The Emerald Virgin (Gem Apocalypse Book 1) (5 page)

"Is this what you do with all your ladies?" Aria asked. "Take them to the market to play guess the item?" She teased him. It felt good to forget her troubles, even for one fleeting moment.

James paused and stroked his smooth jaw. "No, just you. They've all seen the market. Growing up, they visited there to purchase food, clothes, supplies for their shelter; whatever they needed. I like that I can show you the world."

She felt a strange tingle in her stomach and smiled. Though far from happy, she tried to make something good out of a bad situation. Besides, if she could get away from James, slip past him at the market, maybe she could escape for good. It's not as though he was going to want her in a month. She'd be doing them both a favor.

* * * * *

The driver pulled the vehicle around to the front entrance and unlocked the doors. "I have orders for you to put this on the girl." He handed James a black electronic bracelet.

Aria's cheeks burned red. How would she escape if she was connected to a tracking device?

"No, Matthew," James said and stepped out from the vehicle. He didn't wait around to hear the driver's response. "She's with me and my responsibility. You won't run, will you?"

"Of course not," Aria said, following the prince out of his car.

He took her hand and Aria knew if he didn't let go, leaving would be just as difficult gripped to him as it would be tracked.

"Good," James said and led them through a jungle-filled maze of antiques, trinkets, food, and clothes. The market smelled warm like cinnamon as he dragged them through the aisles in a specific direction. Relieved James knew where they were going, the market was enormous. All the villages congregated here to sell their goods. This had been where Aria's father ventured when she was a little girl. It was likely where he bought enough seed to bring home to help them cultivate the land. Aria swallowed back a silent sob telling herself that she would not cry.

James didn't notice her discomfort or he chose to ignore it. He dragged her from one stall to the next, until he found what he'd been looking for. The market was outside, the warm sun baked her cheeks. Some of the tents were covered, but many were just tables with trinkets for sale.

"Here we go!" He looked excited and the smile seemed to be infectious. Aria smiled in response and let go of his hand, her fingers grazed the old relics of a past generation. "What do you think this was used for?" James asked. He took a metal disc and pretended as if he were going to use it as a Frisbee.

"Wouldn't that hurt catching it?" Aria asked.

"Only if it was used for sports. The shop keep was telling me how it holds movies on it."

"Movies?" Aria repeated, confused.

James grinned. "I'll show you sometime back at the palace." He placed the metal disc down and grabbed her hand again, leading her farther into the stall.

A minute later he released his grip to grab an object to put onto his head. "What about this? How do I look?"

"Ridiculous." Aria granted him an honest smile.

James removed the hat and glanced it over. "It's a fedora. At least according to the price tag. It's also super cheap. I should get this and wear it around the palace."

It should be no surprise that it was practically free. "People didn't wear silly hats like that then, and they definitely don't today." The heat scorched the earth, wearing a hat would just keep your body heat in and make you sweat faster.

"How do you know?" James asked. "You weren't alive back then. Find me something better or I'm buying it."

Aria didn't understand why she cared what he bought with his money. It must be nice to live as a prince and can afford anything you desire. She groaned and rummaged through the antiques. There were ceramic mugs with states that no longer exist. A globe sat on the shelf and she spun it slowly, examining the shape of the continents and the world that had once existed.

"I'm not buying an outdated globe," James said. "My father would kill me. Who needs a reminder of the world before we came into power? What else have you got?"

Aria snorted under her breath and walked deeper into the stall. There were dolls covered in dirt and racecars with chipped paint. Nothing overly appealing to take home.

On the opposite side of the tent, a bin sat nestled filled with questionable relics. Aria lifted one up and stared at the item with curiosity. "Is it a missile?" she asked, showing it to James. "Do you think kids played with these when they sent a man to the moon?" The toy she held was pale blue, thick, and it's length about eight inches. The material squished slightly in her grasp, like jelly. A vein ran from the center down to the tip.

James's eyes widen and he rushed to Aria's side, removing the missile from her grasp. He looked horrified. What had she done wrong? Wasn't this how they played the game? "Oh my... you don't know?"

"Know what? Was it used to blow people up?" Aria asked, embarrassed. Had she just used an item wrongly and was it created for evil and to destroy people?

The laughter bubbled from James's stomach and slipped past his lips. He bent forward, trying to stop himself from making such a scene. At least Aria hoped he wasn't intending to humiliate her.

