The American Animate frowned at me as I staggered to get onto my feet and stay upright. “Man, you really should lie back down. Seriously. You’re wasted.”
I muttered something that came out of my mouth as a retching noise. Oh wait, I was being sick. Should have known that was bound to happen. Kit had kindly left a bucket by the side of the couch, but I’d completely missed it and hit the coffee table instead. Luckily, I hadn’t eaten much so it was mostly just foul-smelling water. Pete wouldn’t be too pissed at that…
I eventually got a grip on my insides or they had emptied themselves out. Either way, I stopped. Groaning, I shuffled past the mess and somehow managed to stagger to the bathroom without bumping into too many walls. I noticed the wet patch on my jeans as I unzipped them. It didn’t smell like sick. I found my bladder had already emptied itself without warning me. I didn’t need to piss at all. I put my dick away and washed my hands in the blood-spattered sink. I splashed my face with water and then rinsed out my mouth. I was the most awake I’d been in days.
I looked in the partially hidden mirror above the sink. There was some sort of strange blue tint to the mirror that I hadn’t noticed before. My eyes seemed to flash blue for a second. I groaned at the brightness of that flash. When I glanced back in the mirror I was just me, nothing blue about my dark eyes.
Pete wouldn’t care about the mess I’d left in his living room. Pete was dead.
Tim had raised him to save me this pain. I understood that now. But Tim is gone now too.
Hopelessness washed over me. I’d never felt this lost before. I knew I should be clinging to what I had left, but I couldn’t face going home to tell Pete’s mum what had happened. I was in danger of dragging Kit down with me. There had to be something I could do.
There’d be no bringing Pete back. That was done. He didn’t have a body left to come back to.
Tim had been sent away. I didn’t know the details of that, but I knew who had reassigned him.
Everything clicked together neatly as I stared at myself in that bloodied mirror. I know who caused this, all of it. I nodded as I stared into the mirror. I knew, and I knew what I was going to do about it. “King David needs to die.”
Thirteen – Nine/Britt
The butterflies in my stomach weren’t because of my King, not this time. I clasped my hands and tried to think of the best way to tell them. Eight seemed happy to drink in my suite, knowing I wasn’t really Britt. Five was waiting around for orders, and I started to doubt my ability to handle this situation. I bit at my lip. Would Five really obey me as if I were Britt when she knew?
“Okay, so, you do what I tell you to no matter what, right?” I started, wishing I hadn’t muddled my mind with alcohol. Britt’s choice of whiskeys was on the strong side. I’d have much preferred a sweeter drink, but, of course, I hadn’t wanted to raise suspicions at the shoot.
Five nodded, cocking her head at me afterwards. “You’re still wearing your dress. Don’t you want to change into your robe?”
Damn. This was exactly the kind of thing that was going to get me caught out. I flipped my hair like Britt would have done as I changed my appearance. The dress was now hanging in my wardrobe to impress my new man with later, and I was now in Britt’s silky robe and my underwear.
“I need to know that you’ll support me no matter what,” I continued, hoping I wouldn’t need to deactivate Five. She was one of my best weapons. I wondered if I’d made a mistake including her in this confession.
“I am yours to command,” Five said with a sweet smile.
“Mine,” I said, wondering if that would change when she knew. “Well, Five, I’m not the Britton Rocks you’ve known.”
She nodded. “You’ve changed.”
“More than you could ever… Oh, to hell with it! I’m clone number Nine. I wanted you to know. I took over from Britt when she died.”
Five nodded a second time. “I know.”
“You know. How did you know?” I glanced at Eight who shrugged.
“Your make-up bag has been under that sofa since Britt died. You don’t act like her. And your tattoo is showing now.”
I touched my neck. “Shit!” I was going to have to stay covered up. My glamour wasn’t holding like it should.
“You might want to have your breast enhancements removed.”
“Wait, so you know, and you serve me?”
Five nodded. “You command me as if you were her. My circuits don’t know what my brain does.”
I smiled. “Oh, thank god. I command you to keep this information to yourself. And I command you to take a day off. Go do something fun.”
Five smiled. “Thank you.” She left with bounce to her step.
I didn’t care if that bounce was hydraulically simulated. She wasn’t going to betray me. My secret weapon was on my side.
I turned to Eight. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She got up and hugged me. “Oh, Nine. I thought you were dead.”
“I wanted to tell you sooner, I just didn’t get the chance,” I told her.
“I understand,” she said, stepping back and looking me over. “Your glamour is fluctuating. What’s the matter?”
“I met a guy,” I told her, fastening my robe closed.
She burst into tears.
“What’s…” I realised what was wrong after a second and I mentally kicked myself for forgetting. “Eight, it’s okay. I’m going to bring you to Scotland with me. We’ll get him back.” I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to manage that second part, but it was worth the promise to see hope light up her watery eyes.
“You mean it? Oh, Nine! I’m so glad you’re here.” She hugged me a second time, tight enough to squeeze the air out of my lungs. She moved back, wiping at her eyes. She’d smeared her make-up, but somehow it looked even prettier now. “I’ve missed both of you so much.”
