Royal Heiress (12 page)

Startled, she quickly moved aside.

“There it is!” He grinned. “I’ve been waiting
for this book for weeks now. Thanks!”

She couldn’t say anything as he walked out of
the room. She forced back the tears that welled in her eyes. It was
so embarrassing. She’d never felt so humiliated in her entire
life.

Suddenly there was a hush of expectation
around her. Curious, she glanced around her at the group of people
who eagerly looked at the doorway. She watched as a thirty-year-old
man, wearing all black, entered the room. He reminded her of an
Augur, except he was more attractive than any human male she’d ever
seen.

He smiled widely at the people around him who
seemed to adore him. “Are there any new books to read today?”

“There are a couple!” a woman exclaimed,
delighted at the chance to talk to him. “Over here.”

He followed her up the steps.

People began to murmur around her.

“He is so gorgeous,” a woman next to her
said. “It’s too bad he’s unattainable.”

“No one is good enough for Avar,” her friend
agreed. “He’s the best of all the leaders’ creations. Perfect in
every way.”

“He should be the one writing the books
instead of reading them,” a man said. “No one can match him in
intellect.”

“The leaders may have trouble on their hands
with that one,” his friend acknowledged. “He could easily suppress
their authority.”

“And who wouldn’t follow him? He’s the most
interesting person who ever lived in this place.”

Amanda was surprised they valued the man
named Avar so highly. He seemed to have a spell over all of
them.

Avar walked back down the steps, thanking the
woman who showed him the books.

“He’s read every book in this place,” the
woman next to her whispered in her ear.

Amanda glanced at the woman, shocked someone
talked to her.

Avar began to leave the room but turned his
head in her direction. He changed his course and went over to
her.

Amanda’s cheeks grew hot at the realization
he had picked her out of everyone else in the crowd. She cleared
her throat self-consciously, acutely aware of the envious gazes of
the people in the room. Apparently, it was a great honor for him to
talk to her.

“I don’t recall seeing you before,” he
smoothly said, a broad smile on his face.

She didn’t know why she suddenly felt so
nervous. He was just an Augur. “I…um…” She cleared her throat
again. “I’m visiting.”

“From where? Perhaps I’ve been there.”

“No, you haven’t.”

His smile widened. “You aren’t like the
others around here. Oddly refreshing. Shall I guess where you’re
from while we eat?”

She shook her head, not understanding his
meaning.

“You are innocent, aren’t you?” he noted. “I
would like to discuss the details of your life over dinner. Don’t
worry. I won’t touch you. Not unless you want me to.”

The woman beside her sighed, probably wishing
it was her he was making the offer to.

Pallid returned at that moment and hurried
over to them. “Avar, just the person I was looking for.”

Avar turned to face Pallid, frowning. “It’s
inappropriate to interrupt me when I’m conversing with
someone.”

“I don’t care what you deem appropriate or
inappropriate,” Pallid replied.

“Infer, what is your number? I’ll have you
reported to the head leader.”

“That would be you, if you got your way.”

He narrowed his eyes at him. “I have no such
designs on Zeus’ office.”

“As far as others know.” Pallid’s gaze rested
on the books in Avar’s hands. “Interesting reading material. Those
are war strategies that Ares wrote.”

“They happen to be new books. You know I read
everything I can.”

“Hmm…so it would seem.”

“You better watch your step. I can easily
crush you. There are plenty more Infers to keep memories around
here.”

“But there’s only one who knows what you plan
on doing.”

“You don’t want to mess with me. I am not a
compassionate enemy,” he warned through gritted teeth.

Amanda didn’t know what to say or do. This
exchange meant something, but the details eluded her.

“Come, Amanda,” Pallid stiffly said. “We must
be going.”

Avar grinned. “I get it. You don’t want
someone else sharing your woman.”

“Hardly.” He rolled his eyes. “Though she
does need protection in this place.”

“Amanda, if you ever get tired of being with
this…thing, you can find me near the top of the arc. My office is
up there,” he told her before he left.

