone knows that, it’s me. I can’t sit here behind these walls while my brother is out there. Lir, alien or not, is the only way in I have. I know how to look out for myself.” Bringing my hands up, I place them on her shoulders and stare into her face. “If you can’t trust him, trust me. I can do this.”