Escapement (The Neumarian Chronicles)

by Ciara Knight

  A dull burn coated my senses, traveling through every nerve. I switched gears and opened the floodgate for the eruption of burning hatred to singe him, but instead, it stayed trapped, exploding like a dwarf star in the sky.

  I screamed and collapsed by Ryder’s side. His eyes glowed blue and I knew the same had happened to him. Scorching current assailed my innermost essence.

  “Enough!” The deep voice ordered. “I want them alive. I’m taken’ that one back to Oasis. Hand me the gift.”

  The inferno inside me started to boil. Ryder panted by my side. Raeth’s ball kept bouncing. I was thankful she’d checked out and hoped Fallon was wrong about her knowing what was going on around her.

  Steam escaped my mouth and the heat ebbed to a dull burn. “What—”

  “Have me own Neumarian.” The oversized man winked at me. “He be power of all powers. No one can harm me long as he’s ’round. I be takin’ ya gift back to Oasis. Malvak decide what to do with ya.”

  Veins on Ryder’s face still pulsed blue. A crystallized look of death. His knee thumped against the floor as he moved to stand.

  I scooted to Raeth’s side and pulled her dress down over her leg in hopes we could keep it concealed.

  “Little too late there, girly. Already saw that treasure.”

  Ryder lunged forward but fell to the ground with his legs sprawled in an awkward, frozen position.

  I wanted to reach out and defrost him but didn’t. I couldn’t use my powers while my head pulsed with a sharp pain. “Let us go.”

  The man slapped his red coat, sending sand raining down on us. “Spunky. Like that.” He laughed heartily and waved some other mutant scavengers over. “Best be getting’ outta here before the Wasteland discovers us.” He moved back and looked out toward the vast nothingness as if he saw something coming their way.

  One man leveraged himself on the console and grasped my forearm to pull me up.

  Ryder smacked it away. “Don’t touch her.”

  “Now, ya ain’t in no position to be makin’ demands.”

  My stomach tightened at the sight of the two scarred and maimed faces pulling me out and up to the pirate ship. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine. Help Raeth.”

  Never had I seen so many scars. My mother had forbidden anyone looking so deformed in her presence. She would have ordered them altered immediately. That most of the scavengers were self-mutilated wouldn’t have made a difference.

  Trying to maintain control, I took a few steps across the deck and rested against a mast—the sails now drawn tight against the bronze post. I looked at the deep purple lines etching a path down the dreadlock’s face from temple to lip and back up to his eye. It matched the pattern on my left thigh from the general.

  The captain smiled, revealing crooked teeth. “Ah, I think she likes ya, mate.”

  “That mark. Who gave it to you?” I asked.

  “Don’t matter. Not much left a him.”

  I ran my hand over the rip in my pants, not ready to reveal my own mark.

  The captain smacked him on the back. “This here is Dred. He’ll be escortin’ ya to the cell below deck.” The captain bowed mockingly. “Not often we get such distinguishable company.”

  Ryder moved to my side and squeezed my hand in warning.

  “I was a tutor back in the Resort Territory,” I said.

  “Yeah, sure ya were. Maybe some time below deck’ll alter that lyin’ tongue.”

  With the barrel of a gun pressed to my back, I moved forward, keeping Raeth and Ryder in my sight.

  I stumbled over chains and rope. An open air ship in the desert? How could they survive the heat, dust, and creatures? What powered a ship this size? Too small for a reactor. Too big to run on the limited water or fuel in this region.

  I pushed those thoughts from my mind as we shuffled down the stairs to two small cells. The gun nudged me into one and the door clanged shut behind. Metal! I could melt it. But what then? Escape where? Even if the Neumarian who kept our powers under control didn’t know I was melting the cell bars, we’d never make it off the ship unnoticed. And if we did, we couldn’t walk across the Wasteland with no supplies or gear. Our ship was secured and would probably be scrapped when we reached Oasis. The realization made my knees weaken, and sighing, I slumped onto the floor, alone. The door to the cell next to me swung open and Dred shoved Ryder in.

