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shellyseashell · 2 years

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BREATH OF LIFE

Notes: a bit late, but I’m dedicating this chapter to @that-glasses-dog since their birthday was a few days ago. I hope this chapter is angsty enough for you ily <3

Masterlist

Warnings: violence, guns, suffocation, mentions of death, panic attacks

Act 2 - Guard

22: home

“PRINCESS,” IKO CALLED. Her voice barely raised above a whisper. “Princess, where are you?”

They had already scoured the house, but they checked the rooms again. There were three places Winter could have been — cabinets or closets, under Maha’s bed, and the shower — and she wasn’t in any of them.

Iko and Aminah shared a look, returning to the living room. Had Winter already been found? No. She couldn’t have. She was the smarter than that. Or at least, Aminah hoped she was.

At least she knew Ling was safe.

Before either of them could say anything, footsteps stomped outside the door. Iko pulled Aminah with her as she tucked herself under the kitchen counter. They huddled as close as they could, though Iko was nearly unbearably warm, still overheated from their run. Aminah pulled her shirt over her mouth in hopes of stifling her breathing.

The door banged open. “The database confirms this is the residence of Maha Kesley.”

A short silence. “I sense someone, but their energy is faint. Perhaps muffed behind a barrier of some sort.”

Neither her or Iko could be sensed, Aminah was positive, which left one other possibility — Winter.

“In my experience with the cyborg,” said a third voice, “she does not always react as one would expect to mind control and manipulation. Perhaps she is capable of disguising her energy as well?”

“Perhaps,” said the second voice, who was definitely a Thaumaturge. “Kinney, search the perimeter and neighboring homes. West, check the bedrooms.”

“Yes, Mistress Pereira.”

More footsteps. The front door shut.

The Thaumaturge entered the kitchen only seconds later. Aminah stopped breathing at the same time the Thaumaturge stopped in the middle of the kitchen, her red coat fluttering around her.

She stood there. And stood there. Just as Aminah was sure her breathing would not be heard and they would be safe, Iko’s fan started up again.

The Thaumaturge glanced down, startled.

Iko raised a hand. “Hello.”

Aminah was going to throw up.

The Thaumaturge studied them for way too long of a moment, then said, “Shells?”

“Close,” said Iko, grabbing a towel off the dish counter and lunging. Aminah tucked herself farther back. This was it. She’d finally be discovered and she’d be killed and — and — and Ling wouldn’t even know what had happened to her, not if they got Iko too.

The android in question pressed the towel against the Thaumaturge’s face, stifling a scream. She fought against the grip, but Iko kept her pinned against the wall.

“Just pass out,” Iko said, as if giving someone fashion advice, “and I’ll let you go.”

“Hey!”

A guard had spotted them through the window, and within a second he was standing in the doorway, pointing a gun at Iko.

Aminah snapped out of her panic and lunged at the guard. The two of them fell, the gun clattering out of his hold, and then he was on top of her, holding a knife to her throat.

“Do anything,” said the guard, “and I’ll kill her.”

Iko didn’t have to think long. The Thaumaturge fell, and it must have looked enough like Iko doing something, because the guard retrieved his gun and pointed it at Iko.

Aminah scrambled to her feet and ran. She didn’t know where she was going, she just had to get out. She knew she was leaving Iko to fend for herself, but her mind was screaming at her to save herself, because she knew what would happen to her if she didn’t.

She slammed into the other guard in the living room. She stumbled back, trying to clear the fog from her mind to fight back. Her hesitation was enough for him to shove her against the wall, and sliding to the ground, she couldn’t find the will to get up.

She was a coward.

She knew what was happening. Around her ragged breathing, she could hear all of it. She heard Iko getting shot. Heard the guard — Kinney, she was pretty sure — figure out she was an android. Saw Winter run past her. Heard the insults. Heard Kinney kill Sir West. Heard him give Iko instructions on what was going to happen next.

And yet, she didn’t move. She couldn’t move.

—

THEY WERE TAKEN TO AN UNDERGROUND CARGO PORT. Three royal ports stood out against the battered delivery ships. So, that was why they had been ambushed. They only had a watch posted on the maglev platform.

Ling’s arms throbbed, her sleeve sticking to her arm with blood. With every step, her legs grew number and number, and Wolf’s energy was so overwhelming with fear and devastation that she wanted to scream.

