Darlings (18 page)

I’m so sorry Gwen
. 

What do you mean you’re sorry?
she
asked, confused. 

He stammered.
They have me too…

Her heart sank. Her ferocious fearsome
protector was also apprehended by those more horrible than him.
What chance did she stand if even Andrew was no match for them?
Pete
? she asked softly. 

I’ve been talking to Tok; thankfully I can
still communicate with my brothers.
They don’t have Pete or
the others. I guess…when you used your ability…we passed out and
they…got to us and drug us through the portal before the others
even knew where we went…

Her pulse raced.
We’re in Everland?
she asked, terrified. 

Andrew paused.
Yah. We’re in Everland…a
part of Everland I’ve never seen. We’re in the depths of hell Gwen.
They have us in their headquarters from what I can
gather
. 

She started trembling as a tear ran down her
face.
What are we going to do?
 

I don’t know...
  Something didn’t
sound right. Andrew sounded too breathless. 

What’s going on Andrew? Are you
alright? 

Silence. She asked again.
Andrew, don’t
leave me what’s going on?
 

Finally his soft low voice reappeared.
We’re not ok, Gwen…Look at your shoulder.
She looked at her
right shoulder and saw wet blood covering her arm and once perfect
emerald dress. Pulling down the side of her clothing, she saw a
puncture wound into her side around five inches under her armpit.
It was deep… She understood. 

You’re taking our pain,
she said
sadly. 

I am…Oh geez… want it back?
He
attempted to joke through what Gwen knew was unbearable
pain. 

Andrew, she whispered. This is my fault. You
shouldn’t have to suffer like this for me. I don’t even know how I
did it…I didn’t intend on doing it. I just couldn’t let them
kill…

Pete… I know Gwen. I just wish you knew…I
just understand. 

He didn’t seem to be making sense. The pain
was the culprit, she figured.
I’m sorry Andrew. I’m so
sorry.
She felt as if she were going to lose it. Hot tears
stung her beautiful sleepy eyes. 

It was your instincts…don’t be sorry…from
what I understand your ability is the most sought after…but the
most difficult to understand…and control…I don’t want to tell you
this…but I know I have to because I don’t want them to tell you
first, and if something happens you deserve to know.  Gwen,
we’re in trouble here, but we’re in trouble out there
too. 

Gwen didn’t understand.
What?
She
wasn’t sure she could handle any more surprises.
When you used
fire on those pirates…you borrowed power from another
royal…

She knew this.
I figured, that’s how this
thing works right?

Usually, people with your ability have to be
in direct contact of another royal to borrow their energy, or at
least within sight…A few borrowers throughout history could borrow
through walls or within a few miles…

Okay?
She questioned. 

You borrowed the energy from a royal
in…Minnesota. 

Wow…that’s impressive, but I don’t see how
that would get us into serious trouble
. 

Andrew hesitated.
You…killed him
Gwen. 

It couldn’t be true. Gwen knew she was never
capable of killing anyone. She’d spent her life protecting her
brothers. She didn’t have it in her…on purpose.
I killed
someone?
 

We’re going to figure it out, Gwen, I-

Who were they?
She asked bluntly.

It doesn’t matter, if you really want to know
later I… we’ll talk about it…

Gwen was shouting in her mind.
Who were
they!?
she silently screamed. 

A boy…

How old?
she demanded. 

Knowing it was useless to object, Andrew
answered.
Eighteen.
 

Tears now streamed down her face. She
pictured her brothers.
I killed an eighteen year old boy…and his
Mantican…did you know them? 

Silence. 

God damnit did you know them?
She laid
back down pressing her face into the slime where she
belonged. 

Yes. We met briefly
.
His sworn one
grew up down the street from me.
He whispered. 

What were their names?
She
paused. 

Samuel…and his Mantican was
Etu
. 

I want to die here. I want to die right
now. I deserve to die here. I’m dangerous. I hope they don’t let me
leave
she said. 

Stop. It’s not your fault…It’s no one’s
fault. No. If you want to play the blame game it’s my fault. I
touched you and initiated the bond in the high school that day. I
did that to you. Pete took you out there. He couldn’t resist taking
you out, even though he knew they could come for you. He knew you
didn’t have enough training. We killed them. Not  you. Don’t
you dare carry that…blame. 

