Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Fedra jolted awake when she heard four distinct voices, but none of them was Marcus. She recognized two, but the others were new. Their footsteps grew closer as they moved around her. It was unnerving to know they were standing and staring, talking about her and the pod.
Then their voices trailed off. She assumed they were looking around the room.
She had known she’d have much to learn when she finally woke, but the realization that she would be with strangers suddenly unnerved her.
Her very reason for being here was about to come to fruition.
It might have been a hundred years, or it could have been a thousand.
She had no way of knowing, and in the end, it really didn’t matter. There was only one goal.
For the first time since her life had been upended, she was close to achieving what she dreamed of.
There was just one final step: being released.
She had expected them to wake her as soon as she was discovered, but it seemed they were being cautious.
As irritating as that was, she didn’t blame them.
If they were smart, they would leave her just as she was.
There might even be one or two who suggested it, but there would be others who were curious about who she was, how she had gotten here, and where she came from.
What she told them wouldn’t be the truth, but something close to it.
It wasn’t as if she would be around for long to worry about it.
Once they released her, she intended to put her plan in motion.
It wouldn’t take long after that. Maybe then she could finally find the peace that had eluded her for so long.
Or perhaps she was the kind who would never find it. Not that it mattered. She wouldn’t be alive long enough to worry about it.
Movement near her grabbed her attention. She listened as one of the four walked around her pod while another moved away to the wall. They were likely trying to decipher what was written there. She waited for them to discuss it, but all four seemed absorbed in whatever they were doing.
She focused on the rocks being moved in the hallway, listening between the moments of silence to pick up the little noises.
For a long time, there was nothing but heavy breathing and grunts.
Then she caught something. A single word.
But still she knew it was Marcus. She had come to know every nuance of his voice and speech patterns.
She could recognize his walk, and even the sound of his breathing.
He had been the one she’d chosen to reach out to, simply because he had been the nearest to her.
But now, she was eager to see if he matched the image her mind had crafted for him.
She doubted it would. After all, she wasn’t on her realm.
Those who now resided in Iron Hall wouldn’t look anything like her people.
The engineers who’d created the pod had also expected a language barrier and devised a way to address it.
She couldn’t feel the needle at the base of her neck as it had been inserted after she’d fallen asleep, but they had explained that it would be wired into her brain to allow her to discern and adapt to new languages.
It was supposed to be permanent, but she wouldn’t know for certain until she was out and had the needle removed.
One of the first things she would have to do once she woke would be to determine how many now called the city home.
Only then could she know how and when to sneak out.
As much as she wanted to leave immediately, she knew she wouldn’t be able to.
They would want an explanation. Then again, she had questions of her own.
They would be able to fill her in on the current goings-on of the realm.
Fedra didn’t know how much time passed before she heard a loud groan that vibrated through the floor and walls around her. Even her pod shook. Immediately after, a flurry of small rocks fell into the hallway before quickly halting. There was a beat of silence before she heard clapping.
“Well done,” one of the men said.
“As if there was any doubt that Marcus could clear it,” said another.
So, Marcus had gotten through. Apparently, that’s what he had been doing in the corridor while the others were in the chamber with her.
“What have you discovered?” he asked, sounding a little out of breath.
There was a grunt before one of the four said, “No’ much.”
“This technology hasna been found anywhere else in the city,” stated one.
Marcus walked closer to the pod. Excitement skidded along her nerve endings at having him so close again. She wished she could open her eyes and see him.
“What about her?” he asked.
“We’re still debating what to do,” a deep voice replied.
They should be cautious, but it wasn’t as if she was their enemy. Though they might end up thinking that. Just another reason to hurry and leave the city.
“What’s to debate?” Marcus asked.
One of them said, “We need to figure out what the markings on the walls are first.”
Fedra appreciated their restraint. It meant they were smart enough not to allow their curiosity to rule them.
Even if she told them she wasn’t there to harm them, they wouldn’t believe her.
They were guarded and careful because life had taught them that they needed to be.
One more reason to get out of Iron Hall as fast as possible once she was released.
Because men like those surrounding her tended to dig for answers until they got what they wanted.
Marcus sighed, but he didn’t argue. The chamber fell quiet as the men presumably returned their attention to the walls.
Except…she felt someone still near her. And they didn’t move.
