* * *
The bitter taste of the elixir still clung to my tongue when I awoke. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out for, but a dizzying array of nightmarish dreams hung in my mind making it hard to keep my breath steady and settle my heart rate.
“Aurora, you're awake.” Braven appeared at my side.
“You're real?” I asked him.
“Yes, I'm real. They gave you the potion. Dammit, I should've protected you,” he growled.
“I'm okay, just a bit shaky.” Looking past his worried face I realised I wasn't in the bottom of our dark hole as I'd imagined. I lay on a cot in a dimly lit room, much like the one I'd been poisoned in. The realisation forced me to sit up. My head spun at the sudden motion and Braven caught my head with his forearm before easing me up to a sitting position against a pillow. “Where are we?”
“I don't know. They grabbed me from the dirt hole and brought me here a moment ago. You were gone so long. I shouldn't have let you go.” He sunk his face into his hands.
“This isn't your fault. You've risked enough to keep me safe.” I reached out and placed my hand on his forearm.
“How are you?” he asked again.
“Thirsty. Confused. Dizzy.”
“Okay, those things will pass I promise. Can you remember what happened? Did you tell them anything?” he asked.
“I don't know,” I replied, searching my muddled and smudged memories. “I don't think so. Last thing I remember was…” The memory of the pain and revealing my name flooded through my mind. “I'm so sorry, I think I told them my name.”
“It shouldn't matter. No-one here would know who you are right?” he asked as though trying to convince myself.
I shook my head slightly as not to start the spinning again.
“You said you were thirsty. How about I find you some water.” Braven began searching the room.
“Is there food? This taste in my mouth is terrible,” I groaned.
He found a cup and filled it with water before bringing it to me. I slurped at it greedily before he handed me a biscuit. “All I could find sorry.”
I took a bite and enjoyed the sweetness as I crunched and swallowed it down. “Much better.”
“Do you think you could walk?” he asked.
“Not sure. I'm a bit dizzy, but I can try,” I said.
“Looks like you're recovering much better than me. They said they gave you something to help you wake quicker. Seems to have worked.”
Braven held out his arm for me to hold onto as I pulled myself up from the cot. My head spun and lights danced across my vision for a moment but settled. I took a tentative step towards him, the muscles in my legs still like jelly. Had they really been cooking? Had the poison done damage?
“I felt the same when I woke up. It's okay, the normal feeling comes back,” he reassured me.
“What now?” I asked.
“Now I sit you back on the bed and try to work out how to save us from this mess.” Braven turned and made his way towards the wooden door across the room. “There's two guards posted outside. The redhead dude and another guy. What's with you redheads anyway? Do you all have an attitude problem?” he asked, standing on his tippy toes to peer out a high window.
“I don't know? I'm the only natural redhead I know,” I replied.
“Do you think you could run? Maybe I could carry you on my back, or over my shoulder. We can try to escape out the back. I can see the bush not too far away.” He was running his hands over the joins in the wood along the wall.
The thought of running or being carried made my head swim. Sleep. All I wanted was sleep.
“What's Vega's natural hair colour anyways?” I asked.
“Aurora I'm trying to work out how to get us out of here and you're worried about Vega's hair?” he turned towards me his hands on his hips.
“I've always been curious so thought I'd ask. I don't want to burst your bubble, but I won't be up to running for a little bit yet.” I cringed as a twinge of pain raced through my shoulder and down my arm.
Braven came to sit beside me. “A sandy blonde colour.”
“Huh?” I questioned.
“Vega. She said it made her look too girly so she started paying a guy to bring her dye from one of the other floating cities. I told her she was wasting her rations, she was beautiful the way she was.” He was lost for a moment before coming to his senses. “Strange thing is, having red hair changed her. My strong, sweet natured girl turned into a mean ass tiger. Although, it's hot when she's angry.” He wriggled his eyebrows.
“You two are hopeless. Why don't you stop all the flirting and the games and get back together?” I asked.
“That's on her. She made it clear she didn't want me anymore.” He looked at his fingers playing with the cots mattress.
“Did she ever tell you why?”
“Not really. She did mention not wanting to be close to people. I chased her you know, tried to get her back, but she'd put up a wall and there was no way through it.” He shrugged.
It wasn't my place to tell him what she'd confessed to me in regard to my dad's death making her scared to love Braven in case she lost him too. She needed to be the one to tell him. “I'm sure there is more to the story than her not wanting to be close to people anymore. Did anything happen around the time she broke it off?”
He thought on it for a moment. “Only thing I can think of is your dad's death. Well, he went missing.”
I widened my eyes and cocked my head, waiting for him to catch on.
“That's why she broke up with me?” He looked up into my eyes.
I shrugged with my good arm.
“You know something you're not telling me. She told you, didn't she?” He narrowed his eyes.
“She told me not to say anything. But if you happen to work it all out on your own it wouldn't be me telling you, would it? She's stopped hating me in the past week or so, I don't want her to hate me all over again.” I closed my eyes to get through a wave of nausea.
