Escapism (The Escapism Series)

by Maria Dee

  “Is this the kind of thing where I should be psyched or totally bummed?” I asked, unfamiliar with Diplozoe affairs.

  “The latter,” he replied, grimly. “Do not disclose anything to Nyxta.”

  “Queen Nyxta? Oh, this can’t be good,” I sighed in despair.

  In the blink of an eye, we traveled to a mystical place surrounded by a golden Grecian room, the glittering of candles and sheer fabric. In the center of the room, sat Queen Nyxta of Styx—the middle world.

  She examined us from head to toe and basked in our fear. “Καλώς ορίσατε,” she sung.

  Nicholas nodded respectfully, while her gaze centered on me.

  “She said welcome,” he whispered in translation.

  “I know,” I whispered back. I had learned Greek from an early age. I had also taken Latin in high school, but both were on the rusty side. I smiled at the woman and continued in a low voice. “It sure doesn’t feel like we’re welcome.”

  “Alas, Xenia. We finally meet,” she said, examining me. “Let’s have a look,” she motioned with her finger, expectantly.

  I stood in horror, absolutely speechless. I forced my paved feet from the ground, and slowly turned.

  “Hmm, someone’s awfully quiet,” she said, standing up from her throne. “Let’s get to the interrogation then, shall we? Xenia, do you affiliate with Orion?” she gracefully floated toward us, circling around me like a shark tasting blood in water.

  “Yes,” I responded, avoiding eye contact.

  “And were you aware that he’s a rogue Diplozoe—a spy?” she hissed, enraged.

  “No, I was not,” I stuttered. For the most part.

  “Hmm, I see. Nicholas?” she addressed him without taking her eyes off me.

  “I too was unaware, my Queen,” he responded, kneeling in worship.

  Nyxta laughed, sinisterly. “Someone here is lying. Now which one of you is the little fibber? You know I’ll find out one way or another,” she threatened with a menacing grin. “Xenia, your essence is…captivating. I like that about you. And why haven’t I seen you before? Where have you been hiding, my little Χάρων?” she was oddly engrossed by my presence.

  “I don’t get out much…uh…my Queen,” I said, awkwardly.

  Her boisterous laugh sent sparks down my spine. Nicholas appeared equally uncomfortable.

  “Now a traitor has surfaced and we have to be diligent in eradicating threats to our kind. Orion must be held responsible for what he has done,” She explained, returning to her throne. With the snap of her fingers, she summoned none other than my spy. “Orion, you must be brave to show your face.” She floated past me to Orion. She licked his cheek, lingering in a deathly way drawing his head back with a fist full of hair. “This time, there’s no one to protect you,” she hissed.

  “I’m here at your command, Nyxta. You may do as you please with me but let the others go. They’ve done no harm,” Orion pleaded, kneeling before the Queen.

  “They knew of you and never turned you in—that’s a punishable offense.” She leaned in closer, critiquing his intentions.

  “My Queen, I can assure you that Nicholas and Xenia did not know.”

  “Very well. Xenia, Nicholas, you are free to leave. I’ll be watching you closely.”

  “Thank you, my Queen.” Nicholas bowed and I curtsied.

  Nicholas snickered under his breath. “Did you just curtsy?”

  I turned a deep shade of red. “You didn’t prep me for this. Shut up.”

  We slowly distanced ourselves from Nyxta, while her attention veered toward Orion. The air was too sweet—it was tormenting my body. I made every attempt to abstain from fainting.

  “Oh, and Xenia,” Nyxta called. “Grace us with your presence sometime soon.” The corners of her lips formed into a sharp smile.

  “Orion, Orion. What shall we do with you?” she asked, before taking to her throne. “Your punishment will be grave, and this time, you’ll be the one who pays retribution.”

  Orion’s eyelids pressed together succumbing to defeat.

  Nyxta’s eyes swirled black—her arm extended toward him, slowly making a fist. He winced in pain, gasping once she released her fist.

  He bowed in anticipation for the end.