"What is it? What's funny?" she asked. His face red and she knew it had nothing to do with the heat causing the blush on his face. "James?"

"It's a dildo, Aria."

"A what?" she asked. That word sounded familiar in a weird way, like she may have read about such a thing once in a book.

James took a step closer to her and brushed her dark brunette locks away from her ear. "It's used to satisfy a woman, like a cock."

Her eyes widened in embarrassment and she dropped the dildo back into the bin and covered her face mortified.

James laughed and dragged her out of the tent and into the summer air. The wind whipped against her cheeks, and the blush only spread further. She dropped her hands to her sides. Aria would be laughing if she hadn't humiliated herself. "How did you know that?" Afraid to know the answer, she shook her head. "Never mind." What he did with his other ladies, she didn't need the details or the description.

"You are the most fun I've ever had with that game," James said.

She liked that he could confess how he felt. Aria chewed her bottom lip raw.

"What's on your mind?" James asked.

"I'm beginning to like you. Just a little," she said, clarifying her feelings. She began to feel as though she could trust him and the awkwardness she'd once felt had begun to vanish.

James smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'll take a little."

Late morning faded into afternoon. James bought them breakfast at the market, a late breakfast at that, but Aria didn't mind. When she finished eating, she cleared her throat.

"Is there a bathroom around here?" Her head darted around, searching for any type of restroom accommodations.

"It's not as clean as the palace, but there's running water," he said, leading her toward the facilities. "I'll be over there." James pointed at a nearby stand. "Come get me when you're done."

"Okay."

Aria headed for the bathroom and stepped inside. She didn't really need to use it. Aria had been trying to grasp her one chance at freedom, now or never. She slipped out from the bathroom and ran headfirst into Ethan, slamming her face into his chest. Rubbing at her forehead, Aria took a step back. "I'm sorry," she said, quick to apologize, not recognizing him until she pulled back and met his stare.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking Aria over and grabbed her arm. She had no brand, no mark. His eyes took in the sight of her gown. "The palace guards took you away. I don't understand, Aria."

"Prince James chose me as his courtesan."

Ethan grabbed her arm and pulled her behind the bathroom toward the metal chained fence. The chain-link fence had been broken in multiple places. It did little good to provide any level of protection except to deter thieves. The market cost nothing to enter, why else bother with the expense of a fence? "I can protect you, but we need to go, now."

Aria slipped under the fence and darted through the parking lot sprinkled with vehicles. The rich had solar powered cars. The poor, the majority of the people, traveled on foot or by horse. "Where are we going?" Aria asked. "How did you get here today?" It took weeks on foot and Aria had just seen Ethan yesterday morning from the window, planting outside along the riverbank.

"I stole a motorcycle," Ethan said.

He was the last person Aria would have expected to steal a cent.

"Don't judge me," Ethan said and pointed to the vehicle. "Over there."

Aria jogged with him to the motorcycle and he climbed on, handing her a helmet. She secured hers and he did the same with his. Aria's hands encircled his waist. "Do you know how to ride it?" she asked.

"After I fell off a half-dozen times, yeah I've got it covered."

Aria clung to Ethan as they headed east, far from the palace, but still within the kingdom of Brayleigh. She couldn't easily escape the kingdom. She would need to hide, forever.

* * * * *

Aria couldn't stop herself from constantly glancing over her shoulder. This was her life, afraid Prince James would find her or worse King Gideon. Where would they live? There were communities, small dwellings, and cities. Would they question why Aria didn't wear the brand on her arm?

They may not have been able to create a brand so realistic and convincing but surely Aria was not the only gem to exist within Brayleigh. Others must have tried to slip past the four princes. It wasn't something talked about, and finding someone knowledgeable and well skilled that was trustworthy would take time. Did they have it?

In the distance, Aria could make out a speck along the horizon. Her stomach sunk. Had James known she'd gone missing by now?

"Get off this road," Aria said, urging Ethan to another road, a different path. She couldn't get caught again.

The vehicle, though still in the distance grew closer.

Ethan slowed and steered to the right toward a dirt road, but the turn still much too sharp, and the motorcycle couldn't take the pull as gravity beat it down to the ground. Aria's skin burned as the dress tore along her arms and hips. Her body rolled from the vehicle against the grass and dirt.

