Paradise Awakened Trilogy

by Mackenzie Morris

  "I don't know. Believe me, I've been wondering about that myself. It could have been a surge of adrenaline. I knew I had to get you to safety. Even with that, I was almost too late."

  "I'm doing fine now. Thank you."

  "I couldn't let you die." Jarred says. "That wasn't even an option."

  "Just your body heat was enough to keep me from freezing."

  "See, that doesn't make any sense either. Something strange is going on with me. That couldn't have been only adrenaline."

  "Well, whatever it is, we're going to need more of it. What's our plan?" Katarina asks.

  "I don't know yet. Come here and sit beside me. We'll stay here until the fire dies out."

  * * *

  The cold air tingles on Jayce's skin as he sits on his bed in the corner of the mall room. While he can't see the colors or intricate details of his surroundings, the program that he received allows him to see vague outlines of objects and movement. It is still completely debasing and terrifying to be alone here, a prisoner without anyone around who cares. Jayce is still adapting to life without his eyes. It would be a daunting process even if he was surrounded by supportive friends and family, but here he is alone. It's just as well. It's not like he's ever had any friends or family. The only person who has ever given a damn about him is Jarred.

  After weeks of recovering from having numerous surgeries to replace his bones with stronger ones as Gabriel wanted, Jayce is finally able to keep food down and move without a sharp aching pain spreading through his entire body. He's stopped coughing up blood and they've removed the IV from his arm. The one thing they couldn't remove from him is the bullet he wears on a necklace right beside his heart. He will keep that with him no matter what.

  Knowing that his husband is somewhere millions of miles from here on the other side of the galaxy is excruciating. Since they've first got together when Jarred was fourteen and Jayce had matured to what would be an equivalent age for androids, they've never been apart for this long or with this much of a distance separating them. At night, Jayce has to shut down many of his programs in his mind just so the memories won't find him. The dreams he has are difficult enough to bear through and waking up to an empty bed without Jarred beside him to comfort him only serves to hurt him more. Is Jarred even thinking about him, wherever he is? Or has he simply moved on and admitted that clinging to what they used to have is too hard when they may never see each other again?

  When the metal door slides open, Jayce stands and bows as he has been ordered to do. He even lifts his amethyst wings as he does it which hurts him because his muscles aren't used to lifting the heavy wings yet. But he'd rather endure a little pain to please Gabriel instead of facing another beating. He can see the shimmer and vague outline of the archon with large gold wings as he steps into the room.

  "Well, well. It's good to see you following orders, Jophiel."

  "Je vais faire ce que vous voulez." Jayce says.

  "What did I tell you about speaking French? You speak English and only English. Is that understood?"

  "Je suis navré. I am terribly sorry. It's hard sometimes."

  "You will learn to do what I say the first time." Gabriel says.

  "Oui." Jayce bows again. "Sorry. Yes, sir."

  "You are trying my patience today, Jophiel. Remove your shirt and face the wall. Get those wings up."

  Jayce hears Gabriel unbuckle his belt and slap it against the wall. No. "Please don't. Gabriel, I'm trying. I didn't mean to upset you."

  "I said to follow orders the first time. Do it and I'll tell you news about your husband."

  Jayce reluctantly removes his shirt and winces from the pain of his wounds from surgery that are still healing. He reaches out and finds the wall where he places his hands to brace himself against the lashes he knows are coming. He will take any form of abuse from Gabriel if he can only find out something about Jarred.

  Gabriel walks behind him and pushes him up against the wall. "Your husband was exiled to Barren Void and declared dead."

  "Quoi? No, no. That can't be right."

  "He's dead, Jophiel. There's no one coming to save you. You belong to me and to Paradise as her protector. This city owns you and you will die to save it."

  * * *

  An hour passes in silence as they bundle together and watch the last flames of the fire die down to orange coals. Outside, the wind has completely stopped and the planet begins to warm on its own. They can still see their breath fogging in the air, but at least they've stopped shivering.

