“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Salena asked.
“He’s afraid of the blue radiation and stays out of the sunlight,” Payton answered. “Watch your feet. There’s a step.”
Payton reached to hold on to Salena’s arm as they turned another corner. The princess moved upward and Salena followed her up a step, lightly stubbing her toe on the edge as she blindly felt her way.
The princess pushed on a board, causing it to swing open. A blue glow came from within. The room appeared to be made from the exterior walls of the surrounding buildings. This caused it to be a collection of strange angles and colors.
“Take off the scarf,” Payton instructed.
Salena pulled the scarf from around her neck. Monitors had been set up along one wall and were the source of the blue light. Though some of them were grainy to look at, they all appeared to show different angles of the city. The largest monitor focused on the Federation building’s entrance. A low hum of the muted voices from outside sounded more like chaotic music than an actual conversation.
The sound of metal casters rolling across the ceiling announced the entrance of a man sitting in a sling. His chair hung from the ceiling and moved over a series of tracks. His arms hung out the sides and his legs were missing. When he looked at them, it was not with the eyes of a man, but those of a cyborg. The mechanical irises focused on them like a camera. Salena glanced at the wall and found her face in all its muddy glory appearing on one of the screens.
“I don’t know you,” the man said to Salena, his voice surprisingly pleasant in its low tones.
“You know me, Yevgen,” Payton said.
Payton’s face replaced Salena’s on the screen. A heart burst over Payton’s picture and twinkled before disappearing. Yevgen smiled. “Welcome, Princess. It has been too long since we last met.”
“I’m sorry. It has been harder to sneak into the city lately, but I sent my regards with your runners when they picked up the food supply,” Payton answered. She touched Salena’s arm and said, “I’d like you to memorize Salena. She’s the future queen of the dragons.”
Yevgen’s eyes flashed, and the monitors blipped. The poster of Fiora appeared on the screen. “I know this face. She belongs to the Federation. Bringing her to the city is foolish. You should smuggle her off the planet at once. She is not safe here.”
“I can’t leave,” Salena said.
“How is it a level-one prisoner of the Federation is to be the future queen of the dragons? I have heard nothing about this. Has an arrangement been made between the dragon-shifters and the Federation? What are the terms, for they cannot be for the good of Cysgodians.” Yevgen’s sling rolled him closer to Salena. “Why are you nervous? Never seen a cyborg before?”
“I have,” Salena answered, not backing away from the man. “I’m nervous because I’ve been told you may be my only link to finding my sister.” She pointed at the poster on the monitor. “This isn’t me. It’s my sister, Fiora. I believe the Federation has her, or had her, just as they had me held prisoner. I need to know where she is. I need to know if you know anything about her whereabouts. Is she still at the facility with them? Did she escape? Is she here in the city? Have you seen her? She looks like me but has a scar on her head, here.”
Salena pointed at the forehead on the poster where the jagged scar had been drawn.
“You have many questions,” Yevgen stated.
“Do you have answers?” Salena resisted the urge to grab the man by the sling and shake him.
“It depends on what you have to trade for them,” Yevgen said. “Nothing in Shelter City is free.”
“What do you want for them?” Salena looked helplessly at Payton.
“That is not how this works,” Yevgen answered, his eyes narrowing and his tone hardening.
“I told you who she is.” Payton took over the negotiations. “Is helping the future queen of the dragons not trade enough? Don’t you want her to look favorably upon you and feel as if she is in your debt?”
Yevgen’s expression instantly changed. He grinned and laughed as if he had been joking. “Of course, it is. Besides, Payton, you know that I’m in love with you and I will do anything for you.”
“Careful, I think your programming is glitching again. You need to quit telling us girls that you love us. One day one of us will become jealous, and you do not want a jealous woman standing outside your door.”
“Perhaps you are correct.” Yevgen seemed pleased by the flattery. “Do not worry, future queen. I will not tell you I love you, for I do not wish to incur the jealous wrath of a dragon prince.”
“Wise decision,” Payton put forth.
“My sister?” Salena asked, eager to get the conversation on track.
“Forgive her, she has been looking for a long time,” Payton interrupted. “How have you been, Yevgen?”
“Running long hours,” he answered. “The streets have been busy. I have some recordings to show you.”
Yevgen reached for the small console beside the monitors. He brought up a series of recordings, the images paused.
“We saw this one,” Payton said, pointing at Justina. She wore a different dress but stood in the same spot. “Sounds like you have a thief terrorizing the Federation on behalf of the city. One of yours?”
“I wish. No one knows anything, only rumors. I’ve been trying to catch the thief but whoever it is either is skilled at not getting caught or is simply a legend being built by an out-of-control game of misinterpretation.” Yevgen seemed almost enamored with the mysterious bandit.
“Game of what?” Salena asked.
“When someone says one thing, then when the next person repeats it they change it a little, and then the next paraphrases, and by the end the rumor isn’t even close to reality,” Yevgen said.
The second image began talking. Yellow Shirt, though he was no longer wearing yellow, announced, “Food simulators, never starve again!”
