I nod my agreement.
Duchess's training kicks in, and I start the counting in my head, letting Jax lead me. I don't even stumble as we start gliding ‘round the room with the flow of the other dancers.
"Are you okay?" Jax whispers to me as I glance nervously over my shoulder.
I cain't help it. I feel like at any minute some guard is gonna grab my shoulder and out me for the fraud that I am. I take a deep breath, trying to control my fear as I offer him a halfhearted grin.
"Aye, it's just that this is a little … overwhelmin'. Don't you think? I'm findin' it a little hard to wrap my head around all this."
"I know what you mean. That food display over there could feed Gray Valley for a year! Not to mention those poor starving souls we saw outside in Skytown," he says.
"I don't understand. They have so much—more than enough to share. Why are only the select few allowed to live this way while the others starve? It makes me so angry."
"Don't think about that right now," Jax says gently as he tips my chin up so that I’m looking into the blue eyes glittering at me through his mask. "We can’t afford for your Chi to show. Now, smile at me like you're enjoying yourself because we are on the receiving end of a few curious looks."
I don't look around, but I can feel the eyes on my back. I smile at Jax the best I can, but he quietly laughs at my effort, and I can feel it rumbling in his chest.
"That’s a terrible attempt. You have such a beautiful real smile; I don't understand why you don't show it more often. Your whole face just lights up when you’re happy."
I know he’s just trying to distract me, but it works, and I flash a real smile at him.
"You are so fulla shite," I drawl, and he shrugs.
"Hey, whatever works." He glances over my shoulder. "I see the double doors over there that Mack's guy told us about. I'm gonna turn you so you can see," he says as we twirl slowly to the music.
He’s right. Those doors, according to our source, are where we need to go to find the entrance to the lower cells. There are no guards standing there at the moment, but we have no idea what’s on the other side. Just knowing it’s our doorway to finding Ben and Lily; however, sends a shiver of excitement over me.
"Do you think—"
I’m interrupted as a loud ringing reverberates throughout the room. As if one, the crowd comes to attention, and the dancing and music stops instantly. The excitement rippling through 'em is catching, and I feel my own heart beating faster in response to their fervor. Without command, they start to filter to either side of the large room, creating an opening through the mass of bodies. We follow their lead and shuffle off to a side as Mack finds us in the crowd and joins us once again.
The loud bell clangs again, and the two double doors we’d just marked slowly open. A number of Army soldiers filter in, and even though I’m an invited guest and in disguise, the fear I feel at seeing 'em is intense. They walk in formation, two by two, followed by a tall woman dressed in the finest of robes. I cain't help but notice the chains encircling her neck and hanging down her back. Her hair instantly catches my attention. It is as white as the puffiest clouds but intertwined with crow-black streaks—the opposite of mine. Curious. I’m so interested in her hair that I don't notice anything else 'til I hear Mack swear under his breath, and Jax grabs my arm in shock.
Holy mother of gods. My breath catches in my throat as the woman's face comes into view.
Lily.
What happened to her? What have they done?
I want to run to her, to yank that chain from her neck. She’s here, in front of us, so close, yet she may as well be be locked behind a dozen iron doors 'cause the end of that chain is held by no other than him. I know it is him right away. I don't need to see the crazed idiots bowing as he enters the room or hear their awed murmuring or watch as the other guards in the room come to attention. I just know. I can feel it. I can feel him. I can feel his pulsing essence enter into my own blood like some slick, cold thing worming its way through to the pit of my stomach, making it boil in protest. Mack had warned me being near him may have some effect on me, but I sure as hell wasn't expecting this. I feel nauseated, like I'm gonna retch any time now. I stagger a little, and Jax catches me and keeps me upright.
"Easy girl," Mack mutters outta the corner of his mouth. "Don't let him feel you. Fight it like I showed you."
I suck in my breath and concentrate on blocking out the invading waves. As if he senses some disruption in his power, the Prezedant pauses in his grand entrance, and the eyes hidden behind the gold, sparkly mask start scanning the room.
