“They sound lovely,” Piper said. “Let’s steer clear of them, shall we?”
Chris shook his head. “Unfortunately, you will need them. They’re the only ones who can lead you to the dragons.”
Niko sat up straight. “Dude! Did you say dragons?”
Chris nodded. “That is the third and by far the fiercest creature you will encounter.”
“Awesome!” Niko replied, high-fiving Gabriel and Ravi. “You were right, Siena!”
Chris looked puzzled. “Siena, you knew there’d be dragons?”
Siena nodded. “It’s a gift I have, seeing the future.”
“Interesting,” Chris said, typing into his Mobile Tech. “That wasn’t in your profile material. I’m going to have to speak to Shawn about being more thorough. Anyone else have a surprise talent they’ve kept hidden?”
“I’m kidding,” Siena told Chris. “Of course I can’t see the future. Niko has a thing for dragons, and we were talking about it one day, that’s all.”
“Oh,” Chris said, clearly disappointed. He reached back over to his Mobile Tech and hit the delete key.
“Anything else we should know now about the mission?” Dash asked. He knew he wasn’t going—he couldn’t let his worsening condition put the others at risk. It was a big blow, but what choice did he have? He was trying to focus on their journey right now, not their destination. There would be plenty of time for that. Before Chris could answer, Dash added, “I’d really like to get everyone started with their new jobs on the ship.”
Chris hesitated before answering. There was more he could tell them about his history with the elves. He looked around the table at the anxious faces staring back at him. He sighed. Why steal their last moments of relative safety?
Chris shook his head. “I’m done for now.” The kids jumped up, like it was the end of the day at school and they were sprung. “One more thing,” he said, ignoring the few groans he heard. “Here.” He handed a Mobile Tech arm band to each of the Omegas. “We made extras for the Alpha team in case one was damaged on a mission. Now you should have them.”
Dash stood back and watched everyone playing with their Mobile Techs. Chris joined him. “Time for your injection,” he said quietly.
Dash glanced at the group. The members of the Alpha team were showing the Omegas some of the cooler things the Mobile Tech could do. He’d have to stop thinking of them as Alphas and Omegas now that they were one team. They needed a new name.
No one noticed Dash and Chris slip out of the room. Rocket followed at their heels as they headed toward Chris’s quarters.
“Did you tell the newcomers yet about your age?” Chris asked.
Dash shook his head. “I’ll tell them in a few days, I promise. Everything is new for them now; I don’t want them to worry that the leader Shawn chose might not be able to lead them after all. Anna knows, though. She figured it out.”
Chris nodded. “Not much gets by her. She was a powerful opponent, and now you will need her to be a powerful partner.”
“I know.”
Chris opened his door, and before Dash could react, an arm reached out, grabbed Chris by the shirt collar, yanked him inside, and shut the door.
Jeanne DuPrau is the New York Times bestselling author of the City of Ember books, which have been translated into multiple languages and are a time-honored staple in elementary school classrooms.
Visit her website at jeanneduprau.com.
Voyagers: Escape the Vortex (Book 5) Page 12
