by Megg Jensen
"Hi, Torsten." Archer looked over her glasses, her dark brown eyes focused on his. "Can I help you find something?"
Torsten ran his hands through his hair. "Maybe. It's a bit of a strange request."
Archer laughed. "I'm not surprised. You've never been like the others."
Torsten took no offense. Archer was just as odd as he was. She kept to herself at meal times and rarely showed up in the common room to socialize. She preferred to be surrounded by her books, artifacts, and files. Her mother had been the previous librarian, and when she died, Archer took over the job. She was only a few years older than Torsten, but she ran the library as efficiently as her mother had.
Archer stood. "What do you need?"
"I want to see the Hamdal tablets." Torsten kept his voice down as he scanned the room. It appeared to be empty. He wanted to keep the request between himself and the librarian. The old tablets the humans found on Phoenix after crash landing that led to the rise of Rell’s religion might offer some insight into Rell’s odd behavior and her role as the Key.
"I don't know, Torsten. I'm not supposed to show them to anyone. They’re classified and kept in a secure room. You know that." Archer's lips pursed. "Commander Bartok—”
"Is dead," Torsten said. "Has anyone asked about them since she died?"
"No." Archer's silky black hair draped over her shoulders. She pushed her glasses up farther on her nose.
"And what's the protocol?" Torsten asked.
"I don't think there is one anymore." Archer looked at a picture frame on her desk. "I wish my mom was here to tell me."
Torsten picked up the frame, looking at her mom's dark brown eyes. "Your mother was a strong woman. She would want you to make your own decisions after she was gone. So, what do you think, Archer? Will you let me see the tablets?"
Archer bit her bottom lip.
"I won't be mad if you say no. I can always look up the images on the computer. But, I'd rather see the tablets for myself, if you say it's okay." Torsten couldn't blame Archer for doing her job.
"Why do you want to see them?" she asked.
Torsten took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I think the translators may have missed something. I want to take a better look."
"Missed what?" Archer stepped away from her desk. She motioned for Torsten to follow her to the back of the room.
Torsten couldn't help but wonder where they were going when Archer stepped between two bookcases. Archer stopped next to the wall that stood next to the bookcases standing on either side of them. Nervously, Torsten listened for the sound of anyone else in the library. He'd heard other defenders came back here to make out. That wasn't really what he wanted from Archer. She was a nice girl, but...
Archer glanced up at Torsten, one dark eyebrow raised. "Ready?"
"Um." Torsten shuffled from one foot to the other. Did she expect him to kiss her? Was that what it would take to see the original Hamdal tablets? Archer was very pretty, but all he'd consider was a peck on the cheek. Torsten didn't have any interest in casually snogging behind the bookcases. Besides, there was Rell to think about. Their relationship was strained, but kissing Archer would feel like a betrayal, even if it did mean he could see the tablets.
Archer smiled, raising a hand up toward Torsten's shoulder.
He swallowed, realizing she was willing to make the first move. Torsten licked his lips, slightly puckering, ready to aim for her cheek, when Archer grabbed a book off the shelf and pulled it toward her. A grinding noise followed as a small panel took shape on the wall.
"Ethnobiology of the Sahara Desert." Archer waved the book in front of Torsten's nose. "No one ever wants to read this. Why bother when we aren't even on Earth anymore? Still, we're librarians, and we protect knowledge. My mom thought it made the perfect decoy for hiding the rare books and artifacts room."
Torsten sneezed at the dust flying around him. His shoulders relaxed as he realized Archer was never trying to kiss him, and he couldn't believe he'd ever thought she was! Thankfully it was too dim for Archer to see how red his face was.
Archer rested her hand on the panel. A light blinked, confirming her identity, and the wall slid away. "It's based on secret passageways from old Earth homes. It's genius, I think. No one's ever discovered it. Come on in. Let's find those tablets."
Torsten followed Archer into the dark room. She clapped twice and a light blinked on. "Another old piece of Earth tech."
Torsten took in the contents of the room. It was filled with shelves and cabinets of various heights. There had to be hundreds of storage units. "I had no idea there were so many classified documents and artifacts." Torsten reached out, but before he could lay a finger on a book, Archer slapped the top of his hand.
"Don't touch. You need to wear these." Archer opened a drawer, pulling out two pairs of gloves. She eyed Torsten's hands, put back the first pair and pulled out a larger pair. She tossed those to him and pulled the second pair over her delicate fingers.
