Triena held onto the pack in front of her, squeezed her thighs tight to keep balance. Braklen kept both hands on the handles. She shut her eyes and mouth, hoping no bugs would fly in.
The left the town in a blast of fumes and Kreltan went even faster in the open flat plain. Triena lost track of how far they’d come. She only opened her eyes when they slowed down.
A very basic hut stood in the middle of nowhere. She could sense their height, and see the edge of a cliff, that dropped into a wide valley.
Braklen steered the bike next to Kreltan and killed the engine. Triena could still feel the vibrations of the machine in her body. She sat, trying to gain her composure before standing. She wasn’t sure her legs could support her. It was harder too, because Braklen put his hand around her waist to keep her from falling as the bike slanted to one side. Her mind turned to thinking of them and their lovemaking.
“Woo-hoo,” said Kreltan as he took of his goggles and shook his head. “Right, we got a lot to do.”
Triena stumbled off the bike and went inside the hut. It was gloomy, smelt of greasy food and stale air.
“Get him out of the pack. It’s not right to keep him in there.”
See.
“How did you know he was in there?” Triena took the rabbit out of the pack and place him on the floor.
Finally I can stretch my legs again.
“Right, I think you need cups and hot water.”
“What?”
“For a reading.”
“I didn’t agree to a reading.”
“You will if you want me to help you with the chip.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“Does it matter?”
Braklen stood at the door as if unsure whether or not to come in fully, or to be ready for a quick escape.
“Come in man, she’s not going to kill you. Not yet anyway.” He winked at Triena.
“I don’t plan to kill anyone.” She looked at Kreltan. “You read the Energy?”
“Bingo. Took you long enough. And yes, even though I’m a man, I can read the Energy,” said Kreltan.
“Don’t hurt the rabbit.”
“Wasn’t planning to. Sit.” He pointed to a rusty old frame with a worn seat. Triena sat down. “Come in, man.”
She squirmed from the reminder. “Can you do anything about this?” She held up her arm. A change in Braklen’s energy caused her skin to cool. She could detect the doubt brewing inside of him.
Kreltan came over and inspected her skin. A shiver ran along her arm as he felt for the chip. “Well, it’s stuck in there. You really wanted to keep her, huh?”
“It’s not that simple.” Braklen sat on the chair opposite Triena, his doubt intensifying.
“Yeah right. Energy Field.”
“Braklen, I didn’t mean to.”
Fuck. She felt his energy pulling away from her. It hurts. Triena glared at Kreltan as he dropped her arm.
“Easy. Can’t take it out, but I got this liquid full of nano-thingy’s that will counter the program. You’ll just have to inject it in.”
“That’s all?” Triena blinked back tears. The support of Braklen’s energy that she’d gotten used to over the last few days was leaving her and she felt empty. Lost. Come back.
Shouldn’t have come here.
“Well, you should listen to the rabbit a bit more. Now, payment.”
He sat down at the small iron filigree designed table. It was full of rust, but somehow still held together. “I want a reading.”
Don’t do it.
“Okay.”
“First, I want you to finish Braklen’s reading.”
Triena froze. “No.” It will kill him. This time for sure. No one can survive the Dragon’s Flower.
“Yes,” said Braklen.
She looked at him. The coldness in his eyes made her ache. “I didn’t want to kill you. That’s why I was banished. I failed to become a Queen. That’s got to count for something.”
“There’s always a choice.”
“Like now. You don’t need to finish the reading.”
“Why? You scared you’re going to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“Well, what are we going to do?” asked Kreltan. “This is entertaining.”
“Bastard.”
Kreltan laughed. “This is great. So, you do a reading for Braklen, then for me, then I’ll inject this stuff into your arm and you all can be on your merry way.”
“Okay,” said Braklen.
“No. I can’t do this.”
“Scared you’re going to kill me too?”
“No.”
Don’t do the reading.
For once she agreed with the rabbit. She sat back and folded her arms. “I won’t do it.”
“Well, you might like to go back to the docks, get the ship out of here so you get a head start from the Peacekeepers.”
“We’re not going until something’s been done to turn off the chip,” said Braklen.
“They don’t know we are here unless you’re planning to tell then.” Triena narrowed her eyes as she stared at Kreltan.
“Hey, don’t look at me. I’ve not told them anything, nor do I plan too.”
“So what makes you think they know?”
“Can you trust the captain of the ship?”
“Maybe.” She thought back to the reading. He wanted to change things, but maybe he needed the money.
It’s the chip, silly.
“They’re tracking us with the chip?”
“Yep. How long do you think you two can keep running, knowing you have to stay close together?”
“Do the readings.” Braklen ran his hand through his hair. “We’ll have a better chance of running if the chip is inactive.”
“You bastard, Kreltan, you told him to force me to give the readings.”
“Maybe. But, you know you’ve started his reading and it must be finished. Better now than later.”
“Now.” Braklen slammed his fist on the table and the empty cups clicked together, one rolled off and smashed on the floor.
Tell him to wait. He can wait. Don’t do it.
