Vengeance

by Amy Miles

  “I just...I need some time.”

  “Alright.” Hyde nods and pushes back to sit cross legged on the floor. I watch him as he prepares himself for a long wait. I sink down onto the bed and roll away from him, needing to be alone but knowing that he’s not about to trust me with that. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

  “I won’t.” I roll my head away as the tears and despair come. The silence that falls around me feels suffocating. I grit my teeth as I fight against the sobs rising within my throat. I don’t want to cry, especially not in front of him.

  After an hour of silence passes I finally ask, “When did you suddenly decide to become my hero?”

  “When you started acting like a child who needs one,” he retorts.

  A hint of a smile tugs at my lips. Touché.

  TWENTY-TWO

  “You called me Illyria,” I whisper to the dark, staring up at the ceiling. I’m not sure how many days have passed but I know by the ache in my backside that it’s been quite a few. Hyde never left me, staying true to his word. Vanata brought him food several times but he ignored it. I could feel him watching over me. Never moving. Never complaining. Even as the lights flickered off and the men bedded down each night he only shifted enough to lay down on the floor beside my bed. I suspect at some point he must have left me to have a wash and attend to other needs but each time I woke he was there. “Before, when you were trying to calm me down, you called me Illyria instead of Queeny.”

  “Must have been caught up in the moment.”

  I smile, and roll my head to look at him in the dim light of the lantern. Most of his face is cast in shadow but I can see that he is watching me. His beard has grown thick and bushy. His sideburns are out of control. The evidence of his physical sacrifice touches me deeply. “It’s the least you could do after groping me with the pretense of easing my fever.”

  His smirk returns. “Glad to see you’ve got your humor back.”

  “Nice to see you still excel at avoiding sensitive topics.” He chuckles but doesn’t deny it. I suck in a breath and hold it until my lungs begin to burn. Slowly I blow it out, wishing that it could make me feel better. I look at Hyde, seeing the concern in his eyes. “Thank you for staying with me all this time. I didn’t really peg you for a guy who cared about anyone but himself.”

  His shoulders rise and fall with a shrug. “You remind me of Niyah. Whether I like it or not, I realize now why Bastien loves you so much.”

  My stomach tightens at the sound of his name. “Why is that?”

  His smile softens as he thinks about his sister. “You both are far too alike. You are a strong, bull-headed woman who deserves better than what has been dealt you. I know that now.”

  I wipe my nose with the back of my hand, feeling the sting of tears. That is all I seem to do these days. I have never liked crying. It makes me feel weak, vulnerable. For someone who has spent her entire life needing to be strong, I can’t bear to acknowledge that fact that I may not truly be as strong as I think I am. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  Hyde chuckles. “Yeah, well don’t get used to it, Queeny. My sis could still take you in a fair fight and I’d root her on the whole time.”

  He purses his lips and looks down at my leg. I can see his shame for having forgotten about my lost leg before he turns away. I feel oddly removed from the pain associated with the knowledge that I will never again be able to fight in hand to hand combat as I think over his statement. I wonder whether, if the roles had been reversed between Niyah and me, I would have sold out my friends for the sake of jealousy like she did. No, I don’t think I would have, but then again...I’ve never had to find out.

  “Is that why you want me to keep fighting? Because she would?”

  “Nah,” he shakes head. He wipes his hands on his pants, as if needing something for them to do. “I just don’t want to be Bastien’s punching bag someday when he finds out I let you take your own life.”

  I tuck my hand under my cheek, wishing that I could roll onto my side but every time I try to move my leg I feel as if I will pass out again. Vanata has given me several sips from the Jonu tree and changed my bandages, using crushed bits of leaves as a salve. I refused to let her give me any pain medicine and even though I know Hyde thinks that is for selfish reasons, it’s not. I’m actually worried that if...when we find Bastien he might be in greater need of them than me.

  “I couldn’t do it, you know. Take my own life.”

  He nods. “I figured as much. Problem is there are a couple of people here who might have been easily swayed into helping you do it if you asked. I couldn’t risk it.”