  “I’ve arrived at my decision,” Nyxta moaned at ease. “I’d like nothing more than to end you but that’d be too easy. You shall be condemned to Styx, indefinitely. You’ll commit to your duties as a Charon to mortal souls. Aside from that, you’ll have no contact with the other worlds.”

  I whispered to Nicholas, “Can she really do that?”

  “She can and she will,” he replied, continuing, “The whole point of being immortal is to have the ability to travel between worlds, free from harm, indefinitely—things that are granted by the Queen.”

  My stomach twisted in knots—I would rather die than live an eternity confined to one world after knowing, I could just as easily travel to two others.

  “No!” I opposed, interrupting the beginning of a ritualistic ceremony. She swiftly appeared before me—her eyes were furiously lit, and her hand wrapped around my throat.

  “Have you gone mad? Who dare protest to the Queen of Styx and her verdict?”

  “Pardon me,” I choked out the words as her grasp tightened around my neck. “May I propose something?”

  Orion looked up, stunned.

  “Speak now, but do not test my patience again as I am certain it will be your last breath—living or dead.” Her eyes beamed with electricity as she released her death grip.

  I shivered and looked toward Nicholas—he shook his head in disbelief.

  “We counterattack the ESOM. We can use Orion to acquire information that’s otherwise classified,” I proposed.

  “Silly little girl. If I release Orion, there’d be no guarantee. He could choose to hide like the little rat he is,” she snarled at him, digging her fingers through his hair—she grabbed a hold of his scalp, pulling his face up in line with hers.

  Orion gasped.

  “Now, we can’t let him go unpunished, can we?” Nyxta asked, rhetorically.

  “If you’d like, I can make you an offer,” I said. The reality of my initiative sunk in and I wished it cut through me just to end it all.

  Queen Nyxta laughed a boisterous laugh, seemingly intrigued. “A promise, you say?”

  “If Orion continues to spy, I’ll travel back and receive his punishment on his behalf.”

  “Xenia, no!” Nicholas shouted.

  “I know what I’m doing,” I hissed.

  “And what a pity it shall be to lose you—when things go wrong,” she said, cocking her head sideways.

  Nicholas grabbed a hold of my arm, pulling me closer. “This is insane. You put your life on the line, and for who? A traitor to our kind,” he whispered in my ear, “specifically, your spy.”

  “Silence!” Nyxta growled. After a moment’s deliberation, the queen spoke, “I’ve come to a decision. I’ll grant your request, Xenia. But do not forget your promise. Go now—all of you,” she waved, dismissively.

  Within seconds, we were back on campus.

  “You bastard! You’ve jeopardized us all,” Nicholas shouted, infuriated. He charged Orion with a swing to the jaw and another to his nose. Orion did not fight back. He stood for a moment before the second blow knocked him to the ground.

  “Stand up and fight me!” Nicholas fumed. His hands were clenched into fists of blood.

  “I will do no such thing.” Orion wiped blood from his nose.

  Nicholas continued pummeling Orion with a succession of kicks to the torso.

  “Stop it, Nicholas!” I growled, shielding Orion from yet another blow. “Orion!” I shouted, while he fell in and out of consciousness. I placed his head on my lap. He cringed as I carefully dabbed at the blood streaming down his face. “Leave,” I demanded, speaking to Nicholas.

  “Fine. I see you’ve made your decision.”

  “No, you made it for me.”


  Nicholas paced for a moment, infuriated, before storming off.

  Orion and I moved to a bench a few feet away. He moved unsteadily and his face was covered in blood. He grabbed his jacket from the ground, wiping his face.

  “Don’t. It’s dirty,” I said, handing him my shawl instead. “Here, use this.”

  “I couldn’t—it’d be ruined,” he mumbled through a busted lip. “Your dress…it’s ruined.”

  “It’s just a dress,” I said, indifferent.

  “I’ll replace it—I promise,” he insisted, while I compressed the gash on his temple. He reached for the shawl, grazing my hand. “I underestimated you,” he said, offering a hand. “I’ve got it from here.”

  “I couldn’t let you be condemned to Styx for an eternity, especially after everything you’ve done to help me, aside from the recent espionage development.”

