The bartender served a drink of gold color in a short glass. She drank and stared intensely at me before answering, “There are two types of Alphas, those who worship the Elites like the ones following you like a dog. Giving Alphas a bad name clinging to the Elites, parasites with no regard for their dignity whatsoever.”
She took another drink from her glass and continued, “And then there’s us, the superior race of Alphas, who doesn’t care about the Elites, we don’t need them. As a matter of fact, they should be the ones worshipping us.”
I thought her reason was something similar to mine, resenting the Elites for their awful nature. She only despised them because of her pride, believing they were as wealthy and powerful as the Elites. She wasn’t different, just blinded by her own vanity.
I was glad Curtis interrupted us. I didn’t think I could take more of people like her. His expression was grim when he arrived, and I knew something was bothering him.
He leaned closer and whispered something in my ear, “I need to talk to you Ellie.”
I saw the urgency in his eyes.
Then I turned back to the couple I was conversing with. “I’m sorry but it’s time for me to go,” I said.
“So soon? It’s too early to leave,” Viola said disappointed.
“Sorry…” I apologized.
She scoffed. “I know this party is boring…” She took another sip from her drink then her expression changed like she had an idea. “Perhaps, you two would like to come? Let me show you how Alphas throw a real party. Trust me it’s not like your boring evening balls.”
I wasn’t at all interested in finding out. “I’m sorry but it’s getting late and we’ll be flying back to Pinewood soon,” I respectfully declined.
“I insist, it’s just on the rooftop, and you’re always free to leave if you want to,” Viola said and before I could say anything, she grabbed my wrist and led me across the hall without waiting for me to reject her offer. I glanced back at Curtis making sure he was following, in which he did with Benjamin beside him.
Guests were watching when we passed through and before I knew it, the four of us were in the elevator going up to the rooftop.
When the elevator stopped and opened, a blast of music of a techno rhythm was booming all over, it was so loud that my chest was pounding with the beat. We got off the elevator and made our way through the crowded place.
“Now this is what I call a party!” Viola shouted trying to be heard over the music and her hands up in the air.
Then she grabbed Benjamin’s hand and went deep into the crowd. The rooftop was large and spacious, and dark with only lights of blue, green and red of circles and laser beams blinking with the rhythm. White smoke was all over the floor and on top of us like heavy clouds but was well in our reach. Some of the lasers bounced off these smokes like they were solid mass while some were absorbed in the vapor giving it color, making the place mystical.
The aura was different from the party downstairs, much livelier and less formal. Everybody was dancing, the women in their short revealing dresses and the men in unbuttoned shirts or in suits or blazers with no ties. Their bodies close to each other, two entities seemingly moving as one, others in groups of three or more.
There was no gracefulness or elegance, just dancing to the beat allowing their bodies to be swept off by the music and their unspoken burning passion for the other. Most were drunk while others high. The men stared thirstily at the attractive women while the women giving their most seductive glance and smile to the man that caught their eye. And their body language swayed teasingly with the temptation of what the other craved for.
We made our way to the crowd trying to catch up to Viola and Benjamin but eventually we lost them when we reached the center. It was more crowded as they all danced around a pool. The water brightly glowing with the color blue then change to bright pink then back again as smoke crept on its surface. Some people were kissing passionately in the water while the others danced, their wet bodies shined and the splash from their motions sparkled against the lights.
Curtis saw a bar at the end of the pool and we made our way there, giving up our search for Viola and Benjamin. It was dark except for all the luminescent glowing liquors in a variety of colors shining more brightly in the dim place. There was a group of five women standing, laughing and shouting with excitement, they look young maybe eighteen, probably fresh out from the Institute.
The bartender served them their drinks, glowing bright green in a shot glass with a green flame dancing slowly on top of it. Each took one and drank together quickly in a single try then they cheered after, some were unaffected by the taste but others grimaced, not used to the strong liquor.
We stood at the corner away from the crowd and the noise. “Some party huh,” Curtis commented near me trying to be heard.
“It’s different but quite interesting,” I agreed speaking closer to his ear.
Then out of nowhere, he kissed me on the lips. It startled me, we never kissed in front of people let alone a large crowd but I didn’t resist, tasting the champagne on his lips and a burning sensation crept on my cheeks, unsure if it was the alcohol kicking in.
“What was that for?” I asked stunned but extremely pleased at the same time.
He chuckled. “I didn’t want us to feel out of place.”
I giggled. His closeness, his dashing suit and sweet scent, the music, and the darkness suddenly made me feel wanting him right this moment.
“Ellie, I‘ve to tell you something,” he said with a hint of worry on his face.
His expression broke the spell that this place promised to whoever entered.
“What is it?” I asked in urgency.
“I’m not sure if this is the appropriate place to say it.”
“You might as well tell me Curtis because you’re making me anxious.”
He was silent for a moment before he said, “Andrew lied to us. He didn’t need Alexander’s money at all. As a matter of fact, Andrew has a lot of wealth to spare.” He sighed heavily and continued, “I found out why Andrew brought us here… He’s using you to impress Alexander so that he’d agree to Andrew’s terms and price to send the city’s Protectors to Pinewood and retake control.” Curtis’ face was troubled. “He’s paying Alexander for his Protectors.”
