First Annual Bronze Heart Cermeony
To Be Awarded to
PFC. Kelly Vassey
Presented by
HRH, Paris Prince & NADF General Jaden Kellers
Ft. Cheslea Piers, INNA
+1+
I was going to die in this tight uniform, the fucking military tailors never got the shoulders right. Sure, the dull green material looked smooth but it was as itchy as hell. My white gold revolutionary medallion felt heavy on my chest next to my New Aetenra Pride Pin.
I was lucky to be seated next to Ares and Zacharias. Both were Angels who had turned on Helios early on. Sera’s guardsman, one of our human recruits, was also at the table. It seemed we were the bachelor table.
The good thing was none of them were talkers, thank God.
Seraphina looked beautiful tonight. Her blue eyes looked huge and innocent, her mouth in a determined grimace. Every inch of her arms and legs were covered in dark red fabric that flowed into a cape at her shoulders. Her face was no longer sun kissed tan, but lighter with a hint of rouge. Her extensions flowed down past her shoulders into unreal curls. She should have been in her uniform since it was a military ceremony, but the PR office had forbade it.
She was towering at nearly 7 feet in heels. For two people who hated professional photographs of themselves Paris and Sera found a way to pose perfectly with one another. Slightly turned into one another with his hand awkwardly above her waist. Her cold glare steeled the camera at all the cameras and Paris attention also seemed to be somewhere else. His eyes couldn’t focus on the flashes.
The press asked Paris questions about his health and Searphina about her first week at her new commission. They thanked and shook hands with the photographers once it was finished. Pfc. Copper and Pfc. Almanda escorted the couple to their seats at the head table. Last week Cooper, Sera, Almanda and I had all been sweating, dusty and playing poker in the barracks. All on the same playing field.
Paris pulled Seraphina’s chair out and kissed her forehead once she was sitting. I gave Sgt. Kelly Vassey a comforting smile from where she was seated at the head table. Vassey looked nervous, She was being awarded the bronze heart of merit for her actions during our last deployment.
Kelly Vassey was our very first national hero.
I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see
Isobel behind me. She was clad in a sensible purple get up. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
There was a line of Briar’s Boys and Girls School orphans lining up to take a picture and get Vassey’s autograph. I bet the PR people set that up. Orphaned Angel kids admiring a human female war hero ? Bet that looked real good. I noticed Arrow was among the group of wards.
Seraphina was watching this all very carefully from where she was seated at the head table. I watched as a guardsmen lead Arrow away from the group and up to the head table. He was bought up to show off autograph and the inscription Vassey had written. Paris straightened the boys New Aeterna pride pin. Not wanting to see his legacy askew. Seraphina just stared at the kid’s every move.
“I should see if Arrow is okay—“
“Come on Izzy, he’s fine. You gave him up, remember.”
“Leon don’t make me feel bad about that. I didn’t see you—“
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad, sweetheart. I’m trying to help you let go. Come on let’s talk.”
She put her arm in mine and I lead her out the door. The
dinner was being held at what used to be a Chelsea Pier Rec center and now was
an officer’s club. Security paid us no mind as we walked out on to the edge of
the pier.
“I saw her in there. The woman who questioned me in D.C I looked at the guest list. She’s with the Americans. Solstice LeCroix. DOJ. Former New Orleans PD", Isobel said
“Maybe we can get someone in customs to deny her visa, send her home.”
“Really Leon ? This is the kind of stuff that got us here. If you pull that shit she will get even more suspicious.”
Isobel leaned over the railing at the end of the pier, she still wore Lysander’s engagement ring. A clean and simple purple amethyst.
“Okay, Leon . . . What happened? What did you two try to assassinate Paris ?
---
I liked being called Captain. I’d never admit it
Yes, Captain
No, Captain
No, sir, Captain, Sir
It was almost better than sex.
Sometimes I just walked into barracks just so I could hear it. That day was not one of those days. The wooden barracks had been thrown up on short notice and the door nearly fell off when I pulled it open.
The female enlistees of the NADF were in the common room and they snapped to attention instantly when the saw me. They were all in camouflage marked with a NADF royal red badge. Officially, the NADF forces were sent overseas to help train U.S Special Forces in hostage, evasion, rescue and and dangerous humanitarian missions.
It was a good deal, not dangerous. Nothing that would paint New Aeterna’s military as anything negative.
I realized I probably should have said something before I stormed inside the women’s barracks but my head wasn’t on straight. Anyway, 12 of the women were present and stood at attention. They ranged from 16-38. They each wore identical expressions, but I could still see the slight defiance in Seraphina’s eyes. She hated the military protocol. She hated their customs and their one military mentality. After the rampage she’d been on during the resistance she needed discipline.
“At ease.” I said.
The women relaxed and sat back on the floor in circle. The women shifted uncomfortable and a few had glassy eyes, one of the youngest recruits was squeezing a cheerful look stuff animal and struggled to hold in her tears. My eyes went to Sera who was watching the young girl. I relaxed my stance realizing I must have broken up some sort of support group situation. Shit timing.
“What can I do you for, Captain?”, Corp. Lorries asked. She was the oldest at 38 and the platoon leader, I felt she was always sucking up to me when she should have been sucking up to the brand new fucking queen in her platoon, “I need to speak to Corp. Grigori.”
Seraphia picked up her shades from the table and quietly followed me out. She had on a lightweight opaque t-shirt underneath her tank, even out here she kept as much of herself covered as possible. She’d made the unconscious choice that if she had to be in the public eye she wouldn’t let them have all of her. Which was a fucking shame considering cause she was built as fuck.
