by D. S. Murphy
“Can’t sleep?” Trevor’s voice sounded behind me. I looked up, then scooted over so he could sit beside me. His chest was mostly bare, covered in leather straps and beads. His hair was wild and face paint was smeared roughly across his chin and cheeks.
“Would it have been like this?” I asked softly. “If we’d run off together. If I’d skipped my choosing. I never thought it was possible to live away from the elite’s protection, in the wilds, but they’re doing it here.”
“For now,” Trevor said. “You like it?”
“You thought I wouldn’t?”
“It’s not forever,” Trevor said darkly. “The elite could still come. We’re not safe, as long as they exist.”
“But it’s something,” I said.
There was a heavy silence, no doubt both of us were remembering our earlier argument. I’d been so angry before, at the elite in Crollust, taking what he wanted; at the rebels in Sezomp, basically doing the same.
“You were right,” I said, staring into the blank curtain before us. An ember landed on one of the strips of paper and burst into a puff of flame and smoke.
“Say that again?” he smirked.
I elbowed him in the ribs.
“Something has to change,” I said quietly.
“The purification engines? I thought you didn’t like that plan.”
“I don’t, and we still can’t do that.”
He frowned, and I could tell he was about to get himself worked up again. We didn’t have a cure. We didn’t have a plan. If we wanted to take out the elite, we had to cut off their blood supply by taking out the compounds; by starving them until they were weak enough to defeat. I’d heard his arguments before.
But he didn’t know what I knew now, and I wasn’t ready to have this conversation. He was my oldest friend; he’d know I was lying, and then he’d needle me until I confessed the horrible truth. It was like I was holding a cat in a bag, and it was sleeping, for now. But if I woke it up… it would get loose, and claw up everything, and spread like wildfire. This news, this was too big to be a secret.
So instead, half to shut him up, I kissed him. Trevor kissed me back eagerly, but then his face darkened and he pulled away.
“Sorry,” he said.
I grabbed his wrist and pulled it back till our eyes locked. His eyes widened, his eyelids heavy with desire.
“How can you even want me, like this?” I asked, gesturing at my body. We’d changed into dry clothes until ours dried out. He grinned at my beads and bangles, the skull and feather accessories and the smeared facepaint. His eyes ran down over my pleated skirt and bare legs.
“How can I not,” he asked, huskily.
“I mean, I’m part elite, my father was one of them. You’re not... disgusted by me?”
“Nothing about you could ever disgust me.”
He said, leaning forward until our faces were inches apart. I bit my lip, savoring his words.
“Then kiss me again,” I said.
He nibbled at my chin, and this time I didn’t pull away as our lips touched and our kiss deepened. He kissed my neck and collarbone and a buzzing warmth spread through me.
An aching need coursed through my body, like the thirst, but different. This was an itch that needed scratching, a loneliness, a dread, deep inside me. I’d been keeping everyone at bay for so long, playing it safe and smart.
But now, I wasn’t sure what I was saving it for. The future seemed too big, too hopeless. What if this was all there was? What if this was the last peaceful night of my life? With what I was planning, it could be.
I pulled him closer, fumbling at the buttons of my shirt before pulling it away.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
That night in Algrave, just after I’d just learned who I really was, I was prepared to give myself to Damien. And I would have, too. I knew it was a distraction, from dealing with my emotions, but I didn’t care.
Maybe I was still avoiding my responsibilities. But what difference did it make? I loved Trevor, I always had. I’d just never had a choice before. I hadn’t been allowed to even think about it, it wasn’t within my power.
Damien had chosen me. I’d never chosen anything.
I nodded, unhooking my bra and releasing my breasts. Trevor took one in his warm palm, before grabbing me by the waist and pulling me on top of him. I straddled him, arching my back and moaning as I felt him press against me. But then the strap of the hammock snapped and we tumbled into the wet dirt, laughing.
“Well, that wasn’t exactly the romantic setting I’d imagined for our first time,” Trevor said.
“You’ve imagined this?” I asked.
“Since I was twelve, in a thousand different ways,” he smirked.
“Maybe we’ll have to explore them all,” I teased.
“Shall we retire to my abode?” he took my hand, and we walked, giggling, back to his tent. I heard moans coming from my own tent and Trevor lifted his eyebrows.
“Is that—”
“Jazmine and Camina, I think.”
He let out a low whistle.
Trevor’s tent was more a storage space than a bedroom. He lit some candles on the low table, shoving aside crates of supplies to reveal a low mattress lined with furs and blankets. It was too low to stand up in, so we crawled inside.
“Now, where were we?” he said, pulling me down on to the mattress. I arched my hips and let him grab my waist and pull down my skirt over my hip. His lips trailed up above my knee and inside my thigh, then he gently pulled down my underwear. I shoved him back until he was lying flat, and he moaned as I climbed on top of him.
I didn’t stop Trevor when he squeezed my breasts with his rough palm. I didn’t stop when he grabbed my ass and pulled me closer. I ran my fingers over the serpent and arrow tattoo on his upper arm.
“Are you sure?” he asked, gripping the hair on the back of my neck, the need in his eyes piercing my soul.