My heart fell. That was Andrew’s plan all along. After what Curtis and I have worked for to appease the people, he was going to destroy everything. I knew it was too good to be true when he complied with the agreement, we shouldn’t have trusted him.
“Do you know if the mayor agreed?” I asked in despair.
“If Andrew gave a good price, he will,” he answered sadly.
With impending hopelessness, I stared blankly at the people around me, all oblivious to what was going to happen to the poor people of Pinewood, and soon to the whole Empire but who was I to judge when each of them had their own problems to face once they leave here.
They danced, drank and drowned themselves of the indulgence offered, who could blame them when the purpose of this place had fulfilled what it was built for, an escape from reality, a delusion no matter how temporary was better than nothing at all.
CHAPTER 8: VIENOS
CURTIS
Three weeks passed since the party at Ruckus City. The new batch of Protectors was deployed for almost a week now to the villages and towns enforcing order among the residents, aggressively continuing to search for Defiers and sympathizers. Andrew increased the taxes and collected a portion of every farmer’s harvest, breaking his word to uphold the agreement. Although he didn’t recapture the prisoners he released but their families were more scrutinized by the guards than the rest.
Hatred grew towards the Duke after he broke his word. Andrew knew they were capable of staging another riot so he instructed the Protectors that no one was allowed to leave their homes unless given permission by the officers in charge, and if they refuse to follow they’d be arrested.
Silence was all ove
r but not of the peaceful kind. It was the start of the rainy season and it didn’t help with the already gloomy atmosphere hovering over the land. The sound of raindrops on the leaves and the smell of wet grass and soil would’ve been a refreshing change but not today.
Ellie was furious after what Andrew did. What used to be our days spending our time I’d devotedly whisper sweet words to her ear were now replaced with the bitterness we shared for Andrew. She spoke to him once with such anger when she failed to control her temper. No matter how hard she explained, Andrew stubbornly refused to listen. She gave insults and I feared Andrew might do something harsh in return.
“You’re a foul beast! A horrid creature! Men and women would rather give their respect to a fool than to you!” Ellie shouted with rage.
But her insults were meaningless to him.
Andrew gave a sinister laugh. “Yes, a beast that overpowers you.”
She threatened using anything against him and I sensed her desperation.
“I’d make sure the Prince hear of this. One word from me and you’d fall out of favor from him and from your beloved so called circle of friends.”
And again her words were empty to him and he’d only laugh more.
“Where’s your Prince now? Nobody has found him yet and if he was found, I doubt he will hear your petty whining compared to what he’s been to.”
Ellie with nothing else left to do, storm off the room away from Andrew, fuming and have been avoiding him since then. It was a terrible exchange to witness, one I wouldn’t want to see again especially when Ellie was so infuriated by him. I was ashamed for what he did and who he was, I was disgusted we shared the same blood that I didn’t want to be anything related to him.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked Andrew, extremely revolted.
His eyes told me he wanted to hurt me for even asking that question in the first place.
“All those who defied me should not go unpunished,” he simply replied.
“At the risk of losing everything?”
“Who says I’m losing? It is just a matter of time now the ones responsible for all this would finally be captured,” he said with a menacing confidence.
The abduction of the Prince was still all over the news. The Emperor’s representative, Lord General Ashtra, a fearsome hard man with short black hair and a sturdy built, continually addressed the public through the moving hologram which lately only broadcast constant announcements from the Emperor that whoever knew the whereabouts of the Prince should report to the nearest Corps post. He’d also addressed to the Defiers that the Emperor was open to communicate and make a deal for the return of the Prince but everybody knew the Emperor was never really going to negotiate with rebels. It was wise of the Defiers to stay quiet this whole time.
This was the greatest act of defiance and if the Emperor loses his patience, he’d take it out on the citizens. I hope the Defiers were prepared for that. For now, the Emperor would have to wait while the Corps did their job. The focal point was Sunglow, gathering much needed evidence with the aid of Duke Rectner but it wasn’t a success since they couldn’t connect how the Defiers knew the route the Prince was going.
The Corps assumed there was a spy on the Prince’s household staff but they failed to gather any important information as they interrogated and threatened, and probably tortured each one of them. It never crossed their minds an Elite could be responsible and never bothered to question the Ladies who was with the Prince before he disappeared. It was regarded impossible and the idea of it was ridiculous that a Lady or a Lord could do a heinous act. It was the perfect cover for us.
I was in my chambers taking an afternoon nap on the couch when suddenly I felt a gentle nudge on my arm. I woke up startled that someone was inside my chamber. I sat up still disoriented from my sleep and then I saw Ellie, looking upset about something. She never comes to my chamber except maybe if there was a pressing matter.
“What’s the matter Ellie?” I asked worried.
She sat beside me and I could tell she wasn’t herself with her silence and her empty stare then she eventually answered, “We need to do something Curtis.”
I sighed. I knew what she meant.
