by E J Darling
Humans littered the streets. Their clothes were nasty, and those that did walk around with purpose, which were few and far between, were obviously sex workers. Their clothes were cleaner, newer, but they nearly all had the same look of despair upon their faces.
Human slaves like her, but not like her at all.
A feeling in her gut told her she came from here, that Zeke had plucked her out from all the other children in the street. There was no other explanation than that, no other way to get your hands on a Human child than straight from the source. Had he truly seen something in a dirty little face that stared at him as blankly as the children stared at her? She didn’t feel like she belonged there, but then again, no one should have belonged there.
No one belonged on those vile streets, on the stones which were blackened with too many things for her to decipher. Just the thought of what the stains could be had her stomach in knots.
They stared as she walked down the main row. She looked at the faces, trying to see herself in any of them. She couldn’t believe a word Zeke told her about her mother, or maybe she could. She didn’t know one way or another what the truth was, but she did know there was no name. Who had her mother been? Had there been a father? Her questions could be answered in the next face she saw, but there was nothing to go on. She didn’t know what her name was before Zeke, or why she was even there.
Teak. She needed to find Teak.
An older female with light gray hair, that reminded her of Cookie, was sweeping a step that would never be clean no matter how long she did her menial task. Maeve stopped and held up her electro pad with Teak’s auction photo on it.
“Have you seen this male before?” she pleaded, and hoped there was some kindness in the stern wrinkled face. “Has he been here?” She doubted she’d get any answer from the old one, but it was worth a shot.
The stranger with the sad face looked at the pad, and then back to Maeve. “Is he yours?”
Not knowing how to answer correctly, Maeve chose the one with the most meaning. “He’s mine. My everything. I love him and he’s missing. Have you seen him?”
The female stared deeply, seeming to take in Maeve’s words. She didn’t answer, but she pointed a finger across the street to an old abandoned building, one that would never stand in the wealthier areas of the city. The council wouldn’t let a place be so run down that it messed with the natural order of the surface.
“That way? He’s in there?”
The stranger went back to her sweeping, and Maeve realized that was the only help she’d get from her. So, she turned on her heel and slowly crossed the main strip, dozens of eyes on her all the while.
Once inside the dark building, Maeve quickly found nothing but empty space and rusted metal. “Teak!” She called out but got no response. Just as she expected to get. There was no reason he’d be in there and not home with her. No good reason anyway. She looked around further, finding a footprint in a small sandy area where the rest of the floor was stone. She wasn’t skilled in tracking, and there was no way she could tell one way or another if they were his.
She slowly spun around the room, looking for anything else that seemed out of place. Unfortunately, she found something. Maeve fell to her knees and placed her face close to the floor where a single drop of blood splashed. It was dried already, and though it could have been there for days or weeks, her instincts were picking up something else.
Her body knew it was Teak’s.
A sick feeling came over her, one she couldn’t shake. He wasn’t dead. He couldn’t be. She wasn’t ready to lose him, and she most certainly wasn’t ready to die. He’d made plans. They were going to be happy together until they both faded into the darkness. This couldn’t be happening.
Tears fell on either side of the blood droplet and Maeve lost it, falling to the floor. The pain in her stomach felt like a burning hot poker had been plunged into it and wouldn’t let up. He’s not dead. He can’t be dead. We aren’t dead. She chanted to herself, but nothing helped. Her mind knew he couldn’t be dead, but her body was sealed with a bond she didn’t understand yet, and wouldn’t listen to her plea.
“He’s not dead!” Her voice echoed in the emptiness. She curled up into herself anyway, and her body began an unwavering descent into darkness. Their bond held them together like a tightrope. One end was cut off, had snapped back toward her. Without it, she would fall to her death. The cost of loving me is everything. He told her that. She accepted it gracefully and lovingly, but now it felt like a knife in the heart, or a hot poker to the stomach.
“No,” a voice answered from the shadows. A rusted metal sign moved slightly, and a figure appeared before her. “He isn’t dead.” The male’s voice was familiar and comforting, but her brain was foggy from the instability she battled inside. Maeve’s body relaxed just a bit as he spoke his words from the shadow. The figure stepped closer, and a beam of light, which broke free from a hole in the wall, illuminated his face. Maeve paled.
“Roth? Why are you here? Where is Teak?”
He cocked a brow and tilted his head as he watched her body clenching on the floor. “I’m here because you’re here, my little beauty.” Roth held out his hand
“I don’t understand.” Maeve took the hand hesitantly and stood on uneasy feet. “Do you know where Teak is? I have a feeling something terrible happened to him.”
“With any luck.” His curious look changed into a sinister smile. She knew he didn’t like Teak, but there was something dark in his eyes that wasn’t there before. He’d been a different person since they arrived back on planet, and it was beginning to freak her out. Maeve struggled to get free, but he gripped her arm tightly before she could. “Now that I have him out of the way, I can handle our situation the way I need to.”
