“Not a chance.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
I grabbed his arm, curling my fingers tightly into his muscles as I lengthened my stride to match his. “This is important. I think I have the right to know.”
“Fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but not here.”
Great! “Is that code for you’re going to figure out a way to get out of talking about this?”
“No, it’s exactly what it sounds like. I’ll answer all your questions when we get back to the lab. Now hush up until we’re alone.”
Ryker held open the door for me, and I rushed inside. He’d better keep his word and tell me everything. I could think of at least half a dozen things I wanted to know. My swirling ideas made me impatient.
No sooner had the ‘ponics lab door shut behind us than I began my barrage of questions. “How can they deny dragons exist if they have a dragon scale in the research facility? Where did it come from? Why is there only one? What did Silas mean that we’re running out of food? Why aren’t they letting us know about these problems so we can work together to fix it?” I had to pause to take another breath.
“Okay, did you get that out of your system? Let me tell you this my way. Let’s sit and get comfortable.” Ryker didn’t wait for my response, but walked over to his desk and sat in the rolling chair before propping his feet up on the corner of his desk.
I sat, crossing my legs and leaning forward, eager for him to begin. I clasped my fingers tightly to keep from fidgeting. Unfortunately, my foot kept bobbing up and down along with my anxiety level. Ryker seemed to take forever to begin.
“About six months ago, the slaves discovered something strange down in the mines. They reported it to the guards, and one of them mentioned it to one of Silas’ men. Silas sent a team over to research the matter. I think he hoped to find water or something, but not what we really found.”
“What was it?”
“A portal of sorts, I guess you’d call it.”
“Where’d it go? What did they find?”
“Nothing at first. The opening led to another cave system, but they had trouble activating the opening. Not everyone could go through it, which many found puzzling. Eventually, a team of about twenty people made it through, but they didn’t return.
“Silas became infuriated and insisted we keep sending people to discover the truth of the matter. The last group of twenty-five brought back the dragon scale. He insisted that it was the only one of its kind there and that the portal should be abandoned.”
“How many people didn’t return?”
“About a hundred.”
Dread filled me until I struggled to breathe. “What? How could so many go missing, and yet none of us heard anything about it?”
“Classified data.”
Well, at least that explained Silas’ edginess regarding us digging into classified records. I would never have imagined this reason, but still…how could they keep this a secret? It wasn’t like our planet was so large that we could have a hundred people suddenly go missing.
Then I thought about Viceroy Blair’s sudden trip off-planet, and it made sense. “If anyone asked about the missing people, was the story to tell them that they left with Viceroy Blair and decided not to return?”
“Wow, you put that together faster than I did. Yes. That’s the official story. Now you need to promise me that this conversation goes no further than this room.”
“But it might be important. I mean, that researcher found a dragon scale. Where there’s one, there’s bound to be more. I think we should look into it further.”
“Absolutely not. If you’re meant to bring the dragons back, then I can’t risk you getting lost in a portal to who-knows-where.”
I stood up, muscles rigid, my fists resting on the desktop. “Fine. All I’ll promise is that I won’t do anything without talking to you about it first.”
“I guess that’ll do for now. But please, Katherine, don’t do anything stupid. I think we’re so close to finding the dragons. You heard how dire our situation has become. You and your friends can save us all, but only if you’re all alive when the right time comes.”
Chapter 9
I SKIPPED STORYTIME in favor of turning in early. I’d even skipped dinner, although now I wished I hadn’t. After snacking on so many items from the test garden, the unusual items rumbled through my digestive tract. For once, the terrible gruel might have actually settled my stomach.
I couldn’t find a comfortable position in my bed. Rather than suffer any longer lying down, I scooted until my back rested on the headboard, and I pulled Ryker’s journal over into my lap. Maybe if I kept my mind occupied, it would help me ignore the pressure building up inside me.
Finding where I’d left off, I began reading. Unfortunately for me, Ryker’s writing had once again shifted to the mundane research assistant’s tasks. Seriously? How frustrating! I wasn’t about to slog through the dull details. I flipped through the next few pages.
A spark of light caught my attention in my dimly lit room. I had to go back several pages before I found the correct page. Again, a brief flash of light appeared next to a line of text before instantly disappearing again. Was this my special power showing up to help me unravel this mystery? It had to be!
Pulling the book closer to my face, I eagerly read. Anticipation built up inside me even as the words remained mundane tasks of Ryker’s workdays. Why would I need to read this? What was I missing?
Frustrated beyond belief, I slammed the book shut. Tipping my head back and tried to clear my thoughts by letting out a long sigh. Could this have something to do with the portal Ryker had told me about?
How could I learn more about it when Ryker made me promise to leave it alone? Research at school was out of the question, knowing Silas monitored the classified data tags. How could I find any solutions with my hands tied? What was wrong with our government that they’d rather let us die than tell us the truth?
Tossing the journal onto my nightstand, I turned off my light and rolled over onto my side. Different scenarios raced through my mind. I thought sleep would certainly elude me, but I was mistaken. The next thing I knew, my alarm buzzed beside my head.
