Broken Wings (Cruel and Beautiful World, Book One 1)

by Stoddard Hancock, L.

  And, with that, Dakota turned on his foot and took off running, heading the long way back to the village, probably so he could be discreet.

  Xander sneered. "Go after him, Luka. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

  Luka nodded. He looked down at Aila, who had finally stopped struggling but was too beaten to do anything more than lie there and catch her breath. "You going to kill her?" he asked.

  "Yes," answered Xander.

  Luka nodded again. "Don't be gentle about it."

  When Luka was gone, Xander took a few more steps so he was standing directly above Aila. He crouched down and placed the mouth of his Element on her heart.

  "W-why?" she asked in a strained voice.

  "So sorry, Aila." Not really. "But you sealed your fate the day you touched Deryn. I saw your handiwork and you must suffer for it."

  "Y-you know w-where she is?"

  "That's right." Xander reached into her inner coat pocket and searched until he found a small chip. One of the mind control chips. "I had a feeling you'd be carrying this." He took out his dagger and pressed his Element harder against her skin. "Goodbye, Aila."

  He stabbed her first, so her death would look like the Resistance's handy work, then he pressed the button on his Element, hitting her with a shock that caused Aila to thrash around wildly before going stiff. It was the same shock that had killed his mother. While it may have been quick, it didn't feel that way to the victim. The pain was worse than being stabbed with a thousand daggers at once.

  Aila's wide eyes were still staring at him as he slipped the chip inside his inner coat pocket. He would have liked to torture her more, but this was hardly the place. Someone could run by and catch him at any moment.

  Xander left her body there and returned to the village. When he arrived, Resistance members and Outsiders were scattering towards the forest while several Guardians and guards chased after them.

  "They're in the trees!" someone shouted.

  Xander looked up and, sure enough, several ropes had pulled all of the Outsiders up in the trees, where they ran as fast as they could along bridges hidden in the leaves. His eyes widened. That was new.

  The guards and Guardians all returned shortly, unable to get up there and follow them.

  Glancing around, Xander saw that a guard and Orson Yam were lying dead on the ground. A S.U.R.G.E. had also been beaten down, something that, until now, he had believed to be impossible. Another one buzzed over to him. He ordered it to follow the Outsiders, but not to attack. It zoomed off.

  "What the hell happened?" shouted Veli, stomping over to Xander.

  "They obviously knew we were coming. It looks like your source steered us wrong. Again ."

  "No they did not!" he spat, his entire body shaking. "There is no way they could -"

  "Why not?" asked Xander. "The Resistance wouldn't have been able to take out three of us with absolutely no casualties on their side unless they knew we were coming! And how the hell did they take down a S.U.R.G.E.?"

  "It was some weird weapon," answered a guard. "Looked like a satellite and knocked it right out of the sky."

  Veli ignored the guard. "Three?" he asked Xander.

  Xander nodded. "Aila is dead in the forest to the east. Go retrieve her," he ordered.

  Veli took several deep and angry breaths before walking off with Gordon.

  When Xander looked back at Orson's body, Finley was leaning over it. He didn't like how relieved he was to see she hadn't been hurt. She kneeled down and sighed before carefully closing his eyes. Xander walked over and knelt down beside her, searching Orson's pockets until he came out with another chip.

  "What's that?" asked Finley.

  "None of your concern." Xander slipped it beside the other one in his inner pocket. "But, if you happen to see your father with one of these, I suggest you grab it and give it to me."

  Finley nodded. She stood and went to close the eyes of the guard.

  Feeling a bit off, Xander walked away and leaned against the stone hedge that was designed to protect the village's produce, which was currently just overgrown weeds. And one green tomato.

  While staring at the lonely tomato, a streak of light shining through the trees hit something that twinkled in his eye. He stepped inside the sad garden, walking towards the twinkling light until he noticed another bit of green beside the tomato. He cleared away the brush and eventually came up with a ring. It had a jade stone in its center and a gold band in the shape of a lion. While he recognized the animal, he couldn't for the life of him remember if they were real or folklore.