“And I bet that's her problem with you. She was always jealous Benjamin had a daughter. Why didn't I put this all together?” He looked up at the wall beside us, everything clicking together in his head.
Opening my eyes again I laughed. “Because you might have big muscles, but you don't have a big…”
“Okay, okay. You obviously feel better. I know you're trying to distract me but we need to work out how to get out of here.” He rose from the cot and began searching the rooms again.
“If we do are you going to talk to Vega?” I asked.
“If we get out are you going to admit you're keen on Fletcher?” he asked.
My cheeks flushed with heat. “Who said I was keen on Fletch? He's my…”
“Friend. I've heard you say it a million times. But I know these things, and you two are keen on each other, you're both just too stubborn to realise.”
“Okay, enough relationship talk. Aren't we supposed to be finding a way out of here?” I attempted to change the subject and started glancing around the room.
“Not so fun when the spotlights on your feelings is it?” he asked.
“Sorry. I don't mean to pry. I just want you to be happy after everything you've done for me.”
“I'll be happy. Happy once we're out of here anyways. Besides, who knows if we'll ever see them again right?” A sadness filled his eyes.
He was right. We had no way of knowing if our friends were safe. If they were, did they know where the earthlings had taken us? A fuzziness spread across my vision again and I relaxed back onto the cot.
“You okay?” asked Braven.
“Yeah, I think I did too much too soon. I wonder what the stuff was they gave us?” I asked.
“I don't know. I haven't heard of anything like it before. But it made me see things, things I'd be happy not to see again.” He shuddered.
A tremble rippled over my body at the memory of my own visions. “Do we wait and see what they do next? Or do we try to get out of here
?”
“I say you both get out of here,” a whisper came from behind me and I swivelled around to find Lark's hazel eyes peering around the corner.
My eyes widened, moistening with tears at the sight of him. “Lark, how? What?”
“This way, we've made a small exit for you to escape,” he said with a wink.
Braven bounced up and down on the spot. “I knew you'd find us.”
I couldn't believe my eyes as Braven helped me follow Lark around the corner into a smaller room. Across from the doorway a small hole had been cut out of the wall, black soot singeing the sides.
“Vega used the blow torch. That thing is handy for breaking people out,” said Lark. “You first Aurora, Vega will be straight across behind another dwelling, go to her as quickly as possible. Have you got the pendant?”
My heart sank. No. It was still in the bottom of the dirt hole.
“I'm sorry…” I began.
“No trouble. We'll work it out. Come on.” He ushered me towards the hole and I spotted his arm wrapped and tied in cloth.
“Your arm?” I questioned.
“A graze from a bullet. Nothing serious,” he assured me.
My shoulders softened. They were there to save us; our friends were there. I turned to exchange a relieved glance with Braven before crouching down and crawling one handed through the hole in the wall ignoring the spinning in my head. As I emerged, my hand and knees crunched against the dirt and gravel of the walkway and I looked up to find Vega beckoning me towards her. Looking left then right, I sprung up to half height and scurried towards her, stumbling as I got close, lights dancing across my vision. She took hold of my good arm and pulled me towards the wall of the house behind her.
“Welcome back,” she said.
“Thanks,” I replied squeezing my eyes shut for a moment to level my head.
We were soon joined by Lark and Braven. Vega wrapped her arms around Braven and buried her head in his shoulder. If she did hate me for him finding out the truth as to why she broke up with him, seeing him happy would be worth it after all he'd sacrificed to keep me safe.
“This way,” whispered Lark as we crept along the side of the house and around a corner.
I stumbled again as I began to walk.
“Aurora, are you okay?” asked Vega.
“She's not great. I'll give her a hand.” Braven stepped beside me and lifted my good arm around his neck.
As we got to the end of the narrow gap between the dwellings, the tree line appeared not far from where we stood. With a quick dash, we would be hidden within the bushes and trunks and away from the earthling camp.
“Going somewhere?” The deep voice of Brent came from behind us and my muscles tensed.
“Run.” Cried Lark as he took off, but was walled by Seth and his friend, their guns pointed at our small group.
“Did you not like your new quarters? I'd given you the best house we had to spare and you repay me by cutting a gaping hole in its side and running off? Now you know I don't have all the answers I need from you yet, and there's someone I think you'll want to see,” said Brent.
“Yeah, and who would that be?” I spat at him, Braven released me from his grasp and stepped half in front of me.
“Hello Aurora.” My father, Benjamin, stepped out from behind a dwelling.
Chapter Four
My father's glassy blue eyes searched mine for a reaction. His chestnut hair was scruffier than last time I'd seen him four years ago and he was much thinner, but there he was. The man I'd loved, lost and mourned. He stood in front of me waiting for my reaction but my body froze. My mind raced through every emotion imaginable, elation, sadness, confusion, and anger. This man had chosen the rebels over my mother and me. He'd pretended to be dead since I was twelve years old. I'd spent four years missing a guy who wasn't my real father. My heart raced and I clenched my jaw and squeezed my fists tight. Tears threatened to fill my eyes but pain spread through my shoulder giving me something else to focus on.
