by Beth Hodgson
Emerald immediately recognized the image. The orange-gifted cyborg.
Emerald shot up weakly, and through her muddled and groggy mind, attempted to call forth her power. A faint stream of dark-green magic flew at the cyborg.
Just as the green power was about to strike him, the bionic man cast a transparent orange-yellow shield as big as his body, blocking Emerald’s magic. He did not even flinch when the power hit, and he remained standing there with glowing orange eyes void of emotion.
Weakened by the sedatives and from using her power, Emerald collapsed on the bed. She struggled to roll over, facing the cyborg.
“Get out of here!”
Glacia came running out of the bathroom, towel in hand. “Princess, what is going on?”
Emerald shot her hand up, pointing to the cyborg.
Glacia looked at the cyborg, then sighed. Walking over to her, Glacia helped Emerald up out of bed. “Princess,” she whispered, “you are now being monitored at all times. King Damaris’s orders. That thing has been ordered to shadow you.”
Emerald sighed in disgust. Just another way for her father to keep her prisoner. But if what Glacia said was true, Derek would be Arcadia’s new king, and she would only have to put up with it for a short while.
The cyborg continued to stare at her with his alarming expression. Emerald never really had a good look at him when she and Kyle were being chased by him. This cyborg was once a person too, Emerald reminded herself. He was programmed to follow orders. Just like all the other desert wanderers who had been experimented on. They were all following orders.
Kyle, I will free your people. I promise. Emerald hoped that when she did free them, they would be capable of living a somewhat normal life. Perhaps they were too far gone as cyborgs, but she had to hope that they weren’t.
“Do you have a name?”
The cyborg remained motionless, only flashing his eyes a bright intense orange.
“Princess,” Glacia whispered, “he doesn’t talk. At least, I don’t think he can. I heard someone refer to him as Drew.”
Drew cocked his head, clearly understanding their conversation was about him.
“Has he been here this whole time?” Emerald whispered back.
“Yes, ever since you were brought back to the palace, he’s lurked in the shadows of your chambers. Sometimes you see him, other times you don’t.” Glacia shuddered. “It’s like I can sense him in the room, but I never know where he is.”
Emerald glanced at Drew. He stood still, eyes locked onto hers.
“At least you can give me the decency of feeling like I have privacy,” Emerald said, waving her hand at him.
Unexpectedly, the cyborg listened to her request, fading back into the imagery of her chambers.
Emerald remained still while Glacia retreated into her wardrobe. The silence made Emerald think of Kyle again. She hadn’t been away from him for more than a day, but she missed him terribly. His wild spirit, crude language, his singing… The pain of being separated from him flooded her mind all over again.
Emerald walked over to where her paints were stored. The picture of the wild woman still stood on her easel.
Grabbing her old painting, Emerald threw it aside, grabbing a fresh canvas.
“Princess, let’s get you cleaned up. You will feel much better after you have a hot soak,” Glacia called out.
“No. I need to do this,” Emerald answered.
Then she began to paint. And paint. She painted until her red paint was gone.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Derek waited anxiously in Emerald’s sitting room for hours, hearing muffled voices behind her chamber doors. As each minute passed, he became increasingly impatient.
He just needed to see her again.
Derek paced around in front of the fireplace, watching his shadow as he moved about. Firelight danced on walls while the light of the flames refracted off the silver ornaments throughout. The warm orange tone of the light didn’t comfort him. His insides were all knotted up.
What was taking Emerald so long? It sounded like she had finally awoken. Had her handmaiden forgotten about him? Was it that Emerald did not want to see him?
Doubt shadowed his thoughts as he thought about the man who had been seen with Emerald. A twinge of jealousy sprung anew, and he began to feel sick all over again.
The muffled voices became louder. Emerald and Glacia were coming toward the door. Derek quickly composed himself, straightening the black-and-white puff sleeves on his jacket and tossing his hand through his curls, quickly fixing his hair.
The door opened, and a soft white light emerged, gracing the sitting room. He saw Glacia first, then Emerald.
Derek held his breath while he took in Emerald’s beauty. Her long green waves were loose down her back and sides, with a simple silver circlet that framed her porcelain face. Her green eyes sparkled while her soft pink lips glimmered. She was dressed in a pale green gown that accentuated every curve of her body. His cheeks began to burn as he took in her figure.
“Princess,” Derek said, bowing to her in reverence. “You have no idea the state of torture I was in during your absence, knowing that you were gone.”
“Derek,” Emerald said, nodding her head in acknowledgment. She seated herself on one of the sofas, then Derek followed suit and sat directly across from her. “I appreciate your concern for me,” she whispered solemnly.
She didn’t say anything else, which made Derek’s nerves stand on edge. Even her greeting didn’t seem as joyous as he thought it would have been.
Derek leaned in, offering his hand. “Princess, I am so relieved that you are all right.” He noticed she did not accept his hand, which made him lean in further to her. “I was worried about you.”
“Thank you, Derek. I really am all right, minus the fact that the authorities drugged me. I still feel drowsy.” Emerald glanced at him, then took his hand hesitantly. “But I must say, I was a bit surprised that you hadn’t left Arcadia yet, given the circumstances.”
