Harvester of Light Trilogy (Boxed Set)
Page 13
My heart sank as I realized my life was not my own anymore. I would do whatever it took in order for Jace and me to have time to figure out some sort of escape plan. But time was a precious commodity, since Freddy seemed determined to go through with whatever he was planning as soon as possible.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked.
I lost control of what happened to my body after that. While Teegan waxed off almost every extra hair on my body, Kirk applied a series of masks to my face and put some sort of concoction in my hair saying it would make the “tired strands shine like freshly dewed grass,” whatever that meant.
Teegan remained strangely quiet during the whole procedure, only responding to Kirk’s questions with grunts and nods or shakes of her head, never words. She didn’t seem like the shy type to me and her silence was puzzling.
Once they had me cleaned and preened, they finally allowed me to sleep for a few hours. Kirk placed a couple of wet chamomile tea bags on my eyelids and instructed me to sleep on my back, crossing his fingers the homemade remedy would diminish the dark circles underneath my eyes. By the time I was allowed to rest my head on the fluffy pink pillow of the circular bed, I didn’t care if he wanted to put a hundred tea bags on my face as long as I was allowed to close my eyes and fall into the abysmal darkness of sleep.
I woke the next morning to the sound of hissing. When I opened my eyes, I found Kirk with his back to me ironing a large pile of white silky fabric on an ironing board. A small trail of steam billowed up to the ceiling.
“Did you get any sleep?” I asked him, hugging a pillow to my chest as I watched him work.
“Not much,” he admitted, setting the iron on the end of the board and turning to face me.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge beside me.
“Good. I think I was too exhausted not to.”
A melancholy smile curved Kirk’s lips. “I’m sorry you’re here. I wish there was something I could do for you,” he told me. “If I were braver, I might try to help you escape, but I can’t run the risk of them doing something else to Teegan because of my stupidity.”
“What do you mean ‘something else’?”
Kirk’s eyes dropped to the bed before he spoke, like he was ashamed of what he was about to tell me.
“The last time Teegan and I tried to run away, they cut her tongue out after they brought us back.”
“Oh my God.” Now Teegan’s nonverbal communication the night before made sense. “Why?”
“To keep us in line.” His eyes lifted to meet mine. “To humiliate her for talking back to Freddy. To show people what will happen to them if they ever try to leave. Take your pick. They’re all true.”
“I thought Meg said Alliance was a place Harvesters never came to.”
“Not real Harvesters. The ones who live in Alliance are only here because they have the Cain virus.”
“Virus?” I sat up in alarm. “Am I infected now?”
Kirk smiled at my naïve question. “It doesn’t infect humans, only Harvesters.”
“I don’t understand.” It was the first time I had ever heard of something causing the Harvesters to get sick.
“Alliance was founded by Harvesters who have the Cain virus. Any human who is captured by them and brought here or is unlucky enough to stumble on this town on their own becomes their property.”
“Is this some sort of breeding camp?”
“No, the virus the Harvesters here in Alliance have takes away their ability to regenerate tissue. I heard one of them say that it corrupts some of the programs in their neural chip, which makes the nanites not work right. Kinda like a computer virus back in the old days. They’re just like any other human being now, except that all of them are still really strong and most still don’t seem to have a conscience about the things they do. The only good thing about them is that they’ll end up dying, just like the rest of us.”
That explained why Freddy was able to carry Jace all by himself from Julia’s house to the van and the inhuman strength he displayed when he had prevented me from escaping his grasp the night before.
“Freddy’s a Harvester,” I said aloud, not even needing confirmation from Kirk that I was right.
“He’s not just any Harvester. Freddy’s their leader,” Kirk replied. “He pretty much runs everything here in Alliance.”
“Why don’t the humans rebel?”
“There are more humans than Harvesters here, but we’re still too weak to overtake them. No one has ever escaped, and if Freddy remains in charge, no one ever will. There are land mines and an electric fence surrounding the town.”
“How were you and Teegan planning to escape without stepping on one of the mines?”
“We didn’t have a plan really,” Kirk said, averting his eyes from mine once again. His thoughts seemed to drift back to their failed attempt at freedom. “I just wanted to get Teegan out of this place before it drove her insane.”
“Are the two of you a couple?”
Kirk looked back at me and smiled wistfully. “No, but we’ve been best friends ever since she was brought here to work for Meg. She’s like a sister to me.”
“Is she Meg’s housekeeper or something?”
Kirk looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“You do realize you’re in a house of ill repute right?”
“No,” I admitted. “But I’m not surprised to hear it considering what Freddy intends to do with me.”
Kirk reached out and placed a consoling hand on my shoulder.
“You need to be strong,” he said to me. “Maybe you and your friend can figure a way to get out of this place before it’s too late.”
“When we do, we’ll take you and Teegan with us.”
Kirk tried to smile his appreciation of my promise, but I could tell he didn’t really think it would happen. He wasn’t saying it, but I knew he thought none of us would make it out of Alliance, except for maybe in a coffin.
