He blushed and turned his back. “Texxak does not trust you. He wants you monitored.”
“Texxak can eat my— “
“Elizabeth!”
“What?”
“Talk like that is counterproductive. For once, just go along.”
I shrugged and pulled up the zipper in the front. “Done.”
He turned. “Good. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going today?”
“Training. This is where you learn about Texxak’s plan and your place in it.”
The words made my skin crawl.
Texxak waited for me in the same room as yesterday. No Remains. No one else.
“Sit.”
He turned his back. So much for affectionate greetings.
A wave of his hand and a picture appeared on the wall.
“Solum.”
The picture expanded backward. Two suns rotated around each other. The smaller moved inexorably closer to the larger body. Six separate bodies at various distance swirled nearby.
“This is our home, and this is our problem.”
“The suns.”
“Yes. Soon, we are not sure how soon, the suns will collide. It will destroy all life nearby. Even as Xade was making his stride in cloning, he found out this disturbing truth. At some point we would have to leave Solum. That is when I began to plan.
“The E’mani need to remain strong. The cloning was only a stop gap. We needed to revive the race. I saved as many people as I could from Xade’s genocide. He only wanted the perfect, as he called them. He got this idea of making something new. It is madness. I wanted what was best for my race.”
Was he serious? “And you left him here to destroy Solum? To destroy the Fost and everyone else? The Rocians, the Avaresh? Everyone? That is not honorable. That is madness.”
He waved his hand. “I didn’t care about those other races. Just the E’mani.”
“But—"
“Do not question me!”
Zach’s hand fell heavily on my shoulder, nearly causing me to wet myself. I’d forgotten he was here. I craned to stare at him. He shook his head.
“The E’mani matter. So I started branching out.”
The wall expanded. Planets spun by, asteroids, moons, dust, light. Dizzying in their speed around me. I stepped back into Zach, who placed a hand on my shoulder.
“First, we ran into the Meraks; Hrahn is a member of that race. Wet, wet world. They reminded me of the Rocians, rutting in the swamp. Conquering them was easy, but we had no way to expand. Xade controlled the mineral, so I needed to control him. I threatened Selmay and took Matea.
“Xade travelled with us for short periods, always insisting on returning home. Selmay slept while he explored.”
Texxak paced a circle around the room. “We have found so many worlds and recruited fighters, workers. Yet we never found what we were truly looking for, a new planet, a new energy source. Once Solum is gone, we will need more quarum. It is the key to our success.
“We came back and tried to force the information out of the Rocians. The matrons refused even the politest of inquiries. Even when I took their sons and gave them to Xade.
“We sought the mountains as well. The Avaresh fell. We found more quarum but no explanation of the source of the stone or how to find more. There is something special about this world that creates it. So we started to look at not just any inhabited planet. We sought planets similar to our own. That is when we found Earth. It was close. Diamond is a similar crystal but not enough and humans were interesting. So much like us. Most other races are more like the Rocians. The Waras.
“Xade grew obsessed and Zach fell in love with Matea. Out of all of our bases, Earth was one of the closest. We are exploring your system now, nearby. It is a large universe. That is the problem. I cannot be everywhere. That is where you come in.
“I will leave you alone. I will give you your own ship. I won’t even dictate how you act when you explore, but you will find me quarum. You have Dela. He knows more about the computers than even I. You have Erin, Prog, the twins. A perfect team. I asked Xade for that.”
Zach jerked. “You had them take her?”
“I meant to take her myself. What Xade did was unfortunate, but it helped the team to bond.”
“But you said Xade acted without your consent.” Zach’s hand clenched into a fist.
Texxak smiled at him sadly, the corner of his lip tilting. They exchanged a look, and Zach’s eyes dropped, but his fingers whitened even more. Interesting.
“Why would I help you?” I asked.
Texxak threw his head back with a laugh. “You are acting like you have a choice.”
My own fingers curled.
He reached out and patted my shoulder then gestured to the walls. “Time to learn.”
I slept but didn’t sleep.
Hana waved and bounced on her toes as she was wont to do, a mini version of herself at her feet. Jace, nowhere to be found. Giggy surveyed the area around them.
Worlds twirled around me.
The view seemed familiar but not.
Stars, suns, moons, Dust. Rock. Space. Air. No air. Earth? Maybe Earth. A sword flashed. Texxak stood in the center of an empty white room, smiling with his arms spread. Blood crashed over him in a wave, and he started laughing.
Zach ran; my mother trailed behind him holding his hand. Some woods somewhere. Too dark to tell. I saw figures behind them.
A lizard fought. He screeched and ran at more dark figures.
Wings. Always wings. Feathers and light.
Werner—or was it Vale—fiddled with something.
More worlds. Solum. Suns.
Stein fighting. Selmay at his back. Thera sat, whacking someone with a staff.
Moons. Suns. Fire. Blood. So much blood.
Dark figures smiling, teeth flashing, snarls. My school, my home.
I bathed in blood.
Marin holding out his hands and smiling until his face collapsed, and he fell, screaming, reaching out.
