James thumped me on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t put you in danger. This will get you there in plenty of time for your sign up at the Military House.”
I rubbed the shoulder he’d smacked. It was my injured one. “I really can’t thank you enough.”
His smile was sweet. “Never fear. James is always here to rescue a beautiful woman.”
I snorted and lifted my silver bracelet. “And to take her money.”
“That too.” He pressed his bracelet against mine.
I stated loudly, “Order: Transfer two thousand units. Name: James Bartell.”
“Order: Accept two thousand units. Name: Poppy Carvene.”
Our bracelets glowed white in the night before we lowered our arms. My side of the bargain was complete.
James checked his bracelet and nodded. “The transfer is good.” He swung his hand to the train. “She’s all yours for a one-way passage.”
I hesitated, staring at the transport. “Do I need to do anything?” Soldiers always took care of my needs. This was a new experience for me.
He chuckled and shook his head. “No. I’ve already programmed the destination in.” He nudged his shoulder with mine. “Go get ‘em, Poppy. Make me proud.”
I turned and hugged him. “Thank you so much.”
He released me and wiggled the bill of my ball cap. “Don’t be nervous.”
“I’m not.” I straightened up fast.
He waved his hand to the waiting train.
My sneakers dug into the sand as I walked to the black metal stairs, the door already open. When I was at the top of them, I peered back.
“James, remember, my father will probably question you. Tell him I made you do this.”
His smile was amused, staring up at me from the beach. “And he’ll believe it too. Anyone who knows you would believe it.” He waved. “You’ll do just fine. I promise.”
I sucked in a large lungful of salty sea air and then stepped inside the train. The door was heavy to close, but it locked simply enough with a command. I waited only a second before stating, “Go.”
The only indication the train had started to move was the vibration of clean energy thrumming with heavy force under my feet. I lifted the blind covering the lone window and peered outside. The moon sparkled on the ocean’s surface thirty feet below as the train moved over the water.
I dropped my bag on one of the two chairs and grinned at the sandwich on the other seat. James had left me a treat. I pounced on the nourishment and moved behind the seats to the small, simple bed resting against the back wall. The only other part of the cabin was a lone bathroom at the front.
The cushion of the bed sunk only an inch when I sat down. It wasn’t the swankiest transport I’d ever been in, but it was the only one I had ever paid for myself. I started to bite into the sandwich but stalled, my hands halfway to my mouth.
A small head of silver fur poked out from underneath the seat on the left. Silver eyes stared up at my face and silently evaluated my person. Cute pointed ears twitched as I held perfectly still.
It was a fox.
The creature that had been stalking me on the beach had snuck onboard. And this train didn’t stop. Or, at least, I had no freaking clue how to turn it around.
I breathed evenly, searching its eyes for any sign of attack. I was stuck with the little beast until New City—more than five hours away.
I swallowed, and whispered, “Um…hello there.”
The ears twitched again.
Its eyes glanced at my sandwich.
My mouth bobbed. If it wanted my food instead of my arm to gnaw on, I was all for that. “Are you hungry?”
The animal kept his belly on the ground, dragging itself carefully out from under the seat. It peered at my sandwich again, and its tongue lolled outside its mouth.
I think it was smiling.
“All right.” I tore a piece of turkey off and tossed it down on the floor. “Try that.”
The fox stood up and ducked its head to sniff at the meat. It was a male with strong muscles under its coat. The little beast didn’t appear to be starving like most wildlife, his silver fur healthy and shining in the light.
He ate the turkey in one bite.
I tossed him another piece.
He caught it in the air and swallowed it whole.
Then he jumped onto the bed.
I skittered to a stand.
But all he did was trot to the end of the bed and lay down, curling his tail around himself. Then he closed his eyes. His breathing evened out…as he fell asleep.
“Okay, okay,” I muttered in shock.
The fox was healthy. He just wanted a nap.
I sat down carefully on the bed.
He didn’t move.
The sandwich smelled delicious, so I quickly took a bite and watched the fox for any indication that he was going to pounce. The little beast never even twitched. I eventually ate the rest of my sandwich and licked my fingers clean.
He still didn’t move, only his chest expanding with each easy breath he took as he slept on peacefully.
The thin mattress creaked as I attempted to situate myself on the bed, leaving the fox plenty of room below my feet. I rested my head down on my arms that I had tucked under my head, lying on my side pressed against the back wall. As an afterthought, I pulled one of my blades from its sheath on my thigh and held it close as I closed my eyes.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The dinging bell of the train woke me.
I tipped my head up and yawned. There was light streaming in through the window—a lot of light. It was mid-afternoon by the blinding sun pouring inside the cabin.
I had arrived in New City.
Or what history books used to call Lisbon, Portugal.
Either way, it was now part of King Central Province.
The fox was sitting patiently at the door.
