Mechanical Angel

by Sara Shanning

  “There is something we must discuss,” Alel said tightly.

  He followed her willingly a bit further away from the children so there was no fear of being overheard.

  Alel was unsure how to begin and took her time practicing what she wanted to say in her head before speaking aloud. “My mother’s stories influenced me far more than I realized, and I am learning I have many ideals based on the lessons woven in her words.”

  Javon leaned back against a tree, tucking his hands in his pockets. His manner was casual and relaxed. Alel wasn’t sure how long that would last. “Sir Jax, despite his ill intentions, not only gave me life again, but a glimpse into the possibility of what could be. I don’t mean to settle now that I know I don’t have to.”

  He gave up his posture against the tree and his eyes sharpened. “You don’t mean to choose me anymore,” he concluded flatly. Alel could not tell if there was anger in his voice or if it was something else.

  Javon reached for her, taking her shoulders. “Why? What happened in town? Alel, please, I cannot lose you.”

  “Sinda, Javon. You sent me to her. Were you hoping if I befriended her I would overlook the true meaning of her presence?”

  Confusion burned to life in his eyes. “Alel, I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never even met the woman. I sent you to her based on what I have heard and seen. She presents herself with an air of strength, and though she is tied to the life she has, she does not wear it as a burden.”

  “She overheard the truth, Javon! She was to be sold to you next!”

  He let go of her, stepping back, obviously stunned. He shook his head. “No. No, Alel. I have never in my life made an offer for a woman.” He paced away, his movements agitated. “Until you.”

  Alel wanted to believe him. Her heart told her to, but it felt reckless. She didn’t need him. She could choose none of them and create the life she wanted without a man at her side. The idea had not occurred to her before, but it sparked into existence now. A possibility she had not considered.

  There could not only be the White and Black streets on the world. Alel raised her eyes to the curves of the bird cage rising above the trees. Did the creatures see what she could not? A life outside of the boundaries and constraints continuing to manipulate her actions? Was there more yet to be seen?

  “I don’t want to be ruled by anyone,” Alel murmured.

  Javon made a sound. One of frustration and torment. It was an odd combination that drew her eyes back to him. He gave up his pacing and came back to her, his eyes oddly dark. For a few seconds, Alel imagined she saw green.

  “Alel... I do not mean to rule you... I wish to marry you and call you my wife.”

  Chapter 27

  Faith

  Alel knew enough to know marriage was a thing of the past. It defied the societal dictates completely and would make a statement stronger than any she had been attempting.

  A proposal was the last thing she had expected to hear and she gaped at Javon. Though he wasn’t touching her, the intimacy of such a concept flushed along her skin as though he was.

  Her mother had spun a tale of marrying her father. Her eyes had always gone dreamy as she had wistfully created an imaginary life of unity, mutual respect, and love with her words.

  While Alel had enjoyed her mother’s stories, she had often thought her mother fanciful and foolish for dreaming of things that could not be.

  “Alel, please say something. Anything.”

  “Marriage isn’t done,” she responded, even though he well knew it and she was stating the obvious.

  Alel could hear the children giggling, the sound of leaves rustling in the air and the tinkle of metal from some source.

  “But it should be done. When one feels the way...” He sighed, looking off with a troubled expression. “I have secrets, Alel. So many that sometimes the weight of them is crushing and think it is all too much. I had all but given up hope before I came here to meet Sir Jax and watched you walk into the room.”

  “What secrets?” Alel demanded. She was tired of the hidden things always rising up from the shadows to invade the moments of peace.

  He shook his head. “It is not yet time.”

  “Time for what?” Alel pressed.

  “Redemption,” he said quietly, still not looking at her. There was some point on the horizon holding his attention, but she saw nothing of interest.

  “Yours?”

  He did not answer right away and the silence between them stretched. There were questions she wanted to ask, time she needed to process his proclamation, and meaning she needed to decipher from the words he had wrapped around the proposal.

  “There is something better out there than all of this, Alel. Do you believe that?”

  “I don’t know. Perhaps I just wish for it to be so.” The man was exasperating. Why did he have to continually challenge her thinking? She had enough determinations to make as it was.

  “There are not many days left before you make your choice, Alel. I want you to choose me,” he said sincerely. “I believe you are meant to, but it must be your choice. I wait impatiently for the day I can bare my heart to you and am freed from these chains binding me to silence. I cling to my faith and pray earnestly for the outcome, but at times I have wondered if it is only the desires of my heart leading my pleas.”

  Javon lifted a hand and a bird swooped down to perch on his finger. “I shall send the bird back with a visual of Euro for you. He misses you dearly and I know you worry.”

  She followed closely as he said good-bye to the children and made his way through the house and out to his carriage. From his seat behind the wheel he regarded her sadly. “Have faith in me, Alel. When the truth comes to light, I hope your heart will guide you.”

  He had said too much. Alel consistently replayed his words, searching for his hidden implications as life continued around her.

  When the bird returned, B33 played the recording in her room, in case there was anything on it the children might find too disturbing. She cried at the sight of his swollen and bruised face. As his eyes were not human, it was difficult to tell how he was truly coping. His words to her were centered around coming home and how much he missed her and the others.

