Metallic Heart

by Liahona West

He’s so tall.

  Eloise barely reached his chin. Getting her arm around his shoulder forced her to stand on her tiptoes until he compensated for her and knelt. Heat radiated off him. She made the mistake of looking at him. His jaw flexed, and his chest expanded, deep and wide to hide the pain, she knew, but it still made her stomach flutter. Thoughts swirled around her head like a cyclone, none of them touching ground and all of them wonderful.

  “Finished,” Eloise said, her eyes widening when she turned her back on him and realized her voice had cracked.

  Ohmygod.

  “Thanks.”

  She nodded her acknowledgement.

  “Hey, uh, can you help me?” He chuckled. “I can’t get it on.”

  Eloise turned around. He held his shirt out for her, an apologetic wrinkle to his forehead. Her knees nearly failed.

  “Uh…sure, but,” she motioned to the blood, “you probably want a new one.”

  “Yeah.”

  “We are in a mall.”

  “Yeah.”

  They stood apart from each other. Pigeons fluttered through the air. An invisible rope, attached to her heart and connected to him, pulled. She took a step. She looked at the ice he possessed for eyes, the tiny wrinkle in his forehead. Another step. Her hand extended. She wanted to touch his and the prominent veins, calloused palms, and she wondered if he would allow her to feel the stubble of his chin beneath her fingers.

  She took the shirt from him. “Wanna look for one together?”

  As they walked, searching for a clothing shop with clothes still in it, they ran across rabbits, frogs, snakes, and foxes living within the mall. The scent was musky and sometimes potent. Grass, moss, vines, and random assortments of fast-growing weeds infested some stores, but others lacked the vegetation that ran rampant. The mall looked like a place between worlds; the one where Fade had never attacked and the one where they did.

  “There has to be a zoo close by,” Bannack said, almost to himself. “It’s the only explanation for the lions.”

  “And what’s with their stripes?” Eloise pushed away a fallen rod and began rifling through a clothing rack with only a few items. “Lions don’t have stripes.”

  “Interbreeding?” Bannack kicked a ceiling tile. “If the zoo had lions and tigers, they could have gotten out and bred together.”

  “What other animals are out there, then?”

  Chattering and hooting came from the hallway and Bannack and Eloise poked their heads out of the shop to watch a group of black monkey’s swing across the ceiling then disappear around the corner.

  “Guess that answers that.” Eloise looked at Bannack.

  He handed her a maroon button-up shirt, gave her an apologetic smile, and stood still for her. She clambered, rather unattractively, onto a nearby shelving unit that once held folded clothes and helped pull the shirt over his shoulder. He grunted but didn’t show any other signs of discomfort.

  “What I’m wondering is why did the locals give us permission to hunt here? They had to have known about the lions, so what’s the deal?”

  He finished with the buttons and walked to the next shop, half the sign still visible but covered with grime. “Hey, look at this.”

  Paper littered the floor. Eloise grabbed the one Bannack held and read it out loud. “President Raquel Santos has corrupted our way of life and must face the consequences.”

  Her chest tightened, and she looked at Bannack who was reading another paper.

  He read it. “We are Fade. We unite against our enemy. Join us and witness a new age.” He paused, his lips tight. “Isn’t that what created,” Bannack gestured, “all of this? They kidnapped the President and forced her and her people to give up the launch codes.”

  “Yeah. I think you’re right.” Eloise looked at the propaganda, the President shown as a terrifying beast eating citizens. She crumpled the paper up and dropped it. “I don’t really remember all of it from history class as a kid but I do remember Fade turned the people against the government. Hawaii doesn’t even exist anymore because of what they did.”

  She remembered the coverage of the bombs vaguely since she’d only seen it once. For weeks, her family watched footage of bombs, tsunamis, and fires. And then the electricity collapsed. The economy never recovered from the devastation.

  “What did your family do?” Eloise asked.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I remember them trying to take us to my grandparent’s but we got stuck in traffic. People attacked our car and we had to escape. My mom got hurt, though. Someone hit her in the head. She wasn’t completely the same afterward, always afraid and hiding us away in weird places.”

