The small figure stirred, and his bright blue eyes fixed ahead with hatred. The Fae snarled at the camera revealing its wicked teeth as its chest heaved, drawing in deep, ragged breaths. It eased some of my anxiety, helping remind me that he was neither a boy nor Damiq, but a deadly creature who would tear my throat out. I felt sick, and this time it had nothing to do with being pregnant.
A male voice spoke from behind the camera. ‘Tell me who you work for.’
The Fae hissed. Someone moved behind the lens, the shuffle of feet loud on the recording.
‘No!’ The Fae sunk in the seat, defeated. ‘Malachi orders me.’
‘Not Vakros?’ the man asked.
The Fae groaned and shook his head. ‘I weren’t created by Vakros. I’m controlled by the Siis Council.’
The Major took the tablet back and paused it. ‘You see?’
I shook my head. It had to be a trap. It just had to be. The Siis couldn’t be using Fae, let alone creating them. Bile rose, burning the back of my throat. ‘You’re lying.’ My words lacked any strength.
‘I wish I were. If that was true, we could form an alliance with the Siis. But, if they steal our children, how can we do that? How can we work alongside war criminals? How do you do it?’
I shook my head while the word ‘No’ bounded around my brain. Would they do it? Could Eris do it? ‘No. This is a lie. Eris would never allow it.’
‘Eris of Kileam?’
I nodded.
‘Is she a council member?’
I shook my head. ‘No, well yes. She is really low down. But she has a lot of clout being Malachi’s prodigy, and I know she would never tolerate such things.’
‘His prodigy?’ The Major stared at the tablet, his tone almost bored, as if he didn’t care about the answer, yet his fingers hovered above the screen as he waited for my response with bated breath.
I gulped. Was I allowed to tell him that? Too late now. ‘He has taught her the ways of the Siis power.’ It wasn’t like I could take the words back. ‘But don’t ask me any more about it because I have no idea what he does with her.’
‘How well do you know Ms. Kileam?’ the Major asked. ‘Have you spent a lot of time with her?’
I shrugged, trying to figure out where the questions were heading, if only to get ahead of the game.
‘Do you have constant knowledge of her whereabouts?’ he continued. ‘For all you know, she could be the main culprit. We have seen her skills, and taking a few children would be nothing to her.’
‘No! You don’t know what you are talking about. Eris would never, ever do that. Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t like to meet her down a dark alleyway, or anywhere if she was in a bad mood for that matter, but she would never harm the kids.’
‘You can’t know that for sure.’
I had to make them understand. Eris hadn’t deceived me in such a way. She couldn’t have. ‘It doesn’t make sense. Why would she go to the trouble of making Kipsu with Cissy if she was doing something like that? It wasn’t their fault it didn’t work. And that’s another way I know she wouldn’t do it. When she was ordered to kill Cissy, she didn’t. She hid her and gave her family loads of money.’
‘And she told you this herself?’
‘No. Cissy did.’
He relaxed back in his chair with his fingers linked on his stomach. ‘Why was Cissy ordered to death if she was helping the Siis?’
‘She wasn’t helping the Siis, only Eris.’
He frowned. ‘I am afraid I still do not understand. If she was helping Kileam, why would the Siis want her dead?’
‘Because it only made humans immune t-t—’ Oh crap! What was I saying?
‘Immune to the Siis?’
‘I never said that.’ Crap! Crap! Crap! I was so dead.
He smiled with satisfaction. ‘I believe that you did.’
‘No, no. I meant, immune to… immune to…’ Damn. My mind remained blank.
Pushing the tablet aside, he leant forward and rested his elbows on the table. ‘What does this Kipsu do?’
‘No. I wasn’t saying that. I don't—’
‘How does it work? Does it make us immune to the Siis powers?’
I tried to think straight, to find an answer that would end his line of questioning. ‘I don't—’
‘What does it do?’
‘I don’t know!’ I buried my face in my hands. ‘Please. Stop asking me questions. I don’t know what to say.’ Oh my God! I had just monumentally screwed up.
