by Seven Steps
“Hey guys, lay off him.” Bruno, pushed next to Kiln’s side, and the men immediately backed up. This man had power, influence. If Praxis was these men’s savior, then Bruno was his prime apostle.
“He just got back. Give him some room to breathe.”
The men complied, and before long they were making their way out of the door.
Thank you, Kiln caught himself before the word escaped his lips. Praxis never said thank you.
Bruno hung back with Kiln until the room cleared.
“I’ve got your back, Prax.”
Kiln nodded, sitting on a nearby chair. This entire day was exhausting. All he wanted to do was go home, eat steaks and vegetables that were constantly served, and watch Nadira on the comicore until he fell asleep.
Metal squeaked against cement as Bruno sat in an empty chair next to him.
“You don’t look too good,” he said. “You look weak. We gotta get you back in the gym. Bulk you up. Get some protein in you.”
He hit Kiln with the back of his hand and laughed.
Kiln laughed, too. Bruno had an easy going, genuine appeal. He could see why Praxis liked him.
“Why don’t you go home and rest, Prax? Maybe pick up a ration on the way. By tomorrow, you’ll be back to your old self.”
Kiln nodded. “I think I’ll do that.”
“I’ll call ahead, make sure she’s waiting for you.”
The man began to say something into his earpiece, which lit up when he began to talk.
“You still like Melu, right?”
Melu? Kiln nodded absently, then made his way to the door.
“Get some rest, Prax. You’re going to need it. Its war, baby! Hoo Raaa!”
Kiln felt ridiculous, yet oddly liberated as he returned the call as loud as he could. “Hoo Raa!”
Bruno pounded his chest three times and gave Praxis a three fingered salute.
“Hoo Raa!”
Kiln imitated the man, “Hoo Raa!”
“Aahhh!” Bruno ran at him, grabbed Kiln in a bear hug, and jumped around in a circle, as if they had already won the Grand Champion trophy.
Something in the act made Kiln feel better, almost as if Bruno were transferring his energy directly into Kiln’s veins.
“That’s right, Prax! We’re gonna get ‘em!” He slapped his chest again, his cheeks puffing out as if he had just run a marathon.
“We’re gonna get ‘em!”
“You hyped up!”
“I’m hyped up!”
“You hyped up!”
“I’m hyped up!”
Bruno pulled Kiln into another bear hug and they jumped around him again.
Heart pumping, body humming, Kiln squeezed Bruno tight as they hopped around, and gave him an extra push as they separated.
He didn’t know what this display did, but he felt like he’d just taken a shot of adrenaline.
“Go home, Prax,” Bruno said, finally starting to calm down. “Reenergize. Recharge. In a few days, we go to war!”
~()~()~()~()~
The high that Kiln received from Bruno’s high-energy display stayed with him through the drive back to Olympus. It simmered in his veins as dinner was brought to him in his room: a hunk of glazed meat, some vegetables, a piece of bread, and fest – a strong Martian wine. The meal reminded him of his days on Earth. He remembered eating by the fire, Nadira in his arms, their bodies greasy from the meal, their hearts content as they breathed each other in.
His eyes ran over Nadira as she sipped something out of a bowl.
How are you doing in there? He wondered.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He quickly covered his monitor with a shirt, and went to open it.
A woman stood to face him. She bowed, then straightened, her wide almond eyes on the ground, her voluptuous body still.
“Praxis,” she said.
Kiln stood back and allowed her to walk into the room, closing the door loudly behind him.
“Who are you?” He asked.
The woman frowned, “Have you forgotten already, Prax? You ordered me to come, remember?”
“I didn’t.”
“Then, Bruno ordered me here.”
“Well, go back. I don’t want you here.”
She stopped and turned to him, her eyes narrowing in irritation. “Since when do you not want me here?”
“Thank you for coming,” Kiln said, opening the door again. “But please go.”
