Braklen guided them through the crowd. The crowd thinned the further they moved away from the docks, much to Triena’s relief. They turned down an empty laneway.
She couldn’t contain her anger anymore. “If you think the Queens would take me and let you get away, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”
“Shut up and walk.” He stepped forward.
She held her ground. They stood face to face, glaring at each other. “If only you hadn’t gone and put this bloody chip in my arm. I would’ve ditched you back at Oberon.”
“Not out here.” He looked at her sternly and lowered his voice. “Do you think I would rat you out and that the Queens wouldn’t want my skin?”
“Yes … I mean no …”
“As far as I know, they think I killed the Queen.”
Triena struggled to meet his gaze. “I didn’t kill her.”
“No? Then who?” Heat radiated fiercely around him and pushed out harshly towards Triena.
She wasn’t about to tell him anything until she was sure about what was going on. “It’s complicated.”
“Sure, it is.”
“What was that back there?” She had her questions too and she was going to ask them right here, right now.
“I got you off the ship safely, didn’t I?”
“And what? You couldn’t let me in on the secret?”
A metal bang down the laneway caused them to stop arguing and look. Two people walked down the paved laneway towards them. Triena could just make out the grey Peacekeepers uniforms.
“It’s the uniform, you idiot. Now, behave like you’re in my charge until I tell you otherwise.”
Told you to trust him.
Triena would’ve pinched the rabbit, if she had the pack. Braklen grabbed her arm and pushed her forward. Her face flushed.
Of course, he wouldn’t hurt you.
I didn’t know that. Not for sure. Triena really didn’t know what made the rabbit so certain. They all needed to sit down for a chat before things went beyond repair.
Triena swallowed hard as they approached the Peacekeepers. A man and a woman held particle guns at them. Were we arguing too loud? Triena wished she’d kept her mouth shut. She knew the stakes out here. So much for keeping undercover.
Were we being followed? She asked the rabbit. She’d been too wrapped up in her anger, she’d forgotten to keep a watchful eye out with her energy. Not that she really trusted the energy so much anymore.
Didn’t think so.
Years of having to trust her own instincts and now she had to rely on others for help.
The closer they came to the Peacekeepers, the quicker her heart pounded, so much so Triena thought it was about to explode from her chest. Braklen’s hand sweated as he kept hold of her, so firm she was slowly loosing feeling in her fingers.
“Halt.” The male Peacekeeper held up the gun, making it clear this wasn’t just a random sojourn. The female Peacekeeper did the same. Both were slender, tall, and looked very fit.
They stopped. Triena held her breath. She felt more alert and alive as her body released more adrenalin. She partly slipped into the Energy in an attempt to learn more information. She struggled to keep in control as a black mist at the edge of her vision from her third eye disrupted the energy patterns. She had an idea. If Energy Readings could be altered, then she wanted to try. Triena manipulated the mist and sent it towards the woman.
“Been looking for you, Braklen.”
“Really?”
The man laughed. “The list is long.”
“I find that hard to believe. My reputation says otherwise.”
“Don’t make this difficult. I will shoot you.” He turned to his partner. “Cuff him.”
The female Peacekeeper lowered her gun and reached into a pouch at her belt.
Damn, it didn’t work. Triena sent another cloud of darkness towards the woman.
The woman looked up to the sky, ducking at something only she could see. “Did you see that?”
“What? Stop mucking about. Put the bindings on him. I want to be collecting a bonus in my pay this month.”
The woman stepped forward still looking upwards. “Crows. Thousands of them in the sky. Shoot them, Jin.”
“You been taking Cactus Juice, Carl?” asked Jin.
Carl ducked as imaginary crows swooped her. “They want my eyes.” She dropped again as if the crows dived over her head.
Triena sent another wave of blackness towards the woman. Carl kept dipping out of the way of the imaginary crows and looking to the sky with wide eyes. She screamed.
“Stop it.” Jin yelled at Triena.
Braklen moved quick, taking advantage of the situation. He pushed the man’s arm upward. The gun fired into the blue sky, hitting nothing.
“Keep shooting them,” yelled Carl.
Braklen pushed Jin back against a wall and punched him hard in the stomach then kicked him in the groin. The gun stopped firing and Braklen belted the Jin’s hand against the brick wall repeatedly over and over under he dropped the gun.
“Don’t stop.” Carl screamed, falling down on to her knees, shielding her head with her hands. “They are coming again. They want my eyes. Help me.”
“Shut her up,” said Braklen.
Triena hated feeling empowered by using the Energy this way. She felt like a piece of unravelling ball of yarn. Manipulating the energy like this came at a cost, a real physical and mental cost. If she didn’t keep her anchor, her mind would fracture into thousands of pieces.
“Time to get physical.” She marched up to Carl and slapped her on the cheek. But, that didn’t help. She didn’t have the physique to do any damage to Carl.
“Help me.” Carl clutched Triena’s legs, wrapping her arms around them, screaming.
“Let go.” Triena tried to kick the woman away but it didn’t work.
“Triena, shut her up.”
“Fuck the Queens.” Triena picked up the gun the woman had dropped. “Shut up or I will shoot you.” Her hands trembled.
