Regius (9 page)

When the screens turned
off, Galax sighed in relief and allowed himself a few seconds
before continuing on with his mission.

Although he hadn't intended
to sit there very long, it was shorter lived than he thought it
would have been when a noise reached his ears. Standing, he
carefully made his way over to the door, peaking through the
opening to view the courtyard. His teeth gritted in annoyance when
the soldier walking across the training area turned out to be the
Keeper. It seemed every time his life became particularly
complicated, the dead speaker had to be present. He felt the
'pessimism' threatening to break free the longer he stared at the
man and it only made him all the more angry now that he needed to
waste time trying to calm himself down. How much easier would it be
if he just gave in and killed him?

Galax was pulled out of his
dark thoughts, a noise of surprise escaping him when the door he
was hiding behind was ripped open, and before he could really
understand what it is that was happening, he found himself laying
flat on the ground with a body sitting on top of him, holding him
down. Enraged at having been bested, Galax allowed his strength to
rush through and help him overpower the person believing they had
secured a pure Blue Blood.

"How naive!" He growled,
hearing the boy grunt in pain when they rolled over. Galax's hands
closed around the Altors throat, his knees settled on the boy's
wrists and his legs were wrapped around the untrained soldier's own
legs so that he could in no way try and break free. In those
seconds, Galax knew he would kill the boy before the Keeper could
rush over. He'd have enough time to push the dead Altor away and
spring to action to fend off the dead speaker. But when the
Prince's eyes locked with those of his victim, all the darkness
that had ruled him for the past minutes dissipated.

His eyes widened as he
released the boy and when he stumbled off him and back, the Altor
sat up coughing and trying to regain his breath.

"Calycanthus." Galax
whispered, his chest tightening and his own breathing becoming
elaborate as he took in Solenum's best friend. Before he could
truly grasp what he had nearly allowed to happen and how he could
have let the strength rule him like it never had before, a blinding
pain radiated throughout his entire body. Grunting, the Prince fell
to his knees as he reached up to grab the hilt of the Keeper's
dagger that had stabbed its way through his arm.

"Get up." He heard Datura
say to Calycanthus and when Galax looked up from the ground, he saw
the Keeper push the boy behind him, purposely putting himself in
harm’s way to protect him.

Groaning in pain, Galax
fought the faintness threatening to push him into the world of
unconsciousness as he quickly pulled the dagger out, angrily
flinging it to the feet of the Keeper. When Datura unhooked his
second dagger from his belt, Galax realized that he had every
intention of ending his life. The surprise that washed over him was
nearly more overwhelming than the stab had been. The Keeper
knew
who Galax was, yet
he would break the rules and kill the Regius heir for
Calycanthus.

"Wait." The boy spoke,
grabbing Datura's wrist. "He stopped when he recognized me." His
yellow eyes fixed on the Prince; Calycanthus took both daggers and
threw them across the training ground, out of reach.

"He knows everyone in this
place, Cali." The Keeper growled. Galax had never seen those red
eyes glare.

"Not me." Calycanthus
argued. "He isn't supposed to know me." When the boy was about to
walk over to Galax, the Keeper seemed to display as much trouble in
restraining himself as the Prince did. Calycanthus stopped him
again. "You've told me since the very beginning that he shouldn't
be feared." Galax couldn't see the boy's face, but his words seemed
to help fade some of the anger Datura was harboring. "He stopped
with me and if he is as good as you claimed him to be, then you
know that he would have stopped with anybody else in this place as
well." Calycanthus implored.

The Keeper needed a while
before he detached his eyes off Galax and turned his gaze to the
boy, but when he finally did, he nodded at Calycanthus and allowed
him to make his way over.

"Are you okay?" The boy
asked as he crouched down before the Prince and pushed away his
hand to get a better look at the wound. Galax let him, dumbfounded
at Calycanthus' kindness. He'd thought Solenum would be the most
unexplainable between the two cousins, yet here he sat,
corrected.