My hands clenched on emptiness, air. No! I sat up shuddering.
He had to be alive. I knew it.
My breath shuddered out.
Zachary waited for me to wake as usual.
“Work.”
He jerked his head to the door and stood up.
The days were blurring into each other. Worlds, sun, stars. Fighting. Different blades, different weapons. Different teachers, no chatting, only work. Training and more training. How the hell did I keep track?
“Dad, can I see my friends?”
“He will not let you. Eventually, he will bring you all back together, but not anytime soon. Plus, we are getting ready to confront Xade.”
That got my attention. “What is your plan?”
“The flood did not work, and he continues to send clones at us. Somehow, he found time to make tunnels we did not have knowledge of, and he is moving through them. Plus, your friends the Avaresh are quite bothersome. They want Prog back. All of you.”
I trailed after him down the hallways. “What about the Fost? Do any of them live?
“Some; we are not sure.”
We entered the room.
Texxak swung around. His skin was flushed and his hands bled. “The Fost have joined with Xade. Quite annoying. Where would they go?”
“How the hell would I know? I’ve been here.” Marin, it had to be. He was stubborn. I loved him so much.
“If I let you, could you find out?”
That got my attention. “What?”
“If I let you go to them, would you find out the plans they have? Report them to me.”
“They would never trust me.
“Your mate would.”
“Marin is alive?”
“Yes, your Marin is alive and quite an irritation.”
“You want to send me to him?”
“Is that wise, Texxak?” my father asked.
“Do not question me,” Texxak said, words cutting.
; Zach stepped back and ducked his head. “Of course.”
“You will come back to us, Elizabeth, or your friends will die a violent death. The Mareks are quite hungry. The Fost would make a nice treat. Do you understand?”
My heart raced. I kept my eyes down, so he didn’t see my elation. “Yes.”
Zachary stared at his father.
Texxak straightened his shirt; blood stained the hem. “Now. It is time to learn. Tomorrow, you will find my enemies for me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I jerked awake as usual, the sweat cooling from my nightmares. The days had blurred but today was different. Today, Texxak let me free. I didn’t care why. I would be out of this ship. Out of the stark rooms.
Free.
My hands shook as I skimmed them down my uniform. I never took it off anymore; no telling who was watching. I shook out my fingers and waited on the side of my bed. Father came right on time.
His mouth turned down when he saw me. “Don’t look so eager.”
“I can’t help it.”
“You are to find Xade for us. Draw him out.” He handed me a sack.
I tugged at the bindings on the top.
He tsked. “Not now. After we release you. Follow.”
He walked next to me, like he had day after day. His voice dropped an octave. “Do not trust this. Texxak has a plan he is not sharing with me.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You are my daughter. I don’t want to see you hurt in his games.”
My heart sank. “He won’t let me go?”
“No, he will let you go, but think of a cat releasing a mouse only to pounce on it again a few seconds later. Do not trust this. He has a plan for you, this I know. I will protect you as much as I can.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He glanced at me sharply. “Do not mock. This is serious, more serious than you know, and it involves all our lives—”
Texxak stood in the corridor in front of us as we came around a bend. “What is that, Zachary?”
“Nothing, Father.” He inclined his head and motioned me forward.
Both of them paced me as we trod in a never-ending circle.
Texxak waved me ahead of him into an identical doorway.
Another empty room, but neither my father nor Texxak followed me inside. Instead, Finn stood waiting, his hair neater than I had ever seen it. No longer wild in dreadlocks, it ran down his back in a sleek wave to his jaw. He wore a uniform similar to mine, his spark dulled. He ran to hug me as I entered, dropping his own sack.
I held tight. Oh god, it felt so good to see him.
Over his shoulder, Selmay waved at me. I thought Finn looked different but Selmay. All her spunk was gone. It was as if a light had been turned off. Texxak had shaved her head. Her scar stood out starkly on her cheek. She’d lost weight. Tiny before, now she could be blown away in a strong breeze.
Her body shook when I hugged her.
“What did he do to you?”
“He showed me my past. Over and over.” Her arms squeezed tight around me. “No sleep, little food. Torture.”
If I could hate him more, I did in that moment. “I am so sorry.”
“Did you see?”
“Did I see what?”
“Did he show you?” Her eyes searched mine for some knowledge. Her shoulders slumped.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
Finn’s arm encircled us both. His lips hovered over my ear. “They are watching us, be careful.”
He took a step back.
A mechanical voice piped overhead. “You know your jobs. Do them.”
The back wall of the room peeled away and bright light blinded me. The floor tilted and I tumbled outside and fell onto a familiar body.
When we all righted ourselves, the skies were clear. At least from craft; a fine layer of fog covered the air. The two suns bathed the ground with light. We were near a forest. I saw trees in the distance, and blue-green grass crackled below me.
Where they hell were we?
“That was too easy,” Finn muttered and rolled to his feet.
“Yes, my father told me this is a trap.”
Selmay remained sitting on the ground, her arms around her legs.
“Selmay, do they have a way to listen to us from above?”
