Deception (Axyl, #1)

Prologue

The roar of the crowd was tantalizing. People were filling the overcrowded streets. They ranged from toddlers to seniors, walking to and from the market stations at the sides of the streets. The children were playing together, some of them screamed and laughed as they chased each other, their voices filling up the air over their heads, while the adults's voices surrounded the community's ears as they mingled.

The sun blazed down on the community. There wasn't a cloud in sight, but rain sprinkled on them, refreshing them from the blazing heat. The range of pinks, oranges, and purples in the setting sky made the view of the surrounding area magnificent. There was a sulfuric stench to the air, but the people didn't notice since they were used to it, having caught the acrid tang of the breeze's pollution in their throats for centuries.

Blades of grass at the edges of the streets were trimmed to perfection. Green faded into the sunset, making it even more beautiful than it already was. It was the picture of a photographer and painter's dream, even though those didn't exist anymore. It was illegal to capture the scenery of the present time.

A tall, thin man in black plainclothes avoided stepping on strangers as he pushed his way towards his friends' station. The asphalt scorched his feet through thin sandals with each step he took, making his face crumple up in a wince. He took little hops with every step he made. The man heard the chirping of bluebirds through the rumble of the crowd. Regular people probably couldn't hear it, but he wasn't a normal person. He wasn't even human.

Children darted in his way, blocking his path, and he had to swerve around them to reach his destination, but once he made it through the crowd, he breathed in the smell of cinnamon as he approached the station.

As he walked underneath the roof,  the heat from the blazing sun disintergrated. The blond hair of the man's friend swept down as he looked at his pastries. He put his hands on the wooden counter and looked over them. They ranged from fudge to croissants.

"Connor!" The man greeted his friend. Connor glanced at him.

"Elijah! It's good to see you again." Elijah saw the wrinkles around Connor's green eyes as he smiled. The man's lips tugged upward in response.

"It's been six months. I've missed your smiling face." 

"Have you made progress of part of this weeks' supply of Axyl?" 

Elijah took out a brown paper bag from the back pocket of his jeans, rolled closed. He outstretched his hand and dropped it into Connor's pale one. The sack rustled some more as Connor wrapped his hand around the top of it and peeked inside. He saw the white powder and smelled the sweet scent of the drug.

Connor looked at Elijah, smiling. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

Connor bent his knees as he went to put the Ayxl under the table. As he lifted up the tablecloth, he found a little compartment underneath the top of the board. He opened it and slid the drug as far back into the box as it would go. It hid inside the shadows.

When he looked up to say something to the other man, he found Elijah had vanished. He stood up, squinting through the sunlight, and searched the crowd. He couldn't find him. All he saw was the flashing pink, green, and orange of the people's plainclothes as they mingled.

A middle-aged woman and her daughter, looking around the age of nine, approached the station. She surveyed the table as her child bounced in her place.

The mother regarded her child. Her dark hair fell into her face and she pushed a tendril back behind her ear. "Which one do you want, Loretta?" she asked, running her hands through Loretta's tresses.

Loretta also studied the pastries. "That one, Mommy!" She pointed at the brown croissant with powdered sugar and cherry filling.

The mother lifted her dark eyes and met Connor's. "How much are they?"

He smiled. "A pace."

The mother raised up her arm to dig in her purse. When she found what she was searching for, she pulled out a shiny gold coin, and slid it across the counter toward Connor. In return, he gave her the croissant and a napkin.

He came around the table and crouched low to Loretta's eye level. Loretta stared at Connor, wide-eyed.

"I hope this treat makes your day," he said, smiling. Loretta gave him a shy smile, her deep, blue eyes lighting up. Her mother pulled her away from the station and Connor stood up, watching them walk away.

Connor loved children and wished that he could have one of his own, but he was much too young. A person, by law, could only have one at twenty-five, and only if they had already met their match. He was only twenty-one and hadn't met his yet.

He was about to go back to his place behind the table when he heard the horns in the distance, announcing a royal's presence. The king, he thought. It is finally time for the weekly shipment. He walked behind the table to get the drug and crouched low, lifting up the cloth.

The sounds of horses were gradually coming closer, and he peeked over the top of the counter to see how close the chariot was. He was pleasantly surprised to find them already in front of his station, stopping. The chariot's gold trimming blinded him as it glinted in the setting sun.

Blinking the black dots out of his vision, he peeked back under the table. His hand curled around the thing he was searching for and put it into the back pocket of his dress pants. He wiped his hands on the vibrant green color of the grass. It was as soft as it always was, like a feathery bed if you lay down in it, like the children were; like how Connor did when he was just a child.

He stood up to see all of the people bowing before a man, the sun making a halo above his black hair. That man led the world. Connor came around the front of the table and bowed low, along with the people. When he came to a full bow, he lifted his head up at the king and watched him search the crowd for someone. Me, Connor thought. He finally found Connor's eyes, and Connor saw the King's gray eyes light up. His face broke out into a grin.

The king bellowed, "Connor!"

He straightened up when he heard his name. The royal family was as close to him as his own folk, They and the DeLani house had known-- and were close to each other-- for centuries. Through everything that they'd been through together, they still loved each other dearly. Connor practically grew up in the palace, as his best friend was the Prince. When Connor's parents were gone, he stayed with them.

"Your Highness?" he asked, his face mirroring the King's.

His Highness crooked a finger at Connor, telling him to follow him into the chariot. The King walked back into the chariot, his burgundy robes flapping behind him. After he made sure he was safely inside, Connor followed him up the white and golden steps. He ducked his head into the frame, avoiding whacking his forehead on it, and watched as the King took his seat on the cushions of the cabin. Connor closed the glass door behind him as he took the bench opposite from him, closing the silky curtains to give them privacy.

The king studied Connor. "Do you have the shipment of Ayxl?" he asked Connor in his strong voice. Connor nodded, pulled out the paper bag from his pocket, and gave it to the King, his hands shaking.

While he looked inside, Connor fidgeted with his trousers and picked the lint off them. Being in the King's presence had always unnerved him, no matter how long he had known him. He could feel the waves of power radiating off of him, even from a mile away.

The King peered at him. "Well done, Connor. You are dismissed." He brought his attention back down to the sack, rolling it back up. He slid it inside his robe by his chest and smiled at Connor.

Connor nodded and stood up, pushing the drapes away from the door. As he opened it, he surveyed the crowd in the streets. Sets of eyes met his as the hair on his forearms prickled up. The crowd was extremely huge and he estimated thousands upon thousands of people were there.

He closed the door, walked down the steps, and pushed his way back toward his station. Before he got to it, he glimpsed back at the chariot. Watching, he saw people making room for the king to ride off into the orange and pink sunset, sparkling and looked like it came from heaven itself.