Twisted Metal Heart - Eve Langlais Page 0,62
into the kingdoms. Odd I’ve never heard of it.”
“Because no one wants to stay here. The Wastelands and the five kingdoms aren’t considered desirable. Too much of it is uninhabitable.”
“Then why bother stopping at all?”
“Because there are some items out here that they’re willing to trade for.”
“And what would those be?”
“People for one.”
“Slavery.” He grimaced.
“Exotic animals for another. There is a market for big game animals that can be released in other places and then hunted by paying clients.”
“Why not come here and hunt them in person?”
“Because these businesses want to keep their paying clients.”
He shook his head. “This is too much.”
“Is your head going to explode?”
“No, but I am realizing my education was sorely lacking.” He wrung out his shirt and slung it over his shoulder while she put on hers but carried her pants. The hem of her top went down almost mid-thigh.
“That’s because you’ve never left Emerald. It’s a pretty self-contained ecosystem. The queen has done a good job keeping it isolated from outside contact.”
“The propaganda machine also did its job making us believe there was nothing else.” He shook his head as he sloughed out of the water, his wet pants sticking to his body, delineating it.
She wondered if he ever thought of that one time there were intimate together. “The Enclave is all about the lies. Although only Emerald and Ruby still really have a solid hold on their citizens. The other kingdoms have slacked off on their rules.”
“If that’s the case, then why didn’t you move to one of them?”
“I don’t need people around me.”
“I’d say it’s more a fact you were afraid of drawing your mother down on anyone who sheltered you.”
She shrugged. “That too. Hard to be someone’s friend or neighbor knowing that their proximity might get them tortured and killed. Not to mention some would have held me hostage in the hopes of ransoming Toxic Dust from my mother.”
“What? Why would they ask for dust?”
“Because of the price they can sell it for.” She rolled her eyes at the obviousness.
“But dust is worthless.” He frowned.
“Is it? Surely you’ve heard the stories.”
“You mean the dome myth that the particles in the air outside can turn people into raving lunatic deviants?” He laughed. “That’s such a load of shit. The dust in the Wastelands isn’t contaminated, just dry.”
“Wrong,” she said softly as they returned to their ride. “While most of it is useless as you claim, the stories are actually true. There is a toxic strain that is highly prized. It’s used in a variety of applications with the most popular being as a drug. Its existence is the only reason Emerald hadn’t collapsed. My mother keeps a tight grip on its location and trade.”
“Your mother is a Toxic Dust drug dealer.” He snorted. “Hey, maybe we should find a few bags and sell them so we could be rich.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that. I told you, it’s got to be the right kind.”
She’d never seen this supposed secret mine of it that her mother held with a tight fist, but she’d once seen someone in the throes of the drug. Riella preferred to keep her inhibitions and not fornicate with every long, cylindrical object around. Poor Karella spent a week in the clinic after her experimentation. Then months away from the nursery and her siblings. When she returned, she was a changed girl with shadows in her eyes and a flinch when people got near.
“Anything else about Emerald I should know?” he asked.
“A better place to start might be you telling me what you know so that I can expand or correct it.”
“Because just about everything I’ve been told or thought is wrong.” He scrubbed his face. “I can’t believe I never knew any of this. It’s like finding out dragons really exist.”
She bit her lip rather than admit they did. “When we get to Sapphire, don’t tell anyone you’re from Emerald because they won’t believe you. Regular citizens aren’t allowed to leave.”
“What am I supposed to say then?” he asked.
“Just say you’re from the Marshes.”
“You think I can pass?” He glanced at himself. “The clothes might be theirs, but most of them weren’t as tall as me.”
“You’ll blend in just fine. Lots of strangers in Sapphire, especially in the city. But we won’t be going inside it. We’ll stick to the outskirts where there is a second layer of town.”
“Sounds like a big place.”
“It is, which is why it’s one of the few without a wall.”
“Aren’t they scared at