  “You gotta admit that I do seem to excel at making enemies.”

  Hyde leans his head back, staring at me from the opposite wall. I can’t help but wonder if he is remembering just how he felt when I first awoke on the D’Hatil ship? His own bias against me was pretty overwhelming, to say it nicely. “What changed your mind about giving up?”

  I close my eyes for a moment, contemplating letting him in. Hyde may be a jerk and a certified pervert when the moment suits him but he saved my skin. I owe him something. “I assumed Vanata told you.”

  His brow dips as he leans forward. “Cryptic answers don’t become you. Spit it out, sweet cheeks.”

  “I’m pregnant,” I say in a rush, terrified that if I didn’t just toss it out there that I would lose my nerve completely. “I didn’t know before Drach told me, and when he did I was too numb to really accept it. Then after I spent time with Bastien and saw how crushed he was when he found out I began to feel like these babies were a curse instead of a blessing. I felt like a horrible person for almost wishing they never existed, but last night when I was at my lowest, I felt them move for the first time. I lay there with my hand on my belly, wondering if it was hunger pains but then I got a swift jab in the ribs and I knew. I can’t give up. Even if I have nothing left to live for back home and even if Bastien is truly gone, these babies are worth fighting for.”

  Hyde blows out a breath and runs his hands through his hair. His jaw clenches and I can tell that he’s wrestling internally. Finally he looks at me. “You risked your life for me back at that compound, knowing that by doing so you were placing more than just yourself in danger?” I nod. He snorts, shaking his head in disbelief. “Wow. You are something else.”

  “Most people would just say thank you.”

  “Thank you?” He looks incredulous. “Thank you is for when someone gives you a gift on your birthday or offers you food when you are hungry. This…” he waves his hand at me and grimaces as he gaze settles over my stomach. He swallows hard and looks away. “It’s my fault you nearly died. I’m the reason why you got hurt, why you lost your leg. This is on me.”

  I grit my teeth as I press into the mattress, my arms trembling as I push upright. Hyde lurches forward to help me but I refuse. The room spins around me for a moment. I clamp my eyes shut and wait, breathing slow and steady for the head rush to pass. When it does, I drop my right leg over the edge of the bed.

  Hyde panics as I try to lift my left leg to turn and face him. “No!” He pushes me back and then tucks my right leg back onto the bed. He sinks down at the end of the cot, placing himself easily within my sight.

  I can feel my pulse thrumming rapidly in my neck but I ignore it. “How about this? I won’t blame myself for wanting to give up if you agree to stop blaming yourself for having a knack for trying to get me killed. Deal?”

  I hold out my hand to him and wait. For a moment Hyde doesn’t react. Instead he looks hilariously floored. Finally he grins and takes my hand. “I’m still gonna call you Queeny though.”

  “That’s fine. I’ve got a nickname all picked out for you too.”

  “Oh yeah?” His dark eyebrow rises into his messy hairline. “What’s that?”

  “Sparky,” I grin.

  “Oh sure,” he rolls his eyes. “To match my stunning personality.”

  “Somethi
ng like that.” I laugh and realize that it feels good. It feels normal. Despite everything that has happened to me over the past month I know that sticking around a bit longer was the right decision.

  Hyde may not be able to compare to Bastien as a guardian but if I’m honest, he’s not too bad either.

  “Hey! Look who’s back from the dead” a voice calls as Hyde carries me out of my room for the first time since I arrived. I realized the instant that he lifted me into his arms that it is getting harder to bend in the middle. The baggy shirt he found for me to wear conceals my growing belly well enough but I know my secret won’t last long. I don’t know why I seem to be progressing so quickly. I suppose having twins must be the reason for the rapid growth.

  The air is warmer in the larger room yet I find it to be a refreshing change from the stuffy air back in my space. After nearly a full month of the same four walls I was ready to break out. It is amazing how a change of scenery can brighten a girl’s mood!

