The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1) (6 page)

  She’d never worn a dress a single day in her life; not even to her Aunt Kat’s wedding, which had caused quite an uproar. She definitely wasn’t thrilled about it, but she figured it was better than her t-shirt and jeans caked in excrement, and she couldn’t deny that the silk felt good against her skin. Almost immediately after she’d finished getting dressed, she heard a knock on the door.

  “Yes?”

  Alex came in and closed the door behind him. “These shoes will be better for traveling.” He set down a pair of black, cracked leather, lace-up knee-high boots.

  “Thanks,” she took a seat on the floor and set to loosening the laces. “Alex, if I ask you some questions, do you promise to answer them honestly?”

  “Always,” he sat down across from her.

  “I’m sure you did what you had to do, but…why, for the love of all things clean,
did you bring me here through a septic tank?”

“It’s the only way to get here.”

  “If that’s the only way to get here, how do we get out?” The color drained from her face at the thought of having to go through the disgusting experience again. Why had she even bothered getting clean?

  “The only way to escape is through the dungeon.”

  “Alex, what exactly goes on here?” Marie spoke in broken tones, not quite knowing how to word her question.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, like…” Marie took a deep breath. “Why is the only way to get here through the septic tank, and the only way to get out through the dungeon? Why is the ladder impossible to climb? Why can’t I use the showers?” Marie ticked the questions off on her fingers, without taking a breath in between them. “Don’t play dumb with me. You promised you’d tell me the truth.”

  Alex stayed silent for a moment, carefully considering his words. After a pregnant pause, he spoke.

  “When these good, hardworking people are done being abused by that wretched excuse for a woman and the twisted prince, the only way for them to get back to this vermin-infested dump that they’re forced to call home is to go through the septic tank. The Queen finds it imperative to remind them,
daily
, how disgusting and filthy
they
are. She doesn’t want them to ever think they’re equal to her, just because they’re allowed to work in the palace where superior beings such as herself reside. Queen Cailene claims that the ladder above the sewage tank is so hot so as to weed out the weaker slaves and strengthen the ones that remain. The truth? She just likes to see them suffer. They’re forced to throw their fallen friends into the vat of filth that they swim through every day, and are never given the chance to mourn their deaths. The showers,” Alex laughed darkly. “They’re a particularly malicious invention of hers, to punish them for their state of filth that
she
induces! The water is so intensely cold that it burns, causing those weak of heart to fall dead. The pressure of the water is so strong that it rips their flesh and breaks their bones. These kindhearted people didn’t want you to feel the pain and degradation of the showers, so each servant donated a portion of their drinking water so you could take a bath when you arrived,” Alex’s words cut through her. She couldn’t have been more ungrateful when they’d offered her a bath! “The reason the only exit is through the dungeon is because it leads straight back to the castle, ensuring that they’ll never escape and therefore relinquishing any hope that might linger in the back of their minds. Cailene’s goal is to leave them broken and defeated. There’s no end to that woman’s cruelty.” Alex took a minute to regain his composure, and eventually resumed his usual stoic demeanor. She had no idea how he could calm himself so quickly after being so fired up.

  Marie was outraged by Alex’s story. She couldn’t even begin to fathom what these poor people went through every single day of their lives. It was heartbreaking.

  She now understood why Agatha seemed standoffish with her. Marie couldn’t have possibly been any more disrespectful, and now she was absolutely mortified.

  “Gustav should be back by now. He is who we need to see.”

  As if summoned by Alex’s words, Gustav appeared in the doorway, wiping himself off with a large towel. Marie jumped to her feet as he entered the room.

  “You don’t need to stand for me, child,” he smiled kindly.

  Marie zoned out as she studied Gustav strange features. His voice made him sound elderly. He could be, for all she knew. She’d never seen a creature such as him before, and she wasn’t sure what they looked like when they reached old age. The fact that he called her child made her think he might be.

  “You didn’t hear a word I said just now, did you, child?” Gustav chuckled. “Lost in your head, were you? You’re so like your mother. She was a dreamer too.”

  “My mother?” Marie positioned herself on the floor across from Gustav, watching him with rapt attention.

  “I’m sorry, child. I shouldn’t have mentioned her. I’m sure you’re very curious,” Gustav smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “One day, I hope to tell you all about her, but now is not the time. You may not have been caught, but Cailene is no fool. The longer you stay here, the greater your risk of being discovered. Let us get this over with so that you two can be on your way, shall we?”

