NOTE : In case if anyone has doubts- Mutants are humans who have been genetically converted to vampires, as opposed to the vampires of Faye, who are "born" vampires. Since the general public does not know much about humans, they brand them as generally beneath them. Mutants are faster and stronger than vampires but have no aversion to sunlight.
now..onto the update.
Chapter 3 : Two Pieces of a Broken Heart
Mutant 10121 was lying down in his small round room. His shift was over for a few hours till daylight. But he could not sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to forget the faces of his dead...friends?colleagues? comrades?fellow slaves?... 9721...Arielle. 15784... Ivan. 96542... Isabelle. Isabelle had been so young...so new...
10232... Tapan. His closest friend...he had not been able to save any of them, from him...from them. They wouldn't blame him. They would probably think he was doing them a favour : they would have liked freedom.
He did not have that luxury and he knew it. But even then...he could not die. It was the one thing that had made his life a little bearable. It was the sound of her soft voice he clung to whenever a vampire came to him...or any of them...for nutrition. He was not allowed to scream...not allowed to show pain... And he had given her so much pain...so much... It was his fault that she had lost a love. All his fault. He could not forget the raw anguish on her face, when he had turned to see her, and her eyes, filled with hope, had changed to despair...
He was quite alone, so he did not bother wiping away the tears that fell. In love with the unattainable. And even more so now.
The door clicked open and Aiza stuck her head in. In the darkness, her bright green eyes seemed almost catlike.
'Mutant 10121,' she began, and then lowered her voice. 'Abhay.'
He responded in a similar tone. Vampires had hearing stronger than humans, but not as much as mutants.
'Aiza,' he murmured. He smelt blood. 'Who visited you?'
Visited. Such a casual word.
She inhaled. 'Lox.'
Abhay let out a hiss. He had heard it, the sudden hiss of pain she had not been able to stop, because Lox was one who took pleasure in giving as much pain while he fed.
He took her hand and guided her to the bed. Mutants' one weakness was not being able to see clearly in darkness, although they used their other superior senses to guide them.
They sat for a while, silently. Then Aiza spoke. 'You saved her.'
Abhay did not reply.
'Why did you do it?'
'You know that,' he murmured. He had never been very close to Aiza, but she had known the one secret no one of his kind had known.
'Yes,' said Aiza softly, 'I do. And that is why I am asking. Why?'
'Why I saved her, or why I love her?' he murmured.
'It's the same thing.'
'She stopped Nalki from feeding on me,' he said quietly. 'Then she saved my life. And she took away the pain.'
Aiza fell silent. 'Well, for a vampire, she's probably the only one I wouldn't want to kill,' she muttered. 'She fed from me once, but she did try to minimize the pain... But Abhay, she is not worth this pain. '
'What pain?' scoffed Abhay. 'We are less than animals. We have no pain.'
'Why couldn't you fall for someone like yourself? Arielle-'
'I never saw her that way.'
'She did.'
They fell silent again, then Aiza sat up suddenly. They had both heard the footsteps.
Quick as a flash, she had got up and left the room.
A few seconds later, the junior Strategists entered the room.
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Piya's eyes flickered open. She felt an overwhelming sensation of softness. She realised she was in her bed...and as her eyes travelled around, she realised she was in her room, and she was quite alone.
She sat up shakily, for her body felt sore and bruised. The events of the previous day came crashing down on her.
Kabir...dead. His body, charred beyond recognition. Wolves. Making her an offer. Fighting for her life. And then...the Mutant saving her.
She couldn't help it. She let out a dry sob. Kabir was gone, gone forever : gone again. And another face flashed into her mind : streaked by blood, deep blue eyes stared vacantly into the sky...
No. She had to stop. Stop thinking. She had kept him locked away in the inncer recesses of her mind since she had been engaged to Kabir, because she did not want to compare them, and she knew who would win out if she did. But he had died too...just like Kabir.
She must indeed be cursed. Cursed that whoever she would choose as a companion would die.
Footsteps pattered into the room. Erika, her handmaid, let out a relieved exclamation, but immediately quietened down.
However, the damage had been done.
Her mother and father rushed in.
'Thank heavens you are awake,' said her father gruffly. 'You must never do something like that again. If the Mutant had not gone after you, who knows...'
Her mother shuddered.
'All right,' said Piya defeatedly. 'Please..leave me now.'
'Yes, yes, Erika will tend to you,' said her father. 'We have to meet someone as well.'