Pallid shook his head. Turning to her, he
asked, “Are you feeling rested now?”

She glared at him, her arms crossed.

He rolled his eyes again. “So you’re mad at
me. You’ll have to get over it. I don’t have time for female
hysterics.”

“You are the most insensitive person I’ve
ever met.”

“I’m going to make a purchase. Are you coming
with me, or staying here for the next hour?”

She was ready to say she’d wait there, but
the thought of spending an entire hour by herself was worse. She
stiffly nodded and followed him out of the room. Once she destroyed
Atlantis, she would return to Raz and never see him again. It was
the only thought that gave her enough strength not to cry or yell
at him. And it was the only comfort she had for the moment.

***

In the Underworld, Katherine and Jake took in
their surroundings as the man rowed the boat down the river.
Despite the torches lining the walls, it was dim, but Katherine
figured there was only so much light a person could possibly set up
in the depths of a cave.

She winced at the holes carved in the cave’s
walls that served as dwellings for the inhabitants. The elderly sat
outside their dwellings and watched them, looking as if they had no
purpose. Katherine saw a boy in a wheelchair trying to grab an
orange from a tree that grew in the middle of a garden.

“How is it that you are able to have trees
down here?” she asked the old man.

“The technology allows for them to thrive in
this environment, although normally it would not be so,” he
replied.

“What foods do people eat here?” Jake
asked.

“Oh, the same types of foods you can enjoy
above ground,” the man explained. “It doesn’t taste as good though.
There’s something in the soil above the ground that makes things
taste better.”

She saw that the boy was still having trouble
reaching for the orange. “Why doesn’t someone help him?”

“When you are stuck in a constant state of
despair, it’s hard to think of anyone but yourself,” the man
replied.

“Where are the boy’s parents?”

“They are above ground.”

“They just abandoned him?” Jake asked, his
tone indignant.

“I’m sure they tried everything they could to
help him walk, but it was impossible to accomplish,” the man
replied.

“But they could have come down here to take
care of him,” Jake argued.

“The world above ground is too tempting to
most people,” the man replied.

“So he was an inconvenience. He didn’t fit
into their plans.”

“It is a cold world we live in.”

“Will you stop the boat so I can give him the
orange?” she asked.

The man blinked. “Usually, it is not
done.”

“Will you make an exception for someone who
pleased Cerebus?” she added.

He smiled. “Very well.” He directed the boat
to the steps that led to the boy.

She got out of the boat and walked to the
boy. “Do you mind if I get the orange for you?”

The sorrow on the boy’s face lifted. “You’re
the first person who’s talked to me in a long time,” he told her.
“Yes, I would like for you to get the orange from that tree.”

She took it and handed it to him. “How do you
usually eat?”

“There are foods that are prepared for us by
those who cook. The trays of those meals are left outside my
dwelling twice a day. Once in the morning and again in the
evening.”

“So between then?”

“If I get hungry, I pick some fruits or
vegetables from this garden.”

She eyed the great variety of foods that grew
in the garden. “Is there anything else I can get for you while I’m
here? I am on my way to meet Hades so I can’t stay long.”

“I would like an apple,” he requested.

“Done.” She fulfilled his wish, said good-bye
to him and left. She returned to the boat and sat down. “What a
nice boy. But he must be lonely. He said I’m the first person who
has talked to him in a long time.”

“People keep to themselves down here,” the
old man responded as he pushed the boat away from the shore.

She noticed Jake’s angry expression. Clearly,
this world displeased him as much as it displeased her, but she
figured it was for different reasons. She decided not to ask him
about it. Instead, they spent the rest of their journey to Hades’
home in silence.

The old man docked the boat so they could get
off. Hades’ mansion loomed before them. It was made out of a black
material that sharply contrasted with the white material the
buildings above ground were composed of. The pathway to the house
was carved out with black marble. There were six torches lining
both sides of the walkway.

