“We’ve been in worse situations than this,” he said, turning his head so that his cheek rested on her head. “We’ve had our city bombed. You’ve been shot.”
“Twice,” Lena added.
“Twice,” Gideon corrected himself with a small smile. “We’ve been hunted by rulers of two worlds, and escaped.”
“Technically, the Cimmerians are from Mir,” Lena added.
“Are you trying to be a smart-alec?” Gideon asked with a sad smile.
“Nope, just making sure that you’re getting your facts straight, Captain.”
“And that whole Captain-Recruit situation,” Gideon said.
“Yeah, I’d rather not repeat that.” Lena smiled then let it fall. Her memories felt distant. Yet it hadn’t even been a few months. “I hated you,” Lena finally said, pulling her knee’s up to her chest. “I thought you’d betrayed me. Thought you wanted me dead. You were the last person I ever wanted to see again. And at the same time, the only person I wanted to see again.” Lena turned to face him. He was already looking at her. “Gideon,” she whispered. “I can’t lose you, again.”
Gideon pressed his forehead to hers again. “We’re not going to lose each other, Eves. Not now, not ever.”
Gideon leaned forward. His lips pressed into hers. Lena’s heart pounded. She moved closer. Parting her lips, she kissed him back. Gideon drew in a whispered breath. Kneeling, he turned so she was directly in front of him. She kissed him again, this time with all the feelings she’d held inside for so long. She loved him. She moved to wrap her arms around him only to be reminded of the cuffs.
Gideon kissed her again then whispered against her lips. “We’re going to be okay,” he said. “We’ll figure a way out of this just like we figured a way out of everything else.” His lips pressed softly into hers. “I love you, Evangeline,” he said.
He kissed the top of her head then rested his cheek against it. Lena wished she could hold him. He turned to sit next to her. She curled her knees into her chest and nuzzled closer to him. He rested his chin on her head.
The door opened and Nath entered. He raised his eyebrows and sneered. “Looks like I already got offers for you and your gorgeous little girlfriend. Didn’t take long for people to hear you were coming up for auction.”
Lena tensed as Nath walked towards them, then stopped. Two men entered the room. Moving around Nath, they grabbed Lena by the elbows and pulled her up. Two more guards came and grabbed Gideon.
“Like I said, you’re going to make me rich.”
“Wait,” Gideon said. “You can’t sell us.”
Gideon looked panicked, but not as panicked as Lena felt. Her heart beat so fast, she couldn’t think straight.
Nath jeered. “Who’s going to stop me? Say goodbye to your girlfriend.”
“No!” Gideon yelled.
The guards began pulling Lena away. She turned her head, straining to see Gideon one last time. He thrashed against the guards who held him in place against the wall. The look on his face had turned from panic to fear to anger.
“Gid.” Lena could barely get the words out. Her hands shook as her pulse started to skip erratically. She was going to be sold. Then taken to the Priestess. She felt sick.
“Eves,” Gideon screamed. The door closed between them blocking out Gideon’s cries.
“Let’s get you cleaned up for the auction block, shall we?”
Chapter Forty-Two
The men cuffed Lena’s hands in front of her. Attaching a chain to the restraints, they yanked her forward. She tripped over her own feet only to yanked up again. As they pulled, her shoulder joints stretched, making them ache with the stress of it.
The men took her to a bathing room where two women were waiting for her. They weren’t any nicer than Nath but at least they shooed the men out. They stripped her down tearing her clothes in the process. As they scrubbed her raw, they complained about not being compensated enough for cleaning up a slave. If they knew who Lena was, they certainly didn’t care.
They were cruel as they forced her into a clean outfit and yanked the tangles out of her hair. They kept her hands and legs cuffed the whole time. Lena couldn’t move her feet further than a small step. Lena readied herself to fight, hoping to be un-cuffed when they dressed her, but the women had an outfit that buttoned around her in a way that left her bound.