She followed me in silence, but I knew she could see the tension in my shoulders. Our natural cool skin made the Iraqi heat almost pleasant. We fell into step next to one another in perfect unison. I lead her to Central Control, a temporary but efficient building for visiting officers.
“What’s going on, Captain”, she asked.
“Don’t know. Something is off.”
I’d been told to report to the Eagle room. It was rumored to be the nicest conference room in the whole damn place. They’d shipped in a real oak table and soft chairs with wheels , they even put in a window air conditioning unit. Seraphina seemed impressed with the room, she stopped short when she saw who was waiting for us.
“Sir”, she says saluting the retired general, which was the last thing she wanted to
“Corporal”, Army Spokesman General Bart Giuliani greeted her, “Or is it Her Royal Highness now ?”
She shifted slightly. She might have been wife of a newly minted king , but we were on a military campaign in a U.S military base. That shit was thrown out the window real quick. Something Seraphina had always been grateful for.
Bart Giuliani was the main opposition to the Independent Nation of New Aeterna. He still thought New Aeterna was such a joke, I heard he’d been making literal jokes about it on late night TV. His pro-American Unification party was a short lived movement no one remembered.
Two NADF privates were standing with him, they were young and had ripped the NADF badge off their uniform and replaced them with a blue, orange and white badges that said UNIFY. Those were New York State colors.
Fucking traitors
“How are you finding
Iraq, Corporal ? You look different than you did at your coronation.” Giuliani asked.
Sera ran both hands through her so called pixie cut, but kept her tone polite.
“I find it a great opportunity to increase U.S and New Aeterna Relations. How do you find D.C, General ?”
She was repeating a line that PR director had told her to tell any media that asked her a question, she didn’t even hesitate.
“Well”, Giuliani said.
“I remember your Great Uncle, I recall he turned New York City into Disneyland”
“Yes, I’m sure he got rid of some of your favorite . . .all women establishments.”
Seraphina sat up a little straighter.
“Actually General, I always wanted a pet ferret.”
“Um”, I cut in, “How can we help you, Sir.”
Giuliani stood up and grabbed his laptop
“I’m here for America.” he said, “For what was the greatest city in America. I’m here for New York City.”
Seraphina leaned over the table, Giuliani got an up close view of her
height and muscle. She dropped all pretense. The two traitorous NADF privates who were guarding Giuliani got tense
“Look I’m serving here as a solider along with your army. We are working together and you want to bring out your anti-monarch unification bullshit. Don’t bring that here. The people voted, congress voted. It’s over”
“For years”, Giuliani said opening his laptop and ignoring her, “Hundreds of immigrants came to New York City from Ellis Island. New York is a symbol. It was ruthlessly stolen from us by supernatural bullies. Monsters. I’m not giving my city to the very monsters who destroyed it."
He turned the screen down flat and showed us a grainy security camera image taken just a few months after Sera escaped Guantanamo. It was a close up of us at the Boston National Guard Parade. The National Guard had become a big fucking deal after Helios took over New York City. Soldiers who’d served at Guantanamo were being awarded there.
There had also been a terrorist attack that day. No fatalities but a bomb had gone off injuring thousands. The target of the attack—our attack--was General Baron Fountain.
“This attack was one of four that happened at military functions across the country. Attacks where members of the 'resistance' can be spotted in the crowd.”
Seraphina kept her eyes down. She’s been angry back then and she blamed the military for how they treated her. She'd gone a little rogue, Paris managed to reign her in back in the day. . . but she was over that now. She had to be. It was old hat that Giuliani was bringing up.
There was more to Giulinai’s digital file. Images drudged up
from the old days. Seraphina and Helios together, SGI stuff. Historical records for the notorious gun company Hmjeu used to run.
“How will the people feel when they find out the "queen" was Helios Thantos former lover and lieutenant? That you killed for him. . . with him”, he spat at her, “Or when they find out Paris Prince’s former business financially supported Helios Thantos. You people are all in it together. If you even are people.”
“Helios threatened Paris for that money”, I cut in knowing Sera and I had helped Helios strong arm Paris back in the day, "It’s not how it looks. SGI had some bad moments but-“
“Hold your tongue Captain. I have rather impressive items from sealed archives showcasing some of SGI’s former missions. You spent quite a lot of time in Germany in the 1940s. Or how about those nice West African children you helped trained ? This is just the start of what I have on you people.”
I shoved the computer off the table but he grabbed the memory key with all the information on it and stuffed it in his coat pocket.
“This is the past. We disclosed most of this to a subcommittee a long time ago.” Seraphina said.
“The public needs to know about this. The court of public opinion will turn on you. One click and this will be your legacy. I can, however, make this all go away Mrs. Grigori”
The computer had frozen on a picture of her and Helios on a date at some nice restaurant. They'd been briefly engaged so she was wearing a ring. Her long legs entwined with his, the picture had been taken in the midst of a romantic looking kiss. There was joy in it. Seduction maybe ? It had probably been taken off of Helios' hard drives. Giuliani had some top secret shit.
“What do you want?” Sera asked with her eyes closed.