I’m scared Andrew,
she thought
quietly. 

I know Gwen…I know. 

The pirate outside Gwen cell suddenly rose to
his feet. She heard a scratchy voice, “Is she awake?” 

The pirate dumbly answered spit running down
his chin into a puddle. “Yes, but Captain said no one’s to touch
her.” 

The scratchy voice answered, “You answer to
me, flea, I’ll do what I see fit, unlock the door. I have her
collar.” The dumb pirate limped to the lock, inserted a key, and
pulled the squeaky steel door open. 

Gwen saw a pair of legs, one foot covered
with a tattered brown boot, and the other replaced with a splitting
peg leg. She stiffened in terror. 

“Good morning princess. I come bearing
gifts.” The pirate grabbed her hair with his dirty hand, pulling
her up from the cement floor and on to her knees. His face was
cleaner than the rest, but hideous nonetheless. He wore a brown hat
filled with holes and decorated with a broken red feather. He
exuded a nauseating odor, a mix of rancid meat and decaying
corpse. 

He opened a glowing green collar equipped
with two thick metal needles on the inside. Faster than Gwen
expected he turned her around so her back was facing him and
grabbed her hands securing them behind her. The monster took one
filthy thick hand and placed the collar up to her neck. “This will
only hurt a little bit sweetheart,” he hissed and he snapped the
collar together, shoving the needles into the soft flesh of her
neck. She screamed in agony and he pulled her closer so he could
whisper in her ear. “Yes, scream. Go ahead beautiful.” He laughed,
and the

dumb guard joined in. Inhaling her scent the
pirate moaned. “She smells so sweet,” he said and the guard pirate
drooled even more. 

Gwen shook with fear, and heard Andrews
voice.
Gwen. Gwen! What’s happening
? Hands secured, she
couldn’t answer him. 

“Let’s go.” He pulled her up and reached down
to unlock her chain and pushed her out the door. 

“Where are we going?” Gwen bravely asked as
she walked barefoot down the dim hallway passing cell upon
cell. 

“You belong to the Captain now, princess. You
need to work. Hope you don’t have a fresh manicure,” he laughed.
They opened a door and entered into another block of cells. Gwen
was met with high pitched screaming. The hairs on the back of her
neck stood up as they got closer and closer to the noise. A guard
was sitting on an old wooden chair outside a cell on the right,
antagonizing his prisoner. 

“I’ll skin you if you won’t talk,” the guard
said. 

“Well, well what do we have here?” Gwen’s
escort asked stopping to observe the scene. She was pushed against
the bars, forced to witness the horrific scene before her. The
creature was beautiful. A mermaid. She was suspended from the cell
ceiling above a tank of dirty water. Her slender arms were
outstretched, constricted by metal cuffs, similar to the one that
was around Gwen’s ankle. Golden ringlets stretched down her bare
tan back. Her skin sparkled like spun gold sprinkled with
multicolored diamonds. Her breasts were covered by a type of
seaweed swimsuit top.  Gwen looked at her mark. It almost
matched the mermaid’s stunning skin. Her tail was an iridescent
violet that matched her almond shaped eyes soaked with blue
shimmering tears. A dark-skinned pirate with a tattooed head sat at
her tail holding a sharp knife. 

“Oh, just another sea creature refusing to
tell us where the pearl is. Shame though, this one sure is a
beauty.” He ran his knife along her scales, caressing her with the
blade.” 

“Well I’ll let you get to it,” Gwen’s escort
stated nonchalantly. 

“One more time love, are you going to tell me
where the pearl is?” He looked at her with excitement in his beady
black eyes. 

She spoke smooth and sultry. “I wouldn’t tell
you if I knew.” 

“Alright then let’s get to it.” The pirate
moved his hand to her hip and positioned it where her skin met her
scales. He sliced down hard with his knife, skinning the mermaid’s
hip. Blood trickled down her tail and dripped in the dirty water as
she screamed. 

“My, my. They are such stubborn creatures,”
the guard with the red feather sarcastically sighed. “Let’s
continue.” He pushed her ahead down the dark, damp hallway. “You
know princess; we have a whole group of you immortals here. The
ones of you with gifts we keep and suppress your abilities with
these collars here. You see, the needles inject a chemical. Great
thing about these are they only need refilled every one hundred
years. Very convenient.” He opened another steel door. That led out
into a dirt courtyard. Immortals were everywhere, men and women
alike. They were dressed in dirty tattered clothing, probably the
same ones they were apprehended in.

