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  My fear turns him on.

  “You’re safe with me,” he says cockily, and slams on the accelerator again. The ship nosedives downwards so fast that it feels like I’m free-falling. I can’t stop myself from screaming, even though I know it’s exactly what he wants to hear. We power inexorably downwards and the hard ground gets closer and closer – way too fucking close!

  We’re going to crash! We’re going to crash! We’re going to fucking die!

  Then, Kendrick pulls up at the last second, his knuckles white on the wheel. I can see from the vein in his neck pulsing that he nearly lost control. He breathes raggedly, then catches his breath.

  “I-I’ve got perfect control,” he murmurs, and I wonder if somehow he believes the lie he just told himself, or he just doesn’t want to admit that he nearly just killed us both. In any event, he doubles down on his delusion and slams on the accelerator again. This time, we power ever upwards, flying so fast that the buildings become just a mass of blurs as they whip past us on either side.

  But all the terror has left me at this point. I can’t even scream anymore. I just have this muted, dull sensation of helpless horror in the pit of my stomach.

  Kendrick turns to me as he pilots, not even staring through the window. I can tell in his eyes that he’s disappointed my screams have stopped.

  “You don’t have to worry with me. I’m highly… skilled with my hands,” Kendrick leers, reaching over and gently grazing my thigh where my dress ends. I shudder at his touch, and then catch myself – hoping he just thinks I’m still scared, instead of disgusted at his touch.

  But the truth is – I can’t take it anymore.

  He’s about to fucking get us killed as we shoot ever upwards to the roof, and I need to end this now.

  “We’re going to crash!” I yell out, and he smirks, not taking his eyes off me as we propel towards the roof. Panic fills me as the ceiling of the underground city gets closer and closer, and I finally let my eyes roll back as I pretend to pass out.

  “Shit,” says Kendrick, the game over. He levels the ship out, and I let my head hang limply as our velocity slows. My tongue comes out slightly, completing the illusion.

  “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! If this bitch needs a medic, my dad is going to kill me!”

  Kendrick speaks as though I’m not even there, and it’s clear he’s totally bought my act.

  His words show his true feelings for me – speaking the truth while he thinks I’m completely out of it. He grabs my shoulders, shaking me roughly, and I pretend to gasp and come to wakefulness.

  “You’re fine, baby, you’re fine,” he coos, as if he’s talking to a child.

  I nod weakly. “T-The necklace is too tight…” I murmur, undoing my necklace. I shudder. “Kendrick, it’s so hard to breathe… Could you pass me a med-kit? I need the air filter.”

  Kendrick nods, looking a little panicked that he might have just done damage to the prize his father cares so much about – me.

  As Kendrick leans over to grab the med-kit, I move faster than I ever have before. I wrap the Purite necklace around his neck from behind and pull sharply.

  Kendrick’s eyes open wide in shock and he kicks out – wildly slamming his fists, trying to hit me, but I dodge the blows easily as he struggles and gasps.

  The ship’s com link suddenly opens, and a video chat starts. I see the manservant glaring at me with anger: “Let him go!”

  But I don’t stop tightening that Purite necklace around Kendrick’s throat until he finally goes limp. Panting, I awkwardly pull his body into the passenger seat and take the controls myself.

  “You need to let me out. Now!”

  The manservant is in the ship with the entire Dulloth family. I can see his father and mother glaring at me with utter horror, but they trust the manservant to negotiate with me.

  “You don’t know what you’re doing! That ship is sub-atmospheric. If you punch out, you’ll die. There’s nowhere for you to go! You’ll be hunted down.”

  I start hyper-ventilating, but summon back my courage. “Then I’ll need a ship – a ship that can Orb-Shift.”

  The manservant nods. “You do – and you’re going to get it. But first, you need to let Kendrick go.”

  I shake my head as hard as I can, getting used to the controls of this lightning-fast ship and piloting it towards the bay doors we’d arrived through.

  “No,” I argue. “If I do that, you’ll take me in. You won’t let me go without some kind of leverage.”

