by Beth Hodgson
Turning away from the window, Derek noticed the air in front of him ripple. In a matter of seconds, an image of a woman assimilated before his eyes—short blonde hair and thick-rimmed glasses. She sat silently, seated directly across from him, gun in hand.
Shock ran through Derek. He couldn’t tell what was the more shocking of the two—the woman appearing before him or the gun in her hand, aiming right at him.
“Don’t even think about calling out to your guards,” she said, her eyes narrowing. They were pale orange, glowing. She had magic.
Derek suddenly realized he had seen this woman before; she’d been at the cyborg’s crash site days ago.
Taking in a breath, he knew better than to try to resist a gifted person. Between Ikaria’s mental mind games and Emerald’s wild police chase, Derek decided it was best not to aggravate someone with magic. It was bad enough with Ikaria constantly invading his thoughts.
“How did you get in here?” Derek whispered fiercely.
“I snuck in. The door was wide open.”
“Are you the one who keeps pestering Silas to see me?”
“Yes. Telly Hearly, Your Highness. Why have you denied my request?” The woman continued to hold the gun steady, but by all accounts, she was doing a terrible job. If Derek had to guess, she had never held a gun in her life before this moment.
“Honestly?” Derek scoffed at the question. “I do not have the time to grant an audience to anyone who asks of it. As you can see, I am engaged and about to inherit a kingdom,” Derek said dryly. His eyes shifted to hers. “You have magic? Like that cyborg you work on?”
“The magic decided I was only partially worthy of its power.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I didn’t fully believe, so it didn’t grant me the full potential of the color’s magic.”
One of the guards faces appeared through the plexi divider of the transport, looking concerned.
“Your Highness, who are you talking to?”
Derek’s eyes swept from the guard, then to Telly, who continued to point the gun at him. Realizing that the guards couldn’t see her due to her spell, Derek shook his head. “No one. I am just talking out loud to myself.”
At this point, everyone in the palace probably thought Derek was crazy. He was randomly breaking out in chills and fevers, talking to himself out loud, and he was short with everyone. Soon everyone would think the worst of him. He just needed to hurry up and get rid of that witch and things could go back to normal.
Derek paused and smiled to the guard, who then disappeared behind the divider. After he deemed it safe, Derek continued. “Are you working with her?” he whispered, referring to Ikaria.
Telly looked confused for a moment. “Her? I don’t know who you are referring to.” Telly inched closer to him. “Your Highness, I have come to beg a favor of you regarding the cyborg.”
“With a gun?”
“I would do anything for love,” she said, speaking her words firmly as her glassy eyes began to tear. “Wouldn’t you?”
Derek was about to argue, but then he stopped himself. They were both in the same position, though certainly under different circumstances. He would indeed do anything for Emerald; he had already conspired with a witch from the future, something he would never normally think of doing. But if it helped him get Emerald, he would do it, even if the price he had to pay was using the enchanted circlet. And by the looks of it, this woman Telly was just as desperate as he was, pointing a gun on a royal prince.
“The corporation recently transferred me out of the cyborg division. A division that Drew and I had years of research poured into,” Telly continued.
“Who’s Drew?”
“The cyborg that is now with the princess.”
“He has a name?”
“Well, of course he does. That was his name before he was resurrected.”
“Are you asking that I request the head director of the corporation put you back on the team? Because if you are, I have no say over such matters.”
“You are engaged to the princess, are you not?” A few silent tears fell from her cheeks, then she flashed her helpless pale-orange eyes at him. “Your Highness, please, hear me out. Drew is not ready to be alone, not without me. His memories are returning, and it could be quite confusing, especially with the power that has been given to him. Damaris now wants him for weekly extractions, and a week is not nearly enough time in between each extraction period for recovery. He needs to be back in the lab, under supervision of those who can help him.”
That robot indeed needed to be back in a lab, far away from him and Emerald. That damn thing was becoming a nuisance.
“Please, is there nothing that you can do? I will do anything that you ask.”
Derek thought for one moment. At one point or another, this woman had had access to Emerald’s blood. Perhaps she still had access to it. If she did, Derek could forgo causing any sort of direct harm to Emerald.
“Are you able to retrieve a certain person’s blood for me?” he asked quietly.
Under a wet sniffle, Telly revealed a hopeful smile, knowing what he was referring to. “Whose blood? The princess’s or Drew’s?”
“The princess.”
“How much blood do you need?”
“One vial.”
Telly wiped away her tears from behind her glasses, then flashed her tangerine eyes. “How soon do you need it?”
“The sooner, the better, for all of us.”
“Give me two hours,” she replied, smiling under her tears. “Where should I deliver it to?”
“To my palace chambers. Sapphire Quarters.”
“It will be done in no time.”
Derek turned his attention to the guards up at the front, knocking at the divider. “Turn this transport around,” Derek ordered, calling out to them.
“Your Highness? But we are almost at your destination.”
