Sunken Eyes (Cruel and Beautiful World Book 2)

by L. Stoddard Hancock

  "Shit," he whispered into the dark, realizing that this was it for him. The end. And why? Because he was selfish. Because he couldn't bring himself to let her go just yet.

  And now he would never see her again.

  The tears had just begun to fall when Xander heard a groan. His head shot to the side, only now noticing the still figure lying in the cell beside his.

  "Luka!"

  He rushed over to his friend, reaching through the bars and stretching as far as he could, just able to grab Luka's shoulder and drag him closer.

  Luka's head was already plopped to the side, his eyes opening slightly. Xander bent down, the light in his friend's eyes faded as he stared vacantly at Xander. He blinked once, a tear dripping down his cheek as he finally realized what he was looking at.

  "Is ... is she ..."

  "Yes," said Xander, taking his friend's hand through the bars. "Yes, she's out."

  "Good," said Luka with a soft sigh, his heavy eyes closing once more.

  And then he was gone, drifting back to unconsciousness. Perhaps the last safe place he would ever experience.

  The president had said nothing to Xander after arriving in the underground, just stared at him, emotionless, unreadable. Of course he was angry, that was a given, but it went so much deeper than that.

  President Saevus had trusted Xander. He had shared secrets with him and planned on naming him his successor. And Xander had made a fool of him.

  Xander would die for this. He knew he would.

  He squeezed Luka's hand, sighing in relief when he felt a faint squeeze back. What he needed now was to focus on the silver lining. Deryn was out. Deryn was free. And even though he would die, Deryn would live.

  Xander wasn't sure how long he'd been down there when he heard the shouting, but it had to have been a good hour at least. When the door at the end of the hall swung open, he let go of Luka's hand and moved far away from him.

  Several figures stormed towards him, one walking with an obvious limp.

  "You cannot keep my son down here, Mr. President, when he is clearly not in his right mind!"

  Xander smirked. His stupid father, still trying to fight for him like it wasn't hopeless.

  The president scoffed. "And how exactly do you propose he received this wrong mind, Atticus?"

  "There is no mind control," said the voice of Soren. "He isn't even wearing either of his wristbands! We checked the one he has on. It's a fucking fake!"

  "Calm down, Soren," ordered the president.

  "But, sir, we all know the truth, so why are we even down here humoring him?"

  "Because of Luka, you fucking idiot!"

  Xander's heart skipped a beat. Finley.

  Suddenly, the four of them were standing before him and behind them was Barath, looking the smug bastard he always was, and even further ... Lona and Wyatt, frightened out of their wits but hanging near Finley.

  "How could you?" screamed Finley, slamming her fist into the bars as tears fell down her cheeks. "How could betray us, Xander? How could betray us and bring your best friend down with you? You bastard!" She turned and found a guard standing nervously at the end of the hall. "Open this!" she ordered.

  The guard waited for a nod from the president before rushing forward. The moment the cell door was open Finley was inside, smacking Xander hard across his already marked and bleeding face.

  "What the hell do you have to say for yourself?" she spat, gripping the collar of his coat with both hands and giving him a private and remorseful look.

  Xander couldn't help it. He smirked. Then he gripped her wrists and shoved her back a few steps, still smiling as she regained her balance. "You're right," he said, holding up his arms. "No mind control. But I suppose I can't let someone innocent go down for my misdeeds." He nodded towards Luka. "Check his wristband. I stole a mind control chip shortly after I found out Veli had acquired some and installed it in Luka." He then looked past Finley to Soren. "So sorry about your brother, by the way. Such a tragic loss."

  Soren didn't even react. Not about his brother. But he did step forward, moving slowly and keeping his gaze on Xander. "Did you fuck her?"

  Xander's smirk grew even wider. "You know I did. And, what more, she fucked me. Willingly, at that."

  Soren lunged but was quickly halted by President Saevus.