  Gustav grabbed a small pocketknife from the folds of his robe and slid the blade across his index finger, causing beads of blood to well up at the fresh seam. He straightened his arm and held his hand out flat, letting the blood drain from his finger. Each drop expanded and stretched, pooling in midair as they coalesced to form a three-dimensional rectangle. The obscure shape shone as if it were constructed of thousands of sparkling rubies.

  “Put your hands out flat,” Gustav instructed as he pressed a cloth to his finger, finally allowing the blood to clot.

  Marie hesitantly outstretched her arms. Alex reached over and straightened them out for her in an attempt to reassure her, but his touch had only made her grow more rigid. Gustav grabbed the floating shape, causing it to instantly solidify into a beautiful silver box, and placed it in Marie’s waiting hands.

  “What is it?”

  “This is the Agrísta. It is a family heirloom, and the key to everything.” Gustav placed his hands over Marie’s.

  “That’s kind of vague,” she laughed nervously. When Marie saw the look of disapproval plastered on their faces, her features grew stiff as she set her face to stone. She looked down at the Agrísta, and began trying to pry it open. “It won’t budge.”

  “Are you ready to go?” Alex asked the second they were alone.

  “Not quite,” Marie reached around him and closed the door. “I have one condition. As beautiful as your body is, I’m not comfortable with constantly seeing it. Instead of leaving your clothes in a shredded pile of tatters every time you change into your other form, you’re going to set them aside,
before
you change.” She grabbed an empty satchel from the corner of the room and held it out to him. He immediately began stripping. “But
after
I turn around! Good grief!” Marie whipped her body around, facing her back to him. She hoped by the time he finished undressing, the crimson color will have faded from her cheeks.

  Once Marie felt the weight of his clothes in the bag, she turned around to see Alex waiting for her in his Umbraic form. She stuffed the Agrísta into the bag, hiding it beneath his clothes, and pulled the drawstrings tight, knotting them.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” she ruefully smiled at Alex and climbed onto his back. She wanted to get the hell out of here.

FRIEND OR FOE

 
M
arie held herself against the icy wind that blew through the room as her teeth chattered violently. The extreme cold set her skin ablaze and left her trembling as a painful pressure built up behind her eyes. Excruciating screams and the overpowering scent of blood filled the room. She struggled not to dry-heave as tears welled up, freezing before they had the chance to fall, giving her no release.

  “Let’s get out of here fast, okay?”

  She kept her head down and her eyes closed as Alex barreled through the room, picking up speed as he went. He knew he couldn’t shelter her from all the horrors of this world, but he wanted to get her as far away from here as quickly as he could.

  Marie knew when they’d reached the dungeon by the noxious fumes burning her nostrils. The stench of blood, urine and fecal matter pervaded the damp air, causing a shudder to course through her body as she clenched her stomach. She learned forward and clung to Alex as if her life depended on it – which it did – before forcing her eyes open.

  Their moldy surroundings stung her eyes, leaving them searing and raw. The dank air was stifling and left a bitter taste in her mouth. She struggled not to cough, suppressing her body’s need to expel the poor conditions it was forced to take in. Alex sensed her distress and was moving as fast as his legs would take him.

  Filthy, vacant prisoners were strewn along the walls, half-dead and covered in flies. The prison cells blurred together as Alex charged past, creating an optical illusion of endless captivity. Marie couldn’t tell one face from the next. Their tortured screams pulsed in her ears; each one faded as quickly as it had erupted, merging into the next.

  She cupped her hands over her ears and averted her eyes, focusing her attention forward. Her heart skipped a beat as she welcomed the glorious sight of an opening not far in the distance. It glowed with a warm light that represented freedom, taunting the prisoners by giving them the faintest taste.

  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when the golden light began to skitter across her skin, but it quickly dropped to a frown when Alex stopped dead in his tracks. Standing still made everything significantly more potent. All the smells and sounds of the prison hit her at once with the impact of a kick in the face, causing her to lurch forward and retch continuously.

  “Alex,” a faint whisper cut through the tension as a knot exploded in her stomach.

  Marie and Alex turned their heads simultaneously to see who it was. She felt uneasy over the growing number of people who could see Alex in his Umbraic form. It muddled her understanding of how things worked, and the confusion made her feel even more vulnerable than she already did.

