Trapped: Chaos Core Book 1 Read Online Free Page B

spoke so she added; “Of
course I missed the Countess, she’s like a mother to me, only
better.”
    “Good, I’ll tell
her, make sure she knows you agree that leaving was a mistake.”
    Anger boiled deep
within her, the servants they passed averted their gazes as she
walked by. They moved across the platform between the garish
fountains and tables filled with ultra-rich guests who wore the most
outrageous outfits. Aspen didn’t see any of the servants or slaves
she knew, and wondered if they survived the chaos as the machines
turned on them, or if they managed to use the opportunity to escape
like she did. Those were mysteries she could solve later.
    The main foyer of the
palace was four stories tall with a polished black floor that was
polished to a reflective gloss. The alcoves along the walls featured
many of the fashion triumphs enjoyed by the Countess. Once upon a
time, when Aspen was still a child, she would look at those in
wonder, marvelling at the creativity and beauty. They looked silly,
and overly decadent to her now. Some of the dresses were so complex
that the Countess had to be carried from place to place, others had
multiple trains that drifted off the ground thanks to some kind of
device hidden in the folds of the cloth, and the most embarrassing
one – Aspen’s favourite for that very reason – reached up for
several metres in fluted lengths of white fabric that came back down
again, drooping like a willow tree around the Countess, who always
had difficulty maintaining her balance in the outfit.
    Four guards in gilded
armour regarded Larken and her as they approached the tallest set of
double doors Aspen had ever seen. They were decorated with real gold
and platinum filigree that joined in the centre to form the
Countess’s house crest – a vine with grapes, a new born and a
shield hanging from it. The only symbol that seemed to suit the
countess was the grapes, as far as Aspen was concerned.
    This was the main
audience chamber, she knew it, and Aspen took one last look around
for any means of escape. At a quick count there were two guards
standing behind each pillar along the foyer, making for at least
fourteen in the room, and they had all the doors covered. There was
no way out, she’d have to put up with the horrible creature again.
    “This is our Aspen,
returned to us after a long absence,” Larken said. “The Countess
wanted to see her right away.”
    “That’s not Aspen,
you’re joking. Her hair’s not the right colour, and Aspen would
never be so filthy,” one guard said, looking her up and down.
    “Tell her we have
arrived,” Larken insisted.
    One of the guards
turned his head, the underside of his jaw moving, he was talking into
his helmet communicator. They moved aside, the guard who assessed
Aspen guiding her and Larken to the side. “Behind the screen,
please,” she said, directing them to a screen in an alcove beside
the door that perfectly blended in with the finish on the walls. The
pair waited there, listening to the sound of the grand doors sliding
open with a rumble, then dozens of footsteps walking past.
    Larken never let go of
her hand, and he tugged it to get her attention. “I don’t know if
I will have a chance to say this any time soon, but I didn’t
realize how much I loved you until you were gone. I’m so sorry I
didn’t act on it sooner, but they always had people watching us as
we were about to come of age.”
    Aspen was about to
placate him, but his lips were planted on hers before she had a
chance. They were raised together like a pair of swans destined to be
paired for life, and he was her best friend growing up. She always
thought he was comely before, even used to watch him when she thought
he wasn’t looking but after he died – or rather, after she
thought he died – she mourned, and eventually allowed herself to
start noticing other men. Before long, she realized her tastes leaned
towards more masculine fellows, a scar was a story to her,