  "Not yet," he ordered, staring at Xander through the bars, his eyes still unreadable. "Xander will not be touched until I come up with a proper punishment for his actions."

  Atticus whimpered. "Mr. President, please -"

  "Get your leg treated, Atticus. I want to make sure you're standing when it comes time for your son's sentencing." He turned to leave. "Ms. Scout, check young Luka's wristband. If there's a chip in there take the appropriate action and report back to me later. Soren, you will follow me."

  "Yes, Mr. President," said Soren, giving Xander one last venomous look before following Saevus out.

  Atticus made no move to leave, watching Finley closely as she left Xander's cell and had the guard open Luka's. Then his eyes moved to Barath, who was presently staring at his son's unmoving figure with a smile.

  "You sicken me," spat Atticus.

  "I sicken you? In a moment my son will be out of here and on his way to healing while yours will be left behind to rot until the day of his execution. If this is what Luka needed to get back on the right track then so be it."

  "It's here," said Finley, holding up the small chip for everyone to see.

  "And my heir lives on," said Barath, grinning at Atticus. "Yours will not." And with that, he turned on his heel and marched out of Saevus's personal dungeon.

  Lona, who'd been standing against the wall, released a small whimper. She and Wyatt hurried into the cell and crouched down beside Luka, neither having the courage to glance over at Xander.

  Lona was the one to reach out and check his pulse. "He's alive."

  "Yes, but barely," said Finley. "Lona, head upstairs and find an empty bedroom. Wyatt, you carry him. And be gentle. I'll send for a doctor and find him some medicine to hold him over until they arrive."

  They both nodded, Lona running ahead of Wyatt, finally braving a glance at Xander but unable to hold it for long before the sadness took over and she was running faster.

  Wyatt carefully lifted Luka. Not wanting to irritate the lashes on his back, he put him over his shoulder. Luka dangled, his body appearing lifeless as Wyatt carried him out of there. He never glanced at Xander, though his eyes were visibly wet.

  Finley shut the cell door as she exited and the guard locked it, as well as Xander's. As she left the dungeon, she and Xander shared one last knowing glance. If his father hadn't still been there watching him he would've at least tried to thank her, but the meeting of his and Finley's eyes was enough to put Atticus on alert.

  Leaning his head back against the wall, Xander sighed and said, "Leave me, Father. You and I are finished. We have been for a long time."

  "Xander, please. You have to fight this."

  "I have no will and no way. It's over."

  "I can explain about the Leon girl. I can! I didn't want to -"

  "I don't fucking care what you did or didn't want to do!" he shouted, his eyes falling back on Atticus's. "You raped her! There is no excuse, no reasoning you could give me that will ever change the fact that you hurt the girl I love in an irreparable way! Now leave me and don't you dare come back!"

  Atticus gulped, his eyes haunted and wet. But he left. It would perhaps be the last thing his son ever requested of him and he granted it.

  * * * * * *

  Finley sat beside Luka's bed, holding his hand and struggling to keep her eyes open. His breathing had become steadier but he still looked awful.

  Lona was curled up in a chair nearby, fast asleep while Wyatt lay sprawled on the floor at her feet. Finley had to feel slight pity for the girl. She really did seem to like Luka but, from what Deryn and Xander had said, he was taken. By who, she couldn't imagine. Luka had always seemed to
be even more afraid of commitment than Xander. Probably because of his home life. It's hard to imagine understanding love when you've never experienced it. At least she'd had her mother, but Luka's mother had dies giving birth to him. He had no one.

  Just as her eyes began to flutter closed, Finley heard a faint voice say her name. They shot back open and found Luka staring at her.

  "W-where ... where am I?" he asked.

  "In the president's home. In one of the guest rooms," she answered, running the back of her hand across his forehead. "How do you feel?"

  "Fucking awful," he said, looking down at his bruised arms. "What happened?"

  "You don't remember?"

  Luka shook his head.

  "You were tortured and stunned when they found out you knew about Xander and Deryn Leon."