“I missed you too,” I told her. A weight had definitely been lifted from my shoulders. I felt truly happy for the first time in ages. “I’m seeing the King of Scotland.”
Eight gasped. “You’re what? I mean how did you even… What happened?”
“He knows I’m not Britt. He likes that I’m not like her. We just really hit it off, Eight. He’s so handsome and powerful and that accent is so sexy.” I sounded like a lovesick teenager, and I didn’t care. For once, Eight wasn’t regarding me warily. She knew like I did that it was different this time.
“Oh, Nine! I’m so happy for you,” she said, clasping her hands together under her chin. “You met a guy who likes you for you.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. Eight had hit the nail on the head. I hadn’t even thought about it that way. “I have.”
“And he’s a King! That’s like a fairytale,” Eight said, gazing dreamily at me. “You have to tell me everything.”
“I will,” I promised. “But you should go back soon. The others will suspect something if you don’t.”
She blinked. “Oh. Right. But…”
“I have to keep my cover up. They know you’re with me.”
I saw the disappointment on her face, and I wished it didn’t have to be this way. “They’ll figure out something’s wrong if you don’t go back.”
“Can’t you say you had to punish me or something? That’s what Britt would have done if I’d cried at her photo-shoot.”
I thought it over and it made sense. She’d cried when her make-up was being done. I’d had to walk away because comforting her would have gone completely against Britt’s temperament. It had hurt to do that, and I didn’t think I’d have the heart to do it again.
“I can help you keep your glamour up,” Eight said. “You’re losing it because you’re distracted. I’m guessing it’s a lot of hard work to try and think like Britt. Plus, you changed the way you summon magic. And you have a sexy new man to please. I bet you lost the glamour when you went to bed with him.”
I had. He’d wanted to see the real me. It had been so hot. I shivered. “It’s hard
not to think of him. I wish he was here right now.”
Eight smiled sadly. “I feel the same way about Cal.”
“You’ll see him again, Eight. I promise. We’ll find him, and we’ll buy him back from that awful User.”
Eight bit at her lip. “He was happy here, but…”
“What’s wrong?”
She looked like she might cry again. I didn’t understand.
“Britt used him like a slave,” she said. “He wanted to be free of that. I know he did. He said it was worth it because he had me. I knew though. He wanted to be free.”
“I don’t know how to give you that,” I admitted. Animates needed Users. They were magically animated, after all. If someone wasn’t around to control that magic, who knows what kind of chaos it could cause? “If it can be done we’ll try.”
She hugged me one last time. “Thank you so much.”
I smiled sadly as she teleported back to the room I used to share with the others. I knelt and picked my old make-up bag out from under the couch. I tossed it into one of Britt’s empty dresser drawers. I didn’t know where she’d really kept all her stuff, but her suite was devoid of any kind of personal items. The robe was all she really kept around. I took it off and walked over to the closet. The dusky pink chiffon dress was so beautiful. I’d never worn anything like it before. I touched the fabric and sighed. I had to let my King see me in it. I wondered when he’d call.
Fourteen – Kat
I took David’s ‘key’ out of my pocket as I got to the right place. The streets were oddly quiet. I’d managed to hail a taxi to get to North Bridge after I’d left the house in such a rush. I couldn’t risk Kit asking too many questions. Too much was at stake to waste time arguing about right and wrong and how the hell could I do this? I rolled my eyes and whispered the ‘magic words’ as I pushed the little stone key into the wall. The rush of using magic made me shiver as the portal opened in front of me. The dark staircase was daunting, but I knew where it led. I rushed into the portal opening and said the words to close the door behind me. The whoosh of air that hit the back of my legs sent chills through my body. I shuddered as I started carefully down the stairs. The handrail was there for a reason, and I was damn well going to use it. The moss-covered step halfway down I managed to avoid this time, stepping right over it. The shaft of light I could finally see made me smile.
I stopped at the final obstacle, an attack of nerves coming over me. It was the first time I’d come to see him without being sent for. I didn’t know how he’d take this. I touched the cold wall in front of me and spoke the strange words that let me enter the castle from a distance. The portal this time was bright, opening out into a carpeted corridor. I stepped inside and quickly spoke the words to close the portal behind me.
I took a breath as I stepped forward. He’d be pleased to see me, I knew he would. Especially once I told him what I was there for. I stopped outside his bedroom. What if he wasn’t home?
The thought turned my stomach. I knew I wasn’t the only girl he was seeing. I also knew he’d blown others off to spend time with me. He cared about presenting himself to the world in the right way. He wanted a family. He wanted a Queen. I wanted to give him all of that. My heart hammered as I tapped my fist on his bedroom door.
The doors swung open and he came towards me, his shirt unbuttoned and his hair dishevelled and wet. He’d just showered. I could smell the expensive soap he had in his en suite as well as his incredibly sexy aftershave. My first instinct was to glance towards the bed. It was empty. I closed my eyes briefly, a sigh of relief leaving my lips.
“Katrina, what a nice surprise,” he told me, his lips brushing mine lightly as I opened my eyes.