‘Tell me where I can find it, Ana.’ He leant further over the table, stopping so close, our breath mingled. ‘Where is the Kipsu? Millions could die in this war. Help us save our people. Help us save our world from these beings that are raising an army of children, our children. Help us.’
I groaned. My head spun, and I couldn’t form a coherent thought. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Tell me where this Kipsu is, or at least tell me who can create it. Tell me what it does.’
The tablet beeped, and the Major’s eyes scanned from left to right as if reading. ‘This Cissy you speak of, I presume this is Elizabeth Lovelock, great-grandmother of your friend—’ he glanced at the tablet ‘—Miss Maria Gibbons?’
‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’ Crap! Eris was going to strip the flesh from my bones when she learnt of this.
The Major stood. ‘Thank you, Ms. Martin. I believe that we are done here.’ He took the time to push his chair under the table. ‘Someone will be in to escort you out, and the Damiq will be released as agreed.’
I braced myself. ‘What about my dagger?’ I might have understood them taking it from me when I arrived at their base, but it didn’t mean I had to like it.
‘It will be returned as promised when you are returned to your camp.’
I watched him go, wallowing in misery. What had I just done spilling information about the Kipsu? It wouldn’t end well.
* * *
They led me out of the large, bland building and into the back of an army truck with four soldiers to make sure I didn’t try anything untoward. The vehicle rocked as it travelled down the road, and the cold air rushed through the material sides, whipping my hair around my face. I rubbed my hands together trying to warm my fingers. It made a blind bit of difference, and the skin continued to turn blue. It didn’t matter. Eris would kill me when she found out I’d blabbed about Kipsu. She wouldn’t care that it had been an accident, or that I’d arrive back with the Damiq. She would only care that I had given the government a way to level the playing field.
The truck lurched to the left, and I fell off the small bench. I hissed through my teeth as the metal floor grazed the skin off my knees. The soldiers appeared to ignore me, though I bet they watched me from the corner of their eyes.
I grabbed the bench and tried to find my feet. The vehicle lurched again, and I staggered to the side. One of the soldiers grabbed me by the arm and slammed me back onto the bench. He sat back down without a word with his rifle on his lap, strategically pointed in my direction.
We were going to get the Damiq. I had to focus on that for if I didn’t, I would burst into tears.
Harvey, the soldier who haunted me as I got him killed, laughed. Eris is going to kill you. He liked to point out all my screw-ups,
I groaned. Leave me alone. I'm berating myself enough without your input.
Enjoy the moment, Ana. Your death sentence is already set, and the minutes are ticking away.
I stared ahead at the material flaps, ignoring him. I focused on getting the Damiq back. That’s what mattered. We could deal with the rest later. At least the murder charges were going to be dropped, at least they would be if the Prime Minister kept his word. The vehicle lurched again, and I gripped the edge of the bench, maintaining my position.
Harvey sat next to the closest soldier, his legs spread out before him, his posture relaxed. They might be taking you to your death now!
I grit my teeth, but Harvey’s words had
planted a seed, and my heart rate increased. I glanced at the soldiers, but their passive features gave nothing away. What if Harvey was right? What if the Prime Minister had gotten all he wanted from me, and now I was disposable? No! That couldn’t be the case. I looked past the soldiers, through the gap in the material. If I needed to escape, four soldiers stood between me and freedom. Four armed men without one hint of compassion in their stony expressions. I chewed my nail as the fear took control of my heart. My nostrils flared with gasped breaths as I fought off the looming panic. I would be okay. They would keep their word and release the Damiq. They would allow me to walk free.
Harvey laughed. Yeah, like they did before. Maybe they will take all your nails this time. You won’t have anything to chew on then.
I clenched my hands. Go to hell!