  "Deryn Leon?" asked Luka, looking up at her. "What does she have to do with anything?"

  Finley knitted her brow. "Don't you know?"

  He shook his head again.

  "She was living with you and Xander. For quite some time, I believe."

  "I'm living with Xander?" he asked. "Why th'fuck am I living with Xander?"

  Finley's breath hitched. "Luka, what is the last thing you remember?"

  "I don't know, I ..." He closed his eyes and thought hard. "Clearly?"

  "Yes."

  "I remember my father convinced the president to have my mind swept. To find out if I was hiding anything about Xander."

  Finley closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Luka, that was nearly two months ago. We're halfway through January now."

  Luka's eyes widened. "W-what? But I -"

  "Please, just close your eyes and get some sleep," she said. "We'll figure this out in the morning, alright?"

  Luka nodded slowly. He closed his eyes but Finley could tell he wasn't resting. She continued to hold his hand, her eyes glazing over as she fell deep in thought. There were rumors about this sort of thing happening. That was why mind control chips were still in testing stages, because test subjects kept losing their memories. The degree of it varied, but it sure as hell seemed like Luka was on the crappy end of the scale. She had hoped she could confess everything to him, and that together they could come up with some way to get Xander out of there. But Luka ... poor Luka truly didn't have a clue.

  "Shit," she whispered into the dead room.

  What the hell had she gotten herself into? And all for a man who was never going to love her back.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Xander didn't know how long he lay in that cell, the air around him completely silent as he awaited his impending doom.

  The gash on his face had clotted and his leg still hurt like hell, but it didn't really matter. Nothing mattered, because in the near future he would be dead.

  The only thing that frightened him about the thought was that he would have to die without ever seeing Deryn again. They hadn't gotten a last moment together, not like he'd wanted. Instead in their last moment he'd stabbed her, the woman he loved, in a desperate attempt to get her to leave him behind.

  But he knew she wouldn't leave him behind. Not completely. Even now he was sure she was out there, trying desperately to find a way to come back for him instead of enjoying her newfound freedom. Which was why he hoped the president would get this over with. The sooner the better. So Deryn could start moving on.

  His heart ached at the thought but it was what she needed to do. To find someone who actually deserved her love and give them her whole heart. To forget about him and the thousands of ways he had failed her.

  His cheeks were wet though his tears were silent. He lifted his hand, tearing off the ring he wore so he could stare at the small tattoo on his finger.

  Just two blackbirds flying home together.

  That was what Deryn had said, with a promise of forever.

  But their forever was being cut short.

  For years Xander had spent every day fearful that it might be his last. Now he embraced his imminent death, as long as it meant she got to live.

  "Deryn, please stay away," he whispered to the small tattoo. "Please."

  The door to the hall of cells burst open, several sets of footsteps heading towards him. Xander slipped his ring back on but stayed lying down.

  It was only two lowly guards, there to transport him somewhere else. Perhaps to his torture, which would undoubtedly come before his death. It would be Saevus's last attempt to break him. But he would not break.

  Once bound, the guards guided him limping down the hall and up several flights of stairs. One was rough, kicking him every time his limp slowed him down, but the other kept giving him secret looks of sympathy.

  They entered an elevator and rode it to one of the top floors. It was one he'd never been on before. Of course, that wasn't saying much. He hadn't been to the majority of floors in the president's home. The first floor was where they had their meetings, the third through sixth floors were all bedrooms. The president's room took up the entire seventh floor. No one had ever been in there, as far as he knew. They tortured people on the thirteenth floor. Kept them prisoner in the basement, often more appropriately referred to as the dungeon. Three floors worth of cells. And then he'd been to the top, floor one-hundred he believed, only to take another elevator to the roof above the fucking bubble. But that was it.

