Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Tai
Iwind my way back down to the dungeon, keeping to the shadows and quiet tunnels.
It’s a perfect opportunity to get a sense of the layout of the colony.
The dungeon appears to be the lowest level.
It’s unclear how many levels there are in total, but each one has a similar layout with random offshoots, and each room is either a bedroom or a prayer room.
The main level, the one where Bri is currently, also has the dining room and kitchen.
On one of the lower levels, I find a dark tunnel that dead-ends with a wide shaft down in the center of the floor.
The smell of decomposing food hits me when I lean over to look in.
It’s a garbage chute going straight down to a smelly pit.
A bell approaches, and I’ve got nowhere to go. I climb down into the chute and hold myself up by pushing my back against one wall and feet against the other. A steady stream of electricity runs through my arms, vibrating my entire body. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait.
A handful of wilted vegetables drops on my lap. I hold my breath to save myself from the smell and to stay completely silent. The electric current from the cuffs radiates hot electricity and gets worse the longer I hold myself there. The bell recedes, and I shimmy my way up and out.
That was close. The Oo’rahim are already suspicious that I’ve got plans for their goddess. If they caught me slinking around in the shadows, it’d be over for me.
The sleeping guard at the top of the final set of stairs snores lightly, unmoved from his spot earlier. He snorts and shifts when I step into the light. I bolt down the stairs. No point in standing there waiting to get caught.
I wrestle off the robe awkwardly with my hands bound together and earn a few extra shocks. I kick it into a closet for safekeeping—who knows if I’ll need to use it again.
Something on the bottom shelf catches my eye. I shake my head and laugh. Amateurs put my pack and my blaster unsecured in the closet next to my cell. This is going to be easier than I thought.
It goes against every instinct, but I lock myself back in the cell. The control panel hangs uselessly from a few wires. The drive is irreparable. I push it back into place and hope no one notices.
Hours drag by. My mind races, trying to think of every possible way Bri and I can get out of the colony. Which route we would take, how far we could get before they realize we are gone.
Every minute ticking by brings me closer to losing my shit. Why did I agree to come back down here and wait for her to get me out? I know better than to put my survival in the hands of another. I resolve to break back out of my cell when the door swings open and an Oo’rahim steps in.
“You lied to the brethren,” he says while removing the cuffs.
“What’s going on?” I sound confused—because I am. He didn’t seem to notice the control panel was broken.
“The Goddess told us she was separated from her Tilak servant in the desert. She asked us to find him.”
I inwardly groan. Of course she would make me her servant. I finally understand why humans say, “Always read the fine print.”
“Follow us. Her Eminence awaits.”
He leads me to a crowded dining hall where everyone’s attention is fixed in the same direction.
On a platform at the other end of the room Bri lounges on a cushion while an Oo’rahim drops fucking grapes into her mouth.
What kind of bullshit is this? I’ve been down in the dungeon pissing in a rusty bucket and huddled under a dirty blanket for hours while she’s being hand-fed grapes?
An Oo’rahim fans Bri with a giant palm frond. She finally notices me, and when our eyes meet, I can see laughter in them. She bites her cheeks and waves away the brethren.
As I walk over to her my eyes drift to the smallest shirt ever made. In the dimly lit bedroom, I only got a hint of her clothes. Now I get the full effect—in a room full of strange little brethren. Bri always looks good, but this outfit is next level.
“My eyes are up here, creep,” she says and glares at me. The laughter is gone. Her eyes are now full of fire and brimstone—and I’ve never wanted to be burned until now.
“I’m sorry, I, uh…” I shove my greasy hair back away from my face, suddenly aware of how dirty I am from the last few days. I hate this feeling.
A voice carries through the room. “Magnificence, is this the servant that abandoned you in your time of need?”
I snort at the ridiculous title, and her scowl deepens.
“Yes, dear Brethren. This is him.”
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
“M’lady, he will pay for his transgressions. Never trust a Tilak. They are not allowed on Sabaak, after the incident,” he says solemnly.
“Inci—”
“I humbly apologize for not being there when you needed me,” I cut in with. That’s enough of that. I’ll agree to this preposterous plan—for the sole purpose of stopping this conversation.
Bri mouths the words “What incident?” and I pretend to not notice. She looks me over. Her eyes linger on the bite from the sand hunter.
“You’re hurt!” she says.
“I’m fine. I just need to clean up.”
“It looks pretty bad.”
“I said, I’m fine,” I grit out between my teeth
“Tai, tell me right now. Did they do this to you?” she asks, tilting her head toward the brethren.
“It was a sand hunter, and I’m fine.”
She lets it go, thankfully. Arguing with Bri in front of the brethren is not my idea of a good time.
“Alright then—it’s your funeral. Brethren, please take my servant,” she says—choking back laughter at the word servant— “to get a bath and food before he begins his duties.”