  As I look around me, I realize this larger area must not be too far from the cave exit as I can instantly feel the heaviness in the air from the humidity. Like my room, the walls are barren of decor. Everything around me is functional, sparse. I see crates that house food. Tables with maps laid upon them. Empty chairs clustered together. Tower lanterns are located around the room, fueled by what I can only assume to be the same source of white lighting I noticed at Drach’s compound.

  I tighten my grasp about Hyde’s shoulder to look at the voice who called to me. “Reyes? How did you get here?”

  “Tried to leave him behind but he insisted. Even said please and all,” Hyde chuckles to himself. “He’s not the only one here though. You’ll recognize a few faces.”

  “Sorry I couldn’t come check on you,” Reyes says, his expression tight with regret. “Donan banned us from visiting.”

  “That’s because you talk too much,” Hyde snickers. With far more care than I thought possible for him, he sets me down on a chair and then rushes to get another to prop up my left leg. He grabs a pack off a table and dumps the contents all over the floor and stuffs it just under my thigh to keep my leg aloft. Even after nearly two weeks of recovery time I still feel light headed at times.

  A shriek of annoyance is followed by a fist slamming into Hyde’s shoulder. He laughs and turns to face a steaming Natasha. “That was my stuff, jerk.”

  “It’s all still there.” He sinks onto a seat beside me, ever present and attentive. When I first met Hyde I hated him. No, maybe hate isn’t even a strong enough word. I guess that just goes to show you that the masks people wear are sometimes there for a reason.

  Natasha on the other hand has maintained her adamant hatred of me. I guess I should have expected that. I notice that she spends more and more time gone from the base, preferring the stink and sludge of the swamps to my company. Hyde has done his best to ensure that we are never left alone together too long but even he has duties to see to and needs time to sleep.

  “You’ve changed, Hyde, and not for the better,” she growls, scooping her supplies into her arms. Reyes stoops down beside her to help but a livid glare sends him backing away with his arms raised high in the air.

  “There are other bags,” Hyde shouts after her but she rushes from the room. I can hear her curses echoing after her.

  “She used to be such a sweet girl.” Reyes shakes his head and then stoops beside me, appearing to shove aside the ugly scene that just transpired with ease. “So Hyde here says you’re ready to join our merry little band of robbers.”

  “Robbers?” I look to Hyde with confusion but he only laughs. Digging around in a small satchel he pulls out some sort of an edible bar of food and takes a huge bite. My stomach growls and for the first time in weeks I actually feel real hunger again. He notices my gaze and smirks, handing it over to me without a word. I take a small bite, leery of risking a large bite that might send my stomach on a full tilt toward the ground.

  The length of my recovery time was doubled due to my current ‘condition’ as everyone seems to like to refer to my pregnancy. I weary easily, hunger quickly and vomit up nearly anything that touches my stomach. It’s been four days since I ate anything, so I am cautious. As far as my leg...I’m starting to accept it a bit better. There are moments when I forget and try to scratch an itch and my stomach gives way when I realize what I’ve done. Sometimes late at night I will feel pains below my knee, maddening but no less real than if I were to stub a toe on my right foot. Vanata calls them ghost pains. Memories from my past. Whatever they are, they sure know how to mess with my mind!

  Reyes grabs at a metal chair and drags it toward him. It squeals against the cave floor. I wince, realizing that he is either careless or there is no risk of an outsider hearing the noise. Judging by the firepower that I’ve seen in this place today I’d say they have a pretty tight lockdown on the perimeter.

  “In my defense,” Reyes starts, pressing a hand to his chest, “I wanted to tell you about us when you first woke up on the ship but Hyde here didn’t want to trust you.”

  “Imagine that,” I chuckle, casting a glance at him. He shrugs, looking not the least bit upset about his decision. “Where’s your other half hiding out?”

  I can’t help but laugh at Reyes’ confusion. He looks like an animal trapped within a bright light, stunned to the point of being frozen in place. “Vondran,” I lean in and whisper. “Where’s he at? I assume if you are here he is too.”