"I'll be fine." Galax
muttered uncomfortably.

"He's a pure blood; it'll
heal in less than a day without stitches." Datura told the boy.
"Especially since he's given into his nature as of
late."

Calycanthus nodded over at
the Keeper before returning his yellow gaze to the Prince. "What
happened to make you flee?"

Gritting his teeth, Galax
stood, allowing the boy to help him do so. "I will tell you, but
first you need to bring me somewhere private where your trainers
won't find me." His heart began to race wildly again as he thought
of Solenum. "If they know I'm here, they'll inform Flux
and-"

Datura cut in. "And
apparently you don't want that." Walking over, the Keeper nudged
Calycanthus aside and took over keeping the Prince on his feet.
"Cali, go to the infirmary and get the kit to disinfect and
bandage. Be quick before the others return." The boy nodded and did
as was instructed, leaving the Keeper to guide Galax over to a room
he assumed to be Datura or Calycanthus' quarters.

"I apologize for nearly
killing you." The dead speaker said.

"I threatened something
that is dear to you,
apparently
." Galax grunted out. The
Keeper kicked the door open and carefully guided the Prince into
the bedroom, releasing him only when Galax was sitting in the large
armchair settled beside the bed. The inside of this bedroom was
colder than the interior design of the Pallium garage's
quarters.

"And
apparently
we have something you
think is worth using your cruelty for." Datura raised an accusing
eyebrow down at the Prince.

Galax grimaced at the
blackness of the blood seeping from his wound. "Vervaine." He
paused when Calycanthus rushed inside the room, tossing the medical
kit onto the bed so he could lock the door behind him. "I need her
to see something." He added absently, watching the boy open the kit
and frantically get the necessary materials ready so he could tend
to Galax's arm.

Where Solenum was tall and
thin, Cali was short and stoutish. But there was something scarily
similar about them. Not just the red streaks in their hair or the
yellow eyes; the way the boy moved and his body language reminded
him terribly of her.

Galax blinked out of his
observation when the Keeper inhaled sharply. Looking up at Datura
in confusion, he waited for the man to explain his sudden need to
gasp.

"The Light?" The Keeper
murmured, his red gaze tearing off of the Prince's so he could peak
over at Calycanthus. It took Galax a moment, but when he understood
what Datura was getting at, he shook his head wildly.

"Not him." He ground out.
"Solenum." To his embarrassment, Galax nearly jumped when
Calycanthus let the items in his hands crash to the ground. The boy
stared at the Prince with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"How do you know her?"
Galax's heart nearly ached at the sound of Calycanthus' pained
voice. Datura sighed and retrieved the items from the ground,
taking over for Calycanthus and approaching Galax so he could
disinfect and dress the stab wound.

"When she received your
note, she ran from Lithium Village." Galax winced when the Keeper
handled his arm a bit harshly. "She-" Growling, he slapped Datura's
hands away and continued to take care of the wound himself. "I
found her in the desert about to die from the cold. I brought her
back to the Pallium garage and helped her get better."

"Where is she?" Calycanthus
pressed.

The Prince looked up at the
boy's concerned face. "She was kidnapped by the Regius."

"What?!" Calycanthus
shrieked, suddenly as animated as a person could be. Datura didn't
allow him to freak out completely though, quickly rushing over to
the boy so he could frame his face.

"Kidnapped doesn't mean
dead, Cali." The Keeper whispered. "If Galax is here and wants to
use Vervaine, it means there is still a chance we may find
her."

"But Vervaine isn't here!"
Calycanthus shouted.

Now it was Galax's turn to
freak. "What?!"