"I'll show you the tablets, but you have to promise me first that you'll touch them gently. You won't lift them. You also won't ask me if you can take them from this room because the answer is no."
Torsten nodded, just grateful he'd gotten this far.
Archer walked to the back of the room and rested her hands on the handle to a large cabinet door. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Let's see it."
Archer opened the door and gasped. “They're gone! I don't understand. No one’s been in here. It would be in the security log."
Torsten peered into the cabinet. The bottom shelf was lined with dust, except for an indentation, just the size and shape of the Hamdal tablets.
8
The heavy lift door whooshed closed behind Rell. She leaned against the cool metal wall, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The dragzhi inside her had nearly ripped her soul out when it saw its brethren trapped behind a force field in the brig. It had taken all of Rell's self-control to speak her own words, rather than let the dragzhi spew expletives at Torsten. She'd balled her hands into fists to keep from wrapping her fingers around his throat.
She'd retreated as quickly as she could manage, knowing she left a confused and hurt Torsten behind. Anything was better than murdering him.
Choking back a sob, Rell pursed her lips and stood up straight. The dragzhi continued to rage inside her. Instead of giving in, Rell pulled into a small corner of her mind. The one she'd constructed as a haven from the alien. She had nothing left to give, having expended all of her energy protecting Torsten.
The lift stopped, letting Rell out on her floor. She staggered to her room. After waving her hand over the panel, she stumbled into her room, collapsing on her bed.
"Are you okay?" a timid voice asked.
Rell opened one eye, taking in the little girl she'd saved from the tunnels underground. Her face and clothes still filthy, Isobel took a step toward Rell.
"You look ill. Can I help?" she asked.
Rell swallowed a laugh. This little girl? Help her? "No. I'm fine. Just... tired. I need a nap."
Isobel came closer until she was standing next to Rell's prone body. A tentative hand reached out. She rested a callused palm on Rell's cheek. "You are inhabited."
Rell sprang up. "What do you mean?"
"It is inside you. I can sense it." Isobel smiled. "You have been chosen. You are blessed."
Rell scooted until her back was against the wall, her feet tangled in the blanket on her bed. The dragzhi had stopped cursing long enough to notice it had been discovered. Rell and her invader were quiet, listening as Isobel continued.
"The gods have chosen you, Rell. The Menelewen Dored have given you a new soul." Isobel smiled proudly.
"If that's what you think this is..." Rell could say no more. The dragzhi held a metaphorical hand over her mouth, muffling everything else she wanted to say. Too tired to fight back, Rell closed her eyes and lay down.
"It's okay, Rell. You are one of the chosen.
" Isobel ran a hand over Rell's hair as she whispered in her ear. "My people will come for you. They will worship you and the god inside you. Prophecy told us of your coming. I was sent to find you. Sleep now. Sleep."
Rell struggled against the murky exhaustion, but in moments she was swallowed by a world of dreams.
A klaxon woke Rell from her sleep. She started, popping up on her bed, her eyes wide, and her throat dry. She licked her lips and sprang off the bed, her heart pounding. Her gaze swept the room, but Isobel was nowhere to be seen.
Great. The tower was experiencing an emergency, and Isobel was missing. Rell cursed under her breath as she pulled her shoes on. She didn't even remember taking them off. Her mind felt muddy. Even the dragzhi hiding inside her seemed groggy.
The dragzhi. The only thing that could threaten the humans was the dragzhi Torsten had brought back to the tower. Unless more were coming from space to annihilate them.
"Is this your fault?" Rell hissed. Inside, the dragzhi denied any knowledge of the blaring alarms.
With her hands over her ears, Rell left her room and entered the hall. She stumbled backward into a wall as a swarm of defenders ran past. None of them stopped to tell her what was happening. They didn't even give her a glance. She followed them, hoping that wherever they were going she would find answers.
The defenders piled into a lift. She waved her arms at them, but they ignored her, allowing the doors to close and leaving Rell standing alone in the hall. She stomped a foot on the blue carpet.
"Rell!"
She spun around. Malia ran toward her, her electric shotgun hanging from one hand.
"Thank the gods," Rell said out of instinct, even though she had no intention of genuinely thanking those fake gods anymore. "What's going on?"
"Torsten asked me to take you up the conference room. Something big is happening." Malia pushed the button for the lift repeatedly, even though they both knew it wouldn't make it come any faster.
