by D. S. Murphy
Where was Damien? Would I be trapped in here with King Richard for the whole ride? I didn’t want to be rude, so I swallowed my questions and gave him a polite smile. He didn’t speak again, so I turned and looked out the window, soaking up the last few glimpses of my childhood home. Anything to avoid the king’s calculating gaze. As we were leaving the compound, I saw Trev at the edge of the gate, still in the clothes he’d worn the night before. His hair was disheveled and his clothes dirty, but from the look on his face, I knew his appearance was the last thing on his mind. Catching my eye, he held up a half-empty bottle of rum. I held my fingertips up to the window to wave goodbye, but I wasn’t sure he could even see me through the tinted glass. And then, just like that, we were through the gates, and the swiftly moving vehicle was swallowed up by the falling ash.
6
We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, until the king cleared his throat.
“I can’t tell you what it means to me, to welcome you into my family,” he said. “My son has been… resistant to choose a bride. It’s nice to see he’s finally growing up, embracing his responsibility. You must be very special to have caught his attention. I look forward to getting to know you better.”
I nodded, but my throat was so too dry to respond. He chuckled, then hit a button next to his seat. A panel slide open, revealing a crystal decanter and some glasses. He poured me a drink and handed it to me. It was fizzy, and sweet—sweeter than anything I’d ever tasted.
I tried to relax, but I was sitting with the most powerful man in our kingdom; King Richard was a legend, practically the savior of humanity, according to the renewal services and stories I’d grown up with. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but I couldn’t help feeling like prey, stuck in a box. After all, elites did feed on humans. My body was screaming to run, but there was nowhere to go.
I couldn’t help wondering where Damien was. It was customary for an elite to claim his own chosen. Why had he sent his father instead? Was he not that eager to see me again? As if reading my mind, King Richard took out a black box with a dark satin bow and handed it to me. He nodded to the box, and I opened it. Inside was a stainless steel bracelet, studded with diamonds.
“A wedding gift,” he said, lifting the bracelet from the box and holding it out to me. He took my wrist gently. His fingers were almost as cold as the silver metal against my skin. The jewelry clicked into place, fastening securely by an invisible mechanism. I realized I wouldn’t be able to take it off by myself. My eyes widened as a small monitor appeared on the surface of the metal, displaying numbers.
“1.7 percent?” I asked, reading the device. k.1.2
“Every chosen gets a monitor,” the king said, leaning back. “It will keep track of the elixir in your blood, for your own safety. In the compound, even after a renewal, human blood levels rarely reach two percent. But in the citadel you will have access to greater amounts, to assist with your training. You need to at least be strong enough to keep up with your elite mates, so they don’t have to worry about accidentally hurting you. 10% is the legal limit for humans. Above that and a warning notification will be sent to our security teams. If you have more than 30% elixir in your system, you’ll die. Painfully. Do you understand?”
I gulped, marvelling at the tiny device. I wondered how many drops of elixir it would take to reach 10%. Five, or even ten? I couldn’t imagine what that would feel like. Hope flared in my chest—the king just confirmed the rumors I’d heard about having access to more elixir. Maybe there was still a way I could save some, and somehow send it back to my mother. If I invited Amber for a visit, she could deliver it for me. I just had to pass the Trials.
King Richard reached past me and tapped on the glass, motioning the driver to pull over. Once the vehicle slowed, the king cracked the door and stepped outside.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” the king said. “I have important matters to deal with, and I’ll reach the citadel faster on my own. Besides, it’s a chance to stretch my legs.” I nodded again, feeling mute, like my voice was stuck in my throat somehow. Ash fell onto the dark shoulders of his finely tailored suit and I recoiled instinctively, remembering how badly my lungs had ached just this morning.
“It won’t hurt you?” I asked, finally finding my voice.
The king smiled, looking around him.
“I just imagine that it’s snow,” he said, with a wink. “But no, it would take worse things than the ash to hurt me.”
