When we left the prison adjoining Burj Citadel, an icy wind danced across my face, bringing freshness and restoring some of my energy. Night's veil offered relief to my injured eyes. My vision clouded. Wounds covered my nose, so I breathed through my mouth. Swallowed blood from my damaged throat. Coughed repeatedly. Finally, I had left that hell. Though it took me a while to believe it.
Around us, bodies upon bodies lay piled together. All with a bullet in the forehead or chest.
I clung tightly to Saymon. Afraid he would let go. Afraid I would be dragged back. I glimpsed the blood spattered across his face. It seemed to belong to others. Then… had he killed them all?
Saymon stared ahead, expressionless, carrying me without effort. As though I were dead weight. I think I had lost weight during those days. Maybe a lot.
"There she is… ♪" He whistled and smirked.
Kiara held her rifle as she leaped across gaps in the mountains. Fast. Precise. Strong.
We stopped near her car. Waited for her to reach us.
She slung the rifle. "AKIKO!" Relief and shock mingled in her eyes.
Seeing Kiara made me want to cry, but I had no tears left to shed.
"No time. They'll notice soon. The alarms will sound. Kemetia command will be notified." Saymon got straight to the point.
Kiara nodded.
We got in the car. Sped away.
He placed a pillow on his lap. "Lie down here."
My head met the soft fabric, offering the first comfort I had felt in days.
"Drink this." Saymon brought the water bottle to my lips.
I choked. Blood burned in my throat. I felt full. Maybe he had given me FamineFix. I had gone so long without eating. If it continued, I would die.
"Stay awake." He admonished me when I closed my eyes.
I tried to remain awake, but sleep was winning. Just a little longer. Hold on. You've already endured so much. I remembered my time in captivity. Arms and legs bound. Unable to move. How long had it been? Better not to know.
A plane waited for us in the Sahara Desert. Saymon carried me aboard. Kiara started the aircraft.
He laid me on a bed, then sat beside me.
Kiara emerged from the kitchen. "Soup's all you can eat right now. Has the nutrients you need." She sat and gently fed me.
Swallowing hurt. Kiara followed my pace. Always patient. As though she had done this many times before.
I finished. The food weighed heavily in my stomach. Nausea followed, then the protest of my injured organs. Soon afterward, I felt my blood pressure drop.
"Hey, easy." Kiara laid me back. "Keep that food down." She grabbed a first aid kit. "Gonna do what I can for you now. I'll be able to help more in Brasil." Her voice grew distant. More and more distant.
My eyes blinked heavily.
"I'm gonna—" The last words I heard from Kiara.
Then I blacked out.
Was I Still Alive?
I woke. Bandaged from head to toe. Covered by a sheet. I could barely feel my body. Slowly tried to awaken each part. My feet first. Tried to move my toes. Failed. Then my hands. It took a while. I blinked. My vision adjusted slowly.
The room was small. Worn blue walls. A bed. Window. Wardrobe.
"You're awake." Kiara's voice sounded close, yet distant at the same time. She sat on the edge of the bed. Her gaze fixed on me. Relief. Worry.
Leaning against the wall, Saymon slid cards between his fingers. "Good. I can go." He approached Kiara and held out his hand.
She rolled her eyes. "The fuck do you want?"
"You know." His sharp smile flashed.
She huffed. Pulled the metal box from her pocket. The one we had taken from the warehouse. I had forgotten about it completely. What was it?
Saymon opened it immediately. Light reflected across his face. The triangular object turned in his hands. Translucent. Brilliant green. Hypnotic.
"W-what is that?" My voice came out weak. Hoarse.
"The Matriarch collects antiquities. This is Cleopatra's Jewel." He brought it closer so I could see.
"Cleop—" I coughed. Damn it.
"Yes, that Cleopatra." Saymon turned the jewel between his fingers. "Someone found it during an excavation in South Africa. Word reached the Matriarch." He smiled ironically, but his eyes held a veiled bitterness.
I closed my eyes. The weight of my survival settled over me. I had gone through all of that. Me, Kiara, and Denden. Why? For a piece of precious stone? That life had to be abnormal. For them, it was ordinary. For me… no.
