The Temple

by Emily Shore

  “What did you want to discuss with Sky?” I ask my brother.

  Neil stuffs his hand in his pockets, glancing to the door. “Was thinking there might be a way for me to bring him in. Daddy’s upping security lately, looking for new guards. If Sky can reach out to his connections, I can do the same. Next month, Force is having a try-out. Happens twice a year. Security guards and potential ones compete in an arena—giant obstacle course with a boxing match at the end—to see who’s the most capable. The winner gets Penthouse duty. Was thinking we could get boy toy a prosthetic like we did for you.”

  I sigh. “Only one obvious problem. Boxing match? I’d say punching is one thing you’d want to avoid with prosthetics.”

  Neil curses, nostrils flaring like they’re puffing out a storm. “Didn’t think of that. Could go permanent,” he suggests.

  I narrow my brows so low I imagine they become velvet curtains drowning out the light. “Never!”

  “Whoa, no offense, Serenity.” Neil holds up his hands. “I’m sure he’d do it for you.”

  “I’m sure he would. But I like Sky’s face just the way it is.” I lean up against the door.

  “How did you meet him?” Sunshine interjects, referring to Sky.

  “On the day I was born.”

  “Oh, long history, then?”

  “Very.”

  “I was wondering why you guys were so intense.” She whips her head back and forth between Neil and me, scanner eyes wandering up and down. “Guess you’re all pretty intense.”

  Shrugging, Neil takes out an electronic cigarette. “Blood can do that.”

  “Blood always does that.”

  I almost flinch at the sound of my father’s voice. If he wasn’t approaching from the other end of the hall, I’d be concerned he’d heard more than the last bits of our conversation.

  “Having a little party, Serenity?” He sways toward me, posture playful, exaggerative hand on his chest. “I’m hurt. You should have invited me.”

  “Spontaneity doesn’t afford much opportunity for invitations,” I quip, glaring at him.

  “Well,” Neil inhales the word before cupping my shoulder and leaning over to kiss my cheek, “I’m off for a photo shoot in Madrid. Be back next week for your exhibit, sis. Ta!”

  Chicken.

  After Neil departs, my father turns to inform me, “We’ll be having a guest for dinner.”

  I roll my eyes. “Like we do every night.”

  “You may bring Sunshine if you wish.” His fingers flutter toward her like a bouncing swing. “Aldaine?” Force turns at the door opening behind us. “Have a fondness for standing in the middle of an empty suite?”

  For a moment, Luc stares at me, and I poison my features as much as possible, imagine a hot-blooded horse with lightning in her wake charging from my eyes into his.

  Luc squares his shoulders. “She slammed the door in my face. I was collecting my thoughts before I followed her.”

  “Persistence is a trait I admire, my fine young man.” My father touches Luc’s shoulder, more affection in that gesture than I like. It’s obvious he still has hopes for me to choose the former director.

  I grimace, eyeing them. “Goes both ways.”

  “Yes,” Force sighs. “I’m afraid you two are equally matched in that department. Your horns will always lock together.”

  I set a hand on Sunshine’s back. “I’m taking her to see my shark.”

  “Provided a new security member escorts you,” Force hastens to order.

  I want to tell him I’m not an idiot, but I don’t bother.

  “Where’s Sunshine?” Sky asks once I’ve returned to the bedroom later, fully prepared in my ensemble for dinner. Considering how Sky’s eyes dance across my form, I know I’ve chosen right.

  “With Queran. I’m meeting her soon, but I promised her I’d talk to you first. We’re going to get her out.”

  Sky nods, lips pressing together, already considering the complexities. “I can make a call for pickup tonight.”

  “But she needs to go down to Temple first.”

  “Run that by me again.”

  Exhaling, I onto the bed. “I promised her she could trust me. Her best friend, raised with her, went to the Temple first. Training level or something. Sunshine wants to see her first.”

  Sky rubs his chin as he starts pacing. If I could peek into his head, I would see a dozen different centipede thoughts crawling around a Temple-sized maze of countless floors. Dead end here. Tripwire there.

  “It’s riskier,” Sky finally concludes, pausing mid-step. “Training levels have more security measures.”

