Eyera (The Eyera Series Book 1) Page 18

  “On three, Acey, one … two …” he says.

  “Three.”

  And we both jump into the opening, the elevator passes us as we lie down, heart thundering loudly, sweat flickering down and a little rush injects in my veins, Cyren lets out a chuckle of relief.

  “Ya okay?” he asks, and I nod giggling.

  Our bodies collide inside the small vent, crawling endlessly, heat touches my cheeks, feeling them blemishing. I finally get to the end of the vent, stretching out my limbs. Cyren puts the cover back on, he takes the lead and everyone follows. All we need to do is turn the corner use the other vent and it will take us to the back. Happiness wiggles its way through my body and I honestly think we can do this. We jog down the corridor with full spirit, the others turn the corner and so do I, but my body hits something hard. I fixate on what is happening and notice the group are frozen solid. I look ahead to see Eyera guards standing in a line, one of the guards has his back to us; he twists round smiling evilly. The lieutenant second.

  We don’t know what to do, we were so close. The lieutenant second screeches an order, and Cyren shouts.

  “Run!”

  It melts our stance and we sprint down the corridor; flipping left to be met with more guards. We turn right and a sharp left and through the doors running downstairs. Cyren leads to another set of doors, but guards close of both ends so there is nowhere to run. I see the disheartened look on Cyren’s sprawled face. No, it can’t be, everything was going well. I scrunch up my hair trying to think of something, but my mind is blank. Five sounds of gunshot fire and bodies thud. Raiya, Parrish, Orin, Avra and Haston sprawled on the floor with needles sticking out of them. Cyren and I become paralysed. The lieutenants second walks through the doors with Enkara attached to his side, crying as she looks at us.

  “Good job, Enkara,” the lieutenants second says patting her back.

  Cyren and I look at each other in disbelieved.

  “What is going on?” Cyren says.

  “I had to, there was no other way,” Enkara cries.

  Everything was going well, but Enkara knew this whole time it wasn’t going to work because she told them what we were doing, she told them our plan.

  “I’m sorry, Acelyn, I had no choice they made me do it,” she whimpers.

  I shake my head; lips parted wide. How could she? I look at Cyren not sure what to do from here, but he already knows. Cyren cracks his head and crackles as he charges at the guards with mite taking down three. I do the same not to give in easily. I take out one guard’s legs, and he drops his weapon. I pick it up smashing is across another guard’s temple, guards bolt, outnumbering us, the more we fought our energy decreases, we can’t keep up, there’s too many. Four guards jump on Cyren, and he throws them off, but it’s useless as more jump on him; stabbing a needle into his neck. He screams and body loses strength, he falls to his hands and knees spitting. I run carelessly, but my head gets forced back and fractured on the floor, my vision blurs and I see a guard standing above tall as a statue and fires the needle into my arm. The liquid travels through my body defeating every energy I have left; the dizziness becomes too much, and the guards and Enkara get blurry, and seconds later darkness arrives.

  CHAPTER thirty-two

  I wake up to a metallic taste swimming inside my mouth; I spit out the red liquid and it splatters across the dark floor, my lips crack open with sores, and I trail my fingers along my skin, layers of blood and sweat mixed in. My wrist aches from an object clinging tightly against my raw skin, with subtle movements causes an alarming pain to cycle through and out of my mouth. Darkness lingers around the room cutting a portion of light; a small light shines through the window and across half of me. I place my hands in the divine light, some of my fingernails have been torn off leaving dried blood sticking to my flesh. What the hell did they do to me? I prop myself up with my throbbing dried elbows, but they give way as the pain is too much to handle. I let out desperate breaths and force my bruised body up ignoring the pain that torments, my legs wobble but gains control. Images of Cyren immediately flashes in my head. I stay silent hoping to hear his voice or the others, or any movements but only the sound of my shackles rattle in the crisp thin air.

  “Cyren?” I say with a husky voice.