My blood boiled. I clenched my fists. Knuckles whitened. The pain of that simple movement forced me to relax. Shit. I swallowed the anger building inside me. More and more.
Kiara stood. "Well?" She faced Saymon.
He held her gaze. His apathetic smile widened. "This wasn't enough for the Matriarch. She needs one more thing." He seemed displeased to say it, though his features concealed an almost imperceptible satisfaction.
Kiara clenched her fists. "That wasn't the fucking deal!"
Saymon shrugged and ambled through the room. "The deal was for you to deliver the package to me in Netheria. Not for me to come rescue her." His gaze radiated malice. "She'll have time to recover. The Matriarch will keep the contract suspended until then."
"You—"
He cut her off with a wave. His expression darkened. "I'll personally guarantee you get the client's name. But only after you do this… and my favor. It's not like I can wait any longer."
Kiara looked ready to lunge at him. A fierce gaze. Flashes of anger. "Makes no sense to risk something happening to Akiko again."
"Hey, easy." Saymon gave a breathy chuckle. A silent threat slipped between his words. "It's just an escort. I'm sure she knows how to—"
"Finish that sentence and fucking see what happens!" Her fury exploded. "I'll do this mission and your little favor. After that, I want the fucking name!"
"Or else…?"
"You think you're invincible, huh?" Kiara's voice cut like a sharpened blade. "We all have a weakness, Saymon. And I… I know yours."
His jaw tightened for a second. "Whatever." Saymon resumed shuffling the cards. "One lunation from now, a nanoplane will be waiting at Campo de Marte. You'll take it, go to Moscow, and escort a princess." He drew a card. "Someone important to the Matriarch. She'll be very grateful." The Death card spun between his fingers. "By the way… someone else will be going too. Simple, isn't it?"
Kiara's face hardened, but her fury began to subside.
The truth? I was watching an invisible conversation. Only they grasped the depth of each word. Yet I noticed. My Enchantress always did.
"That's it?" Kiara rested a hand on her hip. "An escort?"
"Yes. Nice and safe for our Blondie." He smiled casually. Looked deep into my eyes. "Take it collectively." His smile widened. This time, his eyes smiled too. "I did it for fun. You've shown me a very interesting game. And the fun continues as long as you stay alive."
"Saymon!" Kiara roared.
"All right, all right." He raised his hands. Went to the door and turned. "Ah, one more thing." His golden eyes gleamed. "Leave my androids out of this." He left without waiting for an answer.
Kiara ran a hand through her hair.
How I had missed her.
"How're you feeling?" She sat near me.
Sensation was slowly returning. I still had no idea how extensive my injuries were. "I don't know. I need a bath."
Surprise and understanding shared her expression. She nodded.
"I'm more aware now. I can guide you." My voice came in fragments. Difficult to keep the words flowing. "Nanobandages that restore muscle tissue, combined with prostaglandin E2, repair stem cells." I forced the words out calmly. "You can find it at any pharmacy." I rested my head on the pillow. It throbbed. "If you can get some pain-relieving bath salts… they'll help with the pain."
"You gonna be okay alone? Seriously? I'd rather stay with you."
"Yes." I closed my eyes. Thinking hurt.
"All right. Anything else?"
"F-foods for muscle recovery. My muscles are stiff. Too damaged." I was going to say more, but my thoughts scattered. I had already used my brain's quota for the day.
"Sure you'll be okay? Keep this." She sent a file: K-K.exe "Run it, and I'll come right away." Before leaving the room, Kiara hesitated. Her hand hovered over my forehead, as though she wanted to check for a fever, but withdrew. Maybe she feared breaking me more than I already was. "Ah, shit. Okay. Be right back."
I lay back. Pain traveled through every part of me. Even accustomed to it, moving was difficult. Thinking. Speaking. How did Denden handle it? Acted as though that pain were nothing. Was Maia like that too? Judging by her scars… Yes. Was this the pain she carried?
Finally, I understood. Now I shared Maia's pain.
I closed my eyes. Sank. Into the silence. Into the pain. Into what Maia had never told me.