Violet Path

by Olivia Lodise

  “Where are my belongings?” I yelled.

  Everyone laughed. I felt the blood rise to my head, boiling, bubbling, blazing.

  Nick stepped forward. “Funny guys . . . joke’s over. Give her clothing back.” Everyone started to laugh. “This is going too far,” Nick raised his voice, but it was useless.

  Sam suddenly ran in. “Who do these belong to?” The soldiers erupted into laughter as Sam realized that he was holding my clothes and wound dressing. He quickly apologized and handed them over. I walked off completely mortified. I wanted to blend into the walls and evaporate into thin air. I wasn’t accepted in any way, and I never would be.

  As the camp quieted down and soldiers retired to their cabins, I waited for everyone to go to sleep. Hesitations and second thoughts flooded my mind, but I was determined to see Maxime. When everything seemed still, I crept away. I had a vague idea of where I could find Anton. I saw him pacing between two trees swallowed by the night.

  I waited for the perfect moment for him to walk by, then I wrapped my arm around his neck from behind and kicked his knees. I tightened the choke as I apologized over and over again, although I knew it was useless. He tried to break my grip and call for help, but all he did was scratch me. Finally, he gave in, unconscious. I immediately checked his pulse. His warm heart beat frantically. I sat him up against a tree and ran off to get my equipment before he would wake. There was no turning back.

  I realized that I was endangering the camp in more ways than one. Anton was on watch, and now the camp was left unguarded, but my love for Maxime surpassed anything and everything.

  I stole Sam’s hover-board from the clinic and David’s laser gun. I then floated in the still, dry air to get the other gear I had left by the tree. I felt anxious. The risk was high and consequences grave, but no logic could persuade me to change my mind. Maxime was my priority, my love, my world.

  I pulled out the night glasses and turned them on. Everything became lucid. I then put the anti-gravity ring enhancer, the electromagnetic wave dispenser, and the small laser in my boots, ready to be used. I left for H.S.H.S. Everything was silent under the moon. The snow shimmered in the silver light as I made my way to Maxime.

  There were more red lasers than I remembered. The naked trees didn’t offer much cover, so I quickly pushed the hover-board between two lasers and slid between them. I felt like a cat twisting my spine. I then jumped onto the board again and rushed to the building that held the captives. I knew exactly where to go. I turned on the anti-gravity enhancer and rode the board vertically up the building’s wall. When I arrived at the shielded windows of the cells, I frantically peered in each one, searching for Maxime. Finally. There he was. I turned on the electromagnetic wave dispenser, turning the shield off. I had less than ten minutes to get Maxime out before I set off the silent alarm. Down below, people ran into the building’s large doors. I had to hurry.

  I jumped in, leaving the board floating outside the window, parallel to the earth, ready to depart. A cloud unveiled the moon, revealing Maxime chained to a stone wall. He was kneeling with his ankles and hands cuffed behind him. Bruises scattered across his face and abdomen. Dry blood outlined his cuts, and his arrow wound was covered with gauze, seeping blood onto his shirt. I couldn’t bear to look.

  As I took a step, he looked up and saw me. His eyes exploded to a deep, light blue, and his lips formed a smile. I couldn’t resist. I ran to him, wrapped my arms around his shivering torso, and kissed him. I wouldn’t let him go, never again. He kissed my forehead, and I rested my ear on his heart, savoring his love. I embraced him strongly, and he twitched with a moan. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered through my tears.

  “It’s good pain.” He smiled back.

  I burned through the cuffs on his wrists and ankles with my laser. Slowly and carefully I freed him. He held my waist, infiltrating me with his warming touch.

  Someone was coming.

  A shot was fired, skimming my back, but missed. Maxime pushed me to his left and grabbed the gun from my belt. He shot at the soldiers coming through his cell door, and they collapsed.

  “Don’t shoot Alexia!” I recognized Matthew’s strident voice above the blazing firing.

  Immediately, fewer bullets and lasers were exchanged, but they did not cease. Maxime kept the soldiers cornered outside the cell while I pulled him across the room. He was limping and leaning on me for support. I jumped onto the board, turned around, and held out my hand. As soon as our hands touched, I pulled with all of my strength, and he safely landed on the board.