Aria blinked several times over. Her heart beat erratically in her chest. Still alive, she stumbled to her feet and removed her helmet. Ethan lay pinned beneath the motorcycle.

Aria lifted the bike off his form, groaning with the struggle. His leg was crooked. "Your leg is broken. Does anything else hurt?" Aria asked.

"I'll be fine." Ethan grimaced. She tried to help him stand, they couldn't stay here forever, but holding Ethan proved too much. Aria eased him back down onto the ground. They needed to get off the road and away from the main path before James found her. Aria removed his helmet, her fingers tangled in his thick chestnut hair.

The vehicle that had been approaching from the distance slowed to a stop. The back door opened and James stepped out. He didn't look happy. Not that Aria would have expected anything less.

Aria exhaled a heavy sigh. She screwed up her one chance at escape. Why had they stuck to the main road east? Aria stepped closer to James; she needed him to see this from her perspective.

"Care to explain what's going on?" He glanced Aria over. "Please tell me this vagrant kidnapped you against your will."

The driver stepped out from the vehicle, pistol in hand.

Aria's eyes widened. Why did the driver have a gun? "What are you doing?" Aria's voice hitched and her hands trembled. "James? What's he doing?" Her breathing matched her heart as it accelerated at an unpredicted pace.

"Cleaning up your mess," the gentleman said.

Aria attempted to run toward Ethan, to protect him but it was no use. James gripped Aria's arm and although she attempted to break free, she couldn't. He was stronger than Aria and his hold proved it.

The driver fired his pistol at Ethan.

Aria screamed. Tears trickled down her eyes and past her cheeks.

"No!" Aria's voice carried in the wind and her legs trembled, giving way to her weight. Aria would have fallen if James hadn't grabbed her waist. He pushed her into the dark vehicle. The tears refused to slow or weaken.

"Shut up!" James yelled and slammed the door shut behind them. "Matthew, our driver could just as easily have killed you for disobeying me. Behave before he considers what to do with his next bullet."

Sniffling, Aria shut her mouth and stared out the window on the ride back to the palace. At this rate, Aria would never escape.

As they approached the castle, James grabbed her ankle and slapped on the electronic cuff. Aria was his prisoner.

The driver exited the vehicle and came around to open James's door. The prince stepped out first. Aria hesitated, afraid of what her disobedience would bring. Her cheeks were red, her eyes burned with tears, and the sunlight she found unbearable. It in no way matched her mood. The world should have been gray and the sky filled with an abundance of clouds, because the driver murdered her best and only friend, Ethan.

"Out!" James commanded.

Aria had no choice but to slide across the leather interior and she stepped out of the vehicle.

"Give me the shoes," he said.

Aria didn't expect another day out of the palace ever again. She would be lucky if they let her leave the royal harem, the enclave of rooms for the courtesans.

Aria slipped off the sandals and handed both shoes to James. He ripped them from her grasp and pointed for the door. "Inside. Now!" His tone that had once held affection and kindness had vanished. She had angered and disappointed him.

He pushed her inside the palace and she heard the clank of the shoes being tossed in the foyer as he pressed forward. "To your room!" His grip on her arm tightened and Aria was sure he'd leave an impression. Though she wondered if his intent was for all the courtesans to know he was pissed at her, or for Aria just to remember what she'd done. She didn't need a reminder. Aria would never need a reminder.

"You could have stopped him from killing Ethan." Aria's eyes watered at the mere mention of her friend's name. The murder would haunt her daydreams and plague her with nightmares.

"I stopped him from taking your life," James said. "It's more than any other royal in this kingdom would have done. You deceived me."

It hadn't been meant as a betrayal. Aria had only wanted to leave, return to her humble lifestyle, and live in peace. James was no idiot. He must have known she'd have attempted an escape. Though she couldn't ask him now about it. His temper would get them nowhere.

Aria had nothing to say to James. The walk was long and filled with a heated silence. As they approached the door, he turned the handle, and pushed her inside her room.

Aria stumbled forward, her hands reached out in front of her to catch herself from falling and losing her balance.

From behind, she heard the click and the distinctive sound of a key sliding into the lock.

Was he done with Aria? What now? She knew she had disappointed James, but he was probably the least of her worries at court. Now that he was angry, would he let Prince August have his turn with her?

