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  “More than I can remember. More than I am willing to forgive myself for. A consequence of my actions. I didn’t mean for any of them to die, but we needed more. We needed the New Bloods to be stronger. Like any drug we needed the blood to be more powerful. So we kept experimenting, but even as sturdy as your kind are, a body can only take so much. But that is far from the worst of what we have done. Those women you were with? Those I told you would become sex slaves? There’s way more to it than that. They are, in fact, breeders. Given to our lab enhanced New Blood soldiers in hopes that their coupling will produce a natural New Blood. One of the light, like you for that is the one thing that has escaped us all these years. We cannot replicate in a lab what nature and human production have perfected.”

  Rease swallowed the bile of revulsion rising in the back of her throat. “And if that happens? What happens when they manage to produce a New Blood of immense power? Then what?”

  He stared at her, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Then the child becomes his. His property. His own personal blood-bag held in captivity for its entire life to provide him blood for his addiction until he finally drains it dry. Like so many others.”

  A single tear escaped his eye and rolled silently down his cheek. The sight of it filled Rease with a sense of dread she had not felt in a long time. The voices in her head were screaming at her not to ask the question burning in her brain, but it fell from her lips in a whisper.

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  He stepped toward her and Rease backed up, but he grabbed her hands in his.

  “Because you need to know what I’ve done. You need to know who I was and what I have become. You need to know what’s happened was not my choice.”

  “What? What’s happened?”

  He continued on as if he hadn’t heard a word of her frantic plea. “I’m not that same man anymore. I’m tired of causing pain. I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. Especially a child.”

  “What have you done?” she practically screamed in his face, and it shocked him out of his thoughts.

  His light eyes focused on her as if he just realized she was there. His hand reached up and stroked her cheek. “I’ve been checking your bloodwork these past few weeks for signs of other things, Rease. Last week I found proof of what I was ordered to do but yet feared would happen. What he wanted to happen. We have to get you out of here before he finds out. He’s already been inquiring about you and he cannot know. I won’t let him harm the child. Our child. I have a plan for you to escape.”

  6

  She knew something was wrong the moment Greasy and his cohorts came into her cell. The look on his face was too damn smug and arrogant not to foreshadow trouble. The trouble came in the form of a needle that he pulled from behind his back and brandished at her like his favorite weapon of choice.

  “Sit on the cot, mutie. I need to take your blood.”

  She folded her arms and glared back at him in defiance, even though fear was causing her already rolling stomach to threaten to evacuate the earlier gruel.

  “There’s no bloodletting today. Doc did that yesterday. You trying to kill me, idiot? Don’t think Doc would be happy with this if he knew. Where is he, by the way?”

  His grin grew larger. “This ain’t got nothing to do with your Doc,” he spat the word out with distaste. “This is on the orders of the Prezedant himself. Don’t know what you did to call attention to yourself, Rease, but he knows your name. Never a good sign, for you anyways. Now sit.”

  She knew arguing with him would only cause her more pain than it would be worth, so she did as asked. He took pleasure in jabbing the needle hard into her bruised arm, but she didn’t even wince at the pain. Focusing on the stone wall behind him, she ignored his quiet laughter and foul breath, keeping the indifferent expression on her face.

  The minute she was alone, the panic set in. The Prezedant knew who she was and had asked for a sample of her blood. Why? She paced her cell trying to get her breathing under control and calling for Doc in her head. She hoped that by him carrying her blood, she could speak to him through her thoughts like she did with her kin.

  Doc, we’re in trouble. I need you.

  She received no answer back, but it didn’t stop her from trying again and again as her panic mounted. What seemed like hours later, but probably minutes in reality, he finally showed up at her cell, worry etched deep in his face. She knew he was already aware of what had happened.

  He spoke before she could. “We need to up our timeline. You’re making your escape tonight.”

