The King's Queen

Chapter 38

I didn't know how long I'd been out or where I was, but the first thing I noticed when my eyes finally blinked open, was the absence of feeling. The numbness ran from my head straight down to my feet. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness and my thoughts gradually became more coherent, I realized that I was in the back of a moving vehicle.

Flashes of memory of the last thing I remembered ran through my mind like a movie. The prinarch had somehow made me inhale Nightshade Thistle and that had weakened me to the point of being taken prisoner by him. A short wave of relief passed through me. I was sure I would have been a goner, but either he miscalculated the dosage and it didn't end up killing me as he'd expected, or taking me prisoner was his intention all along. I would have to wait and see what his true intentions were.

The motion of the vehicle suddenly stopped and a few muffled voices drifted to me before the doors swung open. Somebody grabbed my arm, dragging me to my feet and pushing me forward. My body fell through air before coming in contact with the hard body of another person. The cold of the night air whipped at my skin and the sudden movement made my head spin and my stomach churn with nausea. My throat and nose were burning now, a reminder of the toxic substance I'd breathed in.

My eyes cracked open one at a time as sensation slowly returned to my legs. I stumbled forward, but whoever was leading me along didn't seem to have to patience to deal with the pace I was walking at, and a shove forward almost found me face planting in the dirt. I managed to catch myself, but not in time before the other push came.

A hiss of pain escaped my lips and the corners of my visions danced as my head came in contact with ground. I made to hoist myself off the ground, but was yanked up by a fistful of my hair. The numbness from earlier was slowly ebbing, and giving way to a temptous headache. Every fiber of my body was screaming out in pain.

An imposing iron gate soon came into view and after a second or two; it opened to reveal a large compound which housed a building that stretched out as far as my eye could see. Barb wires and spikes lined the tops of the walls and gates. Tall watch towers were stationed at regular intervals and blinding floodlights flowed from roofs of the towers, illuminating every inch of the compound. This must be one of the bases for the Origen Association. It was definitely maximum security.

Another figure dressed in a heavy clad dark uniform joined us. So now there was a guard on either side of me holding my arms and jerking me along as we walked. Their footsteps were silent which matched the deathly silence that shrouded the compound. I glanced behind me to see the gate we'd just come through slide close. My dizziness subsided just a bit as my heart pounded in my chest. I needed to get my bearings. Right now, I was far too weak to escape, but I would have to remember my way back because there was no way I was planning on staying here.

They led me through a narrow passage that branched out into a larger room. The securities guarding the doors were also dressed in the same dark uniforms and their eyes raked over me with obvious disgust.

"Another one?" One of the guards frowned as we came closer. "That's the second one tonight alone. Where the hell have these monsters been hiding?" She leaned forward to inspect me. "This one looks awfully familiar."

"You don't get paid to flap your lips," the guard on my right spoke gruffly. "Just open the damn gate."

She rolled her eyes and pressed her palm against a scanner. The screen glowed green, and an 'Access Granted' message flashed across it. The doors swung open and they proceeded on their way.

*°*

If I were to describe the Origen Association, maze-like would definitely be one of the top adjectives. The number of underground passageways and tunnels that we went through seemed endless, and ensured that finding my way back out wouldn't be easy. Not to mention, there was at least one guard stationed at every door. My senses were going haywire, but I could sense that the majority of them were Alphas and Betas.