Aria's legs gave way, and she crumbled to the floor in a heap. Tears fell fast and quick as she pulled her legs up to her chest. The mirror showed her such a distasteful reflection of her filthy dress, only intensifying the tears.

The door between her room and the sitting room for the courtesans opened.

"What's wrong, Aria?" Clara asked.

Aria couldn't stop crying and though she tried to wipe the tears, they didn't slow.

Clara helped Aria stand. It was impossible to miss the disappointment in her voice. "What did you do?" She guided Aria to the edge of the bed to sit down. "I'll find you another gown. That's the one thing we can fix."

Aria wanted to thank Clara for her help and generosity. She'd been so kind since Aria had met her, but the words didn't come. Aria wiped the tears but they just continued to fall.

Clara brought in another beautiful green gown. This one darker and richer in color. "Put this on," she said. "Do you need help getting undressed?"

Aria wiped the tears with the back of her hand and took the gown from Clara. Standing, she headed for the bathroom, stripping out of the remnants of splattered blood, dirt, and grass. Unaware if the blood was hers or Ethan's, Aria had a few scratches from the spill on the motorcycle. Aria turned the sink on, prepared to clean off the dirt and blood that licked her skin. The moment her tears slowed, the flood of horror came back and she bent over the sink bawling.

Aria didn't hear the bathroom door open, but she felt warm hands on her arms, pushing her hands down to her side. Clara helped her dress, sliding the gown up Aria's torso and then guided her arms in through the sleeves. Aria didn't move. Clara walked around from behind and zipped the back of the dress. Staring at her own reflection in the mirror, she felt like a ghost, an empty shell. Her body and mind weren't connecting.

"Come with me," Clara said and she took Aria's hand, guiding her through the bedroom and toward the sitting room.

Aria froze. Her legs unwilling to enter. She didn't want to see eleven other girls vying for Prince James's affection. They could all have him. Aria never wanted to be here, and she didn't want to explain herself to them.

"Aria." Clara's voice was soft but it held a hint of warning.

"I can't go in there." Aria's eyes burned. They were red and swollen, making it obvious she'd been crying.

"What happened today?"

Clara came around to stand in front of the door jam. She waited patiently for an answer. Aria felt as though they could wait here all day, and Clara wouldn't budge.

"Prince James insisted on taking me to the market."

"I see."

There was no way she could see. Did she know what these men and royals were capable of; giving orders to murder innocent people?

Aria's mother had been put down like a wild animal for harboring the emerald child, a fugitive of the crown. Would they feel different if it had been their own families under the same firing squad?

"You don't see. You can't see. The prince had my friend killed."

Clara frowned. "Tell me the whole story."

How many other girls got themselves into such a mess while at the palace? Was Aria the only one?

It hurt to divulge the details, to relive Ethan's last final moments beside him. Aria recanted the story to Clara, including how her mother had been murdered and that James had done nothing to stop the same of Ethan's execution.

Clara guided her into the sitting room. A half-dozen of the girls were sitting around the hearth talking and relaxing. One girl was braiding another's hair, as if there wasn't a care in the world.

"You can't expect James to change the way things are. It's not his fault you're in this situation, Aria. If he didn't choose you as a courtesan, then another brother would have. August had two choices this month, as did Aaron. Whether you accept it or not, Aria, you are an emerald. Men will want you because you are exotic. James isn't a bad guy. He's just caught up in being a prince. I've known Prince James a long time, Aria. He will take off the monitoring device when he grows to trust you again."

"It doesn't matter. I don't have anywhere else to go. My family is dead. The one friend I had is dead. I have nothing, Clara."

"You have us, and we have each other. Stay on Prince James's good side. Offer him what happiness you can give him. Show him that you've changed, that he can trust you. Of the four eldest brothers, James is a good man. He's warm, kind, decent, and loyal."

Aria didn't want to change. She wasn't looking to compromise her beliefs. It would never be okay to murder and hold people against their will so another person could be happy. "You don't understand," Aria said. "He let Matthew kill Ethan."

Clara placed a hand on her arm.

Aria winced. There was no bruise, at least not from James dragging her inside. He'd been rough but she didn't fault him for that. The marks that burned were from the fall on the motorcycle, the tumble she took while riding trying to get away. What little good it did.