He closed the door and tapped on the glass again. The driver continued on the road. I turned around until I couldn’t see the king anymore. When I was alone again, I took a deep drink of the soda and ran my hands over the smooth leather. The trepidation of being so close to the king faded, and was soon replaced by ripples of excitement. This was the first time I’d ever been outside Algrave. I kept my nose glued to the window, soaking in the landscape. For half an hour, we drove through windy roads, guarded closely by tall pine trees. Sometimes I’d catch a glimpse of the jagged mountains that surrounded our valley. Twice we passed narrow bridges stretching impossibly far over rushing rivers. Several small streams cut through Algrave, but the water needed to be filtered before we could use it. These rivers were bigger than our entire compound.
The trees thinned, and through the gray ash, I saw dim outlines of massive rectangular structures. They were so large, I couldn’t get a proper sense of distance, but they were bigger than anything I’d ever seen before—architectural behemoths from before the Culling. They must have been centuries old, before the ash, when human lived in the open. Abandoned vehicles lined road. There were so many of them, they’d been stacked in rusty piles on either side of the street like ramparts.
An hour into the trip, I was surprised when we passed another car. It was a silver vehicle with rounded edges. I pressed my face against the glass, and could just make out Mary in the backseat, looking just as surprised as I was. She gave a timid wave through the window and I smiled, wondering if she could actually see me. A few minutes later we passed another car, this one was cherry red. Jessica flipped me off as we rode by. I stuck my tongue out at her.
After another thirty minutes, we entered the woods again, and the road started climbing. I got my first glimpse of the citadel—it was so large it looked like a mountain on the horizon, with jagged towers and beacons that seemed to cut through the ash like hot metal. There was so much light it was surrounded by a halo, even in the daytime.
Suddenly my attention was drawn to a figure standing by the side of the road. It was the first living creature I’d seen since we left the compound, and his appearance out here in the wilderness was so jarring my brain scrambled to make sense of it. As I passed by him, my breath caught in my throat. It was the man with the beard and knitted cap I’d seen in Algrave, the one that had been talking with Trevor. He looked right at me, meeting my eyes through the tinted glass, and then vanished. I blinked, and could just make out his movement as he ran alongside the car, moving faster than humanly possible. Was he an elite? And what was he doing out here?
My questions evaporated when the limo was knocked to the side with such force that the glass shattered. I saw a flash of gray fur as the vehicle flipped upside down, and then everything went black.
I woke up seconds later to the sound of screeching and the sound of metal crumpling. I felt like I was floating, then realized I was suspended upside down by my seat belt. Through the broken glass I could see the driver, out cold, with blood dripping from a nasty cut on his forehead. I struggled to reach the button to release the belt and tumbled to the roof of the car, then I pulled myself out of the broken window. Besides the dim ringing in my ears, it was so quiet I could almost hear the flakes of ash landing on the ground. My fingers dug into the blanket of white ash and dead grass carpeting the ground. The ash. I tore off a long strip of fabric from the bottom of my dress and wrapped it around my face to cover my nose and mouth.
I tried to rouse the driver but he was unresponsive. I had to get help. I
stumbled through the ash until my feet hit the hard pavement of the road, but we were too close to the trees—I couldn’t see which direction the citadel was anymore. And I had no idea how far. Maybe if I followed the road, eventually I’d find it. But I had no idea what was out there. I’d never been this far from the compound before. And I’d never been beyond the walls without my bow and arrow. I was utterly defenseless.
Then I heard someone scream. I shook off my fear and ran through the ash until I found the silver vehicle. Mary was curled up against the side, her eyes wide with shock. The spray of blood that ran from her torso to her forehead chilled my veins, but what I saw in the front seat was worse by far. The remains of what must have been the driver were behind the wheel. It looked like he’d been torn in half, and his head and arms were completely missing.
“Mary,” I said, putting my palms on her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“It took him,” she whimpered, pointing to the driver. I tore another strip of fabric from my dress and handed it to her. She stared at it blankly.