  “Ah,” Reyes laughs. He juts his thumb back over his shoulder. “The idiot picked a fight last night. He’s been put on kitchen detail for a week as punishment. Someone’s gotta clean up after us lot.”

  I grin, almost feeling sorry for Vondran. He was the first to speak to me on the slaving ship, to give me some semblance of information, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I like the guy. “So is someone finally going to tell me who and what you all are?”

  “We are part of an ancient sect who protects the peoples who live among the stars. We are called the Aegon Assassins in our common tongue, though other peoples call us by different names.” I turn as Donan enters the room. His hands are clasped behind his back. His chest is puffed out as he approaches. He wears a stark white calf-length coat. Golden buttons trail down the center of his chest. Crisp black pants finish out the regal outfit. I smirk behind my hand at the sight of worn combat boots beneath. He almost pulled it off, I think.

  “Why have I never heard of you before?” I ask, watching as he walks around Reyes and stands alert a few feet away. His beard has been neatly trimmed, his hair cut shorter than before. I realize that he looks every bit the part of a stern commander.

  “You were never meant to.” He responds simply. “Only those who must know our identity do. You, despite your lofty position, did not need such information.”

  I look between Hyde and Reyes, noticing how the humor in their expressions has fled. “And why are you here? In this place?”

  “To prevent genocide.”

  I glance over at Hyde, watching as he trails his finger along the edge of the table. He doesn’t look up at me and I get the distinct feeling that this is done on purpose. “Genocide. You mean on Earth? You’re here to stop the invasion...er, second invasion, I mean.”

  Donan lifts his leg and perches on the edge of the table. Reyes rises and crosses his arms over his chest. In the skin tight black shirt that he wears I realize there is a great amount of definition in his arms. How did I miss the fact that these men are obviously highly trained soldiers when I met them before?

  “It is not just Earth that we protect, Queen Illyria. It is many worlds. Many races. Countless lives.” He twines his fingers together and places his hands upon his leg. “Drach and other bands of his people have a love of power. They thrive off it, trade for it; but it is not the sort of power that you imagine.”

  He leans forward slightly and I feel my stomach twist with anticipation. I place a hand upon my swollen belly, realizing that it is not just my fear that I feel
now. These past few weeks I have begun to feel an awareness with my children. Sometimes it is an image that pops into my mind. Sometimes a thought. Hyde told me that it was impossible considering the collar still wrapped about my throat, but I know what it is that I see and feel.

  The collar has proven impossible to remove, despite Hyde and Vanata’s best efforts. The metal is impervious to heat, and no weapon has made a dent yet. Considering its location about my neck our choices have been limited, and yet we continue to experiment. I have faith that someday soon we will discover a way to free me.

  Donan continues speaking and I rush to catch up, shoving aside my errant thoughts. “At the center of this planet is an energy source unlike any other that we have seen. It fuels this planet, gives it life. It lengthens the lives of its people. It heals and it kills. Drach and his people have been mining its well of power for many generations, but as with all things, there is always an end.”

  “So what happens when the well runs dry?” I ask.

  “The planet dies,” Reyes answers.

  I look at the three men before me and feel a needle of fear jabbing me just below the base of my spine. “Is this the part where you tell me that the planet is about to die and we’re all going to be trapped here, facing imminent death?”

  Donan surprises me by laughing. “Is she always this over dramatic?”

  Hyde grins. “She has her moments.”

  I cross my arms over my chest, not enjoying being laughed over. My concerns are real and founded in truth. “Why else would they come to Earth? To kill my people and rape the land?”

  “Because they believed that Earth had something they do not.”

  “What?” I ask, holding my breath.

  Donan raises a finger and points it directly at me. “Your future children.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  The table beneath my hand begins to vibrate. Donan and Hyde share a loaded glance as I dig my nails into the flesh of the wood surface. Reyes backs away, his eyes wide with surprise. “Why do they want my children?” I growl.