“So, why do the Harvesters want humans around if they don’t need organs?”
“To do the menial work mostly and to provide comforts like what they can get here at Meg’s. They like to use us for trading purposes too. It’s almost like we’re money to them. Sometimes they trade us between each other, just to have something to do, or they trade us to Harvesters outside for things they want.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Kirk shrugged. “Not much any of us can do about it.”
“So, what’s your job here? Do you take care of the girls?”
It seemed a logical deduction considering how thorough a job Kirk had done with me thus far, but the moment I asked my questions, his entire face flamed red, and I knew what he was going to say, even before he said it.
“It’s not just men who like company in their bed every once in a while.”
I didn’t know how to reply to that. All I could do was apologize.
“I’m sorry,” I told him.
Kirk stood, straightening the bottom of his sweater.
“Don’t be. Things could be worse,” he said.
I couldn’t imagine how they could be worse, and frankly I didn’t want to ask him to explain.
Kirk walked back to the ironing board and lifted the pile of white fabric into his arms, walking back to the bed and laying it down beside me.
It looked like a wedding dress. The top was sleeveless and adorned with a scattering of opalescent sequins and sparkling crystals. The skirt was full with a see-through material over pristine white satin and satin cording along the hem. It looked like a dress fit for a real-life princess.
“I’m supposed to wear that?” I asked.
Kirk nodded. “Freddy brought it around this morning. I think he wants to make you look so pure that you’re almost untouchable. He’s probably counting on it to drive the tournament price up.”
A knot formed in the pit of my stomach. “So, how is this tournament thing supposed to work exactly?”
“So, what kind of tournament is it? A free for all slug match or a sport or something?”
“Depends,” Kirk said with a shrug. “Sometimes it tests who is the strongest. Other times it tests who’s the smartest. And sometimes it’s a little of both. Since I’ve been here, he’s done a scavenger hunt, an elaborate maze, and a last man standing type of fight. If I were gonna bet on it, I’d say he’s going to use his secret project for your tournament.”
A commotion of voices could suddenly be heard coming from the other side of the door to my room. Before Kirk or I had time to react, Freddy came barging in. His face was covered in sweat. He wore a leather coat and round hat, just like the night before, except that they were black not brown this time. A red silk shirt peeked out from under the jacket as he slammed the bedroom door inward.
Kirk and I were both startled by the intrusion, but I heard Kirk gasp when he saw the developing bruise around Freddy’s left eye.
“Kirk!” Freddy stormed into the room. “Get over here and do something about this damn eye!”
Kirk ran out of the room, yelling over his shoulder, “Let me get some ice to prevent any more swelling first!”
Before I could even pluck up my courage to ask Freddy how he got the black eye, he whirled around to face me. His angry scowl made me wish I had a good reason to leave the room too.
“Do you see what that git of a boyfriend of yours did to me?” he bellowed.
“Jace did that to you?” I asked hesitantly, not wanting to incur Freddy’s wrath any further.
“Do you have any other boyfriends in the vicinity?” Freddy asked sarcastically.
“Why did he hit you?” I asked, wanting to know what Freddy had done to rile Jace into an act of violence.
“I just told him what I intended to do with you. I thought the wanker was gonna kill me after he found out!”
I wanted to smile but knew that would just incite Freddy’s already palpable anger.
“You shouldn’t have told him,” I said instead, feeling the weight of embarrassment like a physical presence inside my chest. “He didn’t need to know.”
What did Jace think of me now, knowing my virginity was being auctioned off to the highest bidder? Would he think even less of me after the winner claimed his prize? Would he even want to be around what Freddy was turning me into?
Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I cared about what Jace thought of me. I felt a lump form in the base of my throat at the thought of him never wanting to be around me again. What if he couldn’t bring himself to even look at me anymore? Would something taken out of my control extinguish the love he said he felt for me? Would he be willing to help me escape this godforsaken hell hole long enough to find a way to rescue Zoe from Julia’s clutches? I couldn’t live with myself if we didn’t try to save her.
“Well, I’m glad I told him,” Freddy said, his eyes narrowing on me. “How the hell is he so strong, anyway? I know he’s not a Harvester, but he sure as hell punches like one. What is he?”
I didn’t think it prudent to tell Freddy Jace was strong enough to rip the head of a Harvester off. That bit of information would probably put Jace in even more danger.
“I don’t know. I’ve only known him for a few days.”
“That’s not what he said,” Freddy replied. “Plus, no man acts like such a besotted fool after just knowin’ a girl for a few days, especially if he isn’t getting into her pants! I think you’re lying.”
“I don’t know what Jace told you,” I said, “but I’m telling you the truth. I barely know him.”
I was hoping Freddy would take my short acquaintance of Jace as meaning he wouldn’t be able to use Jace’s wellbeing as a hold over me, but I should have known Freddy wasn’t someone who would care about such a small detail. Plus, what lie had Jace told Freddy and why? Was Jace still convinced he had memories of me that didn’t actually exist?