  Jarred has to know something. It's been so long since he ever thought about anyone other than Jayce. What if he's changed? He highly doubts it. Things like that don't just change. For as long as he can remember, he has been interested in and attracted to only men. But it wouldn't hurt anything to experiment, right? Now's as good a time as any. There's no one else around here who could say anything about it or judge him for it. Is this even vague curiosity a sign of his mind deteriorating? Did he spend far too long locked up in that cave? It has been a long time since he's been with Jayce. Still, something about it doesn't seem right.

  Jayce is the only person Jarred has ever been with. What they had was beautiful and harmonious. They went together perfectly and worked like one person. But now, Jarred is alone and lost. He knows that he will eventually have to move on from his husband who is forever trapped down in Paradise. Oh, Jayce. Jarred tries to not think about him, but his heart betrays his mind, especially at night when the dreams break through the rough exterior he keeps up to protect himself from the inundation of tears that are constantly threatening to break free.

  Jarred is balancing on the edge of disaster. If he becomes consumed by the pain and the loneliness, he will never be able to recover. So instead of dwelling on the excruciating loss, he pretends that it doesn't matter anymore. That's how he's always had to cope with things. When his parents died in that car accident in Paradise, it took him a year to finally break down and cry. When it did finally happen, Jarred didn't stop crying for days. Even at twelve years old, he tried to be manly enough to not feel the pain. He didn't want to be weak.

  What would Jayce say if he saw Jarred right now? He'd get onto him for not letting his feelings out. Then he'd laugh at him for even thinking about a woman. He would say something witty and humorously insulting in French then hold Jarred close and they'd lie here together and watch the stars.

  Jarred knows that now is as good a time as any. He reaches over and takes Katarina's hand. "Kat, can I try something? Don't get mad, okay?"

  "What is it?"

  Jarred touches her leg and his hands move up her side to her shoulder and her thin neck. He pulls her close to him as he leans in and kisses her. She makes a small sighing sound and kisses him back. Is he doing this right? A thousand questions rush through his mind. This isn't working. All he can think about is Jayce. And even that isn't enough to make his body respond like he wants it to. Maybe he has to be more forceful. Jarred pushes her down in the sand and pulls up Katarina's shirt then grabs her breasts. He continues to kiss her until she pulls away, breaking off their kiss.

  "Jarred, stop."

  "What's wrong?"

  She sits up and fixes her shirt. "You're not enjoying this, are you?"

  He frowns. "Is it that obvious?"

  "Did you feel anything?"

  "Nothing."

  "I'm actually a bit surprised about something." Katarina says as she tucks her purple bangs behind her ears.

  "What?"

  "For someone so rough and tough, you're a very good kisser."

  "Jayce taught me." Jarred laughs. "Get it? French kissing? He's French."

  "You're crazy."

  "Thanks for letting me try that." Jarred says. "I had to know if it was just me being so accustomed to Jayce or if I really can't be with women. I guess we know the answer to that question now."

  "It's fine. Don't let it get to you."

  "I know. I've accepted the way I am. It's just that I want to mak
e my father proud. He was never accepting of it."

  "But look at the man you've become." Katarina says. "You're strong, brave, caring, and the toughest guy I've ever met. Don't those things count for something?"

  "Maybe. I don't know. I feel like a failure sometimes. We used to be best friends until he found out that I had kissed a boy at school. Then he beat me and never spoke to me again. He died a week later."

  "That's awful."

  Jarred shrugs his shoulders. "That's life. The older I get, the more I realize that life is finite for a reason. If we had to suffer through this forever, we would end up killing everyone then ourselves."

  "You can't think of it like that. Look at all the people I've lost. I know I could have done more to stop it, but I can't let that guilt overwhelm me. I have to move forward, pick myself up again, and make it better for the future."

  "Come on. Let's go look outside. I think the storm has passed. It's feeling warmer than it was."

