CHAPTER ONE.
A WOMAN FIT OF BEING A SNAKE
THE ROOM WAS COLD AND STILL. As she laid in her bed, a pair of emerald orbs glancing at the ceiling. It had been her roof since the last two years. After living in solitary for so long, she was used to the silence. Other than her work out routine, occasional entertaining books, and a certain someone who would visit her frequently, there were not much she could do. Usually it was just her and herself, so quiet that she could almost hear her own heartbeat.
As horrible as it sounds, it was still better than being floated to the space. It was actually very peaceful, they would bring her food, clothes, and whatever she needed and all she had to do was sit still and look pretty.
When she was caught, she was really afraid. She knew as hell she was over eighteen and pratically an adult, and what they would do to punish people like her. However, now that she found a way to make sure she didn't get that punishment which was always a death sentence, and being imprisoned in Skybox instead, she couldn't help but realise that it wasn't really different from her previous life after all. It wasn't like she had family or friends that she would miss. As long as she could remember, she always survived on her own and never relied on somebody else. Sure, her own strategy to survive was to use people, but they were just pawns in her games. They were disposable. She never cared for any of them.
Of course, they didn't need to know that.
When she heard the door being opened, she instantly wore a beaming face, a smile so radiant that the guy who just walked in had to stop for a moment, just to admired her for what seemed like the thousandth time.
He cursed himself for being weak, for being an easy target of her charms, but he couldn't help it. He knew he was in trouble from the first time he saw her. She was running from him after she was arrested for her crimes. Her hair was long and curled perfectly, flying in her back like a golden waterfall. Her moves so graceful besides the obvious anxiety. Still, she couldn't run fast enough to escape his long and trained legs.
But her eyes—her goddamn eyes. They were as bright as emeralds and so green that they reminded him of the forest he craved when he learned of Earth. One look and he was screwed. He couldn't ignore her pleas of mercy. He had to save her from being floated.
And so he became another pawn of her game. He used his connection to change her age, from twenty years old to sixteen. It wasn't really believable because of her prominent face and womanly curves, so he put her into solitary. All of these efforts he did without a single clue that his object of affection didn't actually return his feelings.
It was his fault to fell for a woman fit of being a snake. She knew very well he was the only thing standing between her and her death, and she knew very well how to keep him standing there.
"My love," she whispered. "I've missed you."
He smiled, his heart fluttered even though it wasn't the first time the girl called him with such endearment.
"I've missed you too, Grace," he said honestly. "I'm sorry I couldn't visit you for the past few days. Shumway was very strict and I can't afford him to be suspicious. Some other guards have been asking me about you."
Grace moved to sit beside him on her bed. "What did they say?"
"Well, they know of our relationship of course, because of my visits," he sighed. "Don't worry though. They mainly just teased me. Said it was forbidden romance and all. They can't do shit, so you are safe. And that's what is important."
"I'm grateful," she put her hand on his cheek, "but they are right. This is forbidden. Only a few months left before they thought I'm turning eighteen. After that I am no more."
He shook his head repeatedly. He refused to believe that, even though he knew he couldn't use the same trick forever. His friends already made so many comments about his girlfriend. They saw her when it was their turn to give her food or escort her to the bathroom, and every single one of them had a hard time believing she was a mere teenager. She had the look of a goddess and it tended to make people talk.
"I'll figure something out," he said firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
Grace stared at his serious and determined face. She nodded, and then she kissed him.
Adrian Matthews was a very respected guardsman in the Ark. It was really impressive because he got that reputation at such a young age, twenty five years old to be exact. He was good looking with brown, short hair, and warm hazelnut eyes. Most importantly, he was smart and true to his words.
That was why she believed him. She had to. It had been haunting her mind that her time was close, she was almost eighteen in the eyes of the council. They could float her soon.
She added a little bit more passion to the soft kiss she shared with Adrian. She hastily removed his guard jacket and placed her hands under his shirt, feeling his muscles and the warmth of his skin.