“You. I want to hire you. You are menace to society, Mrs. Grigori. You are a heartless killer, that’s why Helios Thantos first fell in love with you, yes ? Ballistics shows your gun killed most of the Helions the night of the revolution. You killed 29 Helion that night. Now there are only 60 Helion is existence. In a way you committed genocide. It also seems every man who touches you gets the death sentence. How many times did the guards at Guantanamo have to stop you from trying to kill your baby--
He didn’t get to finish the sentence. She grabbed his face and dug her thumbs into his eyes. The two NADF privates escorting Giuliani were to slow to react. I jumped in and pulled Seraphina off, I had to squeeze her tight to get her to calm down.
“Assaulting a General, Mrs. Grigori? You should be dishonorably discha—“
“What the fuck do you want, Giuliani ?” she snapped and I caught a glimpse of the Resistance Sera. The old Sera.
“The Republic”, he said
“I can’t give you your damn city back.”
“Yes you can. You are a good shot, Mrs. Grigori. You have good eyes. I want you to use that little talent. I want you to assassinate Paris Prince.”
Sera waited a beat.
“That won’t give you New York City back,” she said.
“Oh, it will. Because then I’ll have A mourning queen under my control. A poor woman who is to distraught and fragile. Overwhelmed. You will do everything in your power to give New York City back to America. Don’t worry I’ll help.”
She looked to me for a plan. We couldn’t kill Giuliani, the two traitor NADF cadets who were with him would be witnesses. Maybe we could plant an IED under his escort back to the airport but I’d need to find a way to leave now.
“I can’t kill the King, I love him.” Sera appealed to his human side.
“Fine then”, he said, “I’ll let all this information leak. What will the headlines be? New Aet. Queen former Thanto’s Fiancé, Revolution Leaders Part of Former Terrorist Group, or how about Helion Regime Financed by King?”
“SGI wasn’t a terrorist group”, she said of all things.
“We can let the court of public opinion decide that.”
She looks to me for answers but I got shit.
“I’ll do it”, Sera said, “I’ll kill him. I won’t tarnish Paris’ legacy with this shit. He’s come to far to be disgraced. I’ll kill him on my own terms. Gently. In his sleep.”
Giuliani smiled and made a show of loading his gun with
white gold bullets. Sera looked over at me. Knowing that white gold was the only
element that could kill an Angel l was top secret. We’d only told five high
ranking officials. There was no way Giuliani should know about that.
“Oh, no. His death needs to be public and bloody. It’s going to feel like an ending. He’s going to be assassinated, buried and laid to rest. Do you understand, Corporal?”
“Yes, sir”, she gritted her teeth
Giuliani didn’t dismiss us. This was happening and it was happening now.
The two NADF privates who escorted Giulianai started to bind our feet together. The NADF privates weren’t from our company but Sera still stared daggers at them.
“Traders”, Sera whispered to the traitor NADF soldiers, “We saved you from Helios and this is what you do.”
“We didn’t want to be saved, we wanted our city back. Unify or die”, One solider said.
Giuliani picked up the sat com phone and called the executive office in Baghdad. He used his General ranking and got permission to send Seraphina and I on a "special reconnaissance operation mission". He’d already faked the paperwork
Seraphina started fighting against her bindings, twisting her hands and ankles as the two soldiers tied a gag around her mouth and put a bag over her head. She was sweating and shaking. I could tell she was regressing. She was going back somewhere and it was only going to get worse from here.
“It’s okay”, I told her, and “I’m not leaving your side.”
+++
Giuliani and his soldiers hid us in a NGO van until dark, then they loaded
Seraphina and I into shipping crates at gunpoint. It was an uncomfortable drive
from the base in AL Khasik to the airport in Baghdad.
I felt the bump and roll as the crate we were imprisoned in was loaded onto a plane. We were stuck between boxes of mail and tainted MREs.
I felt the pop of air in my ears as the plane ascended.
“Funny”, I said as the crate swayed, “This is the kind of job SGI would have done. Killed a king for pay. It’s why Helios liked you so much . . . you had crazy good eyes. You probably get that from your father. He was kind of a little know legend. His arrow always hit its target.”
Sera didn’t say anything. She was trying to stay calm, breathing in and out. When we’d rescued her from Guantanamo she’d been living in and was transported in a similar enclosed space, and it fucked with her.
“We need a plan, Leon.” was all she said.
The trip was 10 hours and we worked in tandem. One of us stayed awake while the other slept. Neither of us came up with any decent ideas.
When we were let out, we were in a private military hangar at La Guardia. Giuliani stood with the two privates and three huge French Foreign Legion mercenaries. They watched us as we stripped of our camouflage and changed into the civilian clothes they shoved at us. Sera’s hands were shaking so much I had to button up her plaid shirt and tuck it in. One of the female soldiers dragged her to the plane’s bathroom. 30 minutes later Sera’s hair was dyed a hideous red and spiked up.
With little to no ceremony they shoved us into the back of black van.
“Sera”, I said, “We can run. I can maybe take the mercenaries if you take the soldiers. Giuliani didn’t have his gun so—“
“Stop Leon. If we miss one step Giuliani will turn on us. ”
The car stopped and one of the trader NADF privates told us we had five minutes to prepare. I knew my job here was to be Seraphina’s handler and I hated it.
She closed her eyes, trying to detach. The trader NADF privates and the French Foreign Legion mercenaries were dressed in civilian clothes. They croweded around us and lead by Giuliani escorted us into the old New York Life Insurance building. The lobby was empty. Probably cleared out for the speech. Seraphina stopped and looked up at the television showing Paris preparing for the State of The Nation speech. She looked at his image as if she were falling in love with him all over again.
