Page 55 of Born Savage

“The Revelator will share more once you arrive in Eden.”

“The Revelator. You know of him.”

“Yes, you know him as John. He is a great disciple, a truly holy man. He will guide you both once you return. Know that what you’re doing will be challenged every step of the way. When you’re both ready, you will head to where the king and his court live.”

“Who is he to you?”

I sensed he was debating sharing the information. “My brother.”

With bombs creating tidal waves claiming hundreds of miles of shorelines, and seismic faults from subsequent earthquakes breaking off huge chunks of land, many of which had been reclaimed by the oceans, every domed city was inland.

Chicago was protected and served by Lake Michigan. The irony of one water serving both good and evil hadn’t been lost on surviving scholars and in truth, had likely been planned. The feasibility of creating an area akin to what people thought of as Eden was plausible.

“It is imperative Star arrives in Eden unharmed. You will have supplies ready for your journey and I wish you Godspeed. You should settle your differences with Star before you leave. You will need all your strength for the trip and not in your bickering.” His smile was genuine, the man far too wise for his own good.

“You should provide the same recommendation to Star. She has a mind of her own.”

He squeezed my arm. “Yes, but she will need your counsel whether she chooses to believe so or not. Her quarters are on the floor below. Room thirty-two. Spend some time with her. Come to an understanding at minimum. You will learn to trust each other because you must.”

There was a twinkle in the old man’s eyes as if he already figured out we’d engaged in raw sin. While I used the term loosely, given as of yet sex hadn’t been ruled out as so many other pleasures had been out of necessity, satisfying carnal desires was generally frowned upon. Why? Because it could lead to complications no one needed at this point.

I’d heard that the great king was pushing for babies, but the problem was the Pavilla virus had been a natural sterilizer. Even if people hadn’t been directly affected, either showing signs or succumbing to the lesser form of the illness, the dangerous infection had settled in water that even boiling hadn’t eliminated, food that had been sealed, and even in the air we breathed while topside.

In other words, humanity as a whole was fucked.

While that should create a more amorous atmosphere without the worry about unwanted pregnancies, the opposite had been true. The thought of intimacy had fallen below scrounging for food and other supplies.

“What is expected of Star?”

“Not just of Star but of the man who stands by her side. Fertility will return throughout the world.” Peter was so certain what he was telling me was accurate. He moved to a box on the other side of the room, carefully opening it and retrieving an object. As I’d seen before, his hand was shaking.

When he turned, he studied me carefully before walking close once again.

“I don’t need to tell you that what you will face will be dangerous and will test all that you are as not only a man but as a Verndari. This is why the program was so vital to our survivors and I wish I could provide you a clear path of how to achieve success, but only you along with the men serving you faithfully can provide what’s needed to successfully pass the first test.”

“Test?”

“Yes, Rage. This is a test of strength and endurance as required by the gods. There will be others.”

“Like killing the king and freeing the people.”

He took my hand into his, placing the object and curling my fingers around it. “What you seek will eventually become necessary, but not at first. Your greatest challenge will be to suppress the rage for which you were named. Only then can you achieve the success you desire. Not because you are the greatest warrior, but because you’ve become a great leader.”

There was both sincerity and a challenge in his eyes. “I was tested in Zenith and I failed.”

As he cocked his head, his eyes lit up. “One man will never become the salvation that’s needed, but with an entire flock willing to stand in front of him anything is possible.” He backed away, lifting his head high.

When I opened my fingers, it took a few seconds to realize what I was looking at. “A flash drive.” I hadn’t seen one since I was a child. There were no computers left working that I knew of. Whatever was on the memory stick might stay there forever.

“Yes. You will find answers for both of you. However, not until you reach your destination.”

Our destination. Eden. “Star will continue resisting.”

“She will see the light. Her dreams will guide her. But after that, you must place your trust in each other. If you do not, you will both perish.”

What I couldn’t understand was my continued desire for her. Her caustic mouth alone should prevent me from longing to come without ten feet of her. But here I was, my dick still aching while my testicles felt like inflated balloons.

With nothing left to discuss, I headed to the door, yet I had one last question. “Who am I to Star other than her bodyguard?”