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As soon as they were alone, Alex turned to face Kalika; he was hurt and disappointed. “You shocked someone and made their eyes like yours?” he said, visibly disappointed. “No, this is temporary; what I did was permanent. That son of a bitch was stealing a little girl who was eight years old and he would have murdered a boy your age, just for trying to save her. Tell me…how many people would weep at his funeral?” Kalika said softly. She didn’t do what she did because she loved violence, she did it because she wanted justice for people live her mother and all of the slaves’ children who were torn from their mothers like she was. “You never told me your mother was a slave; I figured that nanny had to have been your mother,” Alex said, looking down. “I’m a slave, you stupid girl. Why would I get paid? Where would I go? I’m pregnant again! Why would I have any rights? God forbid I keep you from being raised in the most ridiculous manner possible, let alone keep you from being ripped out of my arms and given to my friend, just so he could cover his mistake and give his delicate flower what she always wanted,” Kalika said bitterly, mimicking her mother that night. It had traumatized her and she had never gotten over it.
Alex was stunned, not to mention nauseated; it was cruel and disgusting for his human to do something so god-awful. “I…I came from a man who steals babies and turns women into sex slaves?” he said, a horrified tone in his voice. “There’s no age limit and if they’re foreign, they could be as young as I was when we met,” Kalika said, forming a crazed, angry laugh. She was trying not to laugh, but she agreed with her uncle and he had every right to challenge her father and take back the city; she simply disagreed with his methods and a lot of Gabriel’s views. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Just because Alexander De Lyncree is royalty does not mean he can keep little girls as his pets or look the other way when other people do,” Alex said, wondering just what genes had been passed onto him. “I…I had to, damnit. Uncle Bako…he’s never been wrong, even if his methods are extreme and I’m tired of him pulling boys out of school and forgetting that the people pay the price for his ideals. I hated them, damnit. They were horrible, they killed mommy’s boyfriend and they made nana cry,” Kalika said, bursting into tears. Alex held her in his arms, wondering if he could have ever been pushed this far and how he would have reacted. “It’s okay…you’re safe now and no one’s going to hurt you,” he said softly.
“I know…I’m just so tired. Trevor stopped answering my letters and I think he’s dead, every week, Viral, Perry and I kept having to light candles, go to funerals and hold candlelight vigils for soldiers. First my mother died, then Trevor stopped writing and now Marcus had to die for the cause? When does it ever end? Sometimes, I think they’re all so obsessed with this chess game they’ve got going on that while they’re busy protecting the king and queen, they forget that all the other pieces on the board are getting knocked out. What’s the point of winning if there’s nothing left to rule over? I’m sorry if you’re upset, but he was a bad man, he took mommy away and he made everyone blame the machines. It wasn’t even their fault! They didn’t even want to do it, they were just following orders. Unless they get re-programmed and they have a kind, caring master who actually understands and loves them, why wouldn’t they just blindly follow orders? That son of bitch didn’t even fix them up, keep them maintained and treated them worse than he’d treat a stray dog or cat,” Kalika said, a disgusted tone in her voice.
“Now that’s the girl I remember,” Alex said, smiling faintly. “Did…did you really tell people in the far, far forgotten lands about me and my kingdom?” Kalika said, looking down as she played with a strand of hair idly. “Of course I did! I’m telling you, my mom wanted to adopt you when they came for your father. I’m sorry about your mother…I guess we’re both alone,” Alex said sadly. “It’s fine…I think a piece of my soul died that night. Whatever was left went away the minute I found out who I was and Marcus and I met. After all…you’re only as old as you feel,” Kalika said, laughing cynically. “How’s that?” Alex asked, afraid to know the answer. “Dead,” Kalika said tonelessly. Her mother was gone, Tristan had never been the same since then, he had broken Priyanka’s heart, he spent almost all of his time with their father and uncle and even if he and Kalika managed to still have some sort of bond as twins, they had grown far apart. Being friends with Perry and siding with Priyanka didn’t help matters any; it only strained things further.
“Oh god…me too,” Alex said, his voice cracking. “Don’t cry…it’s a sign of weakness. Only babies cry and we’re adults now…we’re not allowed to be children anymore,” Kalika said solemnly. “We…we aren’t?” Alex said, frowning. “No, we’re not. You’re right, we are alone. Even if my real mother is alive, she’s always with uncle at camp and has little to no freedom because she’s an escaped slave. Plus, she has Varuk and I have to keep going there to see him or take him to see nana. My uncle…is a very complicated man and even if sometimes he makes me upset because it feels like he and tante put their schemes and plots first, nobody’s ever believed in me or loved me like he does and he always says I’m his special girl. He still wants me to stand on my own two feet, know that I’m to survive at all costs, be fearless and make him proud of me. Why do you think he sent me here? He wants me to figure out how to fend for myself. He could have sent me to stay with family the way tante, Annabeth, grandmere or cousin Cara probably would have. I’m here because uncle doesn’t see why my genius needs to go to waste, just because I don’t have a penis,” Kalika said softly, wiping tears from Alex’s face and pressing her forehead against his.
Suddenly, Alex didn’t know why, but he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips, closing his eyes as he did so. He wanted to move on and stop feeling dead, but he wasn’t strong and couldn’t put his rage to good use like Kalika did. She had their friends, her family and her own family to give her a reason to care; Alex had no reason…until now. Kalika was taken aback, but she let Luke kiss her. Part of her wanted to kiss him back, but she felt guilty; her husband had died for her and everyone else and she had no right to move on when his child was growing inside of her. This was worse than when she realized Viral liked her and had to explain that she was with Marcus and that it had never happened because it never happened. Everyone was going to hate Kalika, not just Perry, Corrine and people directly involved. It’s okay…you don’t have to pick. I still love Kiraga and can’t stop, but I’m tired. She’s never coming back, I’m alone and so are you and your baby. We…we don’t have to tell anyone just yet. Alex wanted to be happy Kalika liked him back and wasn’t rejecting him, but she hadn’t kissed him back and immediately felt guilty, which made Alex feel guilty for not feeling guilty. You’ve been alone a lot longer. Marcus was Viral’s brother’s cousin and he’s only been dead a week. I’m tired, too and I don’t want to raise my baby alone…but I’m scared. Perry is my only family and I need him and Corrine is my friend. The guys…hate me as it is and blame me for Marcus’s death. They just came along to avoid death and because I promised I’d save them. I…I need time, okay? “Let’s go…I’ll show you where your new room will probably be,” Alex said, taking her hand. He’d give Kalika as much space as she wanted, but he didn’t think the age difference needed to be a big deal or would stop him from being able to be there for her just as much as Perry was. If her husband’s friends would hate her either way, Alex didn’t care what they thought; he mainly wanted Corrine to like him. He felt sorry for Perry and Viral; Viral had no father, his brother killed himself and now he thought Perry was dead, Perry lost Kiraga's cousin and now he had lost his cousin, on top of everything.
Muse: Alex De Lyncree
Fandom: Children of the Stars/Tales of the Lost City(Original Crossover)
Words: 1,508