Giuliani shoved her hard until she started to move again. We were made to walk up to the roof. . .Giuliani took the elevator.
Once on the roof one of the mercenaries set up a French class AM-47 sniper rifle and loaded it for Sera. It was the same one the NADF used in basic training. One merc had his gun on me and the two traitor NADF soldiers had theirs on her. We couldn’t make a move . . . not yet.
“Don’t worry”, Giuliani said looking at the bullets, “The bullets are white gold. Modified. King killers I like to call them.”
+3+
I looked out at crowed gathered around the New Aeterna Court building. The venue was chosen for it’s access and scenery. Everyone was waving New Aeterna flags as triumphant music started to play. The entire nation was out to see their king. Paris appeared from the back of the crowd and walked through the crowd to the podium. Isobel and a few other resistance guys were with him.
When he reached the front he looked like a king. He was wearing all black with a dark red sash held by a shiny New Aeterna medallion. He looked cool in the early March weather. He grabbed the podium by both sides and addressed the crowd.
He started talking about the future and Giuliani nudged Sera forward.
“I know”, Paris voice carried across the void, “This is being broadcast around the world and I’d like to a moment to acknowledge my wife and all the other NADF men and women who could not be here today. My thoughts are with you.”
He carried on and into his speech. Giuliani sneered and turned to where Seraphina was in position behind the rifle.
“Now”
She’d been crying and that’s what screwed it up for her. The
tears has blurred her vision, but she took the shot anyway. A single scream went
out in the crowd as the king jerked and dark blood spurted on the crowd. She’d
clipped his ear.
Paris grabbed onto the podium and fought to stay up, he must have been in shock or something because he kept giving his speech.
"Again", Giuliani snapped. On some command every gun on that roof was now pointed at me.
She shot again and missed. She went for another shot and it hit the podium. The guardsmen were trying to pull Paris away and the crowd didn’t know whether to run or stay.
“Knock him down” Giuliani shouted.
Then she pulled the trigger one last time.
Paris Prince fell back like a rag doll, a gyzer of dark blood splashing in the air. It was dramatic and he’d gone down like a motherfucking hero. When I thought about it. . . I remembered seeing Isobel running through the crowd.
Seraphina screamed and made to step off of the roof when one of the mercenaries put a hand around her mouth and dragged her off the roof and down the stairs. They pushed and shoved us both forward at top speed. I felt someone bash me over the head with a gun a few times for being too slow
Seraphina reached for my hand and gently stroked my hand with her thumb. Then squeezed it. One Two three.
That must have been a sign
“I can’t”, Sera said stumbling hers steps
“Keep walking” Giuliani snapped.
Sera turned to run and she fake-slipped on the slick floor, she slammed into the ground hard. The soldiers and Giuliani grabbed her but she fought them of in a fit hysterics. I caught her hand focusing on the traitor NADF soldier's ankle holster.
I jumped into the mele and grabbed a gun off the waist of the other NADF private. They were young and inexperienced. The mercs gave Seraphina a sedative and threw her in the trunk. I realize they must have done the same to me cause things get fuzzy after that.
+++
Waking up back in that shipping crate was fucking disorienting. Seraphina was already awake and trying to make sense of what she’d done.
“It’d be real shitty if they just dropped this shipping crate in the middle of the ocean.” I said.
“We danced on coronation day.”
“I think that drug still has you . . . that didn’t happen.”
“Yeah. . . at the house.”
I sat up and mimicked her sitting position.
“No, remember. The whole resistance got together and tore it up at your place. You had on that real Angelic white dress. Wasn’t much room for dancing.”
“Afterwards. When everyone had left—Paris and I started
dancing in the backyard. He was so happy, I haven't seen him that happy since he lost his Brothers. It had a been a tough few years for us. We stayed up all night
just talking. I love him so much. Loved. I’ve been in love before. . . and I
will be again. But. . . he was my soulmate, Leon. My heart hurts."
“Sera, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Paris deserved to go out on top looking handsome as. . . hell. He met his destiny and had a life well lived. Now he can sleep.”
She wiped her eyes and forced a smile.
“Did you get a gun off one of them ?” she asked
“Yeah."
“Let’s fight for another day. ”
+++
Giuliani and his soldiers took us to an abandoned bunker near Al Khasik. His
plan was to hold us there for 24 hours. He told the press some bullshit story
about the NADF being on a “top secret” special mission to explain why Seraphina wasn’t on base when the news came out.
One traitor NADF private was standing guard over us in the bunker’s communications office. Giuliani was on his cellphone, The mercs were in the back probably talking about money. The other traitor NADF solider was outside. Seraphina was sitting across from me. They hadn’t tied us up because we were bound by something much worse than ropes now.
She blinked
One
Two
Three
Sera stood up and knocked the table over. The French Foreign Legion mercenaries went for
their weapons but stopped when they realized they didn't have the white gold ammo anymore. While they were focused on her I rammed into them and quickly
disarmed them. I brandished the gun I’d stolen off the NADF privates and
leveled it at the mercs. Giuliani barked orders at the NADF privates, who looked
red faced realizing we’d taken their guns.
"Stand down or--"
Seraphina took on of the merc's guns from me
and without hesitating she shot General Bart Giuliani in the face. Just like that.
I forced the mercenaries into a corner
“Let’s work something out, fellas”, I said to the mercenaries. They weren’t called soldiers of fortune for nothing.
