An enormous lump formed in my throat. “You’d do that?” A tear ran down my face. There was no stopping it. I’d just lost my mama.
“Of course.”
I nodded. “I’d appreciate that, Julia. So damn much.” I grabbed her and hugged her again, stooping down to reach her.
“Go finish helping your father and I will take care of your mother, Kyan.”
I wiped my eyes and then nodded before turning and stepping off the porch.
Olympus had been bombarded. There wasn’t a building left standing that wasn’t still on fire or at least smoldering. Rubble and debris of every sort littered the streets. Bits of ash and paper swirled through the air, riding on the cold breezes coming off the nearby ocean. We heard the initial blast, which I had assumed was how they had breached the wall. They had torn right through it. But the onslaught had not ended there. It had only just begun.
Toward the end of the strike, someone had found us, found the keys to the tiny cells. The old man had limped from cell to cell setting us free. He had to steady his arthritic hands to turn each lock properly. These locks were from a more primitive time. When his icy blue eyes found mine, different emotions washed over his face. I could see anger, disgust, and pity. It was the pity that surprised me the most. Why would anyone pity me? But perhaps the better question was would anyone take pity on me?
I had to get out of here, find Marian, and leave the crumbling city that I once loved. Its façade of perfection had been blown to bits.
I stood in front of the remnants of what had been the palace. The stone that had so long held up the great structure was just a large crumbled heap now. Had Father and Mother been inside? Gretchen? Please tell me that Marian is okay.
Soldiers in head-to-toe red marched along the street toward me. This was not the resistance. This was something else. Red was the color of Vesuvius. We had been attacked by our ally. We had been demolished by our equal.
The Lessers and their resistance had not taken us down; we had done this to ourselves. I turned to leave. The soldiers’ footsteps, though still in sync, were approaching more quickly. With my back to them, I crossed the street and away from them. More soldiers approached. I tried to see if I could make it down an alleyway. It was blocked. I was trapped.
I walked back over to the palace gates, now twisted and hanging at odd angles, the giant “O” blackened and scarred. Waiting was the only thing left to do. They were coming for me.
When the first soldiers approached, I held my wrists out. “Prince Crew Cole, you are under arrest for crimes against all Greaters,” the enormous soldier barked.
A smart lock was coiled around my wrists and sealed with the print of his thumb. The glowing red rope illuminated my skin like a neon sign.
“Where is my father?”
I didn’t see his fist coming until the moment it connected with my face. “If he’s lucky, he’s buried in that rubble pile. If not, he’ll meet the same fate as you very soon.”
Down the street, I saw the blur of a familiar form run across the street. Zander Preston was free. What was worse? My parents had been in the palace when the attack took place. They were gone. I just hoped Marian had not been in there. And for Abby’s sake, I hoped Preston didn’t find his way back to Orchard Village.
I slumped down the side of the cold tunnel, the rock behind me cooling my back deliciously. We had been walking for hours, and that was after we had run the first couple of miles to ensure we were out of the city. Gretchen and I had been attending a resistance meeting. The times had been staggered recently so that no one suspected that members only met at night. Thank goodness for that change or we would have been in the palace when the bombs went off. Instead, we were in the Lesser section. We were in a place that offered shelter and escape.
Gretchen and I leapt up and grabbed onto one another when the first blast occurred. Her eyes widened. “It’s happening. We have to go!”
We rushed out the door to complete and utter pandemonium. Most of the faces we saw were resistance members. One man that we knew from training ran to us. “It’s not us. We don’t know what’s happening, but it’s not the resistance. Get to the tunnels!”
Gretchen grabbed my hand and together, we ran between hovels to a place with a large, dirty rug over the ground. It was in someone’s back yard, of sorts. She threw the rug over revealing a large metal door. We both lifted the door until it was open enough for us to climb through and then lowered it behind us.
When the door slammed loudly shut, I held my ears. They rang from all of the noise and my head was swimming in the pitch darkness that surrounded us from all sides and angles. The sound of a match strike woke me from my panic. Gretchen’s face illuminated in the small match light and she ignited a hand-held lantern that hung on the wall nearby.
“We have to run! We need to go as far as we can as fast as we can!”
I lifted my skirts and we ran as fast as we could through the black, winding catacomb. We composed ourselves now, sitting for a moment to catch our breath. Easier said than done at times like these. I wondered about Crew. Was he still alive? Had they destroyed the amphitheater? Was the King still alive? I shuddered at the thought. I had never wished anyone dead until that moment.
Two people approached. Gretchen and I stood up to give them room to pass. I did not recognize them in the lantern light, but Gretchen did.
“What is going on?” she asked.
The two young men paused. “Vesuvius. Vesuvius has attacked Olympus. The King is dead, as is most everyone at this point. We only escaped because we were in the factory. They haven’t taken those down yet.”
“What of the amphitheater?” I asked.
They both looked up at me. “I don’t know. But most of the city is leveled. It probably is as well.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump that had made its way up my throat.
“We’re going to keep moving. We’re outside the walls and within a few miles, if you bear left, you’ll come up topside beside a lake.”