“So that’s who raided our stash,” Payton grumbled. “We had to relocate our shipment.”
“I have my people working on getting them back. They’re watching to see where he hid them. So far, no one can afford his prices,” Yevgen said.
“Who’s this?” Payton pointed toward a man in a black cloak. “He looks angry.”
“He is full of rage.” Yevgen turned on the recording. “He’s a charlatan of the worst kind.”
“…through what they call the blue radiation from their sun, but we know better,” the man yelled. Though they couldn’t see anything beyond his face, they heard people cheering as if a mob gathered. The image fluttered and distorted. “The key is not the blue sun. That is merely a distraction they hang in the sky to hide the truth. If anything, it’s hurting us with its poison. We are dying, our lives shortened, our children’s future corrupted and stolen by the greed of others.”
“This isn’t good,” Payton whispered, crossing her arms over her chest.
“The Federation caused the virus and then pretended to save us as they took over our dead planet,” the charlatan continued, each word tainted with rage. “They moved us here, into this valley of disrepair.”
As voices cheered, Salena asked, “How big is his following?”
“Growing daily,” Yevgen said. “Keep watching.”
“Now, why is it our shifter neighbors live five times—no, ten times longer than a Cysgodian man? They breathe the same air, and they feel the same sun, yet they do not suffer the loss that we do. They eat while we starve. They fly free as we are trapped in this city of rust.” The recording glitched and the sound disappeared even though the man’s mouth kept moving.
“Who is he?” Payton asked.
“I don’t know his given name, but they call him Doyen,” Yevgen answered.
The sound returned. “…survival of our people depends upon action.”
More cheering sounded.
“No one wants to go to war, but if we do not fight, we will die.” Doyen lifted his arms. �
�They delivered us to this battle!”
Again, cheering.
Salena hugged her arms across her stomach, not taking her eyes from the monitor.
“If it’s not the sun, if it’s not the air, if it’s not the dirt we all walk on, what is it? What is the key?” Doyen demanded.
“Blood,” the crowd shouted.
“It’s in the blood,” Doyen yelled, throwing his head back.
“Blood, blood, blood,” the crowd chanted as Doyen led them, pumping his fist into the air. “Blood, blood, blo—”
Yevgen stopped the recording.
“They’re talking about shifter blood, aren’t they?” Salena whispered, horrified by the rage she just witnessed.
“Yes,” Yevgen answered.
“In relation to the population of Shelter City, his following is small, but it grows by the week.” Yevgen clicked a button, and the last saved recording played.
It was of a man walking, his face masked by the angle of his body. The words were distorted as if they’d been electronically enhanced. “Forest runs will cost you double.”
The recording ended.
“You have your hands full,” Payton remarked.
“I think we interrupted one of those forest runs,” Salena said.
“Really? Did they say what they were doing?” Yevgen’s eyes appeared to zoom in on her.
Salena wasn’t sure how much she should say and wished she would have kept her observation to herself.
“No. They attacked Grier and Jaxx when they were escorting Salena in the woods in the borderlands,” Payton said.
“What did they want?” Yevgen asked. The monitors behind him blipped as if controlled by his mind more than the console. “Who were they?”
“There were four of them. Raimon, Partha, Bharath, and another one seemed to be their leader. I don’t remember a name, but he had two scars that crossed over his cheek to create an X.” Salena frowned. “And I can’t be certain, but I think they wanted the shifters to change form, so they could hunt them and eat them.”
“Thank you for the information. I will add that to my database and watch the men you speak of,” Yevgen said. One of the monitors began flashing as if searching the city for faces.
“Do you know anything about the girl in the poster?” Payton asked.
“Tell me about her,” Yevgen said. “Is she like you?”
“Yes, she looks like me,” Salena said. “I’m a triplet.”
“Is she like you?” Yevgen repeated.
Salena didn’t know how to answer. She wasn’t sure she trusted this man. With cyborgs, it was difficult to tell how much was human and how much was a robot. They were all wired differently. Robots were logical and ran functions according to their programming. Men were, well…men.
“Does she have abilities?” Yevgen asked.
Salena nodded. “She does. But not exactly the same as mine.”
“How did you know about that?” Payton asked.
“The man in me wants to speak only in truths. The machine understands this is not a logical compulsion. There is only one difference in my environment, so it can be deduced Salena is the cause of this change. She is not a machine, so it must be a natural ability.” Yevgen turned to stare at Salena. “I have been scanning for that image. I have seen it before, but it was not a poster. It was an electronic transmission, an invitation to see the powers of a future-sayer who speaks only in truths.”
“That would be Fiora,” Salena said. “Where is she?”
Yevgen’s sling carried him toward her. His cyborg eyes dilated as he looked at her face. “I am not sure the answer will bring you comfort.”
Salena felt her chest tighten in fear. Her hands shook, and she held her breath as she waited for him to tell her that her biggest fear was being confirmed.
Please don’t say she is dead.
“She is being held as a level-one prisoner of the Federation in their facility. She is their prize. They keep her in a cage, always watched and monitored, and only bring her out to speak her truths,” Yevgen said.
“What are they asking her? Do you know?” Payton asked.
