Zoe Thanatos

by Cierlak, Crystal

  Next to her was a small metal table with a tray placed neatly in the center, a series of capped syringes filled with colorful liquid in each one. The blue syringe would paralyze her muscles including her heart, rendering her unable to move and incapable of pumping blood to her body. The green syringe would stop her heart completely, and the black one would cease all brain activity. It was a veritable death cocktail, not even as humane as when humans put down domesticated animals on Earth. It seemed only fitting that in a world where surrogate births created life, chemical deaths would end them. No stone left unturned in a world intent on controlling the population of Residents.

  She grabbed all three syringes and tucked them into the waistband at the back of her pants. Whoever was supposed to be injecting her with the death cocktail would undoubtedly be back soon. The room was small and clinical looking, with the table she was lying on at the center of the room. Of the four walls one was made entirely of smoked white glass, a panel lit in white light on the far right side. Zoe placed her hand on it and the glass changed from smoky white to transparent, revealing an adjoining room that looked identical to the one she stood in. A man in a white uniform was standing over a body on the table, plunging a syringe of black liquid into their arm.

  When he moved to place the syringe on the smaller metal table she could see the woman’s face clearly, looking back at her with wide eyes and a small, proud smile. She was as beautiful as she had been in Zoe’s dream. Her eyes glossed with tears before going still. The corners of her mouth receded from the smile and her body fell limp into the table as the life left her. Thea Thanatos, her mother only in her dreams and memories, was dead.

  As the man in white moved to the small metal table and collected all three syringes, Zoe moved quietly to the doorway and poked her head out into the hallway, looking left and right before running towards the door of the adjoining room. She slipped into the room and removed a syringe from the back waistband of her pants with her right hand as her left arm went around his chest, her hand covering his mouth. In one swift motion she uncapped the syringe and stabbed the needle into his jugular, plunging the black liquid directly into his blood stream. He could barely let out a stifled scream before his body fell dead to the ground with a thud.

  Zoe looked up to the shared glass wall and saw the empty room she’d woken up in on the other side. How long Thea had been looking for her, she didn’t know. Somehow she’d known her daughter was nearby and had waited for just one last glimpse.

  She didn’t want to move her head down, to take in the sight of her dead mother. But she did, and found she looked peaceful, seemingly at rest. Her eyes were still open, the image of Zoe on the other side the last thing she saw before her brain function shut down. With gentle fingers she closed her mother’s eyelids, feeling the smooth skin beneath her touch, still warm from life.

  The Forgotten Gardens came to mind. Had her soul, or whatever facsimile of a soul she had, already gone there? Perhaps Thea was at rest in the beautiful space, her soul reunited with Zopyros, her sisters and mother, her ancestors, as all the Thanatos souls had gone to rest before her.

  She was alone again as she had been in Gaia, an orphan with no family. All that remained of the Thanatos family was a brother and her sister. Zarek was in another world living a completely new life as she had in Gaia, and Zara was living as the Queen, as Kyra Straton, also in a completely different life.

  Zoe laced her fingers through Thea’s hands and moved her arms until they were resting carefully on her chest. With a final squeeze she let go, arranging her mother’s hands so they rested on one top of the other just below her heart.

  “I’ll be with you soon,” she promised, her voice just a whisper in the clinical room. She secured the remaining two syringes in the back of her pants before turning and heading out the room for the Throne Room.

  Eva was escorted by two Crown Soldiers behind the large black wall that partitioned the Throne Room. The escort wasn’t necessary but she felt it would be imprudent to suggest otherwise. They were a mere few feet from the entryway to the Nero Residence when the Soldiers stopped at the entrance to the Royal Residence. Eva said nothing as the doors opened and several Crown Soldiers stepped backwards, nodding their heads slightly in reverence to her.

  One of the Queen’s ladies dressed in a traditional purple gown greeted Eva with a fixed smile.

