by Allison West
Chapter 7
Aria's eyes fluttered open, and slowly, James came into focus. Her bottom was sore, and a cool breeze stretched across her skin, making her shiver. She blinked several times over, remembering the cushioned table beneath her back. It was still there.
She sat up, and James clasped onto her hand. "What's going on?" she asked.
Aria felt grateful Master had disappeared and given them time alone, but how long would that last? What would he expect of them in his home? Her stomach filled with butterflies.
"Master paid for the cure." James took a heavy breath and helped Aria stand. Master owned both of them, but she couldn't fathom why she'd been sold? Had it been because she'd helped James out of the facility earlier and there'd been a debt for her troubles?
James' eyes moved down her torso, making her feel self-conscious at how naked she was in front of him. Usually, she wouldn't care, but today felt different. Probably because of what had happened earlier, though how much time had since passed, she couldn't know. There were no windows or clocks. There was no way to tell day from night.
"I think it worked," Aria said as her hand reached out for his cheek. His eyes were as green as they were bright. He looked different, but she didn't care, so long as he was alive.
"Not that I want you to put on more clothes," James grabbed a pair of black panties and a bra, handing them to her, " but I thought these might make you a little more comfortable."
Aria laughed under her breath. Comfortable? She was far from it, but she appreciated the gesture. She was quick to slip on the panties. The bra required her to remove the shirt. She was disrobed in a hurry, securing the bra before putting the blouse back on. Aria still felt underdressed, but what other choice did she have?
James tugged on her hand. "Come with me," he said, and she stood, following him to the door. Wasn't it locked? He tried the handle, and it turned. It was the same door through which the guards and the Master had entered.
"They left it unlocked?" She couldn't believe how careless they were, unless it'd been intentional, and they were letting them roam the premises freely. Just glancing at the building from the outside, she felt it was heavily guarded and secure. Inside, there was nowhere they could go without being seen. Is that why they'd brought them here instead of the quarantine facility, because they'd escaped before?
"We have permission to roam the hallway, which is our corridor, at least until we are escorted upstairs, which is the Master's home."
Aria's jaw dropped. "Master lives here?" So that's why they were brought to this location. Had Master known Victor?
The building was enormous from the outside. Did anyone else live here? Had the guards been hired exclusively by Master? Aria had more questions than answers, but she didn't plan on sticking around.
"Yeah, we spent a few minutes together. He gave me the injection. You're not the only one he wants to pierce."
"Did you end up getting a piercing?"
James grinned. "Not yet. I convinced him to wait a few days and make sure the virus had run its course."
James leaned in closer, his lips brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "They're always watching and listening."
Great! They didn't have a shred of privacy left.
"We're staying at this facility while we all get acquainted. Master has a seven-day window, to decide if he wants to terminate the contract. If he does, we are removed, and he gets another couple. When the window is up, we'll be moving upstairs with him, for good."
"Removed?" Aria asked.
"He wasn't joking about our lives being on the line."
"Then I guess we shouldn't disappoint him," Aria said, trying to sound the way those listening in might expect. She wasn't happy about their prospects for escape. After seven days, if they stayed with Master, that was it. It'd probably be hell trying to leave and hell staying. She couldn't voice her concerns without fear of them overhearing. She squeezed James' hand. "Your eyes are green, so you're cured?"
"Yes." Aria hadn't imagined his green eyes after all. It seemed strange to look at, especially after staring into his gaze on so many occasions.
"Why buy both of us?"
James shrugged. "I don't know. Let's not talk about it anymore." Having left the examination room, they ventured down the narrow hall. There were half a dozen closed doors. He headed to the one on the right, three down, and turned the handle. "After you."
Aria stepped into the room, this one much bigger than the last. A long, wooden table sat in the center of the room. A thin layer of dust caked to the wood as she dragged her finger across the dry material. "What is this place?" she asked, not sure she expected much of an answer.
"This room is where the virus was created, or so I hear." James led her deeper into the room. There was an abundance of electricity running through this building, making it seem oddly out of place. "Not literally, of course, since it was manufactured in a lab, but this is the room where the men decided to attack the sapphires in retaliation."
How did James know all this? Had Master told him? Or a guard who had restrained him earlier? "What are we doing in here?" Aria asked, not seeing the connection.
James stepped closer, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You're no longer an emerald, Aria." He led her to a mirror hanging against the wall, allowing her to see her reflection. "It's the only mirror I've seen in this place. I thought you'd want to see the truth for yourself."
"What?" Aria had forgotten about the accusations made from the guards earlier that day when she'd been dragged from Victor's penthouse. She thought it was a lie, some strange tactic that they'd used to try to scare her. Turns out, she was terrified. "Why are my eyes blue?" she asked, her voice hitched.
Aria spun around in his arms, and his touch grazed her cheek. He rested the back of his hand against her forehead. "You're running a fever."
"I know." She chalked it up to being abducted and forced to do things against her will in front of a stranger.
James stared deep into her eyes, shaking his head as he focused solely on Aria.
"What is it?" Her breath caught in her throat.
"I don't know what the virus looks like, but what did they say when you were running a fever?"
