Without A Heartbeat

Sage Faru came to Scarlett once more before she left the base for the final time. He entered the bedchamber, moving with the solemnity of someone not at peace with his own actions. Scarlett stood up from the chair she had been waiting on - going over and over the plan in her head as a grandfather clock ticked away the time until the carriage came to collect her – and greeted him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and regarded her for a moment without speaking.

“Words cannot express how brave what you are doing is Scarlett,” he said finally.

“I don’t feel very brave,” she replied. “I feel terrified.”

“That is to be expected, the unknown is always terrifying.” He removed his hands from her shoulders. “Do you remember what you must do?”

“I do.”

He nodded. “Then we are almost ready. However, thre are still two more things that we must do.” He gestured towards a slipper chair near the bed. “Please take a seat.” Scarlett did as she was asked and the Huntmaster knelt down in front of her. “I need to create a connection that will allow you to communicate with me. It will require me to place my hands on your face. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“I won’t lie to you, this is going to hurt. Please try to relax.”

Before Scarlett could respond, Faru clamped his hands against her temples. A hiss escaped her throat as bursts of agonising energy pulsed into her brain, exploding as blue spots in her vision. Her mouth clamped shut as every muscle in her body constricted into a web of knots, and she began to convulse. Spittle appeared at the corners of her mouth and one of her eyes started to leak, sending a stream of tears rolling down her cheek.

Then it was over.

Like a departing wave, she felt the intense sensations draw away from her, until they vanished. Faru removed his hands and Scarlett leaned forward, coughing and gasping. Wiping the spit from her mouth with the back of her hand she stared at the Huntmaster. “What on earth was that?”

“It is a process known as a mind link. We are now connected telepathically.”

Scarlett gasped. “Telepathically? You mean that you can read my thoughts?”

“Do not worry, your thoughts are still your own Scarlett. I can only read the minds of humans and Chosen. What it does mean is that you and I can communicate with one another over great distances. Observe.” He turned away from her and placed his fingertips to his temples.

A sensation similar to a seizure gripped Scarlett and she froze as she jerked. A few seconds later the sensations subsided.

Scarlett.

The word tickled at her brain.

Scarlett can you hear me?

Yes. Yes I can hear you.

The Huntmaster removed his hands as the girl’s mouth fell open in astonishment. “That is unbelievable.”

“It is also very useful. At any point that you need to speak to me, simply call out in your mind and I will hear you. It is imperative that you do this after you escape. I will have a large group of Guardians armed and ready for battle. All you need to do is tell us where to go.”

Scarlett nodded. “I will.”

The Huntmaster glanced at the clock. “We do not have much time I am afraid and there is still one more thing we must do.” He swept back his cloak and removed a cloth. He unwrapped it to reveal a glass jar that contained a reddish paste and a thin blade, which looked like a short knitting needle. Scarlett frowned down at the objects.

“What are they for?”

He held the blade out in his palm. “This is a pinknife. The inside is hollow and filled with a lethal dose of Banshee toxin.” He touched the bottom with a thumb. “Click this hard twice to inject it. The blade must be inside flesh for it to be effective.”

“You want to give this to me?” she said, surprised.

“Yes. I will not let you go into Sinner’s Vault without protection.”

“You didn’t mention this when in the Sage’s office.”

“That is because Sage Blackwood does not know about this.”

“Why not?”

Faru took a deep breath. “Because like you, I do not trust him. He is definitely not as concerned for your safety as I am. This is simply an extra precaution to ensure no harm comes to you.

Scarlett frowned down at the blade. “I appreciate your concern Faru, but surely you cannot expect the guards to let me walk around a prison with a knife in my hand!”

“Absolutely not. That is why you will not carry it on you…but inside.” He took a deep breath. “I need to insert the pinknife inside your arm.”

Scarlet’s eyes went wide. “Please tell me this is just an odd bit of humour.”

“I am afraid not. There is no other way,” he continued. “We cannot chance another inmate knowing you have it and a guard could not be seen to ignore it.”

“But you just said it contains a deadly toxin! Now you say you want to put it inside my arm?”

“I will store it in a way where it can’t be activated. It won’t come out until the moment you need it to. I have made my own connections with the Vaultguard who will search you when you arrive. They will not mention what is in your arm to anyone.” He stopped speaking and looked at Scarlett, waiting for her response.

She gave a sigh and held out her wrist. “Well I guess I have come this far, what is a knife in the arm?”

