Rebel Princess - Book 2 (The Hope Saga) Read online

  REBEL PRINCESS

  Part 2 of The Hope Saga

  by

  Chrissy Peebles

  Copyright © 2012 by Chrissy Peebles

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Chrissy’s blog: http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/

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  To:

  My brilliant editor, Autumn J. Conley

  Other Series:

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  BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo

  Chapter 1

  Months passed, and since no one had any feasible leads as to who had murdered the two girls, everyone was constantly on high alert. Fortunately, the killer hadn’t struck again, but we all had to wonder if he would, if he—or she—would catch us off guard. The killer could have been absolutely anyone, and that was what scared me the most.

  I still had my secret admirer, and bouquets kept showing up when I least expected them. I had to wonder why they couldn’t be delivered in person. My aunt reassured me they couldn’t possibly be from the killer and that it had to just be some crazy, love-sick crush. I tried to believe her, but her words really didn’t bring me much comfort. Two girls had died, and I’d started receiving mysterious gifts right around that same time. Maybe one thing had nothing to do with the other, but neither of those things made any kind of sense whatsoever.

  My eyes fluttered open at eight a.m., and something instantly struck me as odd. Why are the lights on? To conserve energy, I always turned them off before I went to sleep; we all did. I assumed it was my niece, sneaking in to borrow an outfit again without asking. If that girl doesn’t quit wearing my clothes…

  A sweet fragrance drifted past me. More flowers? I threw the covers off and sat up in my bed. Potted African violets with rich, green leaves sat all around my room, likely delivered by my aunt or cousins, who had left the lights on. Most girls would have been delighted to wake up to such a sweet-smelling garden, but I was growing sick and tired of unwanted flowers from an unidentified admirer.

  I could hear voices in the living room, and since I’d fallen asleep in just a long t-shirt, I hurried and slipped into some comfortable jeans and a clean t-shirt, then threw my hair up into a messy bun. When I opened the door and crept out, I heard my aunt having a heated argument with Mr. Tams.

  “You’re supposed to be in charge down here!” my aunt said.

  “I know, but what do you expect me to do?” he asked. “I can’t arrest somebody for showing your niece a little attention. There’s no law against sending flowers.”

  “Ted, you know as well as I do that there’s more to it than that. Somebody sneaked in here during the night and filled her room with more flowers. Sky doesn’t want or need that kind of obsessive attention.”

  “You want me to search everyone’s room to see if anyone’s doing a little gardening on the side?” he asked, arching an eyebrow at the ludicrous suggestion.

  “If that’s what it takes to find Sky’s stalker, yes,” my aunt said sternly.

  “That’s crazy, Sarah! All this fuss over a few flowers. There are so many teenagers down here, and their hormones are raging. I’m sure this is just some puppy-love crush, just kids’ stuff. Eventually, it will stop.”

  “Somebody sneaked in here while we were sleeping. It’s a matter of public safety, and that is your job!”

  “Yes, I understand that, but I really don’t think the young Romeo means any harm.”

  “There’s a killer on the loose, strangling young women, yet you’re wondering why I’m so upset that somebody sneaked in here while we were asleep.”

  “It obviously wasn’t the killer, or Sky would be dead. It’s just a dumb kid with a crush. Sky’s an attractive young lady, and—”

  “You have no proof that it was a teenager. What if it’s an older man, a lonely pervert who is repeatedly harassing my niece? You need to do something about this.”

  “Fine. We’ll find the kid,” he said.

  “How did he get in here anyway?” she asked, fuming. “Do you think he has a key? Because the door isn’t broken.”

  “I’ll look into it,” he said. “I promise that we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  I cleared my throat, and the two of them looked at me.

  “Oh…hi, Sky,” Mr. Tams said, running a hand through his thick, bushy hair. It was obvious how the thin man had earned his position: He did whatever our leaders told him to, without so much as batting one of his brown eyes at them. There was an art to sucking up, and Mr. Tams had definitely mastered it. He was a yes-man all the way, and he never dared to ask questions.

  My aunt walked over and wrapped a comforting arm around me. “Are you okay, hon’?” she asked.

  “I can’t believe somebody sneaked in my room while I was sleeping,” I said. “I didn’t even wake up when he turned the lights on. This guy has guts. What if I’d have woken up? Why would he take a risk like that?”

  “Well, if he didn’t hurt you,” Mr. Tams said, “it might be best to keep this to yourself. The last thing we need is more panic.”

  Goosebumps rose up my neck, and I shuddered. “But he broke in! What if he…ew, what if he just stood there and watched me sleep or something? What if he’s some kind of creepy, weird pervert? What if he stole a pair of my panties!?”

  “I want the locks changed,” my aunt demanded. “Get Walter, Chad, or Melvin down here today.”

  Mr. Tams sighed. “All right, as long as you promise not to cause a riot over this.”

