She tossed a few more things into the bag; her energy gun, a few things Delilah had given her, till it was full. She changed into a simple black dress and stockings. Then she returned to the window. Beast was waiting on the roof, keeping watch. Claire climbed out of the window and out onto the roof.
The roof system at Cantor Manor was random at best. The towers were the only fixed points, but between them levels rose and fell, creating mountains and valleys of rooftop.
"I wish I knew what hospital Julius was at." Claire said. "We could go see him there. If we went in through a window, we could get him alone." "He's not at a hospital." Beast said, still looking out over the rooftops.
"He isn't? Then where is he getting treated?"
"The High Empress will want him close now. He is at the Crystal Palace." Beast said simply. "It is impossible to reach him there."
Claire swore, something she only ever did rarely. "I wish I knew where Delilah was. She could help us." She looked around and sighed. "Let's get out of here." She said. She climbed up onto Beast's back and he jumped from the roof.
*** The dark-haired boy woke from a fitful sleep, something was pinching him. His sheets and blanket were too suffocating. He kicked them off and rose from his bed. He pulled the blanket and sheets from the bed and dumped them on the floor. He spotted something shiny laying on the mattress. He picked it up and inspected it.
It was a thumbtack. He frowned. He was going to get that damned Delilah one day, even if it killed him.
He couldn't get back to sleep, so he left his rooms and walked along the balcony overlooking the main hall. He especially liked the view from up here. It was best at night too. There was no one around and everything was silent and empty.
It was the perfect place to plot.
Tonight he plotted his revenge against Delilah. The little brat was always teasing him. Even the times when he hadn't even done anything to her yet.
He leaned against the marble railing, looking down at the marble floor below. Moonlight from the large front windows pooled on the floor. It stood out against the pale moonlight that filtered through the thick smoky glass above him. His eyes scanned the entire hall.
There was light coming from around the door to Father's study. Was he working even this late?
His father had been acting differently lately. He was gone for longer and longer stretches of time. Even when he was home, he barely talked to them anymore. He had even gone to his mother and complained about Father's behavior.
"Shh, Julius." She had said gently, placing a hand on his cheek. "You're father is busy. There is war brewing. The High Empress needs him."
He had sulked a good bit after that. Delilah's efforts at 'cheering him up' only made it worse. Which he told her.
"You're such a sourpuss." She had said to him, then she had stuck her tongue out at him.
He scowled in the darkness at the memory.
It was then that he heard voices, a muffled scream, then a shout. He peered over the railing, his dark eyes fixed on the study door.
The door flew open then, banging into the wall. A dark shadow flew out of it backwards, avoiding something inside the study.
He saw his father rush from the study, attacking the shadow. He saw that the shadow was really a man wearing a cloak. His skin was as black as coal in the dim light of the moon. The cloak flared back. He could see that this man had no arms. Only shiny metal covering his shoulders.
He clutched the marble railing with his small hands. He didn't move or speak, riveted by what he saw.
He had never seen his father in such a rage before. He screamed incoherently, attacking the shadow man ruthlessly.
He thought it was odd that his father wasn't trying to use a gun. His father knew no barehanded fighting, he was sure. But he was trying to attack the shadow man with his fists.
"Hold still and let me slay you, nightmare!" His father shouted. "You will haunt me for the last time!"
"I am not what haunts you." The shadow man replied, talking calmly while he dodged and ducked the attacks. "It is the burden you carry. You will continue to carry it, until you willingly relieve yourself of it."
"Ha! I see no burden!" His father screamed at the shadow man, the nightmare. "Only you!"
"You are a fool." The nightmare replied. "Your burden has already cost you the one you care about most. How much more will you sacrifice?"
His father paused, seething in anger. "She got in the way. She shouldn't have gotten in the way." He muttered, then attacked the shadow man again. His father grabbed him around the neck. The shadow man was taller than his father, but his father's grip was immovable in his rage. The shadow man struggled. but could not get free. Finally he dropped to the floor, swinging his legs out and catching his father's legs. His father fell and lay still. The shadow man stood over him.
"You will die here." The monster said, his voice like ice.
The boy shivered against the rail. "Leave him alone!" He shouted down at the monster.
The monster looked up at him, his tawny eyes glowed. The boy hefted up an antique lamp and threw it down at the monster. It was way off mark and hit the floor, shattering harmlessly.
"Julius! Get away from here!" His father shouted. He had fallen next to a small table. He rose, picking up the table by a leg and slamming it into the monster. The shadow man was unfazed.
"You're movements are weak." He said. "Your burden drains the life out of you. Stop, or you will die."
The boy raced down the stairs, grabbing the monster by the cloak. "Leave him alone!" He shouted. There was a flurry of movement, and a shout. The boy was knocked into the wall. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.
When he came to, the main hall was in shambles. The great front windows were all shattered and the doors at the main entrance hung off the hinges.
The boy shook the ringing from his ears. He rose to his feet, looking around. He spotted a figure lying on the floor, not moving. He rushed over to his father and began shaking him. "Father! Wake up!"