  “Welcome home, Evadine Nero. My name is Julia. Please follow me and I’ll escort you to your new residence.”

  There must have been a mistake. Was she being moved to an outlying city far away from her brother? No, that couldn’t be it. Why would one of the Queen’s ladies take her to a residence outside Royal City?

  When Eva did not reply, Julia turned and walked away. The two Crown Soldiers behind her motioned for her to follow. She did so, weaving past the expansive common room to a part of the residence she’d never seen before. An entire wing expanded out from the main area, and a series of smaller residences were tucked away behind closed doors spaced distantly from each other. Julia opened one of the first doors and stepped aside, motioning for Eva to enter first.

  It was the size of the common room in the Nero Residence, large and impeccably decorated with sectionals of modular seating in crisp white colors, a dining area that could seat at least six people, and at least three bedrooms that branched off from the main common area. The glass walls ebbed with a soft golden light that cast a soft glow on every white surface.

  “Why am I here when I have my own Residence? One that I’ve lived in for most of my life,” she reminded, looking to Julia and the two Crown Soldiers expectantly.

  Julia smiled politely and bowed her head ever so slightly. “As a member of the royal family you are entitled to a private apartment in the Royal Residence. Two of the Queen’s ladies will be appointed to your residence for your personal needs. If you require anything at all please do not hesitate to request it.”

  As a member of the royal family? Eva took a swift look around. While the accommodations were decidedly swankier than the considerably nice dwelling she’d grown up in, there was no escaping that she was even more in royal custody than before. And only a few doors down from the Queen at that.

  “We’ve taken the liberty of moving your personal belongings from your old residence so that you can become instantly acquainted with your new home. Her Highness requests that you please change into formal dress and accompany her to the Throne Room for the official proceedings. Do you have any questions?”

  She had many, but none that she would dare ask. Julia and her two escorts excused themselves from the room, leaving her alone for the first time since releasing her from the holding cell. What is going on? she wondered. There wasn’t time to dwell on questions no one but Evan could provide answers to, and he was nowhere to be seen. She quickly changed into a formal dress that had been laid out for her, probably by one of her new servants, and ran her fingers through her hair before making her way into the Royal common room.

  As she entered everyone stood, their backs to her and attention on something on the other side of the room. Eva made her way through the throng of people and stopped when every head in the room bowed. The Queen entered the room from her private residence dressed in a resplendent green gown and sparkling golden crown, Evander at her side. He, too, was dressed in formal attire, and much to her surprise also wore a simple golden crown at the top of his head. In the shock of the moment she failed to bow and stood out amongst the crowd of bent heads. The Queen’s eyes were on her but her face revealed nothing. Eva knew better than to not bow in the presence of the Queen, but was too taken aback by the sight of Evan as King to remember the formalities.

  Evander did not speak a word, but merely stared at her intently with bright green eyes that were set off by the Queen’s own dress. As the moment passed the Residents present in the room stood up straight again, and Eva could see in her peripheral vision several incredulous glances from the others.

  Eva watched in continued fas
cination as her brother bowed his head to the Queen before releasing her hand and walking straight for Eva, every Resident between them parting to make a pathway for him. He embraced her in a hug and met her cheek with a chaste kiss.

  “You said we all have a part to play,” he whispered hoarsely in her ear. He took a step back and Alcander appeared at his side, dressed in his military finest. “Walk behind us in the processional,” Evan instructed before turning back towards the Queen, giving Alcander a brief look as he did. The soldier held his arm out to her and she linked hers around it, not knowing what else to do in the state of shock she felt stuck in. The Queen Mother emerged second, dressed in an equally beautiful blue gown that made her blue eyes all the more piercing. She had her usual air of satisfaction and superiority, and a smile that could cut glass.

