Flame (Fireborn)

by Arden, Mari

  "Go," he finally whispers, and her sigh of relief is palpable.

  He walks to the next prisoner, a man. He repeats the same process, holding his chin roughly. His red robe covers his body completely, but his arms are bare. The seconds tick by slowly before he says, "Go."

  Another ripple of relief.

  Like the others, the one after the male is also a human, a girl. His hands go to her neck, tracing shapes with his thumb. His eyes rake her body, examining for signs of what? Sickness? Disease? He whispers one word close to her ear, but says it loud enough so we can all hear. "Stay."

  Instantly, her anguish fills the corridor, and she's begging, "Please! No! Don’t take me to the crystal. I can do better. I-"

  He squeezes her neck, choking her with force.

  She sputters, begging for air, but it's useless.

  "Did I say you can speak?" he thunders. "Did I?" His face is red with fury, and I forget to bow my head.

  I look up, taking a step forward, needing to do something.

  Chloris' soft squeak enters my brain at the last second, and her eyes are abnormally wide, telling me to stay put.

  I feel strange. My mind is humming, buzzing with something strong. I feel it gathering around me.

  Stop. I'm so surprised by the voice I do stop. Don't move.

  I'm motionless.

  Survive. Stay alive, it continues.

  I nearly choke with shock because the voice is distinctly male with a familiar low timbre, tickling my mind. I'm going crazy! I think with dizzying fear.

  The Saguinox guard shoves the human girl to the floor, and she's weeping uncontrollably. She doesn't speak, but she crawls to him, grasping his knees with pitiful sobs. He looks disgusted and he spits on her. "Lock her in the cell until they come."

  "No! Please!" She's being dragged back into the room, and when the door shuts, her screams are no longer heard. There's complete stillness as he continues the selection. With each passing "go", I become more nervous, too scared to talk to myself, not wanting the crazy to come out now, when I need my sanity the most.

  The girl chosen to stay had looked healthy. Anxiety knots are in my stomach because the selection seems to be random. That knowledge frightens me.

  When the guard is next to me, I almost stop breathing. "Stay," he announces to the girl beside me. Her tears sound weak, and heaviness grips my heart. This close I hear how sick she is, and I know nothing can help her. She's dragged back inside her cell, but her screams have already faded to coughs.

  He moves like he's going to go past me, but then his feet hit mine, and I almost kick myself. Move back into formation! my mind screeches. But it's too late, I've made myself known, and the Saguinox guard is a breath away from my body. I hear the groan in my brain, and it doesn't come from me.

  His glowing eyes look down me, slowly coming up. I straighten, trying to look healthy, but not really sure if that's what he's looking for. I strain to look submissive. He watches me for a long moment. Eyes downcast, I see his hands lift up to touch me. When his fingers brush my chin to raise my eyes, I hear a roar of panic in my head, and-

  Static booms over a speaker, and he drops his hand, covering his ears. The high pitch sound breaks in and out. "Bloody hell," he snaps, glancing at the speaker attached to a wall just below the ceiling. Sounds from the loudspeaker continue to be indiscernible, and he barks, "Go check what that's about. Damn machines."

  One of the men walks off to obey, and I hold my breath. Squeezing my eyes shut, I stop breathing. Almost in slow motion, I hear the rustle of clothes moving, and low cuss words. Then I shake with relief when I hear him pass. Close call.

  Hardly! is the clipped reply inside my head.

  Three are chosen to stay, and the rest of us go. The mood is bleaker than I've ever felt, and I have no trouble bowing my head, staring with misery at our shuffling feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the hairy ends of a green tail, and Chloris whispers, "You okay?"

  "Yes. Just traumatized, and afraid of some dumb crystal I know nothing about." I shake my head.

  "You don't want to know," she tells me. "There are no words."

  I don't question her because she knows more about all of this than I do. I'm moving a little slower than yesterday due to newfound aches and pains. The guards watch us coolly, and their stares unnerve me.

  Chloris catches me looking at our captors. "Those are the guards."

  "I figured that."