  Suddenly, someone was grabbing the ring out of Xander's hand. He turned to see Soren standing there, gazing at it mesmerizingly.

  He pressed the button on his collar and said, "It's the same color as her eyes."

  With a painful grimace, he tossed the ring across the garden. Xander grunted.

  "You're needed, boss ," he said mockingly.

  Soren turned and left in a hurry.

  As soon as Xander was alone again, he ran to where the ring had landed and dug around until he found it again. He didn't know why he wanted it but, with Christmas coming up, it would be a nice present for Deryn. And Soren hadn't been wrong about the stone being the same color as her eyes, or at least similar. Her eyes had a hint of blue in them.

  He put it in his inner pocket, opposite the chips. He didn't want something so cruel tainting his gift.

  The ring now in his possession, Xander headed back to the others, hoping to get out of there quickly. He would, undoubtedly, be punished for his failure that day, and he wanted to get it over with before Deryn had a chance to worry too much.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Deryn sat alone in their room, just below the window with the radio playing beside her. Blackbird had just ended and she was currently listening to static. She had tried to read but was unable to concentrate.

  The sky outside grew dark and Deryn was becoming more and more worried. She chewed on her thumb while listening closely for Xander's hover-bike zooming to a halt outside of their building. Everything was silent, other than the radio static.

  Before long, Deryn was feeling sick. She hated this. She hated everything -

  "Hello?" said a familiar voice on the radio. "Deryn, are you out there?"

  Deryn sat up straight. It was Dakota, speaking to her in a new broadcast.

  "I know this is a long shot, but if you are and you can hear me then please ... please, come home. I'll be waiting for you. Every day. At our place. And if you can't get there, I promise I will find you. Two Guardians were killed today -"

  Deryn's head shot in the direction of the radio. "What?"

  "- and two of those robots of theirs, too. They can be defeated, and I'll take down every last one of them if that's what it takes to get you home . " Silence. "I'm going to change the song, just for tonight. To the one you and my mom used to sing together. I miss you every day, and I ... I love you."

  Dakota's voice cut off, soon replaced by Ringo Starr singing Good Night .

  Deryn sat there motionless, not even listening to the song as Dakota's words sunk in. Two Guardians were killed, and Xander still wasn't home.

  She lifted her hand to her mouth. No. It couldn't -

  The clock in the living room chimed, signaling the top of the hour. She looked at the smaller clock on the nightstand. Midnight.

  "No!" shouted Deryn, shaking her head in disbelief. "No! No! Please, no!"

  Deryn listened, but Xander's hover-bike was not in earshot, and no one was coming through the front door. First it was a minute after midnight. Then thirty minutes. Then two hours.

  "No."

  She brought her knees to her chest and sobbed into them.

  "Please, tell me he didn't. Tell me Dax didn't -"

  Deryn choked. She couldn't even say it. If Dakota had killed Xander, she could never forgive him.

  "Xander, please ... please come back to me."

  The night went on and, still, Deryn
sat there. She knew she was supposed to be preparing to leave, but she refused. Xander was coming back. She was sure of it. And, when he did, she would be waiting for him. Because that's what you did when you loved someone. You waited.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Xander lay on the couch by the fireplace in the president's house, his body in a great deal of pain as he waited impatiently for the clock to strike four a.m. So he could get home and stop Deryn from leaving.

  He hadn't expected Saevus to torture him for so long - a lashing, beatings, a poison that made him feel like he was being torn apart from the inside out, the whole works - and, after the hours of agony Veli had endured first, it was already well after midnight by the time it all ended.

  Finley walked in the room, carrying a glass filled with some green medicine she had mixed up for him. Xander tried to sit up but she pushed him back down.

  "Save your strength," she said, tilting his head back and carefully feeding it to him.