Hermes came out of the house, fuming. “He
needs to let Persephone go. Demeter will never sit still for this,”
he warned the old man. “Put her in the boat and take her out of
here immediately.”

“I cannot tell Hades what to do. He is the
ruler here. I am merely his servant,” the old man stated. “But I
will take you back to the entrance.”

“There’s no time. I must go back right away.”
He strapped on his shoes, which enabled him to fly. “Hades cannot
go up against Zeus. He’ll have to learn his lesson the hard
way.”

Katherine watched in amazement as Hermes flew
past them as if it were the most natural thing in the world for
someone to wear flying shoes.

The old man groaned. “I hope this won’t have
serious repercussions. We have enough to deal with down here as it
is.”

She and Jake got out of the boat. She
wondered just what the man meant. How could this place get worse
than it already was?

Chapter Twelve

Thousands of years in the past

Atlantis

Pallid and Amanda were walking down the
steps on the female leaders’ side of the arc when she demanded to
know what the confrontation with Avar was about.

“Why were you so mean to him?” she
pressed.

“He’s not who you think he is,” Pallid
replied. He knew it was a vague answer, but she didn’t have the
memories of how the Augur deceived many of the citizens into
following him. His entire platform was built on pride and
deception.

“He seems like a nice man to me,” she
said.

“Of course, he does. You don’t know any
better.”

“You love to criticize me, don’t you?”

He stopped and stared at her, as if the eye
contact would help her understand the moral character of the man.
“He preys on the innocent. He is adored by many, but they do not
know who he really is or what he’s capable of. He sensed your
purity and desired to take it away from you.”

Her eyes widened. “He only wanted to eat a
meal with me. He didn’t want sex.”

“That’s what he wanted you to think so you
would trust him. Amanda, you have to understand this city is not
Raz. The males here would love nothing more than to take your
virginity.”

“Why?”

He had to remind himself she grew up in a
sheltered world. It wasn’t her fault she was incredibly naive.
“This is a city of pleasure, in many forms. One of those forms is
sexual gratification. It is considered a rare privilege to take
someone’s virginity.”

“Are you like that, too?”

He noted the disgust in her voice. “No.
Neither are the other Infers or the rest of the Augurs, save Avar.
Infers and Augurs must keep their lines pure by having sex with
their assigned spouse. Avar is granted the right to do as he
pleases since the leaders regard him so highly. He is second to
them. The rest of us are mere creatures.”

She frowned, and he wasn’t sure what to make
of it.

Before he could ask her about it, Hermes flew
up the arc, calling out for Pallid and Amanda to clear his way.
Noting the leader’s urgency, Pallid pressed Amanda against
Demeter’s office window so that she was out of Hermes’ way. Hermes
flew directly into Demeter’s office. Pallid wondered what the rush
was about. He quickly ran through the events that happened during
this time in Atlantis’ past.

“Will you please move away from me?” Amanda
snapped.

“
Sorry,” he apologized, not
even aware he had been too close to her. He stepped away from her
and watched Hermes’ interaction with Demeter.

Others were just as curious and stopped on
the stairs to watch the scene unfold before them.

“I found your daughter,” Hermes told
Demeter.

Demeter put aside her pen and stood up.
“Where is she?”

“Persephone is in the Underworld. Apparently,
Hades has taken a liking to her and dragged her down there to be
with him against her will. He refuses to bring her back.”

“My sweet daughter is a prisoner down there?
In the Underworld? I must speak with Zeus at once. He will force
that monster to release her.”

Ignoring everyone else, she raced out of her
office and up the stairs to the very top of the arc where Zeus was
known to spend most of his time.

“At last she has found her daughter,” a woman
nearby said, sighing with relief. “She is such a wonderful mother.
This shouldn’t be happening to her.”

“And Persephone is so pleasant,” her friend
agreed. “She doesn’t deserve to be forced down to the
Underworld.”

Others agreed then continued their walk up,
or down, the stairs.