  "No," she shakes her head. "The Saguinox have a hierarchy. The guards are on the bottom. They do the job no one else wants to do."

  We're the job no one else wants to do? I'm angry.

  "There is no honor in watching prisoners," Chloris continues. "That's why there are so few guards. None of them want to be here, but none of them have a way out. It's kind of like a caste system. Once they've been identified as a guard, they will remain a guard forever. To the Saguinox there is only honor in fighting. They value their warriors above everyone else."

  "Warriors?"

  "Killers," she clarifies.

  My stomach drops. "Where are the warriors?" Do they kill the people who get sent to the crystal?

  "None of them are here. At least I've never seen any. They're superior to this place- and to us."

  I don't know what to say to that. I don't know what to say about a lot of things in this place, so I bow my head, thinking. We get our food, and I slip on the handcuffs, as repulsed by the feel of the metal as I was yesterday.

  "Chloris," I force myself not to think about the cold restraint locked on my wrist. "There has to be at least thirty of us here, and less than a dozen of them," I nod toward the Saguinox. I want to ask why we can't do something to escape, but I remember what happened yesterday and how she ignored me. "Why aren't they afraid of us? Of the others like you?"

  "They've locked our powers," she answers sadly.

  Powers? I almost fall off my chair. My mind is racing with half finished thoughts, and disorganized ideas, so I take a deep breath before continuing, even though my head is humming with activity. "Does everyone here have powers?"

  I attempt to sound casual. We're whispering so low it's difficult to hear, but I don't care because I need answers. Possibilities. Anything.

  "Not humans." Not you.

  I look around. There are only a few non- humans, and they're heavily covered. One looks like Chloris, but she's blue. Another is small and dwarf -like, with earlobes reaching past her shoulders. One more looks human, but I passed by her yesterday and saw hooves where feet are supposed to be.

  "Why are they taking so many of us, and so little of you?" I muse out loud.

  "It's harder to catch us," she whispers. "And your blood tastes better. Sweeter."

  I stare at her in horror.

  "That's what I hear anyway," she finishes quickly, trying to assure me she wouldn't know firsthand.

  I swallow, my mouth dry as if someone has forced sand down my throat. "What the hell is going on?" I breathe, trying hard to take it all in.

  "The same that goes on everywhere," she answers bitterly. "Power. It's not just a human trait. It's an everything trait."

  "Does all of your kind know about the Saguinox and what they are doing?" I ask.

  She shakes her head. "There are things you know nothing about, Kenna. There are whole worlds hidden from you. The Saguinox aren't the only bad guys out there. Ever since the Elemental witches fell, our universe has been in chaos. No one is safe anymore."

  "We have to get out," I blurt out the thought before I can stop myself.

  She shakes her head, almost angry. "Impossible. He will find us."

  "Who is this 'he' person everyone is referring to? What does 'he' do that we're all so afraid of?" I snap back.

  "He kills."

  "We'll die if we stay here anyway!" I almost shriek.

  Her eyes widen in fear, and we both glance at the guards still marching around us. One glances our way, and Chloris's throat bobs from her nervous swallowing. We continue to sip t
he tasteless liquid for a few moments longer until he passes, the butt of his gun gently nudging my neck.

  "He doesn't just kill you, Kenna," she hisses. "He digs into your mind, and pulls out your darkest fears, then he makes them come to life. Your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, dies. Every part of you dies."

  I absorb her words, scared, but not so scared I ask, "What's your power?"

  "It won't help us anyway. Can't use it." She sounds sad again.

  "You're a shape shifter," I say, ignoring her comment. "What do you shift into?"

  Her lips are clenched tight. "This and that."

  "Chloris! This is important. What do you shift into?"

  She shakes her head, stubborn, refusing to tell me.

  "Chloris," I growl in warning, forcing her to look at me. "I will scream right now if you don't tell me. You know I will, too," I'm not sure if I would. She doesn't know me enough to call my bluff though. I can see her thinking, and her eyes are blinking rapidly as she decides.

  "Fine," she almost snarls. "It won't help us much anyway."