The NADF privates stared at the dead general. One of the
braver privates charged for us with a white gold knife. . . kid didn't make it.
The other solider was fumbling with a holstered gun she'd been hiding, she was trying to switch out her steel bullets to white gold ones
“Don’t you dare”, Seraphina said kicking the gun out of the Privates' hands.
“Stand down”, Sera said to the traitorous solider, “Don’t forget I outrank you.”
“You barley outrank me, Corporal”, the young woman said armed with nothing except a defiant look.
“ Look at that New Aeterna pin on your goddamn uniform. I am your fucking queen and you will put that down.”
“But—“
“What’s your name?” Sera cocked the gun
“Vassey. Kelly Vassey, Your Highness”
Sera put her gun down and Vassey stood at ease. She seemed momentarily taken in by Sera’s very blue eyes
“Enough with that”, she said, “Listen Vassey, I’ll make this good for you. What did you lose during the regime.”
She swallowed
“My best friend was a servant in Helion Castle , I never saw her again. My boyfriend was killed by those MS soldiers. My parents were imprisoned for anti-Helion speech along with my five year old niece. You people put a five year old in one of those baby prisons.
My parents were liberated but they are different. I had to sell everything I had to keep a roof over our heads. The only shot I had at keeping food on the table was to join the NADF. But my loyalties will always be with the Unifiers. My only good memories are of New York City. We need to be united with our Mother country. Stars and stripes. Unify or die. ”
“How old are you ?”
“Nineteen’
“Young. Vassey, I can’t give you everything you lost during the regime. I can give you a good home for you family, help for your niece. I’ll give you back your dignity. I’ll make you a national hero Vassey. Your parents will be proud. I’ll give you the power Helios Thantos took from you. Power will be at your feet. I’d like to see America do that for you. You think the president is ever going to know your name ? Cause I will never forget yours, Kelly Vassey”
“Ma'am ?”, her interest was piqued.
Seraphina ripped the unification badge off of Vassey’s uniform. Sera slipped off her New Aeterna ring and put it on Vassey’s finger. Vassey relaxed her stance.
“Are there IEDs here, Vassey”
“A few are in storage.”
“Plant them on the road. . . then drive over them. With Captain Argos and Giuliani in tow.
“M--ma'am ?”
I catch on though and lead Vassey out to the storage unit. Seraphina hated explaining things.
“What are we doing Capitan Argos”, She asked
“Let’s say you were ordered to drive Giuliani, Me and the
queen back from our ‘secret mission’. We hit some IEDs, there were some unfriendly
fire from the hills. Giuliani was hit, he didn’t make it. You kept due course
and got me and the queen back to base safely. You saved a captain and a queen. Not bad, kid."
---
Vassey’s driving sucked. She was anticipating the IEDs. I had to put my foot on the gas and force her to drive over the IED. The impact is bad but Sera and I’s body can withstand it. We both shield Vassey as the explosions rocks the jeep.
We send out an S.O.S on the radio and Sgt. Lorries and three privates come to our rescue. We arrange Giuliani and the other privates' body. Sera and I are sure to make Vassey look like a hero for her driving. Lorries drives us back to base her eyes are red because she knows the king has been shot, but it’s not her place to tell his wife.
Everyone’s first priority is getting Seraphina back to New Aeterna. Callum, now the head of the guardsmen, is waiting for us at the base and takes Sera and I to a private plane. He holds both of Seraphina’s hands and sits her down on the leather seats of the private plane
“What is it Callum ? What are you doing here”. she says, “Is this about Giuliani’s accident? Leon and I tried to save him but--
“It’s Paris. . . Sera he was assassinated---fuck. He died on the way to the hospital.”
Her shock was fake but her grief was real. She said nothing as the plane began to take off. I sat across from her and tried to figure out why I wasn’t more fucked up about this. I felt good, I had a nice adrenaline rush from the action and I really wanted to fuck.
Sera started pacing the plane when we were four hours out. Callum fixed her a drink from somewhere in the plane. She sat next to me and when she bought the glass to her mouth she laughed slightly into it.
She was happy
No more Bart Guliani and his crazy Unification party. No more Paris Prince and his stark idealism.When we were three hours away from touch down she cleaned herself up and grabbed a shower on the plane. Callum had gone to check on her and never made his way back.
Then my phone went off
Prince Alive. Miracle. – Izzy
“I’ll be dammed”, I’d said to myself. Boss didn’t know when to stay down.
I slipped into the suite at the back of the plane and caught sight of Seraphina straddling Callum on the small bed. On her bare back I could see where her SGI tattoo and Lux Aeterna brand still burned on her shoulder. Callums hands were on her rolling hip, his fingers dusting the ancient arrow tattoo she had between her shoulder blades. She had two fingers in Callum’s mouth, he was gagging a little.
I just now realized the deadly tip of the arrow was pointed
toward her neck. That must have been an
artistic choice
I slipped out the room and deleted the text on my phone.
---
Seraphina actually did faint when she realized Paris was still alive. I know because I was the one who caught her. I pushed the media out the room, except one photographer who was in our pocket.
Seraphina recovered quickly and started crying into Paris’ chest, smearing her make up into his hospital gown. He could barely keep his eyes open, and tapped his fingers trying to comfort her. Apparently one surgical team had worked his head while the another team open him up and jump started his barley beating heart. Damien and his fellows provided support given their specialty in Supernatural Biology.
I ushered the photographer out and Sera lifted her smeared face. She kissed him getting lipstick all over his face.