We thanked them for the information and walked determinedly in the invisible wake of their swift footsteps.
Our torch was losing its flame and I hoped we would make it out of the tunnels before our light burned out into nothingness.
“We need to pick up the pace,” Gretchen puffed out.
“I know. I do not want to be down here wandering around in the dark.”
“Nor do I. Let’s go.” We walked more swiftly, my skirts gathered in my hands. What would the Lessers think of us? We obviously would not blend in. Our clothing was a dead giveaway.
A few more minutes of walking and the tunnel forked into two pathways, so we chose the left path. Another few minutes and the tunnel began to narrow. I had never experienced claustrophobia, but was beginning to understand the sensation. Finally, the tunnel abruptly ended and a metal stepladder led to a small square door overhead. Sunlight peeked in around its edges.
We had made it safely out of the city.
I went ahead of Gretchen and used my shoulders to lift the heavy door. The sunlight blinded me for a moment but after my eyes adjusted, I helped Gretchen ascend from the ground. She all but collapsed onto the earth beside me.
There was a lake just over the small knoll to our right. Several people milled around its edge. I counted twenty-six.
I hoped that was not the final number of survivors. “Gretchen?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think he made it?”
She looked up at me with pity in her eyes. “I honestly don’t know. I wish I could tell you that he did, but it’s just as likely that he didn’t.”
I sniffed. Tears filled my eyes and I broke down bawling. She hugged me to her shoulder.
“You loved him?” Wonder threaded her words.
I nodded. I had grown to love Crew. We had not known each other long,but I gave him a piece of my soul and surrendered my body to him. Of course I loved him. I loved him so much.
At noon the next day, I had ye
t to get out of bed. I was exhausted. That respite was rudely interrupted by a fast, persistent knocking on my cabin door. Gray was nowhere to be found, so I trudged to the door and flung it open, shielding my eyes from the bright sunshine and backing away from the cold being let inside.
Julia, the new girl from Vesuvius, waltzed right into my house like she owned the place. She looked annoyed.
“Julia, right?”
“Yes.” She hissed the ‘s.’
“Can I help you?”
“No, you cannot help me. But you can go see about your best friend.” Her eyes took in my rumpled appearance. “If you can drag yourself away from your bed for five minutes.”
“Look, what have I done to you? Stop beating around the bush and be blunt, please.”
“Kyan is in pain. He is hurting. His mother passed away last night and he just buried her. I prepared her body, but he needs you. I tried to be there for him, but I do not think he wanted me there. He wanted you.” Disgust and worry filled her dark eyes. It was strange. She had a golden ring and then her iris faded straight into an almost-black shade of brown.
“Ky’s mom died?”
“Yes. After he left here last night, he went to check on her. She passed while he was there with her. He is bereft.”
She paced the floor and cleared her throat. I ran to my room and searched for something to wear. My jeans were too tight now. I threw on a dark green sweater that was loose around the stomach, fitted on top. I had nothing to wear on the bottom. I ran to Lulu’s room and rummaged through her clothes until I found a long black skirt. It would have to do.
“I didn’t know.” My voice cracked.
She relaxed the arms that had been crossed over her chest. “I know. He said he did not want you to know, that you did not care, but I know that you do. That is why I had to come and get you. He needs you, even if he will not admit it to himself. Regardless of his feelings for you, he is your best friend, and he just lost his mother.”
“I know.” I finished lacing my boots and shrugged my coat on. I didn’t even make it off the porch before I started heaving. Luckily, I’d slept through breakfast.
She looked me over. “Are you all right?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I’m pregnant.”
Her dark eyes widened. “Is it...is it Kyan’s?”
“No! The Olympians are responsible for impregnating me. I’m still a virgin.”
“Abby, I’d heard the stories, but I was not sure if they were truly capable of such evil.”
“Oh, trust me. They are. Or they were. I’m pretty sure there’s not much left of Olympus at this point. Your military is a force to be reckoned with.”
She went inside and poured a small glass of water. I rinsed my mouth out sat the glass down on the porch. We took off through the field toward Kyan’s parents’ cabin.
The smoke from the chimney hung low in the valley. Kyan met us on the porch. He glared at Julia accusingly.
“Why’d you go get her?” He ticked his head at me, his lip snarled up.
I started toward him, pleading, “Kyan.”
“What? You need space, right?”
I shook my head. “Ky, let me help.”
His hands shook at his sides. “You can’t fix this, Abby Blue! No one can! She’s dead. You can’t bring her back.” He slumped onto the porch and sobbed. Julia and I sat on either side of him. She grabbed his hand and I hugged him until his head was on my shoulder. Julia’s tears were silent, as were mine.
“I’m so sorry, Ky.” I whispered it to him over and over, as I combed through his hair. Eventually, the tears stopped.
“Abby, you were right.” He stiffened. “I need to let you go.”
I cried harder. “You’ll always be my best friend, Ky.”