  “I made a promise, Sky.” My voice falls along with my eyes as I consider the notion of Sky getting caught. What my father would do to him. Or worse…use Sky against me, get me to give something up.

  Then, I feel the bed shift. Sinking a deep indent into the mattress, Sky cups the side of my face, urging it toward him. His eyes travel across mine, slow and steady.

  “Your promises are my promises. I’ll do what I can.”

  This time, I kiss him. And not just a brush of my lips.

  “Paper Man’s a makeup god!” Sunshine exclaims once I enter the studio, which is more like a souped-up makeup room. Up to this point, mine and Bliss’s preparations have simply taken place in her attached sitting room, but this studio is another option.

  At first, I’d bucked against this preparation notion. If Sunshine wanted to dress up for dinner, she could have used the BODY, but she was curious.

  “I want to know what it feels like before you go into an exhibit,” she’d spoken. I cringed, not wanting someone as young as her drawn to such a thing. If it weren’t for Queran, I wouldn’t have folded as easily as a feather.

  I study Queran as he braids the final strand into a conglomerate of intricate designs on her head before admitting, “Yes. The preparations are difficult. The results are not.”

  “I imagine it must take a lot of courage to be vulnerable like that. To let someone else touch your skin.” She nods to my preparer, smiling, bits of golden rays on her lips.

  I bite the inside of my cheek. “I think respect is required even more.” I sound like my sister, so I add one of my own statements. “Courage is necessary when you don’t want someone to touch your skin. Courage and fortitude.”

  “And strength,” she adds, squaring her shoulders. “Something we don’t have as much as our male counterparts.”

  “Willpower can trump strength.”

  “Damn right.”

  I don’t give her false hope. If Sky’s plan fails, she will need survival. Survival and a thousand triggered coping mechanisms. Even life as a breeder will come with coping mechanisms.

  At first, I straighten but then glance at Sunshine as she lowers her head, her lashes a shroud over her eyes, hands placated in her lap as Queran applies her makeup.

  “I can imagine you’ll be the one everyone looks at tonight!” She changes the subject. “Just look at your hair and your bling.”

  Queran pauses as Sunshine gawks at the high-tech gold filigree latched onto my arm. Miniature sunbeams fan out from its edges. The choker I wear is pure gold with a digital pendant of swirling mood glitter. Tonight, the glitter is feisty. Apart from the feathers raining down my back, the dress itself could be a gold chandelier.

  Queran isn’t offended when Sunshine stands to marvel. Even if I did use the BODY tonight, he still knows his hands are sacred.

  “You almost look like some fire swan,” Sunshine remarks, finger trailing along one of my gold feathers. “No one will be looking at me tonight.”

  I’m counting on that.

  “Sunshine…” I approach her and cup her shoulder. “You’re not coming to dinner.”

  Sunshine winces, twisting her shoulder out of my hand. Immediately, I realize my mistake at touching the scarred side of her body. I should have known better.

  “I’m keeping my promise,” I alert her, hoping my words will make up for that faux
pas.

  Her eyes lift. “You can get me to Lina?”

  “Yes. And out of the Temple.”

  Sunshine’s mouth falls open. The first time it does with nothing coming out.

  Despite how I’ve kept my voice low, Queran straightens nearby, revealing he overheard every word. I just hope my willingness to share this in front of him doesn’t betray me.

  “Thank you,” Sunshine finally utters after a few seconds.

  That’s all I need. Placing a hand on her back, I guide her toward the door and whisper low, “Wait for me by the elevator.” I’ll get her as close to the training level as I can. Sharky is the best excuse. Sky knows to meet us there.

  Fortunately, Sunshine doesn’t ask any other questions, but she does turn around, scampering to Queran for a moment. I think he is just as surprised by her embrace as I am.

  Retrieving his origami present from earlier, Sunshine wags it in the air and proclaims, “I’ll keep it forever. They couldn’t burn the sun out of us.” She stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek, urging a smile. “Stay true, Paper Man.”

  That’s when I realize why Sunshine felt a pull to Queran. Two sides of the same coin. Except his scars are internal. And chemical. Hers are external. And physical. They know each other in a way I never will. Just like me and Bliss.