  It was an incomprehensible blur. The Queen and Evan walked out hand in hand from the Royal Residence into the Throne Room, walking around the partition to confront a room full of formally dressed residents. Eva was escorted by Alcander after them, and taken to a luxuriously ornate chair at the base of the pedestal, just beneath where the Queen and her brother sat on the throne, the Queen Mother at their side. She could see in the faces of those in the crowd that they were as confused by the scene as she was. Somehow, in the short amount of time since she was taken into custody, her own brother had married the Queen and become the King of Terra. He had a part to play, indeed, but not even she could comprehend that it had gone so far.

  So it was done. Evan was the new King of Terra. He’d never once imagined he’d be in such a position. Much to the disdain of the Queen Mother, the Queen did not want to have the ceremonial pronouncements of their engagement and eventual wedding, and instead requested they marry in private. The ritual itself was fairly quick, each of them exchanging vows to one another before signing an official royal document legally binding their matrimony and his new title of King. It would be a while before the realization would sink in.

  He’d never particularly imagined getting married, but would have preferred to have his only living family member there at his side, whether she supported their union or not. The Queen offered to have Evadine released and officially welcomed as a part of the royal family, even going as far as to offer her a palatial private apartment within the royal residence. By the time his sister was released he was married and titled, and there was no way to softly break the news to her. She more than anyone had to understand that he was doing what he felt was necessary, but assumed the shock of it would ultimately temper her reaction. In any event, she was the Princess Royal by marriage, and with the title came certain rights and expectations. He would simply have to find the right time to explain everything to her.

  In the meantime they would need to strategize. Owyn was to be deported to the outlying cities, he had no idea what had become of Thea, and he had heard no update on Zoe. Whether or not Thea’s plan was ultimately foiled, he intended to keep going, Eva at his side. Whatever came next would require planning and thoughtful consideration. He hadn’t married the Queen for nothing and intended on seeing the plan through to the end, especially for Zoe’s sake.

  He wondered how soon he could head to the Reproduction Unit and see her. Perhaps as King he could do his part to see to it that her real identity was not revealed any sooner than it had to be, and maybe even keep her safe from the wrath of either Queen.

  Kyra rose from her throne to address the Residents gathered in the great hall and welcomed them each. He watched the faces of those in front of him as she spoke, wondering what each of them was thinking. He’d been on their side his entire life, even as a technical prisoner of the Crown under the rule of the Queen Mother. Several heads turned to look at him throughout the Queen’s oration, their faces a mix of confusion and intrigue. Could they accept him as their new King with the memories of the former King still so fresh in their mind?

  “As your Queen I always want to be open and honest with you, to include you in the life of Royal City so that you know it is your home as much as it is mine,” the Queen spoke. “It is with great sadness and difficulty that I must inform you a serious crime has been committed against the Crown. A priceless and treasured artifact was stolen from the Royal Anthology recently, a crime spearheaded by an Elder from one of the outlying cities. Unfortunately, the former King was a party to the crime for reasons we still have yet to understand. Rest assured that those who are responsible for the theft from the Crown have been punished to the fullest extent of what their crime mandates.”

  “Who was the Elder?” a voice called from the crowd. Evan’s hears picked up at the sound, but he couldn’t see who had spoken.

  “No one of significance,” the Queen answered in the general direction of the crowd. “She was a very bitter woman who had taken it upon herself to defect from Terra, and for reasons unknown felt she could gain notoriety or fortune from stealing from the Crown. Whatever her reasons she now knows the consequences of her actions, and will no longer be a threat to the Crown.”

  A feeling of dread rippled through his stomach and he felt suddenly queasy. A movement in the crowd of residents caught his eye. Someone was weaving their way through the assemblage towards the front. He watched as they snaked in and out between people before emerging at the front line. His heart nearly stopped beating in his chest when he saw her face.

  Her eyes were locked on his, all manner of happiness gone from her beautiful face. Zoe looked fierce, intent, and furious. It was no longer a question in his mind what had become of Thea Thanatos. The look on Zoe’s face was all he needed to know. The former Queen was dead.

