“Jewel, just what exactly did you used to do when you were on Earth?”
Jewel smiled mischievously and rocked her shoulders back and forth flirtatiously, but she didn’t answer. Instead she got to her feet and walked toward the door. “Do me a favor, cherie?”
Asia laughed. “What can I possibly do for you?” she wanted to know.
“Stay alive through to next week. I have a lot of money riding on you.”
With that, Jewel gave Asia a friendly wave, walked out of the door, and shut it behind her with a resonating clang.
When Julian came for her within an hour after that, he found her much subdued.
“Are you all right?” he asked her. “Did something happen?”
“Not really,” she somewhat assured him. “I’ve just got a lot to think about. A lot has happened to me in the past two days.”
“I know. And I’m sorry about that,” he said quietly.
“I know you are. And…I’m starting to understand why you feel you have to do the things you do. I still think some of it is wrong, but I do understand.”
“Asia, I can’t explain to you how precious you are. And not just to me.”
“I know. I’m going to be an excellent source of energy,” she reiterated.
“No,” he said sharply, reaching to take her chin in his hand and making her look into his eyes. “Asia, you’re a phenomenal source of energy. What you did last night…How can I possibly explain how shocking and fantastic that was for everyone in this world? You should have seen the Ampliphi, Asia. They looked just like you and me for the first time in decades. They were made flesh and flush, as real to touch as you or I. I’ve never seen anything like it. There’s been kindra and kindri before…but never between a human and one of us. You’ve proven that we’re on the right track trying to find ways to seed our world by using humans. No one can refute the evidence before them. Not after last night.”
“Julian, I want to ask you something and I want an honest answer.”
“Of course. I have never lied to you, Asia. And I never will.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Asia carefully stepped onto the walkway outside her room, her heart flitting inside her chest as, for a moment, she looked down on the clouds. “Remember how you told me you spend days introducing women to the idea of what your world is like?”
“Yes.”
“Do you tell them everything, Julian?” She turned to search his gaze. “I mean everything. About how the need for energy in this place will even drain them eventually? About the law and what will happen to them if they break it? About the okriti?”
“Don’t you think,” he said, “it would be very wrong of me to invite a woman to come live in this place without telling her all of those things?”
“I think it would be very wrong of you. So, is that a yes? Do you tell them everything?”
“Everything, Asia. And if you need a witness to that fact, you will soon have one. Your sister is at the colony and she waits for you even now. You can ask her what I did and did not tell her when I invited her to this world.”
“I think I will do that.” She began to walk ahead of him. “But not because I think you are lying to me. More because…I can’t understand it. I can’t understand how my sister could willingly walk into all of this.”
“Nor can you understand why she would walk away from you,” Julian added a little too knowingly. “You want to know why she left you.”
“I admit that I do,” Asia said softly. “I see all the risk and the danger here and…I see the need. It’s the need that attracted her, I know that much. She would have taken one look at those starving people in your clinic and that would have convinced her to chuck everything and go.”
“But still…”
“Yes. But still.” Why had her sister turned her back on her forever without so much as a good-bye? Well, maybe she didn’t have the opportunity, but didn’t it ever occur to Kenya that Asia might suffer from her sudden disappearance? Didn’t she care about how much that had hurt her? And the way it had happened, the way it had made her believe she’d been brutally victimized. Kenya had to know Asia would think the worst when she simply ceased to exist. Didn’t she care how that made Asia feel? And did it make Asia incredibly selfish to be thinking that way when she could now see the scope of the reasoning for her sacrifice? Was she being petty?
“You’re being a big sister,” Julian soothed her suddenly, his hand anchoring at the bend in her waist. “You’re entitled to feel hurt and abandoned. But I want you to know…she almost told me no, Asia. She said her big sister would never stop searching for her and she couldn’t do that to you.”
“But something changed her mind?” She stopped to look into his gentle green eyes. “You changed her mind.”
“Yes. I helped change her mind. She didn’t have the heart to leave us starving and in need. Your sister has a generous soul.”
“Tell me. What would have happened to her if she had said no? She would have known all about your world….”
“She would have awoken as if from a dream, and it all would have faded from her like a dream. The way I do this is almost ethereal. Nothing is real, nothing feels real, unless she’s there in the dream. She says yes or no while in the dream, all the while thinking it’s as real as you and I speaking here now. But if she says no, it’s half gone by the time she opens her eyes. The human mind in its dream state is a fascinating thing, and for us a very useful one. What we cannot change, however, is waking memories. At least, not without doing severe damage to the mind that houses the memories. It’s why we don’t like being forced to send someone back to the Earth plane. The memory wipe is very severe. You lose everything. Anything. Even who you are. I sometimes think that is a thousand times crueler than trying to keep you here.”
“But it is a choice. A terrible choice, but a choice just the same.”
“Don’t even speak of it as a choice,” he said with sudden harshness. “You talk about our crime and punishment here as though it were the most distasteful thing you had ever heard of, but it would be criminal for someone to eradicate Asia from this plane and all others, erasing her until she was nothing but a blank body. Your black belt, your business, your life would mean nothing to you. At least here you have purpose and direction.”