“I don’t care. I’m feeling lucky right now,” he said, smirking to himself.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
GREEN
Emerald stood against the garden’s balcony, watching the mesmerizing fireworks display that the city put on. Arcadia was celebrating the engagement of their princess to Prince Derek, and every night there was a grand fireworks display off the oceanfront. It would continue until they were wed, and that night would be the biggest fireworks display of them all.
Knots tightened in Emerald’s stomach just thinking of the wedding.
Derek… Why was he acting so possessive? For all the years that Emerald had known him, Derek had never acted the way he had at dinner. Quick tempered, irritable, and jealous… Those were not qualities that Derek was ever known for. But since she had been back at the palace, Derek wanted to know what she was doing at all times, and he’d become aggressive, insisting on seeing her every moment, which made Emerald want to see him as little as possible.
Her emerald engagement ring captured the light of the fireworks, each color splashing its light across the shiny cut of the jewel. Red fireworks flared up, complementing the green color of the gem.
Kyle…
She missed him terribly. What would she give to see him that very moment. If only she could kiss him one more time or hear him say her name again. But she knew that that was not going to happen, and that for the good of Arcadia, she needed to wed Derek before the city fell apart financially. She had to take responsibility for her people, even though it was not her heart’s desire.
When the last firework flashed across the sky, Emerald exited the gardens and headed into the palace, carefully avoiding any route that Derek might take to his room or hers to find her.
As she came upon her main chamber’s door, Emerald heard Glacia’s muffled cries behind the thick wood. Concerned, Emerald quickly swung open her door, running across her sitting room and into her bedroom, where the sounds were coming from.
Glacia sat in the middle of the floor, thousands of torn up pieces of paper scattered ar
ound her. Emerald suddenly realized that they were pieces of her pictures of Kyle, as her wall was completely barren.
Emerald gasped, falling to her knees. “Glacia, what has happened?”
“The prince…” Glacia forced out of her mouth between the sobs.
“He came here? Into my bedroom?”
Glacia nodded, words not coming out of her mouth as she continued to cry.
Emerald clutched the shredded pieces, then burst out crying. Those drawings had been one of the two things she had of Kyle, the other being her memories. But the drawings made him real to her, whereas the memories were fading fantasies.
“Why… Why would he do such a thing?”
Glacia rubbed the tears from her eyes, leaning Emerald into her arms. “He was so angry, Princess. So angry. Your intuition about him was right. No wonder you were having doubts.”
Emerald held Glacia as she stared at the distorted pieces of Kyle that lay all across the room, tears streaming down her face. Never had she thought it would come to this. Never in her life had she felt so violated, so intruded upon. She couldn’t marry Derek. Between dinner and his fitful rage against her drawings, what else was he capable of? The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. He was no longer safe, and she felt no love for him whatsoever. Especially not after this. All that was left for Derek was resentment.
“I can’t marry him,” Emerald angrily whispered to Glacia. “I won’t.”
Glacia looked at her with her glassy eyes. “What about the kingdom? You won’t be queen unless you marry the prince under your father’s terms.”
“I’ll find another way. I must go to my father.”
“But he refuses to see anyone. Even you.”
Something isn’t right about Father. Why has he not seen me? Is he truly sick as he claims he is? Why hasn’t he asked for healing from me? Why does he refuse to see just about everyone except Derek? How did Derek persuade him anyway? Questions flooded Emerald’s mind, as she suddenly realized that everything was off.
Emerald turned her attention back to the scraps of paper, disheartened. Glacia noticed the expression on her face, shaking her head in shame.
“I’m sorry, Princess. I tried to stop Derek from entering the room, but he was determined to see you.”
“It’s not your fault, Glacia. I just can’t believe the audacity he had to try and follow me to my chambers.” Emerald smiled weakly at Glacia through her tears. “Perhaps if I’d come here instead, I could have saved my pictures.”
Glacia started picking up all the pieces off the floor, gathering them into a pile. “What are you going to do?” she asked.
What was she going to do about Derek if she wasn’t going to marry him?
“Tomorrow, I will break it off. I cannot bear the thought of seeing him another minute. I have already had enough of him today,” Emerald answered, helping Glacia gather the scraps.
“I am ashamed that I tried to persuade you to be with him,” Glacia said, sucking in her breath.
“You didn’t know. I didn’t know…” Emerald answered, stopping in mid-sentence.
The cyborg faded into view, glowing an intense orange. He cocked his head, his gaze fixated on the scraps of paper. His eyes glowed with the cybernetic eye, brighter than his original.
“What do you want?” Emerald said to him stiffly as a fresh tear streamed down her face.
The cyborg approached her in a mechanical fashion, holding out his hands.
“No. You can’t have them!” Emerald clutched the paper shreds to her body as if her life depended on it.
His eyes flashed at Emerald, then he swiped his hand, grabbing all the scraps from her. His movement startled her, causing her to let go of the pile.
“Don’t take them!” Emerald cried, trying to push him back.
His eyes flared in response, not releasing his grip on them. Instead, something in him glitched, then he mechanically moved to her art desk, flopping the stack down onto the table.
Placing his hands on the pile, the cyborg closed his eyes.