“What do you plan to do?” I asked.
She glanced at the floor then back at me. “There’s only one thing in my mind but I couldn’t do this without you.”
I nodded. “I made a promise to you that I’ll make things right.”
She gazed at me grateful but I also saw her fear of what she was about to say. “A coup is the only logical move. We’ll overthrow Andrew and make you the Duke of Pinewood.”
I never imagined myself as Duke, the only sure way that could happen was if Andrew died but I doubt that’s what she had in mind.
“Please tell me what you’re thinking,” she pleaded.
“As much as I want to be of help with your plan but if we do a coup, the Emperor and his Corps are going to be upon us because treason is a very grave offense in the Empire. He would then reinstate Andrew after they capture us, making everything pointless,” I said.
Unfortunately, I was the one to tell her the plan was not remotely feasible. Her face showed disappointment.
“If we can’t do a coup, is it possible to have him abdicating his title to you?” she asked.
I paused, thinking of the possibility.
“It’s not illegal actually if he voluntarily relinquishes his title, sign a document and then passed it on to me,” I stated.
I saw the glimmer of hope in her eyes. “Then we could do that,” she declared eagerly.
“I don’t think he will voluntarily surrender his title to me Ellie.”
“I don’t think so too but we could force him, no one has to know about it. Maybe if we give him an offer he couldn’t refuse?”
“It’ll be hard, Andrew never cared about anything.”
“Not even if we threatened his life?”
“He’s not going to believe we’d hurt him.”
“Not us but the people he left to suffer would probably will.”
I frowned. “What are you getting at?”
Ellie shifted herself closer to me. “I was thinking we could detain him somewhere and have him sign the document abdicating his title to you, and if he refuses, we threatened him with his life, telling him that the people will decide how his fate would end if he doesn’t comply.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then we threatened some more, we won’t let him go until he signs. Nobody needs to know what we’re doing here and if Andrew signs the document, then no one will question how it was signed,” she replied.
“I don’t know… This could take a very long time.”
“I know but we have to try or everything is going to get out of hand,” she explained.
Andrew was going to be difficult to break but all men had limits, it was just a matter of the right buttons to push.
“And with Andrew out of the way, I’d be in command of the Protectors and the guards,” I said.
“Exactly, then Pinewood would be rid of such abuses and finally there would be peace,” Ellie said with eagerness.
I nodded. “Your plan might work.”
“It has to or we’ll be risking our lives for nothing,” she pointed out the reality of the outcome if this would fail.
This was our sacrifice for Pinewood and I agreed with Ellie, Andrew needed to be stopped once and for all. My forefathers would be extremely disappointed if they were here, I’d be known in history as the Bermule who destroyed their lineage but they were long gone from this world and their time was over, it was my turn now to do what I thought was right.
I’d rather destroy my lineage than to be known that the reign of the House of Bermule had the most terrible Duke and an apathetic Lord. The destruction of Pinewood would be written under Andrew’s name and mine if I did nothing to intervene. I couldn’t imagine what mother would think if she was still around, but I silently asked for her forgiveness f
or I feel no remorse in taking Andrew down, he was also her son after all. As for my father, there was nothing to say but he’d definitely be against me for being a traitor to the family.
Ellie and I found a new purpose and it was to save Pinewood and its people not as Defiers but as Lord and Lady, the time for pretending was at its end. I had enough of doing Andrew’s bidding for the sake of the Defiers.
It never crossed Andrew’s mind that I was a Defier for being compassionate, he was too proud to think the Bermule blood could be tainted with such disgrace. He knew I had a soft spot for caring like my mother, he thought it was my weakness but I wouldn’t have any second thoughts in revealing to him I was the Defier who was responsible for his demise, just so I would’ve the pleasure of seeing the horror on his face.
For the rest of the days that came, Ellie and I were planning on how to lure Andrew and detained him without creating any suspicions or causing a scene. Time and patience was the key for this to run smoothly. The first step of the planning and the crucial part was to enlist people who were willing to assist us in secret.
We talked about Mr. Thistle as one of the prospect but we were sure he was loyal to Andrew only, so he was out of the picture. Then there was Miss Pattilyn, we agreed she’d be of great help especially with the other staff. No doubt Peter was also with us. We planned to ask Sarah, the maid who was a Defier, if she knew others in the household who were like her or whose loyalty was to Pinewood and not to Andrew.
Lastly, the most important piece for this to work was Katherine. She was Andrew’s mate and would question his absence once we have him detained. Although she’d agree with me if I told her Andrew was a madman, but she never expressed her thoughts and I wasn’t certain if she had the courage to rebel against his mate and Duke.
Andrew never showed any emotions towards her and she the same to him, I never knew how he treated Katherine in their private time, if he was kind to her or intolerable, making it difficult to understand how their relationship was faring but Ellie assured me she could be trusted and she’d try to speak to her during their afternoon tea together. I was fond of Katherine and didn’t wish to hurt or pressure her into doing something dangerous but she needed to understand the desperate situation.
The Prevalence: Sequel and Final Book of The Premortals (The Premortals Series 2) Page 13