I do what Mack had made me practice: I imagine an invisible wall around me, blocking his probing, unseen feelers. I reckon it does the trick 'cause the queasiness leaves my stomach, and I feel back in control again. He don't seem to find anything else amiss 'cause he seems to pass over me, and he eventually continues on with his entrance.
Now that I have gotten over the initial shock of seeing Lily, I study her captor a little more closely. I had imagined, I don't know, a much bigger man for sure, more imposing. But this? This is the man that has haunted my dreams and caused my night terrors? He’s of average build, not even as tall as Lily herself. He looks normal. I almost feel let down.
He walks with a regal, self-important bearing, his dark head held high. The gold jacket and trousers he wears fit him like a glove and are crafted from the finest materials. He passes through his adoring subjects like nobility, like he truly is their king. The only thing missing from the picture is a jeweled, gold crown on the top of his head. And they are his subjects, no doubt. They admire him like he’s one of the gods just descended from the heavens. I feel my gut drop at their reverence, and I realize it ain't just the guards we will have to get past but them as well.
"Mack, it's Lily," I whisper, and I catch his slight nod.
"This does, indeed, throw a wrinkle into our plans."
"What have they done—"
"That’s not for us to worry about right now. Change in plans. After we receive word from Tater that our man has taken care of the guards, it will be up to you and Jax to search for the cells. I will try and figure out a way to get to Lily."
I don’t like changing the plan. Not at all. Getting close to Lily meant getting close to him, and that meant capture or worse. I ain't given any time to argue the point 'cause the Prezedant has reached the platform erected in the middle of this gold room, and the cheering crowd goes mad, jostling us and anyone else in their way trying to get closer to their idol. The man at the center of attention holds his hands up, palms out, and just like that, the shouting crowd falls silent. He stares at his subjects for so long, and with such intensity, that I find myself holding my own breath in anticipation along with the others. Finally, he speaks.
"My friends, loyal allies, and fellow countrymen, thank you for joining me on this special occasion. You have all honored me greatly with your presence." His voice is pleasant sounding, friendly even, but I cain't help the shiver it sends over me.
I look around me at the eager faces, the overly bright eyes. I don't think it woulda mattered what he had to say. Either they’re so enamored with this supposed immortal or so hyped up on silver spack, they woulda been excited about anything.
"Tonight, we celebrate another fruitful year. A year of great success in our harvesting. A year of great success in our mining. A year of great success in our manufacturing. And a year of great success in eradicating that scum of a rebellion from the face of our beautiful lands. Tonight will be a grand event. Bigger than anything you have ever seen before. A plethora of surprises await you all this evening." Another round of cheering explodes. "But all in good time. So please, eat, drink, dance, indulge to your heart's content, and let the festivities begin!"
The roar is deafening now as the entertainers we’d seen upon arrival start filtering into the room, still breathing fire and performing all the other strange, weird talents they possess. I can see Tater in among the juggl
ers, but he passes on with no acknowledgment that he’s seen us in the crowd. We will have to wait for his signal like planned.
Mack takes advantage of the crowd's ruckus to pull us both close.
"As soon as we get word from Tater, you two know what you have to do."
Apparently, along with the dancing and celebrations this evening, romantic "interludes" would also be quite common among the partygoers. It was expected to see people leaving the great room looking for a spot of privacy for some sort of dalliance without arousing suspicion from the guards. As a matter of fact, we’d been told "special rooms" were put aside for just that sort of thing, whether it be two, three, or a dozen people looking to be "intimate." That was Mack's way of describing it to me. Tater had just plain out called it flesh binges, but it sounded wrong no matter what way they described it. I now know what the slag had meant when she’d said extracurricular activities. She ain't getting her hands on Jax for that, over my dead body. It would; however, be our opportunity to sneak out.
"I will not be accompanying you as earlier planned, so it's up to you two to search for the cells. Lily will be my concern right now. If you find the boy, you know what to do. Get him to the carriage. If I’m not there, do not wait for me. Stick to the plan."