  "What do you shift into?" I ask for the third time.

  "Plants."

  "What?" I jerk up.

  "Shh! Quiet down!" she cautions in an annoyed voice, bowing her head lower. "I can shift into plants okay?" She glowers at me from the corner of her eye.

  "Like flowers and stuff?" I ask in disbelief.

  She turns a full glare toward me. "I'm sorry I don't have these cool powers like your dumb spandex wearing superheroes do, but my powers definitely come in handy when the rest of you carnivorous creatures are half starved and dying!"

  Her voice ends in a shrill, and the two girls next to us look curious before glancing away. The small movement is enough to set Chloris off, and she's doing something funny with her head. She's glaring and avoiding my gaze at the same time. I can tell she's too mad to talk. I've hit a sore spot somewhere, but for the life of me I can't tell what it is.

  The guards make their usual rounds, unlocking the cuffs from our hands. When the bell rings, signaling the end of breakfast, we stand, and begin walking, almost marching to dispose of our silverware.

  The early sun is out in full force this morning, and it taunts us with a taste of freedom we can't have. I never considered myself a rebel before, but I'm having a really hard time keeping a low profile. Physically, it's painful, but mentally it's driving me crazy- literally. Involuntarily, my mind searches for the other voice in my head. I feel myself drifting around, but nothing's there. I'm relieved.

  I glance at Chloris again, but her eyes are downcast, and she personifies surrender. I don't want to, but a part of me is thinking I need to search for another ally- one who is less content with the state of her incarceration. My eyes move casually around. I don't dare look behind because that would stand out as an anomaly to our perfect lines. It takes a few minutes but I catch a fleeting glimpse of blue skin when a nasty blast of wind pushes the side of her robe back. It's quick, but it's enough, and I make up my mind to zero in on her. She has similar features to Chloris, with the exception of blue skin so dark it could be black. Please let her shift into something terrifying and poisonous, I pray silently. Then I sigh because with the way my luck is going, I wouldn't be surprised if she told me she shifts into water.

  The labor is as intense as it was yesterday, and though I'm better at feeling for the Braxi, it takes effort to dig, bend, crouch, and repeat. To keep myself sane- as sane as any crazy person can be- I play a game in my head. Any crystals found smaller than the nail on my pinky was worth fifty points, perfect Braxi were worth one hundred, and broken or smaller crystals were negative thirty five. By the time my day was done, I was down to negative eighty five.

  My math was fast, but my digging skills were lacking. I did, however, manage to hide another sledgehammer. It was a small victory, but it gave me a moment of happiness that I desperately needed.

  Everyday it's the same routine. I wake up in a red filthy dress, and fall asleep dirtier than before. I forget what pants feel like, and I can barely recall the motions of chewing.

  Every night I sleep with the depressing knowledge that every moment spent here is a moment living in hell.

  Chapter 14

  When the alarm sounds, I jump, panicked. The first things I see are the windowless walls of my prison. Lifting myself up, I notice something strange. The floor is burnt. What the-

  "All clear."

  The door opens, and it's my cue to step forward. I can't move, staring at a large black spot where my face had been. Reaching out, my fingers brush against the hot surface. I jerk back when I feel the heat. Frantic, I look around to see if anyone's noticed. I can see scarlet dresses through the wide crack in the door. I don't have anymore time. Quickly, I stand, and move to join the group.

  My eyes find Chloris. Maybe she sees something in my face because she gives me a small smile. I shake my head.

  The three men from yesterday morning are back. The speaker begins the same way. "You will be fed this morning, and then you will return to the caves to harvest. Yesterday's batch was pathetic. We are expecting better today." He pauses, smiling, but it's not really a smile and everyone is nervous. No one will look at each other. He continues, "Do as you're told. Escape is an illusion. Should you attempt, he will find you, and you will be very, very sorry." The last part is said with such softness it sounds more like breaths than words.

  Chloris looks scared. I feel sick.

  The alien begins to walk, taking a few steps before stopping before the first prisoner. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the girl in front of him is trembling, and his finger gently pushes her chin up. He stares at her for a long moment, and the tension is unbearable.

