Introduction
In the middle of a vast desert is a kingdom known as the city of Turnak where you're either useful or one of the Taken. The Taken are those abducted by the king's royal guard and are taken into the castle. The Taken consist of orphaned children, the handicapped, and anyone else who aren't able to pull their own weight. No one knows what happens to the Taken, at least, until now.
Chapter One
"Lex! Lex! Lexus, please, wake up!"
I groaned softly and slowly shifted on my mat. "Where are we...?" I asked, "What's - " I yawned, "going on?" Except, in my sleep induced stupor, what I asked was probably barely recognizable in human language. Not that I cared at the moment, whoever was shrieking in my ear was disturbing the first rest I'd gotten in weeks since Gabby and I had had to - wait. Gabby. I felt my eyes open wide and shot up. "What's happened, Gabby?" I asked seriously.
I stared at my sister, her pretty blue eyes, framed by blonde lashes, were currently wide with terror, her lovely wavy, deep, strawberry-bonde hair was tied back at the nape of her neck showing even more of the smattering of freckles she hated so much. Gabriel, who I always thought resembled a living porcelean doll, was scared out of her mind.
"The royal guard are doing patrols here!" she whispered in a fierce panic as she dug her nails into my right arm. "I think they know we're here, Lex!"
My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "But why do you think they're looking for us? The guards are always on pa - " I heard my voice harden and felt my eyes narrow as they bore into hers, "Why? Why would you automatically assume that? What the hell happened, Gabby?!" Gabby flinched away from the look, staring down at her lap.
"W-well, I-I might've gotten into contact with Billy..." Her voice quieted as she finished her sentence before her wide eyes shot to mine and she got recklessly loud, "I'm so sorry, Lex! I never thought he'd do some - " I cut her off by slapping my hand over her mouth, my temples were throbbing.
"Damn it Gabriel!" I whispered savagely, "Now, three freakin' weeks of work to find us this place has been thrown away all because of you and your stupid a** ex-boyfriend! Do you understand that this isn't a game? Do you understand that we could be Taken?!" My hand tightened around her face and I lightly shook her in my anger until she whimpered. I let go and stood, snatching up some clothes. "Never mind. We don't have time. Get dressed, pack up, and let's move out. Oh, and don't freaking talk to me for awhile."
I stalked across the disgusting, rundown apartment, to the bathroom, that was really just a cramped room with a cracked mirror, a rusted pipe sticking out of a wall, and a hole to s**t in. I wanted to cry at the loss as I closed the door with a quiet snap ringing in the room for Gabby. I turned to the mirror and looked at my reflection as I changed.
My hair the darkest shade of brown it could be without being black and, like my sister's, was wavy but that was where the similarities ended. My eyes were as dark as my hair and had a slight tilt to them, they were framed by a lighter shade of brown lashes. My dark golden-brown flesh was the opposite of my sister's, who had a silvery cast to her and while she stood at five foot two and was on the more curvy side, I was five foot seven and slender.
I sighed, feeling a tiny fraction of my frustration leave my body with it. When I was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a white top that exposed some of my belly because it was Gabby's. I tugged on a pair of worn, old shoes and walked out of the bathroom. Gabby sat there with what few bags we had and red eyes. She'd been crying, she always did when I was pissed with her, but I didn't feel like making up and I had to get us out of the danger zone. Besides, I always had time to make up with her later.
[To be continued]