  He stood, unevenly. “I should be fine,” he said, before falling to the ground.

  “Come home with me,” I offered, concerned. I extended my arm for a base of support.

  He responded in a way that was the least bit gratifying. He expressed gratitude in the way he knew best—smugly with a sense of entitlement evident by his body language and tone. “Well, if you insist.”

  “Don’t get any ideas. Someone should be with you in case you have a concussion.”

  “Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself,” he teased.

  “I doubt that’ll be a problem,” I snarled. “Where are your car keys?”

  Orion stumbled, and I held on to him with all my strength.

  He rested against his car, and I reached into his jacket pocket for the keys. “Uh-uh, hands to yourself. Remember?”

  “You wish!” I rolled my eyes, continuing, “I’m driving.”

  “No one drives my car. She was a special gift for one of my many special talents—she’s a Boxster Spyder,” he raved.

  “Don’t be so difficult, Orion. You cracked your skull open,” I said, candidly.

  He handed me the keys, grudgingly. “Can you drive stick?” he asked, as if my life depended upon it.

  “That depends,” I smirked, unlocking the doors with the automatic controller. “How good of a teacher are you?”

  Orion looked displeased.

  “Just get in and shut up already.”

  “First you frisk me, and then boss me around. I’ve got to say, this is kind of turning me on,” he grinned ear to ear.

  “You’re really making it hard for me,” I sighed, displeased.

  “Likewise,” he winked, suggestively.

  I rolled my eyes and opened the car door. “Why must you be so crass?” I regretted my offer to help with every second that passed.

  It was a rough start, but I eventually got the hang of it. Orion cursed under his breath each time I switched gears.

  “How am I doing?”

  “You need to change gears quicker. Here, I’ll show you. Step on the clutch,” he demanded, placing his hand over mine.

  “Oh, okay. Now I get it,” I said, trying for myself.

  He nodded in approval before the car made a grinding noise upon shifting back.

  “Better, I suppose,” he grimaced, slightly annoyed. “Remind me to get my car serviced.”

  “Duly noted,” I replied, giggling.

  We arrived at my place shortly thereafter—luckily my parents’ cars were gone. I didn’t want to stir up concern and bringing a battered, strange man home was surely enough to solicit needless speculation.

  It was the perfect opportunity to sneak him in. We went straight to my room for safekeeping—my parents could return at any point. Another reason why Marla, Calliope and I were planning to get a place of our own—privacy.

  “Here we are,” I announced.

  Orion explored my room before sitting on the edge of my bed.

  “Cozy,” he purred.

  “Please, make yourself at home,” I said, rolling my eyes. “The bathroom is through there,” I pointed to the far end of my room.

  I left briefly to gather some antiseptic, gauze and tape. When I returned, Orion was shirtless, washing his face over the sink.

  “I can put your shirt in the wash,” I offered.

  He nodded, appreciatively.

  I placed his shirt aside, and examined his wounds.

  “He really let you have it,” I said, amazed by the gashes. “I don’t understand.”

  “What?”

  “You’re older than Nicholas. You could’ve fought back and you didn’t.”

  Orion nodded in agreement. “I’d take a beating over whatever torture Nyxta had in store for me,” he groaned, holding onto the marble counter as I cleaned his wounds.

  “I think you need stitches. You must’ve hit the ground pretty hard.”

  “No need for stitches,” he replied, calmly. His obnoxious self resurfaced, concussion and all. “Anyone else joining our slumber party?”

  “Nope, just the two of us—and it’s not a slumber party. It’s a stop-bleeding-and-stay-conscious kind of thing,” I clarified.

  “Just my kind of fun,” he said, blinking once before fading into a trance. His eye color darkened—nearing black—before returning to a light green.

  “Orion. Can you hear me? Say something!” I shouted, worriedly.

  “I’m fine,” he whispered, continuing, “Well that took longer than usual.” While I applied iodine, his wounds began to heal right before my eyes. He gasped in pain, gripping the counter.