  They crawl out of the opening in the side of the submarine and kick the packed snow out of the way. Jarred breathes in the warmer air and looks out over the sand dunes still spotted and piled with melting snow. The pools of water spread out on the sand and glitter under the bright lights from millions of stars and multi-colored galaxies filling the sky above the planet. Oranges, pinks, and greens form large groups of stars and planets, each one glimmering in the darkness of space.

  He brushes the sand from his pants and spreads out his arms as he watches the shooting stars that streak across the sky all the way to the horizon. "Barren Void: planet of eternal night. But damn is it pretty."

  Katarina marvels in it all and goes to Jarred's side. "Amazing. Where is Earth from here?"

  "No idea."

  "Oh, come on. Take a guess."

  "I don't want to think about Earth." Jarred says darkly.

  "Because of Jayce?"

  Jarred stands and walks off a ways under the colorful night sky. The glowing pink of the other galaxies overhead shimmers on his short blonde hair. With a primal scream of pain, he drops to his knees in the wet cool sand. "Jayce! If you're out there, let me know. Jayce!"

  "He can't hear you."

  But Jarred doesn't care. It seems that he is finally losing it all. The time and distance have worn him down to the point of not being able to pretend that his husband doesn't exist anymore. "Jayce!"

  3

  Velex finishes making the final changes to a drone operational program and spins around in his chair to pour himself another cup of coffee. He hears the door to the laboratory open, but he doesn't think much of it until he hears that same voice that he can't get out of his mind. He turns around to see Kazimir and Detective Icarus Bronze, still hiding his face behind a black mask that covers his cheeks, nose, and mouth, chatting about something in the doorway. What is he doing here? Velex hides under the table just in case there's another warrant out for his arrest.

  "Velex, I'm sure you've met our newest partner." Kazimir says. "This is Detective Icarus Bronze. I think you two will get along very well. Now stop hiding and get over here."

  Velex stands and goes over to shake his hand. "We've met."

  Icarus's eerie silver eyes study him and look almost ethereal against his lightly tanned skin. "Sorry about how rough I acted with you, but you know how it is. I have to keep up appearances in front of the police."

  "Who are you?" Velex asks.

  "What kind of question is that?"

  "Where are you from?"

  "Himmel." Icarus says.

  "Are you sure?"

  He crosses his arms. "Positive."

  Velex steps closer. "Why hide your face?"

  "Why would I not hide my face? What I do with my face has no bearing on my job or the workings of Himmel. I suggest you steer clear of such questions or we will have a problem. And trust me, you don't want us to have a problem."

  "Gentlemen, this is not the place for arguments." Kazimir says as he pushes them apart. "You are to treat each other with respect. Is that understood? There will be no fighting in my lab. Now, show Icarus what you've been working on."

  Velex leads him over to the table and lays out the pieces of the drone. "It's a drone. Have any experience working with this kind of technology?"

  He reaches out to touch the console. "May I?"

  "Take your gloves off."

  "I don't think so."

  "Why not?" Velex asks. "Scared to leave fingerprints and incriminate yourself? Scared someone will find out your true identity? You some kind of secret agent?"

  "No, yes, and kind of."

  "What?"

  "Answers to your questions. I can't use my left hand around this stuff anyway without the rubber lining in this glove. I have a metal plate in my left hand that could be a problem." He looks around and takes off his right glove only. "Have anything to drink around here? If I'm going to get to work on this stuff, I need something strong."

  "We have some beer and some assorted liquor."

  "Have the stuff to make a martini?" Icarus asks.

  Velex stares into the pale eyes for a minute and can't help but laugh. Is he serious? This isn't happening. Surely God is punishing him for something. "A martini? It's not even noon yet."

  "It's never stopped me before. You'll learn that alcohol is good at all times of the day. It helps me concentrate." He sits down and picks up a microchip then holds it up in the light to examine it.

  "Fine. I'll make you a martini. Anything else?"