Her heart began to hammer hard against her chest. “Roth, let go of me.” The male she once held to a high standard, who she thought the world of, was now scaring her more than anyone else ever had. He didn’t look like himself, didn’t look the distinguished military enforcer he always had. “Please. Zeke will be waiting for me.”
“I don’t think he will be. At least, not anytime soon. That gives me enough time to deal with the fallout of you and your lover running off to some unknown planet in some unknown galaxy. He’ll be heartbroken over his little pretend daughter disappearing, just like his real one did. He’ll get over it though, I’ll make sure of it.”
“What?” That was the last thing she said before something sharp jabbed into her neck. Her limbs went heavy, and she could no longer stand on her own. Her mouth went to move, but nothing happened. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t beg for help. Her body wouldn’t listen to its commands.
Roth lowered them both to the ground and he held her for a moment. “Shh, I’m going to take care of you.” He petted her hair and looked right through her. She wanted to slap him, wanted to slice his throat right there, but her body didn’t care what she wanted. A few moments later, darkness took her.
Thirty-Three
“Who do you think will die first? Me or you?” Teak had been talking to himself for hours now and was getting nothing but silence in return. “I’m hoping it’s you, ugly. I‘ve got someone waiting on me out there.”
Waking up in a prison cell wasn’t exactly the last thing Teak expected. He guessed it was always going to end up like that, one way or another. The only thing he hadn’t expected was someone counting on him not to be in prison.
The dungeon was dark, humid, and the only light came from the blue glow of the energy bars surrounding the cells. As far as he could count, there were fourteen individual cells, but only three were occupied. He was one, there was a Tallel two cells down, who wasn’t at all talkative, and a small slug like alien two down in the opposite direction, who Teak doubted even had a mouth. What a creature like him could do to deserve a prison cell, he didn’t know.
His head pounded from the blow that’d knocked him out, so he couldn’t have been in there that long. Ten hours,
maybe double. Whatever the length of time, it was too long. He still didn't know who put him in there, but that wasn’t the most important thing. The most important thing was thinking about all the ways Maeve could be hurting because of him. Damning himself was better than accepting his current situation.
He couldn’t feel her, but she could be too far away, or sleeping, or knocked out, or dead. No, not dead. Never dead. If he truly thought her dead, his body would quickly decline. He’d get sick as his insides ran fiery hot. He’d seen it happen to others before, and hoped like hell it never happened to him. There would be no life without her, and he would succumb to whatever fate their bond demanded.
By now, Maeve would know he was gone, and that scared him. When she set her mind to something, there was no stopping her. If she decided to find him, she either would, or she’d get herself in too much trouble. He couldn’t do anything stuck in there. His hands clenched and his nails dug into his palms and blackness oozed into the dirt.
The only thing he could do was lay on the damp floor and look at the ceiling tinged in blue. If he touched the bars, they’d burn him. He had the wound to prove it. The only way he was getting out was being led to his death. He needed a damn miracle.
To get his mind off his, and subsequently Maeve’s death, Teak decided to engage his brother in chains once again. “So, what are you in for? Kill someone?” He got no response. “I killed three Forga on a gambling station. They deserved it.”
The dungeon was silent for a long while, aside from the light hum of the bars taunting him. He’d almost spoken again, but his thought was cut off.
“They all deserve it.”
Teak sat up instantly, fake shock plastered on his face. “You speak!”
“No shit.” The Tallel paced his cell, like a caged animal slowly going mad day by day.
Teak rested his forearms on his bent knees and huffed. “Hell yes. I was scared I was going to be in here talking to myself because this thing over here has no mouth.”
“He can still understand you.” The Tallel spoke low and deep, nothing like Bith. He missed that big green son of a bitch and hoped he and Lissor made it out of Subterranea in one piece.
Teak grimaced at the slug creature that was now staring holes into his head from its two protruding eyeballs. It pulled one inside its body to wet it and Teak shuddered, turning his back to it. “Gross.” The Tallel was more interesting anyway. “I have Tallel friends.”
“Doubtful.”
“I do. Well, I hope I still do. They tried to help me escape the Pit last night, but I was captured anyway.”
The Tallel stopped his pacing for a moment, obviously interested in the conversation now. “The Tallel are loyal. If you found some that actually like you, keep them close. You won’t find another.”
After he’d gone back to pacing, Teak smiled to himself considering the Tallel’s words. Maybe he had made a friend on that shitty planet. He hoped both Bith and Lissor were still alive.
Teak gave his attention back to the annoyingly quiet, and short spoken reptile. “Can I ask you a question?”
“No.”
Teak didn’t really care about that word, never had. “What do you know of Nathenian Kilper?”
The Tallel hissed low in his chest. The disgust apparent all the way to Teak’s cell.
“And what do you know of Zekekiel Vint.”
The Tallel was silent for a moment and finally, just when Teak was about to be sick of the pacing, the male sat down on the dirty floor. His body’s posture mimicked Teak’s and they sat there facing the other. “We do not talk about Zekekiel Vint.”
“Why?” He needed to know if Vint was the one that had him sent down there or not. There weren’t many clues, but the few he had led him to believe something he couldn’t stomach.