  “Love can heal all things,” B33 told her when he shut the screen off.

  She said nothing and he left her. Alel hid herself away beneath her covers and mourned. Love. Love meant pain. Loss. Betrayal. Risk. It would break her. And it was too late to save herself. Alum, Bery, Dys, Copper and Euro had her love. If she died ensuring them happiness, she would find a way to give them a life of joy and safety. She would give no one the power to hurt them.

  Sinda brought her a dinner she did not eat. When she arrived with breakfast the following morning, the woman set it down and settled on the edge of the bed.

  “Are you all right? Your robot butler told me you had witnessed something difficult.”

  “I forgot about the children last night.“ Alel closed her eyes. Sinda did not even know about them and she had wallowed in her grief and left them to their own devices.

  “They are fine. I was wandering the halls last night after I slept for a bit and B33 was kind enough to show me around and introduce me when they came out seeking food.”

  “Euro was taken from me. He was not treated kindly. He is safe now, but I received a message from him last night. I’m afraid I did not handle seeing what they had done to him well.”

  “One should never look upon injustice without a reaction of some sort,” Sinda soothed. “In the short time I have spent with them, it is clear the children adore you, and I do not doubt you reciprocate. Your love will do great things to help the boy heal.”

  Alel pushed herself up into a sitting position and accepted the tray Sinda set in her lap. The tea was warm and comforting. “This is Sir Jax’s home, really. None of it is mine.”

  “I know. The man has fled. You do not gain the place I held without hearing things. Men speak as though I am
invisible. They would not think I would dare convey details to anyone. Women are, after all, disposable.”

  Alel frowned, lowering her mug. “No we aren’t.”

  Sinda laughed. “I was being sarcastic. I’m afraid I have learned to not portray emotion with my words. I am sorry I did not communicate well.”

  “I’m afraid the plans I had were not as well thought out as I imagined,” Alel admitted. “I find myself on a precarious edge today. Unsure which way I should fall.”

  “Why must you fall at all? Walk straight and hold your head up high.”

  Alel was seeing the strength Javon had spoken of. Thinking of him brought a twinge. “I don’t know what to do, Sinda.”

  “Well, from what I have heard, you have been making quite the statement. If this place is not what you want, let’s begin there. Ownership speaks volumes. I know a man who could help. I have seen many things within these walls that would sell for a nice price. Perhaps it is time you find a place to call your own? I can help. I have jewels stashed away I can sell.”

  “Nothing here is mine,” Alel pointed out. Javon had offered her the home she wanted. A partnership. A solution to being somewhere she did not belong. Was she willing to use other means to create a new outcome?

  “If Sir Jax has abandoned the place and left you behind, does that not imply a transfer of rights?”

  “It would be easy to say yes, but I don’t think it would be right. I cannot repay wrong with more wrong.”

  Sinda pulled her long hair forward over her shoulder and began to weave it into a braid. “My mother knew a Relic. A man. She spoke of him when she was dying. I thought what she said were delusions from death. After meeting you, I no longer believe I was right.”

  “What did she say?” Alel was curious. The Relic book remained untouched in her bedside drawer. She needed to shift reading it up on her priority list.

  “She talked about a mission to put the Lost Books back in the hands of the people. To bringing back the voice of love among mankind. Lofty things, impossible to accomplish.”

  “The Lost Books.” Alel suddenly realized how hungry she was and began to eat. “I feel so inadequately equipped with knowledge much of the time,” she said between bites. “This is the second time I have heard of these books. I get the impression there are many things people do not talk about?”

  “A man can kill whoever he wishes without fear of repercussion often because those meant to enforce peace and harmony are paid off or owe a favor. We live in dark times.”

  “Then perhaps I am ignorant to throw stones.”

  Sinda grinned. “Or you possess boundless courage you have only begun to tap. I think you will surprise yourself.”

  “Or find myself in an alley being eaten by rats again.”

  Sinda lifted a brow. “Is that what happened to you? Why you are part machine?”

  Alel turned her arm to examine the plate. “I hardly notice anymore. Even my limp is barely noticeable anymore. But, yes, and I don’t really know what I am.”

  “I give Sir Jax credit. It doesn’t do anything to detract from your beauty.”

  Alel stroked a finger over the design on the metal, frowning. “Now that you’ve pointed it out, these plates don’t remind me of Sir Jax. They remind me of...”

  Javon. The meld of texture and detail. The blend of color. Had he known? Was this one of his secrets? Her appetite lost, Alel set down her fork and set the tray aside.

  “Sinda, do any women retain their own property or businesses?”

  “Only those with sponsorships.”

  “Which means?”

  “A man funds it, for his own purposes, but allows her the freedom to be the face for the public.”

  “Do you know a woman named Melliah?”

  “I do. She presents herself well and tolerates her companions. You will learn beauty tends to lead to the most allowances for behavior. A man is swayed easily by visual things.”

  “I have made her a part of this.” Alel got up to dress for the day. She had spent enough time hiding away. She would do Euro no good if she gave up now.

  “She is a good choice. There are others I can recommend.”