She thought about trying to speak to Marcus again, the words even formed in her head, but something urged her to remain quiet.
Instead, she listened to the man’s breathing.
It didn’t take her long to realize it was Marcus beside her.
She could almost feel his eyes on her and wished she knew what thoughts were going through his mind.
The minute she realized her curiosity, she put a halt to it. He was a means to an end. The way she’d be released and nothing more. She wouldn’t jeopardize years of planning and the hopes of thousands on a single emotion. She would thank him, and then she would leave. It was that simple.
Who was she? The thought kept rolling through Marcus’s mind as he stared down at her.
The silken strands of her black hair captured his attention just as before.
Not because of their color, but because of the hairstyle.
While he couldn’t tell how long it was since she was lying on it, it was hard to miss the upper portion drawn into a topknot and clasped with an ornate silver band and hairpin, leaving the rest to fall loose.
She had a heart-shaped face with smooth, warm-toned skin. The high cheekbones and straight nose gave her a refined look. He traced her brows with his gaze as he imagined her opening her eyes. Would they be a soft brown? Or perhaps so dark they appeared black?
He shifted his attention to the many knobs and buttons on the pod.
Ryder was studying the tubing that ran from it into a console against the wall.
Marcus was in a hurry to release her because he wanted to know who she was, but he knew it was imperative that they first figure out the workings of the pod and what the writing on the wall said.
There had been enemies everywhere the Kings turned.
They couldn’t be too careful. Besides, they weren’t the only ones in Iron Hall. Children called it home.
“You need to read this,” Cullen said. Everyone headed to him and looked at where he pointed on the wall. “I think this is referring to a reckoning.”
“A reckoning?” Brandr repeated, his frown deepening. “What kind?”
Cullen shrugged. “I’m no’ sure yet. It’s the only thing I’ve been able to decipher so far.”
“We should be cautious,” Con said and glanced at the pod.
“You think she can hear us?” Marcus asked.
Evander cut him a look. “We both heard a voice, and you think it was her. It makes sense that she can hear us.”
Marcus turned to look at her over his shoulder. Maybe they were right, and she could hear them. He swung his head back around. “Then perhaps I can ask her what she wants before we release her.”
“You think she would tell you the truth?” Cullen asked.
Marcus shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It will be the same thing as asking once she’s awake.”
“If we wake her, you mean,” Brandr stated.
Outrage rolled through Marcus as he slowly turned his head to Brandr. The anger was worse than before. His dragon self roared in his head, demanding release. Marcus wanted to take his fury out on Brandr. Make him hurt. Make him—
Con stepped between them. The King of Kings said nothing, merely held Marcus’s gaze.
Slowly, Marcus became aware of his clenched fists and the fact that he had taken a step toward Brandr, all without realizing it.
Marcus closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath as he spread his fingers wide and forced his body to relax.
“What was that?” Ryder asked.
Con didn’t look away from Marcus as he answered, “Nothing that cannot be handled.”
“Is anyone else affected?” Brandr asked.
Evander shrugged. “No’ like Marcus.”
“Could it be something in the chamber? Marcus has been down here longer than anyone,” Cullen pointed out.
“That’s a good point,” Brandr said. “Ryder and Marcus lost time recently, and Marcus and Evander are hearing the voice. There has to be some kind of link to this area.”
If they kept going this way, they would find every reason not to wake the woman.
Several arguments came to mind, but the more he fought to wake her, the more pushback he would get.
The only way the woman was coming out of that pod was if everyone agreed it was safe.
Which meant deciphering the walls. Their magic normally allowed them to learn new languages quickly.
Marcus looked over the markings, expecting to read them easily, but that didn’t happen. He frowned and moved closer. Not that it did any good.
“Aye,” Cullen said. “I’ve no’ been able to read it either.”
“Me neither,” Evander agreed.
Brandr’s lips twisted. “Nor me.”
Everyone looked to Con. He shook his head.
Ryder sighed. “I doona need words to learn the technology, so I’ve no’ had the same problem.”
“What have you learned?” Con asked.
“It far exceeds anything we have on Earth.” Ryder rubbed the back of his neck. “It takes minimal power to run. I’ve no’ yet found the power source, but it has to be something significant.”
Evander raised a brow. “Why do you say that?”
“I think she’s been here a long time,” Ryder answered.