Curiously, Emerald watched as his body began to shimmer a bright orange. The orange light swirled all around the cyborg, and he burned as bright as day. Magic began to gather in his hands, pulsating as it grew. With a sudden jolt, he released the power and the orange light surrounded the scraps of paper, as if the magic were a light dust resting upon them. After several moments, the orange glow faded away, and the magic was gone.
The cyborg opened his eyes, then collected the pile in his hands. Extending it outward for Emerald to take, Emerald saw that the pictures were whole again, as if they had never been damaged in the first place.
Thumbing through the whole pile, Emerald was in awe as she saw that each picture was fully intact. All of Kyle’s faces were restored.
Quickly looking up at the cyborg, she began to tear up all over again. “Thank you,” she whispered.
The cyborg cocked his head in response, then faded away into the nothingness of her room.
Holding the pictures close, Emerald realized that there was hope for the machines. They still had a soul in them. With much help and rehabilitation, maybe they could live a somewhat normal life. Maybe.
“That’s impossible,” Glacia said in disbelief, taking the pictures from Emerald’s hand. She began to tape them up on the wall, back in their original spots. “Princess, I think that thing is looking out for you.”
“Isn’t he supposed to be watching me at all times?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. I think he wants to help you.”
It did seem like the cyborg was protecting her more than keeping her prisoner. And her father… What was he doing?
It was time to pay a visit to him.
CHAPTER FIFTY
YELLOW
A cool feeling flowed throughout his body, restoring his soul. Breath entered his lungs once more, causing his body to gasp for life-giving air.
Was he dead?
Panic set in, and Auron began to breathe in an abnormal pattern. His mind and body felt heavy, and his heart raced.
“Just breathe,” called out a gentle feminine voice.
Auron obeyed the voice and concentrated on each breath. Another cool healing wave washed over him, calming his mind and steadying his breathing.
Auron was sure that he was on the brink of death and just about to pass into the God of Light’s paradise. Or maybe he had died, and his soul was awaiting the God of Light’s judgment in purgatory, then was miraculously brought back to the land of the living. Either way, it had not been his time to die yet, for the God of Light willed him to live.
“You were almost dead,” the voice told him.
“I… didn’t die?”
“No. Your protection magic kept you from dying. It seems that the gods willed you to live.”
“You mean the God of Light,” Auron corrected the voice.
Still lying on the ground, Auron slowly opened his eyes. His vision was nothing more than blurry colors in large blotchy shapes with all the fine details distorted. His body was completely immobile. Cramps sporadically shot through his lungs, causing Auron to continue to cling to life with every breath he consumed. Gradually, the fuzzy outlines began to take shape.
A dark-purple figure entered his line of sight, causing alarm. Auron gasped, then quickly struggled to summon his power.
The dark shadow laid one of her small hands on his chest. “I am not going to hurt you,” she whispered. The woman’s voice was rather soothing, just like the magic that restored life to his broken body. Her gentle hands assisted Auron’s hefty body to a sitting position, causing much strain. In response, he coughed up a bit of blood that was hanging in his throat, his husky shoulders jerking as he did so.
Suddenly a bright violet glow filled his eyes, and another healing wave flowed through his body. This time, it restored his insides. Auron could feel the organs in his body mending, the impaled flesh knitting together, tingling throughout his whole body.
When th
e glow subsided, Auron’s aches had vanished, and his vision was crystal clear. His chambers looked as they always had been, as if the battle between him and Ikaria had never happened. There was no shifted earth, no spikes in the ground, no damage. He didn’t even see the blood from his body. It was like he had dreamt the whole incident, and everything regarding it remained fuzzy in his mind.
Auron turned his attention to the woman, seeing her for the first time. An outlandish, wild woman sat beside him. She looked younger than him, roughly in her midthirties. Her head was shaved on both sides of her scalp, while the top portion of her hair remained long, styled to stick straight up like a razor blade, colored purple. One of her ears was completely pierced from bottom to top with dangling silver earrings and hoops. The other ear had just one simple stud, and there was a nose ring in her left nostril. A small purple jewel sparkled in the middle of her forehead. Her feminine voice did not match her harsh appearance, as her rigid, straight figure was dressed in tight black clothes and thigh-high black boots.
“Your magic is missing,” said the woman. “No wonder you couldn’t heal yourself.”
“Missing?” Auron sat there, rubbing his face, trying to grasp the situation.
“You are missing your adjacent colors. If you had them, you could have healed yourself to a somewhat better state than how I found you.”
“Adjacent colors?” Auron questioned, giving her a confused look. He was missing magic? “Who are you?”
“I received your message. More like your warning.”
“I believe you are too late,” Auron said, coughing out the remaining blood in his lungs. He eyed her, noticing that her hair was too dark of a violet to be her true gifted color. “And it seems that the message went to the wrong person. I was trying to reach a man with the gift of the red. The Ghost Man.”
The woman nodded, offering her hand. “I know. That’s why I am here. I am trying to find your Ghost Man. Your message went farther back in time than you intended, reaching me.”