Martin King and the Prison of Ice (Martin King Series) by James McGovern, Science Fiction, Teen Books, Paranormal, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Books on Sale, YA Fantasy, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Science Fiction Romance, aliens, cyberpunk, teen Read Free Book Online Page B

weren’t teachers anymore. And it always
felt strange to call them by their first name.
    Mr Slater
walked around in a wide circle over the soft ground composed of decomposing
plant life.
    “We can sleep
in this clearing,” said Mr Slater. “It seems safe, but the jungle can be a
trickster. One of us must keep watch at all times.”
    Darcy glanced
at Valiant Star . “Can’t we just sleep in the ship?”
    “If you like,
but I would rather sleep out here.”
    Martin held
Darcy’s hand. “So would I.”
    Darcy glanced
around at the dark jungle. It seemed so mysterious, so inexplicable. But she knew
that Martin really wanted to sleep outside.
    “I suppose…”
    Darcy tailed
off. A strange feeling came over her. Something was happening to her. It was as
if someone was taking hold of her mind. It had happened a few times before—the
time she had brought Tyler to Martin’s flat, the time she kissed the guard, the
time she had set fire to the grass… but she had been too scared to tell Martin
the truth. Now someone was taking control of her mind again—
    “I’ll sleep
inside,” said Darcy suddenly. “You can sleep in this horrible place if you
really want to.”
    And with that,
she marched back inside the ship. It wasn’t actually her doing the
marching. It was as if someone had actually seized control of her limbs.
    “Is something
the matter with her?” said Mr Slater. “I do not pretend to be an expert on
human behaviour, but she seems to be acting rather strangely.”
    Martin sighed.
He had been worrying about the same thing. Darcy had been different
lately. And he was scared that it meant she didn’t love him anymore.
    “I don’t know,”
he said, shrugging. “I’ve tried to ask her if anything’s wrong, but she just
says that she’s fine.”
    They fell
silent for a few seconds. Then Michael Slater pulled a tiny capsule from his
pocket.
    “Watch this,”
he said, squeezing the capsule between his fingers.
    The capsule
suddenly began to expand. Slater dropped it onto the jungle floor as it got
bigger and bigger. Eventually, it had grown into a kind of mattress with a
duvet cover attached.
    “Here you go,”
said Slater, handing Martin another capsule.
    Martin
activated it, and another bed had appeared within a few seconds. Martin and his
old teacher lied back, listening to the sounds of the jungle as the final light
rays faded.
    They both sat
up when they heard the main door of Valiant Star open. Darcy was walking
towards them, carrying a tray of three steaming mugs. She had gained control
over her consciousness again. But what had actually happened? Had someone
actually taken control over her? It was a terrifying thought. She knew she
should tell Martin, but she knew he would panic.
    “Sorry about
earlier,” she said. “I made some hot chocolate.”
    Martin stood up
and walked over to Darcy. He took the tray, put it down, and hugged her.
    “If anything
I’ve done to upset you, I’m sorry,” Martin whispered in her ear.
    “No, no, you
haven’t,” Darcy replied.
    “You just haven’t
seemed like yourself lately.”
    “I know. I’ve
just been tired, that’s all. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
    Martin sighed
and kissed her on the forehead.
    “I shall put
you a bed up in a moment,” said Slater.
    “No,” said
Darcy. “I’ll share with Martin.” She looked at her boyfriend. “If… if that’s
OK?”
    Martin grinned.
“Of course it’s OK.”
    Darcy and
Martin slipped into bed and sat together, sipping their hot chocolate. She
clutched him tightly. The jungle seemed to take on a magical quality, a
sparkle. When they had finished their drinks, they laid back, watching the
stars.
    “I will take
first watch, if you like,” said Slater, smiling at the couple.
    “Thanks,” said
Darcy.
    Something weird
had been happening to her over the last few days, but the boy she loved had his
strong arm around her, and she felt that nothing could harm her. She smiled. At
that moment, she