  It was a naked woman vying for his attention. Burns and bruises blemished her once flawless skin, and a thick ring of dried saliva lined her fissured lips. Her skin was stretched dangerously thin across her sickeningly prominent bone structure, though it was obvious by her full breasts and taut skin that she was once very attractive.

  Layers of grime masked her bronze complexion, but she somehow retained a honey glow. Despite all of her afflictions, nothing could tarnish her natural beauty. Falls of copper curls spilled over her chest, reaching down to her belly button. Although her hair was matted with blood and filth, it still glittered in the low light.

  Her half-moon eyes were a vivid chestnut brown with swirls of sparkling copper. She had a small button nose and sharp cheekbones with pouty bee-stung lips that screamed seduction. She had the kind of face that made women everywhere weep at their reflections in comparison.

  Marie was immediately convinced that the woman was an Umbra. It would explain her imprisonment and why she could see Alex in this form, not to mention her stunning good looks. Alex stood unmoving, staring back at the woman. Obviously, he was just as confused as Marie.

  Alex’s sudden movement shattered the tense moment as he flung himself back several feet. A robust guard filled the entryway, whistling a chirpy tune. Marie inhaled sharply and held the breath for as long as she could, partly to remain undetected, and partly to block out the vile odors stagnant in the air, suddenly intensified by the guard’s presence.

  The guard had a cart full of rations, though it certainly didn’t look like food, more like something barely fit for a trough. It seemed like Cailene fed the prisoners just enough to sustain them, only so she could continue to torture them.

  The guard pulled the first lever in a series of levers built into the wall by the door, and the first two cell doors lifted up. He placed the trays of food on the floor and shoved them in with the tip of his boot, immediately closing the cells after. One prisoner gobbled the sludge up as if he’d been fasting for weeks, while the other contemptuously eyed the food before directing his angry glare at the guard.

  “I don’t blame you. I’d rather die too,” the guard shrugged, flashing a carefree smile before moving onto the next set of cells. “Reach your arms through the bars,” he nudged the rations toward a male prisoner.

  “Damn it! Haven’t you debased me enough? Raise the door!” Unlike the other prisoners, this one still had some fight left in him. This place would break him of that soon enough.

  “Hey, if you want to hate someone, hate her,” the guard jerked his head toward the woman in the next cell. “If it weren’t for her, I could still open your cells.” The prisoner grimaced as he hesitantly reached both arms through the bars. He ate the rations with great difficulty, which seemed to amuse the guard. “Well, Arécia, have you given up yet?” he faced the woman and held up the other set of rations.

  A slight look of surprise crossed his face as Arécia struggled to get to her feet. She couldn’t be a day over twenty-five, yet she moved like an elderly woman riddled with rheumatoid arthritis. Dark circles rimmed her eyes and embossed her sunken cheeks, making it quite evident that she hadn’t eaten or slept in days.

  She shakily ambled over to the guard and stuck her frail arms through the bars, coaxing a satisfied smile from him. The rotund man seemed to savor the moment when a strong woman finally broke, as if nothing gave him greater pleasure. He shoved the tray of rations toward her face as he raked his eyes over her naked body. The perverse thoughts that ensued were reflected in his dark stare.

  In a flash of unexpected movement, Arécia knocked the tray to the ground, spewing its contents across the floor. The sudden clatter echoed off the walls, ringing down the corridor with a sharp pitch. Before the guard could react, Arécia dug her fingernails into his fleshy forearms, fettering him where he stood as his blood pooled around her fingertips.

  “Now!” Arécia burrowed her nails deeper, causing him to writhe in agony.

  Alex threw his body against the wall, bearing all of his weight down on the levers. Marie cringed, shielding herself from the abrasive impact of tender flesh scraping along jagged stone. Prisoners flooded the corridor as their cells flew open. Their raucous clamor swelled with fervor, drawing unwanted attention to Alex and Marie.

  Realization filtered into the guard’s angry expression as Alex flew past him, cultivating a telltale gust of wind. Alex needed to get the two of them far away from the chaos before more guards arrived on the scene and hindered their escape.

  “U-Umbra!” the guard sputtered. “There’s another Umbra in the castle!” His words practically painted a target on Alex’s back. While the others couldn’t see him, his current location gave everything away. There was only one exit by the dungeon and it would most likely be blocked by the time he got there. He was forced to improvise.

  Alex flew through the air at a nauseating speed. A sea of arrows pursued them like an angry tide, just falling short of contact with their flesh. The guards were shooting blind, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t get lucky.

