City of the Sun

Chapter 1

Her eyes stared out over the sun-scorched landscape, never have seen it in person only through the windows. Clouds built up over the mountains in the distance. Soon there will be a dry thunderstorm out there. The flashes will be bright and angry. The sun will be setting, and the bars would come up over the double pane windows. The wall spikes will come out, and the night guard will take up their positions. Twelve hours of night, and twelve hours of day it is all they knew — that and what comes out in the dark.

"Gianna!" Her Grandmother's sharp disapproving voice cut through her thoughts.

"Sorry, Grandmother."

"Sometimes, I wished your mother had another girl to be my successor. But she and your father were treasonous. I was sad only for a little when they were set free, but only because I have you. And you seem not to care that you are the last of my line. If you do not do as you are tasked to do all will be lost, and we lose our family's name."

It is always the same, she thought, Grandmother always putting her down. It was not her fault her parents were set free. She did not ask to be born, be she knew never to tell that to Grandmother. The first time she got a slap to the face, the last time she got locked in the darkness. Which technically was not that bad. But being a child of light, they all are supposed to be afraid of the dark. She had never been.

"Grandmother, it will be dark soon. What did you call me for?"

"How is the conception of a child going?"

Gia groaned inside and tried not to roll her eyes. "We are having some issues."

"Issues? I will have to speak to his father. I am tired and should have retired years ago. If you do not produce an heir, you can not take on the mantle."

"Do not tell the Mayor, Grandmother. It will get done."

"See it does." And with that, she was excused.

She left the room of windows. The elevator took her to the ground floor, and when she exited, she took a deep breath of dry heated fresh air. She looked up at the sky and saw she had no time to take a walk to the gardens as she had planned today. Instead, she walked home. People moved around her quickly prepping for the night. They would bow to her as she passed. It was the color of the robes. She wore the sun robes. A Daughter of the Sun, and just like the bloodline, she had red hair. The red showed she had been sun-kissed at birth marked by the Goddess Sun. She didn't feel blessed.

She walked in her front door when the first warning alarm went off. Her servant, Sherri, waited for her in the vestibule. "Mistress, I was worried," she rushed to her to take off her robe.

"Thank you, Sherri. Grandmother, I mean, Priestess, called me to see her."

"I take it to be on you again?"

"Hush, you know the walls have ears, my friend. But yes."

She nodded. "I figured as much the meditation room is ready for tonight."

The idea of it all made her stomach twist in knots. How many times have they tried? And how many times could he not finish? "Is he in?"

Sherri nodded. "Yes, and he is not alone."

She went to his office and knocked. "Husband?"

One of his manservants opened the door. He was adjusting his robe. "Wife," her husband said at his desk. "I will be out for dinner in five minutes."

She nodded and closed the door. "I wish he would be more discreet about his men-servants," she whispered to Sherri.

"I hear his tastes are changing."