Sunken Eyes (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 2)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  Deryn felt as if she'd been punched in the gut, all air leaving her lungs and catching in her throat.

  "Nita believes they'll be in within the next couple of weeks."

  Tears fell from Deryn's eyes, but her body was so numb she didn't even feel them. "No," she whispered, the only word she could manage to speak in that moment.

  "Talon wants to speak to you, to know for certain that you're really with me."

  He picked up the two-way radio and turned it on. Deryn immediately snatched it from him and turned it off.

  He sighed again and took it back. "I know you're angry but he's your brother. You love him and you miss him. Don't tell me that you don't."

  She said nothing as he turned it back on and pressed the button on the side. "Hello."

  There was a bit of static, and then a voice on the other end. "I'm here."

  Xander glanced at Deryn, who had her watery eyes fixed on the two-way, her body shaking as she took deep breaths.

  "She's going to need a minute," he said, putting the two-way on the table in front of her.

  More static. "Alright. I'll wait," said Talon's cracking voice. Even through the bad connection it was obvious he was holding back tears.

  Deryn just kept staring at it, her arms crossed over her chest as her heavy breathing continued.

  "Deryn, please."

  She snapped her head to look at him again, her eyes seething.

  Xander sighed and reached into his pocket, removing the bracelet Talon had given him. Deryn's face softened when she saw it, her mouth falling open as she reached out to take it from him.

  "He's kept this with him all these years. Ever since the day he was recruited and you stuffed it in his pocket."

  "He told me it was the ugliest thing he'd ever seen," she said, fiddling with the dangling pieces on the bracelet.

  "To be fair, it isn't exactly beautiful."

  "I thought it was." She whimpered and touched a piece of clear plastic. "This one makes rainbows when you put it in the sunlight."

  "Ruby, are you still there?"

  Deryn glanced at the two-way again, her tears falling heavily now. She wiped them on her sleeve.

  "He also told me that he was always there."

  She glanced sideways at him. "Where?"

  "Every rescue attempt the Resistance ever made to find you. He led them all, he just couldn't go in because he promised your dad he wouldn't. But he instructed everyone from the shadows."

  Deryn blinked, gaping down at the radio as Talon spoke again, sounding panicked that no one was responding.

  "Ruby! Ruby, you promised me! Where -"

  Deryn lifted the two-way and pressed the button on the side. "Talon."

  Silence. Then static. A whimper. "Deryn?"

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, it's me. How refreshing that none of you almost got Xander killed this time for simply relaying a message. I appreciate it, big brother."

  Talon laughed softly. "While I can tell you're really angry with me, I'm relieved you still have that attitude."

  "Yes, well, if you spoke to me five months ago I'm afraid you would've been very disappointed." Deryn clicked her tongue. "Here's the deal, Talon. You can find your way into the city all you want, but the only way you're getting me out of here is by dragging me unconscious through the streets, because I'm not leaving without Xander. Got it?"

  Silence. Static. "Umm ..."

  "We're a package deal."

  "Deryn, we can't bring a Guardian into our base."

  "No, you can't leave someone fighting for your side here to die!" she shouted. "Which is exactly what you'll be doing if you don't get him out of here, too."

  "I ..."

  "Figure it out and do not contact me again until your conscience catches up to you." She threw the two-way down on the table and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

  Xander picked it up. "Told you she'd be angry."

  "Yes, you did. Still."

  "I'll check in with you on your progress in a week. Same time."

  Silence.

  "Alright?"

  A click, and a pause. "Yeah, I ...Ruby ..."

  As Talon began to whimper, a new voice appeared. "I believe what he's trying to say is thank you, Ruby," said Nita. "We'll speak to you in a week."

  Xander turned off the two-way and stared at his closed bedroom door. He waited a moment before following her.

  The door wasn't locked, he knew it wouldn't be. The room was dark and he could just make out Deryn's silhouette on the bed. She was lying in the fetal position with her back to him. He lay down beside her, hugging her from behind.

  "I hate you," she said, placing her hands on top of his.

  He kissed her cheek and said, "I know. And I love you. That's why I did this."

  "If you really loved me then you'd want to be with me always."

  "I do want to be with you always. But I'm trying to be realistic here, Deryn. No matter how much I love you and want to be with you, that doesn't change the fact that being with me is a risk. A dangerous risk I can't let you take."

  "You don't make my decisions for me. If I want to take the risk -"

  "Deryn, stop, alright? Just stop!" he finally snapped, squeezing her tighter. "You didn't survive five years of slavery to give up your one chance at freedom for a fucking Guardian!"

  She tensed in his arms.

  "You're going to leave here to be with your family outside and I'm going to stay. But don't for one second think that you leaving means I'm going to stop fighting. I am never going to stop, Deryn. I'm going to expose the president for the lying bastard he is and one day I'm going to join you out there. But not now. I've worked too fucking hard for too many years to bring that man down to leave now and risk the lives of everyone I care about. If I leave, not only will he come after me and you, he'll come after Luka, and Bronson and Quigley!"

  Deryn gulped. "We can all run together," she said softly.