“For the ash,” I said. When she didn’t respond, I took the strip and tied it around her head. Finally she seemed to understand, clutching the fabric to her face and taking deep breaths. That’s when we heard the sounds of screeching metal. Angry red sparks flew as the red sports car slide across the concrete, one side battered in. Through the ash, I saw the driver climb out of the car with a massive pistol in his hand. I’d never seen a gun before—they were illegal in the compound—but I recognized them from books. He stumbled to his feet just as a massive shape hurled itself out of the trees. It was nearly as large as the car. The driver got two shots off, and the beast recoiled, screaming in rage. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I had to cover my ears against the sound. The beast growled and lunged at the driver’s leg. It picked the man up with its teeth and shook him viciously until his head snapped at an unnatural angle, and he stopped thrashing. Then the creature dragged the body into the woods, pulling his leg with its massive teeth.
I heard Mary whimper beside me, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. One word was circling in my brain. Slagpaw. They were real. And more terrifying than I could have ever imagined. They had the shaggy fur and teeth of a wolf, the powerful claws of a bear, but something about the way they moved was almost disturbingly human. I’d never heard of them attacking during the day before. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, but I didn’t trust my legs to run. Plus, I didn’t know where to go. I saw liquid leaking from the red car and smelled gasoline. It was just like the fuel we used for our purification engines. Then I saw movement in the backseat, and a palm pounding on the inside of the window. Jessica.
“Stay here!” I shouted. I ran towards the red car, keeping my head down. I reached the door and pulled the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. The frame was bent out of shape and the door jammed. Jessica’s face appeared in the window, and she pounded on the glass with her fists. Thick dark smoke was filling up the cabin, and I could smell something burning. I looked at my feet and realized I was standing in a puddle of gasoline, which was rapidly spreading around the car. I heard a roar behind me. It sent chills down my spine, but it was coming from the woods. I still had time, but not much. I had to get this door open.
I clenched my fists and felt the elixir in my blood ignite like gunpowder against the adrenaline coursing through my veins. In just a second, I felt stronger than I ever had before, nearly invincible. I reached down again for the door, and this time I tore the door open, ripping apart the metal frame with my bare hands and tossing the door to the side. I grabbed Jessica’s arms and pulled her out of the now-flaming vehicle. We’d only taken a few steps when an explosion rocketed behind us. I felt scorching flames incinerate the back of my dress, searing the fabric against my skin. I shoved Jessica forward and landed on top of her.
Then Mary appeared, grabbing us both and tugging us back towards her, until we were piled against the remains of Mary’s vehicle. She was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear anything except the ringing in my ears. The pain in my back made my entire body feel like it was burning. Jessica was shaking me, screaming. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, so I concentrated on her lips, and her pointing finger—just as a shadow blocked out the light. I turned and blinked my eyes open, trying to focus on the dark shape in front of me. The long, sharp teeth, drooling saliva from its loose jowls. The dark gray fur that looked like burnt coals. The glowing red eyes that seemed to see into me and pierce my heart.
I was too weak to even raise my arms, so I just stared it down. I even leaned forward slightly, raising my own lips in a snarl, practically daring it to attack. It hesitated, and I thought I saw a flicker of surprise in its intelligent eyes, but then it flicked open its razor sharp claws and prepared to strike. I closed my eyes with Mary’s scream ringing in my ears. But instead of being ripped open, I was hit by a splash of warm blood with so much force my head slammed back against the car. When I blinked my eyes open, the monster had been sliced in half, and the massive pieces of its torso slide apart to reveal Damien clutching a long silver sword. His silhouette was outlined by the light behind him, almost like he was radiating power. He flicked the blood off his sword and smoothly returned it to its scabbard, then bent down and lifted me into his arms.