“They have her talking to generals and captains who need convincing of Shelter City’s relevance.” Yevgen continued to stare at Salena. “They have been escorting off-world dignitaries into the facility all day for another of their big gala events, but I have logged many who have visited the facility over the last several weeks. They land with planetary clearance for other reasons, but it is your sister they seem to reference the most in communications.”
“How do you know the dignitaries for the gala are off-world?” Payton asked.
“Shifters generally are not blue in color,” Yevgen answered.
“How would you get her out?” Payton asked.
“I would not.” Yevgen shook his head, sounding matter-of-fact. “There is no way to free her from this fate. They will not let her go. If you are like her, Salena, they will not let you go.”
Salena felt weak and stumbled back. She put her hand against a jagged wall for support and leaned over as she took several deep breaths.
“Salena?” Payton asked, coming to her side. She rubbed her hand over her lower back.
“She’s alive,” Salena whispered. “Fiora is alive.”
“What about the other sister?” Payton asked. “Do they have her other sister?”
“Not that my database shows, but I will watch now that I have the information to add.” Yevgen moved toward the console and began typing.
“We have to get her,” Salena said. “She’s here.”
“We will,” Payton assured her.
“The odds of being able to free her are not in your favor,” Yevgen argued, not turning back around. “Doing so will strain relations between shifters and the Federation.”
“We will,” Payton mouthed for Salena’s benefit.
“Thank you for the information.” Salena reached for the board that would swing open and let her out of the strange alcove.
“Yevgen.” Payton walked to him and grabbed him by the face. She gave him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth. “You are the best. Thank you.”
“I knew you loved me,” he said, smiling. “All the ladies do.”
“Can I bring you anything next time?” Payton asked.
“Encryption codes for the Var communications tower,” he suggested.
She laughed. “Nice try. Don’t worry. I’ll surprise you with something brilliant.”
Salena pulled the board and left. She felt her way through the dark toward the lighted path that would take her out of the narrow walkway. Her heart beat fast and she felt as if it was hard to breathe.
Fiora was alive. She didn’t care what the odds were. She needed to rescue her sister and not risk the shifters’ standing with the Federation. Failure was not an option.
“Salena,” Payton said behind her. “Wait.”
Salena pushed out into the street and took a deep breath. She looked up at the sky, pulling at her neckline. Tears rolled down her cheeks. So many fears, so much searching, and she finally had an answer. Fiora was here.
A sound between a cry and a laugh escaped her. All around her, the streets quieted. She hadn’t meant to draw attention to herself but as she looked at the street, she saw that several people had stopped to stare.
“Salena.” Payton appeared next to her, shoving a scarf at her. “You dropped something.”
Payton looked around the street as whispers started.
“We need to go.” Payton grabbed her arm and began walking her down a wooden sidewalk.
Salena gave up the earlier pretense of limping. They turned a corner. Payton held up her hand and listened. The building they leaned against provided cover but no escape. A fence blocked the alleyway so the only option was to head back to the street and continue straight.
“What is it?” Salena wrapped the scarf around her face to hide her mouth.
“I think you were recognized. They’re coming.�
� Payton looked around and pointed at the ground. “Grab that pole. We might have to fight.”
Two men appeared before their hiding spot. They blocked the escape. There was nothing remarkable about them. They looked like a hundred other men roaming the city.
“I told you,” the blond said to the man with black hair. They both stared at Salena.
Salena lunged to the side and took the pole. She held it in her hands.
Payton immediately took an offensive body stance, feet apart, one slightly in front of the other. Her hand brushed Salena’s as if to say, “stay behind me.” But Salena was already inching her way out of their hiding spot.
Less cautious probably because of arrogance, the taller male coming toward them lunged at Payton. The princess sidestepped the attack and neatly kicked him in the back of the knees. His body buckled in two and she added a swift sidekick to his backside, sending him flying into their hiding spot.
Salena watched, holding her weapon as she looked for a way to help. The thick folds of her baggy dress made it hard to move.
The first man’s defeat seemed to spark the shorter one into action. He had a more aggressive approach as he ran full steam at Salena. She swung the pipe in warning. He shouted something as he dove at her, connecting to her stomach with his shoulder. She was launched backward, only to be stopped by a wall. She fell to her knees. The blow knocked the wind out of her, and she gasped violently to regain it. She wasn’t sure if it was the blow or the smell coming off her attacker that made it harder to breathe.
The man’s shoulder had not felt as if it was made of flesh, an observation proven when she noticed one of his electronic eyes zooming in on her. The man loomed over her but didn’t readily attack as if he was scanning her face.
“Sweeper borgs,” Payton called as she brushed her nose. “Dumb as fuck, durable as a dump ship, and stank as sweaty garbage.”
Payton’s attacker was back on his feet with no sign of what just happened.
“Don’t let them cut you. They’ll infect you with god knows what, and we don’t have a handheld medic,” Payton ordered as she circled her man.
Salena moaned from her place on the ground, still partially winded from the Sweeper driving her into a brick wall. She tried to push to her feet.
Dragon Prince Page 21