She could feel Adrian's smile on her lips. He didn't waste anymore time to strip off her clothes. When he moved his lips to her jaw, down to her neck, and then her ear, he whispered between kisses, "They also said I'm a lucky bastard. They are not wrong."
Grace's voice sounded like a melody of an angel. "I'm the lucky one."
***
It was two weeks later when she finally met Adrian again. She grew reckless with each passing day. She felt like she could count on her current boyfriend, but she was bitter because right now she was practically hopeless without his help. She didn't like it. She needed a backup plan, and quickly.
It didn't help that Adrian always visited her at least once a week or more for the last two years. She couldn't help but think that something was wrong. Maybe that guy finally found a dead end, and nothing was protecting her from being floated anymore.
"Hell no," she hissed frustatedly, pacing in her small room and trying to think of something clever, another cheating technique she could use.
Deep inside, she knew she wasn't that smart. She was actually nothing without her looks. But she was too proud for her own good and she didn't want to admit that.
She jumped when the door suddenly opened. She looked over her shoulder and found a couple of guards walking inside her room. They were familiar. They had been here before to bring her food or other essentials.
"Please," she pleaded with her big, green eyes. "I need to see Adrian."
After a week of no visit, she had been asking every other guard about him. She was tempted to flirt or even seduce them instead but it seemed like they respected her boyfriend so much that they put their distance, despite of their wandering eyes and obvious interest. The farthest she got from them were crude comments.
And not a single one of them could tell her where the hell Adrian was.
They must only thought of her as a clingy girlfriend. When in fact she was in desperate need of survival plan. And her only chance was that one particular guard.
The guard with dirty blonde hair actually stared at her shympatically. Meanwhile, the other one only laughed and closed their distance to pushed her roughly.
"Prisoner two-four-one, face the wall!" He snapped.
Grace was surprised. She knew most of the guards were asshole but they never dared to touch her before. What changed?
She growled angrily. "Get the hell away from me!"
Her only answer was a sudden, sharp pain on her wrist. When she looked at it, she found some kind of metal wristband now attached to her hand.
When the asshole tried to put his hand on her once more, she backed away quickly. "I said, get the hell away from me, dickhead!"
He chuckled. "You are a feisty little thing, aren't you? We're wrong after all to think you are so sweet and innocent. Or it is your intention? To fool us all? Fool Adrian?"
"Henry..." His friend warned, actually looked a little afraid now.
"No, Nash," Henry smirked. "Can't you see? She thought she is better than anyone else just because she is screwing Adrian. Well, news flash, Sweetheart, it's over. Your death awaits."
Her heart missed a beat. That couldn't be true. She had survived when she wasn't suppose to and she would do it again. Right?
Henry grabbed her upper hand tightly, yanking her to get out of that room, right to the hallways full of other deliquents being dragged by the guards just like her.
"What the fuck is happening?" She snatched her hand away from his grip with all of her strength. "Are you going to float us all? Float me? I have two months left before I turn eighteen!"
Henry ignored her protests and grabbed both of her arms this time then twisted them on her back. His breath was sickly hot against her neck when he said, "Such a waste of a pretty face. If only Adrian isn't so obsessed with you we could have so much fun."
He groaned when Grace hit him with the back of her head. He cringed when he touched his now red nose and glared at her, his other hand still had a tight grib of her arm so she couldn't escape. "You bitch!" He roared, showing his uneven teeth and ugly sneer.
Just when she thought he was going to punch her, he turned his head to glared at his friend instead. "Why are you just standing there? Give me the fucking syringe!"
Nash, who was silently watching the whole ordeal a few feet away, shook his head, which made Henry to look even angrier.
"Why the fuck—"
"Get your fucking hands off her!"
Suddenly, Henry let go of her arm as she watched him fell to the floor. Adrian stood in between them, breathing heavily.
Still keeping his distance, Nash muttered, "That's why."
Henry slowly getting back to his feet, blood pooring out of his nose, which was now officially broken. Adrian aggresively pulled his jacket's collar. "Who the fuck gives you the order to get her?"