  I hope to alert him, but only my voice bounces back. No sign of anyone, alone in the darkness. I need to know if they are okay. I need them more than anything right now. I hold back my salty tears as they want to escape, escape … we made sure the plan ran smoothly, and we failed. I failed them because I allowed Haston and Enkara to join us. I should have said no.

  The door opens letting in a strong force of light, the light flickers brightening up the room, and I see everything. The room is paved in white and I see purple, blue and black bruises inked on every part of my body, my bones feel like they’ll snap. Two guards walk in, heavy boots marching to me a flick of the wrist and a blunt object strikes across my face sending me backwards. A throbbing pain etches my cheek and blood spills. The guard brings up his club lashing it down and repeatedly beating me. My hair gets ripped by the roots and I’m met with a thunderous punch. He knees me in the stomach, and I can hardly breathe, I spit out blood that flows in my mouth. I don’t scream, I’m not giving them that satisfaction. The guard flings my head up and I stare bloodshot into his monstrous eyes, he laughs at my pain enjoying the moment. He brings up my shackles and places it firmly around my neck and begins to pull cutting off my breathing supply. He lifts me up, so my feet are not touching the ground, instinctively I kick, I dig my fingerless nails into his uniform, but his grip is unyielding. I let out raspy, desperate noises and little black dots cloud my vision. My body gets weaker and dizziness comes and my vision slowly giving up. The guard drops me and I let out painful chesty coughs, I desperately breathe. The guards stand above with a faint glass hovering. I can’t see clearly. He tilts the glass – deadly – and the fluid moves, it gets closer but the doors open startling them and a tiny splash of liquid falls on my forehead, incinerating my flesh, I hiss as the liquid melts my skin and I smell flesh burning.

  “What in the world are you doing?” a voice barks.

  “Punishing her, Officer Slevic,” the guard responds.

  I look at Officer Slevic, he makes his way to the guards, lips twisting with fury.

  “With acid? No, you’re not. I will take it from here,” he says ordering them out.

  Both guards look at me one last time and kiss their teeth, and leave. Officer Slevic bends down and touches me and I shuffle away. My heart stops as I look at him, I know what he’s capable of. He scoots closer rubbing my forehead and I cringe at the touch.

  “Stupid guards,” he hisses running his finger along the acid.

  “What are you going to do to me? I’ve seen what you do to people,” I shake.

  “I’m here to—” But he stops talking.

  Officer Slevic stands quickly and sorts out his uniform and blue hat.

  “Keep fighting,” he says and leaves.

  I watch him exit, feelings mixed. I thought he was going to finish off what they started. What was he going to say?

  I sit in the same position; not sure how long I’ve been here. I try to keep my sanity intact, but it falls short. I can’t imagine what they are doing to Cyren, Raiya, Parrish, Orin and Avra … dear God, I can’t imagine how Avra is or even alive, thinking about them laying hands on Avra turns my blood cold, she is a little girl and I got her into this mess. I’m so sorry, Avra.

  The light hums and in walks two guards and Lieutenant Larcival. I keep my head down not daring to look up, I feel a pair of hands grabbing my cheeks squeezing tightly, and I’m forced to look at him. Lieutenant Larcival greets me with a cold, bestial smile.

  “How can a girl like you cause so much trouble?”

  He sends a shiver through me. Suddenly, he backhands me so hard across the face, and I’m sent flying to the floor, before I can process the pain he cups my cheeks again.

 
“I’m not supposed to touch you, but don’t you worry our time will come. I will make sure you’re not breathing,” he threatens.

  He stands up kicking my shin and walks out with the guards right on his trail. I rest my head on the wall and lips quiver, and I break into a scream, tears flooding and stinging my cheeks. I scream the pain and anger out. I let Eyera break me.

  CHAPTER thirty-three

  They keep me fighting, Cyren, Raiya, Parrish, Orin, Avra, Hunter, my parents and Hadrian. They give me something to hold onto when I feel like there is nothing is left. They tell me not to give up, in fact, they are not allowing me to give up.

  The doors open and I cower away to the wall using my knees as a shield. A man stands in front and I don’t dare move, his hands roughly grab my chin, he cedar eyes tracing and his lips jerk upwards and nostrils flare.