After several minutes of this he bowed his head. When he lifted his head again, tears ran down his cheeks and there was hatred in his eyes. His teeth were clenched. "Nightmare..." He whispered hoarsely.
*** Julius opened his eyes and found himself before the High Empress again. This time he was sitting and she was standing. She walked around him slowly, trailing one finger over the backs of his shoulders. "Julius, I was so worried about you." She said in her small, icy voice.
Julius was tense, wanting to go and find the shadow man immediately. He had waited so many years. So long, with no clue or trace. He had almost allowed himself to forget. But no, he should never forget. "I am fine." He said firmly, clenching his hands into fists. He wanted to crush the life out of that monster with his bare hands.
The High Empress leaned over him from behind, putting her lips to his ear. "How long has it been, since your father passed away?" She asked.
"Fourteen years." Julius said, his voice hard. "You were so young then, so helpless..." The Empress said with sympathy.
"Not any longer." Julius said. "I can kill him now."
"I cannot spare you, Julius." The High Empress said sadly. "I cannot let you go after him. You must stay here with me."
Julius closed his eyes as if in pain. "He has Claire."
"Claire? Oh, you mean your ward." The Empress made a soothing noise in his ear. "You need not worry, everyone in the city is looking for them. She will be found." The High Empress ran a sharp nail down his cheek. "You care for this ward of yours?"
"She is valuable to me." Julius said. "She is one of a kind."
The Empress ran a finger down his other cheek. "Do you love her?" She asked quietly.
"I love only you." Julius said, turning his face to hers.
The High Empress wrapped her icy arms around his neck. "Good." She whispered.
***
Claire soon found that getting close to Julius was harder than she ever imagined. He never left the Crystal
Palace now, without being accompanied by an extensive bodyguard. She waited and waited for her opportunity, but it didn't come. And days turned into weeks. And weeks drifted into months.
They wandered the city, never stopping in one place for more than a day. Claire thought to stay in the Stone District, where technology was nearly non-existent and the High Empress' grip wasn't as strong.
The poor and destitute abounded here. It was one step up from the Junk Yard, but not a high step. The Stone District was a thick line along the Copper District. The Copper District was entirely industrial, and it farmed it's workers from the Stone District.
Most of the Copper District was mechanized, meaning it did not need human workers on the lines, but rather, humans to run the machines. As it was, the demand for human workers was greatly surpassed by the sheer number of those who were willing to work.
Claire watched one day as a big, canvas-covered truck rolled into the middle of a circle of huts and broken down houses. People exited the huts, circling around the truck. There was a screen on the side of the truck. Words scrolled across it and a tinny voice emitted from a speaker, for those that could not read:
"These are the factory jobs that have opened last night. Please step forward and place your thumb on the screen to begin." The truck was driven by a man in a gray uniform, another sat in the passenger's seat. He was armed with an energy rifle. Claire recognized it as the first one Julius had designed. The potential workers lined up in front of the screen. Each one would place their thumb against the screen in a red circle. More words would scroll across the screen then and the voice would ask questions. Then the worker would walk around to the back of the truck and climb in.
Claire and Beast stood in the shadows some distance away. "Employment in the factories is for life." He explained to her as they watched. "And the lifespans of the workers are not very long. The factories let off carcinogens into the air. When a worker dies, a new one must be found."
"So, these trucks tally up all the dead each day, and come down here to farm more workers." Claire said.
"Yes." Beast answered
Claire shivered. "What an awful system." She said.
"It is Julius' idea." Beast said. Claire looked up at him. "The Upper Class prefer to have as little as possible to do with the Stone District and the Junk Yard. They originally planned on manning the factories with androids. But Julius stepped in, saying that human labor was cheaper to upkeep. The High Empress sided with him, and it became law."
Claire gave the truck and workers a long, tired look. "We don't belong here." She said. "We stand out too much. I don't want to stay here any more."
"Where shall we go next?" Beast asked. "The Copper District is too dangerous to remain in for long."
"Let's go to the Silver District." Claire said. "There are more people looking for us there, but we can blend in easier." Plus, she had not yet given up hope of talking to Julius again.
They moved to the Silver District. Claire was wary about revealing herself anywhere she went. Her red hair stood out too much, made her too recognizable. She tied it up as tightly as she could and covered it in a silk shawl Delilah had given to her. She opened her makeup kit, another gift from Delilah, and blacked her eyebrows. Delilah had been an adept makeup teacher. Claire also dotted a dark orange lip pen across her nose and cheeks lightly, creating realistic freckles.
Claire inspected her face in her tiny mirror. "OK." She said, packing up her things into her book bag. "I'll find us a place to stay for now."
Claire rented a room at a small hotel, right on the outer edge of the Silver District. It didn't even have elevators. The Innkeeper gave her a suspicious look at first, until Claire flashed her silver card. He checked her in, omitting her name from the registry as well, and checked her into a room on the fourth floor.