  Atticus was watching from a nearby armchair, his eyes sad and heavy as he never took them off of his son. Luka was there too, also watching the clock with great anticipation. He had tried to leave to warn Deryn of Xander's late arrival, but the president had wanted to question everyone.

  Unfortunately, they had to pin Aila's death on Dakota, claiming the lashes on her body were from Xander as he tried to get Dakota off of her. He had always been a target, but now there was an even bigger price on his head. Xander hated himself for losing control like that, but Aila needed to die. She deserved to after everything she had done to Deryn. Surely Dakota would understand.

  "The president should not have treated you this way," said Atticus, his fists clenching on his knees. "This wasn't your failure. That damn Veli -"

  "He got it worse than I did," interrupted Xander. "Besides, this was my mission. I was in charge. We all know the punishment for failing."

  "But -"

  "This is nothing I can't handle. If you remember, President Saevus did much worse to me after the battle at Eagle."

  Atticus cringed at the memory. "Your mother would be so ashamed if she knew I let this happen."

  "Probably," said Xander. "But it's too late to change any of that now. I'm a Guardian, and I made the decision to become one on my own."

  The clock struck four. Xander stood up, his limbs still stiff and in pain, but much better with the medicine in his system.

  "I'm going home." Looking at his father, he said, "Tell the president I won't be in today. I need my rest."

  Xander headed for the door. Luka and Finley hurried after him, helping him walk outside. They summoned the president's private car and had the chauffeur take them to the gate.

  His car was special.

  While the cars and bikes belonging to citizens hovered no more than three feet off the ground, his car could rise above them, avoiding all traffic. Of course, Inner City was the only place there ever was traffic, since residents in Middle and Outer City couldn't afford cars or bikes. The majority of traffic was from trams.

  When they arrived at the gate, Luka headed home, but for Xander and Finley it was only a quick scan through and walk to their hover-bikes.

  "Do you need me to drive you?" asked Finley.

  "No, I'm fine," he said, wincing as he sat on his bike. She put his helmet on for him, and he didn't even protest.

  Without another word, Xander rode off, eager to get home and stop Deryn from leaving. He had tried to contact Bronson several times throughout the night but there was never any response.

  When he arrived, he abandoned his bike on the curb, not even bothering with the garage. He tossed his helmet to the side as he entered the building and ran up the stairs, completely forgetting about the pain. He stopped by Bronson and Quigley's door and listened. Silence. He continued on.

  When Xander got inside his apartment, everything was still. Looking at the coffee table, he saw the snow globe she loved so much. She would never have left without it. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or angry that she hadn't followed his instructions.

  Coat and shoes still on, Xander ran to his bedroom and threw open the door. "Deryn!"

  Her small figure was hunched below the window, her knees to her chest with her face buried inside of them. She slowly lifted her head, her swollen eyes widening as they fell upon him.

  Deryn burst into tears as she struggled to get to her feet. She ran to him and threw her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly as she wept against his chest.

  Xander winced, but her embrace was worth the pain. His eyes grew misty as he brought his arms around her shoulders. "Thank god you're still here."

  "I knew you'd come back," she cried. "I knew you'd never leave me."

  Deryn pulled back so she could look in his eyes. The two of them gazed at each other, Xander using his thumb to stroke her cheek as he realized how happy he was to be here with her. Without a second thought, he leaned down and kissed her.

  It wasn't long until that need they both constantly felt took over. Before they could stop themselves, the two of them were naked on the bed.

  The familiar sound of Deryn's moans gave Xander the comfort he'd been missing. He hated himself for doing this after what he'd found out about his father, but he was already too invested to just give her up. He loved her and he needed her, despite what he tried to tell himself.

  It didn't take either of them long to finish but, for a while after, Xander stayed inside of her, savoring the familiar feeling as he kissed her, unable to get enough of those lips.

  It was well into the day before Xander finally told Deryn everything that had happened, the two of them interlacing their fingers on his chest while she used them to stroke the bruises from the torture he had endured.