“I’m sorry. I love you. I love you”
+++
Unfortunately for General Bart Giuliani, Paris Prince’s failed assassination took up the news cycle. The Unification Party and Giuliani were forgotten to history.
While Paris was recuperating The City Center was flooded with citizens and supporters wanting to wish him well. He’d become a fucking martyr.The public areas of the hospital were overflowed with citizens. The surgical team and nurses had been given Royal commendation for their work.
The medics all thought it best Paris get away from the country to recuperate. Someone had reserved a cabin up in Cascade Falls, California up near Lake Tahoe. March was the off season so we practically had the place to ourselves.
Sera had been given 60 days leave to be with Paris and I’d been granted the same leave to advise the security staff who’d be watching Paris while he was in California… which was just bullshit. I’d just needed to stick close to Sera. I needed to make sure she didn’t slip up.
Callum, Damien and Isobel came up for the first week. Paris was bedridden and unconscious half the time, but that didn’t stop us from sitting around a campfire; drinking and talking about old times. We all had stories to tell and we only told the good ones, thinking the positive energy would help Paris heal. .
Sera didn’t betray herself once, she pretend silent outrage for the coward who’d try to assassinate Paris. She wasn’t exactly the nurturing type and was out of her element when it came to Paris' care. She mostly stood over him wringing her hands or helping the caregivers move him
He was on bedrest for 23 hours a day and his one hour out had to be in a wheel chair. One bullet had gotten stuck in his skull, the other had grazed him, making the left side of his face especially fucked up. His jaw had to be wired shut while the skin graft healed.
One time he caught me staring at the mangled mess that was the left side of his face and he raised an eyebrow in question. I’d just placed a straw in his warm coffee that could reach between his lips.
“You are one ugly motherfucker”, I said taking a sip of my own coffee.
He lifted up his middle finger and a laugh rose through his throat but didn’t make it up his wired jaw. He had no fucking idea he was sharing coffee with the man who helped with his assassination and sharing a bed with the solider who pulled the trigger.
I almost felt bad for him
-4-
Most of the time though it was just me and Sera up in Cascade Falls. Even when we were alone we never bought up what we’d done. She didn’t want to risk being over heard and the small town was quiet except for the locals, they were the kind of people who kept to themselves.
There was something oddly calming about the woods in Cascade Falls. We’d mostly stuck to the cabin and recreation area but on a particularly cool day Sera and I decided to hike one of the trails. We ditched the guardsmen and slipped out the back.
“You hike before”, I asked Sera as we started up one of the
longer trails. She’d been unable to wash the red dye out and had shaved her
head, her hair was just starting to grow back.
“I’ve been a refuge migrating across Britanna in the 10th century. Does that count ?”
“Don’t know”, I said.
“Only humans would make walking a recreational past-time”
“Damn straight.”
“It’s nice here”, Sera had said as we got deeper into the woods. She was talkative today, Sera could maybe spout 100 words a day . I had no room to speak I tried to limit my word count to 50.
“You been spending to much time in cities and desserts. Nature’s good for you”
I veered a little bit off the trail and further and further into the woods. When I thought we were good and hidden I turned to her.
“I think we’re good to talk. . . about what we did”
She turned her head as something rustled in the distance, but there was no one. We were alone.
“We don’t need to talk. Giuliani took advantage of us. He dug
into a past that was bigger than himself. We took care of it. SGI’s secrets
live another day, our secrets live for another day. We are never talking about
this again. Ever. We tried to kill a beloved king. Need I remind you the
penalty for that is death.”
I dropped the subject
We headed back to the cabin and Sera stopped at the man made lake in the middle of the resort. There had been a group of very obnoxious local kids out by the lake earlier but they’d gone on to cause trouble somewhere else. Sera kicked off her shoes and slipped into the water in her shorts and tank top.
She disappeared beneath the surface before breaking through the dark blue water.
“How is the water” I asked
“It’ll do”, she said dipping back beneath.
I kept my shirt on and jumped in. The water was cold but she didn’t seem to notice. I hated swimming. I always felt like a giant floating buoy. My muscles weren’t lean enough for this shit. I floated around the deep end while Sera swam around the perimeter
“Shit”, Seraphina broke the surface suddenly and and dove under again
“What’s up”
“I”, she searched the water, “My wedding ring came off.”
I looked around the lake for something shinny.
“Fuck fuck fuck”, she said, ”The roof. I must have left it on the roof during the asassina—the thing. Shit, If an investigator finds it. Fuck.”
I dove under the water and swam all the way to the bottom. I saw all matter of cellphones, glasses and electronics.
“It’s . . . white gold”, she said when I came back up, “It has a little wing etched on the inside a tiny diamond and—“
"A blue crystal. I know. I bought it.” I reminded her
“You. . . what?”
She dove under again and I waited for her to come back up before I answered.
“I bought the rings. It was back when Paris’ started seizing he couldn’t leave the safe house.”
“You bought my wedding rings ?”
“I went to a sketchy pawn shop in Newark with 200 bucks in my pocket, it’s not that fancy. “
“I didn’t know that.”
“I used the change to by the cupcake he put it in. What’s with that nickname anyway ? Is it some sort of weird sex thing?”
“No. . .He thinks I’m sweet.”
“So it’s a joke.”
Something shiny caught my eye on the grass and I lunged for
it like I thought it was going to move. Her ring lay perfectly poised on the
grass by her shoes.
“Got it.”