A royal guard was waiting for them, someone Ling vaguely recognized as Sir Kinney. Jacin knew him, somehow, she was pretty sure. Kinney’s eyes flashed with recognition as he met her gaze, but he quickly looked away.

“Report,” said Aimery.

“Mistress Pereira and Sir West are dead.”

“How?”

“We were ambushed inside the Kesley house by an Earthen android and shell girl,” said Kinney.

Ling’s breath stuttered.

“A brawl ensued. The android was immune to mental manipulation, nor did bullets do much to afffect her. She . . . it suffocated Mistress Periera. The shell stopped me from immediately attacking her, but I was able to pin her and threatened to kill her. I was forced to instead fight the android, and the shell escaped. Sir West took her out before coming to help me. The android disarmed me and used my gun to shoot Sir West and our Thaumaturge. While it was distracted, I managed to lodge my knife in its back, severing its . . . spine, of sorts. That successfully disabled it.”

Ling made a sound somewhere between and whimper and a sob. She would have fallen to the ground if not for the guard holding her up. Aminah. Aminah was dead. She had been killed, and Ling hadn’t even been there to help. They had been split up and . . . and nothing good happened when they weren’t together. She never should have let Aminah out of her sight, because now she had no one.

“With the threat removed, I conducted a thorough search of the rest of the house and surrounding properties. I found no other accomplices.”

She couldn’t bring herself to be revelived that Winter was okay.

Aimery stared at Kinney for so long Ling thought he’d lost the ability to speak before he said, “And you’re certain the shell was killed? What became of the android?”

“Sir West had shot the shell, and I found no pulse.” Aimery frowned, upset they wouldn’t be able to use her blood. Ling had never wanted to kill anyone more. “I found and destroyed what I believe was the android’s power source,” Kinney continued. “I threw what was left into the public trash compactor.”

“No!” Cinder stumbled forward, but the guard behind her stopped her from falling.

Kinney spared a small glance at her before saying, “I left the bodies behind. Shall I return for them?”

Aimery waved a hand. “We will send a crew for them.”

Cinder’s head hung low. Wolf and Ling shared a glance, before turning their gazes to Cinder. She glanced at the both of them.

All three of them had lost someone today.

Ling didn’t feel like she was made of ice, like when her father had died. She didn’t cry because crying was her only option. She felt like some part of her had been cut out. Her chest was hollow. In the hollowness anger boiled, hot and bubbling. It had always been there. She knew it had been, because she’d always had to suppress it for the sake of her family. She didn’t suppress it now. She had nothing left to loose, and she would make sure Levana felt her pain.

A black-coated Thaumaturge and more guards entered the space. “We have not found any more accomplices, or discerned who was firing on us from the factory windows,” said the Thaumaturge. “It’s possible they’ve retreated to a different sector. They might attempt the insurgence elsewhere.”

Aimery smiled. “Let them try. We are not afraid of our own people.” He settled his gaze on Cinder. “This little rebellion is over.”

Cinder and Ling lifted their chins, but it was Wolf’s low growl that gained Aimery’s attention. Wolf snarled at him, looking like he’d like nothing more than tear apart everyone in the room.

Aimery laughed. He stepped forward, cupping Wolf’s chin in his fingers and squeezed. “Besides, how could we ever lose when we have beasts such as this at our disposal?” Aimery released his chin, instead slapping him tenderly on the cheek. “Alpha Kesley, isn’t it? I was there for the queen’s tournament, the day you won your position in your pack. It seems you’ve been lead astray by these Earthens. What shall we do about that?”

If looks could kill, Aimery would have been dead ten times over.

One of Wolf’s knees gave way and he knelt before Aimery. A moment later, Wolf had bowed his head.

Ling’s stomach turned. She knew how much Cinder struggled to control Wolf, and Aimery did it so easily. She would have had that power too, one day.

“There’s a good dog,” Aimery said, patting Wolf’s head. Ling growled, but Aimery ignored her. “We will take you before Her Majesty and let her decide the punishment for your betrayal. Does that suit you, Alpha Kesley?”

Wolf’s voice was robotic, clearly forced, as he said, “Yes, Master.”

“As I thought.” Aimery turned his gaze to his entourage. “Should there be any lingering pockets of rebellion, ensure they are swiftly stamped out. There is to be a royal wedding tomorrow, amd we will not tolerate any more disturbances.”

