Captive Treasure, page 2
“Get rid of her,” he whispered.
“Jade, are you coming down to eat?” Jane asked. “We ordered you pancakes and sausage, your favorite.”
“In a minute,” I said through an exaggerated yawn. “I’m still trying to get dressed.”
“Okay,” Jane said, then I heard footsteps leading away.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
“Your brother, David. You know, you really shouldn’t have done that stupid DNA test. Gwen and I went through a lot of trouble to hide your results,” he complained. “You’re one unlucky person. Dad was so close to leaving without you.”
“So close to leaving without me?” I squeaked, fearing that David was going to kidnap mee. He used technology that I had no experience with. Escaping him would be nearly impossible.
“But I have you now. Are you going to cause trouble?” David wondered, as if he were asking me what my favorite color was. I needed to keep my foster parent safe. I should have listened to my gut and tossed that stupid DNA kit in the trash. But I hadn’t, and I knew that I was going to pay a price. But Jane and Tim didn’t deserve to get caught up in all of this.
“Jane and Tim will worry about me. I can’t just disappear without some sort of good-bye,” I reasoned. I had the feeling that David would harm my foster parents if they came into my room. But I couldn’t leave without telling them something. David shook his head.
“It’s too risky,” he said, his gaze suddenly going unfocused. “Hold on. Let me get Gwen.” Hope filled my chest, until David pressed something on his dreaded machine and I was no longer able to feel my fingertips. He rushed to my window and walked right through it. Moments later, he appeared hand in hand with a tall girl with similar features to me.
“What the hell is taking so long?” the girl hissed, though her mouth wasn’t moving. WTF? What the hell was going on?
“Our sister wants to say good-bye to her foster parents,” David said. I was relieved that at least his mouth was moving.
“You can write a note or send an email,” Gwen offered. But her mouth never moved. WTF? Was she a telepath?
“An email will work,” I decided. Gwen snatched the phone that was on my nightstand and tossed it at me.
“If you call the police, Gwen will know,” David warned, touching the weird device to my skin again. I nodded and shakily opened my email app.
Dear Jane and Tim,
I’m so sorry that I’m leaving like this. My brother found me. I have no idea where I’m going, but I’ve chosen to leave with him. I want to let you know that you’re the best foster parents I have ever had. I was lucky to have you. I’ll miss you dearly. I’m not sure if I’m returning, but if I do, I’ll see you. To confirm that this is me, remember what Tim first said to me? “Hi, I’m your new dad, Tim. I hope that you’re a Star Trek fan.”
Love always,
Jade
“It’s done,” I said as I clicked on the send button. “I’ll go willingly. Just don’t hurt them.” Gwen took the phone out of my hand and dumped it on my bed. Then the device in David’s hand beeped, and everything went black.
Chapter 3 Gwen
Earth (Silversmith MA)
David eyed our sister, who was unconscious on the floor at our feet. Then his eyes met mine and he shook his head.
“We can just say that she died,” he offered. I wished that I could spare Jade Bane from the nightmare that was our father, but knew that our mothers would pay if we failed to bring her to the ship. I shuddered when thinking of the punishments that Father could dream up. The others didn’t have a window into his mind, so they didn’t know how ruthless he truly was.
“Karen and Lex have been sent to spy on us. Now come on. If that couple finds us, you know what will happen,” I warned. David gently lifted our kind-hearted sister into his arms and I gripped his shoulder. We traveled through the wall beside Jade’s bedroom window and out into the frigid winter morning. David rushed us to the flyer, which rested in Jade’s snow-covered backyard. David touched the flyer with his palm and it suddenly became visible. We quickly traveled through the wall and he deposited Jade onto the seat. I collapsed into the seat beside her. I wasn’t surprised when David’s communicator rang. David rolled his eyes and rushed for the driver’s seat. My brother had lived with our father the longest, which meant that he was familiar with the technology that was used on Neretha, Father’s home world. David and I both had favor with the chauvinistic alien jackhole that spawned us. We were able to access the power that lived in the Hyndroyl crystal that was implanted in our spinal cords when we were infants. From what I understood, only 20 percent of Nerethians actually gained abilities from their Hyndroyl crystals.
