by Kate Rudolph
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
And she was through the door. As soon as she let go, the door slid shut and Lena practically jumped out of her skin. She took a calming breath, but she was on edge. She already hated this house and hoped training didn’t last long.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of green and looked up to see a light above the door lit with the color.
“The kitchen is currently a safe area. No challenges will be given while the light is green,” said a computerized voice.
Lena narrowed her eyes and stared at the light as if it could give her answers. She knew there was no one else in the kitchen with her, but she didn’t see a speaker where the voice could be coming from. “Safe? Challenges? What’s going on?” It felt natural to talk back to the voice, but the voice didn’t immediately respond. Lena was getting used to Synnr voice commands and she wasn’t going to let it slide. “Computer lady, tell me what’s going on.” That should work. Just like Simon Says.
The voice came back. “This is a Class Five facility, fully automated to ensure optimal conditions for remedial Match training.”
Fucking remedial! She didn’t say it out loud, but it grated to know she and Solan were failing so badly.
“Each area of the house is fitted with indicator lights. When they are green, you will not be challenged. If they are unlit, you may expect a challenge at any moment. If the light turns red, a challenge is imminent or already underway. Challenges are recorded by the house and judged by your trainer at a safe facility. You are only being recorded when the lights are red.”
They were being recorded? What the hell? Lena hadn’t signed up for any of this and she didn’t want to live in the Big Brother house.
The voice kept going. “In the event of a serious injury or other reason, you may command me to halt the challenge. Any such halting will be judged and evaluated by your trainers.”
Fucking great. When had her life become some terrible reality show? Already she felt twitchy, knowing cameras were all around her. Sure, the voice said they weren’t recording, but she had no way to prove that.
“You may not remove food from the kitchen or bring in supplies from the village. All of your needs will be seen to. There are medkits in every room and hallway and I am equipped to provide instruction for certain medical procedures.”
“Are we prisoners?” It sounded that way. Matching with Solan had seemed like the simplest solution ever. Now she was wondering if it was the biggest mistake she’d ever made.
“You will be given at least one day of leave per every ten days spent here. On such days you are permitted to leave the facility and do as you please, provided you arrive back at the assigned time.”
“Okay.” Not exactly prisoners, but not free either. Sure, the house probably wouldn’t actually lock them inside, but there would be consequences if they left without leave.
“Do you have more questions?” the voice asked.
“Not right now.” She’d probably have a hundred later, but she couldn’t make sense of anything yet. “Will I be able to ask questions later?”
“Yes.”
Satisfied, Lena stopped trying to come up with anything else to ask. Instead, she looked through the cabinets until she found something to eat and scarfed it down. She’d had a vague plan to bring something back for Solan, but that was against the rules, so he’d have to fend for himself.
Hunger sated, she stared at the green light above the door. What kind of challenges would the house throw at them? How much danger were they really in? If they could stop the simulations because of injuries, that had to mean that injuries were possible, maybe even expected. Did people die in these houses? She opened her mouth to ask but snapped it shut. It was better not to know.
She couldn’t stay in the kitchen all night. Well, she could, but that would leave Solan in the dark. She didn’t know if the computer lady had informed him of the rules and she didn’t want him to face a challenge without knowing what was going on. But it still took another minute to convince herself to get up and abandon the safety of the kitchen.
There was no green light in the hall. She didn’t know where the indicator was located, but she didn’t see red either, so it was safe enough for the moment.
Still, she felt eyes on her. Probably the computer lady.
She walked quickly, counting her steps to keep track of the distance. She’d only made it four paces when the hallway plunged into darkness and a red light lit up behind her, above the kitchen.
Lena froze in place, tense and ready for whatever was about to be thrown her way.
Despite the second of warning, she wasn’t ready when something grabbed for her and she screamed.
CHAPTER TWELVE
SOLAN JOLTED OUT OF a light doze and was out of bed before he could process what was happening, heading for the door and into the hallway where he’d heard Lena scream. The sight that met him didn’t make any sense. It was dark as a winter night, only the flash of wings and a strange red light offering any illumination. Lena was caught between two Apsyn soldiers, punching and kicking furiously while she tried to get away.
How did they get here?
Was Aorsa under attack?
Why here?
The questions came at him fast but right now they didn’t matter. He unleashed his spark, sending it in a burst towards the soldiers. They seemed to flicker in and out of existence for a moment. It was enough to give Lena a chance to get away. She rolled backwards and swept her leg out, taking the closer soldier down with her.
“Use your spark!” Solan called. He could only offer so much support from a distance, but diving straight into the fray could just get them both captured.
“Fuck.” Lena’s wings flickered in and out for a moment before disappearing again, her control shot. But he’d seen the way her wings lit up the determination on her face and it almost made him smile when she punched one of the Apysns in the jaw and sent him flying.
