The boat backs up slowly and begins to turn itself around just as I hear footsteps coming down the ladder. I poke my head out into the gangway and see Jagger standing on the bottom rung.
“Where you go, I go,” he says.
I try to protest, but he won’t hear any of it.
“I trust you, Meg, and I’m not letting you go by yourself.”
“You could get killed,” I warn him.
“So be it…I’m protecting you no matter what it takes. Thomas spoke about your kind when I was younger. He told me the Antaeans are our only hope for freeing us from the High Rulers, so I made a promise to myself that if I ever had the luck of meeting one of you, I would do everything I can to protect you. I trust you have a valid reason to go back to Acheron, so I’m going with you.”
I decide not to pursue the argument any further.
We stay in the engine room, slowly making our way through the cold choppy waters.
“They’ll try to destroy us once we are within a mile of them,” Jagger finally says, after a long respite.
“I know. That’s why I’m going to go on deck and signal our surrender.”
I wait for him to balk, but he just nods his head in agreement.
I climb the ladder, hugging my wool coat as the wind lashes at my skin. The silhouette of the city can be seen through the haze that has settled over the lake. I hear motors revving just ahead of us, approaching fast.
“Turn away or prepare to be fired upon,” a voice booms through the ether.
“My name is Trea, and I have come to see the High Ruler,” I shout into the air around me.
I hear more boats approaching, some beginning to slow. Our boat jerks as it hits metal. A man in a guard uniform climbs aboard, making sure I am who I claim to be. He calls over to his crew to tow us in and radio the High Ruler as we begin to pick up speed. Jagger reaches the deck and stands with me as we approach the same platform I escaped off of just a few days ago.
Our boat is secured to the moorings along the east wall of the platform. Two Regulators search us and remove our weapons. Jagger is placed into binders, but they don’t bother with me since they know I can easily break them.
We walk through a back entry to the High Ruler’s palace and head down to the floor below. The air is moist and cold; mold covers much of the walls. Jagger is secured to a notch in the cement blocks while I’m left standing between two Regulators and two palace guards.
Artemis saunters over, grinning ear to ear.
“I see you just couldn’t stay away,” he says, as he motions for the men to step back. “If only all women felt this compelled to return to me as often as you do, I would never be lonely. Then again, you did make a fool of me.”
He punches me hard in the face.
“You son of a bitch, don’t you fucking touch her like that again. I’ll kill you if you do that again.” Jagger screams, pulling hard on the chains.
“Stepping out on me, Trea?” Artemis smirks, sizing Jagger up. “My, my, you have been a busy girl.
“Artemis, please, you need to listen to me.”
“Why should I? You’ve caused me nothing but grief. Killing you would be counterproductive, so perhaps a more fitting punishment would be to punish your friend here instead. Watch as he is slowly ripped apart.”
“No,” I shout, realizing the sincerity in his threat. “I have a proposition for you.”
“I don’t take proposals, especially from someone who has caused me so much frustration.” He begins to walk back towards the doorway, gesturing to the guards. “Kill him slowly, make sure she watches, then bring her upstairs.”
Two of the guards force me down onto my knees, holding my head up by my throat as the Regulators approach Jagger, knives drawn. He screams as the first wound is inflicted on his exposed arms. Blood runs down onto the floor as they begin slicing away.
Anger triggers my actions. Trea finally emerges.
Snapping my head back, I roll over, twisting out of the guards’ hands. I grab the guard on my right, plant my foot into his lower back, and shove him across the room, taking out two more guards. The other guard is on me the moment I attack the Regulators. I try and fight him off as others approach, but there are too many now as more come down the steps, past Artemis, and into the room. I can’t fight them all, but I have to help Jagger somehow.
“I’ll make a deal with you!” I shout to be heard over the ruckus.
Artemis turns around, snaps his fingers, which causes everyone to stop moving.
“And what, my dear Trea, could you possibly have to make a deal with?
“You let Jagger live and I’ll tell you where you can find another Antaean.”
His face takes on a serious tone as he narrows his eyes, trying to determine if I’m lying. He walks over to me as I hang between the arms of two guards.
“Where is he?”
“Ha. You think I’m going to tell you now? You let Jagger go free and then we’ll talk.”
Artemis hesitates in responding, a single finger bouncing off of his lips as he ponders the exchange.
“Nope, forget it, keep going. Make sure you spill all his blood.”
“No, Artemis, please. I’m begging you, I’ll do anything, just leave Jagger alone.”
“Now that’s more like it. Begging looks good on you, Meg.” He walks over to me, kisses me on the cheek. “Take Jagger here back to the Boroughs. We’ll find some use for him.”
I twist myself free from of the guards’ grips, remove one of their blades from a holster inside one of
