Chapter 10
Rage
Star inhaled, her gaze lingering a little longer than necessary.
For a brief second, I noticed the desire in her eyes, her reaction deemed unacceptable to herself. She wrinkled her nose as if repulsed, but of course, I knew better.
I could still feel the raging heat of her body writhing under mine. She looked away on purpose but not before dragging her tongue across her bottom lip. Whether an involuntary action or not, I noticed everything.
“Verndari,” Thomas spat as if doing so had left a bad taste in his mouth. His curse echoed in the dense space.
“They do exist,” another soldier whispered in utter disbelief.
“Stronger. Faster. More dangerous. Right?” She laughed while uttering the words. “I’ve heard of you but thought you were just souped-up Savages. Oh, wait. You are. Which makes you unacceptable visitors.”
“Would you like to see the five points up close?” I asked, moving my cock so she had a clearer view of my heavy balls.
“Such a bastard.”
“You’re right.”
With her head shaking, her flared nostrils became an indication of how angry she’d become. Moving forward would be problematic. She blinked several times, her clear annoyance growing, enough she bit her lower lip. At least she had the fortitude to look closely at my men.
“Enough. All of you. What have we been fighting for as a group?” Peter asked. “Tell me.”
He could certainly be authoritative when he needed to be.
“Freedom,” the group said together, even Star agreeing.
“Yes, real freedom. Freedom to go where we want without fear of retribution, to begin to rebuild our lives. The Verndari are the ultimate soldiers of the Resistance and were created to help us do just that,” Peter said, interrupting our banter.
There was no animosity in his voice, just a simple clarity of position.
“They are our greatest weapon in the fight against tyranny. Do not forget what the Freedom Society and their king have done to our world. Even when we believed we might recover from the greatest threats known to mankind, rebuilding much of what had been lost, Anthony Washburn made certain we would all spend our days in absolute poverty.”
“True,” one man said harshly. “We are hungry and exhausted.”
“That won’t change because a few Verndari are on the loose,” Star insisted.
While the men of the village appeared dutifully ashamed, Star’s brow furrowed in hearing the name of the man who’d crowned himself the king, stealing a queen then making men who’d committed treason on his orders members of his kangaroo court.
Washburn had planned the attack on the president and his family for months. Given his friendship with the first family, he’d easily managed to slit the president’s throat himself. After that, hell had been unleashed, every member of congress eliminated, exterminated like animals.
He’d done so in front of an audience.
I took a deep breath, holding it.
My family.
Now the bastard ruled using fear and violence, tossing out enough crumbs to his subjects to keep them from mutiny.
Clean air. Clean water. Modest surroundings.
Enough to keep the people within the domed cities content.
Her face remained pinched, her eyes foggy from a memory keeping her breathing labored.
“The Freedom Hunters are heavily armed with a single goal in mind. Track down anyone inside the Resistance. Hunt, capture, and slaughter the leaders, both past and future. As per the prophecy, we must work together or we will fail. These men are welcomed.” Peter was giving the final word, laying down a new law.
His words rang clear and would be repeated. His expression softened as he moved closer to Star. While I couldn’t hear what was said between them, the gentleness in how he lifted her chin obviously meant something to her. She nodded several times, only once allowing me a single glance.
While my men had slowly folded their cocks into their pants, I remained with the material open, my dick exposed until Peter offered me a slight look of condemnation. It was similar to ones my father had used when I’d been annoying the hell out of my little sister.
What I wouldn’t give to have an opportunity to share how I felt about her. Just one more time.
Family. Friends. Teachers. They’d all been lost.
“We’ll be in the commissary if you need us, Peter.
You might trust them, but I will not,” Thomas offered before turning away.
I’d caught the intensity of his disbelief as with the others, although the wind had been stripped from their sails.
It was easier to hate those standing in front of you even with reasoning laid out so clearly.
The clomping of their boots as they walked away didn’t drag her attention from completing her task.
I offered a quick scan to the scuffed boots she was wearing. Even covered in blood and gore from confronting Night Dwellers, blood staining her hands and face, she was truly exceptional.
She was flustered enough, she pressed her fingers against her forehead and spun on her heel, storming off.
