The Queen

Chapter 4

We took off sprinting into the mountains that lined our Congress. Finally when we got to a small alcove we stopped for a rest. The guys drank this clear liquid fluid and I stood there, watching them.

"What? You look like you've never seen water before." Purple Eyes said, pulling the flask from his lips and holding it out to me.

"I've seen water before." I folded my arms across my chest. "I went to the Marine when I was young. I know what it is, and I know it could short wire me."

Isaac laughed. "Have you still not figured out that you're not normal?"

Purple Eyes spit his water all over me.

"AH! Now I know for sure you're trying to kill me." I exclaimed, using the cloak to dry my rubber artificial skin.

Isaac laughed again and I mentally told myself that if he did it again I would go back to calling him Big One.

"Look, Purple, I'm pretty sure you need me a lot more than I need you, and I am not afraid to walk straight back right now." I shot him a glare, silently wishing I had the power to shoot lasers from my eyes.

"What did you just call me?" He asked me.

"Purple." I said making sure my gaze was steady, I was so not losing to this boy.

"My name is Rowan." He said meeting my gaze and matching my hard tone.

"I know it is." I said in a high pitched voice, "It's just, I don't make a habit of treating someone who is nasty to me with respect."

Isaac scoffed, officially resigning him to the title of Big One. "The way he's treating you is 10 times better than anyone in that condemned Realm."

I could feel my Beat light up with rage. "Talk about my home like that again and I will electrocute you." I snapped feeling extremely attacked.

They laughed together. Big One spoke, though. "You're more human than you are anything else." He looked at Purple who was glaring at him, tipping me off he wasn't supposed to say that.

I gaped at him. "That's not true!" I finally managed to spit out.

Purple shrugged to Big One, "You already told her, so finish." He huffed suddenly becoming intrigued by the stone wall behind him.

BO rolled his eyes, and I internally groaned. "Ever noticed how you were always getting in trouble for feeling things and asking another if they were okay and how they were feeling?" He said sitting on a rock.

"Yeah, but other people feel things too." I said taking a step closer.

"Not like you." He smiled and shook his head. "You feel differently. When you feel, what goes warm in your body?" He asked.

"That might be the stupidest question I've ever heard." But when I said it he still looked at me expectantly. I put a hand on a hip and sighed. "My beat." I looked away from him.

He smiled a caring and gentle smile. "And that's what makes you special. You feel like a human feels. No matter how hard they tried to make you feel like them and look like them, you stayed true to yourself. That's how we knew you were the one. Unlike some of the others-"Purple Eyes cut him off.

"Enough!" He shouted. "We're moving." He snapped, yanking BO from his spot on the rock.

"Rowan-"He tried to explain himself.

"You said too much." PE snapped at him.

I spoke up, "No. I want to know, tell me, BO."

They both stopped mid stride to turn around and look at me as if I had just attached another thinker.