Elemental (11 page)

I almost gasped. The interior looked
completely different from the exterior. Where I’d expected to see
the same cold, grey blocks, pink and black marble covered the
floors and walls. Thick, marble pillars towered above us fifty feet
to the ceiling where gilded vines formed delicate patterns.
Brightly colored silk banners hung from the walls, depicting
battles between glorious, bronzed warriors and pitiful, writhing
men.

Lastrini led us through the wide foyer—while
I resisted the urge to gawk—to a large wooden door flanked by two
creamy white statues of plumed and shielded warriors. The large man
waved his hand in front of another blue-lit screen and the door
swung open.

We followed him inside. Lastrini sat behind
a shiny desk, while Malik took a seat in front of him. I stood by
the door. I didn’t pay much attention to what they were doing. I
was too worried about Meir. My plan would only work if he was able
to get away, and I was suddenly afraid that he might not. It was a
silly fear, really. I didn’t doubt his abilities. It was my own
luck I doubted. And Meir and I seemed to have become entwined.

I couldn’t help imagining again how shocked
he’d be when he found out what I’d done. Would he stay away? Let me
make my sacrifice? I hoped so. I didn’t need to worry about putting
him in more danger. I’d have to ask Malik to keep him here. He
certainly didn’t owe me any favors, though I doubted he’d decline.
I was pretty sure the thought of my death wouldn’t bother him.

I was shocked that the thought of my death
didn’t bother
me
. I would’ve thought I’d be scared. I was
sad about losing the future I might’ve had with Meir—and maybe
Cailen—if I wasn’t being hunted, but that future didn’t really
exist. I
was
being hunted and there were no happy endings
for me—only sorrow. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my friends for a
few extra moments of joy. Besides, I knew desolation. I knew what
it was like to have my life end and to face the nothingness. I
could handle it.

“That’s a small one.”

I blinked, startled. I hadn’t been paying
attention to them for several minutes, but Lastrini’s suddenly
louder voice and hard eyes—staring right at me—pulled me away from
my thoughts.

Malik peered over his shoulder at me. He
assessed the loose Tarmean suit as it hung off my body, turned back
to the man, and shrugged. I was small, too small for a Tarmean. No
one had seemed to notice, despite the fact that it should’ve been
obvious. We’d been lucky… until now. This Soltakian was too
observant.

“I like having her around.”

A knowing look came over the man’s face.
“Keeps you warm at night, does she?” He leered.

Ugh. Apparently Malik didn’t think I could
pass as a warrior any longer. I guess he decided a lover was a
better fit. Disgusting.

“Not exactly.” Malik growled. “Strength
isn’t always measured by size, Soltakian. And I don’t keep that
kind of slave.”

Hmm…maybe I’d misjudged. It seemed I wasn’t
the only one. Base Commander Lastrini leaned back in his chair with
a smug look.

Something chirped in Malik’s pocket. He
stood up and extended his hand to the Soltakian. “Now that
everything is in order, I’ll be on my way.” There was more than a
note of irritation in Malik’s voice. He positively seethed. I
remembered then how important his honor was to him. Apparently, he
didn’t like having it questioned.

Lastrini laughed and stood to take Malik’s
hand. “Please, no hard feelings. You are very odd for a Mamood. I
jumped to conclusions and I am sorry.”

Malik nodded and drew back his arm. I
followed him out the door and through the foyer again to the
outside. Lastrini stayed in his office. I felt his eyes on my
back.

The soft, grey light had given way to warm
butterscotch. Gold rays blanketed everything from the smooth tarmac
in front of me to the building behind me. So, it was morning—a new
beginning, for everyone but me.

Malik didn’t pause as he started walking
back to the
Meridian
. I knew I had to act while we were
still alone and before he went back to the Delsa-Prime.

“Malik.”

He stopped on his heels and spun around.
“What?” His face was livid. I guessed speaking out of turn was his
idea of messing up.

“Um…well, I just wanted to say that…I’ve
decided—” I bit my lip, “—to turn myself in…to the
Delsa-Prime.”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot.”