  Zoe’s attention shifted to the Queen, her lips forming in a resolute line as she stared. “If she was no one of great importance than why was she executed?” she called out. Around her the crowd murmured, most of them in shock, others in outrage at the accusation. Evan looked to the Queen and found her staring down at Zoe, dumbstruck confusion paralyzing her face.

  At the Queen’s inaction the Queen Mother stood, taking a place beside her daughter on the throne. “Young lady why don’t you step aside with Alcander and someone from the Queen’s residence will address your questions accordingly.” She extended her arm and motioned for Alcander and several other Crown Soldiers to take her. Evan put his hands on the arms of the chair and began to rise, but stopped, remembering his place. As King there was nothing he could do to help her, and it immobilized him.

  “Why? So you can try to have me killed again, Korina?” A series of gasps erupted around the room, the murmuring of the crowd growing louder as they each trained their heads to get a look at the female resident who dared speak to the royal family. “That’s what you do, isn’t it? Anyone who gets in your way you get rid of. Only you don’t actually do the killing yourself, do you? No, you let paid thugs do it for you so your hands remain clean. Just like you did with our mother.”

  Several Crown Soldiers descended on Zoe, each taking a stronghold of her arms to render her motionless. The crowd around her stepped backwards, some shrieking at the violent intrusion they were witnessing. Zoe maneuvered her right foot around the legs of one Soldier and kicked the back of his knees until he fell to the ground, losing his grip on her. With her free hand she punched up on another Soldier’s nose, breaking the cartilage into his skull before sending a second blow to his sternum. He fell to the ground and she was free, running toward the throne and climbing up the pedestal until she had the Queen Mother’s chest gripped tightly in one arm, her other hand going behind her back to imprison her arms from movement.

  “Tell them who the Elder woman was,” Zoe demanded, her voice booming from the throne. “Or better yet, tell her.” She shoved the Queen Mother’s body so they were facing the Queen, who looked on in horror at the scene before her. Evan stood so quickly that the elaborate chair he’d been sitting in tipped over backwards with a loud bang. Eva was at his side in an instant. He took her hand in his and squeezed, holding her close to him.

  “Kyra help me,” Kori
na whispered hoarsely.

  “Why don’t you tell her the story you told me before you ordered my execution?” Zoe looked from Korina to Kyra, and suddenly the similarity of their features was no longer a strange coincidence to Evan. “You’re not Kyra Straton,” Zoe continued, her attention on the Queen. “You’re Zara Thanatos. The Elder woman you captured from Last City was our mother, and now she is dead.”

  There were no gasps from the crowd, only silence. Even the Crown Soldiers themselves were rendered silent at the admission. Evan felt his sister’s attention on him, but he could not move his eyes from the two women standing before him.

  “Our mother,” the Queen dumbly replied.

  “After the first attempt on our mother’s life she took you and our brother Zarek. When her own daughter died she replaced her with you, changing your identity until you truly believed you were Kyra Straton. Everyone else she could find she had killed, including the Nero’s and even her own brother and sister, just because they were loyal to the Thanatos family.”

  “Kyra please!” the Queen Mother cried. “Alcander! Hector!” she screamed. Eva removed one arm from around Korina’s torso and reached around to her back, pulling a syringe from the inside of her waistband. She quickly uncapped the needle and plunged it into the Queen Mother’s neck, her thumb ready to depress the green liquid straight into her blood stream.

  The Queen seemed to finally come to her senses. With a flick of her head she motioned a gang of Crown Soldiers to descend upon the throne, surrounding Zoe as she held the Queen Mother prisoner in her arms, her finger ready to inject the syringe into her body. Several residents screamed as they collectively backed up, pushing themselves up against the walls, some bottlenecking at the exits as they tried to escape from the room.

  Evan noticed a handful of Crown Soldiers had formed a perimeter around him and Eva, protecting them from danger. She was shaking in his arms, no doubt as scared and unsure of herself as he was.