“Shoot me, please, it will be better than them eating out my eyes.”
“I’ll stop them for you,” lied Triena, not knowing what else to say to try to get the woman to be quiet.
“Thank you. Hurry, hurry.” She kept holding Triena’s legs.
“Let go.” Triena tried to get away. “Get off.” She got free and stumbled backward.
Carl stretched forward trying to get another hold of Triena. The gun fired.
“Shit.” Carl slumped silent to the ground. A sickening wave threatened to take hold of Triena, but she forced herself to keep standing.
She looked over at Braklen. The two men were still wrestling with each other. She could see Braklen struggling to dominate. I have to help.
She aimed for Jin and fired.
Braklen fell to the ground.
“Fuck the Queens,” said Triena.
Jin took a step towards her.
Triena pressed the trigger again. Jin fell down, on top of Braklen.
Well done, Triena.
She looked up and down the street. “Shit, shit, shit.” This wasn’t what she had in mind. So far no one was coming to investigate the noise.
She knelt down on the ground breathing heavily. She dropped the gun and put her hands on the earth, and sobbed. Not like this. Her chest felt tight and she struggled to breathe. Each inhalation burned her lungs. Nothing else mattered, except shortly she was going to die.
Triena expected the chip was programmed to release a drop of poison when it no longer detected Braklen’s heartbeat. She braced herself as best she could and waited for her own death. Since he was dead, thanks to her nervousness, she was doomed. I didn’t mean to hit him.
After a few seconds Triena didn’t feel any worse, in fact she found it easier to breathe. It doesn’t feel like I’m going to die.
Confused, she leaned back and looked at the gun. Thank the Queens, the fuckin’ bitches.
The gun had b
een set to stun.
Triena rushed over to Braklen. She pulled the Peacekeeper off of him. “Braklen, Braklen, wake up.” She bent forward, placing her cheek to his mouth to check to make sure he was still breathing.
Triena, get me out of here. I’ve been screaming at you for ages. Why aren’t you listening? Besides use the Energy like that and you could end up dead.
She felt a faint tickle on her skin as Braklen exhaled. She sobbed in relief.
Triena, they knew we were going to be here. We’ve got to move.
“That’s impossible.” Triena focused on making sure Braklen was alive and he was going to stay that way. I don’t want to lose him, not now.
Her instincts told her to run, to save herself and the rabbit. But, she couldn’t because of the chip.
Get me out.
“Okay, okay.” She located the pack and took out the rabbit, setting him on the ground next to Braklen. “I hope you’re not going to do what I think you are.”
You got any better ideas?
“No.” Triena turned her head away as the rabbit climbed onto Braklen’s chest. The concentrate acidic smell caused her to wrinkle her nose. At least they used a cup for me.
“Argh.” Braklen moved his head and the rabbit jumped off his chest.
“Well, that does work quickly.” Triena helped Braklen sit up.
“Was that what I thought it was?”
“Probably.”
“Argh, I would take those ears if you hadn’t already.”
No one appreciates me. And you wonder why I keep things to myself.
“Right, you are going in the pack,” said Triena.
No.
“There’s no choice.” She went to pick up the rabbit but he hopped away. “Come on, we don’t have time to waste. It’s nothing short of a miracle someone hasn’t come down here to see what all the noise was.”
“This part of town’s not so appreciative of the Peacekeepers’ work.”
“What so Peacekeepers don’t normally come down here?”
“No.” Braklen took the pack off and took out the water. He washed the liquid off on his face. “Shit, I stink and this heat is going to make it worse.”
“That’s the least of our worries. Come on, we got to get moving.” She picked up the pack.
It’s the pack, you idiots.
“No it can’t be,” said Triena. “The pack was from Salene.”
“Knew we couldn’t trust her,” said Braklen.
“You didn’t know that. Maybe the High Commander bugged it without her knowing.” Triena tried to ignore the gnawing at her stomach. Something wasn’t sitting right with what she just said. Salene’s my friend. She wouldn’t betray me.
“Can’t trust anyone out on Oberon, especially someone who runs a hostel and controls the booze.”
“She doesn’t control the booze.” Triena felt like she’d been hit over the head.
“She does.”
“Salene wouldn’t work with the Queens like this.”
“Even for a price?”
His words chilled her. No this can’t be true. “I know her.”
“Well then, let’s leave the pack here and see if we can lose them.”
“Fine. But, we are in a serious need of having a chat.” Triena brushed the dirt off her dress.
“This soon in our relationship?”
Triena gave him a cool stare. “You think you can take the rabbit?”
“Bloody hell, no way. Not after that.”
Hey, I saved your life, mate. The rabbit’s metal ears clicked angrily.
Triena grumbled and picked up the rabbit and handed him to Braklen.
“Fine.” Braklen took the rabbit.
You would miss me if you left me behind.
Not if it meant I didn’t have to lug around your extra weight. You’re going on a diet.
Well, it’s already started. I have been reduced to eating nutrient pills.
“Ready?” His shirt moved as the rabbit tried to find a comfortable position.
“You got a plan where we are going?”
“Yeah.”
“So … ?”
