Chapter Twelve

Zandra stared down at the neatly written message, a cold chill seeping into her bones, straight down to the marrow. This was it. Her first taste of revenge, but rather than finding herself exuberant that one of her enemies had finally met his demise, she found herself mourning the needless loss of life.

“Oh what have I done?” She murmured softly to herself, tears tracking down her cheeks as she crumpled The Guardian’s message into a tiny little ball. A pang of sorrow struck Zandra’s heart and somehow she knew that she would not have the stomach to see her full plan of vengeance to come to fruition.

Immediately Zandra’s thoughts went to Danni, the dark-eyed Mall Rat who seemed to have replaced Amber in Bray’s heart. She had to know. She had to know that her lover was dead. But the thought of facing the young woman send Zandra’s knees shaking.

She stood there for several minutes, tears streaming down her face, silently shaking as she attempted to summon all of her strength and courage from the farthest reaches of her heart. It seemed an impossible task, but finally Zandra had steeled herself enough that she thought she might be able to face Danni and tell her the truth.

Wiping the last traces of tears from her face Zandra strode to the door of her office, intent on searching the kitchens where she knew Danni had been scheduled to work. She had to be strong, strong enough to ignore any insults the Mall Rat may hurl at her. Danni could never understand what Zandra had been through. Never.

~*~*~

“Sorry.” Danni quickly apologized as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She felt simply wretched and the site of food had made her stomach churn uncontrollably. Her guard, a plain looking young woman, just nodded her head in understanding, not seeming at all like the typical Chosen guard.

“The potatoes need peeling.” The guard, who’s name Danni had not been able to catch, motioned to a large bin filled to the brim with them. The fish that had made Danni ill in the first place had been taken away and only their faint fishy scent lingered in the kitchen.

“Thank you.” Danni picked up the blunted knife and began to tedious task of removing the skins. It would have been simple enough if she had been trusted with a sharp object, but being a prisoner she had only been given an extremely dull blade and it took three times as long to peel each potato as it normally would have.

The guard, not one for idle chatter, just nodded her head as she continued to leaf the lettuce.

They worked this way in silence for well over an hour, Danni alone with her private thoughts. When she had received the summons to work in the kitchens that morning she had been taken by surprise. Xenia had looked at her suspiciously, obviously assuming that the guards had somehow known that Danni was pregnant, but Danni knew she had not breathed a word to anyone besides the tall blonde.

Fear and suspicion nestled deeply into Danni’s heart as she set a freshly skinned potato into the pot to be boiled later by one of the cooks. She couldn’t help but worry that Alana had some horrible new sort of torment for her. Just the thought of it sent a cold chill down her spine.

Then, as if reading her thoughts, Alana suddenly appeared in the doorway, her cold and unfeeling face still an emotionless mask making her appear less than human. “Lieutenant!” Her guard looked up in surprise, and what Danni felt a bit of fear.

“At ease, Katy.” Alana instructed her with a cold smile. She turned her full attention towards Danni, her expression less than friendly. “Mall Rat, I will have a word with you in my office.”

Danni nodded wordlessly, setting down her knife and the potato she had been working on and followed Alana out the door, her heart trembling within her. Alana said not a word as they made their way through the maze of hallways towards her office. Danni tried to memorize the route, but quickly discovered Alana had been leading her in circles in order to confuse her. Frustrated, Danni let out a heavy sigh and contented herself to trailing closely behind her captor.

Finally, Alana hesitated at an unmarked doorway and Danni knew it was her office. She opened the door and motioned Danni inside, following in behind her and locking the door. She allowed Danni several seconds to get used to her surroundings. While the rest of the prison seemed stark and cold, Alana’s office was warm and inviting, colorful fabrics hanging from the ceiling to the floor making it seem brighter and cheerier than any room Danni had seen in a long time.

“Well,” Alana began slowly, studying Danni was careful eyes. “Perhaps you are wondering why I brought you in here.”

Danni swallowed hard, refusing to acknowledge her uneasiness. “A bit.” Danni admitted, finding that she could not meet Alana’s cold eyes.

“Very well.” Alana’s voice was tight, void of emotion. “You were Bray’s woman, correct?”

Danni blinked, taking off guard by Alana’s direction question. “I, well, yes. Bray and I were in love with one another, if that is what you are asking.”

“Then I extend my sympathies to you. Zoot’s Traitor is dead.”

Danni blanched, her face turning white as a sheet. “D-dead?” Danni stammered, clutching at her stomach. She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest, crushed, then thrown to the ground, shattering.

“Yes. Executed.” Alana explained, her voice sounding almost bored. “This morning actually. The Supreme Mother lit the pyre herself.”

“He was burned?” Danni felt herself grow nauseous.

“Yes. At the stake.” Alana nodded. “The death of a traitor.”

“No!” The dam of Danni’s emotions broke. She shouted, knowing that she could very well get herself killed for showing such defiance to the Guardian’s lieutenant. “Bray can’t be dead! He just can’t! He was no traitor! He was the most gentle, tender soul! He would never betray anyone!”

“Wouldn’t he?” Alana shot back coldly. “Are you saying he did not betray his brother to the Mall Rats? Leading him inside the mall under the false pretense of seeing his child? Having him pushed from the balcony, falling to his death?”

“No!” Danni screamed, her cheeks wet with a torrid of tears. “No! Bray loved Martin! He would never wish him dead! Not in a million years!”