  “But it’s not enough time to build up my blood and my chi like we planned—”

  “We have no choice, Rease.” He grabbed her arm to stop her pacing. “I don’t know how he knew, but if he’s asked for your blood, he’s suspicious. All this time I’ve hidden your power from him. He’s never known the extent of it your blood carries. Now he will. That coupled with the fact you are with child? He will never let you out of his sight until the day you die. We need to get you out now.”

  She knew he was right. “How?”

  “I have a few guards that are still loyal to me, Shanks being one.” He pointed to the guard standing watch outside her cell, and she recognized him as the guard who had saved her from Greasy’s knife in the shower. “We will smuggle you out tonight. I’ve had one of Shank’s men make a show of an important message from Littlepass requiring my presence at the iron mines. No one will question my sudden decision to go. My visits to Littlepass are quite common and if we get through the gate quick enough before the Prezedant finds what he’s looking for, we may stand a chance.”

  “So you’re going with me?” she asked and was surprised at how much his nod pleased her.

  “I cannot stay. Once he finds out what I have been hiding from him, let’s just say he won’t be happy.”

  “Sir, we need to go now.”

  Doc nodded his head at Shanks as he ushered Rease from the room.

  They hurried through the brightly lit corridor, senses on alert. Rease was sure the harsh light only emphasized the cold sweat beading her forehead and upper lip, but none of the other guards seemed to notice anything amiss. They all nodded in respect at Shanks and Doc, allowing them to pass without question.

  Her heart nearly exploded from her chest as they exited the box lift and ran smack dab into a couple of soldiers in wait with weapons pulled. Every muscle tensed and coiled as she prepared to run, but relaxed in relief as Shanks called them by name.

  “This way,” one growled as he headed down a side corridor. They fell in step behind as the other soldier handed Rease a bundle of clothing. She stared at him not understanding, until Doc spoke.

  “It’s a guard uniform. Put it on. It should work well enough in the dark, and you should pass for one of my soldiers.”

  So she did just that, hiding her black and white mane of hair underneath the hat and praying that it worked long enough to get her past the rest of the guards in the building.

  The crispness of the air hit like a slap to the face as they finally stepped outside into the night. After being cooped up in the dungeons for months, she had forgotten how intoxicating fresh air could be. She couldn’t help herself as she stopped in her tracks, breathing in the jasmine filled air.

  “Rease, we can’t stop. Freedom for us is still a ways off. Once we get outside those walls, you can suck in all the air you can manage.”

  She prodded herself back into motion, following the men through the dimly lit courtyard. A covered wagon harnessed to two large stallions waited in the shadows along with a third soldier who ushered Rease into the back while Shanks and Doc took the front seat. No one spoke as they made their way out the courtyard and through the cobblestone streets. The silence was nerve wracking and Rease’s ears were honed for any sign of pursuit. Surely their escape would not be this easy? The three soldiers keeping her company must have felt the same for the tension in the back of the wagon was so tangible she felt as if the weight of it w
ould crush her chest. With every clank and squeak of the wagon wheels, her nerves wound a bit tighter and her teeth clinched together trying to stop the scream threatening to erupt.

  A loud “Stop” echoed in the night, and Rease’s teeth clamped down on her tongue, filling her mouth with the coppery taste of blood. She glanced up in fear at the soldier to the left of her, and he leaned over and took a quick peek outside the wagon before drawing his head back in.

  “We’re at the gate. Nothing to worry about.”

  Rease could hear Doc’s soothing voice as he spoke to the soldiers. She couldn’t understand what was being said, but whatever it was must have worked since the sweet sound of creaking metal filled the air. They were opening the gate. The plan was working. The groaning gate was like music to her ears and a tiny grin erupted as the wagon started moving once again toward her freedom.

  The sound of pounding hooves and shouting was unmistakeable, even above the creaking of the heavy iron gate. Rease didn’t wait for the soldier to check this time. On instinct she leapt to her feet and to the back of the wagon, almost tumbling out as she strained to see what was happening.

