Page 73 of The Champion
I had spoken about love with Freya but discussing my feelings with a fellow French person felt wrong. “I… I don’t know how to describe it. Freya is by far the best person I know. A day spent without her feels like a day wasted. I want to be with her.”
Angling her head, Zola prodded. “You would rather sleep with Freya Aurelius for a whole year than enjoy some variation?”
Without hesitation I declared. “I want far longer than a year.”
“Hmmm.” She moved closer and lowered her voice. “What if I could help you out of the country so you could be with her?”
My eyes lit up. “You would do that?”
Zola lifted her hand and slid a finger down my chest in a slow and deliberate motion. “It depends on what you’re willing to give me in return.”
Her offer was implied, but I still asked, “You want me to have sex with you?”
“I’ve wanted you for years, Victor. You know that.”
Zola was right. She had come on to me plenty of times, but she wasn’t my type. Except for a bit of kissing at last year’s summit that served to make Freya jealous, I had always rejected Zola in the past.
“I know you asked the Explorers from the Northlands for help. Joseph predicted that they would happily fly you to the outer zone. That’s why he went straight to their headquarters and threatened them: to follow his orders or be degraded to a level two status.”
“I know.”
“Me though… I’ve taken over your responsibility of contact with the Northlands. I could send Freya a message from you and tell her to send a drone. When it gets here, I could override the bots in the airport and get you onboard. Of course, I would require substantial compensation for facing Joseph’s anger afterward.”
“And your compensation would be sex with me?”
“No, silly. The sex is just a bonus that you’ll give me on top of my other demands. I want you to transfer money to me. Not everything you have, but how about half?”
“My accounts are frozen.”
“I have the power to unfreeze them.” She winked and angled her head a little. “Look at it this way. You need help and I am in a position to give that to you. Any minute now France will be forced to open our borders. I’ve seen the outside world and I’m eager for us to expand our contact with the rest of the world. With you, Freya, and Shelly on board, Wisdomia is bound to be a massive success and you’ll have a prominent and influential place in that new society.”
“Power isn’t handed to anyone in Wisdomia. It’s earned.”
“All I’m saying is that it doesn’t hurt to have friends in high places. I want you to consider me a close friend, Victor. And before I help you escape, I want you to show me what everyone was talking about. I want a piece of the best lover in France.”
My throat felt dry when I answered. “Freya wouldn’t like it if I slept with you.”
“She doesn’t have to know.” Zola’s finger kept going south as she asked in a sing-song voice. “Or you could tell her the truth: that you did it to be with her.”
“Zola, don’t…”
She rose on her toes, her lips close to mine as she whispered, “If half an hour of fun with me is too high a price to pay, you can’t love Freya that much.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I answered on the exhale, “I would do anything to be with Freya.”
Zola was so eager that she talked over me. “Good. Then lock the door.”
I watched her for a second. Of all the women in France, she was one of the least appealing to me. It wasn’t that she was an old hag by any means. Zola was slightly younger than me and could be charming. I just didn’t like her personality much and felt no sexual attraction to her. My head was exploding with my dilemma. Fucking Zola wouldn’t take that long. I could turn her around and pretend she was Freya like I’d done with so many women in the past. I knew Freya didn’t like the idea of me sleeping with other women, but wouldn’t she want me to if it meant that we could be united?
“So, what will it be? Will you talk to the people on Joseph’s behalf? If you do, he might give you your job back, but you won’t ever see Freya again. Or will you choose my help and escape to live your life in Wisdomia with the woman you love? Come on, Victor, you’ve gotta make up your mind, fast.”
CHAPTER 21
Deadline
Freya
On Monday morning I woke up early with pain in my stomach. My father’s deadline had come and gone yesterday. France hadn’t complied under the pressure from the Motherlands and Northlands, which meant they had officially lost all outside support.