  Eloise put her hand to her mouth. Imagining Gabrielle, a proud, confident woman turned into a fearful one was almost too much to bear and it made her stomach queasy.

  “I did not think she’d be there. Why was she there?” Bannack scrubbed his head. He turned around and walked away.

  “Bannack?” Eloise walked out. She stood behind him. “What happened to your mom?”

  He kept his back to her, leaning against a wall with his hand and he half turned to her. Eloise walked around to get a better view of his face, but he turned away and whispered, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Alright. That’s fair.”

  Bannack yanked her arm and she fell backward into him.

  Anger shot through her. “Excuse me! I—”

  His hand covered her mouth and before she could wrench it away, a hatchet, the handle wrapped in leather, crashed through the glass wall Eloise had been standing in front of. Her anger dissipated.

  Bannack whispered. “You need to be more aware of your surroundings. You almost got your head chopped off.”

  Eloise narrowed her eyes at him and scrambled behind a leaning shelf. Voices came from her left and she watched as a young woman in a tawny fur cloak picked up the hatchet and secured it in her belt. The rest of the group showed up, three men and four women all in the same color cloaks, and blocked the doorway.

  Her mouth soured as she watched them from her hiding spot.

  Beside her, Bannack made a noise. He clenched his teeth and notched an arrow to his bow.

  “Don’t—”

  He did anyway. Hissing, Bannack stood, planted his feet, and drew the bowstring back but jerked halfway through and grunted. Blood seeped through another shirt.

  Eloise unsheathed her kukri. Ugh. Why? He just had to go and ruin my hard work.

  Sudden, distressed screaming made Eloise freeze. Her back stiffened and her knuckles grew white as she gripped the hilt of her kukri. The screams were from a young man, his voice bitterly angry, who had come out from behind the wall.

  “It’s your fault! She’s dead because of you!”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Bannack

  The knife blade gleamed. Bannack sucked in a shaking breath and took a half-step away, the kid’s voice filled with so much hate and anguish it shocked him. Knuckles white as he gripped the bow, Bannack’s back throbbed.

  Damn.

  Warmth spread on his back and he knew the lacerations opened. He held the bow but never fired which took all his mental strength. He would do good. Killing an obviously tortured man would destroy any progress he made.

  The man lunged. A primal scream leapt from his throat. Eloise stepped in the way. He slammed into her, kicking and screaming profanities with a wild fury directed at Bannack.

  Eloise shoved him away. “Who are you?”

  Bannack noticed the minor shaking of her hands and her red-rimmed eyes. His knees weakened.

  The man spoke first, his grief rampant. “I’m Cassius and you’re traveling with a monster!”

  Cassius yelled and lunged again. Preparing for the worst and refusing to lay a finger on Cassius, Bannack shrunk against the clothing rack and closed his eyes.

  Nothing happened.

  He opened his eyes.

  With the tip of he
r kukri at his throat, Eloise kept Cassius at arm’s length. “Cross me and I will pin your heart against the wall behind you.”

  Cassius’s eyes fluttered, but he sniffed and lifted his head proudly.

  Eloise stepped forward, her knife arm bending and shoulders pulling together. “Back…off!”

  He followed her command. Eloise sheathed her blade.

  Bannack remembered to shut his gaping mouth before Eloise turned to look at him. Her eyes were an inferno of chocolate brown and deep olive green flecked with sunlight.

  She wiped her hands on her thighs. “Now, wh—”

  Four people stepped from the shadows, yelling and demanding. They carried a mixture of primitive weapons. Eloise stepped beside Bannack, her breathing slow and coupled with a quiet growl that reminded Bannack of a suspicious cougar.

  When they continued advancing, Eloise released her three throwing knives. Six more men came out of hiding. His shoulder throbbed as he threw his attackers over his head, quickly learning to never do it again, or knocked them into the trees and rocks. Each action he used sparingly as more plastic closing strips snapped and his wounds re-opened.

