Solaris

My lids fluttered, and I was yanked out of a restless sleep. I wanted to open my eyes, but it hurt too much. My body felt heavy, like I’d been stomped on by a herd of elephants. And my head throbbed.

I peeked through the tiny slits in my eyelids. Dark red splotches covered my favorite top. What the hell happened? I pushed up on my arms, and cold steel bit at my wrists.

My eyes widened, my brain fully alert now despite the pounding in my skull. I scanned the dimly lit room. Darkness seeped through a small window across from the bed. A kitchenette with a small stove and mini-fridge stretched along the opposite wall to complete the one-room shack.

I shifted my focus to the shackles around my wrists and ankles. Panic bubbled up in my chest. I jerked my hands up, and metal clanged against metal. I peered up at the old iron bedposts. I pulled again, but it was no use. They were solid and completely immovable.

Where was my cellphone? I dug my fingers into my pocket and felt the hard plastic of Malcolm’s ID badge. That wasn’t going to help me now. I dug further and pulled out the thin phone. The screen was completely smashed. No! I pressed the power button, holding my breath.

Please turn on, please turn on. Nothing. A black screen stared back at me. “Ugh!”

I kicked my legs and piercing pain sliced into my thigh. A scream tore out of my mouth as stars danced across my vision. My leg was bound with some strips of fabric and a makeshift splint. It looked bad. My jeans were ripped to shreds and painted in more blood.

I slumped back down on the bed and exhaled a long breath. Think Solaris. Now is not the time to freak out. My mind was foggy, like I’d had one too many drams. Maybe I had and this was all just a terrible nightmare. My grandpa used to say that drams were nothing like the alcohol they had in the old days, but it was enough to do me in. I shook my head, hoping to clear out the cobwebs. Ow. Gently, I ran my hand through my hair. A big bump protruded out of the left side. That would explain the haziness.

I stared up at the ceiling and noticed dark wooden beams crisscrossed overhead. I glanced around the room, and dark beady eyes met mine. Jutting out over the fireplace was an enormous buck head with twisting antlers; its sad, glazed-over pupils glared down at me, and he wasn’t the only one. Furry animal pelts hung all over the wood-paneled walls. That was odd. Houses in Imera were all constructed in the same drab gray cement. I’d never seen one made of wood. Something flickered in my memory. Imera… I’d been flying.

Images of the plane crash flashed across my vision. I inhaled sharply as the last scene played out in my head. I’d been over the Shadow Lands when it happened.

Oh my God.

I scanned the small room once more as terror squeezed my lungs. This wasn’t Imera. I was being held captive by whoever had found me. But it couldn’t be… There were no humans in the Shadow Lands. They’d been deserted for a century. My mind raced, my heartbeat hammering against my ribs. Had I somehow made it over the border into Draconis?

I didn’t even want to think about the possibility. Humans and nocturnes were forbidden to intermingle under any circumstances. The words of the prophecy sprang to mind:

A nocturne and a human shall unite,

Love will blossom, overpowering all that is right.

Great disaster will befall

Ending both mortals and vampires, one and all.

Well that was definitely not going to happen. If it was a nocturne that found me, it was more likely it was planning to eat me than fall in love with me. I had to get out of here. There was no way I was becoming a vampire’s human blood bag. I struggled against the restraints, and a sharp spasm reverberated up my shoulder. Dammit. I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the pain.

A pair of piercing navy eyes coalesced in my mind. They were wild and unsettling. My breath hitched. My mouth salivated, the memory of a salty metallic taste clinging to my taste buds. Startled, my eyes snapped open.

I really needed to get out of there. I swiveled my head to the left then the right. A dusty, chipped nightstand stood a few feet behind the bed. A glass of water and a roll of bread perched near the edge. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. I was so thirsty. And starving. Who knew how long I’d been knocked out?

I reached for the bread, but the restraints jerked my arm back. I splayed my fingers, the tips just grazing the glass. Come on! I dragged my broken leg to the edge of the bed and stretched. I caught the corner of the table and pulled it toward me. My fingers wrapped around the glass, and I almost cried from happiness. Cool liquid filled my mouth, soothing my parched throat. I chugged down the entire thing in seconds.

My stomach rumbled, and I went for the roll next. By the sounds of my growling belly, I must have been out for at least a day. The chewy, crusty bread tasted like heaven. It was ten times better than the stale, tasteless dough I was used to. With every passing moment, I was more certain that I was no longer in Imera.

But why would a nocturne wrap my leg and leave me food if he was just going to kill me? Maybe he was trying to fatten me up before draining me dry.

A chill slithered up my spine. I yanked at the manacles again, my biceps straining, but the ache in my shoulder stopped me after a few seconds.

My gaze fell on the drawer of the bedside table. I pulled it closer and reached for the knob. With one hand, I rifled through the contents – an old matchbook, some rusty nails, a notepad, and a key. Hope filled my chest as I grabbed the antique key and held it up to the handcuffs. My heart plummeted. The keyhole on the manacles was half the size of the key; there was no way it was the right one. I jammed it in the hole anyway, but the shape was all wrong. Ugh!

I couldn’t paper myself out of there, and the matches weren’t going to help unless I wanted to light the place on fire. I picked up a rusty nail and turned it around in my palm. Hmm…

The nail head was about the same size as the keyhole. I stuck it in and wiggled it around. Then I took a second nail and inserted it in the bottom part of the opening. I chewed on my bottom lip as I twisted the two nails around and around. The metal clicked, and the handcuff popped open. Yes! With one hand free, I quickly got to work on the other restraints.

I jumped off the bed, and my full weight bore down on my leg. Big mistake.

I screamed as scorching pain tore up my limb. Crumpling down onto the mattress, I sucked in a breath. I glanced around the space searching for something to use as a crutch, but the room was empty.

A narrow door at the far corner caught my eye. Now I just had to get there. I clenched my teeth and stood, leaning all my weight on my good leg. I slowly hopped to the wall and sidled my way over to the door.

I pulled the door open, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. I scrunched my nose and peered into the dark closet. An old broom leaned up against the side wall. Perfect. I inched inside and reached for it, but my hand bumped into something hard and sent it clattering to the floor. My eyes focused in the darkness—a long steel barrel and a handle with a scope perched on top. I’d only seen them in pictures, but I was fairly certain that was a rifle.

Whoa… Guns were forbidden in Imera.

There was no need for them in a perfect society. Yeah right. Only the soldiers of the Collective were allowed weapons, and most were limited to stun guns. I bent down and clasped the black handle. It felt heavy in my weak arm. “You’re coming with me, bad boy.” I swung the strap over my left shoulder and grabbed the broom. Securing it under my other armpit, I took a step. Ow. I gritted my teeth and took another step toward the door. I didn’t know how, but I was getting out of there, one way or another.

I yanked the front door open, and familiar navy blue eyes pierced into mine.