  This was floor ninety-two. He hadn't the faintest idea about what happened on floor ninety-two. The guards guiding him didn't seem to have a clue either as they stepped off the elevator, looking around hesitantly before approaching a single room with windows on all four sides. Elvira was standing in the center of it, looking quite pale and mighty pissed.

  Xander smiled as he entered. "Hello, Elvie. You don't look well, like maybe you've experienced an immense amount of blood loss recently. Shouldn't you be resting?"

  Elvira sneered, sending the guards away with the wave of her wrist, which just happened to be attached to a metal hand. Xander's smile grew.

  "Well, would you look at that. Right hand, just like your mother."

  The little color left in Elvira's cheeks vanished at the mention of Del.

  "What? You never guessed there were people out there who knew about your failed order from your father? Kill your mother. That was it, right?"

  "Shut up!" she shouted, stomping towards him and slapping him with her metal hand.

  He flinched as little as he could. "Don't know why you're so upset. I think it's sweet that you still love your mommy."

  Elvira grabbed him by the coat and pulled him close. "Listen here, you fucking traitor! Pretty soon you will be dead, and you can go knowing that Soren will have his hands all over your whore for months before she joins you in the afterlife, and I will make sure any moment she's not with him is spent in pure and utter agony. Mark my words, she will suffer for your treachery."

  Still smiling, Xander simply said, "Mark my words, by the end of this Deryn will have your head."

  The doors to the room swished open. "Elvira, drop him."

  Elvira stiffened at the arrival of her father. She released Xander and stepped back, obediently awaiting further instruction.

  President Saevus moved so he was in Xander's line of sight, the faint hint of a smile on his lips that made Xander uneasy. "Please, Xander, have a seat."

  Xander followed his hand to a single chair in the center of the room. He shrugged and sat, fully ready to embrace whatever it was this man planned to throw at him.

  They all waited there for a moment, Xander watching curiously as the area outside of the glass room filled up with every last Guardian, except for one. Luka was nowhere to be found, and he imagined he wouldn't be for quite some time after the torture he'd endured before the mind control chip was discovered. He hated that he was the reason his friend had been inflicted with so much pain, but he was incredibly grateful that Luka was at least alive.

  It took all his effort not to shoot Finley a glance, desperate to receive some sort of sign that Luka was indeed alrig
ht. But he couldn't risk it. Instead he found his father, who was staring at him desperately but didn't seem to have any inkling about why they were all standing out there, staring in at Xander.

  "Gang's all here!" exclaimed Xander, smiling at the president.

  "Yes, indeed," said Saevus, smiling in return. "I do find it amusing that you're not even attempting to fight for your life."

  Xander shrugged. "What's the point? As you've already confirmed, I have no mind control chip installed. I could claim I was brainwashed, but reconditioning after such a thing hasn't really been mastered yet, so I don't know what good I'd do you."

  "I could install a mind control chip in you now. Make you cooperate and hunt down that whore of yours," said the president.

  "You know, it's funny. You all keep calling her a whore, yet it's your Guardians who were never able to keep it in their pants whenever she was around. Especially your husband." He moved his eyes from father to daughter. "Isn't that right, Elvie? Hell, some might even say that Sorey's the whore."

  She pounced and, this time, punched him with her metal hand. He just laughed in response, spitting blood from his mouth and onto her shoes.

  "Relax, Elvira. Now, more than ever, you should not let Xander get such a rise out of you. Look at the position he's in. He's already lost." The president smiled wider.

  "My girl is out. I call that a win," said Xander.

  "Yes. Your girl," repeated the president, that creepy smile not wavering.

  "To think, if it had all worked out you and I really could have been family. What is she to you again? Second cousin?"

  "First cousin once removed, I believe," corrected Saevus. "But blood does not make family, Xander. As I'm sure you're well aware." He motioned to Elvira, who left the room and went to a small computer console just beside the door, pressing several buttons. Before long, the room changed, and suddenly Xander realized what this room was. It was a viewing room for surveillance footage, where video could be seen with life-size images when it needed to be analyzed closely.