  "I'm sorry I failed you."

  Deryn shook her head. "You didn't, Xander. You tried to talk to Dax. We both knew it was a long shot. I'm more upset about Aila."

  Xander looked down at her and cocked an eyebrow.

  "You shouldn't take those risks for me. I care more about your safety than I do about vengeance. Please don't let what happened to me run your life. It's not worth it."

  Putting his hand on top of hers, Xander stared deep into her eyes and said, "But you're worth it."

  He leaned down and kissed her then, hearing no more objections as the two of them got lost in each other for the remainder of the day.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Dakota marched through the dark halls of the Resistance's base, everyone he passed avoiding eye contact but still whispering about him in not so secretive voices. But he didn't care. He had no one to impress.

  When he reached Talon's door, he walked in without knocking. The young commander was currently leaning over a large map of the underground beneath Utopia, drawing in the latest routes his scouts had discovered. They had yet to find one that led inside. Nita was standing beside him, scanning the various notes of the scouts. Neither looked up as he entered.

  "Well, if it isn't the lover boy," said Talon. "I see you switched the song back." He motioned to the radio in the corner, which was currently playing Blackbird .

  "Maybe you should've kept it on the other one," said Nita. "If Deryn is listening, favorite or not, I'm positive she's as sick of it as I am."

  "She'll never get sick of it," snapped Dakota.

  Talon finally looked up from his work and sighed. "So I take it she wasn't at your special place?"

  "If she was do you think I'd be here now?"

  "I would hope so," said Talon with a tightened brow. "She is my sister."

  "Really? Because you don't fucking act like it."

  Talon's face burned. "What did you just say?"

  "You heard me," spat Dakota. "You sit in here drawing your maps when she's out there somewhere!"

  "Dax, that's not fair," said Nita, holding out an arm to keep Talon from lunging. "We haven't had word on her whereabouts in a long time. You know that."

  "But she's out there!"

  Nita looked fr
om Dakota to Talon. She sighed. "That's something we don't know."

  "I do," said Dakota with tears in his eyes. "Why else would they lock up Utopia? Why else would they enforce that curfew?"

  "There could be a million reasons -"

  "They're trying to keep someone inside! And then there's that damn Ruby -"

  "Ruby?" said Talon, his stance calming. "You saw him again?"

  "Yeah, in Willow," said Dakota. "He told me she's escaped and he knows where she is."

  "Neetles told me you said he killed that other Guardian, too. Aila Parrish."

  "I didn't see him kill her. I saw him attack her and then I saw them carrying her body away later," corrected Dakota.

  Talon pursed his lips in thought.

  "Talon, I know what you're thinking and you're wrong!" said Dakota, bringing Talon back to the here and now. "We cannot trust him."

  "Those children from Willow did say they were saved by a Guardian who fit his description," said Nita, catching Talon's eye.

  "No!" snapped Dakota. "He's trying to trick us, don't you see? Which is exactly why I want to bring him in! To find out why!"

  "We already tried that, and it didn't go particularly well for me," said Talon.

  "You tried to kidnap a Guardian?" asked Nita, her eyes widening. "When? Why?"

  "We weren't trying to kidnap him," explained Talon. "We were trying to stop him from taking Reynard and that other guard's bodies."

  "Yeah, and he seemed to think we were the ones who killed them," added Dakota.

  "Yes, because Saevus wants us to look like the bad guys!" she shouted, bonking Talon on the head. "Idiots!"

  "Yes, we're idiots," said Dakota. "When we don't have a plan. Give me permission to bring him in, Talon, and I promise I will come up with something brilliant."

  "Talon, no," protested Nita. "Bringing Ruby here would be stupid and reckless."

  "Then we won't bring him here ," argued Dakota. "We'll find somewhere else."

  Nita stamped her foot. "No! We don't take prisoners. If you go through with this it's a slippery slope until we're just as bad as they are."