7
I woke up in a bed with the softest sheets I’d ever felt. The pillow under my head was like a cloud, the satin caressing my face. Then I remember what happened, and snapped awake. I was in a large room, with colorful wallpaper and gold filigree accenting the doors and windows. My mattress was so large I could stretch out my arms and legs without reaching the edge of the mattress, and thick dark curtains hung like a canopy from the four-post bed. The entire thing looked like it was carved from one piece of dark wood, with ornamental swirls and figures cut into the surface.
A beeping sound drew my attention to my wrist, and I saw the bracelet the king had given me. It now read 4%. That’s when I noticed I’d been changed, into some kind of peach-colored nightgown. And I was completely healed. A vanity desk with an oval mirror hugged the far wall, surrounded by more of the engraved dark wood. My reflection surprised me. The bags under my eyes were gone. I reached around to touch my back, certain I’d feel my scorched skin. I cringed, remembering the feeling of the dress melting into my back in the heat of the explosion. But my skin was smoother and softer than I’d ever felt it, and I felt no pain.
A door opened and woman came in with a stack of clothes. Her beige and white garments looked fresh and stiff, almost like a uniform. She was halfway to the dresser before she noticed me. She was so surprised she jumped back, dropping a few of the garments.
“Apologies, mistress,” she said, bowing her head as she scrambled to pick up the clothes. “Blimey, you gave me a start.”
She looked a few years older than me, but younger than my mother, and wore a white bonnet that pulled her dark curls away from her face.
“What happened?” I asked. “Mary and Jessica, are they okay?”
“Right as rain, as far as I know. You were the most injured. Master Damien attended to you himself.”
I frowned, looking down at the practically transparent garment I was wearing.
“Heavens, no!” she laughed. “Not like that. He fed you. The girls and I helped clean you up and change your clothes. I’m sorry about the invasion of privacy, but we had to get you out of those scraps you were wearing. They reeked of gas and slagpaw blood, it was stinking up the whole wing.”
I stared at her, trying to process all this information.
“The girls and you,” I repeated slowly.
So at least Damien hadn’t changed me himself. For some reason, the idea of being undressed by Damien made me feel more vulnerable than almost being eaten by a slagpaw.
“I’m Annette,” she said, bowing again. “It’s my honor and privelege to serve you. You’ll have several assistants, helping pour your bath or tidy up, but I’m your lady’s maid. I’ve welcomed s
everal girls into the citadel. I know it may seem overwhelming at first, but you’ll adjust in no time. Now, let’s get you dressed, shall we?”
I stared at her, my mouth nearly hanging open. How could she be so at ease, so cordial? Slagpaw were real, and they’d just attacked a caravan of new chosen. As far as I knew, at least two of the drivers were dead. Why weren’t there alarms sounding, and soldiers marching into battle? I poured myself a glass of water from a pitcher by the bed, trying to keep my hands steady.
“Dressed for what?” I asked, I asked, after quenching my thirst.
“The Presentation ceremony,” Annette said, holding up a stunning dark blue ball gown, with large hooped skirt that erupted into whirling frills at the bottom.
“You want me to wear that?” I asked, frowning.
“Damien picked it out for you,” she said. “Tonight you’ll be shown to the royal court. It’s important you look your best.”
Shit. That’s the first I’d heard of a presentation ceremony. Was I going to be forced to dress up and prance around for the rest of my lift? I didn’t complain as she lifted my arms and helped tug off the peach nightgown, but when she tried to remove my bra I slapped her hand away and covered myself with my other arm.
“Sorry Dear, I forgot you must be used to dressing yourself. You’ll find undergarments in the bottom drawer of your closet. Pick something dark.” She turned away so I could rile through the closet. There were a dozen sets of luxurious lingerie, in a variety of colors, with black lace and straps that seemed entirely impractical, yet made me blush by their frankness. I tugged the underwear on quickly, then let Annette lift the dress over my head and zip it up in the back. It felt snug around my waist, but refreshingly spacious lower down—I was afraid I’d be tripping on the petticoats, but my legs were pretty much unrestricted.