“Fine. I’ll do it.” Triena reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out the last of the dried flowers she selected for Braklen. “Dragon’s Flower.” She dropped it into the cup. “Not for the faint-hearted.”
“I’m ready.”
Triena took three deep breaths to calm herself down. She let go of the anger building inside. I’ll deal with the old man later. She pushed aside the emptiness from Braklen withdrawing from her. With her mind’s eye, she stepped into the Energy Field, as she poured out the hot water into the cup.
The petals unfurled slowly in the heat, swelling with the water, their potency seeped out, brown tendrils of color snaked upwards from the center of the flower. The smell was sweet and tempting. Soothing. She wanted to taste the flavor herself. She didn’t.
The image flowed upwards in the steam of the water, the golden crown, clear, jewels set in the pattern of a flower, the star green sapphire stood in the center. A dragon, blood red, lifted its head and the crown fit perfectly. He breathed out, and flames tumbled from its mouth, as it if was protecting something. Twelve thrones sat empty in the background, but the dragon wasn’t protecting them.
She heard a baby cry. The dragon moved slightly, and nearby she saw the baby, in a basket, sitting on a different throne, one she hadn’t seen before. She reached for the child, who was scared and crying. But, the dragon wouldn’t let her near it, breathing fire toward her. Triena stepped back and looked at the child. She gasped at what she saw. An image of herself, wearing the crown with the pearl, holding the baby.
The dragon breathed out the last of his red flames, before transforming. Braklen stood, wearing the crown, next to her. There were two new thrones.
A black smoke filtered into the image, distorting what she saw. She breathed into the scene, trying to clear away the smoke. When she could see again, the twelve
thrones were occupied. Twelve Queens sat smiling. An open coffin was by the side. The lid closed, but Triena could see whose name it was. Braklen. There was another coffin on the other side. She didn’t need to go there. She knew it was hers.
The scene faded. There was no more to see. She felt ill as she returned to the physical plane. “Drink to your future.”
“You haven’t told me anything.”
“Drink and find out yourself.”
Braklen picked up the tea and drank. He hadn’t finished drinking the liquid when his eyes rolled backwards and he began convulsing. Triena stopped herself from going to him, and watched as he fell off the chair. This is his journey. His choice to make. She knew instinctively he had to make it by himself. She was scared he’d choose the option without her.
His movements began to slow and he lay unconscious on the floor, his mind moving through a scene offering him the choices of a future as a leader with Triena, or death.
Told you it was a bad idea.
“Well, now that’s going to be a hard act to follow,” said Kreltan.
“You still want me to do a reading for you?” She looked at Braklen. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and his eyes fluttered between the worlds.
“Yes.”
Triena bought her attention back to Kreltan. “Fine then. Your risk.”
“Just the one will do.”
Don’t.
She took out the parcel of flowers bought back on Soneria and unwrapped them careful so as not to damage the dry petals. She ran her hands slowly over the dried buds, searching for the right one. But, the right one for what? The flowers weren’t helping her and she was about to tell Kreltan that there wasn’t one suitable here for him, when something pricked her hand and she jumped instinctively.
It was like a thorn. She carefully picked it up, dropped it into a coffee stained cup and wrapped up the remaining flowers. The palm of her right hand throbbed, but there was nothing physical in her hand. She kept looking at it, thinking part of the flower somehow embedded into her skin. Devil Thorn. The flower was known for giving painful visions, but not killing.
Triena poured the tea and moved back into the Energy Field. Cold waves of energy swept down her body as she stood alone in the blackness. Then she saw him. Kreltan. Sitting up in a coffin. He opened his jacket, pulled out a vial of clear liquid. He then took out a syringe and filled it with the liquid. Held out his arm and injected it. Tears streaked down his cheek from the pain. Then he simply lay down and died. Then the crowns of the Queens appeared.
I can’t let him do this.
She opened her eyes. Kreltan was quick. He reached for the cup and drank.
“It was my time.” It was like the air was being sucked out of his lungs and he gasped. “I sold my skill to them. They control me.” The sound grated in her ears.
“I can only be free through death.” It might have been his choice, but he fought for life, trying to keep breathing. His eyes became wide and he clutched his chest, falling backwards in his chair.
Dead.
Told you not to have given him a reading.
Triena sat stunned. That was impossible. What on earth has been put into motion? It was as if a whole separate lot of pathways now opened out in front of her, ones that were different than before. They spiralled out and made her dizzy. She swayed. He didn’t have to die? Did I really kill another person?
Bile rose quickly from her stomach. She turned and retched, spilling acidic contents on the floor.
I’ve had enough adventure. She sat up, and held her hand on her stomach hoping that was going to be the last time she threw up for a while.
Braklen stirred from the floor.
He lives. But, she wasn’t excited. She didn’t want him to be cold towards her. She wanted things the same as they were on the ship. “Welcome back.”
What path has he chosen? She couldn’t see the answer in the energy.
He got up from the floor, slowly and painfully and stood coughing, trying to catch air back into his lungs and regain his balance.
Triena stood up and went over to Kreltan. In his right pocket there was a bottle and a set of needles. Just like the image showed her. She began to prepare them.