  “Do you have suggestions for ways to add to our statement?” Alel donned a layered black skirt and a dark green blouse, adding a black vest with gold threads woven into it. Both would compliment her hair and eyes. If she wanted to stand out, her clothing choices could certainly help.

  Sinda had gotten up and leaned up against the side of the wardrobe, a mischievous smile playing over her lips. “I have the perfect idea for the day.”

  Chapter 28

  Making a Statement

  The men in the Capital Exchange stopped to stare. A woman inside the walls, without a man, was unheard of. Especially three of them together.

  Alel and her companions did not bother with the lesser desks, but made their way with purpose toward the half-circle of mahogany where the President of the Capital Exchange himself ruled. The man seated behind it was as aghast as the others at their appearance.

  When Alel pulled out a chair and sat, he lurched to his feet. “Where is your escort? You cannot sit!”

  “But I have already,” Alel responded mildly. “Now, if you don’t mind, we have business to discuss.”

  “I do not discuss business with women!” the man retorted rudely.

  “Hmm,” Alel murmured. She looked first at Melliah, then at Sinda. “A mistake, don’t you both think?”

  “Yes, of course,” Melliah agreed.

  “An unfortunate one,” Sinda added.

  Alel stood. “I’m sure our business can be handled elsewhere. Why, there are many men of this town who have holdings larger than the Capital Exchange, didn’t you tell me Sinda?”

  Smirking at the flabbergasted man, Sinda stood and adjusted her rich chocolate brown skirt. “Oh yes, plenty. I did tell you it would be better to not bother here.”

  “You did,” Alel acknowledged, even though no conversation had ever taken place. The point of the visit had nothing to do with what they were saying to each other.

  “I have heard rumors already of men sympathetic to our cause,” Melliah mused. “I know exactly who to take our inquiries to.”

  “What cause?” One of the other men asked. His desk was less prominent, a sure sign he was relatively new to the team and still earning his position within the ranks. His young face was eager, his attention rapt. This was better than anything Alel could have anticipated.

  “It’s very sweet of you to ask,” Melliah purred, strolling closer. “Forgive my saying so, but I don’t think your interest will be rewarded here.”

  “Come along,” Alel urged. “I have no patience for ignorant men.” The barb struck exactly as she intended. She saw the tremor of outrage on the faces around them.

  Her cohorts followed her without protest, effectively communicating their respect of her and giving credence to her Relic blood by doing so. The entire production had taken no more than twenty minutes. Outside, an audience had gathered, making no pretense of their curiosity. Most of them were women; another victory.

  And, there were children. Alel remembered being told of the days when the women would parade their children through town, she guessed to earn the approval of others. It provided another opportunity.

  All of them were dressed as impeccably as their parents, with nothing out of place. There were no smiles, no fidgeting, no childish attempts to gain the attention of another child. The eyes were all as placid as the robotic metal eyes of some of Sir Jax’s creations.

  What kind of life did they have behind closed doors, Alel wondered? She scanned the array, seeing a young girl with milk chocolate skin. Her eyes were downcast like the others, but Alel spied the small fingers tapping in the folds of the girl’s skirt and just barely a hint of movement of her head, making Alel think she perhaps played music of some sort and was creating her own tune, with no one the wiser.

  With Melliah and Sinda following her lead, she sto
pped in front of the child and lifted the chin to meet soft blue eyes. Knowing everyone watched and listened, Alel understood her word choices were important. The children were as expendable as their mothers, she was sure.

  “Someday, you could be a musician upon these streets.” Surprise flared, but the girl’s lips pressed tightly together. Alel doubted a reaction would be welcomed by her observant parent. “The dictates placed over us mean nothing to who you are inside. If you can dream it and see a way to make it happen, it could be your life.”

  Alel turned to the next closest child, a boy eyeing her with a mixture of contempt and confusion. “None of you have to be what you have been told to be. Shadows bound by chains visible only in your minds.” She said the last firmly.

  Stepping back, Alel linked her arm through Sinda’s. “Have I told you what a talented artist Copper is?” she said conversationally, leaking as much pride as she could into her tone.

  “You haven’t, no. I’d so love to see some of her drawings, then!”

  Alel told them of Coppers latest as they walked away; a depiction of stars falling upon the world and becoming giant flowers. She hoped as they climbed back into their carriage that all listening would find the boldness to claim back some part of themselves, even if it wasn’t in a tangible way.

  The children of the White Streets did not resemble her own in attitude and demeanor at all. Alel still refused to believe it was because of some amplification Sir Jax had given them. She wanted to think she had allowed their personalities to be celebrated, and encouraged them to be the children they really were.

  The figures fading behind them seemed more like trained pets. She imagined lessons on etiquette and expectations in their homes all day, with no freedoms to just play, or even to seek out a listening ear when one was needed.

  “How are they chosen?” Alel asked once no more ears were close enough to overhear. “Do they actually belong to the women they are with?”

  Melliah hemmed disapprovingly. “Hardly. Crying babies who require constant care are not acceptable to the men. They find the early stages of childhood distracting and disruptive. Babies are sent to a Rearing place, where they are raised by women who are no longer wanted by anyone.”