Read Online Fall of Sky City (A Steampunk Fantasy Sci-Fi Adventure Novel) (Devices of War) by SM Blooding - Free Book Online
Authors: SM Blooding
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I could catch my breath, and finally into a room of satin and sunlight.
Queen Nix waited for me, perched on a padded stool in front of her mirror, a servant girl brushing out her long, black hair. As soon as we entered, she rose and came to my side. “You look exhausted.”
I said nothing. I knew I couldn’t look really fantastic. One eye was still swollen shut and the other was difficult to open all the way due to a healing cut across my eyelid. I stood in the middle of the room and assessed the situation. If this was hell, I wasn’t certain how it operated.
“Come lie down on the bed,” she said, guiding me in that direction. “Let me tend to your wounds.”
I balked. I felt a twinge in my gut signaling danger, but how could a bed be a bad thing?
She turned to me, appearing sincere. “You’ve spent months in that cell. Come, let your body remember the comfort of a bed.”
“Why?”
“My queen,” my guard said, his heels snapping together, “do you require anymore assistance?”
She waved him off. “Now, enough with this nonsense. Come.”
“Why?” I repeated.
She took a step away. “Why? Why what, Primus?”
“Why…” I gestured feebly with my hand. “…this? Now?”
“You will speak in the language of the Hands, a language you know well.” She smiled at me as if I were a child, and cupped my cheek in her hand. “You’re not thinking straight.”
“Likely,” I said in my native tongue, “because I was beaten.”
“I apologize about that, my sweet, but it had to be done.”
I swallowed and stared at her through my half open eye.
“You had to be turned, had to be reprogrammed.”
“Brainwashed you mean?”
She tsked at me. “It would appear that you are in need of more?”
“More what? Beatings?”
“If we must, yes.”
I stared at her with exhausted incredulity. “Are you serious?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Why are you still speaking in the language of the barbarians?”
“The language of my Family?”
Her expression hardened, her eyes narrowed, her cheeks sucked in with anger. “I am your family now, Synn. You are a Primus.”
I snorted. “I am yours?”
She smiled, the anger melted away. “Yes.” Her voice was soft, as was her hand on mine. “Come. Drink. Eat. And then you must sleep.” She pushed me to the bed.
This time I didn’t resist. I didn’t have the energy to.
She handed me a glass of water, and helped me bring it to my lips. When I was done, she took it and replaced the glass with a piece of bread. “Slowly.”
I nibbled at the bread, but everything was so heavy; my eyelids, my hands.
She rubbed a healing salve into each of my wounds.
I let my head fall back. “What did you put in the water?”
“Nothing, my dear. You’ve had a very trying time.” She took the bread lying in my lap and closed my eyes. “Sleep.”
She sat there for a long moment, tucking a cover around me. When I felt her leave, I opened my eyes and watched her step toward the vanity, picking up a hairbrush.
“What are you doing with the boy?” a female voice like tempered steel asked.
Nix turned to the woman who had just entered the room.
“What is your plan?”
“You’ve seen his Mark, Dyna.” Nix put her hairbrush down.
I turned my head to see better. The Queen of Swords. She wore a tight leather uniform of blue and silver, her pale hair pulled back in a long braid. Her blue eyes watched me with quiet disdain.
“I see the Mark. Surely you know he is too old.”
“Do not doubt me, sister. The greatest Mark mankind has ever seen shall be mine to command.”
“You go too far.”
“Do you fear for me?”
Dyna’s pale lips flattened as she turned her gaze to Nix. “You have broken him.”
“Far from it, my dear Dyna.” Nix’s eyes fell on me, meeting my gaze. “He’s still fighting my every move.” She came to stand by me, stroking my arm, never letting my gaze fall. “Aren’t you?”
I didn’t really think she needed
Queen Nix waited for me, perched on a padded stool in front of her mirror, a servant girl brushing out her long, black hair. As soon as we entered, she rose and came to my side. “You look exhausted.”
I said nothing. I knew I couldn’t look really fantastic. One eye was still swollen shut and the other was difficult to open all the way due to a healing cut across my eyelid. I stood in the middle of the room and assessed the situation. If this was hell, I wasn’t certain how it operated.
“Come lie down on the bed,” she said, guiding me in that direction. “Let me tend to your wounds.”
I balked. I felt a twinge in my gut signaling danger, but how could a bed be a bad thing?
She turned to me, appearing sincere. “You’ve spent months in that cell. Come, let your body remember the comfort of a bed.”
“Why?”
“My queen,” my guard said, his heels snapping together, “do you require anymore assistance?”
She waved him off. “Now, enough with this nonsense. Come.”
“Why?” I repeated.
She took a step away. “Why? Why what, Primus?”
“Why…” I gestured feebly with my hand. “…this? Now?”
“You will speak in the language of the Hands, a language you know well.” She smiled at me as if I were a child, and cupped my cheek in her hand. “You’re not thinking straight.”
“Likely,” I said in my native tongue, “because I was beaten.”
“I apologize about that, my sweet, but it had to be done.”
I swallowed and stared at her through my half open eye.
“You had to be turned, had to be reprogrammed.”
“Brainwashed you mean?”
She tsked at me. “It would appear that you are in need of more?”
“More what? Beatings?”
“If we must, yes.”
I stared at her with exhausted incredulity. “Are you serious?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Why are you still speaking in the language of the barbarians?”
“The language of my Family?”
Her expression hardened, her eyes narrowed, her cheeks sucked in with anger. “I am your family now, Synn. You are a Primus.”
I snorted. “I am yours?”
She smiled, the anger melted away. “Yes.” Her voice was soft, as was her hand on mine. “Come. Drink. Eat. And then you must sleep.” She pushed me to the bed.
This time I didn’t resist. I didn’t have the energy to.
She handed me a glass of water, and helped me bring it to my lips. When I was done, she took it and replaced the glass with a piece of bread. “Slowly.”
I nibbled at the bread, but everything was so heavy; my eyelids, my hands.
She rubbed a healing salve into each of my wounds.
I let my head fall back. “What did you put in the water?”
“Nothing, my dear. You’ve had a very trying time.” She took the bread lying in my lap and closed my eyes. “Sleep.”
She sat there for a long moment, tucking a cover around me. When I felt her leave, I opened my eyes and watched her step toward the vanity, picking up a hairbrush.
“What are you doing with the boy?” a female voice like tempered steel asked.
Nix turned to the woman who had just entered the room.
“What is your plan?”
“You’ve seen his Mark, Dyna.” Nix put her hairbrush down.
I turned my head to see better. The Queen of Swords. She wore a tight leather uniform of blue and silver, her pale hair pulled back in a long braid. Her blue eyes watched me with quiet disdain.
“I see the Mark. Surely you know he is too old.”
“Do not doubt me, sister. The greatest Mark mankind has ever seen shall be mine to command.”
“You go too far.”
“Do you fear for me?”
Dyna’s pale lips flattened as she turned her gaze to Nix. “You have broken him.”
“Far from it, my dear Dyna.” Nix’s eyes fell on me, meeting my gaze. “He’s still fighting my every move.” She came to stand by me, stroking my arm, never letting my gaze fall. “Aren’t you?”
I didn’t really think she needed
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