  Xander laughed, though there was no amusement behind it. "Your brother won't even consider housing one Guardian. What do you think will happen if you show up with two? And Quigley and Bronson won't go anywhere without Sorey's fucking slave."

  She whimpered and turned in his arms, grabbing his face and looking at him with her sad eyes. "Xander, please. Being with you is the only happiness I know anymore. Please don't make me leave you behind."

  He grabbed her hand and kissed its palm before moving his lips to her wet cheek. "You won't be leaving me behind. Even though we'll be separated we're still both going to be fighting. Until we're together again. You and I ... we're forever. Alright?"

  She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as she could while crying into his hair. "I'm holding you to that."

  As she continued to hold him, something hard in his pocket pressed against her thigh. "Is that a bottle in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

  "Both, actually," he said, pulling away so he could reach into his pocket and pull out the small bottle. "Your friend Nita gave this to me for my gashes. She said they looked angry and needed something natural."

  "And why exactly did she see your angry gashes in the first place?" demanded Deryn.

  "One member of their little group wanted to prove that I was lying about being whipped so he smacked my back. Don't worry, I hit him quite hard for it."

  "Good," she said, taking the cap off the bottle and giving it a sniff.

  "I'm supposed to put it in a bath."

  "I'll draw it for you," she said, sitting up slowly.

  "You don't have to."

  She rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But I want to."

  "And will you be joining me?" he asked with a wicked grin.

  "We're not having sex, Xander. You're still not healed."

  "I know. But when I get to choose between naked Deryn and clothed Deryn, I'll choose naked every time."

  She wished she could be offended but she very much preferred naked Xander
, as well. "Yes, I'll join you," she said, taking the bottle to the bathroom.

  Xander waited for the water to start running before standing, wanting to give her a moment alone. He glanced at the nightstand, saw Talon's bracelet and sighed. Loving this girl sure was complicated sometimes.

  When he got to the bathroom, Deryn was sitting on the edge of the tub. Her hand was under the tap like she was testing the water, but her eyes were glazed over.

  "Deryn."

  She blinked and glanced at the level of the water. Deeming it high enough, she turned the knob to off then carefully dumped in the contents of the bottle. While Xander undressed, Deryn dipped in her feet, not voicing it though obviously testing the water to make sure it wasn't poisonous. She sighed in relief when nothing happened.

  "How come I'm the only one who's naked?" asked Xander as he stepped into the tub.

  Deryn smiled softly. She stood and undressed quickly before joining him, the natural medicine even soothing her glossy pink scars that never healed. Sometimes she forgot that she was living in constant pain.

  She made Xander sink all the way in and carefully rubbed his back, making sure the water got into his wounds. When that was done he leaned against her, using her breasts as a pillow while she hugged her arms tightly around his neck.

  They didn't say anything, just stayed like that, silent tears running for Deryn's eyes as she feared that their time together was coming to an end.

  Yes, they would both fight even when apart, but Xander was in so deep she was starting to believe that it wasn't possible for him to come out of this alive.

  "Please come with me, Xander," she said quietly, kissing his cheek and hugging him tighter. He turned so he could meet her lips with his, the two of them kissing softly for a long while. The bath water went from hot, to lukewarm, to cold, and still they stayed there, lips and arms entangled, and Xander never answering, since he knew he couldn't tell her the words she so desperately wanted to hear.

  Chapter Thirty

  "So how's Bronson's training going? Has he learned much tossing you around, or is he only good at that while naked?"

  Xander smirked as he stood beside Luka in President Saevus's parlor, waiting for their Guardian meeting to begin.

  "Funny," said Luka, rolling his eyes. "For someone so muscular he lacks strength, but he's getting pretty good with an Element. At least he hasn't shot his toe again since that first day."

  "So you like them muscular then?"

  "I'm not against punching you in the fucking face right here and now, so I suggest you watch your tone."

  "You certainly are testy today." Xander laughed.

  "Shut your fucking mouth or I'll gladly tell you exactly what Bronson and I do while alone in enormously graphic detail. And I do mean enormous."

  Xander shut his mouth immediately.

  Luka smiled triumphantly. "That's what I thought."

  "Hi, Xander. I heard you're officially back to work tomorrow," said Lona, walking up to them. "How are you feeling?"

  "I've been better," he admitted.

  "I can imagine." She smiled, reached into her bag and pulled out two thermoses, handing one to each of them. "I made this for you. It's an old healing remedy of my mother's. Really just an herbal tea but it made my cut feel better. Of course, I only got one strike so I can't exactly compare."

  Xander opened the thermos and gave it a whiff. "Swear you're not poisoning us?"

  "Only if my father put something in there."

  He cocked an eyebrow.

  Lona laughed. "Don't worry. He was nowhere near it."

  "Still not speaking to him?" asked Xander, taking a sip. Luka was still looking at his thermos uncertainly.

  "Yes, but it proves very difficult when he won't stop trying to speak to me."

  "Lona!" Arron Von called from the other side of the room.

  She grunted. "See what I mean?"

  Lona ignored her father and stayed with Xander and Luka until President Saevus arrived. They all went into the conference room and sat at the large table, Xander right next to the president and smiling smugly at Elvira just across from him. She practically growled as she pulled up that day's agenda on her portable computer.