  Marie flattened herself against Alex’s back, crossing her arms over the back of her head as she suppressed a squeal. With a deep inhalation, she took in his scent to numb herself to the surrounding chaos. He smelled of fresh earth with a faint tinge of salt; a pleasant pardon from blood and sweat.

  Alex wove a pathway through the barrage of arrows, narrowly missing each one by a fraction of a second. Marie recoiled into herself, bracing herself as they approached a gigantic window. She kept her head down as uneasiness gnawed at her stomach, knowing full well that the window was their means to an end.

  A moment’s hesitation could mean their captivity. Alex issued no warning as he burst through the glass, shattering it into a million pieces. The guards were too busy shielding themselves from the deluge of shards to launch another attack. It gave Alex and Marie just enough time to make their escape.

  When Marie finally opened her eyes, she was surrounded by stars. She craned her neck to get a parting view of the castle, but it was already shrinking in the distance. She brushed away the stray glass from his coat, and gently ran her hand over the length of his body to make sure she hadn’t missed any when she discovered an arrow embedded in the flesh of his hind leg.

  “Should I pull it out?” Marie wrapped her fingers tightly around the base of the arrow, pulling a low growl from Alex. “I forgot. You can’t talk in this form, can you? If you want me to pull it out, howl.” Marie gripped the arrow tighter. After a moment of hesitation, a pained howl ripped through the air, prompting Marie to rip the arrow from his flesh and throw it to the wind. “You hesitated for a few seconds there, Alex. Do you not trust me?” Alex groaned as she lightly massaged his puncture wound with her fingertips. “Well, that’s probably smart. When it comes to sharp, pointy things, I really can’t be trusted,” she admitted, laughing. “I’m going to try to get some sleep, if that’s at all possible. Wake me up when we get there, wherever
there
is.”

  Marie leaned forward and buried her face in Alex’s gauzy mane. She closed her eyes, and amazingly enough, was able to drift off to sleep. Little did she know, this would be the first night of many cryptic dreams to come.

 
Marie winced as she was suddenly engulfed in a white light. The floor crunched beneath her feet as she propelled herself forward to elude its intensity. She bent down to touch the ground, but all she felt was air, as if she were standing on a ledge.

 
The first word that came to mind as she examined her bleached surroundings was
lost
. There were no ceilings or walls, making it feel as though the perpetual state of blinding nothingness could last for an infinity.

  She yearned for darkness even though it frightened her, for it would at least have the prospect of having something hidden within it. She could see all the way to the end of time, and the future held only emptiness.

 
A trail of blood appeared before her. She warily followed it, wondering if it had been there this entire time. She was afraid to find out where it led, but felt compelled to push forward as her body switched to autopilot.

  At the end of the trail was a simple silver door. Marie expelled a soft sigh of relief when she realized that it stood by itself, anchored to nothing. It meant there was nothing horrific waiting for her on the other side.

  She was taken by surprise when something inside of her bag began shaking erratically. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding onto anything until now. She frenetically peeled back the layers of cloth to see what was causing the ceaseless vibration. It was the small silver box that Gustav had given her – the Agrísta, as he had called it – causing such a ruckus.

  She hesitantly approached the door, finding that the closer she got, the more animated the box became. It was as if something inside was trying to claw its way out.

 
Alex’s howl sliced through the air, dragging her back to reality, which was just as surreal as her dream. She slowly sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

  “What is it?”

  They were approaching a new planet. Marie hoped it was better than the last, which shouldn’t be too hard considering what a nightmare the castle was.
Looks sure can be deceiving.
Truer words were never pondered.

  Her heart broke for the people they were forced to leave behind. She promised herself that she would find a way to save them one day. It made the gnawing guilt over abandoning them diminish ever so slightly.

 
Alex sliced through the atmosphere of the alien planet at an accelerated speed. Wisps of silver clouds lashed Marie’s face as tendrils of mist snaked around her with penetrating cold. Their surroundings came into sharp focus as Alex approached a thick copse of silvery trees, unlike any foliage she’d ever seen.

  Serrated ebony bark twisted along corkscrew trunks, branching out in an explosion of contrast against an azure sky where three golden moons hung proudly, and lavished the land in an eerie glow.

  Thick, glittering icicles dripped from the branches like melted candle wax, lending a sparkle to the air. A strong wind laced through the trees, imbuing the forest with a soft, angelic melody as it wove through the boughs, causing the leaves to chime like merry sprites.