Solan let his spark out again, aiming for the Apsyn still on his feet. That strange flicker happened a second time, but at least the enemy stumbled back. Lena’s wings exploded out of her back in a burst of color and she shot her spark, giving herself time to get away from the soldiers. Solan’s mind was already working on the next step. They needed to put these soldiers down and assess the situation, find out if there were more, determine a safe area to regroup and call in back up.
Lena was almost to him when she tripped. No, something tripped her. She’d been moving too smoothly to get caught up in her own feet.
He needed to get to her, to get her out of this mess and to safety.
But she was already gritting her teeth and crawling towards him. “Don’t worry about me, stop them! Give me cover.”
He did, shooting his spark in an unrelenting blast of power, making it impossible for the Apsyns to advance. It took a lot to kill a person with a spark, but Solan could do it. And he would to keep his Match safe.
It took an interminable minute for Lena to crawl to him, but when she made it, he breathed a sigh of relief. She looked back over her shoulder before staring behind him towards their bedroom.
“We need to report this.” The Apsyns were quiet for the moment. He didn’t know if they were knocked out or worse, but they’d have to deal with them before they caused more trouble.
Lena had another idea. “Get to our room.”
What good would that do them? They’d have a way to escape since there was a window, but there was no defensive advantage to their room. But Lena looked determined and something told him to follow her lead in this.
They retreated into the room and the door slammed behind them. Lena stared at it, no, above it, for a moment, until a light he hadn’t noticed before flashed green and remained lit.
Lena sagged against the door in relief. “We’re safe for now.”
“What? We need to report an Apsyn incursion.” There was nothing safe about it. But
this whole situation still seemed too weird to comprehend.
“It wasn’t Apsyns, it was the house.” Lena was breathing heavily and speaking nonsense.
“What?” He’d seen the Apsyns with his own eyes, he’d felt the crackle of their spark in the air. They’d had Lena in their clutches. And yet they’d also flickered in and out of existence... like a hologram. A very sophisticated hologram.
Solan sank down onto his bed as Lena explained. There was no one coming to train them; the house itself was their trainer, offering challenges, making them stronger, driving them insane with anxiety every minute they weren’t under attack.
He didn’t know whether to be upset or impressed.
He could do both.
Lena pushed away from the door and sat on her own bed with a wince. Her hand came up to rub her shoulder.
“Are you alright?” He was somewhat worried about the fact that the house could injure them, but neither of them were bleeding right now. At least, he didn’t think they were.
“Strained a muscle, I’ll be fine.” She rubbed at her shoulder even harder, but it looked awkward.
“Let me help.” He didn’t wait for permission, instead grabbing the medkit on the wall and finding a mild healing cream that was perfect for soothing upset muscles. “Take off your jacket.”
She sat very still for a long minute before shrugging out of her jacket and then pulling off her top to give him better access to her shoulder. She looked away, body tense.
This was a bad idea.
The light from the window gave the room a golden glow that made Lena shine. And her skin was warm and soft where his blunt fingers pressed against it. He rubbed the cream in and tried not to pay attention when she shivered under his touch.
His cock was paying attention.
He hated the way his lungs heaved, but Lena’s breathing was heavy too. Solan shifted to get a better grip on her, his knee brushing against her leg. Lena turned her head to face him and he was caught in the deep brown of her eyes.
He couldn’t look away. Not if a hundred Apsyns attacked at that moment.
His fingers trailed up her neck until they cradled her cheek, and then their mouths came together, tongues colliding as heat exploded around them. He wanted to devour her, wanted her taste on his tongue for the rest of time, and from the way she clutched at him she felt the same.
Her scent was all around him, mixed up with the feel of her and her sweet taste. How had he denied himself for so long? Why?
It was a vicious thing, this kiss, this affirmation that they’d both survived, even if the battle had been nothing more than a simulation.
His heart pounded madly and he felt its beat in his cock. He’d give his entire fortune to strip her naked right now and join with her, their bodies and sparks dancing together as they were meant to. They could be as close as two beings in the universe could be and still it wouldn’t be enough.
She moaned and it was almost too much. Her fingers dug into the back of his neck, holding him tight, and Solan loved the pressure, the relentless assault of her lips against his own.
They shifted and suddenly fell back until he was straddling her legs, holding her at his mercy beneath him. He could plunder her all night, do whatever he wanted. And from the desperate way she kissed him, he knew she’d allow it.
Madness.
He reared back and rolled off of her in one motion, backing up until half the room was between them. He reached up to wipe his mouth, but instead traced his lips with a finger.
Lena sat up slowly and stared at him for several seconds. One of them had to say something.
Silence.
More silence.
Finally, Lena scooped up her shirt and walked towards the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower. Hopefully no one attacks us for a while.”
LENA’S HAIR WAS STILL damp when she laid down, but she didn’t care. It allowed her to turn away from Solan as he headed for the bathroom. She was safe while the water ran; she didn’t have to face him after that humiliating rejection. She got it. He didn’t want a relationship. Easy enough.