  I jumped to my feet and raced to the cell door. “Wait, where are you putting Raeth?”

  “Capt’n has special plans for her.”

  Ryder spun around and punched his face.

  Dred shoved him away and lifted his gun.

  “Watch out!” I was too late. The butt of the gun struck the back of his head. He fell to the floor.

  “Get in there and stay quiet.”

  I rubbed the bars, my body burning to kill Dred, but my head still protested from using my powers. I crumpled to the ground with my hand outstretched, hoping to touch Ryder and make sure he was okay. My heart ached for his contact.

  Two men raced down the stairs at Dred’s command and dragged Ryder’s seemingly lifeless body into the cell.

  Raeth rushed over and hit her head against the cell door several times while she sang.

  Dred pulled her back from the cell. “What’s she doin’?”

  “She’s sick. Can’t you see that? Please, put her in the cell. Take me instead.”

  “Can’t. Cap’n’s orders.” He grinned. ‘Sides, he’s got other plans for you.” He grabbed Raeth by the arm and pulled her up the stairs as she cried and scratched at the walls.

  “No.” I lunged at the bars and pressed my body against them. The smell of iron brought me back to Mother’s ship. Raeth’s pale body strapped to the gurney, saw grinding against her bone.

  What would they do to her? I clutched the bars and concentrated on melting them. Piercing pain knocked me back to the floor. I scrambled to my feet and tried again. But the invisible knife pierced my skull and cut through wires and arteries.

  “Please.” I clutched my knees to my chest. “I can’t watch her suffer again,” I choked.

  “Watch what?” Ryder mumbled.

  I froze. No, not now. “They took her.” Tears gushed from my eyes. Pain and guilt plagued me, and I struggled with what to do next. I couldn’t sit there and let Raeth’s leg be ripped from her body.

  Ryder pushed to my side, holding the back of his head. Blood smears remained on the floor. “We need to find a way to get that Neumarian traitor.”

  I scanned the holding area for a way out and noticed a vent. I half expected for Bendar to pop his head out and give me some encouraging advice I didn’t understand. Never had I missed the little man so much.

  Ryder crawled over to the edge of the cell and reached his forearm through the small slats between the bars. “Did they hurt you?”

  “No.”

  His dark stubble-covered jaw twitched. There would be no way of stopping him from attacking the guards when they returned.

  His fingers circled the top of my hand. The touch didn’t become cool or push the anxiety away, but it warmed my heart.

  He was hotheaded and dangerous, yet kind and gentle. My chest tightened with confusion. Should I tell him the truth? The weight of the secret crushed my soul. Besides, maybe I was right. The Neumarian who helped the captain could be a captive. I had to make him understand and hope to find whoever interfered with our powers. Get him to realize we could help him if we joined together to escape.

  “How do you know the Neumarian’s a traitor? Maybe he’s being forced to help them.”

  He turned his head, silver and black hair fell over his narrowed right eye. “Doesn’t matter. He’s a traitor either way.”

  “I don’t believe that. We might stand a chance if we can get to him. Convince him to help us.”

  “Not the time to be talking. Need to fight.”

  “You stubborn fool. It’s always a fight. Never another way with you. All or nothing, right? Everyone is either bad or goo
d.” I jerked free of him. “Sometimes people are forced to do things. Things they never wanted to be a part of to stay alive—”A lump rose in my throat.

  “All of us have a choice. Those weak humans back in the Mining Territory. They could’ve helped when Raeth was taken four years ago. No. They sat back and let it happen. Nothing worse than a coward.”

  “Try to imagine—”

  “No. I can’t begin to imagine. You didn’t betray Raeth, you refused. The daughter of the queen.”

  He thought I’d saved his sister. “It’s not like what you think. Nothing is. You want to help someone but the queen demands you follow orders.” My voice cracked but I forced the words to continue. “If you don’t, you both will die.”

  “I’d choose death.”