When done, they called the two men back. Their eyes crawled over her body in a way she never wanted to be looked at again. They grabbed the chain attached to her cuffs and pulled her through side door into an alley between two log buildings. A glass box sat in front of them. It was a little taller and wider than she was. Opening one side of the box, they shoved her inside it, then removed her cuffs. The door was sealed before she had time to react. The men left her alone in the alley as they went back inside.
Lena clawed against the glass, desperate to escape. The more she pressed and rammed her shoulder into its surface, the more she realized she wouldn’t be able to break out. Slamming her hands one last time against its surface, she screamed in frustration.
After a few minutes the two men came back. The box hovered across the ground as the men maneuvered her through the alley into the open roads of the town.
They placed her on the far side of the city square. Setting up an electronic barrier around her prison, they guarded opposite sides of her box. People strolled past her, pouting in mockery and laughing. No one looked surprised that a caged girl hovered in their city square. She even heard one person comment on the price he thought they’d get for her.
Lena pressed her hands against the box. “Help me,” she screamed at the passing people.
One lady stopped and gave her the saddest look Lena had ever seen. The lady even wiped a tear from the side of her eye, but she didn’t help and as she walked away, Lena felt any hope she’d had up to that point fade away.
She slunk against the glass wall and slid to the floor. She folded her knees to her chin so that she’d be able to fit inside the glass prison. Resting her forehead against her legs, she began to cry.
There was nothing she could do but wait. Wait to be sold to the highest bidder. From the opposite side of the square, Lena saw Gideon in a box just like hers, being guided towards her. Lean stood and pressed her hands into the glass.
“Gideon,” she yelled.
He had been cleaned up. He wore an outfit similar to hers that buttoned around his arms and legs. The box that contained him floated across the square, then stopped next to Lena’s. The guards expanded the electric current to fit around Gideon’s box, then they joined Lena’s guards surveilling the crowds forming around them.
She lost track of time. She heard a roar in the sky and looked up. At least a dozen airships flew above Monmark. She watched as they landed on the outskirts of the town.Their ships landing caused the air to fill with dust, making the sky a hazy red. Dust swirled around the transparent prison.
Gideon turned to face her. He didn’t speak. He looked guilt ridden. Like he’d personally been responsible for their situation. But this wasn’t his fault. It was hers.
She pressed her head against the prison wall. “Gideon, I’m so sorry,” Lena said. The tears exploded like a dam breaking.
Gideon lifted his hand and pressed his palm against his prison. “Hey, don’t be sorry. Never be sorry. I would choose you every single day. Forever.” Gideon gazed at her with such affection she couldn’t look anywhere else.
The crowd parted allowing a group through. These must be the buyers. Lena’s insides clenched. This was it. They were going to be sold and taken to the Priestess.
Gideon gave her a comforting look, but all she felt was fear.
The crowd and the noise had increased at a rapid rate. Nath walked through the crowd, with the buyers. Their clothes looked expensive and they walked with poise and confidence. Five men and one woman. As they neared, they eyed Lena greedily.
Lena blinked on her lens:
Gerd Kodisz- He was a judge, the
lens was littered with information about Resistance leaders he’d imprisoned when her dad was still alive.
Abisha Primal- She was a lawyer. She was brutal in court, helping imprison the innocent of Mir in the Priestess’ early rise to power.
Halbert Poniard- He was a business owner. His money was spread through organizations that funded the rise of the Priestess.
Barrington Firing- The Zoons had been hired to bypass his security system last year. There was no additional information.
Ebner Ozog- Was an unknown. The Zoons had no information other than his name.
“I hope you’re pleased with our product,” Nath said. He released one side of the electric current and allowed the customers to step inside the boundary to get a better look. Bringing his arm up to rest on Lena’s box, he gave the crowd an arrogant smile. Nath had changed his clothes, but it was still all worn leather.
“How do we know it’s really her?” the woman Abisha asked. “She doesn’t look like the photo the Priestess has circulating.”
“Look at the photo of her as a child. Look at her eyes. They are the same. And we have verified that this is Gideon Merak. They were said to have been traveling together.”