I swam over to her keeping the nicked white gold ring over my pinky. I’m surprised the tiny diamond didn’t fall out.
“I overreacted.” She said laughing, “Over this cheap piece of crap..”
“Yeah”
I joined her in the center of the lake and made to put the ring back on her finger but Sera didn’t offer me her hand. Instead she unclasped the gold chain from around her neck and I slid the ring on it. It hit her solid white gold wedding band with a slight clink.
“Thanks.”
“Yeah”, I said as she tucked the rings back under her wet tank. The dark red fabric clung to her and outlined the muscles beneath it.
She looked back down at the water then at me. She opened her mouth then closed it. I thought maybe we were finally going to talk about what had happened on that roof. About the bad we had done. Instead of talking I took one step closer. My arms went protectively around her and I pulled her flush to me and kissed her. She was taken by surprise. Hell I was taken by surprise. Her body went tense before relaxing. She opened her mouth this time letting me in.
She did this thing with her hand that I’d never experienced before. She took her hands and slid them up between our bodies and grabbed onto my shirt holding me close. Holding on to me. Her mouth was wet from the water . We parted and came back together again. She wrapped her legs around my waist and I reached under the water to pick her up.
I carried her out of the water and sat her on the ground and moved so I could stand between her legs.
“Um”, she said for probably the first time ever, “We should tell Paris if you want to fuc—he would be. . . um --
“Is that what you want ?”, I asked rhetorically , “Cause I think what I want isn’t physical at all.”
She bought her hands up and smoothed back her cropped hair. “Leon—“
“Look. I didn’t like you when Helios first bought you on to SGI. You were arrogant, quiet, determined and mean as fuck. She’s too pretty, I thought. She’s too weak. A distraction. You know what ? By the end of that first year I liked you better than guys I’d known for years. You got me, I always knew you’d have my back. But you were Helios’. You were his. “
“Leon, stop--
“Then you marry Paris Prince. . .a fucking king in his own right. I mean how do you compete with that ? I’m-- I’m tired Seraphina. I’m tired of watching you align yourself with men who love you the wrong way. You mean something to me Seraphina. A lot of somethings. “
She slid back into the water until we were face to face.
“Why did you buy this ring for Paris, Why did you let me marry Paris if you thought he was no good.”
“Cause he needed you. You were the only thing that kept him going. Cause I’m just the muscle and I get shit done for my boss.”
“Leon, I love Paris. I--”
“I know you do. He’s a good guy. . . he loves you but he can’t be your lover, protector, or friend. He’s always had a destiny that’s bigger than you.”
“I need this, Leon”, she said her voice trembling , “I need us. I need us to be a team. I need our friendship. I can’t lose us Leon. We’re a team. Let’s just go back. Pretend that didn’t happen. I can’t lose you right now. Not ever. Please. Please.”
“ I know. I get it. I want that to. I just need to say one more thing before we take a step back.”
She prepared herself for it and slid back into the water with me.
“Seraphina . . . I saw that look in your eye on the flight. For a moment anyway. You wanted to be queen. For a moment you were glad Paris was dead.”
“Yeah, a little.”
“Well, for a moment. For a small moment I was glad we’d done it. I was glad for just a second that you weren’t his.”
“Fuck, Leon. I need you. I can’t lose you. What are we going to do”, she asked, “You have—“
“We’re going to be loyal to each other. We’re going to carry on watching each other’s back. I don’t care how many fucking guardsmen or husbands you have. Know that I’m going to protect my queen and country. Got it.”
She laughed and I felt at ease.
“Like I need anyone’s protection.”
“You just went from arrogant to cocky, sister.”
She let me go and we looked at each other for a long time. After a while it felt like we were cool again.
“You’re going to get out of shape Corporal, let’s do some laps.”
---
We swam the entire afternoon away, melting back into our pattern. Our friendship had changed somehow. It became something deeper more tangible and it would be nothing more.
We both knew that all we wanted was an acknowledgment that our friendship could be something bigger.I mean if we really wanted Paris gone it was a matter of taking his oxygen or switching his medication.
Paris was well enough to take her on a date on our last day in California. The local restaurant opened up just for them. There were no cameras but Seraphina still dressed up for him. She put a on a short sundress and high heels. I tagged along as the security escort. I got to sit in the back and order a real fucking steak. The food was some of the best I’d had in decades.
I watched from the bar and saw the way Seraphina crossed her
legs and Paris leaned into her. He’d had
his jaw unwired and now he couldn’t stop flirting with her and trying to
glimpse under her skirt when she crossed and uncrossed her legs. It reminded me of that photo of her and Helios Giuliani had showed us . . except different. They kept looking at their watches. They wanted more time.
I went outside to finish off my beer and enjoy the starry night sky.
The door to the restaurant opened and Paris very slowly walked out to join me. He’d lost even more weight and really needed some sun.
“You didn’t need to come here. I appreciate it.”, he said
“I wanted to”
“You’ve always been good to me Leon. Which is funny considering how we met. Leon I need you to do me a favor.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
“When you get back from your deployment. I need you to find the person who tried to assassinate me . . . and make them suffer.”
“I will.”
“No”, he said running his hand over the mutilated side of his face, “I mean really suffer. I want their blood on your hands.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Oh my God, Leon”, Isobel rubbed her temple and I hadn’t
even told her the part about kissing Seraphina. We'd take that to the grave.
“Yeah”
“See, this is why Ieft. I wanted to turn things around . . . be a better person.”
