by Jake Stone
She shuts her eyes, lips trapped between her teeth, eyebrows shut tight as she focuses on coming. I do the same. But I pace myself. I want her to come first. I want her to feel the pleasure of sex once more, on her own terms—nobody else’s.
When I feel her pussy tightening around my cock, I know she’s close. I let her ride me for a few seconds, my fingers tightening on her fantastic ass, my balls banging against her pussy. It feels amazing. And after a few more seconds, we both let out low moans as we begin to orgasm.
My cum shoots out in ecstatic jolts, filling her warm pussy with loads of hot jizz, while her pussy tenses around my cock, her lids shutting closed as she comes herself.
As she opens her eyes again, I catch her gaze. She continues riding me for a few seconds more, checking to make sure that I’ve poured every drop in her, every spill. In return, I kiss her on the lips, holding her as tenderly as I can.
When we’re done, I carry her to the bed, where I lay her down carefully. She’s tired, as am I, and before I know it, we’re already drifting to sleep. A part of me isn’t ready yet. I need to know that she’s okay, that she’s not regretful for what we’ve done. Gathering my courage, I roll over to face her.
“Are you okay?” I ask, mouthing the words slowly, so that she can understand me.
She does. And with a smile, she pecks me on the lips, alleviating my fears. We go to sleep.
In the morning, I wake to the glare of the sun beaming through the opened window on my face. I sit up, look around, shocked to hear the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
They’re coming!
I jump out of bed and begin to get dressed. It won’t be long before I’m taken by the guards, escorted back to the hangar where I’ll be forced to join the mission. From there, my chances of escape are nearly impossible. I have to hurry.
Chun Hei stirs from her sleep, awakened by my movement. Still naked, her hair matted from sleep, she gazes up at me, glorious in her natural beauty. I stop and stare, unable to turn away from her. As much as I’d love to get back into bed with her, I know that she won’t let me leave. I dive for the gun on the floor and hold it up at her.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “But they’re not taking my eyes.”
She shakes her head at me.
“Please,” I say. “You, out of anyone, should understand.”
Seconds pass as we stare at each other. The tension is like ice cracking. She thinks that I’m abandoning her, leaving them all behind for my own selfish reasons. And as crazy as that sounds, maybe I am. But I have my own mission ahead of me, one that I can’t just leave behind.
I watch, blindsided by her allure as she slides the covers from her legs. Her skin glows in the sunlight, and the purple of her eyes are like polished stones, glinting.
She walks toward me, slowly, her gaze holding mine. I step back, holding the gun up higher. I’m not going to let her stop me. I can’t. But she’s not afraid. She knows I won’t hurt her, especially after last night. She knows I care for her.
“Please,” I warn, “don’t make me—”
Before I can finish, she cradles my face in her hands and presses her lips against mine. The kiss is a farewell, a thank-you for the good that I’ve done. Pulling away, I can see the encouragement in her bright eyes and sincere smile. “You can do this,” she’s telling me.
I turn to the door, the sound of footsteps closing in. She follows my gaze and realizes that they’re outside.
I hurry as I slip on my boots, while Chun Hei lunges for her cloak. She turns it inside out, then tosses it to me. I catch it, putting it on and tugging up the hood. Next, she pulls out a coiled wire from her utility belt and hands it to me.
I stare at it, confused. “Uh, I don’t know how to tell you this, but there’s no time for that right now.”
She shakes her head. It isn’t until she motions to the window, that I realize what she wants me to do. I can use it as an anchor to climb over the porch. Excellent!
The wire is thin, but firm—something that won’t break on me. I wrap it around the frame of the bed, hoping that the thick wood is as heavy as it is strong.
“Xander!” yells a voice, I instantly recognize as Eligor’s. “Open this door. You’re to come with us to the hangar.”
“Okay,” I yell back. “Just give me a second!” I look out the window at the street below. It’s at least fifty feet high. No way I could survive a fall like that. I’d better do this perfectly.