“I’m not.” My hands balled into fists at my
sides. “I don’t want to be a burden anymore. I don’t want anyone to
get hurt. So…” I couldn’t finish. Malik had turned an alarming
shade of red.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook
his head. “Just stay here while I go tell them about Meir.
Obviously I can’t trust you to not do anything stupid in front of
them.”

He spun around again and marched off. So
much for that part of my plan.

I quickly revised.

Rows upon rows of enormous metal storage
units lined each side of the building we’d just left. In between
each row was something like a dark alley, shadowed by the height of
the units, and stretching as far as I could see. I reasoned I could
easily hide in there while Malik was gone and sneak my way onto the
ship when he started looking for me.

Not too hard. Except Malik wasn’t a fool.
He’d know where I was hiding and find me pretty easily. I’d have to
go in deep to have a chance of avoiding him.

I took a deep breath and went into a narrow
space, three rows to the left of the building. I reasoned Malik
would check the first row, assuming a lack of planning on my part.
The compartments loomed like buildings above me and stood so close
together they blocked out most of the sun. I’d gone maybe thirty
paces down the lane before I started having second thoughts. Malik
was going to find me. My whole plan was stupid. I was betraying
Meir by leaving him like this.

I had almost convinced myself to turn around
when something slammed into my back, pitching me to the ground. I
threw my arms out in front of me, but my head dug into the gravel
as something heavy sat on top of me.

My mask was ripped off and the stones
scraped against the left side of my face. Whoever sat on me pulled
at my hair and yanked my head back, tearing strands out of my
scalp. I gasped for breath as it was squeezed out of my throat.

“Tarmeans aren’t supposed to have long hair,
my pretty.” Hot breath scorched my ear. “Are you Malik’s pet?”

He shoved my head back into the stones. I
clenched my mouth and eyes shut, but still dirt and rock lodged
themselves inside my lips and eyelids.

Gently this time, he played with my hair. I
heard him inhale and groan. “Malik’s a little busy right now. So
for now, you can be
my
pet.”

The man slid his hands along my hips and
clenched the top of my thighs, pressing himself closer to me. His
breath grew rough and uneven.

I dug my hands into the dirt and tried to
push myself up to heave the hulking mass off of me, but that only
seemed to excite him more. Stones bit into my flesh as he thrust
his groin against my back.

With a quick, jerky movement, he stood up
and grabbed me by the shoulders to throw me against the wall of
storage units. I cried out and winced when my head slammed against
the hard surface.

I knew I wasn’t going to get far, but I took
a step forward to run anyway. A short, pudgy Mamood was there,
shoving his body against mine and pressing me flat against the wall
again.

“Tsk, tsk,” he whispered in my ear and
grabbed my waist. “Where are you running off to?” His other arm
came up then and stroked my face. A thick, meaty thumb scraped the
dirt and gravel off my cheek. “Mmm… so soft.”

His face came close to mine. I could feel
his breath pouring from his open mouth. I twisted my head to the
side just as his lips dove for mine. I felt his lips curl up into a
smirk against my face, and he ran his tongue across my cheek.

I brought my hands up to shove him away, but
he pressed himself tighter against me, moving his hips rhythmically
against mine.

“Please.” I whimpered.

He moved his lips down my jaw to the base of
my neck. “Oh yes.” His voice grew rough and he twisted his hand
into my hair. “Beg for it.”

I clenched my eyes shut and struggled to
hold back the whine that wanted to escape my lips. That would only
excite him more. He took his hand from my hair and pulled up his
robes. I gasped. I needed to think of something, and quick. The
stink of sweat and cologne lurched its way to my nose, making me
dizzy.

When his robes were up, he started pulling
apart my suit. That’s when I screamed.

He slapped me. “I like it better when you
whisper,” he growled.

I punched at his kidneys, but he didn’t
flinch. His thick hands found an opening in my suit and made
contact with my flesh.

A deep calm suddenly settled over me and my
arms hung limply at my sides. I closed my eyes and let the familiar
tingling sensation—that fickle power—wash over me. I no longer
noticed his twitching fingers. They no longer mattered. All that
mattered now was what I must do.

I opened my eyes and smiled when I saw the
blue points of light waiting for my orders. I pushed at them and
they obeyed me willingly.