  And for the first time, I think it might be okay…to not understand.

  But I still need to tell her…

  “What do you want, Serenity?” Bliss opens her door. Between the silk robe sticking to her skin and her unkempt hair, I know she’s just finished with a client. Sunshine will probably have made it to my room by now. We don’t have long.

  “I thought you might want to say goodbye.” I rush through my words. “Sky’s getting her out tonight.”

  At first, Bliss lifts her brows, eyes opening a little to betray her surprise, but her defenses only shift in the moment before she adopts her usual indifferent posture.

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  “Bliss.” I touch her arm, just a trickle of my fingertips across the skin there. “Sometimes, hope is for real. It’s real tonight.”

  “And you think nothing of the repercussions of your actions?”

  I shake my head. “Not tonight. All that matters is Sunshine. I won’t let the Temple squash it.”

  Bliss huffs, hands storming her hips. It’s the first time I’ve seen this much emotion from her. “You realize what she’s been doing this whole time?”

  I shrug, fingers start fiddling with one another. “She’s been having a ball.”

  “At your expense.”

  “So?”

  Bliss sighs, arms dropping to her sides. “So, you do have some measure of self-deprecation.”

  I shift my weight. “She’s just a kid.”

  “Hope is a dangerous thing. What happens if you fail?”

  “We won’t fail.”

  Bliss shakes her head but glances back at her bedroom as if debating on whether to join me. I can already see the surrender in her eyes.

  Finally, “Give me a couple of minutes to get dressed.”

  28

  P a R a S o l

  Sky

  When she repeated the word “promise,” I recognized that glint in her eyes. She was adamant. Relentless. My unstoppable force.

  Given how long it will take me to reach Sharky’s level, I don’t waste any time. I just follow the virtual map in my head until the rafters lead me to the elevator shaft. Free-climbing is the quickest way to get there unless I can hitch a ride on the elevator, but it’s anchored fathoms below. No time to wait. I chalk it up to my work out for the day. Not the first time doing this. Going up can be easier than getting down sometimes. If I had all the time in the world, I’d crawl through all the vent shafts that crisscross their way through each level, but expedience is necessary.

  If anyone can get Sunshine out, that ‘ol bird can.

  About a quarter of the way down, my legs start to shake. I pause in the middle of the shaft to wipe a sheen of sweat off my head. At least the chalk I stole from the supply closet is proving its usefulness. Keeping my legs steady in the shaft footholds, I coat more of my hands in it and keep going. This is anything but mindless. At all times, I keep myself sharp. Least the training level is only a few floors down from Serenity’s shark.

  I edge my way into level 990 rafters, then make my way to the auditorium where I find Sunshine standing next to the tank. No Serenity yet. She’ll be here soon.

  “Nice fish, huh?” she comments as I trudge down the stairs, my hands stuffed deep into my pockets to conceal the shaking. By tomorrow, I’ll have a well-earned badge of blisters.

  “Don’t let Serenity hear you calling him that.”

  She points a finger to the tank. “He won’t come this way.”

  I shake my head. “Nope, something he only does when she’s around. Got a special bond with her.” But I’d still prefer if it wasn’t tested frequently. If anything good can be said of Force, at least he’s planning to keep her busy with plenty more exhibits before he rotates her previous ones.

  Sunshine shivers. “I’d be scared stiff to get in the water period.”

  “No good at swimming?” I prop one arm up against the tank.

  “Not really. Now, the idea of hang-gliding sounds pretty fun.”

  “Really? Not base-jumping? I’d be all over that.” I kid around with her. She reminds me of Serenity when she was younger but just a little. Serenity’s always been more intense. Sunshine’s still reserved, but I guess she’s got her own sort of magic. That’s what Serenity’s drawn to—the ones who have magic. She’s also got some sharp edges to her but on the inside. Not on the outside.

  “Neither of you are thinking big enough,” my girl’s voice cuts through our pithy examples. “Skydiving would be the ultimate thrill.”

  I nod to the figure behind her. “What about you, Bliss?”