It reminded her of something from the
Holocaust. The people were thin and pale. They all seemed to have
different jobs. Most of the men were building some sort of huge
rocked pedestal in the middle. One particularly tall red headed boy
was standing in front of a guard pirate. The pirate had some sort
of remote control hooked up to the boy’s green collar. Sweating and
shaking, the redhead would lift his arm, and summon some of the
massive rocks through the air and across the yard.  A
telekinetic, like Pete. Gwen felt dizzy.

“Hear ye, hear ye!” the pirate mocked. “All
gather round! I have a surprise for you fine men and women!” He
pushed Gwen to the middle of the dirt yard. The people turned and
stared, knowing better than to actually leave their posts. “I want
to introduce to you, Miss Gwendolyn Darling. Your princess.” He let
go of her hands and pushed her ahead. The pirate kicked Gwen in the
back, knocking her to the ground. “Only, you’re no one’s princess
here. Here you’re just another meal on backorder.” He licked his
lips. “I do hope you enjoy your stay darling.” He turned to leave.
“Take good care of her all!”

Gwen touched her mark, attempting to finally
answer Andrew
. Andrew? I couldn’t answer before. I’m in some
sort of a court yard. Are you ok?
Nothing.
Andrew?
 

“He can’t hear you,” a girl said. Gwen looked
up. The girl was beautiful despite her tattered clothing and dirty
face. She was scraping a glimmering pink rock with a blade and
tucking the resulting powder into a gray sack. Her long black hair
flowed down her thin back. She was wearing a dirty brown skirt with
a ripped white form fitting tank top. Her toes were covered with
sores from days of walking in no shoes on rough ground. Gwen met
her big brown slanted eyes. 

“How do you know?” Gwen asked. 

“I know,” she said. 

Gwen noticed she wasn’t wearing a collar.
“Why don’t you have a collar?” she asked. 

“Don’t need one. I don’t have an ability,”
she bluntly stated as she continued scraping. “Here,” she tossed
Gwen a glittering blue rock and blade. “You’d better find work. Bad
things happen to those who don’t.” Gwen sat awkwardly in her
blood-stained cocktail dress on the verge of tears. “Wouldn’t waste
my time crying. It only results in whippings,” she recommended
harshly. 

“Who are you?” Gwen asked as she attempted to
scrape the rock. Her teeth hurt. It was like nails on a chalkboard
not to mention difficult. 

“Lily.” The girl answered looking over her
shoulder. Gwen followed her gaze and saw two children, no more than
six, scrubbing clothes over a wash bucket. One, a girl, shared
Lilly’s long black hair and tanned skin. The other was also a girl,
with bouncing dirty blond ringlets. They splashed and giggled as
they worked. Gwen felt sick. She couldn’t imagine the life of a
child in this hell. 

“How do you know all of this? Why are you
here if you’re not immortal? From what I understand, they have no
use for mortal humans.”

“Oh, they have use for me.” Before Gwen could
ask any more, she fired back with questions of her own. “Was it
Andrew?” Gwen met Lilly’s look of excitement with her own look of
confusion. Lilly breathed an annoyed sigh. “Are you and Andrew
bonded?” 

“Yes…You know Andrew?” Gwen
questioned. 

Laughing Lilly answered, “Much better than
you think. He is my brother. Twin actually.” 

“Your twin brother? Andrew never told me he
had a twin.” Gwen couldn’t believe her ears. Though she guessed she
hadn’t known him long. 

“He wouldn’t have. He thinks I’m dead. I was
taken around six years ago now. He thinks they killed me but as you
can see, they weren’t so kind.” 

“Why did they take you?” 

“Ma-ma!” the little girl shrieked. 

Lilly muttered angry words in a language Gwen
didn’t recognize. She got up and began walking toward her
daughter.  

“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked. 

“Stay here.” Lilly demanded as she made her
way to the girl. The water had tipped over and the clothes spilled
onto the dirt now turned mud. A guard was making his way to the
raven-haired girl as well.