Her eyes darted from the door to Kiln, and she shifted on her feet. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you’re fine. I just want to be alone.”
She stepped closer to him, her eyes examining his closely. She smelled like fresh soap. He missed the smell of a woman.
He turned his mind away from the thought and stared at the door.
The woman was quiet for several moments, then she nodded. “Ok. I’ll just go back then.”
Kiln watched as the woman approached the door. Her body moved like a snake as she walked. Her dress left little to the imagination. She wore a beaded blue top that stretched from her breast to her navel. Two panels attached by a beaded belt made up the skirt. Her long, dark, heavy hair cascaded down her back.
She was beautiful.
Melu placed her fingers on the doorknob, but did not move.
“You are not Praxis,” she said softly. “Who are you?”
Kiln’s heart stopped beating, and he slammed the door shut.
“What do you mean?”
“Praxis would know who I was. He would never send me away untried. And he would never say thank you.”
Oh no.
“People change, Melu. I just ... I’m not in the mood tonight.”
“Praxis is always in the mood. Who are you?”
“I am Praxis.”
“Stop saying that!” she cried.
He turned to her, putting one finger to his lips to shush her.
“Ok, ok I’m not Praxis. My name is Kiln. I’m Praxis’ brother.”
“Where is Praxis?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who put you up to this?”
“A man named Boikis. Please don’t tell anyone.”
“I will give you my silence, if you give me something.”
“Anything.”
“Help me escape.”
“Escape?”
“Yes. Get me off of this planet.”
“I can’t. I don’t have a way.”
“Of course you do. If you are pretending to be Praxis, then you have the entire planet at your disposal. You must help me escape.”
“I can’t.”
“Then I am sure that the men will appreciate knowing that their Prince is a fraud.”
Melu marched to the door, and Kiln followed, throwing himself in front of it.
“No, please. I’m just as trapped as you.”
Melu’s eyes found his, searching for the truth.
“What?”
“I am here against my will. Boikis has my Empress. I have to pretend to be Praxis, but I don’t know why. Please don’t say anything.”
Melu took another step back.
“Why should I believe you,” Melu spat. “You are just as much of a liar as the rest of them.”
Kiln walked over to the comicore, and removed the shirt that blocked the screen. He and Melu watched as Nadira laid down in her bed, curled up against a pillow.
“Who is she?” Melu asked.
“She is mine,” Kiln replied. “My life. My breath. And Boikis has her somewhere. If I ever want to see her again, I have to do what he says.” He turned back to Melu. “Please, you have to keep my secret. I can’t lose her.”
Melu looked from the screen to Kiln, and chewed on her bottom lip.
She stayed silent for a long time before replying.
“When he lets you go, will you come for me?” she asked.
Kiln’s spirit lifted and he nodded. “Of course.”
Her head dropped to her chest, an
d she sniffed. “I know what it’s like, you know,” she said. “To be trapped someplace you don’t want to be. That’s the life of most women here.”
Her dark, tearful gaze raised to meet his. There was so much pain in her beautiful eyes.
“I don’t want that life,” Kiln said. “Not for me, and not for her.” He nodded to Nadira. He looked back at Melu and brushed away a tear that had dripped down her cheek. “And not for you.”
“You don't even know me,” she said, keeping her eyes on him.
“I've been a slave. I understand wanting to leave this life. I know what it's like to feel invisible, maligned, used. If you help me, I promise you that when I leave here, I will take you with us. You have my word.”
Melu searched for the truth in his eyes. Finally, she nodded. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”
Her lips squeezed together as she broke her gaze from his and headed for the door.
He’d made her a promise.
He hoped that he could keep it.
CHAPTER 23
Melu hadn't been gone an hour when another knock sounded on the door.
Kiln barely heard it.
Nadira's camera had gone out several minutes ago, and his mind raced with the possibilities of what that meant.
Is she dead? Did Boikis already kill her? Is she hurt? Has he already thrown her to the men?