Piya's handmaid ran a bath for her and helped her wash and dress. Piya still had trouble walking and speaking very much.
As she helped Piya on with the dress, Erika told her some very interesting...although disturbing...things she had heard from the castle gossip.
'Erika,' she said, trying to keep her voice cool, 'How long have I been unconscious? Who brought me here?'
'Near about two nights, miss,' said Erika humbly. 'It was a Mutant that brought you here...the leader, I think.'
'Have you...did you hear anything...about Kabir...' Piya didn't know how to phrase the question.
Erika looked all around. 'Rumours, Princess. So many rumours...'
'What kind of rumours?' said Piya urgently.
'Well...'
Piya looked at her. Erika was biting her lip, her eyes shifting around.
'Please tell me,' she said, desperation leaking in. 'Anything you know...'
'They say there's a rebellion started in Faye,' said Erika at last, her eyes downcast. 'And they say...a new leader aspires to be King, with help from Ricardia, and some Mutants who have deserted...'
Piya closed her eyes. Another war? The vacant blue eyes flashed into her head again. No. She shook her head with a jerk. What was wrong with her? She should be mourning Kabir, not someone she had lost decades ago. Kabir, the only person who truly had understood her, had offered her his companionship, when he could have chosen anyone else.
And while she knew her feelings for him could never be what Vikrant had made her feel...she knew she had loved him. And now he was gone, too. She must be cursed.
There was a knock on the door.
'Come in,' called Piya, after giving herself a once over. She was dressed entirely in black velvet...the colour of mourning.
The King, her father, entered. Only, he was not alone. Four guards followed him, with a Mutant in their midst. His hands were bound in silver, his head bowed.
'Ah, daughter,' said the King, looking visibly relieved that she was calm. 'We have decided to assign you a guard. Mutant 10121 will protect you at all times of the day- and night.'
The Mutant raised his head and looked at her. A sudden surge of anger coursed through her as she recognised him.
'He is quite clearly the best,' said her father, obviously justifying his choice. 'Besides, he has saved your life, at a time when he was not on duty. Now, he will be at your call at all hours of the day...'
Piya closed her eyes, relaxing her mind, mentally locking back the darkness that swirled in her head.
She grimaced. 'Yes, Father.'
'He will stay with you, of course,' her father continued. 'He will accompany you at all times. And should he ever prove dissatisfactory, you know how to control Mutants, do you not?'
'What?' said Piya. 'Control?'
'More like...punishment,' said one of the guards silkily. She realized they were Strategists, not guards.
'You will take here...' He gave her a small box like contraption, 'And press this button here. It will bring the most disobedient of Mutants to heel.'
Piya took it with a strange feeling of unease, then kept it on the table next to the bed.
'Is that all?' she said, marvelling at her own coolness. 'Or is there anything left?'
'No, indeed, not,' said the King, gesturing to the Strategists. 'We shall leave now.'
Piya watched them go.
'You too, Erika,' she said quietly. 'And close the door.'
She was now alone in the room with him. She avoided looking at him, his eyes were too disconcerting. His hands now free, he divested a small backpack from his shoulder. It was so small she had barely noticed it.
He took it and kept it in a corner of the room.
But he was still staring at her, still staring...
Her anger boiled over.
'So, Mutant 10121,' she said coldly, and noted with satisfaction as he flinched- 'So, what possessed you to save my life, and what reward were you promised in return? A stay in the royal palace?'
His face was neutral. 'I would never jeopardise your life. I have got no reward.'
'Oh,' she said mockingly, 'But of course, that didn't apply to my fiance, did it? His life was expendable, wasn't it?'
Her voice was steadily increasing in volume. 'How dare you save my life!' she screamed. 'How dare you stand there, all unconcerned- how dare you! They were right! You are- all of you- nothing more than beasts!' she spat at him.
His eyes were awash with betrayal...shock...and then, chilling fury.
Piya noted it with more than a touch of statisfaction...let him hurt as she had she had been, let him feel the pain...
'You're nothing but a monster,' she spat at him. ' A monster who knows nothing of love or-'
But she broke off as she suddenly caught her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. Shocked and furious, she pushed at him, but he simply gripped her wrists and held them above her head, against the wall.
And when Piya looked at him, so close, and his eyes... They made her feel suddenly very uncomfortable.
'Don't. You. Dare,' he spoke through clenched teeth. 'You have no idea...no freaking idea!'