  "Go," he finally whispers, and her sigh of relief is palpable.

  He walks to the next prisoner, a man. He repeats the same process, holding his chin roughly. His red robe covers his body completely, but his arms are bare. The seconds tick by slowly before he says, "Go."

  Another ripple of relief.

  Like the others, the one after the male is also a human, a girl. His hands go to her neck, tracing shapes with his thumb. His eyes rake her body, examining for signs of what? Sickness? Disease? He whispers one word close to her ear, but says it loud enough so we can all hear. "Stay."

  Instantly, her anguish fills the corridor, and she's begging, "Please! No! Don’t take me to the crystal. I can do better. I-"

  He squeezes her neck, choking her with force.

  She sputters, begging for air, but it's useless.

  "Did I say you can speak?" he thunders. "Did I?" His face is red with fury, and I forget to bow my head.

  I look up, taking a step forward, needing to do something.

  Chloris' soft squeak enters my brain at the last second, and her eyes are abnormally wide, telling me to stay put.

  I feel strange. My mind is humming, buzzing with something strong. I feel it gathering around me.

  Stop. I'm so surprised by the voice I do stop. Don't move.

  I'm motionless.

  Survive. Stay alive, it continues.

  I nearly choke with shock because the voice is distinctly male with a familiar low timbre, tickling my mind. I'm going crazy! I think with dizzying fear.

  The Saguinox guard shoves the human girl to the floor, and she's weeping uncontrollably. She doesn't speak, but she crawls to him, grasping his knees with pitiful sobs. He looks disgusted and he spits on her. "Lock her in the cell until they come."

  "No! Please!" She's being dragged back into the room, and when the door shuts, her screams are no longer heard. There's complete stillness as he continues the selection. With each passing "go", I become more nervous, too scared to talk to myself, not wanting the crazy to come out now, when I need my sanity the most.

  The girl chosen to stay had looked healthy. Anxiety knots are in my stomach because the selection seems to be random. That knowledge frightens me.

  When the guard is next to me, I almost stop breathi
ng. "Stay," he announces to the girl beside me. Her tears sound weak, and heaviness grips my heart. This close I hear how sick she is, and I know nothing can help her. She's dragged back inside her cell, but her screams have already faded to coughs.

  He moves like he's going to go past me, but then his feet hit mine, and I almost kick myself. Move back into formation! my mind screeches. But it's too late, I've made myself known, and the Saguinox guard is a breath away from my body. I hear the groan in my brain, and it doesn't come from me.

  His glowing eyes look down me, slowly coming up. I straighten, trying to look healthy, but not really sure if that's what he's looking for. I strain to look submissive. He watches me for a long moment. Eyes downcast, I see his hands lift up to touch me. When his fingers brush my chin to raise my eyes, I hear a roar of panic in my head, and-

  Static booms over a speaker, and he drops his hand, covering his ears. The high pitch sound breaks in and out. "Bloody hell," he snaps, glancing at the speaker attached to a wall just below the ceiling. Sounds from the loudspeaker continue to be indiscernible, and he barks, "Go check what that's about. Damn machines."

  One of the men walks off to obey, and I hold my breath. Squeezing my eyes shut, I stop breathing. Almost in slow motion, I hear the rustle of clothes moving, and low cuss words. Then I shake with relief when I hear him pass. Close call.

  Hardly! is the clipped reply inside my head.

  Three are chosen to stay, and the rest of us go. The mood is bleaker than I've ever felt, and I have no trouble bowing my head, staring with misery at our shuffling feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the hairy ends of a green tail, and Chloris whispers, "You okay?"

  "Yes. Just traumatized, and afraid of some dumb crystal I know nothing about." I shake my head.

  "You don't want to know," she tells me. "There are no words."

  I don't question her because she knows more about all of this than I do. I'm moving a little slower than yesterday due to newfound aches and pains. The guards watch us coolly, and their stares unnerve me.

  Chloris catches me looking at our captors. "Those are the guards."