  "Something to eat would be great."

  "We have sandwiches." Velex says.

  "That will work." Icarus puts the microchip down again and runs his hand over his bald head. "You should stop staring at me. It's distracting."

  "Maybe if you took off your mask, I would stop."

  "I don't take off my mask."

  * * *

  Katarina follows close behind Jarred as they walk endlessly in the darkness of Barren Void. They've been walking for hours now and she's getting admittedly very tired. The lack of food is beginning to take its toll on her. At least it's not freezing out here now. The weather simulator must be malfunctioning. The sky is clear and the winds are hot as they blow across the open desert-like terrain where nearly all the snow has melted in the warm sticky air. Her hair whips around her shoulders and she reaches out to grab onto Jarred's arm.

  "Hey, you. How are you doing? Holding up okay?"

  "I'll make it." She smiles and presses her face against his muscular arm. "How much farther are we going to go?"

  "You can't already be tired. I feel great."

  "Can you carry me?"

  "Sure. Get on my back." Jarred kneels down and lets her climb up and wrap her arms around his neck.

  "Thank you." She holds on tightly as they continue on to unknown destinations. "Jarred?"

  "Yes?"

  "Do you think Doss loved me?" Katarina asks as she watches the stars above them.

  "I know he did."

  "I loved him too, you know?"

  Jarred rubs her arm comfortingly. "Why are you bringing this up right now?"

  "I don't like feeling alone."

  "You're never alone. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. You can count on that."

  "Are you mad at me?"

  "About what?" Jarred asks.

  "Your grandfather."

  "Byron? He did what he had to do. While I don't agree with it, I don't blame you. He had his own problems and if he felt like that was the best way to end it all, then who am I to condemn it?"

  Katarina spots something across the sand and points to it. "Are those lights?"

  "Looks like they're fires." He lets her slip off of his back.

  "Who could have lit fires out here?"

  "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this."

  "We should at least go check it out." Katarina says. "We need food and shelter."

  "If they kill us, all the food and shelter in the galaxy won't help us out."

  "Come on. Stop being
such a coward."

  "A coward? How dare you? So I'm a coward because I don't want to throw my life away?"

  "What will it hurt to get a bit closer and find out what's going on?"

  "What if it's all those criminals who have been exiled here before us?" Jarred asks. "Do you think those rapists and murderers are going to hand out crumpets and invite us in for tea?"

  "You're being ridiculous."

  "Me? What about you? Oh, let's just skip over there in the dark unannounced to say hi to these people who could want nothing more than to kill us and eat us."

  "So now you think they're cannibals?" Katarina asks.

  "Who knows? They could be. There's not much else to eat out here."

  "Fine. You can stay here, but I'm going."

  "Like hell you are."

  Katarina runs off towards the lights in the distance.

  "Kat! Kat, stop!" Jarred takes off after her, nearly tripping in the snow and sand dunes.

  Katarina runs until she gets close enough to see the people gathered around a few fires and moving in and out of tents. Who are these people and why are they alive on this forsaken planet when nothing is supposedly able to survive?

  Jarred grabs her from behind and tries to pull her away, but the people stop where they are and turn to look at them. "Run."

  "No. They don't look dangerous."

  "Damn it, Kat. They've seen us."

  "Then we might as well go see if they can help us out." Katarina says.

  "If you get us killed, I'm going to beat you."

  She grins facetiously at him. "You can't beat me if you get killed."

  "You're getting on my nerves so much today."

  Jarred pulls her along towards the camp and waves at the people who are wearing what appear to be advanced flight suits like the ones the IGR pilots wear on Himmel. Katarina notices that these people are all fair-skinned, not just pale, but almost white in color. It's not albinism. They have pitch black hair and eyes with their veins subtly showing through their skin. It's almost as if they've never seen the sun. As she gets closer, she notices one other thing they all have in common. They all have a tattoo of a golden apple with a spider on it somewhere on their bodies. What kind of group is this?