Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 12: The Whirlpool

Lady Lillias of The Pax

She could not believe it. Byron... A Primal? A Traitor? Why? He said nothing to her. Cobalt's men dragged her, Donny, and the captain along the intertwining corridors of the Curiosity, making their way towards the Bridge deck by deck, clearing the ship of all resistance. Only the Bridge remained now. The journey took hours. Lillias was tired. She had not slept in nearly three days. Her fingers were stiff, bound together by a special type of handcuff. One designed by the Purists...Her mind wandered as she struggled to stay awake. She thought of the events on Gaill Prime. She remembered Finnic, the way he acted. The way he moved and talked. He was under a spell. She realised in horror. He was innocent, and I banished him to a realm of eternal torture. Lillias felt sick. Her stomach turned. She threw up.

Someone pushed her. It was Natalya Reece, the leader of Grisom Company. "Move..." She said, in a sour tone. She pushed Lillias forward.

"Do not be so harsh," Cobalt said to his lover. "We need her alive."

"Of course," Natalya said.

They continued. They were on the Officer's Deck now, Lillias realised. Her room was nearby, filled with incense and the other necessary remedies to restore her power. If only she could have seen past the deception. If only she had realised what Cobalt was. That he was lying from the start... She might have been prepared to deal with him. Back on Gaill Prime, he insisted on going down into the tunnels. Back on Gaill Prime, he insisted on taking the artifact. His hand held it, even after Finnick maimed him.

Why? Lillias wondered. Why maim yourself? To prove your innocence? Or to prove your power?

Finally, they reached the Bridge entrance. Several soldiers stood vigil over it. Some were dressed in green. Others were dressed in blue. One of the Erothh company soldiers stepped forward, his face sombre. "My Lord, I have some distressing news."

"Go ahead, Rosk." Cobalt allowed, looking at the closed door.

"Aryron and Echo... They managed to elude us. They...They... They armed themselves and destroyed the Combat Suite..."

Cobalt made a fist. He took a deep breath and managed to remain calm. "Can we fix it?"

Rosk remained silent and shook his head.

"Why not?"

"The Goblins might have been able to..."

Cobalt breathed a word. Suddenly, Rosk flew against the Bridge door. There was a snapping sound. "You said you could deal with Aryron! You said you could protect the Combat Suite... You said I could trust you!"

"You can..." Rosk muttered. But it was too late. The impact broke his back. When Cobalt's spell dimmed, Rosk collapsed to the floor, unable to move.

Once more, Cobalt took a deep breath. "No matter... We have the Whirlpool... Take him away." Two soldiers saluted and dragged a limp Rosk away. Then he turned to one of the soldiers guarding the door. "Why is this door still closed?"

"The robot, sir... The robot seals it back up every time we try to cut through."

"Then blow the door open."

This time, Captain Cox spoke up. "You cannot. If the Bridge doors are blown open, the entire ship will vent. All of us will die."

Reece nodded. "It is a safeguard, my love... Against the Servants of the Dark."

Cobalt turned to the captain. "Then let's hope they follow your orders."

Cox nodded. He stepped towards the door. "Burke! A.E.U! This is Cox... Open up! It is over! The Mutineers won!" There came a faint reply. Lillias could not hear it. Cox turned to Cobalt and whispered: "Will you harm her?" Cobalt shook his head. Cox yelled a reply. "Because he will kill all of us if you don't!" For a second, nothing happened. Then the doors opened.