“Yes,” I nodded.
I couldn’t imagine the future past tomorrow. If we managed to turn off the ash, the elite would go back into hiding under shadows. Humans could live outdoors again, cook their own food, soak in the sun. We’d finally have a real chance. I couldn’t control everything, but this, right now, this could be my choice. Trevor was here, and I knew what he wanted. Maybe I wanted it to. Maybe I always had.
I bit his shoulder with a moan, then gave into the rhythm as our limbs pressed tightly together, writhing in the dark until finally the intensity of our passion rushed through my veins, drowning out my fears and replacing them with an ocean of desire.
Trevor gasped, as he came to a shuddering stop and lay his weight against me, his sweaty muscles gleaming in the candlelight.
26
When I woke again, it was light out and people were yelling.
“Morning,” I said rolling over, covering my breasts with a blanket.
Trevor was shirtless, his dark hair wild, the arrow and serpent tattoo writhing on his shoulder as he leaned up to grab his clothes.
“Morning,” he replied sleepily. The voices outside good louder, then a dark silhouette fell across our tent.
“Emily Sharrow!” A voice called, just outside.
“Never a dull moment with you around,” Trevor teased.
“Shut up,” I said, tossing him his shirt and grabbing my underwear out from under him.
I grabbed my bra and shirt, then pulled on Trevor’s large, threadbare sweater, which fell almost to my knees.
Pulling my messy hair into a rough knot behind my neck, I stumbled out of the tent in my bare feet. They were still stained from the night before, and I smiled remembering the young girl’s concentration as she carefully painted the patterns. They were smeared and muddy now.
The camp was mostly quiet. People sat around the smoking embers, sipping coffee from tin mugs. I glanced up at the archers around the perimeter of the camp. At least we weren’t being attacked. A young
man was standing a few paces away, looking nervous. His breath was white in the cool morning air.
“What is it?” I asked, pulling the blanket around my shoulders.
“You’ve got a visitor,” one of the men said. “Says he came just for you.”
My eyes lifted to follow his gaze, and I froze in my tracks. Behind him, near the gates, surrounded by Sam’s men and their jagged weapons, stood Tobias and a figure in a dark suit that stole my breath away.
Damien smiled with relief at first, but I saw the moment his face fell and I knew, from this distance, with his elite vision, he’d have no trouble seeing as Trevor followed me out of the tent we’d shared.
We stood there, staring at each other, and everything else faded for a moment. I could see the tension between the human guards and the two elite. Tobias was still in dark travel gear, but Damien was wearing light armor and cloak that didn’t quite hide the elaborate sword at his waist.
Then I saw a flash of curly auburn hair behind him, as a small figure lifted her hood. My eyes widened as I recognized the familiar face. Amber! I hadn’t even noticed her at first. She ran to me and threw her arms around me.
“You bitch,” she said. “You never invited me to your wedding in the citadel, like you promised.”
“Things didn’t exactly work out as I planned.”
“No shit. I watched the trials, then the wedding ceremony, Em was that seriously you? What have you gotten yourself into, and where even are we? We came straight here on some kind of dirt bike, the elite just showed up in Algrave looking for me. It was surreal, like my own private choosing ceremony.”
I hugged her again, interrupting her excited chatter.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” I said, looking over her shoulder. “We’ll talk more, I promise. Right now, I need to talk to Damien.”
“I don’t like this,” Trevor said, coming up behind me. He’d put pants on at least.
“Nice to see you too, dickhead,” Amber said, crossing her arms.
Trevor pulled her into a one-armed squeeze with a smirk.
“Of course we’re happy to see you, Amber. It’s just, it’s dangerous out here.”
“He must have had a reason,” I said, eyeing Damien. He was surrounded by twenty guys with guns and swords, just inside the gates, but looked casually unimpressed, almost bored. His pale skin and blond hair made him stand out almost as much as his dark cloak and the fine embroidery of his shirt. They probably didn’t know he was a prince, or they wouldn’t have let him in at all.
I walked towards him, my bare feet scraping the dark twigs inside the settlement. The jagged patterns stood out against the dark soil. I raised a hand to try and smooth my tangled hair, But it was hopelessly knotted with the tiny skulls and crushed purple flowers.
I had a slight hangover, and a throbbing ache in my shoulders and neck. I rubbed my eyes before realizing I was just smearing the teal and black facepaint around. Whatever. It didn’t matter.
“Why did you bring her here?” I whispered, when I was close enough for Damien to hear me. “It’s not safe.”
“I’d never let anything happen to her,” Damien frowned. This clearly wasn’t the reunion he’d imagined. But I didn’t know what he was expecting from me. We hadn’t spoken since my escape after the trials. I didn’t even know how to talk to him anymore, though I supposed we’d never really managed more than a few stumbling conversations.
Tobias stepped forward to ease the uncomfortable silence. For a moment he was his old self again, though it was hard to forget how he’d tried to kill us not long ago with his slagpaw pets.
“We are here to aid the rebellion,” he called loudly. “To dethrone the tyrant, King Richard, and restore justice and peace throughout the land.”