“Yes.” Alana countered. “Bray may have loved Martin. But he hated Zoot. He would have done anything to save his brother’s soul, wouldn’t he? Even having him killed.”

“No.” Danni shook her head vehemently. “That’s not true.”

“How would you know?” Alana smiled cruelly. “You weren’t there, were you? You were not witness to the fight? You did not see Lex push Zoot from the second concourse, did you?”

“I…” Danni trailed off, “No.” She finished quietly. “But I know Bray. And I know he loved his brother.”

“Knew.” Alana corrected her. “You knew Bray. He is dead.”

~*~*~

Silver scowled angrily as she swung her pick axe at the hard stone deep inside the mouth of the cave where she worked alongside Xenia and Aya. She was frustrated, going half out of her mind with her captivity. She yearned to run, to dance, to be free. To look at the open sky and know that she could do anything she desired if she was strong enough and believed in herself.

But she couldn’t. She was trapped here – inside a cave with two women she barely knew, swinging an axe and chipping off stone, not truly having a clue what she was doing. Silver shot a dark look back at her Chosen tormenters, walking back and forth along the line making sure all of their slaves were busily working.

“We gotta get out of here.” Silver grumbled, her eyes darkening.

“What was that, Silver?” Aya looked up from her work, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

“Nothing.” Silver let out a heavy sigh, careful to make sure none of the guards overheard their conversation. “Just wishful thinking.”

Aya nodded, understanding. “I too have thought of breaking free of this place, but I don’t see a way. It’s impossible. They have us so heavily guarded…”

“Nothing’s impossible.” Xenia broke into the conversation, not even pausing from her work as she swung her pick into the cavern wall. “Just difficult.”

“So are you saying escape is possible?” Silver challenged, her eyes flashing dangerously. She had not spoken much with Xenia, only enough to know the stunning blonde was rude and abrasive, unfeeling and uncaring for her cellmates.

“Yes.” Xenia stated simply.

“How?” Aya whispered, her voice full of hope.

“I don’t know yet. But I will find a way. I assure you of that.”

~*~*~

Jenis studied Grieco out of the corner of her eye as her hands deftly moved amongst the rocks that the other women and men who were being held prisoner had loosened from the walls of the mine. She couldn’t possibly imagine what The Guardian wanted with so much coal. It seemed so pointless to her, and yet at the same time she didn’t even want to try and begin to understand The Guardian’s thought process. He was insane. She was sure of it.

Grieco glanced up at that moment and caught Jenis staring at her. Her eyes warmed a bit, but her face did not crack a smile. “It’s going to take forever to get the coal of our hands.” She stated in a neutral tone.

“Yeah.” Jenis offered her a smile as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was filthy, but she knew she still had two days to wait before it would be her turn to bathe. At times Jenis felt the lack of being allowed to stay clean was worse than the actual imprisonment they all suffered.

“You’re from The Brotherhood, right?” Grieco inquired, studying her with interest.

“I was.” Jenis nodded sadly. “I’m afraid there are none of us left. The Guardian, he did not show mercy to my tribe at all.”

Grieco nodded with understanding. “The Guardian has a cast iron heart. He has no feelings. Just devotion to Zoot.”

Jenis scowled at the mention of the once fearsome leader of the Locos. The Brotherhood had actually been allies of the Locos and Jenis hated how The Guardian was tarnishing Zoot’s reputation. “The Guardian’s devotion betrays Zoot.” She spat. “If Zoot were alive right now he would slit the Guardian’s throat.”

“Probably.” Grieco agreed. “But he is not alive. Even if The Guardian believes he is coming back.”

“You’re kidding me, right? Zoot is dead. Dead and buried.”

“Dead and burned, you mean.” Grieco’s lips quirked up in a strange smile. “The Mall Rats sent him adrift, setting fire to his funeral pyre.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Not many did. I don’t even think The Guardian knows.”

“But how do you?”

“I saw it.” Grieco explained mysteriously, leaving Jenis confused.

At that moment Simon came up behind them, his hazel eyes snapping dangerously. “What you are saying is treason.” He stated, his voice thick with anger. “Alana will hear of this and you will be punished.”

“No!” The words leapt from Jenis’ lips before she could stop them. “Please, no.” She whimpered, her eyes filling with tears under Simon’s intense glare.

Simone stared down at her, his eyes as hard as diamonds. “Perhaps,” He phrased his words carefully, “I will let you off this once. But if I ever hear you speaking of Zoot again you will not get off so easily.”

With that Simon spun around and hurried away, his shoulders shaking in silent anger.

“He’s infatuated with you.” Grieco stated suddenly, catching Jenis off-guard.

“Wh-what?” Jenis stared at her wide-eyed.

“Haven’t you been able to tell? Ever since you arrived he has watched you like a hawk, making sure your ever need is fulfilled.”

Jenis shook her head in disbelief. “No. You must be mistaken, Grieco.”

“I’m never mistaken.” Grieco offered her a sad smile. “But do not be dismayed. This infatuation may just be the key we need to escape this place.”

“Escape?” Jenis breathed the word as if it were a hidden treasure.

Grieco nodded. “If I am not mistaken, Silver, Aya, and Xenia are also discussing escape at this very moment. Perhaps if we all work together…” She trailed off, allowing the thought to take root in Jenis mind, a hope rekindling in her spirit.