  Both Eloise and Bannack backed further into the store, driven to the landing of a large staircase. His kick sent a man tumbling down the steps.

  Someone touched his back and in a jolt of surprise, Bannack whirled around, ready to fight off another attacker. Eloise jumped away. Her lip bled. He watched her mouth move but heard nothing.

  “What? My damn ear—”

  Eloise yanked Bannack toward her, stepped sideways, and swung a board through the air. It hit a woman rushing toward them and she collapsed.

  “You’re welcome,” Eloise said into his good ear. “I need a lift.”

  Bannack hooked his fingers underneath Eloise’s boot and heaved upward as she pushed off with her leg. Her body launched through the air. Above them was a display platform and a man with a crossbow, caught off guard, lifted his weapon to shoot her. Before he could get a shot off, Eloise used her board again and clocked him upside his head. The man stumbled, dropping his crossbow, then straightened his body, growling.

  In the time it took Bannack to pick up the crossbow, find a bolt in the bushes and notch it, the archer was forcing Eloise further toward the edge of the platform. She slipped a couple times and Bannack’s heart leapt. Frantic, his hands trembled as he notched the bow and ran up the stairs.

  Bannack pulled the string into the latch.

  The man froze.

  He felt nothing. Heard nothing. Only the release of the bolt and the violent, heavy clunk of the latch.

  The bolt pierced the man’s chest; he stumbled back and fell from the platform.

  Eloise’s face contorted and she ran at Bannack. She grabbed the crossbow, but he held on and that inflamed her even more.

  “Do you want to prove you’re a monster?”

  “He was going to hurt you.”

  “Everyone here is trying to hurt us, you idiot!” She pulled on the crossbow again and screamed. “You killed him!”

  Anger lashed out like a cobra striking. Bannack wrenched the crossbow from Eloise’s grip. She stumbled. “And I will kill for as long as I need to be safe! You don’t get to judge me! What I do to protect everyone is my business and mine alone. So what if I’m a monster? You certainly believe it!”

  The fear in her eyes as Bannack roared would stay with him for a long time. Her arms went slack. He’d never seen her afraid of him and he knew, immediately, that he’d gone too far.

  “Eloise…I…”

  “Just shut the hell up.” Then she gasped and said, “I need your shoulder. Kneel.” Eloise took the crossbow and rested it on Bannack’s shoulder, the weight of it digging into his skin, and fired. It jarred him a bit, made him wince, but Bannack got a good look at her form and the way she cocked her head to use her sight. He couldn’t help it; his heart fluttered. Sticks and dirt wound through her hair. She gritted her teeth and the blood from the healed cut on her mouth cracked.

  Someone grunted behind him and Bannack turned to see a woman cradling her thigh, the bolt protruding from her flesh.

  Eloise gave him a cold, emotionless stare and shoved the weapon into his chest. She ran toward the final attacker.

  Where’s Cassius?

  Cold metal touched his throat. Bannack froze.

  “Stop!”

  The screaming in his good ear made him wince, and the blade pressed closer to his jugular. Realizing defeat, he forced his body to calm.

  Bannack’s eyes reached Eloise. She licked her bloodied lip and shoved against her captors. They pinned her on her knees, her hands trapped underneath their boots. With each quick exhale, Eloise’s cheeks puffed. She glared.

  Through gritted teeth, Eloise said, “I need my hands back. Your feet will make excellent door stops for my apartment, boots and all.”

  Growling at her comment, the men stepped harder on her hands. Eloise squealed and jerked in response.

  Bannack’s anger erupted out of him but had nowhere to go. Cold steel from the knife scratched his throat as he spoke. “It’s me you want!”

  Cassius leaned forward. “That’s true,” he motioned at Eloise with an open palm, “but she was in the way.”

  “Then release her. Your business is with me.”

  “She deserves to know! You sent people to their grave.”

  Bannack gritted his teeth and balled his fists, nails digging into the flesh of his palm.

  “Not going to talk? Fine.” The knife pressed further into his neck.