When she got into the room, she opened the window all the way. Beast swung into the room from the roof, landing silently on the floor. "Let's get some sleep now." Claire said to him. "I want to leave early in the morning. Before dawn. I don't trust the Innkeeper."
"You think he recognized you?"
"He didn't ask my name for the registry."
Beast walked to the bed. They lay down together. Claire curled up against his chest. "It shouldn't be much longer." She said before drifting off, as she had done every night since they left Julius.
*** The Innkeeper greeted the officers at the front door. "She hasn't been down yet. Someone was behind the desk all night and they would have seen her if she did."
"And the kidnapper?" One of the black uniformed officers inquired.
The Innkeeper shook his head. "I didn't see him." His face grew concerned. "Be careful." He told them. "She's probably been through so much. I wonder how she got away from that monster."
The Officer nodded. "We'll soon find out. Thank you for your cooperation." They stealthily moved up the stairs.
But all they found was an empty room, the window wide open.
Chapter XVII – Planning "I'm hungry." Claire moaned. She had eaten sparingly for the past month. She dared to restock her book bag only from vending machines. And only if there was no one else around.
Beast's eyes scanned the streets. They were perched on the highest rooftop in the area. Claire looked down at the streets below. She was no higher up that she had ever been in a junk pile.
"I see some machines." Beast said. Claire followed his gaze and spotted them as well. They were lined up outside of a place called Club Heat.
"Okay." Claire said. "Let's go." She climbed up on Beast's back and he jumped lightly over the rooftops and down to the ground. They landed in an alley a few blocks away from the vending machines.
"You wait here." She told him. "You stand out too much." She made sure her shawl was covering her hair completely. "I understand." Beast said, as he had every time Claire
had to separate from him. He took a step back, blending into the
shadows.
Claire stepped out of the alley, into the glow of the
streetlights. There was a hovercar track going through here, like
most of the Silver District. It was deserted right now, as it was
still too early for this part of the district's nightlife to start.
She crossed the hovercar track and made her way to the vending
machines. She pulled out her silver card and was just about to
swipe it when she was grabbed from behind. A large hand
covered her mouth before she could scream and she was dragged
into the club.
Once the door was closed, her mouth was released and she
was thrown over one extremely broad shoulder and carried. She
screamed and kicked. But to no effect.
"You'll never guess what I found here!" The man holding
her exclaimed to someone Claire couldn't see. He had a deep
voice. "Half the city looking for her and she was right on our
doorstep."
There was a laugh. "Boss'll be happy to see her, that's for
sure. Bring her to the back."
Claire was carried through a wide open area. There was a
shiny smooth wood floor and slim black tables and chairs all
around. She spotted a bar on one end. Everything was quiet and
still. Except for herself, she was still struggling.
She was carried through a doorway and down a long hall.
The man carrying her paused. She heard him knock on a door.
Then the door was opened and Claire was carried into the room
beyond. "I have a live one here." The man carrying Claire
laughed. "She keeps trying to bite me."
He dropped Claire unceremoniously on the floor. Claire
looked around the room. She was in front of a wide desk the
color of pitch. It was glossy to the point of being reflective.
Someone sat in a chair on the other side, but the chair was facing
>
away from Claire.
"I'm pretty sure it's her, Boss." The large man said. "I saw
her hair. She was trying to cover it up." He pulled Claire's shawl
off her head. Claire's smooth red hair fell loose around her
shoulders and down her back.
Claire tensed as the chair turned, revealing the person
sitting there, fingers steepled.
"Delilah!" Claire cried happily. She got to her feet and
launched herself at the woman, who was sporting straight black
hair today.
"Oh sweetie!" Delilah said, hugging her. "I was so
worried about you. You've been gone for months!"
Claire frowned. "How long has it been? Exactly. I don't
know. Days and nights run together in the Stone District. The
black clouds from the Copper District cover the sky." Delilah opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted
by a loud crash from the hallway. Delilah's perfect brows knit in
concern. The large man that had carried Claire went to the door to check what was going on. Before he could turn the knob, the door was knocked inwards, bursting off it's hinges. The man flew back, landing against the desk and sliding to the floor. The door
hit the floor with a loud bang.
Claire rushed forward. "Beast! It's OK! I'm fine!" She
shouted.
The destruction stopped and Beast stood there in the
hallway, surrounded by groaning bodies. He fixed his tawny eyes
on Claire, then on Delilah.
Delilah rose from her chair slowly. Her emerald eyes
were unreadable. "So." She said softly. "This is the man that
murdered my father." She said.
Claire looked up at Delilah worriedly. Delilah stepped out
from behind her desk and walked across the room, to the door. Everyone was quiet. Some even held their breaths. Beast
watched her walk closer. He stood there, waiting.
She stepped onto the destroyed door and walked through
the doorway and into the hallway, casually. Her shiny black heels
clicked on the wooden floor. She opened her slim black purse
and pulled out a thin black tube. She opened up a pocket mirror,
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