"They mentioned I wasn't infected, but maybe they were wrong? How is it my eyes are blue? Could the virus have mutated?" Aria may have had dye injected into her irises, but it had already faded. Why would it return? It didn't make sense.
"I don't know. Do you feel sick?"
Physically, no, but there was a strange sensation that didn't leave her veins, like a pull toward ecstasy. She couldn't explain it. Is that what it had been like when she had tried to rescue James from the quarantine facility and he'd tackled her to the ground? Perhaps his pull had been stronger and unbearable to resist, much like hers had been. She inwardly cringed, just thinking about their Master. Who was he, and how could they get away from him for good?
"I wanted to bring you in here," James said, backing her up against the table, his hands on her hips. His breath dropped to her ear, keeping the conversation between just the two of them. "I'm cured. Once we assure you're not infected, we'll run away together."
Aria shoved her lips over his, unsure if anyone watched. If they were keeping them under surveillance, then they had to give them a convincing show. Panting hard, her lips moved toward his ear, sucking the lobe before whispering a reminder to him, "Seven days, that's our window. Anything past that and we're here forever."
Aria scooted back onto the wooden table, her bottom at the edge as she pulled James closer and tighter. Maybe they couldn't make this go away, but they could make it easier for each other.
He smiled warmly while his fingers danced over her lower back. She didn't like the odds of escaping. They had no idea the level of security or what this guy intended to do with them. Aria didn't know the layout of the facility other than the way they came in, and that door remained locked. Not escaping though, that would
be far worse.
James' lips lingered on hers before he pulled back, his fingers grazing her cheek. "Tell me if you have a better idea."
Aria hated to admit the only thought she had was to run, though she knew it wouldn't save them. "What about Victor?" He had enough influence and wealth to help as much as the man who'd bought them. She didn't know how to get ahold of him, let alone if he'd help them. He had already gotten what he wanted from them—the intimate photographs.
James' fingers drew soft motions against her jaw and down her neck. He didn't stop moving his fingers as they caressed her arms and then over her thighs. "I don't trust him. Five minutes in his penthouse, and we're brought in?"
"No. I'm sure I saw Master at the club. He probably saw you were a sapphire and sold us out. Maybe he thought he was doing the right thing, trying to help us with the cure? Or there was something about us he wanted a part of; either way, it wasn't Victor." Aria didn't bother to mention about the angel who had intended to buy Aria at the quarantine facility. It wasn't possible it was the same man, was it? The clothes she wore now were identical to the ones she'd been forced into earlier. Perhaps it was a coincidence?
"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning down slightly, getting a look at her eyes as they were downcast on the floor.
It took every bit of strength for her to lift her gaze to meet his stare. It was exhausting. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She let go of James, long enough to wipe her sweaty palms. "What if I killed everyone? What if the virus mutated with me?" Though it wouldn't have been intentional, the mere thought of destroying the population, even small, was unsettling.
James placed a finger under her chin, drawing her eyes to his. "Don't think like that. We don't even know if you're infected." He stared at her, his brow creased. "I was infected too. If you are sick, there's a cure, but they can't administer it if you're healthy. It could kill you."
They were interrupted when a woman wearing a nurse's uniform that was a little too short to be useful came into the room. "Aria, you need to come with me," the woman said. She walked toward Aria and grabbed her arm.
"Where are you taking me?" She shrugged out of the woman's grasp, though Aria knew if she didn't obey, it would get a lot worse faster.
"We need to run some additional tests. Your fever has us concerned." Her head bent down, a white hat sat on her head, and her jet-black hair was pulled back. It was hard to see her face, but Aria felt certain she recognized her.
"Hailey?" She rested her hand on her chest. The room spun wildly out of control.
"You're mistaken," she said, her voice thick, the words sharp. Was she trying to fake an accent to not be noticed?
"Can you help her?" James asked. He stood right at Aria's side, grasping her other arm.
Aria stumbled, but she didn't fear falling over. She leaned back, using the large table for support.
"It's worse than I thought," the woman said.
Aria couldn't see her face as clearly as she'd like. Her vision swayed like a bird in midflight, speeding along the horizon and coming head on with a window. She just hoped she didn't have the same experience as the bird when she came to.
"Help me get her across the hall," the nurse said.
James was quick to help, lifting Aria and holding her against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest. Her eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, wanting to forget why they were there and what was going on.
Her eyes shot open when she felt the exam table beneath her. "James." Her voice shook as adrenaline coursed through her. "Maybe the fever is from what the guards did to me. They used that stun gun on me earlier." Had the jolt of electricity been the start of her fever? She couldn't remember being hot or feeling sick before being taken from the penthouse. Certainly, her eyes had transformed to sapphire, but that didn't mean anything, did it?
The nurse frowned. "You were tased? Damn it." She shut the door, giving the three of them privacy, but from what? She reached for a speaker in the corner of the room. There was a dial. She turned it on, letting the room fill with music. It had been a long time since Aria had seen technology so sophisticated. James had such devices at the palace, but nothing similar had been seen since. Her accent vanished. "Listen, we don't have much time." Her voice was low, hardly above a whisper. Aria almost asked her to repeat herself, because she wasn't sure what was happening was real. Her demeanor had shifted. "It's me, Hailey."