  “Fine!” she snapped. “But you’d better be bustin’ your butt to find out who’s doing this, and when you do, tell him to knock it off. Sky doesn’t need any more flowers, and we don’t want any more break-ins!”

  “I will investigate it as thoroughly as possible.”

  “I’m counting on it, Ted. Our safety is at risk…and so is your job if you don’t take care of it.”

  He nodded, then turned and left.

  My aunt hugged me. “I-I didn’t want you to know, honey.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m a big girl. I can handle this.”

  “Well, what do you say we put the violets out in the lobby? It can use a little color,” she said. “Also, you really do need to tell Brett about this.”

  I sighed. “I know. I tell him everything.”

  “Good, because he’ll do all he can to protect you. That boy’s a good catch…and a cute one, if I do say so myself,” she said with a wink.

  “Hey!”

  She smiled, lightening the moment. “Now let’s haul those pots out before everyone wakes up. I don’t want to have to explain it to the kids. I’m really sorry your day had to start out like this, baby,” my aunt said. ”Hopefully, Ted and his people will find the guy.”

  “I’m not worried about it. If I have to, I’ll track him down myself, and when I do, I’ll kick him right in the balls.”


  We both burst into laughter.

  “You’re just like your mother,” she said.

  I smiled proudly. “Thanks for the compliment,” I said.

  Chapter 2

  Carla’s cruel insults had struck me right to the very core, and as hard as I tried, I simply couldn’t let them go. I’d never been very good at forgiving or forgetting, especially when it came to bullies like her. Rather than fight her or play a prank on her, I thought it would do more good to show her just how skilled I was, and Rachel and I lucked out and came across the perfect opportunity to do just that.

  “I know you can make that shot without hurting her,” Rachel said, pointing at Carla, who was eating an orange on the couch. “I’ve seen you shoot. You can knock it right out of her hand.”

  I smiled. “I’m glad somebody trusts me.”

  “Just focus…and don’t screw it up.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  “I’m sure her face is gonna be priceless. She’ll probably crap her pants.”

  I smiled at my friend, then turned to look at Carla and focused. I nocked the arrow and let it rest on the bow. Taking careful aim at my little, orange target, I drew the bow back in a smooth, continuous motion until the string stopped near my cheekbone. I lined the tip of the arrow up with the fruit and relaxed my fingers around the shaft. Then, after a deep breath, I released, keeping my body perfectly still.

  The arrow soared through the air and hit the orange right out of her hands in a feat of great marksmanship.

  With her eyes wide and her shirt splattered with orange juice and pulp, Carla jumped and let out a few curses.

  Rachel grabbed my arm. “Let’s go!”

  With our hearts racing, we took off down the corridor. When we got to my room, we couldn’t stop talking about it.

  “Sky, that shot was amazing!”

  “I never woulda tried if I didn’t think I could pull it off.”

  “Well, I think you proved your point. You’ve got mad skills, girl!”

  I smiled.

  Unfortunately, my grin didn’t last long, because moments later, our governor called me into his office.

  “Hi, Mr. Tams,” I said, walking into the office.

  Carla was already sitting there, and she rolled her eyes at me.

  “Please have a seat, Sky,” Mr. Tams said, motioning to the chair beside Carla.

  “Um…okay.”

  “Where’s your aunt?”

  “I have no idea, but I’ll go find her if—”

  He shook his head. “No, you stay put. We’ll talk to her later.”

  “What’s this all about?” I asked, raising my brow and feigning naïveté.

  Carla glared at me. “You know exactly why you’re here!” she screeched.

  “I do?”

  “You shot an orange right out of my hands!” she snapped.

  I cocked a brow, pretending to be puzzled. “Hmm. That couldn’t possibly have been me. I mean, you said yourself that I have no skills. How could somebody with no skills possibly pull off an amazing shot like that?”

  “Did you do it?” Mr. Tams asked.

  I offered a halfhearted laugh. “Mr. Tams, only somebody with amazing talent could have done something like that without hitting Carla.”

  “And, Miss Hammons, do you possess that kind of talent?” he asked.

  “The arrow came from this seed nerd’s crossbow!” Carla said. “I know, because she’s stupid and cocky enough that she puts her initials on all her arrows.”

  “Seed nerd? Yeah, I guess I’m kind of a freak about plants and flowers, so I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “Miss Hammons, did you make that unbelievable shot?” Mr. Tams asked again.

  I nodded proudly. “Yes, I did.”

  He smiled. “Hmm. Impressive. I guess that makes you one of our most incredible archers, something this world desperately needs.”

  “Thank you.”

  “But save it for the surface,” he said sternly. “Down here, you’re more than welcome to practice on targets, as long as they’re not live ones.”

  “But the orange wasn’t a live target, sir.”