  The manservant turns to Maxime Dulloth, Kendrick’s father. Maxime gives a curt nod.

  “There will be a ship waiting for you in the bay, then. You’ll dock on the ship, test the Orb-Drive, and then let Kendrick go. We’ll let you Orb-Shift away. Do you understand?”

  I nod, fear gripping me. The manservant seems so utterly in control, as if he’s been in this situation a thousand times before.

  Kendrick groans, starting to wake up, and I grab the necklace, ready to subdue him again.

  “Kendrick – don’t move!” The manservant speaks to him through the coms link. “Don’t move an inch. We’re going to get you out of this. You’re stronger than her, but there’s no need to risk a noble’s life.”

  Still groggy, Kendrick nods – looking at me with betrayal and utter fear. He’s scared of me. I know he won’t try anything. As I witnessed the first day I met him, when he abandoned me to those Scorp warriors, Kendrick is a coward beneath it all.

  Ahead of our fast ship, the huge steel doors open to the massive chamber that I’d described as an elevator for elephants. I pilot the craft in slowly, not wanting to show any signs of weakness. The doors of the elevator shut behind me, and then the next set of doors open. I pilot through, and into the massive hanger bay beyond.

  Then I freeze.

  There was supposed to be a ship waiting for me, but instead the only thing I see is the massive Dulloth transport ship that brought us here in the first place.

  “Where’s my ship!” I yell, and the manservant holds up his hands, calmingly.

  “It’s coming. It takes a moment. Don’t do anything rash.” His voice is slow and steady. Then, a ship ten times the size of the little sub-atmospheric I’m piloting ship emerges from the depths of the hanger bay.

  I hope desperately that this crazy plan will work. I don’t actually know how to test an Orb-Drive, but I doubt they could have sabotaged one so quickly.

  The promised ship descends in front of us, and the hanger bay at the side of it opens.

  The plan was to pilot my little ship inside. It was supposed to be empty…

  …but instead, a guard stands there with a pistol pointed at Jenna’s head.

  “You’re not a killer,” the manservant sneers through the video link, “but we are. You are going to land that ship and let Kendrick out, or you’re going to watch us blow this bitch’s knees out. If you haven’t obeyed after that, then we’re going to shoot her in the throat and watch her bleed out right in front of you. Don’t negotiate. Don’t hesitate. Just do it.”

  The manservant’s eyes narrow as he stares at me through the coms link. Beside me, Kendrick looks horrified – as if he’s expecting me to attack him in retaliation for the manservant’s threats.

  Hopelessness fills me. In front of me, Jenna shakes her head – and I know she’s telling me not to give in to the family. She knows what’s waiting for me if I do.

  But there’s nothing I can do. I land the stolen ship, and open the passenger door. Kendrick stumbles out, running desperately to his transport ship where he enters a side door and slams it shut behind him.

  The manservant emerges a moment later, walking on the steel platform towards me. He motions for me to get out of the ship.

  There’s nowhere for me to run.

  I’m trapped – utterly trapped.

  Reluctantly, I climb out of the ship, my head hanging low.

  “That was a very stupid move,” says the manservant, shaking his head slowly. He pulls a black
collar from his bag, and unclips it.

  “Do you know what this is?”

  I shake my head, looking at the collar with fear.

  “This is an Orb-Collar. The other end of it is around my wrist.” I can’t even struggle as the manservant clips the collar around my neck. I feel for a clasp, but it’s so smooth – like a single piece of sleek, solid Orb-material. There’s no give to it in the slightest.

  “Do I need to show you what an Orb-Collar does?” The manservant’s eyes are dull, but I can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s eager to show me.

  I shake my head as hard as I can.

  It doesn’t matter. He’s already decided a need a demonstration.

  Pain!

  Complete, full, overwhelming pain.

  There’s nothing left of me. There’s no thought in my mind. Pain sears through me like lightning, and I hear screaming, so, so far away that it takes me a minute to realize I’m hearing my own wails of agony.