Abisha inclined her head and gave Nath a haughty but uncertain look.
“Feel free to inspect the product for yourselves,” Nath said with a smile. “But fair warning, they bite.”
The men in the group laughed at Nath’s comment. They walked around both Gideon and Lena’s boxes, scrutinizing every angle of their product. Lena felt like an animal on display. One man, Ebner, even asked Lena to open her mouth. Lena glared at him.
They also scrutinized each other. They were not friends, that was for sure. This auction would determine who held the most power. The richest of them would buy their way onto the Priestess’ court, and Lena would be the currency. The buyers knew this.
“Nath, you’re a fool if you think the Priestess isn’t going to hear of your actions,” Gideon yelled through his cell. “She is going to come to get us, and you will be the one responsible for the death of all these people.” He signaled to the spectators who came to watch the auction.
Nath responded with a laugh. “Who says she doesn’t know,” he sneered. “And who says I care about the death of a few elite. Only the powerful are allowed to serve on her court. I’m only helping weed out the unworthy,” he said, as he spat to the side.
The buyers glared at each other. This wasn’t news to them. And by the looks on their faces, they each planned to be the most powerful.
The noise of the crowd increased. Nath leaned against the edge of Gideon’s box and turned to look for the source of the commotion. The crowds parted. A girl with a robotic arm marched through them like she owned the place.
Relief flooded Lena. Suki hadn’t been captured. Maybe the others were also free. As Suki approached, Lena could tell that Nath was intrigued by her. She was beautiful and confident. Suki winked at Lena and leaned over the electric barrier to speak with Nath. Her prosthetic arm pulsed with light.
“And who are you?” Nath asked, eyeing her up and down with a half smile.
“I’m Lady Suki,” she answered.
Nath’s smile dropped and his face turned into a snarl.
Suki smiled. “So, you’ve heard of me.”
Nath’s eyes went wide and his smile flattened. “You cost me millions,” he snarled.
“It wasn’t personal,” Suki said. “It was business.” Suki leaned in even further across the barrier. “You wouldn’t hold something as small as that against me, would you?”
Nath clenched his jaw and glared. “What do you want?”
“What I always want,” Suki said. “Information.”
“I have nothing to give you.” Nath spat to the side.
“Oh, you misunderstand,” Suki answered. “My employer wants your money. In return, he’ll give you valuable information about your product.” Suki beckoned across the city center.
Lucius stood directly across from them, his swollen face in a scowl as he crossed his arms. Even from where Lena stood she could see the purple of a bruise around his eye and across his nose from where Gideon had hit him.
“That is Lucius Serpens,” Suki continued. “Son of Nagar Serpens, formerly a member of the Priestess’ court. He trained with those two at the Defense Training Facility. He has information he says you’ll want.”
“I’m paying you nothing,” Nath sneered.
By this time, Suki had gained the attention of the other buyers. They gathered around Nath to hear what she had to say.
Suki shrugged her shoulders. “No loss to me. But back to young Master Lucius. You see he’s recently had a run of bad luck and is in desperate need to change that here at your auction.” Suki walked to the corner of the barrier to give the men a good look at Lucius.
Lucius kept standing, his lips pressed together in a scowl. But he held their gaze with a power only Lucius could pull off. They studied each other for a moment.
“Is he going to bid?” Nath finally said.
“Are you going to take his offer and buy the information he has?” Suki countered.
“No,” Nath said.
Suki leaned in to him. “Then, as a gesture of good will for any wrongdoing you may think I caused you, let me give you some advise. If I were you, I’d hire some more security.” She let the words sink in. “Good luck at your auction,” she said, before turning and walking away as powerfully as she had come in.
Chapter Forty-Three
“If that’s Lucius Serpens,” Gerd said, “we have trouble on our hands. His father is Nagar.”
“Nagar of the Priestess’ court?” asked the woman. She brushed her nose with the tip of her finger as if getting rid of a bad smell.
“Formerly of the Priestess’ court,” said the man. “He was dismissed.”