  Before the wagons pursuing them came to a full stop, soldiers were leaping out, weapons drawn and pointed their way.

  “No. No. No,” she muttered to herself as realization kicked in. They knew she was gone and had followed them. She was going to be captured and taken back. The child she carried would be taken from her and used as a blood-bag until it died. Her child. Her hand flew to her still flat stomach, and she opened her mouth to scream at the two up front to keep going, but a voice carried through the night, freezing her in place.

  “To say I’m disappointed would be to put it mildly, my friend.”

  Even though she had never heard him speak before or even met him, Rease knew it was him. The Prezedant. The voice was void of any warmth, and the oiliness of his words coiled along her skin like a snake on its prey. All sound suddenly seemed to cease as the wagon jolted to a stop and his voice echoed through the night.

  “Hiding her from me all this time. Keeping all that power for yourself. Shame on you, Doc. Rease? That is your name, yes? Where are you, my dear? I know you’re near. Come out, come out, wherever you are.” His singsong comment made the hair on her neck stand on end, and a shiver racked her body. One of the soldiers behind her muttered a few swear words, but the terror in his voice was unmistakeable.

  No one made a move. Not her, or the doc, or even the soldiers as the Prezedant ambled through the two-deep line of men and came to a stop in the middle of them. Flanked by dozens of soldiers on either side, he stood with arms crossed and legs spread as if he didn’t have a care in the world. The look of him surprised her. She had built him up in her mind to be this towering giant of a man who exuded strength, but his short stature and mild expression almost lessened her fear. Almost.

  Through her haze of fear another thought emerged. Why had they come to a stop? The gate was open and no one was bothering to block the way. Why weren’t they making a run for it? But then it hit her. The sizzle of chi in the air that prodded at her skin and poked at her brain with unseen fingers. He was using chi to stop them. Either he was controlling Shanks or manipulating the horses, but he was doing something to prevent their escape. How dare he use the stolen gifts of her people.

  “Come, come, my dear. Don’t be like that. I’m so very eager to meet you. Your blood that was brought to me tonight was out of this world. Holy shit, girl. You and I are going to be really good friends, once Doc here is out of the way.”

  She swallowed her fear down and refused to take the bait as she tried to follow the tangent of his chi and break it, releasing them from his control. Closing her eyes, she searched for the invisible current with her mind, trying to find a crack in the connection.

  Just keep talking, asshole.

  “But what am I saying? Friends? Lord, no. We’re going to be a family once little Rease gets here. Imagine how tickled I was by that news. So what do you say? Come on out of that wagon, and let us get acquainted, mommy dearest.”

  Maybe it was the fear his words elicited that gave her the push she needed. Maybe it was mention of her unborn child. Whatever the motivation, Rease didn’t care. The surge of chi that fanned from her inner core and attacked his connection was brutal and unexpected. She felt the invisible tendon snap under her scrutiny, and he stumbled backwards as the connection severed.

  “Go!” she screamed at Shanks and the doc, and the wagon jerked with momentum, heading toward the gate. Rease tried to catch her balance and snatched at the cloth cover of the wagon only to rip it off in the process. It sailed out of her hands, nearly dragging her with it and she grabbed onto the steel frame for support. Pulling herself upright, she was now able to see Doc and Shanks sitting in front of her. The wind tore at her hair, whipping it about her face, but she pushed it aside as she squinted at the gateway out, and the opening that was growing narrower with every passing moment.

  She could hear the gate groaning and protesting as the mechanical contraption strained to shut. The gap shrunk and Rease screamed at Shanks, afraid he would chicken out and try to stop their run for freedom. “Don’t stop!”

  She didn’t have to worry. Shanks whipped the reins, forcing the horses to run faster, their panicked neighing matching the cry falling from her own lips. The narrow gap loomed, and Rease squeezed her eyes tight, bracing herself for impact with the steel gate. It was too narrow. They weren’t going to make it.