He let go of her, but it was his voice that was raised now.
'Don't you dare make assumptions about things you don't know about, Princess!' he said, mocking her title. 'You lost your lover, and it's my fault for what- not being able to save him?!'
She stared at him. A part of her recognised she had gone too far, but that cruel satisfaction lingered.
He looked at her. 'Seven Mutants,' he said coldly. 'Seven Mutants were killed that night. Four of them were my closest friends. I saw them being murdered. They gave up their lives trying to save Faye. No one even gave them a funeral, like they did to your beloved Strategist's remains. Because we are monsters, right?'
Piya turned away. She could not allow herself to soften now.
'You lied to me,' she hissed. 'You lied, you told me it was a 'tangle' with some merpeople- you didn't have the slightest concern-'
'And how was I supposed to tell you?' he said coldly. 'Tell you how I failed to preserve your happiness, after you saved my life?'
She whipped around to stare at him. His face was blank, but his eyes were filled with misery...guilt...remorse.
The doors banged open and Strategists rushed in. Abhay smiled slightly. 'I thought you were different,' he said softly.
'What has been going on here?' demanded a voice behind her.
Piya turned around to face them.
'We- I- nothing-'
'He raised his voice on you?' said the Strategist. 'Well?'
Piya's eyes flitted to Abhay's. 'I- well- we had-'
But that was apparently all the confirmation he needed.
Piya glanced at him, and she only had time to see a desperate plea in his eyes before he sank to his knees, doubled up and shaking.
He did not make a sound, but she could see him writhing, his eyes rolled backwards, and she looked towards the Strategists for explanation.
One of them was holding a contraption identical to the one he had given her, and his face showed blandness as he watched the Mutant doubled up in pain.
Piya gasped in shock : what on earth were they doing to him?
'No!' she cried out. 'Stop it!'
The Strategist looked surprised. 'Princess, he has raised his voice on you! Such an action deserves severe punishment! We will get another one immediately!'
And all the while, fire coursed through Abhay's body, but not a sound escaped him. It was not as bad as the punishment as the one he had got when Kabir's body had been been brought in, but it still felt like a thousand knives were piercing him from the insides. He heard someone cry out : he could not be sure who it was.
'No!' cried Piya. 'I ordered him to raise his voice! I wanted to see how loud he could speak! Let him go! I do not want a replacement!'
She knelt down next to him.
'Now LEAVE!'
The Strategists looked at her, confused, then they pressed another button, and Abhay stopped writhing.
Piya had a bitter taste in the back of her throat as she watched them go. And then she transferred her attention to Abhay.
He was sitting up, his knees drawn close to his chest, his eyes hollow.
Piya stared at him, only now remembering what her father had said about Mutant 10121 being punished... Was this punishment? This was torture!
'Abhay,' she said, her voice shaking, 'I...forgive me. I never knew... I am sorry... I wanted to hurt you... I didn't mean to say that...'
To her horror, tears began to fall. She swiped at them, but they fell steadily, coursing down her face and dripping down her chin.
Hesitantly, Abhay held out a hand to touch her shoulder.
The random act of kindness made her break into full-scale sobbing, and she clung to him as she wept from grief and from guilt... She had promised herself to never cause pain to another...
Suddenly, she drew away, and opened her cupboard where she kept her store of potions.
Taking out a vial of pain-reliever, she dropped the contents into a tumbler and held it out to him after diluting it with blood.
He took it, his eyes on hers. 'What...'
'Drink it,' she told him. 'It'll help.'
It did.
As dawn broke, she went off to sleep, trying her best not to think of Kabir, or of Abhay, or of...him...
As she woke up, she looked instinctively for Abhay. He was standing in a corner, his eyes only on her.
'Uh...have you been standing that long?' she said in surprise. 'Why don't you sit?'
'I'm on duty,' he said. 'I'm not allowed to relax.'
'And you're supposed to obey my orders,' she pressed.
'Sit. And not in that corner... On the chair.'
His eyebrows shot up as he stared at her in surprise, before sinking down on the chintz armchair.
'You are a different vampire, Princess,' he said quietly. 'It will be my... honour to guard you.'
The dream Piya had had last night came back to her.
'Abhay, you would always keep me safe, wouldn't you?'
He gave her a short nod.
'Right.' She took a deep breath. 'Abhay, I want to leave this place. I want to find out who killed...him. I want to go. Will you help me?'
Edited by bookworm-ALS-- - 12 years ago
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