The last thought made him grind his teeth and grip the edge of the bed. Worry sent him to his feet, and he paced his room, anxiety and fear coursing through him.
Another knock, followed by the jiggle of a key and the knob turning.
Kiln's head shot up, his eyes glued to the door.
Who would have a key to my room?
The door swung open, revealing Boikis' lean build first. Namic was by his side, his brown hair looking wilder then usual.
Boikis held out his hands in front of him, as if he were about to make a grand announcement.
"Brother! We meet again."
Kiln took a step forward. "What have you done with-"
A set of brown eyes captured his, stunned him. He knew those eyes. He'd spend countless days getting lost in them.
Nadira.
She opened her mouth to speak but Boikis shushed her and closed the door firmly behind her.
Kiln's feet rooted in place. He couldn't move, could barely think. Nadira stood in front of him, whole and, by the looks of it, healthy.
Thank you, Mother Goddess.
"You pleased me tonight, Kiln," Boikis said. "I was watching you at the draft. You did well, and so, I bring you a gift. Here we would call her a preferred ration. You, however, call her Naddie."
He was vaguely aware that Namic was moving about the room, but his brain refused to focus on that. His eyes wouldn't leave Nadira's. It was as if she was a dream, a vision that his lonely mind had conjured up.
"You can see each other for the next few hours, and I will collect her when I am finished my business elsewhere. The door and windows are both locked, and Etree will be right outside."
Kiln's feet finally moved, taking one step, then another towards Nadira until she was wrapped in the comfort and safety of his arms. They embraced in silence, their eyes closed, their heart beats syncing. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and looked at his brother.
"Thank you, Boikis. Thank you for bringing her back to me."
Boikis' brows furrowed, as if he were shocked by Kiln's words.
"Praxis never says thank you," he said, before gesturing towards Namic and leaving the room, shutting the door soundly behind him.
"I thought you were dead," Nadira whispered, her small hands gripping Kiln's back as if he were all that anchored her to this world. She buried her face in his chest, he breathing coming in short and labored. "I thought you were dead."
Her small body wrecked with sobs and Kiln could only drag them both down to the floor and cuddle her in his arms as she took in the reality of it all. He kissed her ears, her forehead, her chin, her nose. He wiped the tears away from her face and placed soft kisses on her shoulders.
"I'm alive, Naddie. I'm here."
"And Lex and Arees?" Nadira asked, her eyes searching his for answers.
"Boikis assured me that they were okay."
"Where are they?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
Nadira took a deep breath, the kind she took when she was about to tell him something important. "They're keeping me locked in a prison cell. I don't know where. They blind folded me when they took me out and lead me here. They didn't tell me where I was going. I thought they were going to kill me." Another deep breath. Her eyes took on a haunted look. "But I thought you were dead. If they were going to kill me, I would have welcomed it." Her voice dropped down to a whisper, as if afraid to admit the truth to herself.
Kiln couldn't help but frown at her.
"There is a woman," Nadira continued. "She's blind and deaf. She brings me food and water. I have a bed and books and a bath most days. Some days I don't. I just, I wish I knew what was going on. Why am I being held while you are up here. What are they doing to you?"
She reached up, feeling along his partially shaved scalp, his jaw, his chest. "Are they hurting you?"
"No."
"What are they doing to you, Kiln?"
"They have made me a Prince."
"A prince?"
He nodded, only half listening to her question. His hands roved over her body as if reassuring themselves that she was okay. He smiled when he found her hands doing the same.
He wasn't sure how many days they'd been separated, but it felt like a lifetime. A lifetime away from her beautiful eyes, her smile, her caring spirit, her quick wit and her crazy ideas. His chest squeezed tight with how much he'd missed her. His confidant. His friend. His love.
"Kiln?" She whispered, a smile lifting her lips.
He'd missed that smile.
"Mmm?" He took her hands in his, examining them from fingertip to palm.