Peter following her trail with his gaze, laughing softly. “You must forgive Star. She has not been herself as of late. Her dreams have led to insomnia. I assume yours have as well.”
I chuckled. “You know much.”
“More than you know. Can I see you for a few minutes, Rage?”
Both Wrath and Vicious stopped, prepared to follow until I waved them off. “Yes.”
“Good. If you go down the corridor and take a left, the commissary is three doors down. I believe you’ll find food and drink to your satisfaction. While we don’t have much, what we do have we will share. Thank you all for keeping her safe.”
Wrath’s eyebrows shot up. He hadn’t been prepared for gratitude.
I hadn’t heard the terminology before. Perhaps in a way it was fitting. Once again, I nodded to my men while shoving my cock into my trousers. Dreams. Why did this man seem to know so much? I thought about what John had told me regarding the mission.
He’d told me I would finally find my place. I’d pushed his words aside as a nice old man offering me respite from the brutality of what I’d gone through only months before.
I’d already started questioning everything since what I’d believed was the reason to hunt the female had turned out to be false.
At this point, I was no longer certain what to expect except that our return would be fraught with even more difficulties.
The weather was becoming an issue, the storms more violent.
“Come with me.” While he didn’t wait for my response, he took his time, which allowed me to walk beside him.
“You should forgive the villagers. The last Savages we came up against took two of our own. The loss is… unforgiveable. Star feels the loss more than most, considering herself responsible for what happened.”
I didn’t ask him why as it wasn’t my place. Plus, I wasn’t here for small talk.
“You’ll find we are good people doing nothing more than fighting starvation, disease, and loneliness. I suspect you understand more than most.”
I’d realized long ago how much significant information could be derived from remaining silent.
“Here we are.” He allowed me to walk into the room first. I sensed he was waiting to see where I’d head to first since his room was a kaleidoscope of color.
While the terrariums were enticing, more so was the lemon on the table, wedges already cut.
I walked closer, selecting one and bringing it under my nose.
“Where you’re headed, you’ll become used to enjoying many different fruits and vegetables. Hopefully, one day I will get there.”
Almost everything the man had said up to this point indicated a depth of knowledge. I bit the flesh, savoring the bitterness on my tongue.
“You’re wondering how I could know so much about you.” Peter chuckled as he moved closer, once again positioning his hands behind his back.
“You’re a prophet.”
“Very good and yes, I am. Your father would be very proud of the man you’ve become, Phoenix.”
As likely expected, hearing my real name drew my attention.
“How?” The sound came from deep within my chest.
“As I said, I knew your father, which meant I knew his family. I became his confidant during a time when he trusted few, and sadly, some of the wrong people. You were so young when the war happened, inundated with so many horrors. There is no way for you to remember me from that long ago, but there was another time that will likely create a memory.”
“Star. The child I rescued. You were there when I rescued her.”
“I was told your memory wouldn’t be erased but placed in dormancy for your protection.
As with Star and given the destiny you both face, your memories are returning.
Theodore Jeffers was a great leader, someone the American people trusted.
He was also a good friend, someone I met in college.
We had the same ideals, the same desires to improve democracy.
” He studied my face. I don’t know what he expected; emotion?
I wasn’t so inclined to allow anyone to decipher what I was thinking.
I finished the lemon, including the peel. Nothing could be wasted.
“You are a vital part of her recovery. We have you to thank for finding her. I will admit that we were worried we hadn’t gotten to her in time.”
“To what end?”
By his reaction, I sensed he wasn’t in a position to share every detail.
“I was made aware you were coming.” He moved to a set of binders he had on a shelf, flipping through them. “You must be weary from your travels. Eden is quite a distance. Yes?”
He knew much more than almost anyone. However, it was my job to protect the haven with whatever means I deemed necessary. “Eden is a fable.”
“Inside this room, we can be frank with one another. There are legitimate reasons for keeping Eden’s location and details surrounding the topside haven as nothing but a dream of hope during uncertain times.”
“There is no hope.”
“Come on. You’re here. You were rescued because of your importance. Of course there’s hope. For many, that’s all they have, along with grit and determination.”