“No, it’s too risky.” Braklen gripped her arm, stopping her from filling the syringe with the liquid.
“We have to try.” She looked at him firmly.
He does care. The thought warmed her with much needed hope. He let go of her arm. She sat back down and stretched out her arm on the table. She held the needle with her left hand, but it trembled too much. She took a deep breath. She didn’t like needles, and she didn’t want to do anything to her arm that might result in her seeing blood. Her blood.
“Here, let me help.”
Triena moved the syringe away from him. “As long as you promise to inject this into my arm.”
“I promise.”
Triena handed over the syringe. “This isn’t the time to be a hero.”
Braklen primed the syringe and then felt Triena’s arm for the chip. “Ready?”
Triena nodded and looked away, breathing deeply. She jumped as the needle entered her skin. The liquid felt like it was burning into her body, going past the chip, deeper into her muscles, into her blood stream.
“You okay?” Braklen finished pushing the last of the liquid into Triena’s body and removed the needle.
Her arm ached painfully. She felt the blood drain down to her feet and her head spun. She tasted bile, and swallowed it back down, but it kept rising up.
Too much to ask to think you could’ve withstood a simple injection.
Triena turned her head, heaved one more time and then everything went black.
~
She felt the familiar tickle of the rabbit’s whiskers on her cheek as she woke. She rubbed her arm. It ached with intensity. The chip was dead, but she felt a new emptiness inside her, a painful, burning hollowness ready to swallow her. She fought against the sensation and sat up.
“Well, at least you haven’t left me.”
She turned her head and looked at the rabbit. He sat at the end of the bed, his ears upright as if listening for something and staring at her with his black eyes, watching.
“What do you mean?”
Come on, we got to work out what to do about the Queens. They’ll be here soon.
“Is Braklen here?”
The rabbit bounced off the bed. Turns out he wasn’t ready.
She sat up and then the truth behind the emptiness hit her. Braklen. Her mind screamed out his name. Despite feeling woozy, she ran out of the bedroom into the main room. The old man’s body was laid out on the floor, covered with an old blanket.
“Braklen.”
Her breath became shallow and she felt cold. No. No. No. Not now. Not like this.
She ran past the rabbit, pushed open the door and rushed outside. The late evening wind blasted her and she fought against it calling his name, knowing it was all too late.
One of the bike-pods were missing. She felt lost without him. Triena wandered over to the cliff. Why bother? She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t take that step. Not now. Even without him. She couldn’t let the Queens carry on like this and misuse the skill of the energy.
Triena stood at the edge of the cliff. The wind blew her dark hair backwards as if trying to encourage her to fly. I wanted this. The thought was hollow in her mind. I wanted to be free of him. Tears tumbled down her cheek.
Come back to me.
She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted him back. Braklen. I want you. I love you.
The wind took her thoughts and knotted them up and sent them away, over the cliff, into the nothingness.
She wanted the chip dealt with and to be free of being bound to Braklen. Now that it happened, she felt lost without him.
She hadn’t expected he’d leave.
Tears burned her cheeks. If only I hadn’t fallen for him again.
The wind howled as it pushed he
r. She set her balance against it. Some hidden strength slowly rose inside of her. She had work to do and she intended to get started. Still, thoughts of Braklen kept crippling her.
He’s gone.
She’d go find him. There was no way she’d let him out of her life without a fight.
Also by Lilliana Rose and Soul Mate Publishing:
GRAND PARADE
Megan is a young photographer with her first real job at the Royal Adelaide Show, where she has to capture the agricultural event. As a city girl, she is clueless, and when she gets too close to a grumpy bull, she is kicked in the head.
Guilty that his bull hurt someone and aware of the painful side effects of head injuries due to the loss of his sister, Jackson takes care of Megan.
Megan is determined that she will be all right and continues photographing during the day before collapsing. Jackson is there to make sure she is taken to hospital and cared for.
Recovering, Megan finds herself drawn to Jackson, but she’s not sure that she can be anything than a city girl, even for love. Can Jackson, in his quiet, strong, country-boy style, convince her to take life in a new direction, with him?
Available now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/zm297xt
STEALING THE SHOW
Kristie comes to the Royal Adelaide Show every year with the sheep. This year will she return with more than just prizes? Or will she steal the heart of a man as well, and snag the love of her life?
Kristie Johnson plans to run the family farm one day. As the only child, she lives with her parents and struggles to get them to see that she can make her own decisions and that she is a grown woman. Then, she meets Tully Row, a dancer performing at the show and she turns to him for a few days of fun. Instead she finds herself falling for him, especially when she finds out he’s a country boy himself.
The youngest of three sons, Tully was forced away from the farm he loved to the city to make his own living. He started dancing and was given a gig at the Royal Show. His family are at the show with the milking cattle and they spend more time arguing. He feels unsupported by them, and can’t get them see his performances. Kristie is a distraction, an enjoyable distraction at first, but then she steals his heart. Their shared lust turns into something deeper and more special between them.
Can both of them stand up to their families and follow their hearts to begin a relationship and their lives together?
Flower Readings Page 27