  And then even that disembodied screaming fades, as the pain makes me smaller and smaller, taking me further and further away from myself.

  And then, just as quickly as it started, it’s over. I gasp, panting. There’s no malice in the manservant’s eyes. He didn’t enjoy hurting me – not like Kendrick had enjoyed making me scared. It was just something that the manservant had felt he’d needed to do – to stop me from ever trying to escape again.

  “If you do anything – and I mean anything – to make me suspect that you’re going to try something stupid again, the other end of that collar is going around Kendrick’s wrist. Do I need to explain why you don’t want that?”

  The manservant’s eyes are so blank and dull, but I can imagine the warning he’s trying to give me. I shake my head desperately, the memory of the pain so fresh and prominent in my mind that I twitch at the very thought of it.

  I’m fearful the manservant will make me feel that mind-obliterating agony again. It lasted only a moment the first time – maybe just a few heartbeats – but the memory of the agony fills my mind overwhelmingly.

  “Please… Please, don’t hurt me,” I beg, and he nods.

  “Good. Now this is what’s going to happen: You’re going to marry Kendrick. He’s going to want to punish you for what you did to him – if he doesn’t, he’ll hate you forever; and that could end up being far worse for you.”

  I nod numbly.

  “So, Kendrick needs to know that he’s in charge. I don’t believe in unnecessary pain. He’s going to tell me to use the Orb-Collar on you – I don’t know how many times, but enough to be an act of cruelty, not discipline. So, if you’re willing to cooperate, here’s what we’ll do: Whenever you see me nod, you start screaming, and you fall to the ground. If you don’t act well enough – I’ll do it for real. Tell me you understand.”

  Tears come to my eyes. I thought I hated the manservant, but he’s showing me mercy. He doesn’t want to torture me, and he doesn’t want to let Kendrick fulfill his sadistic fantasies for real. I nod.

  “Thank you. And please, tell me – is Jenna okay?”

  “She’s fine. Don’t thank me. You’re going to be his perfect, submissive wife, you understand? You’re going to do whatever Kendrick asks for, whenever he asks for it – because now he feels like he can get away with punishing you if you don’t. Listen, girl. This is bigger than us. This marriage will change the future of this entire solar system. You’re just a pawn, and so am I – so the sooner you realize how little control you have over your future, the sooner you’ll understand.”

  I nod, shuddering.

  “Come with me,” the manservant snaps, and he motions for me to follow. I follow after him, my head hung low. I wish Jenna was here with me.

  As reading my mind, the manservant growls: “You won’t be seeing Jenna again. Your father just fired her, and she’ll looking for a new job on Tear. It seems the two families underestimated the two of you. That won’t happen again. Now, be a good girl from now on and don’t give me any reason to use this Orb-Collar for real. I’m not going to let Kendrick suspect anything, so if you aren’t the perfect actress, it’s really going to happen to you: As much and as often as he wants.”

  Tears spring to my eyes. I don’t think I can ever experience that pain again without going insane. I never thought anything could hurt so much. It’s inexplicable – as if every nerve-ending in my body had a lit flame held to it.

  The manservant grabs my arm and drags me into the Dulloth’s transport. He pulls me down a hallway towards the observation deck, where soldiers in the violet of the Dulloth house watch me suspiciously.

  Kendrick is in the middle of room I’m led into, and he stares at me hatefully.

  There’s a crowd gathered here – his mother and father, and other dignitaries and nobles.

  Kendrick addresses them all – quite the showman after all.

  “All nobles face betrayers and risk,” he growls theatrically. “I survived an attack by the very woman I’ll be wedding tonight.” There are gasps from the crowd.

  “Yes, that’s right – I’ll still be wedding her. As we all know, women just need to be… trained to learn respect.” His face breaks into a cold smile, and nervous laughter fills the crowd.

  “Bring her forward!” Kendrick yells, and the manservant throws me into the middle of the room. I stumble and fall on my knees.