  “Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” he says sickly in a deep accent.

  I bite the inside of my gum and do something I’ll regret. I spit. He close his eyes and sighs, he opens them up and his eyes become dark and impetuous. He reaches into his top pocket and pulls out a handkerchief and wipes off my spit. He stands up, and I wince at his movements, but he doesn’t hit me, he dips his head at the other guards and they pull me up unlocking the shackles. They pull me lethally out of the room and intense light blares my rectus, everything is silver, doors spread along the corridor, but I can’t see as the windows are blacked out.

  I can’t stand on my own feet, I’m too weak, but I’m forced to move. A drill echoes through the air followed by blood curdling screams. I’m paralysed by the sound, the screams get louder as the guards drag me down the iniquitous corridor. A door on the left opens and a doctor walks out with carmine blood over his blue scrubs. I automatically look inside and fall to my knees as I see Parrish strapped on the table naked with layers of blood.

  “Parrish!” I shriek.

  Parrish tries to move, but the straps prevent him from doing so. The doctor comes back snapping gloves and closes the door, the drills echoes again and Parrish wails to the top of his lungs. I scream breaking from the guard’s grip, but they are too quick, ripping me away putting cuffs on my hands. Hopeless and disturb of the sickening events. My ghostly face wavers and hollowness sits in my stomach leaving me broken. Parrish’s screams follow me down the corridor taunting me.

  The guard pushes the double doors open and sleek silver spreads along the walls. The black marble floor shines brightly, and on my right a ferocious lion statue stands next to the window. Miss Katherine Bennett sits on a leather revolving chair. Her desk is immaculate and glossy. Her eyes scorch into my soul as the guards bring me closer, they shove me on the chair and she waves them out.

  “We finally meet alone without any dis—,”

  Screams interrupts and she waits for them to stop.

  “—Stractions.” She laughs amusingly.

  Miss Katherine Bennet sorts out her jacket and keeps her back straight; intimidating. She places her hands in front crossing over, studying my face.

  “Looks like they didn’t go easy on you, good,” she says.

  I glare.

  “Miss Shader, do you know why we do what we do,” she says with a stoic face.

  Many things run inside my head, but instead of me unleashing my cursed words I stay silent, staring with murderous eyes. Miss Katherine Bennett leans forward and parts her impulsive red lips.

  “Because of order, abiding the law and following rules, rules are made to be followed not broken,”

  She sits back and lips arch upwards.

  “Fear keeps order,” she says.

  Her words are like venom. I look at her smug face, oh how I wish I could swipe that expression clean away.

  “Where are the rest of my friends?” I finally speak through clenched teeth.

  She chuckles.

  “You really class them as friends, they are delinquents, criminals that disobeyed order,” she says.

  Now it’s my turn to lean forward, my red ichor lips dripping with anger at the way she speaks of them, they are good people and we stick together, they are my friends.

  “Doesn’t matter what you call them, they will always be my friends. Unlike you, who’s a sad pathetic woman,” I say not breaking contact.

  Miss Katherine Bennett smiles as if she is impressed, no one dares to speak to her like that, no one challenged challenges her at all, and I know I’m the first to do so.

  “You’re quite something, Miss Shader, you could be put to good use,” she says.

  “You want to know why I didn’t kill you? You did kill two of my guards and tried to escape with other delinquents,”

  I stay quiet waiting for her to continue.

  “Killing you would be too easy, I want you to experience the greatness we enforce,”

  I scoff loudly.

  “Yes, of course, it would be easy just to dispose of you but keeping you alive sends a message, more of a message than death. The way I see it, Miss Shader, if the world had no rules, people would do whatever they want. But if you apply rules and strict punishments people fall in line and obey. And if not, we take them here and make sure they obey. Death is too easy, I like to savour.”