The Thaumaturges bowed and scattered, after which Aimery tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned on Cinder and Ling. “Which leaves only the question of what to do with you two.”

Cinder held his gaze. “You could bow before me as your true queen.”

“Kill her.”

Ling flinched as the guard behind Cinder whipped out his gun and held it against Cinder’s forehead.

“Stop, I’ve changed my mind.”

The guard put the gun away. Cinder sagged.

“My Queen has requested the pleasure of deciding your fate herself. I think I will suggest she offer your head to Emperor Kaito as a wedding gift. As for you,” he said, turning to Ling, “your trial will ultimately end in your death, but I will keep you alive until then. I have been waiting for this trial.”

Ling snarled, but Aimery only laughed.

“Thaumaturge Park?”

He turned to the Thaumaturge that had spoken, who had her palm on the side of a small podship.

“This is a royal pod, and it looks like it arrived recently. Hardly any dust. Odd for it to be way out here.”

“I am not surprised there are thieves about, and it might help us locate the missing rebels. Run a search on its tracking numbers and see what you find.”

The guards loaded the three of them into Aimery’s ship, placing them on separate benches. No one spoke, and soon they were on their way to Artemisia.

Ling didn’t want to return. The idea of returning to Artemisia had scared her before, but now it made her feel sick. Her family had died there. It wasn’t a home anymore — she wasn’t sure where home was. She didn’t want to return, only to be killed on the same floor her family had died on. She would rather die here.

The ship stopped in Artemisia’s underground port. Guards pulled the three of them up, and they were greeted by a dozen more guards and three Thaumaturges. Once again, none were Kalise.

“Thaumaturge Park?”

“Sir Kinney.”

“Permission to seek immediate medical attention?”

Aimery examined the blood on Kinney’s uniform. There was a lot, but Ling couldn’t tell where he’d been hurt. “Fine,” he said. “Report back as soon as you are cleared for service.”

Ling’s anger boiled. Of course. Of course an injury that might not even exist could be treated, but an illness garunteed to kill couldn’t. Ling wanted to kill Aimery.

The three of them were led through the halls, and Ling immediately knew where they were going. But when they stopped at an elevator bank, Wolf was pulled away from them.

“Wait,” said Cinder. “Where are you taking him?”

Wolf growled and struggled, but he was subdued under mind control. Ling said, her voice barely above a whisper, “There’s a reason they’re called special ops.”

Understanding dawned on Cinder’s face. “Wolf! No!” She stumbled forward, but she was held back. “Wolf!”

Wolf turned the corner, and he was gone, leaving Cinder panting and shaking, and Ling staring numbly at where he had been.

Cinder and Ling shared a look as they were forced into the elevator, and they both realized the same thing: they may never see Wolf — or any of them — again.

“I’m sorry we aren’t able to give you a private tour,” said Aimery, “but we’re rather preoccupied with wedding preparations. I’m sure you understand.”

“I’m sure it wouldn’t have been a very good tour anyway,” Ling said.

The doors opened, and they were led through a dim corridor that reeked of stale air and urine and bodies. Technically, they were in the prisons, but it really did feel much more like a dungeon.

“I hope you’ll find your accommodations acceptable for such a distinguished guest,” Aimery told Cinder. “I understand you’re already accustomed to prison cells.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” said Cinder. “The last one could only hold me for a day.”

“And this time, she’ll know how to get out,” Ling added. She hadn’t been down to the prisons much, had always avoided them when she could, but she knew the palace like the back of her hand, and she was a certain a tunnel led down here. She was confident she could get them out.

They paused, and a guard unlocked the door, the ancient hinged creaking. The smell got worse as the door opened.

“You will remain here until Her Majesty the Queen has time to see to your trials and executions,” said Aimery. “Of course, you’ll want to use the time to get reacquainted.”

“Reacquainted?”

Their bindings were cut off and they were shoved into the cell. Cinder stumbled and caught herself on the wall. Ling on the other hand, fell to her knees, and hissed as they absorbed the shock of the fall.

There was a whimper. As the door slammed shut, Ling lifted her head. Two people huddled together in the far corner. Even as her eyes adjusted and Cinder turned on her flashlight, Ling didn’t recognize them.

Cinder seemed to though, because she slumped against the wall and said, “You can’t be serious.”

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