“Dad?” David asked as soon as he activated the cloaking technology again.
“Do you have her?” Lord Peirc demanded, his tone conveying his agitation. I couldn’t blame him, since Jade had been difficult to locate. I imagine that the thought of training her was also souring his mood. Poor Jade. At least I lived with the knowledge that Earth was a temporary home, that my father would bring me to Neretha when I turned eighteen. She wrongfully assumed that she was an earthling, a dull race with little potential. The poor thing didn’t have a Hyndroyl crystal, since her foolish mother had stolen her away as an infant. Karen would eat the fragile girl alive.
“Yes. She’s asleep,” David confirmed.
“Did Jade put up a fight?” Father probably assumed that Jade was as strong-willed as the other females in her bloodline.
“No,” David responded. “She seems to take after you.”
“Is that an insult?” Father demanded.
“She thinks before she acts. She went willingly, as long as I didn’t kill her parents,” David explained.
“David, I told you, you shouldn’t make promises that you can’t keep,” my father lectured right before Jade’s foster parents’ house exploded.
The explosion was contained, the flames and debris never leaving its target. Before my eyes, the fire died down, only leaving the smoldering remains of where Jade once lived. Lex, that had to be his doing. Since he had no abilities, he feverishly learned how to set contained explosions. He probably created a forcefield around the house to prevent the other homes from being destroyed. A chill enveloped my body when I realized that I was looking at someone’s fiery grave. The fire burned so hot that no one would ever find the remains of the nice couple that had taken Jade in. I shoved away the sadness that wanted to haunt me. I learned from a young age that as long as I didn’t get in Father’s way, he would have no need to terminate me.
“That wasn’t necessary,” David shouted. “Seriously? The police will assume that Jade had something to do with this.”
“They will assume that Jade was in the house,” my father countered. “I couldn’t risk her parents going to the police.” I wished that daddy dearest had clued us in before Jade sent the email. Great! Was David supposed to break the bad news, or would I?
“You should have told me about your plan before I allowed her to send an email to her parents,” David said. I was grateful that he took full responsibility for Jade sending the email.
“Good move. But next time have Gwen consult with me first. I’ll have Andrea take care of it,” Father said. Andrea was another one of my sisters, who could hack just about anything.
“Are we clear to take off?” David asked. I knew that he felt pity for Jade. She had been determined to save her parents. I made a promise to myself that I’d never tell her of what happened to the innocent couple. Jade was the type that would demand revenge, and no one would ever give it to her.
“You are,” my father said, before two beeps sounded. My father had dismissed us, just like that. David let out a curse before the flyer shot into the air, leaving the crime scene behind.
Chapter 4 Gwen
(Somewhere In Space)
It took two hours to arrive at the docking bay of my father’s sphere-shaped onyx ship, the Peirc’s Triumph. The outer port of the ship vanished and we flew straight into the docking bay, which was a garage filled with different-sized transports. As soon as David parked our flyer, the ship sealed us in. I wasn’t surprised to see two five-feet-tall robots pushing a gurney into the docking bay. I couldn’t blame father for not wasting the effort to greet Jade himself. She wasn’t implanted with a Hyndroyl crystal, which meant that she had no abilities. What purpose did Jade serve? I couldn’t help but think that retrieving her was one big waste of time.
The side of the flyer vanished and David rushed over to Jade and unbuckled her. He carried her out of the flyer and gently placed her on the gurney. I joined David, who walked ahead so that he could press his palm on the wall in front of us. The wall vanished and we entered the main corridor of the space ship.
“I’m going to visit with my mother,” I told David in Nerth, the tongue spoken by all Nerethians. Those of us that were deemed useful were given a language implant that made it possible for us to speak Nerth. Father only wanted us speaking English when we were conversing with someone who didn’t have the implant.