  Just then, a laser zipped by and clipped my shoulder. I screamed in pain and almost fell off the board, but Maxime grabbed me and pulled me back up. The burning in my shoulder ate away at my flesh, and a putrid stench of smoldering skin, muscle tissue, and bone made me slightly nauseous.

  Matthew yelled to cease fire as Maxime kneeled over me as we raced off the campus.We soared through the trees, heading toward safety. Blood gushed from my wound. The incredible pain and the loss of blood were making me weak, but I couldn’t help but smile at Maxime.

  “Here! Apply pressure to it.” Maxime took his shirt off, and I gasped.

  “You’re . . .” I couldn’t even find the words to describe his injuries.

  “I’m fine. You’ve been shot. Don’t argue, and just apply pressure. I’m going as fast as I can.” He kept his eyes focused as he meandered the board through the trees.

  “You’ll freeze. Put it back on.”

  “Just apply pressure! Stop arguing!”

  I rolled his shirt into a ball and pressed it against my right shoulder, which sent shocking agony throughout my body. A small moan escaped, but I kept the rest of the complaints to myself.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah, fine. Just hurts.”

  “Never been shot by a laser before, have you?”

  “Nope. This would be my first. You?” I loved being able to speak with him again.

  “Yes. You’re lucky it wasn’t a full blast and only a centimeter ray, although I know it kills. Just keep the pressure. As long as it’s hot, it’s burning through your flesh, which is causing that awful smell. The bleeding should stop quickly because of the heat. Just hold on. We’ll be back in no time.”

  “Maxime, what . . . happened? What did Matthew—”

  “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “But you’re—”

  “Please, Alexia, not now.”

  I nodded and let him fly the hover-board back quickly.

  “And Alexia . . . thank you.” He smiled sweetly, and I leaned in to kiss him.

  When we approached Oak Valley, the hover-board came to a stop, and Maxime screamed at the top of his lungs for help.

  He could hardly stand on his own. I threw away his shirt, painfully pushed myself off the board, and went over to support him as he walked.

  “Andrew? Andrew! How did . . .” David ran toward us. He was in disbelief as he set his eyes on his brother.

  I was getting dizzy from the swelling of my shoulder. I sat down as David took over Maxime’s weight and slowly helped him sit beside me.

  “Do you know the damage? Any vital organs? Arteries? Veins?” Sam said in a hurried voice, running up to us.

  “I think he’s fine, just bruised and cut, but he needs medical attention,” I whispered as I tried to sit up, but Maxime kept me down.

  Maxime chuckled lightly. “He’s not asking you, Alexia. I’m fine. Sam, a small laser hit her. She’s bleeding out too much. It’s still extremely warm and burning through her quickly.”

  “How long ago?” Sam asked as he pulled my dagger out from my boot.

  “I don’t know. Maybe ten minutes . . . I really don’t know.”

  “Okay, I’ll take care of this. David, get Megan to look at him.”

  Maxime grimaced. “I’m fine. Just—”

  “He can hardly walk,” I interrupted.

  Maxime gave me a look to stay out of it, but I ignored it. “Cuts, bruises,
and bleeding at the abdomen, and I think a few cracked ribs. Also, examine his leg,” I told Sam, but he didn’t pay attention to Maxime.

  “He’s at least stable. Megan will take care of him. I’ll start on you, and then we’ll see what she has to say. I’m just going to take a look at the damage right now. Hold still. Nick, please take her pulse.”

  Sam slid the knife beneath my collar and sliced through the shirt to expose my shoulder while Nick took my wrist. I reached over and caressed Maxime’s cheek. I just couldn’t believe he was here, that we were together again. He smiled and held my hand.

  “Transfer her onto the surgical board. Be careful,” Sam ordered and a couple of soldiers helped me onto the board.

  I just stared at Maxime and didn’t break eye contact as I was being taken away.

  Chapter 37

  Maxime softly kissed my forehead.

  I smiled, then sat up, realizing that it wasn’t a dream. Pain lanced through my shoulder, and my right arm was in a sling.