  I have no qualms about acknowledging her. No fear of exposure. If Serenity has brought her here, it means she trusts Bliss enough to let her in on our secret. In either case, there’s no going back.

  Serenity’s sister maintains her typical stoic pose as she responds, “I prefer to keep my feet on solid ground.”

  “If the Temple can be defined as solid ground,” I quip.

  “It’s solid enough for me.” Her arms remain at her sides, stiffed than totem poles. Her eyes are waging a war within her body. I can tell by the way she keeps glancing to Sunshine.

  “Fair enough.”

  Bliss raises her chin. “I’m more interested in knowing who you are.”

  “Would you like to make the intro, Ser? If you can tear yourself away from sushi there.”

  “Shh, Sharky.” She smoothes her fingers along the glass, cooing to her new pet as he predictably rolls his body close to the tank’s front. “He didn’t mean anything by it.”

  Sunshine takes advantage of the opportunity to get a closer look at Sharky, and she and Serenity banter a little back and forth. Guess it’s up to me, then.

  “Skylar Lace.” I extend a hand. “Friends call me Sky.”

  Bliss is more observant than I previously assumed. She pauses to eye my sore palms, the redness under a layer of chalk, and the way my fingers falter—a leftover from my time in the shaft.

  “Skylar Lace.” She murmurs the last name, identifying with it immediately—the same as Serenity’s—before turning to her sister. “Serenity, is there something you want to share?”

  Serenity sighs, heaving her shoulders. “It’s a long story.”

  “You will tell it later,” Bliss states, voice firmer than a stone fist.

  “Time for goodbyes first.” I can tell the effort it took Serenity to say that. The time has come for Sunshine to go.

  “You know I was prepared,” Sunshine informs her, shrugging.

  “Now, you can prepare for something else,” Serenity replies, eyes fervent as lightning striking steel.

  “Don’t look a gift horse
in the mouth,” I echo.

  Sunshine waves her hand. “I was never trying to get your sympathy.”

  “No.” Serenity shakes her head. “No, just my trust.”

  The child twirls her finger around. “No, that’s turned around. I was supposed to trust you. The whole buzzard thing…”

  Serenity interjects, standing firm, denying, “I’m trusting you more.”

  When her gaze flicks to me, to Bliss, I watch Sunshine as she picks up on it. And chuckles. “Right. Cause the Yin twin isn’t the only one with secrets. This whole thing would make one great show. So, why trust me so much?”

  My girl beams. “Because you liked Serenity more than the Swan.”

  Sunshine opens her arms, leaning in to hug Serenity. The significance of how she presses her scarred cheek to Serenity’s flawless one is not lost on me. But I’m not focused on them so much as Bliss. It’s the first time I’ve seen her waver a little. First time I’ve seen those skyscraper eyes soften. Not melt but soften. First time her posture’s has sunk. She purses her lips, but it seems to take more effort. Like folding over thick leather instead of skin.

  “Live for them, girl,” I interrupt the tender moment, leveling with Sunshine. “Best advice I can give. Make mistakes, have fun, grow up, do some good. I’ll shut up now.”

  “Your muscles are better at talking.” Sunshine winks, then gives me a light punch on the arm, but it feels more like a tap…from a lamb’s head. “I guess this is what flying away feels like.”

  “Or floating,” Serenity suggests instead.

  “A floating parasol.”

  All three of us turn to look at Bliss. She joins her hands in front of her and explains, “That’s what you remind me of—a floating parasol sailing in the wind.”

  Sunshine beams as bright as her name. “A parasol. Parasols soak up the sun but protect others from it. I guess that’s my other name.”

  Judging by Sunshine’s personality, she’s the type who will work well in the Sanctuary. Even as Parasol. I wish I could make promises. If I could, I’d tear down the walls of that Chick House and get all those kids to the Sanctuary where they belong. I can’t dwell on them. Drive myself crazy with the endless circle of thoughts like a dog chasing its tail; simple metaphors work for me. Saving one or two girls like this might not make up for all the others who are stuck, but just helping one to slip through the cracks can make all the difference in the world. Makes me feel more like a man than I’ve ever felt free-climbing an elevator shaft, throwing a punch, or taking a beating.