The sudden interruption of my sleep caused me to forget entirely what I’d just been dreaming. I’m sure I’d discovered something important, but as with all things we want to remember, I completely drew a blank on even who had been with me in my dream. It almost felt as if I hadn’t been sleeping at all.
Rolling over, I discovered the drugs had worn off in my shoulder, and a dull ache radiated through my stiff joint. “Ugh.” I reached over to massage the most tender spots while I stood from my bed. Wishing I’d put a warming patch on before I fell asleep, I decided to apply one after my shower. Better late than never. Wasn’t that the saying Grandma Talya always told us?
As soon as I applied the patch, the tension began seeping out of my body as the medication started numbing the throbbing. Getting dressed was certainly easier without the shooting pains. Finally, I picked up my practice sword and slung the belt around my waist.
Normally, I wouldn’t wear it along with my bookbag, but I could definitely get used to it. I briefly wondered if Brekke had felt the strange sensation when she wore this same sword to school before the Tatsu tournament she’d won.
At the end of school today, we had a major practice session planned, and we actually had permission to bring our weapons to school. I grabbed a nutrition bar from the kitchen and left the house with a jaunt to my step, not usually present at this hour. I’m pretty sure you could tell by now that I don’t like mornings.
“Someone looks chipper this morning.” Leave it to Drew to state the obvious. He stepped up to my left while Alyssa flanked my other side. He leaned closer to me and whispered, “How’s the shoulder?”
“Good as new.” I’m pretty sure my chipper response couldn’t convince anyone.
“Don’t overdo it to
day.”
“Not a chance. I’m planning on practicing left-handed. I got some good advice yesterday, and I thought now would be a great opportunity to learn some new skills. Plus, it’ll keep my opponents from learning anything new about my sparring style.”
I couldn’t contain my grin at the thought of confounding my sparring partners with this unexpected change. Why didn’t anybody do this before? Maybe because nobody else was desperate enough. Or dumb enough.
“Ah, the truth finally comes out!” Drew’s smile matched my own.
I liked seeing his playful side. At least when he joked, he wouldn’t ask me any hard questions. Plus, I still felt a little awkward around him ever since the kissing incident.
I sneaked a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He looked totally at ease today. Nothing phased him for very long. I knew I’d over-thought the whole stupid thing. Besides, Drew had probably already forgotten about it.
Still chuckling, I asked Alyssa, “What’s the progress with your team?”
Alyssa sighed, instantly putting me on alert to a problem. I should’ve checked in with her yesterday. But after my adventure in Dome 5 and then with the close encounter with Silas, I hadn’t really felt up to speaking with anyone.
“Madelyn got injured, and she won’t recover in time for the tourney. I’ve had to resort to recruiting Trevor to take her place. He’s not nearly as good, but I still think he has a decent chance of taking out the second string.”
“Well, that sucks. What about Vincent? Didn’t he almost win the whole thing last year?”
Alyssa’s face instantly brightened, and she turned to grab my arm. As she jerked my arm around in her excitement, I could only grit my teeth and hope she got over her thrill soon. “That’s brilliant! He would’ve won if he hadn’t had to drop out. He spends so much time trying to remain unnoticed, I’d forgotten all about him. I’ll talk to him today before practice. If he goes along with your plan, then I think we’re actually going to succeed, especially since Tucker, Harper, and London are all on board.”
“Did you hear about Anna recruiting Peyton?”
“No! Oh, man! We’ve totally got this! What about Natalie? Was she able to talk Bailey into helping?”
“No, she refused because her boyfriend’s from Dome 3, and she wants him to win.”
“That’s a bummer. She’s too good for that loser.”
“What does Grandma Talya always say? Love is blind.”
Alyssa bumped me playfully in the shoulder. Good grief, did she always hit me like this? “It’s a good thing you and I are smart enough not to get messed up with any boys. We’ve got bigger plans than just settling down with the first boy who pays us any attention.”
I’m sure my cheeks flared bright red. Instantly, I envisioned my lips pressed against Drew’s and his immediate response to my impulsive action. I didn’t dare look over at him. “Are you ready for the FEE?”
“Ugh! As if! Let me just worry about getting the win at the giostra tourney. Unlike you, I can only concentrate on one thing at a time.”
“Whatever! I’ve seen you juggle all sorts of stuff when you put your mind to it. You’re just avoiding it.”
Alyssa shrugged, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Maybe I’m a little worried about how my scores will affect the outcome of my job placement. I don’t want to end up on the dome cleaning crew.”
“I thought you like the idea of being outside the dome?” I couldn’t help but tease her a little. Her uncommonly somber response hit a little too close to home regarding my own feelings toward the all-important exam.
“I did, until…” she looked sheepishly over to me without finishing her sentence. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I want us to live outside of these domes. You know, like the people did before the planet died.”
“I hear you.” Something about her words stirred a long-buried memory that didn’t quite make it to the surface of my conscious thoughts. Struggling to retrieve the idea only forced it further from my mind until I just gave it up as a lost cause for now. I’m sure I’d recall the details at the most inopportune moment.