  “Just rest,” he said kindly. His cuts and bruises had been healed so he moved freely.

  Before we could speak, a soldier, James, ran in terrified, screaming, “Sir! Maria is being attacked by Matthew!”

  It was like being shot again. I didn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible. Maria was supposed to be safe.

  “Send everyone to help!” Maxime ordered.

  “Yes, sir,” James replied and ran off.

  Maxime apologized, then followed his man out the door. I couldn’t just lie there, knowing the deaths would be because of me. I slowly pulled out my IV and struggled to sit up. The slightest movement sent shocking, stabbing anguish through my right clavicle.

  I slowly pulled myself to the edge of the bed, ready to get up when Megan walked in and scolded me.

  “You’re insane! Lie down!” She ran over to me.

  “I can’t lie here doing nothing while Maria is being annihilated! Please help me get shoes on or move out of my way. I don’t mean to be insolent, and I’m grateful for what you’ve done, but this is an emergency.”

  “You were shot less than six hours ago, underwent surgery, and you plan on going to war to face Matthew right now? We didn’t even have the means to heal you! Your collarbone was shattered, and parts of your bones were melted from the laser! We could only close up the wound and treat the burn. You can’t go, I’m sorry.”

  “I’m left-handed, thank you.”

  “I can’t let you go. I have strict orders, and it goes against the doctors’ orders as well. Besides, you’re in unbelievable pain.”

  “Forget Andrew’s orders! I’m sure you have painkillers. If not, I’ll do without. I’m tired of arguing; either help me or get out of my way.” I stood up to prove my point although I felt like I was about to fall.

  Megan handed me five small red tablets that I immediately swallowed as she helped me put my boots on. I thanked her, and she warned me that I had better come back in one piece before I ran out.

  I whistled, and Storm came galloping majestically. I pulled myself onto her back with difficulty. I cried as we made our way toward the biggest and darkest cloud of smoke I had ever seen. It was engulfing the whole lake and spreading throughout the forest. Cries grew louder as we got closer and closer, and the stench of burning flesh got thicker and thicker. I could see it—chaos, hell.

  I charged into the flaming city of Maria. Matthew’s men had already left a scar and fled. The odor of blood rose as heat from the wild flames multiplied. Smoke made it impossible to see and breathe. Death spread.

  I motioned for Storm to take me inside a decrepitated house where I had heard shrieks. The doorway fell right after we had entered. I saw two children in the center of the fallen roof. A seven-year-old girl held a motionless, young boy. I jumped off my horse and ran to them. I asked if she was all right and told her to mount my horse. I turned the boy onto his back and gasped.

  It was Ryan.

  My heart shriveled up. He had a gunshot wound to the stomach and was bleeding significantly. I wasn’t even sure if he was still breathing.

  I pulled my sling back and slid my arms under him. As I lifted him, it felt like my right arm was slowly being ripped off, tearing ligament by ligament, snapping bone by bone. I bit my tongue to hold back screams.

  The little girl helped me put Ryan across Storm’s back, and she sat behind him. I pulled myself onto my horse, and we ran out as fast as we could as the smoke stung our eyes. Storm followed other soldiers to where Maria’s people had run off seeking safety.

  An old lady with cinders tangled in her snow-white hair rushed to me, sobbing with her arms out. The little girl jumped off Storm into the lady’s arms.

  “Thank you, sir,” she cried to me gratefully, and I nodded still holding onto Ryan.

  I didn’t waste a minute to find Sam with his kits. There was a line for him to heal cuts, broken limbs, bruises, but I raced right up to him with Ryan’s frail body. Sam took Ryan’s shirt off as another soldier checked for his pulse. Then they ordered me to leave, and I turned my back unable to watch Ryan suffer.

  I headed back to Maria, but a soldier stopped me on my way. “There’s nothing left.” He shook his head in torment.

  “Alex! Sir! Alex!” I heard a tired, hoarse voice, coughing from the smoke. I turned around to see Nick, who motioned for me to follow him.

  “It’s Andrew. He’s with Megan. We don’t think it’s too serious, but . . . he’s blind . . . for now.” Nick avoided eye contact.