"Your sister came here to
ask the help of the soldiers to find you." Datura explained.
"Vervaine is the only Altor that looks most like a Regius who isn't
in Iodin City already." He guided Calycanthus over to the bed,
forcing him to sit. "You know the protocol. When we reach code ten,
all news must be delivered in person. The Regius heir missing
equals code ten. Vervaine is on her way to inform the District
Leader of your disappearance. Because-"

Galax groaned, rubbing his
forehead and closing his eyes, remembering to breathe so he didn't
explode in fury. "Because if they do so by port phone or mail, the
enemy might intercept or listen in on the message and find me
before all you people can." He let out a noise of anger. "I know!"
And he kicked the armchair once he stood. "You should have killed
me when I asked you too."

Datura offered the Prince a
dull stare. "So you would miss out on meeting Solenum?" The Keeper
smiled slowly. "Nothing and nobody has ever been important enough
for you to risk your control and give into the
strength."

"Which is a
bad
thing, Keeper!"
Galax roared. "I nearly killed Calycanthus because I couldn't keep
it in check."

It was the boy's following
words that had the Prince calm down instantly. "You love her."
Although it was a statement and not a question, Calycanthus sounded
surprised nonetheless. Frowning in sadness, Galax rubbed his chest
when it felt like his heart was breaking all over again, like it
had numerous times ever since he'd come to find out Solis had been
kidnapped. Datura and Calycanthus stared at him in
silence.

"I do." Galax sat back down
in the armchair, his head falling into his palms as he mutely cried
over her loss.

* * * *

Once my wits had returned
to me, Digitalis made sure they wouldn't remain. He pulled the sack
off my head, revealing miles and miles of ice around us. Corium
Desert. Thankfully, we were inside some sort of vehicle, the heater
turned on full force. He hadn't said anything, just pinched my nose
to force my mouth open then hooked a finger between my lips once I
realized he was trying to make me drink something. He managed to
make me swallow down maybe two times, which apparently was enough
since about five minutes later I was knocked out cold. The moment I
stirred, he'd repeat the same action.

The second time I woke and
he began the process of giving me more of the liquid that drowned
me into slumber land, I'd been able to scan my eyes around the area
quickly. What I'd seen was a city in ruins. It looked bombed and
although normally such a description would lead me to think of
something ugly, instead it was beautiful. The architecture of the
buildings was very delicate and detailed. There were half broken
windows decorated with beautiful engravings, the bricked walls
carrying a different pattern each time. And everything was blue. Or
at least, the buildings were of an ivory color and because
everything was partly sunk into bright sapphire water with the
moonlight bouncing off it, the ivory glowed a soft
azure.

The vehicle was parked on
a barge made out of white wood and floating gently through the
drowned city. It was
Seputus
Civis
, or the Sunken City; a place that
used to belong to the Palliums long, long ago. It had been taken
from them; forcing them leave and move to Iodin City. Much like how
they’d been forced to leave Iodin City and re-base themselves in
Cobalt City today. This place had been abandoned for
generations.

Third time I woke and
Digitalis uncovered my vision for a short moment, I saw a forest.
There were massive trees in both height and width. Their bark was a
light beige and the leaves an icy blue. I was in Regius territory,
the Wastelands of Xenon. The trees were so similar to one another
it was said you always got lost when you entered
Immortalis Silva
. Except
when you knew where you were going.

I didn't fight Digitalis as
he forced me to swallow the tranquilizer, simply laying back down
into the passenger seat before my body was taken over by sleep
again. I don't know how many hours separated the short moments
where I'd been awake, but the fourth time I stirred, he didn't make
me swallow down the liquid and neither did he pull the sack off my
face. The vehicle’s movement stopped; I figured we'd
arrived.

Next thing I knew,
Digitalis, or I assumed it was Digitalis, manhandled me out of the
vehicle. It wasn't that I wasn't cooperating, I mean, truly, what
could I possibly do? I had no idea where I was and I was high from
the many tranquilizers. Moreover, Digitalis wasn't someone you
chose as your opponent without a weapon at the ready. Actually, he
wasn't the kind of opponent you took on with weapon,
period.