They direct me to a side room with a dripping faucet and a clean rag. I peel off my shirt, careful to avoid the wound. The blood has crusted over, and it feels warm and swollen. I dab the wet rag against it, sucking air between my teeth.
“Hurry up,” one of the Oo’rahim barks at me. “Do not keep the Goddess of Sunlight waiting.”
Here I was, worried she was being mistreated, and they made her a goddess.
I grudgingly put on the robe they shove towards me.
The Oo’rahim motions for me to hand over my pants, but I hold them in my clenched fist. I surmise Bri left her dirty clothes somewhere and they disappeared, leaving her with the current clothing option, which I’m not going to complain about.
My former jailor hands me a string belt with a bell hanging down. “Put this on.”
“What’s this for?” The robe is itchy and tight around my neck. I pull the collar back with a finger and try to make some space, but the thick, rough fabric is unforgiving.
“It’s so when you get lost in the desert, we can find you before the sand hunters do.”
Too late for that.
“We are watching you, Tilak. Get out of line, and we will return you to the gods.”
“Got it.” I don’t plan on giving them an opportunity to follow through on the threat.
Back in the dining room, I grab a few flatbreads and a cup of water while I make my way toward Bri.
“Today we honor the Sublime Goddess of the Holy Water,” the Oo’rahim with the long beard who I met in the dungeon says with his booming voice.
Behind her hand, Bri whispers, “That one I call Boss. They pretend they’re equal, but he calls the shots around here.”
Another Oo’rahim steps up to the slightly elevated platform Bri is on in the front of the room. “Brethren, please accept my rectification—she is the Divine Radiant Golden One, not the Sublime Goddess of the Holy Water.”
“Our prophecy clearly states the arrival of the goddess will herald the rains that will wash away our indiscretions and begin the cycle of prosperity anew. There is only one goddess,” the one Bri calls Boss says impatiently.
Oh, this is getting good. Nothing compares to a little disagreement between cult members to keep me entertained.
I lean back on my elbows, settling in for the show.
She tenses next to me and shifts uncomfortably on the pillows.
I can’t tell if it’s my proximity or the arguing brethren that has her agitated.
Part of me hopes it’s the brethren and not me.
Our history is complicated, but attraction has never been a problem.
“Our prophecy speaks of two distinct goddesses,” the other brethren argues.
“That one is Hot-Breath. Don’t get too close.
His breath is vile,” Bri whispers into my ear again.
Goddammit—I wish she would stop leaning in, pushing her tits against my shoulder.
I look down to avoid her chest and see the slit on her skirt has opened slightly, giving me a view all the way up to her hip.
“I beseech you both to return to your seat, and do not bother the Magnificence of the Crystal Water with your nonsense,” a third brethren says, trying to keep the peace. Boss seethes at him and he quickly sits down and lowers his head.
Hot-Breath refuses to step down. “Do not denigrate the Goddess of Light with your silly ideas.”
This is way too confusing. There seems to be an endless number of ridiculous titles they will give Bri. Will anyone notice if I start eating? This could go on all night. I raise the food to my mouth and Bri slaps my hand away. A growl rumbles in my chest and goosebumps erupt all over her arms.
“Brethren, please, do not argue,” Bri says with a sickly-sweet tone I’ve never heard her use before.
“Of course, Gracious One,” Hot-Breath says with a bow. Boss glares at him for speaking first. These idiots are lining up to kiss her ass, and it’s getting under my skin.
“Everyone, eat. This is supposed to be a celebration,” she announces to the room. I dredge the flatbread through some paste and shove it in my mouth before she can stop me.
I earn a withering look for not waiting, but running through the desert the last two days on nothing but a handful of nutrigels is making me grumpy. Well, more grumpy than usual.
“What?” I ask with a mouth full of food.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head and takes some veg and pops it into her mouth.
Boss approaches our table reverently. He’s the same brethren who interrogated me and left me in the dungeon to rot.
He looks over at me and inspects my face. “You look familiar,” he says.
“I don’t see how that’s possible.”
There is a very good chance he has seen me before. Everyone on Sabaak knew what happened the last time I was here. I’m sure a holographic image was sent all over after everything went down.
“When Her Holiness is done with you, report back to your previous accommodations,” he hisses at me.
I open my mouth to reply and tell him where he can shove the previous accommodations when Bri cuts in.
“No, he’ll stay with me.”
I gape at her, shocked she would offer that. I’ll stay where? If it’s between Bri’s room and a dungeon, I’ll take the room.
“Hm,” he says slowly and steps down from the platform. He sits at the table closest to us. No doubt to keep a close eye on me.
“What was that all about?” Bri asks under her breath.
“Don’t worry about it.” I look at her with an obnoxiously large smile, one that’s meant to provoke her. Bri’s smile turns sharp and she grabs my knee and digs in her blunt nails. It’s so easy to get a reaction out of her.
“Be a good boy and go find me something to drink.”
For everything I’ve gone through to get to Bri and save her, I decide I’m going to throttle her instead.