  His heart pumped against his chest. He tensed and blurted, “Yes! I did! I kidnapped innocent people and gave them to Dr. Pierce to do as she wished.”

  The blade released from his throat and Bannack sank to his knees. His shoulders slumped, and he stared at a young sword fern peeking through the ground.

  “We’re going to punish you for what you did,” Cassius said, kneeling in front of Bannack. “You’ll finally understand the pain.”

  “Keep your hands off him!” Eloise’s rage made Bannack flinch. “How are your actions any different from what she did to you?”

  A slap reverberated through the forest. Eloise cried out. This fueled a rage in Bannack and he lunged at the person who slapped her, grabbed his throat, and slammed him into the ground. Before he could attack, a rope snagged Bannack’s raised arm, yanking him back and down. His shoulder cracked into a hidden rock. The pain blasted through his body and he cried out, holding his shoulder as he crouched.

  “Bind your tongue!” The venom in Cassius’ voice was blood curdling.

  Eloise shook her head. “I’m pretty damn close to cutting yours out.”

  The sliding of a knife out of its sheath caught Bannack’s attention. Cassius held Eloise’s kukri horizontally to her throat.

  What is it with this guy and throats?

  Bannack knew when to admit defeat. He forced his body to relax. With the kukri against her tender skin, he’d kill her if he tried to protect her.

  “Eloise…” Bannack warned. Her eyes darted to him and she clenched her jaw.

  The rope was still around Bannack’s wrist and when he pulled at it, his shoulder throbbed. He sucked in a breath.

  “What’s your plan, Cassius?” Eloise asked. A rectangular bruise formed on her cheek. “What you’re doing is barbaric.”

  “Is it though?” Cassius laughed. “Look at you. You’re seething like a wild animal. It’s rather comical.” His face changed from amusement to raw hatred. “I want you to pay for everything!”

  I’ve seen that rage before. This is not going to end well.

  He looked at Eloise, giving her a warning glance, as Cassius marched them down the path.

  ***

  Animal and human skulls, paired with an assortment of masks with teeth, extra eyes, fur, and black painted handprints, hung on spikes. Red paint on signs depicted violent wars. Crudely formed weapons hung from trees w
rapped with leather or animal body parts hanging from the handles. The village was the site of an abandoned campsite, fortified by tall, pointed logs. Cabins, covered with wood, tarps, and moss, sat on either side of a wide main roadway framed by lanterns. There were two plots of immature crops at the entrance.

  He knew this village. When Eloise spoke of the locals and them being vicious and brutal, he didn’t connect it to the same place he had stayed with his family years ago as they escaped the danger from the war. The wards to warn people away must have been put in after he left.

  Where’s Kendal? He looked for her but didn’t see her.

  Cassius led Eloise and Bannack toward a single hut at the end of the wide pathway. Villagers passing stopped to stare. Many murmured angrily to each other. Some ducked into their homes, afraid.

  I won’t give in to the shame.

  I won’t give into the shame.

  The hate and surprise singed the hair on the back of Bannack’s neck. They didn’t have to speak; one look told him he was not welcome.

  Kendal stormed from her cabin, her locs flowing freely as she struggled to button the rest of her shirt up. “What’s going on?”

  “Out of the way, Kendal.”

  “No.” She planted her feet, took a crossbow from one of her guards, and trained it on Cassius. “Let them go. Now!”

  “You know what he did. Why are you defending him?”

  “He and the girl with him are my guests now. You have no right to do anything without my consent. Now. I’m going to say it one more time or I shoot you. Let them go.”

  Villagers gathered behind Cassius. They were silent, making Bannack’s blood run cold.

  Kendal lowered her weapon. “What you’re threatening is no better than what Joy did to you. The entire point of this village is to give people a place of refuge and solidarity.”

  “And you’re going to allow him inside?” Cassius scoffed, then waved in the air to tell his man to release Bannack. “The same person who killed my sister is the reason so many are crippled. Without him, there’d be no village!”

  “Even without him, there’d still be a village, only someone else would have taken his place. Yes. He caused pain but look at him.”