  Sounds of splintering wood and agonizing squeals from the iron wagon distorting out of shape met her ears, but still they kept moving. They barely squeezed through as the gates snapped behind them, shearing off the back of the wagon and one of the wheels. Rease wasn’t sure who screamed, her or the soldier she was holding onto, but all four were thrown from the amputated wagon as it hit the ground hard. Sparks flew up from the remains as the horses kept going, dragging the sheared pieces.

  Rease tumbled over and over, her arms over her head trying to protect herself. Finally she rolled to a stop on her back and laid staring up at what she expected would be the night sky. Only there wasn’t a star to be seen, or a cloud, or even the moon. The sky above her was ink black. Or maybe it was just her eyes. Had she gone blind from her fall?

  “Get up,” a voice growled at her from the dark as a light sparked to life and flashed into her eyes, and she closed them in pain as well as defeat. She had been so intent on making it through the gate she hadn’t considered the possibility of guards on this side of the wall as well. How stupid of her.

  “Give me a minute,” she muttered in resignation at the soldier hovering above her. Her comment was met by a weird gurgling sound as the soldier and his light hit the ground beside her with a muffled thud, just barely missing landing on top of her. A voice came out of the dark. “Give me your hand.”

  She reached for the doc in the shadows, and he pulled her to her feet.

  “Where are we? Why is it so dark?”

  “We’re in the underground tunnel leading out of the city. The end is about forty armspans that way.”

  She followed his pointing hand to the barely visible violet glow at the end of the tunnel. “Take a horse, head that way, and don’t look back.”

  She turned to heed his direction and saw Shanks heading their way, leading the two frenzied horses and trying to calm them down. She had barely taken two steps before realizing the implication of his words and stopped to look back. “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  Her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, and she could see the shake of his head.

  “Those gate doors take a while to charge up enough to open again but open they will, and he will be on our asses in no time. I’ll stay here and do my best to hold him off. You get as far away from here as possible. Get our child to safety.”

  She couldn’t understand the pain blossoming in her heart at his decision. He was her captor. Her jailer. And yet she didn’t want to leave him behind. It seemed so wrong
.

  “But he will kill you,” she whispered, her voice breaking on the word as she stepped his way.

  “Yes, he probably will.” His words were matter of fact, void of any fear. “But it will be an honorable way to die, helping to set you free. I haven’t been honorable for a very long time.”

  He reached out and ran the back of his hand gently down her cheek. “Thank you for that, Rease.”

  She stepped closer. She wasn’t sure what she was about to do. Hug him? Kiss him? Drag him with her? But the gates started humming again, and she knew they were out of time.

  “Go. I got this.”

  She reached up and squeezed the hand on her cheek before turning and heading towards Shanks. The old soldier helped her climb onto the smaller of the two horses and she wrapped the reins tight around her hands. She expected Shanks to take the other horse and accompany her out, but to her surprise he released the other horse and fell in line with the other three soldiers as they joined the doc, deciding to stand with him until the end.

  She knew she should leave. The doors were starting to open. And despite that show of chi earlier, her power was still non-existent. She needed to go. But she stayed, looking back at the man who had changed her life forever, whether good or bad. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned her way and smiled.

  “Tara,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I agree. Tara is a very silly name for a house. But for a child who may change the world, I think it’s a perfect name. Don’t you?”

  “What if it’s a boy?” she asked with a sad smile.

  He didn’t get to answer. The first shot rang out, and Rease knew she was out of time. The doc shouted at her as he pulled a weapon. “Go now. You have to keep her safe.”

  She tore her eyes away as she dug her heels into the horse’s flanks, and he shot off. As she rode for her life through the tunnel, the sounds of shots ringing in her ears, she knew he was right. She needed to keep the child safe. It needed a better world to grow up in. A world of peace and accord, not tyranny and death and fear.