Feinting to the right, dust swirled around me while I circled my opponent. Carl had to keep squinting as the dust irritated his eyes, yet he refused to break his form. It felt slightly strange to have my right side exposed to my opponent as I dipped the tip of my sword into the dust and allowed the dirt to flow up in an arc in front of me.
It hadn’t been my intention to be so forceful about the maneuver, but the end result clearly showed me Carl’s weakness when he leaned to the side to avoid the onslaught. Taking advantage of his unbalanced stance, I followed up with a tap of my sword tip to the breastplate of his practice gear.
As soon as the suit lit up with the fatal hit, Carl threw his sword down on the ground and charged forward to confront me. I didn’t know if I should be more appalled with his blatant disrespect for his weapon or his poor sportsmanship, but I stood my ground when he stopped inches from me.
“What kind of cheating move was that?”
“I’m sorry, Carl. I didn’t intend to throw dirt at you. My left hand isn’t as used to the weight of the sword, and I misjudged the distance of the ground.” I tried to sound as contrite as I hoped I looked.
“What’re you trying to accomplish with your left hand anyway? This is your last practice session before the tourney. Don’t you think you should be working on your form rather than playing around?”
“That’s good advice. Thanks for pointing out my mistake, Carl. Do you want another match?” I shifted my sword to my right hand, balancing its weight easily across my palm, but feeling the twinge of discomfort in my shoulder.
Carl’s gaze followed my movements, and he shook his head in disgust. He had never managed to beat me in a sparring match. “No, thanks. I’m done for today.” He turned away from me, bent down to retrieve his sword, before stalking back toward the locker rooms, no doubt to salvage his pride.
I’d have to check the rule-book to find out if I could actually use that move in the tourney. If so, I might attempt it again if it worked as effectively in a real match as it had right now.
“Are you going to daydream or spar?” Griffin’s voice practically growled.
Startled, but unwilling to admit my distraction, I returned the sword to my left hand and nodded curtly. “Just deciding how quickly to take you out. Ready?”
“Just waiting for you!” He didn’t hesitate for even a fraction of a second before he lunged forward.
I was ready. Just as my father had taught me, watch a person’s eyes, they’d tell you what move they’d do next. Griffin didn’t even bother to hide his glee at his unconventional start to our match. Even with my left hand slower to react, I still managed to slide his sword down my own to deflect his overly aggressive strike.
I could tell he liked to use his weight to his advantage, but it wouldn’t work with me. My father practically dwarfed him, so even left-handed, I could outmaneuver him. Nothing would please me more than to take him out in as few moves as possible, but my promise to save my right arm for the real fight kept me from getting too aggressive.
Griffin stepped to the side, his sword crossing over the front of his body in a strange motion. Something about this movement made me think I’d been here before, almost a déjà vu type of feeling. Instinctively, I shifted over to the same side as he had gone, mirroring his stance.
Then it happened. The lights appeared in my vision, and my sword followed their directions. It felt as though all of these moves had been choreographed, and I followed a routine, yet that couldn’t possibly be true since I’d never sparred with Griffin before.
The flashes of light came faster and faster, intensifying the familiar feeling. I could hear Griffin grunting with the effort of holding off my onslaught of strikes, yet he held his ground. He needed to back up for me to finish this off, yet he refused to cooperate.
Changing my tactic, I stepped to my left. What should’ve been a clear path su
ddenly had something in it, which caused me to stumble. My concentration broke; the lights instantly disappeared. Griffin lunged forward at the same time and struck my right shoulder with more force than we typically allowed in a practice sparring session.
Two things happened at the same time. First, pain lanced through my arm from the impact, which made me wonder if I’d recover in time for the real match. Second, I heard a chuckle from the sidelines, which sounded suspiciously like Leanne. Belatedly, it occurred to me that this had been a setup from the start, and I’d been all-too-eager to take the bait.
“Yield!” I’d much rather take a ribbing from Griffin for a few days than risk being unable to fight in the gladio game. My pride could handle the taunting, even though it grated at my nerves to have to do it.
Besides, it appeared Griffin didn’t have enough sportsmanship to play fair. I’d rather wait to face him again while the judges scrutinized his every move. The practice field didn’t have near the same supervision, and I couldn’t risk the fate of Heliok on my pride.
“Come on, you coward. I hardly even touched you.”
I knew he’d go there; I’d heard it many times when he’d faced other opponents. Shaking my head, I leaned against my sword, which I’d planted firmly into the ground to keep myself steady until the worst pain in my shoulder subsided.
I’d rather eat dirt than give in to this bully, but my father had taught me to play smart. “You’re too big for me to fight, and I’m too tired to continue at the pace you’re setting. Go find someone your own size to spar against.”
“Ha! I knew you’d fold quickly. I told everyone how easily I’d beat you.”
I bit my tongue on my reply. Yielding on a non-fatal blow was not the same as him actually beating me. Yet, he seemed too hung up on himself to notice the difference. Whatever! Now I could bank on his overconfidence making it easier for me to defeat him in the tourney. Plus, I’d enjoy it so much more when it actually mattered.
Drew chose that moment to walk over. “Good match, Griffin.” As only men could do with one another, he punched the big bully on the arm.
Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology Page 50
