by D. S. Murphy
“Thanks for the tip,” I said. I lifted my bow and pulled back the arrow. The exertion of the strings pulled my muscles taut, and I zoomed in on the target. My vision seemed to magnify, illuminating the target in startling detail, and my fingers itched to release the string. I fought the impulse and held it, deliberately slowing my breath. I tried to imagine a juicy rabbit, and tuned out the crowds and noise around me, replacing them with the silent, ash-filled forest that had been my hunting ground. Then I thought of my family, my little brother and sister’s stomach’s rumbling, and my mother, who was sick and maybe dying, while I was in the City of Lights playing games.
I loosed the arrow with fierce determination. Then I quickly nocked the next arrow, releasing weeks of pent-up frustration, and shot off two more. The thwap of the string against my arm was both thrilling and comforting at the same time. I felt more myself than I had since arriving in the citadel. When my palm reached for the next arrow and came up empty, I blinked and looked around me. I hardly remembered shooting all five of the arrows. And I definitely didn’t notice the small crowd that had grown around me.
People were clapping, and Camina was staring at my target with a dumbstruck expression. I followed her gaze and realized all five arrows had hit the small red circle in the center of the target. A perfect score.
“That was amazing!” Jazmine said, pulling me into a hug. “Guess we might have underestimated this one, eh Camina? She’s got some warrior in her after all. She’s probably just been hiding her skills in class.”
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?” Camina asked.
“My family got tired of eating oats and rice, and we couldn’t afford meat,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve been hunting since I was eight. And the targets usually move.”
It felt nice to be good at something, but there was something worrying about my excellent performance. I was confident with a bow, sure, but I wasn’t that skilled. For a minute there, I’d been somewhere else entirely, and my body performed the feat without me. It was still me, but somehow enhanced. I glanced at my bracelet, which was down to .5%. It seemed like concentration or focus burned as much elixir as active sparring.
The man running the games pointed towards a wall of prizes I could choose from: mostly plastic or wooden toys. One caught my eye immediately—a small wooden airplane with dual wings, painted bright red. I smiled and pointed at it. It reminded me of the photo in Damien’s room. It felt good to win him something; something I’d earned. After all, what kind of wedding present did you get for a prince, anyway?
“We should celebrate,” Jazmine said. “There’s a tavern around the corner, I hear they make excellent cider.”
The tavern was standing room only, and besides the waitresses, and a few girls there for entertainment, it looked like we were the only woman there. I was glad to be wearing dark slacks and a long-sleeve top. I pulled the sleeves down around my wrists to hide my marks. A few curious eyes glanced us over, but after a hesitant pause, conversations continued and we were mostly ignored. Jazmine pushed her way to the bar and squeezed between two large men drinking beer from wooden tankards.
“Four ciders,” she demanded. The bartender raised his eyebrows at her, and for a second I thought he was going to tell her to get lost. But then she cupped her chin with her palm, displaying her bracelet and batting her eyelashes. He shook his head, like he knew he was going to regret this, but poured four tall mugs with apple cider and slid them across the bar. Jazmine passed out the drinks and held hers up.
“Cheers,” she said. “To new friends.”
The cider was sweet and tingled against my lips. We found stools near the wall and squeezed in behind a table. The bar was dark and a little smoky. It smelled like men and tobacco, and something sickly sweet. Probably the cider brewing, or wood polish. Large speakers were playing some kind of fast beat music with a heavy bass. I could feel the vibrations through my body. It made conversation difficult but it wasn’t unpleasant.
At one point Jazmine grabbed Camina’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor, even though nobody else was dancing. The men stared at first and grumbled, but then a few of them joined in. They smiled and formed a tight circle around the two girls. I noticed most of them were dressed differently from what I’d seen so far in the city. A few of the outfits seemed almost exotic: a flash of red bandana, a pair of gold-hooped earring. Traders, probably, used to life on the road.
A conversation to my left caught my attention and I leaned closer to eavesdrop.
“I tell you, it was the worst thing I ever saw. The whole compound, swallowed up by ash, dead as a graveyard.”
“Slagpaw?” the other man said.
“No way to tell, but I’d wager not. Here’s the thing, all the citizens were still there, standing in the center of the square, their faces turned up towards the sky, mouth open. Frozen in time, like statues. I tell you, it was creepy. Gives me goosebumps just to think about it.”
“You think the elite were involved? Another rebellion?”
The man’s eyes narrowed, he looked around. I pretended to study the table.
“I ain’t gonna say nothing about the elite, not here in the citadel. But the compounds are supposed to be protected, right? That’s the deal? Well, all I know is, somebody wasn’t keeping up their end of the bargain.”
I whirled around when I heard Mary’s voice cut through the noise.
“I said, no!” A large man with a beard had Mary cornered against the wall, with one hand on her waist.
“Come on,” he said. “You must have come here looking for something, right? Well, maybe it’s me. I’ve got what you need.”
I grabbed his arm and pulled him backwards.
“Hands off, asshole,” I said.
The man looked back towards his friends and laughed.
“Well what have we got here? A feisty one. My favorite.”