She didn’t answer me and rocked back and forth.
“Selmay!”
She jerked and looked up. “No, not that I am aware of.”
Good. Good.
“So, anyone know where we are going?”
“Texxak told us to head toward the road.”
“Did he give you a direction?”
Finn pointed behind us.
Either way looked the same to me. “Let’s go.”
Finn nodded. We started walking forward a few paces until I noticed Selmay wasn’t behind us.
I stopped. Finn sighed.
“Selmay?”
She rocked.
“What is wrong with her?” Finn asked
“The same thing was wrong with me.”
I crouched over her. “Selmay.”
Tears rolled down her face. “I need... Ah.”
“It’s okay, we can wait.”
Finn groaned.
I kicked him behind her back. “Anything you want to talk about?”
She rubbed her face hard and then staggered to her feet, brushing off Finn’s helping hands. “Ready. I am sorry. Memories.”
“Bad?”
She glanced at me and shrugged before taking off in the direction we’d started out a few minutes before.
Finn paced next to me. “Who is she? She looks familiar.”
I jolted. Huh. He’d been recovering and hadn’t met her yet. Probably not the best time now, but he deserved to know. “That’s Selmay. She’s your grandmother.”
He stopped moving. Selmay continued ahead. I reached out and tugged on his head. “Process that and walk.”
“She does not look like me.”
“Well, she acts like you, or did.” What did Texxak do to make her so beaten? “Apparently, she and my mother were friends.”
“How?”
“It would take too long to explain. We need to figure out what we are going to do right now. Selmay,” I called. “Come back here, meet your grandson.”
Selmay kept walking.
“Selmay!” I caught up to her, Finn keeping pace. “Selmay?” She stopped, her head down. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She remained shaking. I went to hug her, but she brushed off my hands. “I am fine. I need to kill Xade.” She glanced up, her eyes burned. “For many more reasons than I thought.”
Hmm.
“This is Finn, your grandson.”
Her head swiveled. “Hello.”
Finn inclined his head. “Hello.”
This wasn’t awkward at all. Truly.
“Well, before we go running off, we need to make a plan. What is our plan?”
“Xade is that way.” Selmay pointed north towards the woods more west than Finn had indicated.
Finn’s eyebrows creased. “Are you sure?”
She smiled bitterly. “Yes. He and I are connected.”
“Is that why Texxak sent you?”
“I do not think he realized, but he knew I was familiar with the land. Finn is here for protection. Our goal is to kill Xade. Our plan is simple, really.”
“Texxak told me that the Fost had joined forces with Xade. It’s not that simple.”
“Not for you maybe. For me,” she reached into the knapsack we had all been given and pulled out a blade, “it is easy.”
I’d forgotten about the bags. I worked the laces on the top of my bag and pulled out leather. Fost leather, fruit— that nasty mango-like one—and bread. Weapons littered the bottom of the sack. That explained how he planned on us killing Xade. At least now we were prepared.
“Let’s find people first and go from there.”
“What happens
if we run into the E’mani?”
“The clones you mean?”
Finn nodded.
“I think we will have to have them take us to their leader.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The woods must have been an extension of the ones near Center; signs of scorch marks lined the trees, filling the air with ash. Selmay continued a forward trek through the woods. Other than the occasional breeze, the woods remained silent. I heard Selmay mutter to herself.
Finn leaned toward me. “Are we sure she is right in the head?”
“I am not sure what they did to her. Something bad.”
A branch cracked loudly nearby.
Finn threw out his arm. “Stop.”
Selmay kept walking.
“Selmay!” I whispered.
She continued her muttering and moving.
I grabbed Finn’s arm. “We have to go. We’re going to lose her.”
He scanned the area. Silence. He lifted his nose and his chest expanded. “I smell animal. Coreck I think; stay close.”
I nodded and we ran to Selmay. I took her hand and she didn’t notice or protest, so good either way. Her steps resolute, she led us deeper into the trees. Those damn spiky trees. Thicker now and with the ash, the world narrowed to only a few feet around us. Gray covered us from head to toe.
A distinct crack nearby and motion to the left had me dragging on Selmay’s hand to stop her.
Finn took up our backs and stood between us and the noise.
I scanned the environment. No movement anymore.
Selmay struggled to get out of my grip. “It is this way.” She hyperextended my middle finger around my hand, breaking my grip before resuming her walk.
“Selmay,” I hissed but she ignored me and kept walking into the woods.
Finn hooked a finger in my pants, keeping me from following. His back was toward me when I looked. He watched a nearby bush closely.
With little effort, he pulled me into his side. “There.”
We both watched the fluffy leaves which parted slowly. A familiar face gradually came into sight. Beloved green eyes and black and brown spotted face and floppy ears.
“George!”
Finn relaxed at my side as I stooped and cuddled my baby.
My eyes watered. George lived. Maybe others did too like Texxak said. Maybe Marin… My heart ached and I buried my face in George’s fur.
Distant Memory: She remembered everything (Solum Series Book 3) Page 13