Faru gave a smile. “As I said, brave.” He took hold of Scarlett’s hand and touched the tip of the pinknife to her wrist. “Are you ready?”

Scarlett bit her lip and nodded.

He pierced the skin. Sickening pain shot to her elbow as he slid the blade down the length of her arm, deep inside her flesh. Scarlett jigged her leg against the floor and bit her lip until she tasted blood. Faru finished pushing the blade into her arm and then pressed the cloth over the hole, soaking up the blood which seeped from inside. “Done,” he said. Leaning over he opened the jar and scooped a bit of the paste onto his thumb, lifting the cloth and applying it to the wound. “This is Oni balm, it will help your wound heal very quickly. By the time you arrive at Sinner’s Vault it will be gone.” He tapped a spot on her wrist just below the hole. “If you need to use the pinknife, you will have to dig in and pull it out.”

“Sounds wonderful,” she said, taking back her arm.

Not long afterwards there was a quiet knock at the door. Scarlett and Faru stood up, the Huntmaster looking as unnerved as Scarlett felt. “Are you sure you are okay to do this?” he said, taking her hands. “We can still put a stop to it.”

“No, I want to do this.”

The Huntmaster gave a nod. “Thank you, Scarlett.”

She squeezed Faru’s hands. “I should be thanking you for everything you have done for me. Without you and the others, I would have been lost and confused, and my family would be dead. You saved them and you helped save me. I will never forget that.”

There was a second knock at the door. “Miss Reid are you ready?” called a voice from the other side.

Faru let Scarlett’s hands drop. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before calling back.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

The rain pounded down around Scarlett as she stepped from the carriage. Her wrists were bound with identical wooden shackles to those she had been forced to wear in the hold of the Iron Whale, the left cuff pressing against the pinknife stored in her arm.

“This way, Scarlett,” said Faru.

Along with two other hooded Guardians, the Huntmaster ushered her through the empty expanse of Hyde Park. The grass had become slick with rain and splashed wet mud up the backs of her legs as she walked. Scarlett stared into the distance at the setting sun, its flaming rays igniting the tops of the grey clouds. Please don’t let this be the last time I see the sun.

They crossed the bridge over the murky waters of the Serpentine until they reached Kensington Gardens. Several statues and ponds were dotted around the grounds, connected by a series of paths. Scarlett was taken towards a large structure to the north, which resembled a vast ciborium. It was the most opulent thing Scarlett had ever seen, surrounded by statues, and the pavilion itself adorned with gilded leaves and decorative flourishes that led up to a towering spire, topped with a golden cross.

Two intimidating men waited at the foot of the structure. Their entire uniform was made from black metal, which made them appear as solidified shadows. Metal masks - fitted with breathing slits - covered their mouths and ran to their necks, joining their armour. A silver crest that depicted a chain boring through a screaming skull was mounted on their chests.

These are the Vaultguards.

One of the guards - who had long hair as dark as his armour - stepped forward. “This is the prisoner?” he asked Faru. The mask made his voice deep and muffled.

“Yes.”

The man looked at Scarlett with disdain. “Doesn’t look like much.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” said Faru flatly.

The Vaultguard held out his hand towards the Huntmaster. “Documentation.”

Faru produced an envelope and handed it over. The Vaultguard opened it, letting rain splash down onto the paper as he scanned the contents. After a simple grunt, he stuffed it back inside the envelope and slipped it into a pouch attached to his belt. Scarlett also saw a gun and a coiled cat o’ nine tails fixed to his waist.

“We can take it from here,” he said.

The Huntmaster stared at the man, his eyes flashing in the fading light. “We are counting on you. Do not fail her.”

“We know what to do Seelian,” barked the other guard, who had a bad scar that had completely sealed one eye shut. “We will do our part as long as the Bloodling child does hers.”

Faru turned to Scarlett and lowered his voice, his expression intense. “Keep your wits about you and do not deviate from the plan. We will be ready to come to your aid after you escape.”

Scarlett nodded, her chest tight with anxiety. All of a sudden it seemed as if her decision had gone from a bad one to a terrible one. Her mouth was dry and she struggled to choke out her words. “I will.”

With a final nod Faru and the other Guardians walked away, leaving Scarlett on her own with the two brutish men.