"Aren't you listening?"
His eyes raised to hers,
The mischievous smile still played about her lips.
By the Mother Goddess how I've missed her.
"I asked you a question."
"A question?"
"I asked if you were sure that you were my Kiln." She dropped her eyes to their joined hands. "Because my Kiln would have kissed me by now." Her eyes raised back to his, and his smile matched her own. "Are you still my Kiln?"
His thumb traced her jawline, then her lower lip, before he dipped his head and dropped his lips to hers. He kissed her as if it was the last time.
He tried not to think of what he would do if it was.
~()~()~()~()~
The lights outside hadn’t yet switched on when someone banged on the door.
Kiln turned over in his bed. He’d been dreaming of Nadira. Their night together had been magical, and entirely too short. But he was sure that it had served its purpose.
I will be Praxis, he thought. If it’s the only way to get Nadira back, then I will become my brother.
The knock sounded again.
With a heavy sigh, Kiln sat up, and placed both feet on the warm hardwood floor.
His room was lightly furnished. A plain wooden bed. No rugs on the floor. The comicore sat atop a plan wooden dresser. A large bay window overlooked a planet just as unfurnished as his bedroom was. The only decoration was a poster of Praxis in full war games attire on the painted brown wall.
Definitely not a room fit for a Venian.
Another knock.
Kiln stood, wiped the sleep from his eyes and pulled the door open.
Bruno stood there, a big grin on his face, jogging in place.
“You’re late.”
“Late for what?”
“What’s wrong with you, man? We work out every morning. You were supposed to meet me at the courtyard twenty minutes ago.”
Kiln frowned at the man.
What time was it, anyway?
�
��You all right, Prax? You never miss a work out.”
Another thing that Boikis neglected to mention.
“Yeah, let me just get dressed.”
He left the door open and retreated into the bathroom to wash his face.
“I spoke to Max this morning,” Bruno said, doing pushups at the side of the uncarved brown bed. “He says that Eli’s been talking. Saying that you aren’t what you used to be. That you’re getting old.”
Old? I’m barely twenty.
Kiln pulled on his pants and yawned.
“I put his picture on the punching bag downstairs. It should make for a good workout.”
Too bad it’s not Boikis’ picture. I’d like to punch him a time or two.
“I saw your dad yesterday,” Bruno continued. “He didn’t look too good. Is he all right?”
“Fine,” Kiln lied. In truth, he hadn’t ever seen his father in the flesh, though Namic told him that he was very sick.
“He’ll bounce back,” Bruno said. “He always does. I mean, what would we do without Haggy, right?”
Kiln pulled on his shirt and boots.
“Without him, we’d be stuck with Praxis the Immortal. We’re gonna start calling you Praxis the Untimely”
Bruno bounded to him, and messed his hair. Kiln smiled and smoothed it back with his fingers.
“Aahh pretty boy now. I see.” He messed his hair again, a defiant smile on his face.
When Kiln tried to smooth it, he pushed him backwards, hard.
Kiln stumbled back and tumbled to the floor.
“See, that’s why you needed to be working out today,” Bruno grinned. “Praxis losing his balance? I see why Eli said you were getting old, man.”
“It’s early.”
“Let’s get down to the field. I want to rip something’s head off!”
Bruno’s boundless energy fired something in Kiln and when the man jogged out of the door and headed to the courtyard, Kiln raced after him.
Bruno put him through the paces, acting as Kiln’s own personal trainer and, sometimes, jester. They laughed as they sweated, pushing their bodies to the limit. With Bruno’s helpful tips, and some good-natured ribbing, Kiln quickly improved his form. He ran faster. He jumped higher. He pushed harder. He absorbed Bruno’s energy, feeling closer to his brother, and Bruno, with every drop of sweat.
“That was all right, Prax,” Bruno said, looking at his watch. “Tomorrow I want to see some of that old spark. Some of that thirst for glory.”