"But—" I start to protest, but he cuts me off.
"You heard me. You won’t have a lot of time. Get yourselves out."
I want to argue with him. I want to let him know that there ain't no way in hell we’re going anywhere without him or Lily, but the dancing has started up again. Outta the corner of my eye, I see the slag heading our way, her eyes devouring Jax in their greediness. She certainly is persistent. Jax musta seen her too 'cause he suddenly grabs my hand and whirls me onto the dance floor again, and we lose ourselves in among the throng of people.
I stumble but quickly recover and get the counting down in my head. Jax leans close to me like he’s about to whisper sweet nuthins in my ear. I can feel his breath on my neck as he speaks.
"I am only going to say this once. You heard Mack. We find Ben; we get out. No arguing, no resisting, no coming back for Mack. Got it?"
I stiffen at his words.
"No, I ain't ‘got it.’ We ain't goin' nowhere without Mack or Lily. How can you even think that?" I say.
"Because we have no other option. Mack can take care of himself. We have to get you out of here. If we get caught … if you get caught, then this has all been for nothing. Shizen. I can't believe we’re even actually here risking our necks for someone I don't even know."
"Wha-what are you sayin'?" Is he having second thoughts about helping me rescue Ben? And what about Lily? Didn't he think she was worth saving? I never hear what he’s about to say as some pot-bellied, masked man with a shiny, bald head interrupts us.
"May I cut in and dance with this lovely young lady? And please do not refuse me; I have been waiting patiently for my opportunity," he says with a strange little grin, and a shiver of repulsiveness races along my spine.
I wanna yell at Jax that I cain't dance with someone else. They will instantly know me to be a fraud, but Jax don't have no choice. The minute we stop dancing, the she-devil swoops in. I don't even know where she comes from, but she descends with the force of a dust storm and whirls Jax away, leaving me standing there with the little bald man. His grin widens as he yanks me close. His hand slides down my back and cups my butt cheek, and it takes all my willpower not to smack the leering grin from his face. Instead, I force a timid smile and move the offending hand up higher. He laughs. “Oh, a shy one. This is going to be fun.”
We start moving to the music, but he holds me uncomfortably close. Somehow, I'm thinking he ain't supposed to be holding me so close.
"What is your name, young miss? I’m certain I have never met you before for I am sure I would have remembered someone with such lovely … assets as yourself." His eyes sparkle with the unnatural glow of the silver spack as they leave my chest and travel to my face. The revulsion makes my skin crawl.
"T-Sara," I sputter. "I’m Captain Mackenzie's kin from Southpoint." The words leave my lips automatically, but to my horror, his face lights up in recognition.
"Ah, Southpoint. A lovely city. I, too, have kin there. Do you know of the house of Purcell? I'm sure you do since they are one of the most prominent families in the city."
My brain goes into panic mode. Oh, gods, he knows of Southpoint. What do I say? What do I do? Change the subject. Feminine wiles, don’t fail me now. I smile at him, hiding my disgust, and push my lower body into his, coming into contact with a part of his build that I would rather have not touched, not even with a flaming stick. His eyes widen with surprise.
"Everybody knows 'bout the house of Purcell. It impresses me that you're kin with such an important family. Are you wedded?"
My little trick works. He forgets his line of questioning. His lips grow wider, more predatory, and he grinds back, almost causing me to retch.
"It matters not. What does matter is how beneficial it would be to such a lovely young woman as yourself to become good … friends with a man in my social position. I can make your time in Skytown very memorable. Why don't we retire to one of the side rooms and get better acquainted?" His voice drips with insinuation, and it's all I can do not to knock him backwards on his disgusting arse.
"I'm not sure my betrothed would approve of that," I say, smiling coyly at him.
"The young man you were dancing with? Bring him along; he was quite the attractive fellow. I do not mind young flesh either way, you see. The more the merrier. I may even acquire the services of one of the white garbs if you so desire."