She confirmed Aria's suspicions. Aria's eyes widened, and she lunged across the room, her hands going for Hailey's neck. She wanted to strangle her. She couldn't stop herself; Hailey was the reason they were in this mess. Was she friends with Master? It was stupid of Aria to think she could trust her.
James pulled Aria off her small frame.
Hailey coughed repeatedly, gasping for air. "I'm trying to help you," she said.
Aria didn't believe her. How could she trust a word coming from her lips? She had helped put them in here. "Right, like you did with the injection this morning. What the hell did you give me?" Had she been the one to infect Aria with the virus? She had no reason to trust a word coming out of Hailey's mouth. "Get out," Aria said and pointed to the door, snarling at her. She wanted nothing to do with her.
Hailey backed up against the door. "I swear, I had nothing to do with getting you two brought in. The virus is highly contagious, but there are people who report any sightings of a sapphire. The guards were waiting for you. They probably had been for hours."
"Then why let us go to Victor's penthouse?" Aria asked.
Hailey paused, considering her answer. Her eyes locked on Aria. Was it because she was transfixed by her sapphire eyes, or was she thinking up another lie?
"They probably assumed the place was abandoned and would lower the risk of casualties. I don't know, but I promise you that Victor and I are trying to help get you out of here. I know what it's like to have a Master; Victor is mine. I'd never betray him. I love him, but that relationship isn't right for everyone. Believe me, Aria, Victor never relinquishes on a deal. Besides, he doesn't agree with the Master who purchased the two of you. They've been at war with each other for years. Victor owes you for the photographs; this is his way of repaying his debt."
"Then what?" Aria asked, feeling the dizziness fade. She stood, more confident on her feet, though James stood right beside her, his hand around her waist. "Where will I go? I've been on the run, and it's not a life I want anymore. Besides, if I'm infected, leaving will be a death sentence."
"Yes, and staying will be hell," Hailey said. "I can't force you to leave, but it's in your best interest. If I can get my hands on a dosage of the cure, then you have nothing to worry about. It's housed in this facility downstairs."
"What then?" Aria asked, taking a tentative step closer to her. Aria glanced her over in the nurse's outfit. She wasn't wearing it for their benefit, Victor must have insisted she wear it. Did she fit in here at the facility in the skimpy white dress? So far, no one had caught on that she didn't belong, or else they were being played. Aria had to believe Hailey was a good person, trying not to betray them. It was the only chance they had of getting free today, and she needed that tiny beacon of hope.
"Victor hasn't told me his plan, but I would suggest we get you as far west as we can. Find an abandoned town, make a home for yourselves, and live off the land. That's the only way you'll survive."
It didn't sound so bad. Hailey's vision of their future was remarkably Aria's past growing up in Brayleigh, before she met James.
The lights flickered out, and the room was bathed in absolute darkness.
Hailey struck a match, and the spark glowed for a second. She grabbed a small candle from beneath the counter that had been stored for safekeeping. Had she put it there?
"Usually, flood lights come on, but Victor's men cut all the lines, including the backup generators. This is it. Now or never. Take this candle, and head down to the right as far as the hall will go. When you get to the door, it'll
be unlocked. Victor should be on the other side."
"Where are you going?" James asked.
"Getting you that cure, just in case Aria needs it. Without it, she'll be dead in a week. Meet me at the car. Give me two minutes from now. If I don't have it, I won't be able to get it."
Aria's stomach tensed just thinking that Hailey might get caught. If she did, they might as well give up. Master wasn't going to be pleased to lose them, especially after paying for James' cure. He was a wealthy man who would probably hunt them down if they left. Hailey was right; making a life for themselves in the middle of nowhere, hidden in a small abandoned town, was their best option.
Hailey handed Aria the candle and headed in the opposite direction. Aria had no idea how the woman would see her way in the darkness. Perhaps she was familiar with the building, more than Aria cared to think about?
James was right behind her as they slipped into the hallway and walked as fast as possible, with barely any light, to the end where a door was situated. She held her breath and tried the handle, surprised to find it unlocked.
Aria opened the door and stepped through first. James followed, shutting the door behind them. There was no sign of Victor. Did he get caught? Was he unable to find them?
"Do you know how to get out of here?" Aria asked.
She hadn't traveled down this corridor. It was unfamiliar territory. The last thing she wanted was to fall deeper into the maze of the building and get caught. However, the longer they stayed put, the sooner reinforcements would come searching for them, including the quarantine guards and Master.
James glanced around. The room was just as dark there as the previous hallway. He latched onto her hand, dragged her down the hall, and made another sharp right. "We need to head south. That's the direction we entered the facility, but it was behind us. There must be another exit."
"No kidding." The building was massive, even just on the ground floor.
There were voices up ahead, shouts, and then weapons fired. She didn't know whether to flee in the opposite direction or head toward the sound of chaos, hoping that Victor and his men were taking charge.