“It doesn’t really matter which one of you is lying,” Freddy said. “Jace’s life depends on your cooperation in my tournament.” Freddy’s face went slack and his eyes widened a small bit, like he just realized something. “In fact, I think I know of a way to make a bit of profit from what I learned this morning.” Freddy suddenly smiled like all was right in the world.
I had a bad feeling nothing good would come of it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kirk did what he could for Freddy’s eye. After letting the icepack bring down most of the swelling, Kirk applied a dab of foundation and powder to camouflage the redness, which was swiftly turning black and blue.
“You have an hour to get her dressed and downstairs,” Freddy said to Kirk before leaving. “Ian will be waiting for her.”
This propelled Kirk into a frenetic set of actions. After locating Teegan, they both went to work on me. Teegan applied makeup on my face, something I had never worn before, while Kirk curled my hair and piled the ringlets high on top of my head. They wouldn’t let me see myself until after I put on the wedding dress and Kirk placed a small rhinestone tiara on my head.
Even without seeing myself, I felt stupid. None of it felt like me. But they both worked so hard to make me presentable, I didn’t have the heart to tell them I felt like an overstuffed Thanksgiving turkey trying to pass itself off as a desirable woman.
With a smile of satisfaction on his face, Kirk placed his hands on my shoulders and made me walk backwards to the full length mirror by the windows.
“Are you ready to see yourself?” he asked. His face was filled with anticipation about my big reveal.
“I guess,” I replied, praying what I saw in the mirror would satisfy Freddy’s needs. I wasn’t sure how foul his reaction would be if I didn’t meet his high expectations.
Kirk turned me around until my eyes met the stranger staring back at me.
The girl in the mirror was stunningly beautiful. Her pale white skin contrasted dramatically against the dark reddish brown hair coifed so articulately on top of her head. The dress sparkled in the dim light of morning filtering through the window curtains, adorning her with the unearthly beauty of an angel. The long sooty eyelashes of the girl made her hazel eyes sparkle, and the red stain on her lips outlined a perfectly formed stretched out heart. The girl in the mirror rivaled Meg’s beauty, but the girl in the mirror wasn’t me. I didn’t know her, and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to. She would have to endure what happened next, and I couldn’t let that affect who I was now. She would have to be strong where I might fail. As soon as I left this place, I knew I would leave this girl behind in my wake, never to be seen again if I could help it.
“You did a good job,” I told Kirk, forcing a smile on my face, feeling the need to be polite after all the hard work he had done to forge the doomed girl staring back at me.
“Good?” Kirk said in complete exasperation with a roll of his eyes heavenward. “Honey, I worked a miracle in less than ten hours. I think you look more than just good.”
I turned my back to the girl in the mirror, no longer able to stand looking at her and faced Kirk.
“How about really good?” I asked, not wanting to hurt his feelings, even though he had just sealed my fate with his self-proclaimed miracle.
Kirk sighed dramatically. “I guess a true artist is never appreciated in his own time.”
Teegan put one of her arms across Kirk’s shoulders as if consoling him of my ingratitude and telling him he had done a great job all in one gesture.
A short, sharp knock resounded on the other side of the bedroom door, just before Meg barged int
o the room without waiting to be invited in.
Her hair was up in a tight ponytail on the back of her head. She was dressed in a tight fitting black leather jumpsuit, leaving no feature of her womanly form to the imagination. When her jade green eyes landed on me, her expression remained blank, concealing any emotion she might have about my transformation.
“Ian says it’s time,” she said more to Kirk than to me.
Just as Meg turned to leave the room, her eyes met mine briefly. Pure unadulterated hatred stared back at me. I felt sure Meg had assumed Kirk wouldn’t be able to turn me into someone as desirable as her. Her own view of self-worth was slightly diminished now, and she didn’t like it. I knew then, I would need to watch my back where Meg was concerned.
Kirk and Teegan escorted me downstairs like two proud parents about to give their only daughter away at her wedding.
Ian stood by the front door dressed in a pair of black jeans and black leather bomber jacket with a white T-shirt underneath. When Meg walked down the stairs, his lips twitched into a lazy, familiar smile, but when I came into his view, the smile vanished. His lips parted slightly in what appeared to be shock.
“Don’t look so surprised, sweetie,” Meg crooned as she walked up to Ian and coiled a possessive arm around one of his. She turned around to look at me with her scathing eyes as if just her stare would scald the skin from my bones. “I told you how good Kirk was. He was able to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse overnight.”
My eyes involuntarily drifted to the floor at my feet. I felt embarrassed because I knew what Meg had just said was true. Now I understood the horror Kirk felt the night before when he was handed the task of turning me into someone who would be desirable enough to intrigue a legion of men to bid for my favors.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to remember why I was playing along with Freddy’s demands. If I didn’t, Jace would probably end up with a bullet between his eyes. I doubted I would be allowed to find similar succor. Freddy would most likely force me to do his bidding, whether Jace was alive or dead, at least until I could find a way to kill him or myself.