  I wanted to scream at him. Tell him what happened. Make him understand I had no choice, but his hatred-laced words kept me from the truth. “You say that, but if you were faced with a choice between someone else and your sister—”

  “I’d never torture my own kind, and don’t respect those who would. They don’t deserve to call themselves Neumarians. Should be thrown to the Wasteland and abandoned for what they’ve done.” He spoke deep with hatred. “I can’t even look at one of them. They disgust me.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ryder paced around the cell, running his fingers over the floor and walls. “Has to be a weapon.”

  Iron bars, a barrel probably filled with water or Verillian juice, a chain connected to the dirty brushed silver wall, but nothing sharp.

  The muscles in my shoulder relaxed. If he didn’t have a weapon, he wouldn’t get himself killed.

  I sat quietly, listening for Raeth’s screams when they ripped her leg off, but all I heard was the swishing of wind through the sails and the hum of an engine.

  Fallon had to have known, or suspected what would happen. He never would have risked Raeth like this. He loved her too much. So…maybe these scavengers wanted her for some reason other than scrap metal.

  “I’ll wrap the chain around a neck the next time someone opens the cell door.” Ryder mopped the sweat from his brow. “Heat’s strangling me like the tamer collar.”

  Footsteps echoed overhead and I held my breath, waiting for them to take me away. “No, Fallon wouldn’t have risked us like this. Once they open the gift, they’ll grant us supplies and safe passage. It has to work. Just remain calm. It’ll all work out.”

  Ryder slid down the wall and sat with his arms resting on his knees. “Fallon didn’t know we’d get caught so far out. Scavengers must’ve seen our fight with the spiderats or something.”

  “We’ll get out of this. We just need to convince—”

  “No time to waste convincing some traitor he’d be better off on our side.”

  “Even if we could escape the cells, what then? Hundreds of miles of nothing between us and the next territory. We’ll starve, dehydrate, or become food for the creatures of the Wasteland. Fallon wouldn’t have sent us if he didn’t believe the gift would secure our safe passage and supplies. Keep faith.” I tried hard to make my voice sound as if I believed my own words.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get us out of this.”

  I spun and faced him. “How? By beating everyone to death on the ship? That’s all you want to do, fight. Sometimes there are other ways. You’re going to get us all killed.” I gestured to the stairwell. “You’re over there formulating a plan to take down the next person who walks down those stairs.”

  “No. I…well, yeah, of course. You don’t get it. They’re gonna kill us first chance they get.” He bolted to his feet and grabbed the back of his head with one hand while he clutched the bars with his other.

  My voice softened. “You don’t know that.”

  “Scavengers are no better than the creatures of the Wasteland. Trust me.”

  I spun and stalked across my cell, then pivoted and faced him. “You know everything. Yeah, I get it, but what if he didn’t have a choice?”

  “You think this Neumarian has no choice? I wouldn’t turn my back on my people for anything.”

  “Not even Raeth?”

  His grip tightened on the bars. I narrowed my gaze, daring him to lie. Could he sacrifice his sister if he had to?

  He clutched his head and collapsed to his knees.

  “Ryder. You can’t use your powers. Calm down.” I rushed to his side, reached between the bars, and brushed his soft hair from his forehead. “Your anger will be the death of you.” I pulled his chin up to face me. “You have to stay calm.”

  “I didn’t even realize. Vo pekolot.”

  My hands shook as I watched him bang his head against the bars. I knew how it felt—searing pain raced through fissures and down to his brainstem. I wanted to soothe him, make him stop.

  Instead, I pressed my lips to his cool forehead through the small slats, and my mind swirled faster, to a new level of flight. Bone-marrow-soothing-pleasure rippled through my body.

  “Enjoying ya confinement, I see.” Dred’s voice broke the moment and my desire recoiled, replaced by gut punching fear.

  Ryder backed away, leaving me empty inside. “Where’s Raeth?” he rasped.

  Clunk…tap. My stomach unclenched at the musical cadence of Raeth’s steps. They hadn’t taken her leg.

  Maybe I was right. We could try to reason with them.

  I presented my warmest smile. “Dred, we just want to leave. We won’t cause any trouble.”

  “Not gonna happen. Ya got some worth to ya. We gonna take you to Malvak.”

  “Malvak?” I asked.