“How did you know it was us ?”
“I ran towards the shots, Sera and I once mocked up a plan
for taking Helios out using the same building. I just looked up. Paris can't know about this."
“Solstice LeCroix shouldn't find anything but you never know.”
“What about Kelly Vassey ? Did we seriously just honor a trader as our first national hero?”
“She was a misguided kid.”
Isobel shook her head, “That was sloppy with Giuliani. You guys got lucky no one investigated his death.”
“ I need to get back inside” I could hear applause going up, “if you want to go home I’ll make excuses for you.”
“Can you. I'm a little dazed.”
“Sure, and Izzy. Can we count on you ?”
“What’s one more secret between friends.”
I called her a taxi and waited until she got in before going back inside and
facing the crowd.
+5+
Solstice
TV didn’t do his scars justice. They always interviewed him from the front and the sides of his planed face where the most striking part. It hurt to watch him talk.
He could pass for human, but the queen was undoubtedly something else. She moved effortlessly like she was floating, even though she never showed any skin everything about her seemed scandalous.
“She’s brave isn’t she”, Venice says. She’d taken the liberty to have a seat next to me at the award dinner. A producer and actress were also apart of Venice’s party. They’d taken a private jet in and seemed to be doing just fine without her.
“The queen ?”
“No. Vassey. She drove through an IED minefield to save a general.“
“I heard the general died anyway . . . some hero.”
They bought out simple farm fresh dishes; glazed chicken and grilled snow fire apples. It made me laugh.
“What ?”, Venice asked
“I’m sure you know this Senator, but New Aeterna has the most influential ports to America. I mean think of all the money they are getting from it. And what do we get ? Glazed rubber chicken ?”Venice smiles and spears an apple.
“Well. . . I’ve always wanted to try a snowfire apple.”
I listened to the gossip around the table and tried to stay out of the movie stars selfies. The entire table turned when a woman in an NADF uniforms approached the table. She didn’t have any combat ribbons or merit stripes. I gathered she was an officer. Judging by her smile probably PR.
“We’re ready for your introductions”, she said.
All at once the entire table stood up and I feel in line with Venice and followed the officer. I felt like we were bring fucking paraded when we were taken around the banquet and to a receiving line. The PR girl checked our names and a guard gave us a quick pat down.
“Hey”, I said when the guard got a little to handsy
“I’m just doing my job”, he said.
“Where do you think I have gun in here”, I asked indicating the skin tight pink glitter sheath dress.
He sneered and moved on.
“We’re missing someone”, The PR Girl said looking at me, “Where is. . . Commander Fountain ? Aren’t you with the same organization?”
“How should I know ?”, I said vaguely remembering the stern man who’d been at our table. , “He’s DOD I’m DOJ. He’s not my problem.”
“He didn’t look to well”, Venice said, “I saw him step out.”
The woman started frantically speaking into a headset. Venice was practically bouncing on her heels as we reach the front of the line.
Something about the air around the king was oddly enticing. The aura around him wasn’t human. He was a very neat man. He was all red, white and black. red scars and lips, pale white skin and black clothes and hair.
The PR officer introduces us before stepping aside.
“This is one of the parties from the America. This is California Jr State Senator Venice Scott”
Venice legs shake as she steps forward. I raise and eyebrow when I notice the Prince is wearing thin leather gloves. He carefully takes her hand and shakes it. The lines on his face splitting into an easy smile.
His wife is like a tall elegant statue next to him, her hands are demurely folded infront of her. She gives off a cold air, her mouth in a hard line, her eyes are soft but she’s fighting a glare.
“And Solstice LeCroix from the Department of Justice.”
He glances at the badge clipped to my purse. I take the King's thinly covered hands, His grip is firm and pleasant. When the PR girl says the last syllable of my department the queen very subtly turns to me. She looks at the badge then at me.
“Wonderful”, the King says, “My wife was just commissioned a positon with our national security office. I hope we can learn something from you.”
The Queen lifts her head studying me with a bored expression, she’d barley given the other guest even that much attention.
“I’ll keep my eye out for anything I think you all can learn. I’ve also been asked to look into your attempted assassination. As a courtesy. ”
"Is that so", said a voice that didn't belong to Paris Prince. Even he seemed unsure how to react to his wife speaking.
"Yes", I said looking up at her
She unfolded her hands and with a few effortless step she moved next to her husband, she walked so smoothly it gave the illusion that she was . . . floating.
"The NADF police have put the matter to rest. . . wouldn't you rather enjoy your time in New Aeterna. There is so much to offer." She says her eyes going over me. . . like she's trying to remember me.
"I can't think of anything I'd enjoy more than finding the perpetrator." I responded.
"My wife is correct", he said, "The NADF police has put the case to bed, but you are more than welcome to investigate. I'd be grateful for whatever you can find. Ring my office or talk to Captain Leonidas Argos if you need any help. We'll get you whatever you need.”
I was lead away with Venice by my side.
“Is everything okay ?” Venice asked.
"I want you to tell me everything you know abut The Queen of New Aeterna."
" . . . there's not much out there. Why ?"
“Come now Venice, isn’t it obvious."
“What?”
“She's hiding something.”
++++
The French Foreign Legion is a french military made of non-nationals freelance soldiers or "mercenaries" and since SGI was a pmc (Private Military Company) Leon knows the business well and is able to negotiate with their captors. Just a bit of continuity and showing some of Leon's value.
Well that's all I have to explain . . .