"James had no choice. Had Matthew not returned with both of you, James would have had to face his father's wrath. Believe me when I say how painful it is. The car, the trip, everything outside of the palace is always under surveillance. The footage is watched by a team close to King Gideon. It's how he ensures his men are loyal. They're not supposed to know they're being recorded, but it hasn't been a secret in over a decade. The moment the vehicle approached you and Ethan, his fate was sealed," Clara said.

* * * * *

James avoided the sitting room for the next two days. When he wanted to visit with Adalyn or another of his courtesans, he asked Clara to retrieve the girl of his choosing from the royal harem.

In two days it felt as though he'd asked all the girls but Aria to visit with him at some point. Whether for breakfast, afternoon tea, an evening stroll, or a companion in the bedroom, he avoided her.

How long would she last as a courtesan if James wouldn't be caught in the same room as the emerald? She tried to mask her unhappiness and ease any concerns with the girls. The last thing she wanted was for the rumors to start. The dresses Clara brought Aria all flowed down to her feet, covering the bracelet. Careful to keep it hidden, Aria wanted no one to know of her indiscretion. The device silent, so long as she remained in the palace.

Did James not see she had nowhere else to go? Besides, it's not as though she could open a window and sneak out. The royal harem was on the fourth floor and confined them to the sitting room, a dining hall, and their respective bedroom. The only way out was for someone to let them leave the floor, which required a key.

The handle squeaked and Aria knew someone was shoving a key into the lock from the hallway. King Gideon opened the door and glanced the courtesans over. "Aria Stone, you're coming with me."

Aria didn't have a choice. Fighting would only make her punishment more difficult. She stood and with grace, followed the king out into the hall. He slammed the door shut behind them. He stood incredibly close and Aria took a step back only to feel him linger closer within her presence. He gave her a creepy vibe.

"Seems James is bored of you already. Always thought emeralds held power and liked to have fun in the sack. I guess he's tired of how you taste."

Aria bit her tongue and kept herself from speaking out of turn. It didn't take an emerald to have power. He was a blue-eyed tyrant hell bent on destroying what was left of the nation. If it were up to Aria and she had any semblance of power, she would destroy King Gideon and his monarchy. Unfortunately, she wielded no power, and though her eyes betrayed her as an emerald, she was nothing more than a slave to the court.

"What do you want with me?" Aria was afraid of the answer.

"You haven't even been around a week and you've disappointed the court. I know what happened when James was kind enough to take you the market. You betrayed his trust and mine. There's no place in court for a spoiled girl like you, Aria."

Aria followed King Gideon down the stairwell. The bracelet on her ankle didn't make a sound. He led Aria to the front entrance, the same way James had taken her to the market. She felt an over encompassing sense of déjà vu.

"Lift your dress," Gideon said.

"Excuse me?" He may have been close to tying with Prince August for most notches on the bedpost, but Aria would not be either one of their conquests.

"Do you want the bracelet removed or not?" he asked.

With a resigned sigh, Aria did as instructed, lifting the hem of the green gown she wore. It was a forest green, deep and dark. If she ran far enough away, into the woods, would she blend in to her surroundings?

Gideon bent down, something she never thought to see from a king. From his pocket, he dug out a key and unlocked the chain around her foot.

His hand lingered, longer than necessary. She felt the unfamiliar warmth as his touch grazed up her thighs, inching her dress higher, and he slowly raised himself up to her crotch, shoving his nose close trying to breathe in her scent. Aria raised her knee up to his face, smacking his jaw shut as she knocked the king onto his back.

"You arrogant little brat!" King Gideon screamed. He stood up and lifted Aria over his shoulder. She half expected him to spank her after what Prince James had done when she'd disobeyed him in the palace.

The front door swung open and Aria was tossed from Gideon's arms to a man she didn't know, covered in tattoos and scruff. He reeked of ale, his hair thick and black, hung past his shoulders.

"Lock the bitch up, I'm done with her," Gideon said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The man carried Aria outside over his shoulder as she kicked and screamed. It did little good. Tossed in the back of a van with a half-dozen other women of varying ages, she attempted to fight back. Aria raced for the door but it slammed before she could escape. The handle inside locked.

"You can't get out," a soft voice said.

"Where is he taking us?" Aria asked.

The girl who spoke was a few years younger than Aria. She sat against the side wall of the truck. "The slave auction. It's best not to fight it. Trust me."