Bec and Caza followed the horse and its rider on the two cruisers. As the huge animal galloped up the path, it threw up dirt and dust at them. Both Caza and Bec traveled as close to the sides of the path as possible. Bec’s cruiser moaned quietly in protest of traveling on the unfamiliar terrain. His mind filled with conflicting emotions, as he quietly contemplated what had happened.
Gray had arrived on a stunning black mare, and the animal had seemed anxious when they came closer. Gray had stood just on the inside of the barrier, as always, and waited for them to come clean, all the while nodding encouragingly. The gate Arthur had been permitted to use around his property was high tech. The fence seemed almost like an invisible dog fence; a highly charged wire had been buried along the perimeter of his property. It made the barrier nonexistent to any wildlife that decided to pass through his land. But if a chipped person decided to cross the boundary wire, their chip would heat up and within 4 minutes...burn up. Transports, unless cleared by Arthur, could not enter the boundary either, as the cores would overheat with the power exerted from the wire. Bec had crossed once, foolishly searching for Layla to play with and it had been terrible mistake. The wire suddenly flared up, projecting the image of a tall iron fence. Within seconds, Bec’s chip started to sear painfully and he crawled back through the holographic fence. He would never repeat the mistake.
“Gray there has cleared me. I’ll go through first. Remember, when you come through, empty your mind of everything you can. It makes judgement easier.”
Caza looked shock, but Bec took no notice. He steeled himself to pass through the gate.
He grimaced as his ears popped when he walked through. Pleasant, he thought.
Gray motioned for Caza to come through. Must have gotten her details from Layla. The thought reassured him.
Caza passed through without incident and they rode up the gravelly path, the house beginning to come into view.
---
“We should be grateful for this.” Arthur stood up, clutching his books.
“For what?” Layla sat beside Milo, her back to the empty fireplace. It had seemed ages until Arthur had returned, but it had been only a few seconds.
Milo had been poisoned, the blade of the knife slicked with the toxin to make the victim catchable prey. Catchable prey. The thought sickened her, but she understood the purpose. The toxin made the victim dull to the pain, allowing the person to think they could get away. The increased blood loss would eventually kill the person if they made it very far. If the blood loss didn’t kill the person, the toxins released the pain in a specific amount of time, incapacitating them until they were dead or found. Layla realized the nomads had counted on returning to fetch Milo after he was poisoned, seeing as he wasn’t going anywhere.
“You know what I’m talking about. This. Him passing out. He would have been hard to treat for the poison otherwise.”
Arthur had slathered a gooey mixture of something all over the wound. If Milo had been awake, the pain would’ve been torture. She was glad that he wasn’t.
He held up a vile of Milo’s blood and cleared his throat, “I’m taking this up to the lab,” he eyed her carefully. “When you decide to clean up like a civilized person, you may call Hannah in to watch him.” He smiled down at her, but his smile faltered when she did not smile back. She quickly turned away from him. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Everything will be alright,” he paused, “He’ll live.”
Layla looked up at the finality in his voice, but found that he had already disappeared into the house. You are one of my best friends, Milo Ravier, and you will not die on me. She smiled, the memories of their group filling her mind. I can’t lose you. I won’t.
---
“Ouch!”
“Sorry Miss!” Gray apologized again as he wrapped her head. Caza sat on a table in the garage, Layla’s Helva 22 sat on the other side of the large room, glaring at her. Bec paced up and down, his impatience showing through.
“Take it easy, buddy. You’re making me nervous.”
Bec looked up, scowled, and returned to his pacing.
“All done!” Gray proclaimed, and closed the medical kit. Caza slid off the table, but sudden dizziness overtook her. Gray caught her arm for support.
“Thanks.”
“Of course.” He turned away, leading them through a door in the wall and into the house.
Caza found herself awed by the house. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It’s walls were made of something she’d only seen in Layla’s house. Wood. But here, it was everywhere!
“Where’s the glass?” she whispered to Bec.
“There isn’t any.” he responded, “Or at least, very little. Arthur prefers not to have it.”
“I’m impressed,” she whistled. She caught his sidelong glance and reminded herself to behave. “Does he have a computer, then?”
“He does indeed!” a booming voice sounded through the hallway. Ahead, Gray chuckled. “My name is Sen.”
Caza suppressed a giggle. She’d heard of house computers with personalities, but this was the first time she’d met one. Her family was not this wealthy. “Nice to meet you Sen, my name is Caza.”
“Yes, I know. Is there anything you require?”
“No, not at the moment, but thank you.”
She heard the friendly computer voice sigh, “It is nice to be appreciated.”
Bec laughed at her flustered face as she tried to comprehend her conversation with this computer. “He can be a real pain sometimes.”
“I suppose, Master Bec, that you wish to say hello to Ghost?” Caza heard the computer chuckle.
She saw Bec scowl and she laughed.
“Who’s Ghost?” she asked.
“No one. Shut up, Sen.”
“As you wish, Master Bec.”
They made their way through the house, and Caza was careful not to touch anything. Everything seemed ancient and sleeping. No glass to radiate light from existed in the house. Caza found she quite liked it though; the house felt cheerful, filled with the afternoon sun. The light given off by the glass in typical homes in the city seemed cold and icy compared to real sunlight. In the city, sunlight was scarce due to the rolling clouds of thick fog that came off the lake. When the sun shone on the city it seemed to bathe the city in a golden light, much like it was doing now to Arthur’s house. Caza decided she would relocate someday to some floating city that did have sunlight.
Gray stopped at a pair of wooden doors. “Through here is the living room. Master Arthur has placed Master Milo here for the time being. A word of caution: Milo is sleeping and unwell. Do try not to wake him.” At a pointed look from Bec, Gray answered, “No, Mistress Layla has just retired to elsewhere in the house after staying by Master Milo’s side for two hours. Hannah is with him now.”
Caza noticed a brief look of disappointment cross Bec’s face at Gray’s words. “Is he okay?” Bec demanded.
“Master Arthur says he will live.”
Caza nodded. “Thank you, Gray.”
Gray bowed and departed quickly.
“After you,” Bec whispered, slowly pushing open the door.
YOU ARE READING
Our Price: Of Shifters and Rebels
Teen Fiction"Pathetic," Leo muttered. Bec saw Layla's hands clench and unclench as she struggled to contain her anger. She's going to lose it. He knew her, after all these years. "You all-" Leo began, but he never finished the sentence. Layla spun around, her a...