So why did he kiss like he’d die without her?
She wasn’t going to consider that. She stole glances at the green light over the door, convinced it would shift to red if she looked away for too long. The computer lady hadn’t told her if there was a specified amount of green time. No doubt the house didn’t want them to get complacent.
Stupid murder house.
If they were lucky they’d be able to snatch a full night’s sleep. The sunlight streaming in through the window wouldn’t help with that, but Lena wasn’t getting up to pull down the blackout curtains. It would be hard to pretend to be asleep if Solan caught her out of bed.
She traced a finger over her lips and then jerked her hand away, cursing herself for the weakness. It had been a damn good kiss, flavored with adrenaline and an affirmation of life. She wanted to do it again, even though it would only lead to another rejection.
Stupid Solan and his stupid rules.
What was the point of having a soulmate if you couldn’t make out every once in a while?
The shower stopped and Lena squeezed her eyes shut, keeping her back fully towards the room so that hopefully Solan would think she was asleep. She heard him move around the room and, thankfully, he pulled down the blackout curtain before settling into his own bed.
Tension hung heavy in the air for two people that were supposed to be asleep.
Lena counted the seconds, hoping it would lull her into slumber, but it wasn’t doing the trick. Solan’s breathing was even, but not deep enough to suggest he’d started dozing.
This was ridiculous.
“Are you asleep?” she finally asked when she feared the tension would snap around them.
“No” was all he said.
They lapsed back into silence, their breaths the only sound in the room, the green light the only illumination.
“It happened. We’re adults. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.” The declaration burst out of Lena before she could think better of it. No, that wasn’t true. She’d been thinking of nothing but it from the moment she’d gotten off of her bed after she hadn’t gotten off.
“I didn’t say it was.” She could imagine the look on his face, brows drawn together in frustrated confusion. He didn’t know what to do with her, she’d figured that much out. She didn’t fit into the pieces of his exacting Synnr life.
Lena liked that she could challenge him like that. He acted like he came from money and she hadn’t been surprised to learn it was true, even if the amount had been shocking. He needed someone who was down to Earth to question him. Or maybe not down to Earth. It didn’t matter. He’d been given a human for a Match, a human who had fought for all she had, one who came from a long line of women who fought for all they had. She wasn’t going to just take this lying down anymore. She was sick of taking his declaration as a given. If he didn’t want to hookup, fine, she couldn’t force him. But she deserved an explanation for why they were just ignoring the sizzling chemistry sparking between them. “What’s your big hang up anyway? You say most Matches end up together. Clearly we’re attracted. Why not just see what happens? Why fight it?” She would have questioned how the whole Matching thing was affecting her free will under other circumstances, but horniness might have been interfering with her logic.
Just a little.
He wasn’t going to answer. He was quiet for so long she was sure of it. She didn’t drift off to sleep in that time, but she might have blinked heavily a few times. And then he opened his mouth.
“My father found his Match when I was a boy.” He said it sorrowfully, and if he’d already been born then his father’s Match was not his mother.
Lena let him keep talking.
“He and my mother had been married for years. They had me and my siblings, and they were happy and in love. Until he met Shodi. It turned out she was his Match. He said nothing happened, but it tore my parents, my family, apa
rt. Ortid and Micia were too young to really remember, but I do. It was horrible. The lying, the cheating. And my mother... she’s strong. She doesn’t let anything in. And that hardened her so much. I... I can’t.” It sounded like he was cutting the words out of his chest and handing them over to her. This was an ancient pain, something foundational, something that defined him to the core of his being.
“That sucks.” It was such a trivial response, but what was she supposed to say? He was hurting. He’d been hurt by the actions of adults when he had no way to stop them. But she didn’t see what one thing had to do with the other. His parents had been married but not Matched. His father had cheated. She and Solan were Matched, not married, and neither of them had been romantically entangled before all this had happened.
“Do you understand why I can’t?” Desperation clung to his question and she could feel him staring at her through the shadows of the room, though she hadn’t heard him turn. She could feel his eyes pleading with her to let this go. He’d given her his truth, now it was her turn to accept it.
She could. It would be one simple word. One simple lie, and they’d never revisit it again. Lena’s heart hurt for him. She wanted to offer him the comfort he needed. But she couldn’t let her life be ruled by the mistakes of people she’d never even met. She wanted to take Solan’s pain away, but the root of all his suffering came from a lie, and she refused to compound it by lying again.
She understood why he said he couldn’t. But did she accept it? “No.”
The denial hung in the darkness between them and they didn’t say anything else. When sleep came it was fitful. But at least the house didn’t attack again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SOLAN ANGRILY SHOVED his spoon into his mouth and didn’t look at Lena. His sleep had been turbulent when he’d finally succumbed, tortured with visions of her laid out under him, her lips swollen from the power of his kiss. It was a miracle his cock hadn’t betrayed him in the night and only an incredibly icy shower had served to dull his desires enough once he crawled out of bed.
