Iris

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  “A what?” Magic…is that what she felt every time her connection to the outside world buzzed within?

  “They call them Weasels, because they’re small and can weasel their way into anyone’s life. One second you’re alone, and the next they’ve taken you. That’s when you become fair game,” she continued in a rushed tone.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve heard of them,” Fox said with a short nod. “They hustle people from the crowded city slums and enslave them or sell them. Sometimes, they even eat them. I warned you both about this place. We were supposed to stay close.”

  He might not have intentionally wanted to make it sound like an accusation, but that was exactly how it came across, and it stabbed her right in the heart. She’d let him down. Again. Most of all, she’d failed an innocent woman who’d been looking for a better life. I’ve failed White, too.

  “Where do we find these Weasels?” She directed the question at the woman. “Don’t even think about shaking your head.”

  Her face darkened. “If you get out of the market and take a left, you’ll come to a set of stairs. They lead down. The Weasels live three levels down.”

  “We can’t be going down,” Fox protested.

  “If it means getting Honey back, we’ve got no choice.”

  He pursed his lips, obviously conflicted. “Are you telling the truth?” he asked the woman.

  “She knows better than to lie to me, don’t you? I’ll find her wherever she goes. She can’t hide from me.” Iris flashed a tight smile as she lightly skimmed her fingertips over the woman’s skin. “You know that, right? My magic will find you when you least expect it, and I’ll tear you apart.”

  The woman shook her head, her double chin wobbling with every shake. “I wouldn’t lie to you. I don’t want to die. I want to live my life in peace and make a living. Please, let me be. I’m not lying to you.”

  “Looks like you’re doing just fine to me.”

  Something flashed deep inside the woman’s eyes, but it was gone in an instant. “I get by.”

  “Give me a sack filled with an assortment of cans,” she ordered.

  “I can’t—”

  “You can’t or you won’t?” Iris flicked a finger dangerously close to the black mark she’d already left on the back of the woman’s hand.

  She sighed, frustration and anger making her features meaner than they already looked. With slow motions, the stall woman grabbed a dirty sack from beneath the table and filled it up to the rim with cans.

  “Remember, if you lied to me, I’ll be back. What’s your name?”

  She hesitated but answered when Iris raised an eyebrow. “Roberta.”

  “Thanks for the cans, Roberta.” She wrapped her hands around the top of the sack and dragged Fox behind her by the hand. She didn’t pause to explain what she was about to do, just pushed her way slowly through the crowd. Heading toward the poor family she’d seen earlier.

  They weren’t hard to spot.

  “What are you doing?” Fox called after her when she sped up ahead of him.

  Iris didn’t stop and instead walked up to the three children and the woman. She knew this was the right thing to do. “You shouldn’t have to feed your children dead animals.”

  The woman’s eyes were shiny with tears. She appeared so young to have this much responsibility. “I don’t have a choice.” She gathered her three children around her, trying to hug them close.

  Iris lowered the sack to the floor, crouched down, and pulled out a handful of cans—just enough for her, Fox, and Honey. She held out the sack to the woman, who looked at her in confusion.

  “These are for you and your family. They won’t last forever, but they’ll do for a while.”

  The woman stared at her, eyes wide and dumbfounded. She lifted her skeletal hand but hesitated before shaking her head. “I have no way of paying for this.”

  “I don’t want payment.”

  “But—”

  “I watched your children eat those…I just want to help you.” Iris shook the sack, and she started to grow almost impatient. She wanted to help this family, but also didn’t want to waste too much time here. They had to follow Honey’s trail before it was too late.

  “Take it!”

  The mother finally took the sack and hugged it to her chest. Tears slid down her cheeks as Iris turned away.

  “Thank…thank you!” the woman called behind her.

  Iris looked over her shoulder and smiled. “No need to thank me. Just make sure you don’t open them until you’re somewhere safe. I’d hate for them to be taken from you.”

  She nodded graciously, swept her children around her, and headed back into the crowd with the sack held so tight in her hands, her knuckles were white. Iris doubted anyone would be able to separate her from the food. She’d fight to keep every last can.

  “Come on, Fox,” she said with a satisfied grin.

  “Where are we going? To do more good deeds?” A grin teased the edges of his mouth as he balanced the cans she’d kept for them.

  “We’re going to get Honey and have dinner.” With a good deed done for the day, her heart felt a little lighter.

  Now, it was time to track down her friend. She had to ensure Honey’s safety, as well as the child’s.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Amazing. That’s what she is. Just when Fox thought he couldn’t find a new quality to like about Iris, she went and did this. She saved a small family from starvation and still kept enough to feed them while they travelled through this pit. Of course, time to ponder the good deed had been stripped as soon as they’d touched down on the concrete floor, three levels down.

  “The last thing we need is to be going down again,” he was saying to Iris. They needed to gain distance between them and the bounty hunter, not make it easier for him to track them down.

  “Lookout, Fox!” Iris’s voice echoed up and down the dark room they’d entered.