“Tell Rose that I said hi,” David said. My brother was clearly troubled about something. I could see it in his expressive dark eyes. “I’ll follow Jade to the infirmary.” I nodded, and when we walked into the interior of the ship, I turned left while he turned right.
I arrived at the suite that was assigned to my mother and me and paused in the doorway. My mother was pressed against the wall, goose bumps forming on her naked flesh. Her face was tilted back in pleasure as my father’s face was pressed into her chest. I wanted to vomit on the hideous white metallic floor, but I didn’t. I backed out of the room, appalled that the door was wide open. I didn’t bother closing the door, since Father’s actions always had a purpose. I leaned against one of the onyx walls and took a breath. I kind of wished that I could center myself by looking at a painting or a decoration, but Father had no such things on his ship. In fact, all of the walls were painted onyx for a reason that I hadn’t cared to find out. Everything to my father was a game. And if he answered a question, he expected something in return. How had my mother been placed in such a humiliating position? Was she pleading with him to go easy on me in case I didn’t succeed?
“Who died?” Lena asked as she strolled out of her suite. My sister was beautiful, and resembled her twin, despite the fact that they were fraternal. But unlike Jade, she was strong, hard, and didn’t take crap from anyone.
“We found Jade,” I said, ready for her usual look of disapproval. She was one of the people that chose to rebel whenever she could. Lena rolled her eyes as moaning traveled into the hallway.
“Of course you kidnapped my twin like the obedient puppy you are,” she mocked, before storming off. She was the only motherless teen that lived among us useful Peirc siblings, and I didn’t understand why. She was moody, rude, and received the most light punishments out of all of us. I doubted that father was going to allow Lena to interact with Jade. He wouldn’t risk having Lena’s defiant nature rubbing off on her. Besides, it was doubtful that Lena would seek Jade out because, despite what she wanted us to believe, she also played the game. At the moment she was left to her own devices. But if she showed any weakness, Karen or Anastacia would find a way to bring her down.
When my mother’s screaming went to a crescendo, Karen exited her suite, a scowl on her face.
“What’s going on?” she questioned. I shook my head, not even wanting to peek in my father’s mind.
“It looks like they will be a while,” I groaned.
“They better not be,” Karen said, a threat clearly in her voice. “Just remember, Mom is his favorite.” I didn’t want to break it to Karen. My father didn’t love anyone but himself. Instead, I rubbed my face.
“I’m dying to take a nap,” I said.
“That bad? I don’t know why Father even bothered with that one. She doesn’t have a Hyndroyl crystal.” Karen sneered.
“I’m sure she’ll be married to some horrible lord by the end of it,” I suspected, and Karen nodded.
“I would much prefer Jade to marry a decrepit lord. I want someone young and rich. Gwen, you better tell your mother where she belongs,” Karen warned before strutting back into her room.
I didn’t enter the suite until my father sauntered out into the hallway. His green silks were in order, his black hair slightly messy. I bit down on a nasty retort. Instead, I took a deep breath.
“Did you tell my mother that we were successful?” I asked. Lord Peirc shook his head.
“Rose is much more willing to try certain things if she knows that her precious daughter’s life is in danger.” Hopefully, Mom remembered to take the pills that relaxed her after a tryst with my father. If not, she would be up all night, crying.
“Well, then, I’ll see you for dinner,” I responded. My father nodded.
“I have a meeting with the lady. You know I have to assure her that she is the only woman in my life that actually matters,” he mentally told me. I hated that he could push thoughts into my head, but I kept my expression neutral. It was a secret that the both of us shared. I wouldn’t risk Mother’s sanity by sharing it with her.
“Have a nice afternoon, Dad,” I said, knowing that Lord Peirc enjoyed the endearment.