He grabbed my wrists and squeezed them painfully, bringing his body weight crushing into me. I dropped the toy airplane I’d bought for Damien and heard it crack against the floor.
“No!” I shouted, reaching out a hand too late.
The man bent down to pick it up. “What’s this? I knew you were young, but I didn’t think you were so young you’d bring toys to a bar. I’ve got a toy you can play with,” he grinned lewdly.
“Give it back,” Camina said. “While you can still use that hand.”
The man looked us over. Camina was almost as tall as he was.
“Alright, fine,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to buy the pretty lady a drink,” he said, nodding to Mary. I put out my hand anxiously.
The man lifted his hand towards mine, but at the last minute he squeezed the red plane tightly. I heard the wood snap beneath his fingers. Then he dropped the broken pieces into my open palm. Blood rushed to my ears, and my teeth clenched. I barely heard my bracelet beeping as the elixir in my system ignited like fire, flushing my cheeks. The alcohol removed my hesitation.
With one hand, I grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Then I slammed him onto a table so hard it nearly cracked in half. His brows furrowed in confusion when he saw the dark red stains on my hands.
“What are you?” he asked. “Some kind of freak?”
“Engaged,” I said, leaning over him. “And you’re ruining our bachelorette party.”
He grabbed my wrists, trying to break my grip. His thick muscles rippled as he tried to push me off him, but he felt so weak, so feeble. My bones felt like they were made of iron. I flung him sideways off the table and felt a painful tug at my wrist. He’d broken the clasp of my engagement bracelet. He staggered to his feet, clutching the bracelet in his sweaty palms. Two of his friends joined him and I saw Camina step to my side. I clenched my fists, daring him to swing for me.
“I suggest you give the lady back her bracelet,” a calm voice said. Most of the bar had gone silent, watching the confrontation. It took a second to place the speaker—a man si
tting at the bar, his back to us.
“Unless you want to be executed for assaulting a chosen,” he added.
The bearded man’s face blanched, then his expression turned to one of terror.
“They’re chosen?” he asked, with sweat on his brow.
“First time in the city of lights, huh? It’s an understandable mistake. Probably not one their husbands are prone to forgive, however.”
“Please,” the man said, looking back at me. He held the bracelet up in one hand, nearly grovelling. “I didn’t know. I have a family.”
I grabbed my bracelet back from him, still shaking with anger. My body was screaming to make him pay. Make him suffer. It scared me. He was twice my size, but I could have seriously hurt him. Jazmine pointed at the door and crossed her arms. The man and his friends practically ran outside.
“In his defense,” the man at the bar said, turning towards us. “Chosen don’t usually go out cavorting with us commons.”
“That doesn’t justify his behavior,” I growled. “There’s no excuse for treating women like that. Any women.”
“I agree, 100%,” the man said, holding up his palms and smiling. He had dark skin and dark stubble that looked carefully trimmed.
“Zane,” he said, pointing to himself. “And unless we want this bar to get raided by soldiers in the next ten minutes, we should probably fix that.” He nodded at my bracelet.
“I think the clasp is broken,” I said, holding it out in front of me.
“Then it’s a good thing I always keep my tools with me,” he smiled.
He took out a thin black case and opened it up to reveal an array of thin metal tools.
“What are you, some kind of mechanic?” Jazmine asked.
“I prefer the term technician,” he said with a smirk. He took out a tiny pair of pliers and what looked like a miniature blow torch. He held the burst of blue flame over the metal for a moment, then bent it back into shape. I held my wrist out to him and he snapped the clasp into place. The screen flickered to life.
“0.0%” Mary read. “You must have used the last of your elixir.”
“That was seriously badass,” Camina said. “That guy must have weighed three hundred pounds.”
“I wish his friends would have attacked,” Jazmine said. “In practice we’re always sparring with each other. I didn’t realize how strong we’d become compared to ordinary people.”
“The covenant is meant to keep the peace,” Zane frowned. “I don’t think the king would appreciate a gang of chosen beating up on civilians.”
“They started it,” Jazmine shrugged, crossing her arms.
“There will be other chances to prove your strength. The trials, for example. Until then, maybe try to stay out of trouble? This is my favorite bar, I don’t want it to get shut down.”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks for your help. See you around?” Camina said.
“One more thing,” Zane said. He picked up the pieces of the red airplane and pulled out a small tube of liquid adhesive. He pieced together the toy again in less than a minute. He even gave the propeller a little spin before handing it back to me.
“There,” he said. “Good as new.”
“Damn,” Jazmine said, with a teasing smile. “You sure are good with your hands.”
The house was quiet and dark when I came home. I was still a bit tipsy. Part of me felt exhausted, now that my body was drained of elixir. Another part of me was buzzing with energy. I had fun tonight. I didn’t realize how much I needed to go somewhere and be invisible, at least for a while.
In my bedroom I unzipped my jacket, then froze when I realized I wasn’t alone.
“Where were you?” Damien said. He was sitting on my bed casually, hands clasped in his lap.
“Out with friends,” I said. “Is that okay, master?”