“Come,” barked the black-haired Vaultguard. Scarlett winced as he seized her elbow in a vice-like grip and manhandled her towards the structure. She was shoved up a set of steps that led to an opening set into a carved mural, which wrapped around the edges of the ciborium. The one-eyed Vaultguard ducked into the narrow space first and then Scarlett was pushed in after him, until she was sandwiched between the two men. The inside was dark and smelled of damp. A set of stone steps descended to a long gallery, the area lit by oil lanterns hanging from simple hooks on the wall. As they walked down the stairs, the door cranked shut behind them and Scarlett took several deep breaths, with the sole purpose of settling her nerves.

It didn’t work.

They reached a circular platform at the end of the gallery, where a rusted cage elevator hung from a thick chain connected to a series of cogs. The door screeched open under the rough hand of the one-eyed Vaultguard and Scarlett was pushed inside. The Black-haired man stepped in after her and wrapped his gauntlet – which was covered in spikes at the knuckles - around a lever and pulled it down sharply. There was a rumbling groan and then Scarlett saw the platform beneath the cage retract from the centre, creating a large hole that the elevator winched down into.

The Vaultguards stood shoulder to shoulder, leaving Scarlett pressed into a tight space behind them. The elevator sank for an age into a dark tunnel made from oddly shaped stone, which bore deep into the ground, and with each moment that passed, Scarlett felt her fear rise. Why did I agree to do this?

The elevator broke into light and Scarlett froze as she took in her terrifying surroundings through the metal mesh of the cage. An impossibly vast, circular chamber stretched out beneath her feet, broken into floors that were ringed with countless walkways that held countless more cells of different designs. A series of Vaultguards patrolled each level in pairs, whips in hand. Other elevators cranked up and down between the walkways, carrying more of the guards, who stepped on and off of the platforms, all wearing stern expressions. Haunting wails escaped from the cells, the sounds so full of anguish and desperation that they chilled Scarlett to her very bones.

“We do not appreciate our institution being used as grounds for a scheme,” said the one-eyed guard without turning. “We have never had a single prisoner escape from Sinner’s Vault. Your upcoming actions that we were forced to comply with will make the Vaultguards look like incapable fools. Only we are privy to this plan of yours. If you harm any of my other colleagues during your escape, we will not hesitate to kill you.”

Scarlett didn’t know what to say in response, so she said nothing.

“You will receive no special treatment while you are here,” added the black-haired guard. “That would create suspicion, and suspicion can cause problems. If you cause any trouble outside of the plan, you will be whipped within an inch of your life. Are we clear?”

“Yes,” said Scarlett in a small voice.

The fear inside the girl grew until she felt almost hysterical. In her mind she had fabricated an unrealistic idea of Sinner’s Vault – a bad place that was simply to be endured until she could realise the first step of the plan and then forgotten. The reality was far worse than she could have imagined, and she knew that like a stain on her soul, she would never forget it until her bones had turned to dust in the dirt.

The elevator continued to crank downwards for what felt like an age. Sinner’s Vault was so large that even with her superior vision, Scarlett could not see the bottom; the chamber simply sank into a void of darkness. If someone had told her that she was descending into the mouth of Hell itself, Scarlett would have believed them.

Thousands of faces appeared in the cells – some behind thick glass, others staring behind bars as thick as drainpipes. Innumerable eyes stared at Scarlett and she felt their gazes crawling into her flesh. Several prisoners started to chant or shout obscene remarks; others made whooping sounds and slammed themselves against the bars of their cells. The sounds mixed together until it became a terrifying cacophony of sound that made Scarlett tremble in fear.

“Looks like you have caught the attention of your new neighbours,” said the black-haired Vaultguard with a malicious chuckle.

Eventually the elevator reached the bottom of the vault. It was an area bathed in deep shadows and ringed by dozens of archways, each sealed by an imposing black gate. Between each archway stood a Vanguard, women and men of various shapes and sizes, all standing as still as statues, masked and armed with their guns and sinister whips. A stench of sewerage and grime invaded Scarlett’s nose and she had to force herself to stop breathing.

The black-haired guard gripped Scarlett’s arm while the other swung open the cage door. She was dragged out into the grim area and shoved towards one of the gated archways. As she drew closer, she saw with absolute horror that the walls were not made from stone as she had first thought, but an endless number of worn skulls, all packed tightly together. She recoiled with a gasp, tugging against the Vaultguard’s grip. He turned to look at her and then to the walls, his mouth twisting into a grim smile.