  He ducked in time to see the weapon swing past and over his head. The attacker got caught up in the momentum, so Fox took the opportunity to extend his leg to the side, and kicked the man in the back of the knee.

  The attacker stumbled forward, collapsed to the floor with a loud thump, and knocked his head against the edge of the steps. He was out cold. A small kick with the toe of his boot confirmed it.

  Fox narrowed his eyes as he peered around him. That’s one down, but how many to go?

  “Iris, are you okay?” Had she been attacked too? “Iris?”

  “Where did you take her?” Her voice echoed around them.

  “I don’t know who you’re talking about!” a male voice replied.

  He followed the voice around the corner, and found her. Iris held a man up against the wall, her forearm pressed tightly beneath his chin as his eyes bulged.

  “Sure you do. Where’s the small woman you coaxed down here?”

  The man didn’t answer. He was too busy struggling to get his feet back on the ground.

  “Where did you take her?” She pressed her arm tighter against his throat, and a squeak escaped him.

  That’s gotta hurt. Fox couldn’t help but wince. Just how strong was she? She was holding a man above her with just one arm. Sure, he seemed smaller than an average man, but it was still impressive.

  “Any second now, the oxygen will fail to enter your lungs. I’ll make sure the flow of air decreases slowly, until none of it gets in.”

  “Okay.” His muffled scream tore the silence around them.

  Fox backed up, double checking their surroundings. No one else appeared to be left. With the amount of shadows at every corner, that could change at any second. He kept a watchful eye in every direction and grabbed the bag of cans he’d dropped. Grateful that Iris had found a bag for them, or he’d be wasting more time gathering dented cans.

  Iris continued her interrogation. “Where is she?”

  “Don took her to the holding area.”

  She loosened her grip. �
��Where’s that?”

  He tried to motion with his head, but Iris held him too rigidly. The man’s eyes closed for a second before he spoke. “It’s down there. Just follow the doorway, and you can’t miss it.”

  “Thanks.” She lowered him to the ground, but when he prepared to take a step, she smacked him with her closed fist. Blood spurted from his nose as he collapsed in a heap at her feet.

  “Looks like you’re enjoying this a little too much,” Fox said as he approached her. She seemed awfully good at interrogation. It also looked as if she might have finally been able to control the degree of her anger. She’d make a hell of a Spec-Ops member.

  She turned her head and stared at him. For a moment, her eyes seemed to glow green, her face twisting at an unnatural angle. He almost took a step back but stopped himself. Was she in another one of the trances that gripped her whenever she heard or saw the rain? Or was this how she looked when she was in attack mode?

  Iris shook her head. “No, I don’t enjoy this, but if it means we get Honey back, it’ll be worth it.”

  He caught her forearm. “You know that you don’t have to prove anything, don’t you?”

  A small nod was her answer.

  He tightened his grip on her smooth skin. “I’m not kidding. You don’t have to risk your life to make up for White’s.”

  Her eyes narrowed, serious and hard. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. I will never be able to make up for the loss of his life. It won’t matter if I save Honey a thousand times. It’ll never be enough.”

  “Then, why are you doing this?”

  “I’m doing this, because it’s the right thing to do. You promised you’d help me find someone who’d make me remember, and I promised to get Honey and her baby to a safe place.” She yanked her arm out from his hold so quickly, it took him several seconds to realize his fingers were curved around nothing. “Are you still coming? I’d hate to get in the way of your ulterior motive.”

  “I don’t have any ulterior motives,” he said with a shake of his head.

  She glared at him over her shoulder. “Everyone’s got an ulterior motive. Especially Spec-Ops.”

  He took two quick strides and wrapped his fingers around the top of her arm, stopping her before she could get away. He squeezed her tighter, forcibly turned her to face him, and then pushed her up against the wall. Her spine hit hard enough to cause her to wince. Fox hated handling Iris this roughly, but she was directing her anger and frustration on the wrong person. His initial intentions, of using her as a tool, dimmed further every second he spent with her.

  “Did I hit a nerve?” she whispered with a smile.

  “No, I just want you to remember I’m on your side.”

  She shrugged. “This isn’t about sides. This is about saving the life of an innocent woman, and the more time we waste messing around, the more out of reach she becomes.”

  “There are things I haven’t told you about myself yet, but it’s for your own good.”

  “You’re protecting me, right? From where I stand, it doesn’t look like I need much help in that department.” She spared a glance at the man on the floor, who was still unconscious.

  “Damn it, you’re so…” His voice trailed off as his desire took over. He crushed his mouth against hers, forcing her lips to part with his tongue, so he could slip his inside. He wanted to take her, right here, right now. This new attitude did nothing to piss him off, but everything to turn him on. He couldn’t control himself around her much longer. If they didn’t consummate this attraction, he was going to explode.

  He savored her sweet taste, pressed his body as close to hers as he could before she pushed him away. With his hand still clamped around her arm, the warmth of her skin seeped through the fabric of her top.

  “I want you so badly,” he said, roughly nipping her jaw.

  “I want you, too, but we’ve got something else to do at the moment. We’ve also got company.” She extended her leg sideways, in a low kick. Someone collapsed to the floor with a thud.