“I had purpose and direction where I was,” she said, but for the first time her speech was absent of malice.
“I know. But that’s gone now. One way or another, Asia, it’s gone forever and you have to accept that. I pray you do and that you never even consider making so rash a choice as that.”
She didn’t have anything to say to that. Asia turned away from him and continued along the walkway. Her mind was weighing heavily with thoughts and she almost ran into someone. Luckily they had sharp reflexes and proved able to balance them both quickly. She realized her victim was Lucien, and she smiled at him.
“Lucien! How are you?”
“I’m wonderful today, thank you for asking. But you are largely responsible for that.”
Asia had to fight off a sudden blush. Did this mean everyone knew she had slept with Julian?
Again, what a petty thought, she realized. What did it matter? Everyone was flushed and happy with satisfied appetites. Today, no one was starving. Wasn’t that all that mattered?
She realized it was. It really was. And it made her feel pretty damn good, too.
“So, you’re a free woman. How does it feel?”
“It’s a relief,” she said as he turned to lead her through the guard gate. “I know I’m innocent, but for a while there I wasn’t certain the Ampliphi would care about little details like that.”
“They are not wholly unfair, Asia,” Lucien said in a gentle scold. “They are just…You have to realize that we don’t have the luxury of exploring gray areas here. The Ampliphi are very black-and-white creatures. Something is either black or it is white to them. With a civilization on the brink of extinction, it is how we have been forced to b
ecome. To you it seems harsh, but we live in a very harsh world here Beneath, Asia.”
“It is harsh, but at the same time I understand why you feel these are your only choices. Sometimes I wish Earth functioned more in areas of black and white and spent less time wading around in the muck of the forever gray. There are many injustices in my world because of that.”
“And I am certain there are some here as well. No society can claim perfection. But perhaps you can become one of our critics, Asia, and keep us on our toes. One strong voice among us can see powerful changes made.”
Julian spoke up from behind her. “And one strong voice can find purpose in a new world.” She had just stepped on the solid ground outside the prison gates, and the sense of freedom that washed over her compelled her to turn to him and nod.
“Perhaps it can,” she allowed. The strong surprise that flashed in his expression was quickly chased by pleasure. She gave him a little smile, feeling really happy because she was free and she was on her way to see her sister at last. Kenya was the only one she had, the only one she’d ever had. Though she was the older one, Asia had been lost without her role as Kenya’s guardian and caretaker. Granted, her sister was an independent-minded woman with a strong personality, but in the end it had always fallen on Asia to watch over her and keep her safe. It had truly devastated her to think she had failed so miserably in that role.
Asia walked between the two men as they made the trek back to Julian’s colony. She was still wearing the gown that Jewel had lent her, her hair slowly drying in its tight, upswept braid. The day was warm and the path a little dusty, so she picked up her long skirt in one hand.
“Julian, were you able to discuss Ariel with the Ampliphi? Did they listen to you at all?”
Julian shook his head. “I tried, Asia. I promise I did. But they said she must be punished for trying to put an innocent woman through the fate of a nightfly. It’s an unconscionable act. And I have to admit, I agree with them, zini. I came too close to losing you…and my people came too close to losing the treasure that you will become to them. As soon as she is well, she will go to the nightfly colony, where perhaps she can be a useful and productive member of our society again.” Julian took hold of her free hand, lacing his fingers tightly with hers. “I’m sorry. I know you do not agree with this.”
“No, but I do understand. I see things today that I didn’t see yesterday. And perhaps…perhaps I can help Ariel. I made a friend in the nightfly colony. I could ask her to look out for Ariel. Perhaps protect her from the harder parts of adjustment. It won’t free her, but it can help.”
Julian gave her hand a squeeze and she was aware of his grim smile. He appreciated what she was trying to do. She felt the emanation almost as if he had spoken to her. Asia was startled to realize that this was the way Julian’s people spoke to one another. Perhaps it was clearer to them, but given time she would be able to understand much better.
Given time.
Asia realized then that she had all the time in the world to learn. Julian had made his point to her. There was no turning back. Everything behind her was basically destroyed forever. She could imagine her life going up in a mushroom cloud, nothing left of it but herself and her memories of what had been. And the only way they would let her go back to Earth would be to destroy that last little bit. And she wouldn’t do that. She was a powerful and skilled woman. She had crucial abilities that she could offer to this troubled world. And not just the ephemeral energy they so craved, either. That was an accidental ability, an incidental skill. There were other things she could do here.
After all, any world with criminals could use a bounty hunter. Or perhaps some kind of guard or protection force. There had to be a way to be useful besides sitting around like a protected little princess. Because that much she knew she could not accept.
“I do not envy you, my friend,” Lucien said to Julian with a deep chuckle. “She will not be easy to protect.”
Julian frowned darkly in reply. “She is very stubborn.”