His shoulders stiffened and he looked away. I didn’t mean to snap, but I was annoyed and surprised to find him in my room.
“I’ve been waiting for you. I got a security warning,” he said, holding up a digital panel with a red alert sign. “I was worried.”
“I can take care of myself,” I said, grabbing my pajamas. If we were going to have this talk, I wanted to get comfortable first. He looked away when I started unbuttoning my jeans.
“You shouldn’t have to. Not here. All humans should be protected, chosen or not.”
What about the dead girls? I wanted to fling back at him, but I bit my tongue as his words sunk in.
He was worried. About me.
“You can’t expect me to not have any friends, and just wait around at home for you to decide if you want to see me or not.”
I glared at him. I didn’t want to change in front of him, but there was no privacy in the room
“You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think how this would be for you.” He looked like he was about to say something else, but he bit his tongue. I opened the door to the wardrobe and hid behind it while I stripped off my clothes, then pulled on the pajamas.
“What did my father want from you?” he asked, changing the subject.
“He showed me his cave of bones,” I said. “I think he was trying to impress me.”
“You didn’t tell him about… what you told me, did you?”
“The dead girls? It didn’t come up.” Damien let out a sigh of relief, then leaned back and crossed his arms. I sat across the room, in the sofa by the window, pretending to brush my hair just so I looked busy.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “About him.”
“At least he makes time for me,” I said. “I’ve seen him as much as I’ve seen you recently.”
“I wanted to give space to adjust. Plus, I thought you might be tired after the training. I know you didn’t choose this—”
“I’m chosen,” I cut him off. “I’m here for you, I’m yours. Your property, your possession, right? Nigel hasn’t shown any restraint or patience with Jessica. The least you could do is pretend to be interested in me. People are starting to talk.”
His eyes flashed with anger.
“I’ll never force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
“Isn’t that what elite do? Take what they want?”
After what I’d learned in class today, I had a whole new level of appreciation for the elite. I knew they were strong and powerful, which made them unnaturally seductive. I couldn’t help being drawn in by Damien’s proud jaw and lean form. Even when he pushed me away, it made me want to be closer to him. But now I also knew they were capable of compulsion. Which meant I’d never know whether my feelings were my own, or if Damien was planting them in me. I was terrified that my actions, even my thoughts, may not be my own.
“I don’t want it to be like that,” he said quietly, leaning forward. “Not with me. Not between us.”
I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms. His words made sense, but I couldn’t believe I was hearing them. Was Damien really so different from the other elite? His last word kept echoing in my brain, until I whispered it back to him as a question.
“Us?” I asked. The air felt warm between us and my skin tingled. My legs itched to close the distance and sit with him on the bed, but I stayed near the wall, holding his gaze until he broke it.
“I don’t know how to do this,” he said suddenly, standing up. “I mean, I’ve never even had a girlfriend. I haven’t even been on a date. And now, this. A wedding. It’s crazy.”
I laughed, then covered my mouth when his eyes darkened. He couldn’t be serious. He was an elite prince. I assumed he’d had thousands of girls before. But maybe he only had to feed on them or sleep with them. Maybe actually talking to a common was a new challenge for him. Was marrying a stranger a little crazy and overwhelming? Sure. But it was my duty. It was the law. Questioning it out loud would be treason.
“There’s not a lot of options for us, you know,” I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall.
“When I was growing up there we
re thousands of girls. Then, before I knew it, boom. End of the world. People dying, getting sick, and me, like this. Too powerful, too hungry. Dangerous. A monster. Dating was kind of off the table.”
“Is that how you see yourself?” I asked, “As a monster?”
“What else could I see me as?” His face contorted in shame and anger.
I’d never seen Damien like this before. I didn’t even know elite could feel pain like this. They always seemed so perfectly composed and invulnerable. I moved gently across the room and sat next to him on the bed. I put my hand next to his, not quite touching but close enough to let him know I was there.
“What would you do on a date, in the Before?” I asked.
“Go to a movie,” he said with a sad smile. “Rollerskating.”
“What’s rollerskating?” I asked.
“Nevermind. Maybe go to a school dance.”
“I learned a dance in class, want to see?”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
I assumed the position Master Svboda taught us and spun us around the room, counting ONE two three ONE two three under my breath. Without the elixir, after a few more turns I was dizzy.
“I only went to a few dances,” Damien said. “And it was more like this.”
He moved his hands to the small of my back and pulled me closer, until our hips were almost touching. Then he slowly rocked us from side to side.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“Well, sometimes we do this.” He spun me around under one hand, then dipped me backwards and leaned over me. It was so much like the shared memory in class, it took my breath away. He pulled me up, and spun me closer until I was wrapped in his arms. I tried to step away again, but his grip was too firm, pressing us together. I felt him stiffen behind me, and smell my hair. I looked over my shoulder, and saw hunger in his eyes. He gasped as I shifted my hips back into his. I could feel the beating of his heart, the powerful elixir flowing through his elite veins. I wanted it inside me. He ran one hand slowly up my thigh, and heat exploded through my body.