The white garbs? At first I ain't sure what he means, but then understanding hits me. He's talking about the servants, the young'uns. The thought of what he is suggestin’ makes me wanna gag. I wanna jam my knife right into his degenerate heart. But I keep the smile plastered to my face, all the while thinking desperately how to escape from his slimy grasp before I give in and slit his damn throat.
My salvation, unfortunately, comes in the form of the little one from earlier who’d been offering me the silver spack. As nimble as she is wading through the crowd of bodies, a sharp nudge sends her slight frame in our direction, and she falls on her knees, her tray of silver goodies hitting the floor with a crash and splattering all over my dancing partner's trousers and boots. Her head jerks up, her terror-stricken eyes looking at us.
"I'm sorry … I didn't mean—" Her tiny voice is lost in his angry roar.
"You idiot!" he screams and kicks at her like she’s a dog.
The kick to her stomach sends her sprawling ‘cross the floor, and she lands hard on her hands and knees.
"Bastard!" I snarl at him under my breath as I push him away and go to the little one, trying to help her sit up.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I say quietly, but she’s still too winded to answer me.
Instead, silent tears run down her pale face as she holds her belly. Witnessing her pain and degradation, I can no longer resist the urge to snap the bastard's neck. I stand and lunge, but before I can reach him, a rough hand catches me and forcefully yanks me away.
"As kind-hearted as you are, my dear, this is none of your concern," Mack speaks indulgently and smiles at the now watching crowd as if he’s speaking to a simpleton. A couple of them snigger at his comment, believing me to be a fool no doubt, but the startled fat man observes me with wary eyes.
"Be still," Mack hisses at me through his gritted smile and I heed him, but only 'cause the crowd gives way to a couple of soldiers, who yank the girl to her feet. She apologizes again, sobbing, but one of the soldiers silences her with a sharp backhand, and she falls silent as they drag her away.
"As you were," the Prezedant's voice cheerfully resonates throughout the room, and the dancing picks back up without missing a beat. Like nuthin' had just happened. Like her fear and pain were nuthin'. My heart is beating outta my chest and my fists curl at my sides. I’m so damned angry. How can
they be so unfeeling? How can they treat people this way? My eyes finally make their way to him, sitting on his gilded perch, smiling at something one of his men is saying to him as he sips a glass of the golden liquid. All of this, the excess, the extravagance, the indifference, the callousness, it's almost too much. I cain't wrap my head around what these people are, what they are capable of, and he was the one in charge of it all. He was the one who treated others' lives like they didn't make one little bit of difference. My hatred for him and everything around me fills me up, oozing outta my body. I feel the familiar heat starting to flow through my blood. I could probably do it, I think as I stare at him. I could end this right now. The knives rest heavy at my thigh. I could get to him and drive one through his heart. I certainly wouldn't make it outta here alive; I know that much. But it wouldn't matter, not as long as he lay dead at my feet.
As if sensing my thoughts, he pauses in the middle of taking another sip and leaps outta his chair. His excited eyes scan the room. But it ain't his eyes I make contact with, it’s Lily's. She’s staring at me, the recognition flipping from disbelief to sheer panic. She shakes her head at me, and I swear I can hear her voice in my head, just like the young boy at the flesh trading.
"Stop it, Tara, before he finds you. Stop your Chi!"
Knowing she’s right I do as she says and try to put out the flame growing inside of me, but I can feel his essence again, probing the room, looking for me. The searching tentacles pass over me, and their touch is like ice-cold fingers grazing my neck, causing all the fine hairs on my body to stand on end. Frantic now, I try to concentrate on putting up my defense, but the invasive fingers are back, poking and prodding. I can feel 'em piercing through to my brain, and I have to bite my lip to keep my scream of agony from letting loose.
This is it, I think. He's found me. All of this is for naught. I’ve failed! But then the painful searching abruptly ends, and I gasp in relief at the sudden release from the torment.
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