I snorted and stuffed my blade away. “I take it you’re ready to get off this fun filled ride?”
His tongue lolled out, another grin.
I glanced at my bracelet.
I had overslept an hour. I only had two hours remaining before I needed to be at the Military House. At five o’clock in the evening, the Corporate Army shut their doors, no more entries for another six months. I would be too old then to enter—only ages eighteen to twenty-four allowed to sign up. I was turning twenty-five in two weeks. This was my official last shot to scrap an arranged marriage—the only way it could be done for a female.
There was one problem.
I didn’t have a clue where the Military House was.
Out of all the cities I had visited in my life, New City wasn’t one of them. My father avoided this place like it was haunted by demons. And, to him, people who worked for the corporations were demons.
I grabbed my bag, put the strap over my shoulder, and unlocked the door to the train. As soon as I opened the train’s door, the bustle of a thriving city attacked my senses. The clamor was more overwhelming than any city I knew.
The sun instantly warmed my neck while I stepped outside and walked down the stairs. I lifted my right hand to shield my eyes, even though the bill of my ball cap should have provided enough shading. Bright light still shimmered in my eyes, and I squinted and attempted to find the cause.
People strode by briskly, talking in groups or through their bracelets with little buds in their ears for privacy. I leaned to the left past an extremely tall man. My brows rose in shock at the view. There was an immense building that towered over all the structures, the very top of it with a curved decorative golden roof—a crown sitting atop the white skyscraper.
The sun reflecting off it burned my eyes.
“Good grief,” I muttered.
The fox sat down next to my feet and panted.
This place was unbelievable.
Ego and wealth even poured off the residents, their clothes made of the finest material, and their faces painted in makeup I had never been interested in wearing. Their atti
re was similar to the sweater I still wore of Godric’s, the stitching twice as nice and delectably softer than any soldier’s clothing in Port. It was a miracle my father hadn’t noticed the difference in my typical sweaters versus this one, now that I really thought about it.
“Where the hell do I go now?” I mumbled.
The port in New City was outrageously busy today.
I lifted a hand to an elderly woman walking by, her red hat sporting a purple feather. “Excuse me, ma’am. Do you know how to get to the Military House?”
She glanced up and down my person in a slow perusal. Then she sniffed in my direction and walked right past me without helping. The feather in her hat even tilted away from me in the salty breeze.
At least that wasn’t any different from other cities.
Newcomers weren’t shunned, but they weren’t welcomed with opened arms either. Protection and suspicion kept most residents in tight familiar groups. Anyone who didn’t know where they were going inside your city was definitely not familiar.
“I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way.” I peered down at the fox that stood close but didn’t touch. “I doubt you’ll be welcome here.”
He showed a little of his sharp teeth.
I shrugged. “I’m not even welcome here.”
The fox whined, his head tilting back with it.
“I’m sorry.” I shooed him with both hands. “Go on now. You don’t want someone slitting your throat just to have a nice silver fur hat.”
As if he understood me, he jerked his adorable head in the direction the snobbish woman had disappeared. He raced away, his furry tail swooshing back and forth.
My companion on this trip was now gone.
I was truly alone.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Please just tell me where the Military House is,” I begged.
Yet another resident of New City lifted their nose in my direction and passed me by. The streets were crowded, and the buildings were too polished. I’d literally had to buy a pair of sunglasses. All of the sparkling windows and gleaming metals and coppers were hard to view. I was used to the concrete coloring of the military bases around the world. My eyes couldn’t handle all of the vibrant colors at once, each new turn down a different street startling with a kaleidoscope of brilliant shades of the rainbow.
And it was so shiny.
I groaned and rubbed my forehead. I stood frozen on the sidewalk of another street of visual pain and peered left and right. No one was going to speak with me.
I was running out of time!
I only had fifteen minutes left.
I wished again for the hundredth time since entering this godforsaken city that the Military House had a number listed in a directory. Any directory. I had checked them all when buying my sunglasses.
I stretched my back muscles and started running.
Ten minutes later, I stopped to take a breath.
My hands were on my sides while my chest heaved with much-needed oxygen. Sweat beaded down my temples and under my heavy sweater. I dropped my bag for relief from the weight while I searched frantically for any indication of where I was supposed to be.
I had stopped directly in front of the ginormous building that wore a golden crown. This street was even more blinding because of the damn thing. I turned and glared at the white monstrosity.
Then I read the lettering on the massive sign in the sloping courtyard of grass. Fucking unbelievable.
It was King Corporation.
I couldn’t get away from the man.
The man who put a damn crown on his building.
He couldn’t be any more arrogant if he wanted.
A group of men sauntered by, all tall and fit. They held coffee cups in their hands and sipped the hot liquid with leisure as they chatted together. They wore simple dress slacks and collared shirts. But all ten men paused in their trek in the courtyard where they were heading to King Corporation. As one, they straightened and turned around, scanning the area with their laser focus.