“Not a fan of the décor girl? Us Chosen needed to do something with the remains of those slaughtered in the Great Purge and what better way than to create a structure with them.” He banged a fist against the top of a protruding skull. “They make for strong material.”

Scarlett felt sick. She was trapped in a cruel place full of cruel people. The only thing that calmed her was the fact that she would only be there for a few days. I will not let this plan fail, I will not stay in this pit one second longer than I have to.

Both Vaultguards stopped outside one of the gated archways. A grimy plaque was fixed to the skull wall, with the word ’processing’ engraved on it. The one-eyed guard retrieved a single key as white as bone from his pouch. The teeth at the end resembled jagged fangs. A skeleton key. The main part of the plan required it. The guard pushed the key into a lock on the gate and unlatched it with an echoing click.

On the other side was a short corridor that led to an enclosed space where four more Vanguards stood waiting. Beyond them was a tiled space with a large drain and some type of hose connected to a rusting tap. A singular stood near the edge, with folded black clothes resting on top. A female Vaultguard with a shaved head stepped forward. “Greetings Viktor. So this is the murderer of the benefactor?”

“Yeah this is the little runt, Adara”. He shoved Scarlett towards the woman who seized her in a stony grip. The woman took off her gauntlet and set it down on the table.

“Open your mouth,” she ordered.

Scarlett opened it and was horrified when Adara wrapped one hand around the back of her head and shoved the other into her mouth. She grabbed Scarlett’s tongue and lifted it up, staring underneath. “Clear.” She pressed her thumbs hard against the membrane above the girl’s gums and pushed downwards, forcing her fangs to slide down. She took hold of each one and tapped them, before wiping her hand on Scarlett’s petticoat. “No signs of poison on the fangs.” She kept manhandling Scarlett, who stood petrified on the spot. The Vaultguard seized her arms and ran her hands down them with crushing force. She paused when her left hand pressed against the pinkinfe hidden in Scarlett’s arm. “No concealed weapons,” she said. Scarlett let out a breath she had been holding in fear. She’s the other guard Faru spoke about.

After Adara had finished checking Scarlett over, she stepped back. “Strip off your clothes,” she ordered.

Scarlett’s mouth fell open and she stared between the guards. “What?”

“Did I mumble? I’m sorry, maybe I should be more clear.” She unhooked her whip from her side and cracked it against the floor next to the girl’s feet, making her gasp. “STRIP!”

With trembling hands, Scarlett took off her clothes, which the woman snatched off her until she was completely naked. Using her arms to cover her modesty, she stared down at the ground, feeling utterly exposed and helpless.

Viktor grabbed her by the shoulders and steered her towards the far end of the room before shoving her so hard she fell to her knees. One of the other Vaultguards twisted on the tap and a powerful spray of water burst from the end of the hose. He aimed it at Scarlett and she shrieked, cowering against the wall as the harsh stream jetted all over her body. It went into her eyes and mouth and she spluttered, trying to use a hand to deflect it. The hosing lasted what felt like hours until finally the faucet was switched off and Scarlett was left coughing and shivering from her ordeal.

“Put these on,” commanded Adara, appearing over her with the clothes in her hand.

Scarlett raised a shaking arm and took them. Still soaking wet she put on a simple pair of black linen trousers and a matching shirt, which was too big for her and fell to her thighs. Viktor grabbed her and marched her back to the front of the room.

“Idris, which of our assigned floors is she on?”

One of the other Vaultguards was holding a large folder. He stepped forward and set it down on the table with a thud. Flicking through hundreds of pages that were filled from top to bottom with names, he reached one near the back and brushed a finger towards the bottom, pausing over Scarlett’s own name. Next to it was written: ‘Murder of an Alliance benefactor, 40 years imprisonment.’

“Floor two hundred,” he said.

Viktor raised his eyebrows. “Two hundred? Close to the bottom.” He shook his head. “That is not a nice floor to be on. Someone in the Alliance must really not like you at all, isn’t that right Boone?”

“You will be rubbing shoulders with some of the finest murderers and rapists that have ever entered this place,” said the one-eyed Vaultguard. “I hope you know how to defend yourself.”

Scarlett felt fear seize her chest. She knew that they were only trying to scare her, but it was working. Rough hands grabbed her and she was pushed from the room, dripping wet and terrified. Viktor gave a dark smile as he closed the gate behind him.

“Welcome to Sinner’s Vault.”