“You all are fools for falling for his antics. If you back out, the young Serpens will take your place in the bidding. He’ll be sitting in the spot meant for one of you,” Nath responded.
This comment caused a stir among the buyers. Their faces tightened into stone. Several lifted their shoulders as if ready to fight, but not with words. With money.
“The auction will start in one hour. Be ready with your bids,” Nath said. Adjusting his shirt, he signaled for two men to come guard the cells, then he walked back into the building he came from.
A few minutes later, more guards surrounded the perimeter. Lena squinted her eyes towards the new guards. They were in the same dirty clothes most of the citizens of Monmark wore. Their faces smeared with dirt, but they stood straighter and followed Nath’s orders more quickly than her previous guards.
One of the new guards standing closest to Lena saw her staring at him and winked. Lena stepped back, running into the back wall of her small cell. She recognized the guard as the Cimmerian Naos.
Gideon looked on high alert, scanning the city square. Standing on his toes he studied the new guards surrounding the square. Gideon discreetly nodded towards the center of the crowd. Lena searched but wasn’t sure what to look for. Then she saw General Carina standing only a few paces from Lucius looking directly at her. The General’s face was in the same tight scowl she always wore. Lena didn’t know why or how, but was sure Suki had just convinced Nath to hire disguised Cimmerians as guards.
A shadow fell across the square as another airship hovered above the crowd. Nath swore and yelled at his nearby guards to get the ship where it belonged. The crowd turned their faces towards the ship and began shouting obscenities. The ship was like nothing Lena had ever seen before. It was black with spikes covering its surface. The wings themselves were shaped like serrated knives.
A ramp opened from where it hovered above them in the sky. A man’s shadow filled the doorway. The crowd fell silent. They were scared. The man stepped down a ramp onto the square. This man screamed of wealth and power. His beard was neatly groomed and he wore black and red. People parted as he walked towards the barrier
Lena was imprisoned in. With a wave of his hand, the guard dropped the barrier and let the man step through so he was face to face with Lena. Lena pressed her back into her prison. She shook.
He was larger than any man Lena had ever seen. His broad shoulders were more than three times the width of her own. Under the surface of his skin, raised implants rose from his skull making him look permanently angry. Lena turned on her lens. The screen was blank. Nothing came up, but she wondered if this was the same man she’d seen at the entrance to The Port. Lena hadn’t gotten a good look at him at The Port, but he seemed to match his size. She felt sick. She blinked off the screen.
“Ras Taban,” Nath said, a little too shaky to be coincidence. “I haven’t seen you in years.”
“You outdid yourself this time, Nath,” Ras answered. His accent was thick and his voice scratched. The sound sent shivers down her spine. He reached for Lena’s box and caressed his hand across the surface. “This is indeed the very Evangeline Adhara the Priestess searches for,” he said. He turned to Gideon. “And her accomplice Gideon Merak. It’s good to see you again, Gideon.”
Lena’s head snapped to Gideon. His eyes were filled with terror. He clenched his shaking hands. His face had drained of all color.
Ras Taban started laughing. “I see you remember me,” he said. “I didn’t know if you would or not. What has it been, over three years?” he asked.
“You,” Gideon growled. The words caused Ras Taban smile greedily.
Nath stepped towards Ras, rubbing both hands anxiously together. “Have you come to bid on the product?” Nath asked with a ravenous smile. Whatever fear Nath had felt before disappeared at the prospect of money.
Ras Taban kept his gaze on Gideon. He huffed. “I don’t need to bring the Priestess trinkets.”
Nath looked confused, his eyes flashed with worry. “Then why, may I ask, have you come.”
“I come when I’m needed,” he answered in a remote tone.
“And the Priestess needs you now?” Nath asked.
Ras turned to Nath causing him to swallow deeply. “She needs what I have,” Ras said. He turned his eyes towards the locked case Lena hadn’t realized until then he’d been holding. Its silver surface reflecting off the sun. It was small only a hand-width wide and two long.
The Mir Chronicles- The Complete Series Page 43