“Now, Xander!” Eligor yells again, only this time, it’s followed by a series of hard knocks.
“I’ll be right there!” I reply.
Kissing Chun Hei one last time, I jump out the window, holding the cable with both hands. I’ve never repelled before, so I stumble at first, but it’s amazing how quickly one can learn when their life is at stake.
Grimacing from the burning cable, I keep going, expecting Eligor and his guards to be screaming down at me from the window at any second now.
Once I hit the ground, I feel the pain of my landing shoot through the soles of my boots. There are no guards down here, only the hundreds of people who’ve come to celebrate the five-hundred-year anniversary to the end of the war.
I have to go. Before anyone sees me. Lowering my head, I join the bustling crowd of churchgoers, making my way toward the gates up ahead that’ll lead me into the city, away from the palace and one step closer to finding Rachel.
Chapter Twenty-One
I stand aside as a cavalcade of military vehicles from the Palace Gates drive down the street past me. At the front of the parade, Eligor is riding his hover-cycle, a proud look on his annoyingly handsome face. He looks out at the crowd of citizens, drinking in the praise of thirsty, ragged men and women, their children running alongside the parade of vehicles as they herald him with wishes of good luck.
Asshole…
A transport vehicle rolls by, and from the passenger window, I spot Atia’s slim face, her blue eyes hard and empty as she stares forward. The feel of it freezes me in place, and I follow her until she, and the rest of the Purifiers, turn around the corner.
She hates me, I know. My refusal to help find this demon is an act of cowardice to her. I don’t care, though. Rachel’s the most important thing to me in the world, and I’ll do whatever I need to find her.
“Soldiers off to war,” a voice says.
I spin around, frightened to find Tulgas standing behind me, his face beaming with pride as he watches his people set off on their mission.
“Tulgas? I…”
“Relax, my son. I’m not here to arrest you or ask for your return.”
“You’re not?”
“No,” he says. “Your path is your own, as is mine.” He motions to the sack on his shoulder, the bulk of his belongings.
“You’re going to be okay?” I ask.
He nods at me with a smile. “My place is with the people. As yours is with this…”
“Rachel,” I say.
“Exactly.”
I look back at the cavalcade, watching as the last of them go. “Do you think they’ll be okay?” I ask.
He gives a wary shrug. “Demons are powerful beings. I doubt that they’ll be entirely successful in killing it. My only solace is that Atia is with them.”
“She’s your favorite, isn’t she?”
He smiles fondly, as he quietly reflects. He looks like a father at this moment, and I don’t press the matter any further.
“Well,” I say. “I guess I’m out of here.”
“Wait,” he says, reaching into the pocket of his coat and handing me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“Coordinates,” he says.
I’m confused.
“The slave girl you saved,” he says. “Some of the information she gave us allowed us to ascertain the whereabouts of this mystery dealer who purchased your friend. We think there’s a good chance she’ll be there.”
I stare at the piece of paper, examining the coordina
tes written in black ink. “Are you sure?”
“What reason would she have to lie?”
Good point.
“Thank you,” I say, my gaze lifting to meet his. Out of everyone I met on this stinking world, the beshai turned out to be the only straight shooter. I’ll miss him.
“Of course,” he says. “But please, know this, your chances of success are very low. Do what you must, but remember that you hold the sake of your life as well. Don’t veer off from the trail. Stay alive.”
I nod, holding out my hand for him to shake, which he does. “All I need now is some transportation.” I look out at the now empty street, disheartened to find only a group of small children playing with one of those weird dragon dogs I saw on my second day in the capital.
“Why don’t you take this?” the beshai suggests, motioning to a hover-cycle parked in front of one of the adobe huts. Newly furnished, with a set of large rubber tires with deep threads, it looks great.
“I thought the church looked down on thievery,” I say.
“It does, my son. But not on gratitude.” He holds out a set of keys and grins.