  Fox released his grip on her and turned in time to find another unconscious man now sprawled out on his back.

  “We really can’t afford to waste any more time.”

  He nodded and jogged after her. The single corridor they’d entered was narrow and damp. Water splashed in from somewhere, but he couldn’t see where. This building was in bad shape. He wouldn’t be surprised if the heavy population and the lack of maintenance allowed the decay to intensify. Before long, it would collapse or be forced to be abandoned as had happened to so many before it. The city of Nexus was slowly getting smaller, but the population wasn’t.

  The only door at the end of the narrow corridor was open. Iris charged inside, but he paused a second before smacking into her. She stood with her legs apart, fists out in front of her. She met his gaze, frustration in her eyes.

  “Where is everyone?”

  Several cages lined the wall in front of them. Moisture ran down the wall, collecting in the grout between the bricks and eventually pooling on the crevice between wall and floor. The way the metal cages were positioned, anyone kept inside would surely get as sick as the rusting metal in front of them. Once again, the shocking conditions of this city made his gut twist.

  Some people were forced to feed on dead animals, or offer what little they could to their children while they watched in envy, going hungry. Others formed groups who partook in stealing citizens from wherever they could in order to make a living. It made him sick to think about his father sitting high in his tower like some king on his throne while everyone else suffered this much. He’d always thought himself like a god on Mount Olympus—free to indulge while others struggled through every minute of their short, measly lives.

  The more he saw, the more he realized it was time he put the stolen credits to some good use. Once they reached the Wentworth Corporation Tower and he confronted his father about all the disgusting things he’d done, Fox would spend it on these people.

  One way or another, he’d also find out if the great and powerful Kingsley Wentworth was responsible for Iris’s condition.

  “It looks like whoever they were holding here has found a buyer.” His head spun at the realization. There could be no other explanation. The cage doors haphazardly hung open, and a line of water extended to their right, as if someone had been dragged. He moved closer and noticed drops of red. It had to be blood. Whoever had been held here had been taken, as well as Honey. It had all happened too quickly. There was no way they would’ve had time to stick her in here.

  The Weasels could smell a good sale when they spotted one. One of them must have noticed Honey as soon as they’d ventured into the market. He cursed himself for not being more careful, but his attention had been solely on Iris and her reaction to the poor family.

  “They could be anywhere.”

  “No.” She headed for the wall and pressed her palms against it. The steady stream of water poured over her fingertips as she touched the bricks.

  He cringed but was more concerned about her reaction. She stood still, both eyes closed as if she were tapping into a wavelength he couldn’t hear. “What is it?”

  “Can’t you hear the rain?” she murmured.

  “Yeah, but the rain never ends, so it’s mostly a hum I can block out.” Fox had never seen a sunny day. The day of his birth had seen rain, just as the day of his death would. No one in Nexus knew of any other weather conditions.

  “No, it’s right outside this wall. The water gushing inside comes directly from the outside.” Her eyes snapped open as she moved along the wall. More and more water gushing over her skin.

  He made a move to grab and pull her away. Of course, the rain was just outside. It meant this whole room, and maybe the entire building, had already been contaminated by the acidic rain and rancid oxygen.

  “You need to get away from it, Iris.”

  “Why?”

  “You already know why. If you have direct contact with the rain or the
air outside, you’ll be contaminated. Whatever toxins are polluting the outside world are incurable. I don’t want you to contract the disease.” He took a step, stopping behind her. He extended a hand out.

  Iris spun around, her left hand dripping with water, and splashed some of it on his clothes. She watched the drops, mesmerized by their downpour along her fingers, palm, and wrist. “Can you see how pure this is?”

  “It might look pure, but it’s poison.”

  Her eyes glittered with excitement. “Do you know for sure?”

  He sucked in a shallow breath. “Iris, we’ve all been educated in the dangers of the atmosphere outside the shelter of these interconnected buildings.” He sighed. “Don’t you understand? Stepping outside, even coming into contact with the rain, will kill you. You’ll get sick.”

  “I don’t feel sick.”

  “No, it doesn’t happen immediately. Maybe it’ll take days, but you’ll start to feel the effects.”

  “What are these effects?” she challenged.

  His mind raced. Most of his life, the situation outside had been drummed into his head. He’d never bothered to have concrete evidence presented to him. Why would he? He’d been born into this poisonous world and taken it as fact.

  What were the effects of outside poisoning? His mind raced, until the drone echoed inside his head, and he recited it. “Your skin will break out into deadly, contagious warts. You’ll be consumed by a high fever, and no one can save you. There have only been a few cases of people contracting the lethal disease. Once you get it, the only choice is to be sent outside, forced to live out there until death takes you. Iris, quit messing with the water.”

  Fox didn’t see it coming. She moved too quickly. Or maybe his thoughts consumed him so much he hadn’t registered her intention until it was too late.

  Iris grabbed a hold of his hands, wrapping her cool fingers—all wet and dripping with rain water—around his.

  All he could do was watch the droplets dripping off his skin.