  Before he could say anything more, I took off for Oaks Valley. I was consumed with fear. My world was falling to pieces and I remained incapable of helping. I couldn’t tell the difference between reality and nightmares anymore. I jumped off Storm and sprinted into the improvised clinic, not knowing what to expect. Maxime wasn’t blind; it just wasn’t possible.

  “You were supposed to stay in bed,” Maxime reprimanded me as I stepped through the door. He was sitting on the examination table with gauze wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. He looked ahead blankly. I couldn’t believe it.

  “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he said.

  “You’re blind!” I exploded.

  “It’s because of the fire and smoke. It’s only temporary.”

  “You can’t see! You’re defenseless!”

  “Not true. Try to pin me.” Maxime stood. “Strike.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “Try to pin me,” he reiterated.

  “I can’t.”

  “Try to.” He stepped right in front of me as if he could see me.

  I closed my hand into a fist, took a deep breath, and launched a reverse punch. Before I was even halfway through the strike, Maxime caught my wrist and put me in a joint lock. It pulled at my shoulder. His point was proven; even blind, he was invincible.

  His left hand was wrapped in black cloth as usual, but it intrigued me more than ever. He slowly released my wrist.“What’s wrong?” he asked worriedly.

  “It’s just . . . your left hand. Matthew knew your real name and recognized you because of whatever you hide with that cloth.” I fumbled over my words.

  “It’s a scar.” He turned away.

  “Why hide it?”

  “It’s easily distinguishable.”

  “That’s not a reason. What is it from?” I felt myself crossing the line.

  “Matthew.”

  “Why hide it?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Then explain.”

  Maxime turned to face me again. I wanted to look into his eyes and read their color. He slowly unwrapped his hand, and he showed me the back of it. There was a letter “M” carved into his skin.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You will. You’ve asked a lot of questions since you’ve been here, and I kept averting them. You might as well sit down, because I need to answer them now. It’s a long story. Ignorance is bliss, but you need to know this. I’m really sorry.” Maxime had obviously thought this moment through
many times. I wasn’t sure if I was eager to listen or scared.

  We sat down on the examination table and he wrapped his hand again.

  He took a deep breath. “I’m not from Maria, but the Community, Tamizeh, like you. My father was a doctor and my mother a scientist. They had written a book on how a man’s mind works and can be conditioned. Matthew had read the book and asked them to invent the C.I. Pill. But that wasn’t all he asked for.

  “I don’t know how much you know about Matthew’s age, so I’ll start with the basics. DNA is replicated in the body to replace dying cells. At the ends of chromosomes are telomeres, which deter during chromosome replication, which then doesn’t allow the cells to be replaced. And without constant chromosome replication, we grow old and die. So, if telomeres are lengthened, aging is slowed down, but not stopped.

  “My parents had been asked by Matthew to lengthen his chromosome telomeres. They did this often, so he almost doubled his lifespan. Because of regular appointments with him, they knew him fairly well.

  “They finished the C.I. Pill before I was born, and it was put into use immediately. Matthew seized control, but my parents refused to take the C.I. Pill or give it to me. At first, Matthew didn’t care, because he relied on my parents’ work, so he needed them to think freely. They were asked to condition his son—his heir—without the C.I. Pill to make the perfect leader, but it failed. He didn’t have the S.S. Pill then, so Matthew tried to dispose of his son as soon as his wife was pregnant again. Luckily, she had managed to save her son, and Matthew wasn’t able to find him.

  “What Matthew hadn’t considered was testing the S.S. Pill, and to do so he couldn’t use someone who had taken the C.I. Pill, because it could affect the results. That’s where you came in.

  “You don’t remember anything that happened to you before you were eleven because you spent those years unconscious. Invented memories were programmed and injected into you, but that’s all. Matthew was using you for the tests, because you were the only child, other than myself at the time, who hadn’t taken the C.I. Pill. Matthew needed a pure infant to test the S.S. Pill. I’m not too sure if that’s being lucky, but it’s better than having the C.I. treatment. Your mother had been injected with the S.S. formula before you were born, so your structure was perfect in every way. He would have raised you as his heir, only he wanted a male successor.