*
The door opened to the dark room. Luke for once was tired of the darkness, his entire life seemed to have been swallowed up by it. A single light was above Lex’s head as he sat tied tightly to a chair with two Black Born behind him. He smiled coldly as Luke sat down in front of him. “It’s sad really. You’re part of the reason I’m here and yet you think I’m the bad guy in this room.” Lex’s disrespectful tone made Asai react with a punch to Lex’s gut.
“Enough Asai. Leave us.” Luke said feeling suddenly very tired. Asai looked shocked. Luke kept his gaze steady and hard refusing to repeat an order. After a moment the Born nodded and took the other one with him.
Lex waited until they were alone. “Did you let her go?”
Luke nodded. “She will be released tomorrow morning.”
“She’s going to hate you after this.” Lex said with a hint of humor.
“What did you mean I’m part of the reason?”
“Oh come on Luke aren’t you going to kill me now? Do I have to talk because my throat is kind of dry.”
Luke closed his eyes. “Lex, please.”
Lex’s voice lowered into a whisper. “After you left she was alone. No one…. not even me was there for her. I didn’t realize how horrible it must have been until the day they came to take her away. I was sorted to be an entertainer due to my athletic Gift. She was deemed to be a servant. I found her crying that morning under a tree, beside the river. I tried to console her but she pushed me away telling me that I never cared before. I realized she was right. I had swallowed society’s belief that she was a freak. My own sister! She didn’t cry when the put her on the wagon to go to the work house. Her eyes were merely empty. I watched her go and every day after I argued with my mother telling her how wrong it was. I read the letters she wrote us. She tried to play down how bad it was for her…but I saw through it. Then the letters stopped.”
He paused for a second to take a deep breath. “I was in the Royal city just beginning my training when an old friend came up to me and told me he saw my sister at Lord Cam’s mansion. He told me she was beaten in the alleyway while he watched.” Luke sucked in breath, Lex continued. “I rushed to the mansion to try to get her out of the service of such a putrid man. The guards beat me and left me for dead.”
“And that’s why you joined the rebellion?” Luke asked getting impatient.
“No. But a woman found me. Her name was Beth. She bound my wounds and nursed me back to health. She told me that she was apart of the rebels. At first I didn’t want anything to do with it. Before I left she asked me why I was beaten by those men. Once I told her about Jacky, she told me that she didn’t have a Gift either. She also told me it was happening more and more. Children born with no Gift are being sold away to slavery. Servants treated as property because they are deemed freaks and aberrants. It took me a while but eventually I found myself joining the Rebels. I did it for Jacky and others like her.”
Luke spoke up. “There are other ways to change things.”
Lex laughed. “Yeah right. If anyone goes against the king even in a peaceful way he sends his beloved Black Born to silence them. You and your kind are the instrument of his demented appetites. I would watch Jacky. The king has his own special interests in the Giftless. Especially women.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever wondered why you’re not allowed to scan the king? He is a sick man who takes pleasure in the torment of Giftless girls. I guess it’s a turn on to have someone who he thinks is weak under his power. Your boss finds them for him. He takes them away from their families and keeps them in a private dungeon somewhere near the king’s suite.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Luke scoffed.
Lex’s expression hardened. “I’ve seen the bodies. They drop them in the river once he’s done with them. Those poor women were raped and tortured and because they’re often servants or hidden away by their families no one asks questions.”
“It’s a lie!” Luke said harshly standing up and walking back to the wall leaning his hand on it letting his head drop.
There was a dead silence for a while until Lex spoke up. “If you don’t believe me then scan me. I won’t resist this time. You have to know the truth, then once you do you have to keep Jacky safe. Please.”
Luke sighed and turned around not sure if he wanted to know. For the past five years he had done his best to make her proud, but now he may be part of the reason she had been so mistreated. He went and sat down in front of Lex. “You’re willing to give me all the information on the rebels?”
“To keep my sister safe I will give you everything.”
Luke took in a deep breath. “Yow know I can’t stop your execution.”
“I know. Swear to me that Jacky will be safe. I don’t care how just keep her away from him.” Luke nodded hoping he would find that Lex was mistaken.
*
Walking swiftly Luke made his way back to Jacky’s cell room but when he got there the room was empty. He saw a Born walking down the hallway. “You.” Luke called making the younger man about his age, stop. “Where did this prisoner go?”
The black haired man blinked then said. “The headmaster came and took her. Sir.”
Luke’s stomach turned to ice. “Thank you. Go about your business.”
“Yes sir.”
Luke opened his mind up and searched for her. He had to be sure. He could only scan half of the palace and found nothing. He swore under his breath. Then deciding he wasn’t going to let this happen he began walking down the hall towards the king’s chambers scanning for her. Each mind was like a fingerprint, each distinct with a certain feel to it. Like the feel of different kinds of fabrics. He felt with his mind over the minds of others, gently so no one noticed. There was a possibility if any of them had the wrong Gift, they would feel him but as he walked and didn’t feel her he began not to care.
In the west wing where the king’s chambers were, there was a Born in every hallway. He tried to keep his features calm and smooth while his mind was furiously searching for Jacky.
Suddenly the palace shook making Luke stumble. Voices rose as the alarm sounded. Shouts of prisoners escaping touched Luke’s mind and he smirked. This was perfect. “Go stop the prisoners from escaping!” He ordered all the running Born while he made his way towards the king’s chambers. Gently and tentatively he reached out hoping, he felt her and withdrew. He knew she was alive and not yet hurt. He picked up the pace knowing the path was clear.