“She is standing right between you,” she said tartly. “Don’t stand there talking over my head. My God, you people are so—”
She was cut off by a wicked-sounding snarl that seemed way too close for comfort. And sure enough, in the next instant an enormous creature came hurtling up over the side of the cliff and barreled into the trio. Julian tried to keep hold of Asia, but the beast, partly scaled and partly furred, ripped them apart even as it raked savage claws down Julian’s arm, cutting deep, bright pink furrows into his flesh.
Lucien and Asia rolled with the momentum as they were pushed aside, both coming up onto their feet as two other creatures followed the first into the fray.
“Abraxi!” Lucien emanated to her as he grabbed for the crescent around his waist. Stepping away from Asia so he had room, he swung the gleaming silver wire around over his head and then sent the balled end of it flying toward the beast that was shoving Julian down into the dirt, preparing to maul him. The ball and wire wrapped around a raised arm until the ball caught the wire again on the opposite side of the thing’s huge biceps. Then Lucien threw all of his body power into yanking the thing hard toward him.
The wire went straight through the creature’s arm, cleanly dismembering it and dropping the limb to the ground. The bloody and now free wire came whipping back and Asia had sense enough to duck out of the way. Meanwhile, she had been sizing up one of the other creatures scrabbling toward them. It was smaller and lighter than the other two and she was willing to bet it was the female of the group. She hated that she didn’t know a damn thing about what was attacking them, but she also knew she couldn’t just stand by and let them gang up on Julian. She dug her feet in and ran at the abraxi with all the power she could muster in a short tackling run. She aimed for the knees, hitting it below its center of balance, plowing it off its feet and sending it tumbling over her back.
Julian now had the chance to recover, rushing to his feet and pulling a wickedly curved blade from a sheath strapped to the lower lumbar region of his back. The rune-carved blade was silver and black, for all of a second. Then it was dark pink with blood after he decapitated the injured beast, dropping it straight to the ground and opening himself up to the second male.
Asia focused on her own battle, likening it to wrestling with a lion. A black belt or two didn’t make a damn bit of difference when it came to confronting a wild creature, but she was going to give it her best shot. It took her only a minute to register what she supposed were the animal’s vulnerable points. The one constant in all species: the eyes. Making her fingers rigid on her striking hand, she punched down deep into the thing’s eyeball socket, feeling the vitreous fluid explode from the rending pressure of her vicious strike. Then she slammed all of her weight down on a single knee, aiming for the creature’s throat, because if you can’t see and you can’t breathe, you can’t fight.
Not well, anyway.
But the thing about a wounded beast was that they invariably went berserk, lashing out on instinct. Asia didn’t move out of reach fast enough to avoid the swipe of the thing’s enormous paw. Claws sank deep into her flank, and once the creature had hold of her, it threw her back as far as it could. Burning pain lanced through her entire body as she rolled with the strike the best she could.
And rolled herself right over the edge of the cliff.
“Asia!”
Lucien only had one choice and one instant to react. He flung out his weapon, aiming for whatever part of her body he could see as she disappeared over the edge. The killer razorwire spiraled around her leg, snagging her hard. Lucien ran forward to lessen the impact, fearing he would cut her straight to the bone, and he was barely able to keep from plummeting over the side himself. Luckily, Julian had already dispatched the second male and was able to grab Lucien by the back of his leather vest.
“Don’t lose her!” he cried out to his friend, who was down on his backside and sliding in the soft soil against the brace of his feet as he gripp
ed the crescent end of his weapon with all of his strength.
“God, she’s heavy!” Lucien grunted. “The wire is going to slice right through her! You have to grab her!”
Julian let go of Lucien, trusting him to hold on while he dove for the cliff’s edge. Dropping his blade to the ground to free his hands, he leaned out into the open air to find Asia. She was there, barely—a good two feet down the side of the cliff, her leg extended up toward him, her foot just out of reach. The wire spiraled from her thigh all the way down and around to her calf, and everywhere it dug in was brilliant with scarlet red blood.
And right below her was the narrow ledge the abraxi had congregated on before they’d heard them coming along and decided to attack.
“Julian!” Lucien warned, his braced feet sliding even farther, sending rivers of soft sand down onto Asia’s dangling body.
“Let her go! Asia, you have to get that ledge! Asia!”
“I hear you!”
“Lucien…as easy as you can,” Julian begged him.
Lucien nodded, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he let himself slide as far as he dared, then dropped forward and let go at the very last instant. Even so, he overshot the cliff and would have fallen over if Julian hadn’t snagged him at the last minute. It had taken a lot for Julian to take his eyes off Asia, but he couldn’t let Lucien sacrifice himself. Both men fell back onto the dirt, dragging hard for breath. Then, after looking at one another, they both scrambled for the cliff-side. Looking over the edge, they both exhaled in violent relief to see Asia lying flat-faced on the scrawny little ledge. But if it was strong enough to hold three abraxi, it was strong enough to hold one woman.
The trouble was neither of them could tell if she was moving…or even breathing.
Lucien tried to reassure him. “I bet she’s passed out from the pain. The wire must have cut her deep.”
“Asia wouldn’t pass out from pain,” Julian argued, pushing back away from the cliff. “You keep an eye on her, you hear me? I have to find something to act as a rope.”