I don’t believe it. He’s offering me a cycle? A part of me wants to refuse the gift. But the majority of me is beyond thankful. I snatch the keys from his hand and smile as I stare at them. “I hope this little act of kindness doesn’t get you a one-way trip to the confessional with Candatoria,” I say.
He shuts his eyes as he’s raptured by the thought, a long slow breath escaping his lungs, like a wine taster savoring a rare vintage. “I can only hope, my son. I can only hope.”
I laugh, sincerely touched by the man’s honesty. He takes me into a strong embrace, padding me on the back. But my body tenses. I’m not used to this type of affection. Especially from an older man. The closest I ever got to hugging my father was when he rested a hand on my shoulder at the hospital after my mother died. It feels good, real. After a second, I allow myself to relax, extending my own arms around the beefy man.
“I’ll try to bring it back in one piece,” I say.
“Bring yourself back,” he says.
As I sit on the cycle, I notice a beautiful sheath lodged into the side compartment with a sword in it, as well as a sniper rifle with a flower lodged in the barrel.
“Gifts from your friends,” the beshai says.
I draw the blade from the sheath, amazed to find a shaft of polished steel. It’s beautiful. Then, I look to the sniper rifle, thankful to find a couple of battery cartridges alongside it. “Petronelous and Chun Hei?” I ask.
Tulgas shrugs. “Zorel wanted to leave a present of her own,” he adds, blushing. “But I thought that it was grossly inappropriate.”
“It was her underwear, wasn’t it?” I say.
He looks away, embarrassed. “Basically…”
I snort. “Thank them for me, will you?”
“I will.”
I sink the key into the ignition and turn on the engine. The cycle roars to life, and I feel my entire body shaking from the vibration. Revving the engine, I check the road for civilians, then set off down the street, moving past the cavalcade onto my own path.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I input the coordinates into the cycle and follow the red line on the monitor as it leads me miles away from the safety of the palace. Glancing at the side compartment of the cycle, I double check that I’m armed. The desert, as I’ve come to learn, is a dangerous place.
Images of diseased monsters screaming mindlessly over hills pass through my mind in flashes, and I’m suddenly thrust back to the battle in the desert, where I’m struggling with my pulser to kill the toxic bastards.
I’m sweating, and my stomach is bubbling with fear. But I’m not turning around. Not now. Instead, I rev the engine even harder, using my nervousness to fuel my passage.
The path leads me over leveled ground. There are no rolling hills here, no deep valleys, no geographical structures that can hide the threat of enemies who’d want nothing more than to catch a human to rape, sell or roast over a fire pit. Instead, it’s all opened space.
I stop as the monitor begins to beep. I’ve arrived. Slowing down, I curve to a stop. What is this place? Removing my goggles, I see what looks to be a make-shift hut, with very little around it. Using my binoculars, I zoom in and spot a pair of mutants standing guard out front.
This is it.
The sun is still high in the sky, so I need to wait. The enemy has the numbers. I don’t. Subterfuge is my only advantage. Waiting in the sun, I pass the time by cleaning my weapons.
When the sun finally dips behind the horizon, I take my place behind the cycle. It’s not much cover. But I use the seat to prop the sniper rifle that Chun Hei left me. The weapon is heavy but firm, and its site is powerful. Within seconds, I’m face-to-face with the mutant bastards guarding the outside.
Okay, so how am I going to do this? I wonder, holding the rifle steady.
Shooting one of the guards will attract the other’s attention. So, I’ll need to do the second one just as quickly. I take a deep breath and begin to practice moving my site between their heads. After a while, I realize that it’ll be impossible. I’m not good enough to make two headshots. The best I can hope for is to shoot the body.
“Alright, you fuck heads,” I whisper, my heart beginning to race. “Here we go.”
The first shot hits the mutant in the neck. His esophagus rips apart, exploding into a green mess, and he falls back, dying.
The mutant next to him flinches at the green spray, disgusted by the sight of his blood. His thin lips pull back from its crooked teeth as he examines the collapsed body of its fallen comrade. The confusion buys me a couple of seconds. And, despite my anxiousness, I’m able to fire into its chest.