“I’m sorry to show up without warning, but I just had to tell you as soon as I found out,” I said, watching his face carefully as I let a smile twist the corners of my mouth. “I’m pregnant.”
His expression melted into elation. The lukewarm casual greeting turned into a passionate embrace as he pulled me into a kiss that left me breathless and shaking in his arms.
“This is wonderful,” he told me, kissing me again. “Wonderful.”
I fell into bed with him like I always did. The night flew by in a hedonistic blur until I lay in his arms, fighting sleep. I had to get back home. My little sister would kill me if I didn’t.
“You should move in to the castle,” he told me, kissing my shoulder. “You and your son both. I’ll have a suite made up for you.”
Moving in was a start, I supposed, but it wasn’t at all what I’d been hoping for. I smiled wanly. “Living in the castle? I don’t know. Let me think about it.” It wasn’t the romantic proposal I’d envisioned, but I guessed he might be in shock. He’d told me he didn’t expect to ever have children. Something about how powerful he was as a User made it unlikely. I’d heard the sadness in his voice when he told me. That was when I’d decided to come off the pill. My doctor had told me I could get pregnant at the drop of a hat. It had to be fate. I knew I’d be able to give him what he wanted so badly. I could give him something he never thought would be possible. I wasn’t going to settle for some lazy invite to ‘move in’ with him. I wanted a ring on my finger, a throne beside his. I’d given him everything. If he wasn’t going to do the same for me I’d manage without him in my life. I doubted he’d have the same way of looking at things. He’d give me what I wanted. I just had to be patient. I wasn’t going to break for him. He’d break for me.
I pulled back the soft sheets. “I need to go.”
He didn’t say another word, just kissed me once I was dressed. I opened my eyes and found myself on my own front doorstep. My hand shook as I reached out and touched the door handle. I plastered a smile on my face for the sake of my little sister.
Fifteen – Kit
I jerked awake on the sofa, wondering what the hell the noise was. The TV was on mute, so it wasn’t that. I got up quickly, realising I’d been woken up by the sound of the front door opening.
I glanced at the clock above the fireplace. It was two a.m.! I frowned at Kat as she walked into the room, taking her shoes off. She smiled tiredly at me and my anger died.
“So, how’d it go?” I tried to sound casual, but a bit of my annoyance had surfaced in my tone.
“How’d what go?” She said with a yawn.
“The ‘emergency’ you just rushed out to deal with.” I folded my arms.
She took off her jacket. “It turned out to be nothing.”
She sounded funny. It was more than just sleepiness. This was what misery looked like. I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want her to know what I’d found. She was my sister, she should have told me herself. I shouldn’t have to pry it out of her. I shook my head when she didn’t elaborate.
“I have to call a taxi,” I told her, going into the hall and using her landline to do it. I was informed I’d have a half hour wait. Sighing, I went back into the living room. “I have to wait half an hour to get home.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be out so late,” she said, yawning again as she sat down on the sofa.
I waited, watching for anything I could use as a hint to casually quiz her. She was tighter lipped than usual. Something had clearly upset her. I was betting it was the a-hole who’d knocked her up.
“So, it’s pretty obvious you have a boyfriend now,” I told her. “Aren’t you going to at least tell me who he is?”
She laughed. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I was working at a nightclub. I didn’t want you to know about it. There is no boyfriend. I was supposed to finish a couple of hours ago, but the glass collector called in sick.”
“You were working?” I pursed my lips. It was plausible, but I didn’t totally buy it. “Since when?”
“Since the bills don’t pay for themselves,” she snapped, hugging a cushion to her chest.
“What kind of nightclub is it?” I tried to think if there was one I knew of that had some kind of fetish vibe. That leather dress wasn’t typic
al nightclub staff attire.
“It’s a strip club,” Kat muttered, rolling her eyes when I gaped at her. “I’m a host, not a dancer. Don’t worry about that.”
I was still in shock when my taxi appeared. “Kat, you know you can always come and work at the pub…”
She smiled wearily. “And then who would look after Sam? It’s fine, Kit. I’m fine. It’s just a job.”
She wasn’t fine at all. I hugged her goodnight, wishing she’d just tell me the truth.
Sixteen – Mickey
I slept like a rock in Pete’s bed. The light of morning spilling through the open curtains made me curse and roll over. I’d decided to leave off my plan to break into Edinburgh Castle until I got a good sleep. Tripping over my own feet and slamming my face into the wall by the front door had been the deciding factor. The American Animate had been right, I was wasted.
I pulled the covers over my head. I smelled bad. Like piss and sweat and vomit. I threw the covers back. I’d have to go home to change before I charged off to kill the King. I couldn’t die in piss-stained jeans. Auntie Jackie would be mortified. I screwed my face up at the thought of it. I’d have to make a mad dash in and out of the house. I got up.
The Animate watched me from Fat Dave’s doorway. “Uh, hey, are you okay, man?”
I frowned at him. “I’m going home.”
He made a move to follow me. I found my trainers and stuffed my feet into them. He was practically up my arse by the time I put my hand on the front door handle.
“What the fuck?” I turned and glowered at him.
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