  The meeting went as usual. There was nothing new or particularly exciting to report, other than the president's official announcement that Xander would be taking on a much larger role in the organization. No one looked particularly pleased by this information. Though, Xander did note that Mathis Fender was missing and, therefore, unable to scowl at him properly.

  When the meeting ended, Xander had barely gotten out of the room when someone was grabbing his arm. He turned to see his father. Atticus was a bit shaky and his face looked more worn than the last time he saw him.

  "Were you punished for giving me that medicine?" asked Xander, realizing that his father, who was old and not presently in the president's favor, would not have been offered the same healing remedies as him.

  "Of course I was," answered Atticus. "I was hoping we could have a moment to speak. Just the two of us. I have been trying to find some time with you for awhile, but you always seem to be previously engaged."

  "Yes," said Xander. "And I am now. So, if you'll excuse me." He tried to pull out of his father's grip, but Atticus only clutched him tighter.

  "Xander, it's important."

  "I'm sure it is," said Xander, seizing his father's wrist and yanking him off of his arm. "But I really have no interest in -"

  "Mr. President!"

  Everyone turned their heads to see Mathis running through the hallway. He was carrying something in his hand and waving it around frantically. Xander squinted to see it was a wristband. A broken wristband.

  His heart stopped.

  Shit.

  But it couldn't be ...

  Mathis pushed him and his father apart and entered the conference room.

  "Th'fuck is that about?" asked Luka, coming to his side.

  "Mr. President, I've found my son's wristband!"

  "And what interest does that hold for me, Mathis?" asked the president coldly.

  "Sir, I know my son holds little interest with you, but his disappearance was so close to the escape of the Leon slave. I've thought since the beginning that it was too much of a coincidence."

  Luka went stiff beside Xander. He glanced sideways at him and noticed how pale his friend had become. "You didn't," he whispered.

  Xander's throat went raw. He gulped. "He had her. I had no choice."

  "I've been trying to find some sign of him around the city since he first disappeared. I finally found his body with his detached and broken wristband two weeks ago in a dumpster," continued Mathis, "and I've waited to bring this news to you until I had something!"

  President Saevus relaxed his stance and said, "Go on."

  Mathis sighed in relief. "I took the wristband to the Government Lab. They were able to find out exactly when it was deactivated and I have acquired the security footage of the area around the alley at that time. It was downloading when I headed here and should now be available to view."

  Luka grabbed Xander's arm and slowly backed them out of there. He didn't stop until they were in the parlor.

  "What are they going to see?" he asked, leaning in close and speaking softly, by the chance that someone decided they had no interest in Mathis's discovery and tried to leave.

  "I used Deryn's knife to kill him," confessed Xander. "He'd dragged her into the alley and I heard her scream. My hood was down. My hood was definitely fucking down!"

  Xander's fists clenched. He lifted one and slammed it against the wall.

  "Stop that," snapped Luka, grabbing his arm. "And keep your voice down." He glanced down the hallway and bit his lip. Then he looked back at Xander and sighed. "Go. Get her out of here. Right now."

  "But what about you -"

  "I'll hold them off here for as long as I can." Luka let go of Xander's arm. "When Leon asks you to go with her you need to do it."

  "What
?" said Xander, his voice cracking. "Luka, that would be insane. I could never just go like that. He'd find me. And I would never leave you here to deal with this on your own."

  "I'll be fine," said Luka, moving towards the hallway. "Mind control, remember?" He lifted his wrist and winked. "Now go. You're wasting time."

  Xander nodded and ran towards the door, the president's car already waiting to take him home. As he jumped in and urged the driver to move, Luka walked through the hallway leading to the conference room. Atticus was still standing outside the door, turning as he heard footsteps and noticing that Luka had come back alone.

  "Where's Xander?" he asked.

  "Previously engaged, remember?" said Luka, walking into the conference room. Mathis had just pulled up a hologram of the security footage for viewing. Atticus didn't follow Luka. His eyes were still focused on the hallway his son had disappeared down.

  Inside the conference room, Luka watched nervously as the security footage outside of the alley began to play.

  It started out simple enough. First nothing, then two hooded figures were walking towards each other. Even without seeing her face, Luka knew the smaller figure was Deryn by the way she carried herself. Dougal tried to speak to her but she carried on. Then he grabbed her and slammed her against the wall in the alley. President Saevus had Mathis change the angle of the footage so they could see what was happening, but it wasn't a very clear view.

  "What do you think, brother?" asked Veli, smiling at Soren. "Is that your slave he's got there?"

  Soren tensed but continued to watch the footage with great interest.

  President Saevus smiled wickedly. "We already know it was. Speed it up."

  Mathis nodded and quickened the footage.

  "Maybe next time you should watch it first and actually find something of interest, instead of bringing us such boring surveillance footage," said an irritated Elvira.

  Mathis narrowed his eyes. "When we find something of interest, and I know we will, I didn't want to have to wait until the next meeting to bring it to the president's attention. And since he refuses all private meetings with me -"