Henry only stared at him blankly, not a single sound coming out of his mouth.
"When I said no one allowed to touch her I meant it," he hissed dangerously, "now get out of my sight. I have more pressing matters but I'm not done with you."
Nash didn't need to be asked twice, he fled with his tail between his legs and disappeared amongst the crowds of panicked people. Henry quickly followed him, but not without sending her one last hateful glare.
Only then did she realise they made quiet a scene in the middle of hallways, some of delinquents that were too afraid or weak to fight the guards were sending her curious glances, the drama somewhat distracted them a bit from the actual chance of them being led to their death in that very moment.
"Is there any problem here, Matthews?"
Grace turned to look at the woman. She was well known in the Ark as a doctor and a member of the mighty council. She was leading a couple of guards who were carrying an unconscious blonde girl to god knows where before she stopped to acknowledge them.
Adrian shook his head politely. "No, ma'am."
Abby Griffin nodded and then glanced at Grace who didn't look very happy at the moment. "Get her to the drop ship now. It's time."
"Please," that guy begged, "let me say goodbye. It won't take long."
The middle-aged woman sighed, but left them anyway after muttering, "Two minutes."
Grace immediately glared at the man, arms crossed in front of her chest and her breathing uneven. "What the fuck did you mean by goodbye? Where are they taking us? Are you going to let them kill me now? I fucking trusted you!"
Adrian looked taken aback by her outburst. In her defense, it was an appropiate moment to be pissed. In his defense, she was never angry or cursed in front of him.
Still, he felt really guilty and even close to tears. He really loved that girl and he did everything he could to save her life. In the end, he failed, there was no better choice than the one he was going to offer.
"No, God, no," he said hastily, "I'm not going to let you die. You are not going to be floated and you will never be."
Grace narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Then tell me what exactly is going on right now."
Adrian gulped. "They are sending all one hundred delinquents to the ground."
The blonde girl had to pause to actually absord his words. "Are you insane?!" She gasped, her eyes widened. "How is that different from being floated?"
"It's different because you will survive," he said, even though he sounded like he was not so sure himself. "There's a chance that you can live down there. Here? They will kill you and even if they won't the Ark is not gonna survive. We are running out of oxygen and soon even innocent people are going to be killed."
Grace looked at him with disbelief. All of these new information were messing with her head and she couldn't utter a single word.
Adrian, knowing he was running out of time, pulled her into a tight hug, almost like he never wanted to let go and he did feel that way. He couldn't bare the thought of her dying and he had to believe she would survive. He was so sure he was embracing the love of his life.
He didn't even realise that girl didn't return his hug, and placed his gun in the pocket of her jacket so he could at least give her some sort of protection when he couldn't be by her side.
"I'm sorry but it's time for you to go," he grabbed her hand gently and led her to the drop ship. Almost all of the delinquents already there, strapped to their seats, most of them unconscious. Quietly, she sat on an empty seat and strapped herself with the help of her boyfriend. Grace only stared back at him when he cupped her face, pure emotions were swimming in his eyes.
"I love you," he said, "and I'm going to watch over you from here. Stay safe."
"Matthews!" Some guard was shouting at him from outside the door. "Hurry up!"
Adrian didn't even look at him. He was watching her expectantly, waiting for her to declare her love back and then he was going to kiss her one last time.
Instead, Grace smirked, her eyes were looking at him with something close to pity, but her words were as sharp as a thousands swords going through his heart, leaving it broken and bleeding—damaged beyond repair.
"Don't bother. I don't need you anymore. I'm sure as hell not in love with you so this is goodbye. Thank you for saving my life."
He couldn't believe it at first, his lover was sweet and gentle but this person in front of him was a monster. But when he looked into her eyes, the same fucking eyes who lured him into a trap so beautiful he thought it was heaven, he found only a cold, hard truth that would haunt him forever.
The love of his life was never exist. There was only Grace Marlowe and he had absolutely no idea who she was.