“If you do not know, then we do not talk.”
That was the last thing the Tallel said before going silent again. No matter what Teak said, yelled, begged, the Tallel sat silent until Teak could hardly stand it.
Just when he’d reached a breaking point, a light shone from down the corridor. A large door slid open, then shut again, leaving only the blue light of the bars to luminate the space.
Someone approached.
Thirty-Four
Zeke dropped himself in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was still morning, despite how long being with the council felt, and he had more work on his plate than usual. He’d allowed Maeve her tantrum and let her slip on her duties for long enough, she needed to get back to it and take the load off his shoulders. His guilt for what he did to Teakin had allowed her that freedom, but now it was cutting into his life and his work. And, he no longer felt guilty.
Thirty documents had been left unread and unworked from what he could see in her files on his portable pad. That was an absurd amount of unfinished work, and many of those documents were exceedingly important, needed to be worked on immediately. It was time he paid her a visit and discuss what she’d be doing in the very near future. He had given her ample time to get over her hard feelings and now she needed to grow up.
He stood from his desk, but when he did, something caught his eye. He pushed his portable out of the way and tapped on the desk, making it appear bigger. A document had been pulled up, one he hadn’t looked at in a few days. In fact, more than one document had been accessed. Anger rolled up his spine. Someone had gotten into his files without him knowing.
The door to his office opened, and Roth stepped in. “Zeke?” He looked like hell.
Zeke tapped his desk again and darkened the screen, not needing anymore eyes on his work than already had been. “What do you need?”
“I was hoping I could get that device.” Roth’s eyes scanned the room, but came back to him when the device wasn’t readily seen. “I figure it’s better to get our feet moving sooner rather than later. I want to help you find your daughter.”
Zeke hoped the issue would come up at a later date, so of course it was happening right now. He’d thought a lot on that device and the mission to hopefully find his daughter alive somewhere. It wasn’t one Roth was going to like, but it was the best call overall.
“I’d like you to take Teakin with you, Roth. He can fight, and his background would prove all too useful on your endeavor. I was going to tell you both when I had you together, but since you’ve brought it up, that’s my answer. I want the best of the best, and no matter what my opinions are on the Turnish, I’d count him in that group.”
“Zeke.” Roth nearly hissed his words, obviously furious at Zeke’s decision. “Please, I don’t think I could take him in such a small space. We wouldn’t work, him and I. We’re too different.”
“You’re too much alike, you mean. I know your feelings, my friend.” Zeke stood and stepped around the desk. He could see so much trepidation in his old friends eyes, and wondered why he had so much hate for the Turnish. But, it came to him. “I know you have eyes for Maeve, and I know me admitting to you about her free status only made you more aware of her, but I do not believe she feels the same.”
“With all due respect, Zekekiel. I think she does. It’s just overshadowed by that slave.” The way Roth sliced the last word made it sound like a slur of the worst kind.
“Think what you wish.” Zeke moved to the door, he didn’t have time to argue. The two of them, Roth and Teakin, could work out whatever hard feelings they had, themselves. “Oh, by the way, Teakin Kade is my property. I made the changes myself.”
“What?” Roth’s eyes widened in obvious shock. “You took him? Does she know?”
Zeke cocked his head and wondered what about that had his friend so worked up. He thought back on the opened files at his desk. Roth looked too shocked for that news to have already been known to him, there was only one other person that could have managed to get access to such files. A smile surfaced but he bit it back. Coy, very coy.
“I believe she may.”
Zeke walked out of his office, leaving Roth behind. He
had too much work to deal with right now without worrying about how Roth felt about all the information he just handed him. Once to Maeve’s door, he knocked three times and waited for her to answer. He heard nothing beyond it and tried again, his patience already running thin.
A door opened down the hall, and a sweet voice called. “You came ba–” Her voice stopped the instant she saw him. “Oh! Hello, sir.”
He stepped towards her, eyes on hers the entire time. “Who came back, Keeli?”
She darted her eyes away and found something less intense on the ground. He didn’t know why, but he had a keen sense that he was losing his strong hold over the home and everyone in it. Too many new people, not enough respect. That would need to change.
“Answer me.” He grit through his clenched jaw trying to catch his anger. Zeke was done with being jacked around already, but there was something in Keeli’s face that softened him. He didn’t like her having that power. “Now!”
“I’m sorry!” Keeli jumped and cowered just enough to make his inner sadist happy. “All I know, sir, is that Teak didn’t come back last night.”
Zeke cocked his head, turning his head to look at Maeve’s door. She wasn’t in there. He knew what Teakin did in his own time during the night, secretly hoped it would kill him faster, but he’d proven himself stronger than his opponents. Zeke had his eyes in that pit, even though he hadn’t been there himself, and knew Teakin Kade fought for his life in that bloody arena. It was what made Zeke realize just how good he was.
But, if Teak had died in the pits last night, he would have been alerted to it. If not by the slum lords beneath his city, then by his eyes which were tracking Mr. Kade. Nothing had come in, and so he was not dead.