  He sighed at me. “Let me rephrase that. Don’t shoot at live subjects holding your targets,” he said. “That will not be tolerated. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry, sir,” I said. “I guess I took it…a bit too far. I realize that now.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Why would you take such a dangerous risk?”

  “To show her I have mad skills. She said I didn’t, and I wanted to prove her wrong.”

  He nodded. “You’ve made your point, but what if you would’ve missed?”

  “Lucky for her, I never miss.”

  Carla rolled her eyes at me again. “Tell her to stick to planting seeds.”

  I met her gaze. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

  “I’m going to talk to your aunt, but I can’t let this go unpunished,” he said. “I’m afraid I’m going have to place you in solitary confinement for three days, so you can think about what you’ve done…and don’t ever pull a stunt like this again.”

  “I won’t.”

  “She always says that. She’s always being called to your office for doing wild and crazy stuff, Mr. Tams. Everyone just looks the other way or gives her a slap on the wrist. She gets away with murder just because her grandparents funded Asha.”

  Mr. Tams then turned his harsh gaze on her. “We can afford to cut Sky some slack. If it weren’t for her grandparents, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now. None of us would.”

  She swallowed hard.

  “We owe them everything,” he said. “Carla, you’re dismissed. Sky, I’ll be escorting you to—”

  “Lockup hell!” I said.

  Carla smirked and walked off, and I wanted nothing more than to rip the smile off her smug little face.

  “Please take me to see my aunt and Brett first.”

  “You don’t get to give the orders here, young lady.”

  “Please?” I begged.

  Nothing I said would change his mind, and I was quickly escorted to lockdown. It wasn’t a cell with bars on it; rather, it was just a big, empty room, furnished with a lumpy, uncomfortable cot topped with an itchy, threadbare, smelly blanket. The walls were metal and filthy, and a musty smell assaulted my nostrils. The only view outside those walls was from a tiny, circular window, a porthole that just reminded me that I was still stuck underwater.

  “I hate this place!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the small, confined place.

  A little while later, the door opened, and Brett walked in.

  I ran to him, and he greeted me in a tight hug as I briefly explained everything. “Carla’s a twit,” I said. “I can’t stand that girl!”

  “Yeah, she seems to be carrying that old grudge way too far.”

  “Tell me about it…and it’s hard to stay away from her when we’re both stuck down here. This stupid undersea bubble isn’t big enough for the two of us.”

  “I love you, girl. You know I do, but please don’t go around shooting arrows at people.”

  “Look, Brett, I know you’re all about talking things out, but that doesn’t work with her. I had to show her. It was the only way.”

  “Well, I think you showed her all right,” he said. He looked closely at my face. “Did she attack you or something?”

  I touched the cut on my face. “Well, yeah, but she did it fairly. We were sparring.”

  “I’ll get you something to clean it up.”

  “No,” I said. “I’m fine, and I’m not about to walk around with a Band-Aid on my face. She’ll never let me live that down.”

  “You’re so stubborn.”

  “But you love me anyway.”

  He kissed my lips. “Yes, I do.”

  Suddenly, the door opened, and my jail guard walked in.

  I ran up to him, since he just so happened to be a pretty good friend of mine. “Daryl, this is crazy. Get me outta here.�
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  He sighed. “You know I’d do anything for you, Sky, but I can’t. Just do the time, and you’ll be out before you know it.”

  “I just got here. Can we just have a few more minutes…alone?” Brett asked, reaching for my hand.

  “Sorry, but Mr. Tams says visiting hours are over. C’mon. I think you can handle being away from her for twenty-four hours.”

  “Not three days?”

  “Nope.”

  “What?” I asked. “Is he lettin’ me out early for good behavior?”

  Daryl laughed. “No. Your aunt talked him down a bit. She told him you need to be out to water the plants and stuff, to keep ‘em alive.”

  “I do have a greenhouse to run…and people to feed.”

  Brett kissed my lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Just promise me you’ll be good and stay out of trouble.”

  “You know I can’t promise that.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Sky…”

  “Oh, all right.”

  He kissed me one last time. “Be good.”

  “I will…for you.”

  He smiled.

  “What am I gonna do in this empty tin can for a whole night?”

  Daryl threw me a spear that I caught with one hand.

  I blinked. “What’s this? Since when do you give weapons to dangerous criminals who assault fruit?”

  “Sky, we all know and love you, and we know you wouldn’t hurt a fly. Mr. Tams is just trying to teach you a lesson. You may as well have some fun and practice your footwork while you’re in here.”

  “Do you happen to have a picture of Carla I could hang up?”

  He chuckled. “For target practice?”

  “Smart boy.”

  “I can’t help ya there, but if you’re good, I’ll bring you a deck of cards.”

  “I’ll hold you to that because I can only practice footwork for so long. So cards will fill my time. Playing solitaire will be a whole lot better than staring at these rusting walls.”