The truck slowed and turned off the main road. My stomach twisted, and my throat closed off. What if they were taking me to a Government facility? I touched my hip, missing the dagger they had taken from me. I hadn’t wanted to part with it, and the stitched cuts on my hand still ached from where I had held the dagger in a death grip as they explain that I had two choices: give up the weapon and get the Damiq back, or go home empty-handed. There wasn’t a choice, but I still regretted handing it over to them, even with the promise I would get it back once we were finished. It could have been planned, ensuring I had no way to defend myself.
I clenched my teeth. If this were a setup, I would just have to fight my way out with whatever weapon I could find. I looked the four soldiers over. If it came to that, the nearest one, to the left of the exit, would be the best person to tackle. Even with his combat gear, he seemed slight of frame. The other three were heavier. But how could I take control of the situation before they all set upon me? I had no knife to cut the rifle strap, and they wouldn’t be stunned by a sudden attack; they were too well trained. I studied the material flaps that made up the side. Ropes held them in place, making it impossible to slip out the side.
Please, please, please, don’t be a setup.
I gulped down the last of the moisture in my mouth as the truck stopped. The smaller soldier jumped out first. He fiddled with the metal flap acting as a door before it dropped down with a clang that caused the vehicle to shudder. The three remaining soldiers followed and waited for me outside. Their weapons remained at their side, but I couldn’t relax. It would take a mere heartbeat to send a bullet through my head.
One of the soldiers beckoned for me to get out, but I couldn’t move. My joints were rigid, and all strength had fled me. If I stood, I would fall.
‘Move!’ the soldier demanded.
Harvey jumped out of the truck and beckoned me to follow. Come on. The firing squad is waiting.
‘Screw you,’ I muttered. I took a deep breath to find some courage, flexed my stiff fingers, and stumbled out of the truck.
Trust what you have accomplished. The words, said not by Harvey, but in my father’s voice, helped calm my nerves, if only a little.
The nearest soldier, his orange hair and pale young features spoke of a boy rather than a man who could take my life. I glanced at his gun, wishing I held it in my hands. I could barely use it, but having it would still bring a measure of comfort. Then again, any scenario that involved the soldiers being unarmed brought comfort, regardless of whether I held a weapon.
Orange hair gestured to the off-white building before us. ‘This way.’ He marched to the wire fence surrounding the entrance, showed his identification to the armed guard, and gestured for me to join him.
I considered running, my whole body screamed for me to sprint from the place, but I wouldn’t make it to the wire-mesh fence before they captured me. For better or worse, I needed to follow it through. Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I followed the guards into the building.
The artificial light in the corridor stung my eyes. The grey walls and laminated floor, coupled with the armed guard posted at most doors and cameras in every corner, screamed prison. Would it become my home as well as the Damiq’s? Could I dare to believe that I would be able to walk out of here with the Damiq in tow? My head argued yes, that Eris wouldn’t have left me alone if she suspected I would be in danger, but my heart thundered in protest.
We followed a long corridor to a set of locked double doors. The positioned guard typed in a code, allowing us access. As soon as I crossed the threshold into a large warehouse, my fear disappeared, and my hands shook for a whole different reason.
I whirled on the soldier escorting me. ‘You keep them as caged animals? How dare you!’
Columns of enclosures stretched out before me. The captured Damiq and Fae each had an individual cage made of daku, yet they were no bigger than a dog pen, forcing them to crouch. Each column was two enclosures wide and three high. They were housed like battery hens, and even with the cold breeze running through the large space, the stench reminded me of a sewage farm.
The soldier nodded to someone in a grey jumpsuit, and the man hurried over with keys.
‘I have been given orders to let you choose who you take,’ the soldier said. ‘As long as none of them has the pointed teeth.’ He nodded to Jumpsuit, who fiddled with the keys until he reached a small daku one. I snatched it from his hand. He started to protest, but after a nod from the soldier escorting me, he shrugged and wandered away. He didn’t care, as long as he got paid.
‘Ana?’ a weak voice called. I scanned the columns until I spotted the small hand reaching through the wire mesh on the third column, second row up. I hurried over, breathing through my mouth to avoid the stench. It didn’t help and now I could taste the blood, urine and excrement. My eyes stung in response.