“Aurora it's me, it's your dad,” he said, as though I hadn't recognised him.
“Benjamin?” Vega's voice cut through the standoff and she stepped towards him tentatively. “I can't believe it. You were alive all this time.”
Dad answered her question but his gaze didn't drop from me. “I was. I had to leave, it'd become too dangerous. I had to leave so Aurora and her mother would be safe.”
“Well, that didn't work out so well did it,” I growled.
“What do you mean?” his eyes searched mine.
My eyes betrayed me by moistening.
“Your mother. My Jennifer…” tears welled in his eyes.
I gritted my teeth as a tear slipped over my cheek.
“No, no, it can't be. She can't be…”
“I'm so sorry Benjamin,” Vega wrapped him in her arms but his expression was empty.
“Yes, she's dead. She can be and she is. Because you weren't there to protect her from this mess you got us in.” I narrowed my eyes.
“Aurora, your dad's alive.” Vega turned towards me.
“I can see, Vega,” I snapped at her. Annoyed at how she'd turned into a young child at the sight of him.
Tears ran over Dad's cheeks and Vega shook her head at me in disappointment. Guilt stabbed at my heart. He'd loved my mother more than anything and I'd been cruel to tell him she'd died in such a horrible way. But he'd left me with her when she didn't want me, he'd let us believe he was dead. Now he was standing beside the man who'd tortured and tormented both Braven and me.
“Well, I for one am happy to see you alive,” Vega announced before hugging my father again.
He released Vega and a proud expression spread across his face making his eyes crease in the corners. “You've grown up so much in the past four years. What happened to your beautiful blonde hair?”
Braven spoke up. “She dyed it a horrible fake red colour. Trust me, this new pinkish-blonde it's faded to is much better.”
Vega gave Braven a dirty look before turning back to my father. “I was lost when you died. But you're right. I've grown up.”
The way she accepted him so readily sent anger coursing through my veins. Who did she think she was acting as though it was okay he'd abandoned me for four years? “I hate to break up this beautiful reunion but why are you here? Why are you with these people?”
“They found me when I thought I might not make it any further. I'd run out of food, and I'd drunk bad water and was very sick. They brought me back here and made me better. I've been working for them since.” He and Brent exchanged a friendly glance bringing bile to my throat.
“You work for him?” I pointed at Brent. “Why is it you always work for the bad guys?”
“They found out, didn't they?” My father directed his question to Lark as though I hadn't spoken at all.
“Alber wasn't able to swap the tests. Officer Banks went to take Aurora and Jennifer distracted him while Aurora escaped,” replied Lark.
“And he shot her.” I said sternly, wanting him to acknowledge how hurt I was. “I watched him shoot her in the head because she wouldn't give me up. She had to sacrifice her life to save mine, and I know she did it because she believed you were dead. How could you do it to her?” My sternness turned to a tight scream as tears poured over my cheeks.
Dad came towards me attempting to wrap me in his arms. I hit at him, pushing him away, forcing him away from my body until I had no more energy and all I could do was lean into his chest and embrace, and sob.
“I'm so sorry sweetheart. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this,” he whispered.
“Benjamin?” Domino's surprised voice sounded from behind us and I pulled away as she walked towards us her eyes wide.
“Hello Domino, oh and Maya,” Dad paused as Fletcher emerged from the tree line. “Fletcher! Haven't you grown into a strapping young man?”
Fletcher didn't acknowledge my dad's compliment, his eyes stayed on me. “You okay, Rora?”
&n
bsp; I shook my head, and Fletcher held out his hand. I left my father and walked towards him, my walk became a run and I flung myself into Fletcher's arms and he wrapped me up tight. “It's okay Rora, we've got you.”
“Well, now we have this lovely little reunion done and out of the way, can I invite you all to come back to the town church where we can sort out what to do next.” Brent beamed and waved his arms in the air as he spoke.
I looked up and glared at him.
“Come on, let's get you all some food,” said Dad.
“Do you know what this guy did to us?” I asked.
Braven arrived beside me. “They drugged us with something to make us talk.”
“I thought Braven was going to die,” I said.
Vega took hold of Braven's arm at my words. Half of me wanted to smack her across the face for trusting Dad so quickly, but part of me was happy Braven had her back again.
“And if I hadn't I may not have realised you were Ben's daughter. You two were incredibly stubborn and I had no other option. You could've been a threat to my people,” said Brent.
“You could've let us be instead of trying to catch us,” said Braven.
“And you could've been less rude and not used our cottage for your own purposes,” retaliated Brent.
“We thought everyone on Earth was dead!” I yelled.
“Do we look dead to you my dear?” The annoyance in his voice made me want to punch him in the nose.
“Okay, enough. Please Aurora, please come with me,” Dad begged.
I looked up at Braven and then to Fletcher.
“This is your call,” said Fletcher.
Turning to Lark I asked, “what do you think we should do?”
“At this point I think we need to hear what your father has to say.” He gave me an apologetic smile.
Eden (Secrets of Aurora Book 2) Page 3