Decima: One Mission - Chapter 3 - A'mara Books

3

(Wirnday)

Irola Public Docks

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Hrista stared at the boat as it came into the dock. She wasn’t sure how she was going to manage this. She had tried to use her bank card, but it had been frozen. She had no money, nothing to her name. She couldn’t even get her travel documents. How would she get across the Irolean Sound to Çtaráña?

She avoided the crush of paying passengers who would be taking most of the attention of the crew as they examined documents and tickets. Instead, she watched the employees getting their gear together, ready to help with the docking ship.

Hrista decided to get closer to the ununiformed employees and prepared to help out in any way she could.

“You must be new,” someone said to her.

She nodded.

“Help me with this cart,” the man said.

Hrista nodded again, thinking that the man was quite handsome with his long, dark hair. He reminded her of her brother, Hergil, whose hair was equally long, but dirty-blond, similar to her own straight blonde hair.

When the ship finished docking and the service gangplank was secured, she helped the man get the cart full of refreshments up the ramp and onto the ship. They found the galley and parked it there.

The man handed her a bag of chips and a drink. “Let’s find a better place to hang out,” he suggested.

Hrista nodded and followed him. They reached a narrow corridor where the expensive cabins were. He looked both ways and with a wave of his hand opened the door next to them.

“Get in!” he urged.

Hrista obeyed, then wondered if she’d just got herself into a lot of trouble!

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said as he affixed a purply membrane to the door, then touched his hand to it.

Hrista went past him and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She remembered seeing this stuff in her mother’s bedroom and panic welled inside her.

He calmly took her hand and held it to the membrane which felt as strange as she remembered. “Now, you can open it,” he said.

Hrista did, but saw a conductor in the corridor. She closed it again hastily. “We don’t have tickets!” she hissed.

“Trust me,” he said; then covered her lips with his, pressing her against the wall. A thought of them entangled lustfully together in the narrow bunk infiltrated her mind as his tongue pressed into her mouth.

Hrista went to slap him, but he had her wrist securely in his hand just as quickly, holding it to the wall as well. Was she about to be raped? It would be the icing on the cake of a bad, bad day!

She couldn’t stop the tears that streamed from her eyes, thinking about everything.

“It’s safe now. The conductor didn’t want to disturb us even to do his job,” he said with a breath of relief. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Hrista sank onto the couch, the tears still streaming from her eyes.

The man sat next to her and put a warm, comforting arm around her. “Now, tell me what’s going on? I’m Kjane.”

“I’m Hrista,” she replied. “I’ve had a really, really bad day!” She started talking about the sickness and the death of her mother.

“Shit!” Kjane interrupted. “So, you might be contagious and I’ve just kissed you like that!”

Hrista found herself laughing for some reason. “You didn’t exactly give me a chance to explain myself!” she replied through giggles.

He smiled, easily doubling his attractiveness. “You’re right. I didn’t. I felt you worrying about how to get on this boat without a ticket or documents, so I decided to help. I wasn’t expecting the conductor to come by right then!”

She giggled again.

“I’ve had a bad day too, Hrista,” he explained. “One of my friends was killed before my eyes. His girlfriend is probably going to be forced into the bed of the Empress’ son tonight.”

“How awful! Why was he killed?”

“They wanted me.”

“Who are you?” Hrista asked, worried that she really was in trouble.

“A thorn in the Empress’ side. I organized T.R.A.S.H. Truth & Resistance for Autonomy, Solidarity & Harmony.”

“Oh...” Hrista replied in awe. “Everyone’s heard of you.”

“I’ll bet. But you won’t be going anywhere without me until we dock in Soundside. I can’t take the risk of you turning me in.”

“I wouldn’t!” she protested. “Even though you kissed me against my will.”

“If I hadn’t, the conductor would have wanted the ticket you didn’t have.”

She knew he was right.

“Truce?”

Hrista nodded with a smile. She couldn’t resist the handsome face that smiled at her.

“Welcome to T.R.A.S.H.” He shook her hand.

“What? Being kissed by you gets membership?” she asked.

“Promising me that you won’t turn me in gets that. The kiss was just a perk.”

“Perk?!”

“Be glad the conductor kept going or we might have had to do something more in line with what I was thinking to you!”

Hrista blushed deeply. “You put that thought in my head?!” she exclaimed, not sure whether to be more embarrassed or more angry.

“Of course! It was to make sure the conductor thought we were about to make love. He didn’t want to interrupt us.”

She got up and stood next to the darkening window. She could still see the lights of Irola in the distance behind. When she looked forward, she could imagine that she saw the lights of Soundside.

His arms came around her. “I won’t hurt you,” he promised. “I will protect you.”

Hrista didn’t fight him, enjoying his warmth. She thought abut the last person who had said those words to her. Ten years ago, she was just a child. She had awoken with a nightmare. Her father had come to her, held her that terrible night. “I will protect you,” he had promised.

<Where are you now, Dad?> she wondered.