He laughed and wiped his nose. “I know that. You’ll always be that to me. But if you’re sure you don’t want more, I need to let go. I understand now. I think I need space, too.” He looked from me to Julia, who stared back at him longingly.
That’s the first time I saw it. She liked him.
I stood up and dusted off my pants. “I’m gonna go. If you need anything, Ky. I’ll be here, as your friend.”
He pressed his lips together and smiled. “I know. Thanks, Abby Blue.”
Julia scooted closer to him and smiled sweetly. He reciprocated. I quietly walked away, my heart a little lighter.
When I got back to the cabin, Gray was sitting on the couch across from my mother. Kaia exuded authority. It seeped from her flawless pores, flooding the atmosphere around her. “Abigail! I am so glad that you are safe.” She stood and hugged me tightly to her.
I pulled away from her. “Do you have news from Olympus?”
“We have been briefed about the success of the mission.”
“And?”
She rolled her eyes. “I am not supposed to speak of it yet. But you will know soon anyway. King Harrison Cole and his son have been apprehended. The Queen lost her life when the palace was taken down.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“Well, right now, they are being extracted from the city and will be taken to the prison in which you stayed. They will be tried and put to death.”
“Both of them?”
Gray’s eyes found mine. My mother continued. “Of course. Crew Cole had as large a part in this insanity as his father.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “How do you know?”
“Abigail, open your eyes. He is not who he led you to believe he was. He is evil. Crew Cole was not simply manipulated by his father. His actions were his alone. Everyone has a choice, Abigail. Crew chose the wrong path. And he will have to pay for his choice.”
I nodded. “When will this happen?”
“The Vesuvian high court will hear his case within three days. The justices are en route as we speak.”
“Three days?”
“Yes, Abigail. Three days.”
Gray’s eyes dropped to my stomach. It was definitely a bump now, although a small one. I rubbed it absentmindedly, silently promising my child a better future.
“After the trial, Mother. What will happen in Orchard?”
She glanced at me knowingly. “Vesuvius will rule over all of the Lesser villages. That includes Orchard. We will set up a new system of rule, punishments, and consequences. Things will be better organized. The village will be run more smoothly.”
“Will you go back?”
“Me or Vesuvius in general?”
“Both, I guess.”
She sighed. “Vesuvius will not desert your village. We will maintain a presence in each of the Lesser villages, to maintain order and see that our interests are protected.”
“Your interests?”
“The crops, goods, materials we need to survive and function.” She wasn’t concerned about us as people. She was concerned about what we could provide them. Nothing would change. It might even worsen under Vesuvius’s thumb.
Gray shook his head ever so slightly. He wanted me to close my mouth. I complied. I would close my mouth for now, no matter how much I wanted to scream at her.
“Well,” she said. “I should be getting back to the Main Hall.” She pulled on a poufy red coat. It seemed that Vesuvius had received a shipment of new attire befitting our cold environment while we were escaping the attack on Olympus by the skin of our teeth. How comfortable for them.
Gray stood and we walked Kaia to the door. I no longer wanted to think of her as my mother. Part of me understood. She was brainwashed into thinking that the Vesuvian way was better, was right. But part of me wanted to scream at her, tell her to think for herself instead of happily swallowing the poison they so eagerly shoved down her throat.
“Three days,” I mumbled.
Gray looked at me. “You can’t stop the executions.”
“I’m not thinking about the executions.”
He cocked his head to the side.
“Okay! I am thinking about that, but not
only about that.”
“What then?”
“We need to get rid of Vesuvius.”
He blew out a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “How?”
“Let them get comfortable and then hit them when they least expect it. It’s their own tactic. That’s what they did to Olympus.”
He nodded and hugged me to him. “Where have you been?”
“I went to see Kyan?” I confessed.
Gray’s shoulder’s tensed and his grip on my back tightened ever so slightly. He pulled back a little letting his eyes search mine though I didn’t know what for. “Yeah. Julia came to get me. His mom passed away.”
Gray released a breath and the tension from his body. “Oh, man. I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s okay. Julia is with him.” I smiled. “Are you sure green’s not your favorite color?”
“Real funny.”
I smiled. “I thought so.”
“Yeah, do you think this is funny?” He trapped me against the wall and tickled my sides until I could barely breathe. I finally broke free and ran to my room. I was trying to slam the door when he stuck his arm into the jamb.
“Move your arm! I don’t want to hurt you, but I might reconsider!”
“Big words for a tiny girl.”
“I am not tiny.” I strained to close the door he was so easily holding open. He slowly pushed the door open and wedged his body inside. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Gray. Don’t.”
“Don’t what, Abs?”
“You know what. Don’t. Please.”
When it was clear that he was coming in, I ran for it. I was going to try to hide somewhere. I didn’t make it far though. He caught me up in his arms and held me like he was carrying me over the threshold and gently laid me on the bed before climbing in beside me.
“Don’t tickle me.”
He smiled brightly. “Wouldn’t think of it.”
“Please. Don’t.”
When his hand landed on my bump, I jerked. I wasn’t ready for that.
Resist (The Harvest Saga Book 2) Page 13