  Only then it dawned on me—he was immortal and in no really harm. He’d heal and be back to his old ways in no time. I assisted someone in need—it was a human thing to do, although unnecessary in his case. Regardless, I was amazed by his quick recovery.

  “All done,” I said, touching his healed skin, fascinated. I cleaned up nervously, and handed him a clean shirt.

  “You have a very nice room.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, occupying myself with the first aid supplies.

  “Siblings?” he asked, feigning interest.

  “Nope. What about you?”

  “I had a brother. Edric—he died,” he inhaled, unevenly.

  “He wasn’t a Diplozoe?”

  “He was.”

  “I-I don’t understand,” I said, analyzing his sullen face.

  He struggled to compose himself.

  “I…killed him,” he gritted his teeth and his knuckles turned white while gripping the marble counter.

  Part of my mind suggested immediate flight, but the part that controlled motor function was momentarily paralyzed. “It’s getting late. My parents will be home any minute now.” I backed away nervously, grabbing the first aid kit—there were scissors inside. That’s when I noticed the cracks in the marble where his hands, just before, had rested.

  “Xenia, are you okay?” he asked, confused.

  “Yeah. Sure,” I said, laughing tensely. In that moment, I lunged toward the doorway, headed for the stairwell.

  Orion was much faster. His hand quickly anchored against the wall as a barricade. I could feel his warm arm against my neck.

  “Why are you running?”

  “You just admitted to murdering your own brother. Who wouldn’t run?” I pressed my back up against the wall, distancing myself.

  “My actions led to his death. It was a very long time ago. I mourn for him every day. Look.” He took his shirt off, revealing one of the many tattoos on his chest. Edric Nordstrom 1816-1840.

  “My brother was wrongfully convicted for my actions. I was even more reckless back then and the stakes were higher—I couldn’t stop her.” His eyes were bloodshot and his arm trembled against the wall as he struggled to breathe.

  “I’m sorry,” I wrapped my arms around his waist and placed my cheek against his chest. He hesitated before relaxing around my body. Interestingly, the intertwined vines of tattoos I had seen once before, sprouted before quickly recoiling.

  I wondered how someone could easily fall apart even after two centuries o
f mourning. In the hallway where we stood, I heard the front door open and I dragged Orion back into my room.

  “She could have ended you in a heartbeat, but she didn’t,” he said, mesmerized.

  “Guess I was lucky,” I whispered. It wasn’t luck. I was a bargaining chip of some sort.

  Orion nodded, while strolling through my room, examining anything and everything in his path.

  “I take it you aren’t allowed to have guys over.”

  “Of course I’m allowed, I’m an adult. But it’s late and you’re spending the night. My parents aren’t that cool.”

  “Ah, I see. I don’t want to get you into any trouble. I should leave.”

  “Wait. You can’t leave now. My parents could see you…unless you left through the window.”

  “I don’t know about that. You sure act like a kid, you know that?” He glossed over me, continuing, “But in a young woman’s body of course.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, awkwardly. “I do not act childishly…jerk,” I snapped, throwing a pillow at him.

  He threw it back, chuckling. “See? It’s a slumber party after all.”

  “More like camping. I have a comforter you can sleep on and an extra pillow. Will that be okay?”

  “More than okay. Which side of the bed do you like?”

  “The right side. But you, my friend, are sleeping on the floor.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he chuckled.

  Once he finished assembling his spot on the floor, he leaned in hesitantly for a hug. “Goodnight, Xenia.”

  “Goodnight,” I whispered, sheepishly. He was inherently bad, yet he made me nervous in ways that were unfamiliar to me. I lingered beside him and he kissed my cheek, gradually moving toward my neck. His hands edged to my hips, pulling me closer to his. His lips reached my jaw, and I pulled back.

  “I despise you,” I said, breathing heavily.

  “You do not,” he snickered, kissing my neck softly. It annoyed me that it felt so good.

  “Do too,” I said, defensively. “Well, I should despise you, traitor.”

  “If you despise me, then why’d you invite me back to your place? You know I’m immortal,” he said, candidly.

  I still hadn’t come to grips with being a Diplozoe and a Charon—immortality was on the back burner.