The mutant flies back, its head falling to the side as its body slides down the wall. When it hits the ground, it just sits there, unflinching, like a homeless drunk passed out from a long night.
I wait a while before I move. Studying the door of the shack through the scope of my rifle, I check to make sure there are no more guards.
The silencer was great at eliminating the noise of the pulse blasts. But it didn’t do anything for the sound of their bodies hitting the floor and wall.
After a while, I decide that it’s safe to head out. Replacing the sniper rifle for my pulser, I grab the sword that Petronelous gave me and head out carefully on foot.
The air has grown cold by now, but I barely notice it from the heat of my skin. I’m sweating, and my heart is pounding. What I’m about to do is nothing short of a miracle. And I’m well aware of that. But I need to get in there, I need to find Rachel.
When I reach the door, I step over the dead bodies, disappointed to find that the door is sealed by some sort of fingerprint monitor. Staring down at the dead mutants, I reach for one of their clawed hands and raise it up to the screen, pressing it against its surface. The door unlocks, and the sensor light blinks from red to green.
I’m in.
I enter slowly, my head turning from side to side as I find a metal stairwell leading into the ground. What is this place?
Descending farther into the darkness, I come to a frightening halt as the first step creaks beneath the weight of my feet. Fuck, I’ve got to be quieter. Lifting my foot up gently, I proceed with softer footsteps. When I finally get to the bottom of the stairway, I’m greeted by the sounds of harsh voices arguing.
I peek around the corner. There’s at least twenty of them—men and mutant alike—sitting around a table, playing cards with bottles of cranish. I look for any sign of Rachel. But there is none. At least none that I can see. She must be somewhere deeper in the facility. Maybe farther underground.
I pull back from the corner to catch my breath, my heart banging in my chest. Just stay cool, I tell myself. You’re gonna find her. Just stay cool.
Steeling another glance, I suddenly freeze, horrified, as I feel the barrel of a gun pressing against my forehead. Daring to look up, I fi
nd Danzin glaring down at me with a grin on his stubbled face.
“Well look who’s back from the dead,” he says.
“Hey…Danzin,” I say, feigning surprise. “Say, you wouldn’t be able to tell me where the bathroom is, could ya?”
“What are you doing here?” he asks, unamused.
I take a nervous swallow. “I’m here for the girl.”
“You’re still after that bitch?”
“Don’t call her that,” I say.
He snorts. “I’ll call her whatever the fuck I want. Now stand up—slowly.”
I do what he says, holding his gaze as he motions for me to turn around. I step forward as he presses the barrel of his gun to the back of my head. “Move.”
The room falls to a hush as we enter it. The men and mutants stare at me in disbelief, their mouths falling agape.
“Is this what Skarteck pays you fuckers for?” Danzin demands of them. “To get fucked up and play cards? I caught this little rat scampering behind the corner. Zayne, Belick. Go check out front. See what happened to the other two.”
The mutants he named jump to their feet, sneering at us both in resentment as they brush past us. They don’t like to be told what to do. But they fear him. As do I.
“How’d you find us?” Danzin asks.
“I guess I was just lucky.”
He slaps the back of my head, and I wince from the pain of it. “Just like the last time, huh?” he says. “You know, I’ve never failed Skarteck before. Not until you pulled that shit at the auction. He doesn’t even talk to me anymore because of you.”
“Does he at least still hold your hand?” I ask.
I grimace as he punches me in the back. The pain is excruciating, and I’m forced to clutch the wall to keep myself up right. But I continue on, knowing that if I try to fight back, he’ll kill me.
“Down there,” he says, motioning to another staircase that leads farther underground. It’s a tunnel, I realize, a dark passage that’s lit by oil lamps hanging along the wall. I feel as if I’m entering an underground cavern. But the temperature’s not right. It should be cooler down here. Instead, I feel like I’m walking into an oven. The heat stifles my lungs and my eyes fill with stinging sweat. What is this place?