“Will do,” he said before walking away. His confident stride pissed me off. But I forced the useless anger down, knowing that the emotion was only going to make me act rashly. Instead, I walked into the suite and glanced around. Our quarters consisted of a large room with two king-size beds, a massive closet, and an en-suite bathroom. Mother’s sobbing could be heard, even behind the closed bathroom door. In some ways I was impatient with the woman who gave me life, not understanding how someone could be so weak. She greatly missed the husband that father murdered. Thanks to her foolishness, the man had been decapitated two years ago. The image of his head resting on a silver platter in the dining room of our luxury apartment still featured in some of the worst of my nightmares. But I’d never let Lord Peirc know that his barbaric act affected me. I’d never express the anger that I felt toward Mom for marrying the kind, mild-mannered man. He had a daughter, Amber, a bright light who always smiled. I was pretty sure that Amber was plagued by daddy issues, since her father vanished long ago. She probably thought that Max García abandoned her for a life of luxury like every postcard Lord Peirc sent her suggested. He was strategic about it, only writing during special occasions. Then he did the whole skipping the occasional holiday act.
I liked Amber well enough, though she had quite a mouth on her. But my mother had doted on Amber, showering her with clothes and shoes. I warned her that Lord Peirc wouldn’t be happy about it. But she insisted, that he had given her his blessing. Well, that was a bald-faced lie. When he saw fit, the Nerethian lord struck. And ever since Mother and I had come home on Valentine’s Day to find the head on the dining room table, she had been a nervous wreck.
Sighing, I hurried over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. I wasn’t surprised that no one answered. It was more of a “I’m coming in” kind of gesture. Moments later, I turned the knob and walked in. Mom was sitting in the tub, tears streaming down her face. She lifted her head and the tears suddenly stopped.
“You were successful?” Mom softly asked, fear etched on her face.
“Sure was,” I responded. The regret in her dark brown eyes made me a bit uneasy. I didn’t desire to get into a pointless argument with Mom again.
“I feel bad for Jade,” Mom said. “But you did what you had to do.” I wish that Mom could understand that I obeyed Lord Peirc because I was trying to keep us both alive. The monster couldn’t live forever. I was biding my time, waiting for our circumstances to get better.
“Me too. I don’t think that she’s cut out for this kind of life,” I noted, annoyance in my gut. I knew that Jade Bane was going to be a hell of a lot of trouble for David. His harsh rhetoric back in Jade’s former home had all been talk. I knew that my noble brother would do anything to keep that fragile little thing safe. I’d do my best to keep her alive to prevent David from getting himself in trouble. But if I had to choose between keeping my mother safe and having Jade avoid a punishment, I’d choose Mom every time.
“I knew her mother,” my mother revealed. “We were best friends. Jade is only a month younger than you, Gwen.”
“You knew Nelly?” I squeaked, shocked that she hadn’t mentioned it before. “Did you know that she was going to try to hide her children from Dad?” My mother shook her head.
“No. By then, we weren’t talking to one another. Your father had been seeing us both in secret. And...”
“You both chased after a handsome man without caution,” I accused, which made my mother stiffen. She briefly closed her eyes before opening them.
“Gwen, I hope that one day you fall in love. I hope you know what it’s like to be loved for who you are, and not for what you can do for someone. I hope...” I held up my hand and she thankfully quieted.
“Mom, you know that I’m never going to have that kind of life. I am the daughter of a powerful lord. I’m sure once I marry, it will be to someone that can provide the Peirc house with assets. I know my place, Mother, and I’ve accepted it. I think that it’s time that you learn yours,” I lectured, not for the first time. I expected for her to launch into a speech about how her late husband had been the love of her life. I prepared for the unnecessary hysterics. But then, a defeated expression flew across her face.
“I was nothing like Nelly. She wasn’t foolish at all. She saw through your father, and tried warning me. But I tossed her out. Had I listened, you would still have a soul.” It took a moment for Mom’s words to register. She thought I had no soul? Was this woman kidding? After all I had done to ensure her safety, she dared to insult me? I was about to shout at her for the insult, when a punishment beam fell from the ceiling and crashed into my mother’s shoulder. She began to scream, her body thrashing, water splashing about. I couldn’t bear to watch the punishment, so I rushed out of the bathroom and collapsed onto my bed. The punishment light made the person being punished believe that they were suffering a terrible amount of pain. Once the light disappeared, mother would be fine.