‘Toby?’ I recalled his face even though we had only spoken once when he’d helped me serve dinner. Blood smeared his cheeks and white-blonde hair, broken up by tear tracks. His nails were cracked and broken to the quick with dried blood collected in the cuticles. He must have fought long and hard in an attempt to escape. ‘It’s okay now. You are getting out of here.’ I unlocked the cage and pulled the door open. Toby remained inside, his eyes drawn in terror. ‘Come on,’ I said moving to the next cage. Another Damiq, a new face, maybe from a different habitat. Toby slipped out of his cage as I released her and moved on.
I travelled the columns for fifteen minutes, sometimes taking the time to greet a Damiq I knew, sometimes saying nothing as I released the Damiq inside, sometimes ignoring the cage as it contained a Fae. Some of the Fae hissed at me, some begged for their release. I considered it. Even the Fae were once children, and they didn’t deserve this. But they were still Fae. They would become a threat once away from the government facility. They were also not part of the deal. I remained strong with this resolve until I reached the final column.
I almost overlooked her. She had pointed teeth, and daku lined nails, so she was Fae. I went to move on but stopped and studied her shi. The Fae’s shi was dark, like a laden thundercloud, but the small girl-like figure before me was a light shade of grey, lighter than half the Damiq I knew. She huddled in the corner with her arms tight around her chest as she wept silent tears. I reached out with my mind, trying to get a sense of the corruption in her, but I sensed only despair.
‘Toby?’ I needed a second opinion.
I watched the Fae as Toby hurried over with two Damiq I recognised from Nicolai’s habitat, but didn’t know. Another Damiq followed. His dark shi made me uneasy, regardless of his straight teeth and untouched nails. I reminded myself that Parker’s was darker and pointed to the small Fae. Toby studied her for a moment.
‘Well?’ I asked.
He shrugged. ‘If we were hunting, I would take her back to Nicolai.’
‘So you think she can become Damiq?’
He shrugged again. ‘Maybe.’ He scanned the area only to lower his eyes when he caught the soldiers watching us.
The young Fae looked up at me with hope. ‘Please take me. I don’t want to be Fae. I don’t want to be here.’ Fresh tears tracked dow
n her cheeks. ‘Please get me out.’
Crap! This was all we needed. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Holly.’
Toby crouched down, facing her. ‘When were you taken?’
The girl shuddered. ‘I don’t know how long I’ve been here.’
Toby shook his head. ‘I mean, when did the Fae take you?’
‘I don’t know. It was the day after my sixth birthday.’
‘And when was that?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know.’ She sniffed and buried her head in her arms. Her petite shoulders shook as sobs wracked through her.
One of the soldiers approached, his boots silent on the concrete floor. ‘What’s the holdup?’ The rifle remained at his side, but his finger lay across the trigger guard. He glanced back to where the Damiq had congregated, and his finger twitched, aching to bring the weapon up.
I pointed at Holly. ‘This one is Damiq.’
He stepped back to look in the cage while keeping his distance from us. ‘She looks Fae to me.’
I shook my head. ‘She has the teeth, but she isn’t Fae. I'm taking her with me.’
The soldier brought his rifle up. Within a blink of an eye, six more soldiers surrounded us with their weapons trained on our heads. The Damiq cowered against the cage with their faces tucked into their shoulders, desperate to avoid confrontation.
‘Step back from the cage!’ the soldier ordered.
I glanced at Holly. I should walk away, after all, she was Fae, but what did that make me? My eyes said Fae, but my senses argued otherwise. She wasn’t damaged enough to be true Fae yet. The pleasure the Fae took from hate and revenge hadn’t corrupted her soul. And if she had been taken recently, her parents would still be alive.
I met the soldier’s eyes. ‘I can't do that.’
More soldiers arrived at the end of the column and trained their weapons on us. How many bullets did they think they would need?
Noble Lies Page 5