I glanced around for signs of fighting.
Except no trouble was happening.
There were only more innocent people in their flashy attire walking toward their destinations, a few with swords strapped to their back or hips and others with knives like mine. It was all very normal.
The group of men kept glancing side to side.
I hesitated but grabbed my bag and hurried in their direction. Ten people to ask were better than one on the street.
The guy in the middle muttered, “I didn’t think he was coming back until tomorrow. I still need to get that project done. I figured I had another day.”
They all appeared confused, still searching.
“Maybe he returned early,” another guy mumbled.
“Excuse me!” I stated, still out of breath. I waved my hand and caught their attention. When they didn’t instantly ignore me like half the people in New City did, I moved even faster. I stopped directly in front of them, and asked quickly, “Do any of you know where the Military House is?”
All ten men froze where they stood.
My red brows puckered.
They were going to ignore me too. I just knew it.
“Please,” I begged. My head was tilted all the way back to stare into their eyes. They were damn big. “I only have a few minutes before I need to be there. Will you please help me?”
The man in the middle coughed behind a quick fist and stared hard at me. “Where did you say, miss?”
My eyes widened in delight. Those were more words than anyone had spoken to me all day. I rushed to speak, babbling, “The Military House. I only have a few minutes remaining before they lock their doors.”
He blinked at me, inhaling deeply. His gaze ran over my features, his own eyes wide—but it looked like shock. “We can escort you there. It’s just a street over.”
“Yes!” I grabbed his hand and yanked him behind me, already walking over the soft hills of grass to the sidewalk. “Do you mind if we run?”
“Not at all, miss.” When I released his hand, he started jogging just a little in front of me. He peered back over his shoulder. “Is this a good pace for you?”
“It’s fine. Please just get me there.”
There were pounding feet behind me.
I sucked oxygen at the quick run but glimpsed the glass of the building next to me. In the reflection, the other nine men were running behind me at a steady pace. It was extremely odd, but these men were my current saving grace—as long as they actually took me to the right place. Though, I was impressed none of them spilled their coffee while they ran. Their cups didn’t have lids. My hand would have been burned all over if I were doing that.
They had been right. It was one street over directly behind King Corporation. The golden crown even shaded a portion of the building at this time of day.
I stopped in front of a black, wrought iron fence.
There were spikes at the top of the fence, and the building was made of dark wood and rough stone. It was completely out of place next to the beauty surrounding it. It looked hundreds of years old with its turrets on each end, like an ancient castle, except for the embellished, fancy sign on the front that stated Military House.
The gate and front doors were still open.
I quickly shook the man’s hand who had led the way here. “Thank you so very much.”
He still wore a shocked expression, his mouth hanging open—and not because he was winded. “You’re most welcome.”
I nodded once to the others who had followed, and then I bolted through the front gate and ran up the walkway.
One of the men’s voices carried quietly, “I would never have imagined that.”
“It’s been what? Over a hundred years…”
“I know.”
I ignored whatever they were blathering on about and sprinted up the stairs. I stopped inside the doors where an older graying man in a Corporate Army uniform stood. I placed my hands on my knees and pant
ed.
I whispered in awe, “I made it.”
The CA soldier cleared his throat.
I stood up and placed my hands on my lower back, stretching my muscles. I removed my sunglasses and peeked up at him. “I’m here for the Corporate Army sign ups.”
His gaze was cold as he looked me up and down. “Are you sure, miss?” He glanced at his silver bracelet, checking the time.
That was a better response than I had received from other CA soldiers when I had stopped them to ask for directions. Those assholes had taken one look at my smaller stature and just laughed at me.
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Then you made it just in time.”
He shut and locked the heavy wooden doors.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The dining hall was filled with a little over one hundred candidates. Only ten of those were women. They had already sent home seventy-four others who didn’t have the right forms filled out or were missing signatures from a male legal guardian. The meal we were eating wasn’t terrible as I had feared. It had all the basic food groups.
The worst part was waiting for a CA soldier to come into the room and call out one of our names. They could do it anytime, and we would then leave for an interview. Most already had theirs completed, having arrived days earlier. Only a few candidates arrived today as I had, and the interviews were running nonstop. My turn was coming soon.
The two girls on either side of me ate silently. No female was here to make friends. It was common knowledge that only twenty percent of the women passed the requirements to become a CA soldier. So that meant only two out of the ten of us would obtain a position within the Corporate Army. The other eight would leave to become breeding machines for a husband.
I chewed the corn on my plate, trying to enjoy the scrumptious vegetable. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I would need the energy. Plus, I didn’t have a lot of units remaining to spend. My sunglasses had cost more than five expensive meals in Port. New City was expensive.
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