Braklen looked down the laneway and saw some people coming towards them. “Come on, we’ve wasted too much time here.”
Triena followed Braklen out of the alley, back the way they came to avoid anyone who may have been coming behind them. They weaved through a small market, full of vegetables and fruit and freshly killed carcasses. The produce looked old and had been covered in a layer of dust. Even so, Triena’s stomach rumbled at the sight of the food. Back in Oberon they never had anything so fresh, it was mainly cans of food or nutrient pills.
Pinch a carrot on your way past.
That’s just what we need, to doing something to end up with even more people wanting our blood. Triena kept moving after Braklen. She struggled to keep up with him as he side-stepped people in the market place.
They moved for over an hour. The hot temperature made them sweaty and uncomfortable. Their clothes wet with sweat began to rub at their skin.
When the sun slipped behind the tall buildings the temperature dropped. Almost immediately, the streets became alive with people setting up their stalls in the squares along the wider streets.
Electric lights, designed to look like flames, flickered on and gave the streets an eerie glow. Triena was used to living in an outpost where there weren’t so many people, and the extra energy weighed down on her.
A few stalls had wares to trade, but Triena barely got a glimpse of the items as she rushed by. She did keep an eye out for dried flowers. That would be worth pinching.
It wasn’t that sort of market. Besides she found it harder to breathe as people bumped into her. She worried each person who went by was looking for her and she avoided looking into people’s eyes. She felt her energy fracture, and tried to hold onto the pieces and remember to keep following Braklen.
The cool air bit at Triena’s face as they moved between the residential buildings, along the winding laneways, and small stairs that linked different levels together. Her damp clothes caused her to shiver.
Narrow lanes were claustrophobic, made worse by the high-rise apartments either side. Ever since she arrived at Oberon she had wished to return to civilisation, to return to the castle, but now this all felt foreign to her. She wanted to go back to Oberon.
Braklen led them down a dark concrete staircase, and stopped at a metal door. There was no light, just the glow from the street, enough for Triena to know there was a door there somewhere.
He knocked.
Triena shivered. Was this someone or somewhere they could trust?
It felt like ages while they waited. Triena’s senses heightened. The street above was quiet, so far two people walked past. There was a lone cat crying somewhere, which was unusual because they made for good meat. The sound of the rabbit’s heartbeat worried her as she heard his anxiety through the Energy.
“Maybe we should leave?” she whispered.
The door slid open, revealing an old woman, short and stumpy with a thick black shawl over her shoulders, her grey hair tumbled in a knotted mess down to her waist. She held a gun at them.
Just my luck. Triena held Braklen’s arm and pulled him back, but he refused to move.
“Marory.”
“Braklen. What a surprise. Oh and you’ve brought a girl. About time you got married. Come on in.”
Chapter 10
“This is the first place they are going to look for you,” said Triena as they sat at a metal kitchen table. The rabbit bounced around at her feet, chewing a carrot.
“They won’t look here,” said Braklen.
“No? I would’ve thought this was the first place they would look, especially if they knew you were here on Soneria. No, wait they do know you are here on Soneria.”
“Sugar, dear?” asked Marory.
Triena guessed she was in her sixties and the wrinkles on her face and hands suggested she’d had a t
ough life.
“Yes.” Triena’s stomach rumbled. It was too risky being here. She fidgeted in her seat. Way too risky. I could go without the shower and clean clothes, eat quickly then convince him to leave.
The room was small and dingy, but clean. They were underground and the coolness helped to soothe her nervous energy. She felt the pieces coming back together as she sat in the darkened room. But, she didn’t think being here with Braklen’s mother was a good idea, since it would be the most obvious place for the Peacekeepers to look for them.
Marory placed a plate of raw vegetables and cold salted meat was placed in front of Triena. “Eat up, dear.”
Braklen was already eating the food, with his fingers, as if he’d been starved. Her belly tightened as she looked at the food instead of nutrient pills. It was good, smelled okay, but her stomach knotted as if it’d forgotten what it was like to contain real food. Braklen was halfway through his plate before Triena began to eat, slowly. Her belly groaned as it set into action. The food was sweet. She’d finished eating just as Braklen finished eating his second plate of food, or was it his third?
“Here, this is what you need, it will help with the digestion.” Braklen’s mother set a shot glass of clear liquid in front of them both. “Then you can have some tea.”
Triena lifted the glass to her nose. Her nose wrinkled from the unexpected shock. Shit it’s strong. Braklen drank his in one swift action. She copied.
“Fuck the Queens.” Her voice was hoarse and she gripped both hands on the table to steady herself as the wave of burning heat flowed down her throat and into her belly. The sensation went further, right down to her toes.
Braklen laughed at her. “I think she needs another shot.”
His mother refilled her glass. “This will be good for you.”
Triena felt the liquid unknotting her stomach. A wave of numbness extended throughout her body. She wanted this sensation to go deeper, to anesthetise herself over what’s happened, especially this latest turn of events where Braklen thought it was a great idea to visit his mother.
She drank the shot in one mouthful. The liquid was just as intense as the first time. “I could get used to this.” Her voice sounded throaty and hoarse. She coughed.
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