  “Yeah, ya never heard of Malvak? Gesh, ya have lived a privileged life there, lady.”

  He took the keys from his jacket and shoved Raeth in the direction of Ryder’s cell.

  “What is this Malvak going to do with us? I asked.

  “Don’t know.”

  The key rotated in the door, clicking not only the lock but Ryder’s restraint. He charged and rammed his shoulder into Dred’s abdomen. They flew back and smashed the barrel, sending green liquid all over the floor.

  Ryder drew back his fist and pounded it against Dred’s cheek. Then readied for another punch, but slipped on the green fluid and knocked the back of his head against the wall.

  Raeth took out her ball. Curling her good leg under her, she sat in the corner next to my cell.

  Dred slammed his knuckles against Ryder’s jaw, sending him sliding on his back through the narrow corridor.

  “Ryder,” I screamed.

  He clutched his head then looked up only to have Dred’s fist connect with his chin. Grimacing, Ryder leaned back on his elbows, drew his knees to his chest, and drove his feet into Dred’s stomach.

  Stay down Ryder. Don’t do it. My fingers clutched the metal bars so tight my nails dug into my palms.

  He scurried to his knees but kept slipping in the liquid. “Not gonna touch my sister.”

  “You be wrong about that, mate.” Dred spun around and grabbed Raeth by the hair and shoved a blade to her neck. “Care to spar some more?” He pulled her around like a ragdoll, her head flopping in every direction. “Now get back in your cell.”

  With her hair hanging over her eyes, I couldn’t see if she’d checked out or was dead. No humming, no ball, only silence. “Raeth?”

  He pressed the blade harder against her neck. “Now.”

  “Please, Ryder. Listen to him,” I pleaded.

  “Put the knife down. I’m going.” Ryder skated on the slippery deck. Entering his cell, he fell on his back with a thud. The door clanged shut and he spun to check on Raeth.

  My cell door opened. I raced to catch Raeth as Dred shoved her in. We both fell to the floor. “Raeth, you okay?” I brushed the sweaty, dark hair from her face. No bruises or scrapes.

  Raeth rocked back and forth and pulled the ball from her pocket but she didn’t hum.

  I nodded at Ryder to let him know she was okay. Well, as okay as she could be under the circumstances.

  He
blew out air and ran his hands through his hair.

  “You sure made enough mess down here. Cap’n’s gonna be none too happy ya spilled his juice.”

  “Tell him to send us the bill,” I snapped.

  Dred tossed a frilly pink dress into the cell. “Put this on, gal.”

  I glared at him. “I don’t think so.”

  “Maybe this’ll change ya mind.” Dred pulled a gun from his belt and pointed it at Ryder. He stumbled, but recovered and pushed his chest out.

  I carefully propped Raeth against the back wall and stood straight, facing Dred. “So, the stories are true, scavengers have no honor. Nothing but animals, lowest on the food chain.”

  “Ah, ya flatter me.” Dred gave a half sarcastic grin. “Now put it on.” He cocked the gun and took a step closer to Ryder’s cell.

  “No Semara. Don’t—”

  “It’s only a dress. I’ve worn worse.” I held it up in front of me. “Maybe not.” I unhooked my belt, pulled my vest off and unbuttoned the undershirt. The thin dark shirt clung to my skin and rivulets of sweat dripped between my breasts.

  “Turn around,” Ryder growled at Dred.

  I peeled the brown pants down my legs.

  Dred stepped away from the cell and lowered his gun, mouth hanging open.

  Ryder rattled the solid cell door. “Don’t you even think about touchin’ her.”

  “Those marks, how’d ya get them?”

  I pulled the dress over my head. “Does it matter?”

  “I know these marks. But the maker be dead.” Dred’s eyes fixed on my leg, but his look wasn’t lustful, nothing like the ogling the general use to enjoy.

  I yanked the strings tight and knelt down for Raeth to tie them in the back. “How would you know where these marks came from?”

  “Swirl’s a brandin’ mark. A letter G.”

  I tensed under Dred’s stare. “You do know the general. He gave you those marks.”

  “Yeah, he be a mean son of a whore.”