“I couldn’t leave you knowing that you were all alone in Arcadia. Besides, I was unwilling to take no for an answer from your father.” Derek held her hand in front of him, then kissed it. “I was willing to do whatever I had to in order to win your father over.”
“How did you convince my father? He was adamantly against the match,” Emerald asked curiously. “Especially of you.”
Derek thought of Ikaria for a moment, then pushed it aside. “Never mind all the details,” he said smoothly. “The important thing is that you are here now, and that we will be married.”
“And what of my father? What will happen to him?”
“He will rule up until our wedding, then he will step aside. We will grant him the title of Lord Father of Arcadia, and he will settle in the western sector.”
“And when are we to wed?”
“However long it takes for the servants to plan the wedding. Everyone in the palace has been working quickly to ensure that it could take place once they found you.”
Emerald paused in thought. “I see.”
“Soon after the wedding, there will be an official coronation for both of us, and a transfer of my new Inner Council. After that, your father will retire.”
“I can’t get over the fact my father agreed to all of this…” Emerald said in disbelief.
“Does it not make you happy?”
Emerald bit her lip, then nodded. “It does. It’s just, all of it is happening so fast. I just got back here and learned of all of this…” Her voice trailed off, her face distant.
Derek was taken aback. He would have thought Emerald would be ecstatic considering all the years she had been locked away in the palace by her father, but by the words that she spoke, it was almost as if she had no opinion on the matter. Derek felt a sharp pain twisting in his insides, and he felt sick all over again.
His thumb lightly caressed her hand as he asked, “Princess, you still want to marry, do you not?”
; Emerald’s eyes immediately met his, frozen. Then with a simple smile, she gazed at his hand, shying away from him slightly. “Yes, of course.”
It has to be that man she was with. This is his doing! He’s poisoned her mind.
The mere thought of the man with Emerald burned deep within Derek. Rage brewed while hatred fill his heart. To think that Emerald even touched another man as they escaped Arcadia made him sick. Really sick.
“It’s that man, isn’t it?” Derek asked abruptly before he could stop himself. “That one you were on the motorcycle with. You are thinking of him.” He couldn’t believe he’d just spoken his thoughts. But it was too late. Besides, it had to be said at some point, just so he could move on.
Emerald held her breath, shaking her head profusely. “No. No, you are mistaken.”
“Good.” Derek leaned in, brushing her green hair aside, kissing her forehead. “I cannot bear to think of you with anyone else.”
His heart raced as he moved his hand across her soft skin, his senses filling with desire. Derek closed his eyes, taking in Emerald’s scent, kissing her lips.
She hesitantly kissed him back.
“I have waited so long for you,” Derek whispered. “I will do anything to please you, Emerald.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back.
His desire for Emerald overwhelmed him, urging him to continue. Leaning in to kiss her again, he felt her hand on his chest, slightly holding him back.
“Not now, Derek,” Emerald said, her voice faltering. “I need some time to adjust.”
Anger erupted within as Derek backed away from her. He felt completely rejected, like there was an unknown wall that kept him separated from her.
Emerald gave him a weak smile, then placed her hand on his.
“I just need some time.”
As he watched her walk back into her bedchambers, a violent rage filled him.
It was the other man. Kyle Trancer.
How he hated that man.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Dawn kissed the sky as Kyle continued to wander endlessly through the wastelands. He was so damn cold, holding his hands under his armpits to keep warm. He would give anything to have a drink of water. His thirst was a problem that would end his life if he didn’t find something soon, and he was sorely regretting the earlier beers. If it came to it, he would be willing to drink his own piss to survive. Not his first choice, but it was better than being a scrap of meat for the vultures.
Kyle found himself on the main road, finally getting a sense what direction the camp was in. He hoped to God that Arcadia’s authorities hadn’t destroyed the camp. Everyone had hated the idea of having the princess in the compound, and if it was ruined, they would hate him too. Not that he cared; Emerald was worth all the hate.
Replaying last night in his head, the only answer he came up with for why he was still alive was that Emerald must have healed him. His body had been pretty fucked from the crash, and his head beaten badly by the police. He remembered bright-green light filling his vision. That had to have been her magic. There was no other real explanation why he’d survived. He recalled her standing out in the cold winds, waiting to be taken back into the city. All because of him. His assholeness prompted her to go back. God, he hated himself.
Kyle stumbled along the road with the morning sun on his back. Every minute, he hoped that a transport would pass by for him to hitch a ride. It was the main road after all, and he was sure someone would drive by and spot him. Hopefully.
Hours passed, and the sun hit high noon. The morning chill was replaced with scorching heat. With every step he took, the sun’s sweltering heat sapped his energy, and he began to wear down, drained and tired to the bones.
Kyle saw two motorcycles driving toward him in the distance. As they came into view, Kyle recognized them as members from his home camp.
Thank fucking God.
“Kyle!” Jared yelled as he pulled up. “They didn’t take you!”
“Shit, we were looking for you,” Reila said.