A small crowd gathered around us, frowning and crossing their arms. They may have let Penelope in, but they were obviously uncomfortable having two more elite follow us to their secret hideout.
“How are you even here, what about the ordeals?” I looked around for Luke and Jacob, but they hadn’t joined the other spectators.
“They made an exception for us. We made a deal, something they couldn’t pass up. A drop of blood for every minute.”
“You’re singlehandedly arming the rebellion,” I frowned. “They’ll use it to fight against you.”
“This rebellion has been a long time coming,” Damien grumbled.
“Nice to see you again, Emily,” Tobias nodded, looking me up and down. “You’ve got a real Pocahontas vibe going, I’m really digging it.”
“Poca-who?” I asked, looking down at my beaded leather skirt.
“Hobbits with shotguns,” Tobias continued. “Now I’ve seen everything.”
“You know nobody gets your movie references,” Damien grumbled.
“I know,” Tobias smiled. “It’s infuriating.”
I could tell by Damien’s scowl he was frustrated with the small talk.
“Do you want to take a walk?” he cut in suddenly. “Outside?”
He jerked his head past the guards and the wooden gates, towards the dark trees beyond the entrance.
“I suppose so,” I said. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Trevor stepped closer, locking eyes with Damien.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, touching his arm. “We won’t go far.”
And I’ll be safe with him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll wait here.” Tobias smiled. “Now, if one of you gentleman could help me find my wife…”
The ash was light, so I pulled up my hood and scarf. I didn’t even mind my bare feet. The wet soil and ash made a cooling mud for against my skin. I followed Damien as his figure cut through the towering pines, his armor gleaming in the misty morning light. We found a place near the top of the waterfall and took a seat on a fallen, rotting log between large boulders.
He took a deep breath through his nose, and I realized he was smelling me. I wondered if he could smell Trevor on me. I felt a flash of guilt, but it was followed quickly with anger.
I’d kept myself pure, all those years, for what – for him. He could have taken advantage of me any time during the citadel, when I was practically his captive, but he never had. Maybe he’d waited too long.
“Why… are you here?” I asked finally. It was the wrong question, but I didn’t know how to start this conversation.
“Tobias brought me. He said he’d found you, and Penelope, in Sezomp. That you had a plan to meet, but then you didn’t show up. He thought you might be in danger, and couldn’t tell anyone else that Penelope was still alive, so he got me to help. We feared… but then we found the note. The directions brought us close. After a few hours we found tracks and followed them, then we smelled the smoke.”
He’d been worried about me. He’d expected to save me, coming to my rescue. Instead he found me, like this. Half drunk, in the arms of another man, no doubt reeking of sex and alcohol.
“What happened after I left?” I asked softly. “Did you get in trouble for letting me escape?”
“I was locked up for awhile,” he admitted. “Well, confined to my quarters at least. Until the wedding. My father knew it would look strange if I wasn’t there. And then I saw you, at the ceremony. I thought, maybe you’d come to finish what you started, in Algrave.”
My eyes widened and I turned to face him.
“That wasn’t me, I swear. I only threw that arrow to get everybody off the stage.”
“Em, I have to know. Was it… was it all a trick somehow? Did you play me? I keep going back through it in my mind, but I can’t make sense of it.”
He looked up at me through his eyelashes, and the intensity in his cold blue eyes took my breath away. He was more handsome than I remembered, and also more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him.
I reached out and grabbed his hand.
“I never tried to kill you,” I said. “Not in Algrave, not in the citadel. Never.”
He took a deep brea
th, closing his eyes, then drew closer.
“I knew it,” he sighed.
“What about my siblings?” I asked. “Did your father—”
“They’re safe. I swear. I have someone watching them, protected, away from the king. He doesn’t even know I moved them.”
“Is what Tobias said true?” I asked. “You’ve come to join the rebellion? Or did you come to stop me, to save your father?”
“I’ve come to get the antidote from you. I can get close enough to my father, I can turn him.”
“But we don’t have it, it doesn’t work.”
“You must,” he said, his eyes rounding. “Nigel told the king you had a working cure.”
I smiled. “We were lying. It saved our lives, but that’s it. We couldn’t make it work. That’s why—” I broke off. I wasn’t ready to tell him the rest yet.
He pursed his lips, his eyes thoughtful, shrewd. He thought I was lying to him. What wasn’t he telling me?
“Nigel came back ranting, almost delirious. Said you’d attacked him, and given him an antidote. Bryce confirmed it. Thomas was already dead. They didn’t believe it at first, but I could tell they were scared.”
“But it was just a bluff,” I said.
“The thing is,” Damien said slowly, “his wounds aren’t healing. The elixir in his blood has been compromised. He’s blind in one eye. He’s spent the last week drinking gallons of blood and even shooting straight elixir into his veins, then cutting himself to see how fast he will heal. My father has taken a particular interest in his gory experiments.”
“But that’s, impossible.”
“Whatever you have, it may not cure the elite completely, it may not turn them human again, but it definitely makes them vulnerable, at least for awhile.”
“So there’s still a chance…” I looked out at the rushing waters. Rising mist kept the ash away and the wet ash fell in heavy clumps. I took a deep breath, feeling the cool air in my lungs.