The man flew away from me and slammed into
the container just across the alley. Air swirled around us like a
whirlwind, picking up the dust and debris from the ground. But I
took little notice. My target was clear.

I smirked to see his face twist in terror.
He brought his hands up to save himself, but there was no hope. I
was in control now. I laughed as I prepared to rip his limbs
apart.

A red beam tore through my wall of air and
hit the man square in the chest. His body slumped against the
ground, a charred hole burnt all the way through.

Dead.

I twisted my head around—enraged—ready to
pass my judgment on a new, hapless victim. Malik stood just yards
from me with the butt of my NK-4 pressed against his shoulder and
his finger on the trigger. He lifted his head to see the damage.
After a moment, he pulled the weapon away and dropped it to his
side.

He looked at me with flat eyes.

The air died out around me and I took a step
back. A lump formed in my throat. I’d almost killed a man. Malik
killing someone wasn’t nearly as bad. In fact, considering he was a
Mamood, it was almost expected. But not me. I was supposed to be
innocent—the good guy. But I was turning out to be less and less
innocent as each second passed. True, he might’ve deserved it, but
that didn’t change the fact of what I’d almost done. I swallowed
past the lump and gazed at Malik. “Thank you,” I mouthed.

Malik stared back, emotionless. Then he
nodded to the body on the ground. “I guess I don’t have to worry
about you going to the Delsa-Prime anymore.”

I brought my hands up to my face and let the
sobs pour out. I was shaking and gasping when I felt Malik wrap his
arms around me. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t want him to. I
knew what I was—a monster.

Chapter Nine
:

Co’ladesh

“You’ll need a speeder.” One of the guards
at the base exit pointed in the direction of the New City Ghetto of
Co’ladesh. I hovered behind the Mamood. After a pretty heated
argument where Malik displayed his impeccable acting skills, the
guards agreed to let us off base to search for Meir. How he’d
managed to get out, I had no idea, but he had and now it was time
to pick him up. We’d left the Delsa-Prime’s dead body to rot in the
dark maze of storage units for the moment. “Unless you know the
city well, getting around the lakes can get pretty confusing. It’s
better just to fly over them.”

After a bit more arguing where Malik accused
the men of letting his slave leave—or possibly abducting him in
order to learn Mamood military tactics—they ended up providing us
with a speeder and papers good for the day. We were due back by
midnight, with or without Meir. If Malik couldn’t find his slave,
they might be willing to issue papers for the next day, but as they
were having trouble with illegal immigrants, they couldn’t do more
than that. That wasn’t going to be a problem, though; Meir’s friend
from the Old City would take care of us.

“Everyone goes to the Ghetto,” the guard had
said. As it turned out, they were right. Malik’s own communicator
confirmed that Meir was indeed in the heart of the off-worlder
haven.

We loaded ourselves into the sleek speeder—a
much more streamlined and polished descendent of the speeder Meir
had flown to get us away from the
Sho’ful
guards—and took
off through the city.

The base sat on the outskirts of Co’ladesh;
the first stalagmite-looking towers rose in the distance. At first,
I was too entranced by the emerald grass as it swayed rhythmically
across the plains in the light wind to notice anything odd about
the bluish-white buildings. But as we got closer, I could’ve sworn
that they were swaying in time with the grass. Then I noticed that
some of them floated above crystal blue lakes.

“They’re beautiful,” I whispered. Truly,
truly beautiful. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even as we entered
the city and they towered hundreds of feet above me. “How is it
even possible?”

Malik grunted. “They’re the product of poor
planning.”

I sighed and brought my gaze down so I could
glare at him properly. Leave it to Malik to ruin my mood.

“I’m being serious. They built their city on
the lone hill in the middle of a plain, surrounded by hundreds of
lakes. Not only is it indefensible, it makes expansion rather
difficult.” He shrugged. “Though I will admit it forced them to
develop some pretty spectacular technology. There aren’t many
civilizations out there that have mastered levitation the way the
Soltakians have.” He nodded to the nearest crystal blue tower,
which swayed just out of our reach. “Electromagnetics. The
Soltakians can create their own gravity fields. Still, for all
their breathtaking technology, you’d think they wouldn’t be so
dumb.”