Jared got off his motorcycle, grabbing Kyle as he stumbled. Reila pulled out a canteen and shoved it in Kyle’s face. He accepted, drinking until it was almost empty.
“Thanks,” Kyle said, out of breath, feeling light-headed. He guzzled the last of the water, then wiped the excess running down his chin with the back of his hand.
“We passed by this spot earlier looking for you.”
“Yeah, I was off the main road. Out in the middle of butt fuck nowhere,” Kyle replied, pointing weakly. “It’s hotter than hell out here.”
Reila lit a cigarette, then took a long drag. “Glad we found you. Looks like they took your girlfriend, though. Kinda seemed like she wanted to get caught to me,” Reila said under her breath.
Kyle shot her a look, and Reila shrugged.
“I’m going after her,” Kyle said, then suddenly collapsed.
Jared caught him, pushing his body toward one of the bikes. “Not like that, you aren’t. You need to at least get some supplies before you head back to Arcadia.”
Kyle seated himself on Jared’s bike. “I hate when you’re fucking right.”
“I know. That’s why I am the most hated man in our camp,” Jared said, then paused. “Correction. I was the most hated man.”
“I can only guess who’s the most hated man now,” Kyle remarked sarcastically.
“You got it,” he said, smiling.
Jared hopped onto his motorcycle, and Kyle held on behind him. Reila tossed her cigarette butt, then both she and Jared started their engines and pulled away, heading toward the camp.
***
Reila, Jared, and Kyle arrived at the camp within the hour. As they entered, Kyle saw the camp was in disarray. Some of the men and women were repairing tents while others cleaned up shattered glass and broken metal from the trailer windows and doors. Victor was at the center, giving out orders for those who needed further instruction. Kyle watched him pause as he noticed the motorcycles pull up.
“Thank goodness you are alive,” Victor said, meeting them.
“Thanks to these two,” Kyle said, getting off Jared’s bike. His body was sore and ached when he moved.
“Don’t ask me to save this asshole again,” Reila said under her breath, parking her bike. “Because of him, my tent is destroyed.”
Jared and Reila jumped off their bikes, then patted Victor’s shoulders. Victor returned the greeting, then Kyle nodded in thanks to Reila and Jared, and the two of them went wandering into the camp to help the others.
“She’s gone,” Victor said to Kyle.
It was an obvious statement, but there didn’t seem to be much else to say.
“Fucking assholes,” Kyle said, thinking of the authorities, the King, and the prince. “And now, somehow, I have to go find her.” Kyle turned to face Victor head on. “Victor, I have to get her back. Our people are going to continue to get fucked if we don’t.”
“I know.”
“What do you mean you know?” Kyle narrowed his eyes. “How much do you know?”
“Everything,” Victor said firmly. “Her blood is the one being infused into the cyborgs.” Kyle was about to open his mouth in protest, but Victor interrupted him. “You were supposed to be protecting her. But like a damn fool, you took out your anger on the wrong person.”
He was right. Kyle only had himself to blame. It pissed him off even more that yet another person was reminding him of his faults.
“Okay, all right! I’m an asshole! Can we please stop reminding me of that fact?”
“No,” Victor said sharply. “Because if you weren’t such a damn fool and didn’t leave her alone all day, she might have not felt like she should go back to her father. She probably would be on the way to Illumina with you.” Victor paused, closing his eyes, sighing. “But I understand why she did it.”
“Why? Why the hell did she leave?” Kyle ran his hands through his sweaty hair.
Victor opened his eyes, staring at Kyl
e sternly. “Probably because she thought that by going back, she would be able to stop her father from continuing to experiment on our people.”
“Well, fuck.” Deflated, Kyle plopped down and lit a cigarette. Tossing his head back, he puffed while he watched the barren blue sky, trying to think what he needed to do.
“Come,” he heard Victor’s say.
“Victor, I really don’t have time for this shit. I just need a moment, then I have to be on my way. You understand why.”
Kyle saw a single black bird fly by in the blue void. That was how he felt without Emerald. Alone.
“Precisely,” he said. “That is why you must come with me before you go after the princess.”
Kyle eyed Victor suspiciously, but Victor didn’t budge from his spot, waiting for Kyle to follow.
“Fine. But keep it short.”
As Victor led Kyle through the camp, he motioned for Garrett to follow them. Garrett ran up alongside them, along with another woman Kyle wasn’t familiar with.
Kyle nodded at Garrett, silently greeting him.
“Hey, man,” Garrett said, following behind Victor.
“What’s going on?”
Garrett eyed the back of Victor’s head, then looked at Kyle. “You’ll see…”
The three of them followed Victor to his dwelling. Victor brushed aside a woven blanket that hung in the doorway, and the four of them made their way inside. Garrett seated himself on a rugged chair. The woman remained standing.
Victor shoved aside a stack of papers and books, revealing an old computer in the shape of a box from behind them. After sliding open the computer monitor screen itself, Victor pulled out a small carved wooden box. Garrett rose to his feet while the woman watched.
The hell is he doing?
Victor opened the box carefully, pulling out a vial of glowing red fluid. Victor held the vial in front of Kyle, motioning for him to take it.