  Kendrick stands above me, looking down at me cruelly. The manservant stands beside him, looking down at me equally coldly, and shrugs his long sleeve shirt upwards so that the entire crowd can see the Orb-Band around his wrist. The crowd shifts uncomfortably. They must know what an Orb-Collar does. I wouldn’t wish the pain on my worst enemy – and most in the crowd must have at least some part of a heart left.

  “Now,” orders Kendrick, and the manservant nods.

  Panic hits me as I expect the pain, and I scream out, writhing on the floor in agony – or my approximation of it.

  My play-acting is almost as tortuous as the real thing, though – because if I don’t sell this – I mean truly sell this – I know I’ll feel the pain for real; and I can’t let that happen ever, ever again.

  “Stop,” says Kendrick eventually, and I shudder, letting myself imagine the aftermath of the pain. I remember the blissful numbness, and I crawl to his feet suitably chastised.

  “Please,” I beg. “Please, not again! Please!” The tears come naturally to my eyes.

  “You need to learn respect, bitch.” Kendrick turns to his manservant. “Again!”

  Until this very moment, I didn’t understand the true sadism in Kendrick’s character. The manservant nods, and I scream again, pretending to try and stand, and then falling down to the floor in a writhing pool of faked agony. I can’t imagine that anyone would actually put someone through this horror, but there’s an excited smile on Kendrick’s face as he watched. I know that life with him will be terrifying – especially if the Orb-Collar is always around my neck.

  “Stop!” He finally commands, holding his hand up. I whimper on the ground, knowing that at this point I wouldn’t even have the strength to get up and beg for mercy.

  “A leader must know when to punish, and when enough is enough…” Kendrick murmurs, addressing the crowd. “Not to mention, everyone here needs to know what happens when you threaten the life of a noble. I will train this foolish little woman until she knows the true meaning of respect.” And then he turns to the manservant, and barks: “Again!”

  The manservant nods, and I thank the Gods that he is not the cruel man I’d thought him to be. The manservant could just have easily activated the Orb-Collar around my neck for real – and tortured me with genuine agony. But for some merciful reason, he simply sees no reason for unnecessary pain.

  I no longer scream this time, knowing that my breath would be gone by this point. Instead, I simply curl up on the floor. If the torture was real, I would be utterly, completed destroyed by this time.

  As much as I credit the manservant with mercy, there’s an
other reason why he might be sparing me this agony. If the torture was real, the next opportunity I had, I’d have killed Kendrick – as simple as that. I’d have killed him, or slit my own throat rather than face this pain again.

  The manservant must know that, and wanted to keep me from absolute desperation – the point at which I’d be willing to die to stop myself from ever feeling pain like this torture again.

  I continue acting, whimpering on the ground, letting pitiful sounds leave my mouth and knowing that they excite the young noble further.

  Eventually, after what seems like an eternity, Kendrick holds his hand up. I gasp desperately for air. Kendrick nods. “Yes. Now, that is enough.” He takes a menacing step forward. “Just remember, whore – if you so much as look at me the wrong way again, there will be more. I’m a strong man, and I will decide what happens to you.”

  I gasp for air, knowing that if the Orb-Collar ever goes on Kendrick’s wrist, everything will be over for me.

  I can’t try to escape again.

  I can’t – because if I do, what if I’m caught?

  My future now is too horrifying to even imagine. Every faked whimper of pain, every acted scream, every writhing contortion on the floor came from remembering that one tiny moment of agony that the manservant inflicted on me feel for real.

  All of that will happen to me if Kendrick ever wears that control around his wrist.

  I pull myself up to my feet slowly, keeping my head down, subservient. It’s not an act. I can’t get out here, and I have no choice.

  I am going to be wedded to Kendrick Dulloth.

  13

  Leon

  I grip the triggers of my Orb-Beam tight in my hand. Raka and Raekon are two balls of barely contained anger. My own rage is under the surface. I don’t know what they are doing to Lezena right now, but I have a dark feeling boiling up inside of me – almost as if I can feel a tinge of despair coming from her.

  It’s something like the auras of my battle-brothers, but fainter in my mind; less developed – but indubitably there.