  She flicks her wrist and two guards march over. The guard pulls out his club in his agitated hand, and I know what is coming. A split second later he sends me flying off the chair, nearly hitting the desk. Colour surface to my vision causing blurriness. Miss Katherine Bennett watches as they string me along, everything becomes a blur and shuns of white fills my site. I can’t get myself together. Doors open and sounds of water powerfully jet smacking against the tiles. The guards throw me to the cold floor, my sight adjusts seeing silver tiles and silver benches. I rub my palms together to keep warm. A woman with a clipboard walks in and looks at me for a brief second and writes something down.

  “Stand up,” she says, and I obey.

  “Remove your clothes,” she says monotonously.

  This time I don’t obey, and she gets annoyed with my refusal, she walks forward, heels clicking impatiently.

  “I said remove your clothes now!” she bites coldly.

  If I don’t, I think she will ask the guards to do it and I’m not letting them do that. I kick off my boots and pull off my socks, next I unbutton my stained trousers pulling them down, they pinch at my scarred skin making me want to wince, but I don’t allow them to get the satisfaction. My joints bleed of extreme agony as I lift my arms detaching my T-shirt. I stop removing my clothes and am left in my bra and knickers.

  “I said remove your clothes, all of them,” she says raucously.

  I flinch, uncomfortable not wanting to remove my underwear. I see her look behind and the guards step forward.

  “No, wait,” I beg.

  “You take off your clothes, or they will do it for you,” she says.

  I swallow hard. Not wanting to do this, it takes me a while. I unclasp my bra and let it fall, covering my exposed top half with my right arm, second I slip out of my knickers and cover with my left hand. I stand exposed and vulnerable.

  “Good, now follow me,” she orders.

  I follow feeling the cold air, the guards walk behind and I’m extremely anxious and feel dirty. I walk to another room and the doctor opens the curtain and ushers me forward. My feet splash in the freezing water. She signals me in the middle and clicks at the guards. A loud noise fills my ears, and I watch the guard pull down the lever and a powerful jet of water pelts, slapping my body and sending me to my knees. The water hurdles at my face causing excruciating pain smothering across my skin. I hold my hands in the air and water shoots between my fingers causing them to bleed. After five minutes of cold sacred water, it stops. My breath tries to catch up with my body. Water drips down and splashes on the floor, my exposed polar skin creeps with red marks. The guards pick me up and the doctor hands me a towel and immediately wrap it around. The warm and soft fabric absorbs the water, and she gives me a new set of clothes. I put the clothes on igno
ring the pain my body desperately cries out. She writes down notes not looking up and the guards take me out of the room and into the elevator. They press level four, thankfully they are taking me back. The doors open and I never thought I be happy to see my cell. But they don’t take me to the cell, but outside the cafeteria, they leave me on my own. My fingers tremble and anxiety plays, I can’t break the force that lies within, a few minutes of complete staring. I eventually push the door and people stare, some of them gasp and a few whisper. I scan around the room, blue eyes meeting with another set of blue eyes. I stare, a huge smile unfurls, tears wanting to fall. I run forwards and his arms spread out and our bodies collide, he smiles and winks.

  “Acey,” he whispers shocked and relived.

  I look straight into his bruised deflected eyes; cuts dotted on this face just like mine. I feel so safe in his arms.

  “Cyren.” I push out relief.

  “You’re alive.”

  CHAPTER thirty-four

  I can’t believe that he is standing in front of me.

  I don’t know what I do if he wasn’t. Cyren entwines his fingers with mine and I feel a little stub, I bring his hand up taking a closer look to see his pinkie is missing, he quickly sweeps his hand back and touches my chin.

  “Don’t ya worry, Acey, I’m fine, they can’t break me, how are ya?”

  I don’t have anything to say, I don’t know how I am feeling, it’s mixed. Cyren sees me struggling and brings me closer.

  “Ya don’t need ta say anything,” he says.

  We walk to the table, only Raiya sits, Parrish must still be in that God awful room, and Orin I don’t know, but I hope he’s okay. Raiya pushes a tray of food in front, and I look to see her nose is fractured and a plaster covers the bridge of her nose, her left eye is bloodshot.

  “You’re here,” she says nasally.