"Why?" Rell asked.
"There's something headed toward us." Malia bit her lower lip, her eyes narrowing.
The dragzhi inside Rell leaped with hope. "From the stars?" Rell asked, trying to hold back the dragzhi's excitement.
Malia shook her head. "From the east."
"The east?" Both Rell and the dragzhi inside were confused. "What could be coming from the east?"
"That's a very good question," Malia said as the lift doors opened. "Come on."
They rode in silence. Rell had a million questions, but she could see Malia was lost in her own thoughts.
To the east lay the desert. The humans had explored only so far, unable to cross it without losing members of their expeditions. Even underground, they didn't dig tunnels too far into the desert. There was no reason. If the land above was uninhabitable and incapable of growing food, then the buried had no reason to extend so far.
Even with ships in the sky, the humans hadn't seen any indication there was sentient life beyond their own settlement. After some time, they gave up searching, assuming the planet was barren of anything other than the animal life.
Rell followed Malia to the conference room. She took a seat in the back while Malia strode to the front, sitting next to Rutger. Rell could see they truly cared for one another as Rutger wrapped an arm around Malia's shoulder and she leaned in closer.
Tearing her eyes away from their affectionate moment, Rell searched the room for Torsten. He stood at the front, deep in conversation with his sister. Leila's blond hair bounced on her shoulders as she shook her head vehemently in response to Torsten’s words.
"No!" Leila shouted. The room fell quiet as all eyes trained on them.
"Fine." Torsten spun around, stalking to the back of the room. His eyes met Rell's, and her heart leaped. She wanted to smile, but the dragzhi wouldn't let her. It seethed with anger at Torsten.
His eyes fell at her confused expression. Instead of sitting with her, he took a seat a few rows ahead.
Rell bit her bottom lip as she screamed on the inside. She focused on Leila and the others gathering around her. Deep in discussion and arms gesticulating, they spoke for only a few moments before clearing the way for Leila to step up on the dais.
Leila held up her hands, flashing a smile. The klaxon in the halls fell silent at the same time. All eyes were trained on Leila.
"I know everyone is wondering what's going on. There have been a few rumors. Let me put the worst to rest. The dragzhi are not back. They are not attacking from the sky. There hasn't been any activity on our sensors since the battle. We are still safe. From them," Leila said. "Our far-range land sensors have something new to report. Something, we don't know what, is approaching from the east."
"From the barren lands?" someone asked.
Rell craned her neck, but she couldn't see who the question had come from. It was unlikely she would have known the speaker. Her interactions had been limited almost entirely to Torsten, Malia, and Rutger.
"We believe so. There is someone here who might know what’s happening." Leila's eyes swept over the crowd, landing squarely on Rell.
Shifting in her seat, Rell avoided eye contact, hoping Leila would move on. The room stayed silent except for the sound of bodies shifting in chairs. They were all turning to look at someone in the back row. But it couldn't be her. She didn't know anything.
Slowly, Rell looked up again. Everyone in the room was staring at her now. Except for one person. Torsten's shoulders were square, his face pointing toward the front of the room.
She'd managed to take care of herself for the majority of her life. She'd dealt with an uncaring mother. She’d accidentally killed her father with a power she didn't even know she possessed. She’d fought against the dragzhi. She’d handled it all, alone. Yet today, facing this room of people who had mistrusted her from the first moment they'd met her, Rell wished Torsten was at her side, holding her hand.
"I don't know anything," Rell said, her throat tight. She didn't. The dragzhi inside had nothing to offer either. It seemed just as lost as she was.
"How far do your underground tunnels roam, Rell? Do the buried know something about what lies to the east?" Anger tinged Leila's words. She had plenty to be upset about. Mellok had died, accidentally, at Rell's hands. Nothing but tragedy had met Leila underground.
"You've been in the tunnels farthest east with me, Leila," Rell shot back. She wasn't sure if the annoyance came from her or the dragzhi. "You tell me."
Leila cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I haven't a clue. You admitted once to further exploring the tunnels as a child. What else is down there?"
Rell thought of Isobel. She had no idea where the girl had gotten off to. "There's nothing down there. My people fled during the dragzhi attack."
"Where did they go?" an unfamiliar voice from the crowd asked.
Torsten's head turned slowly, his sad blue eyes resting on hers. He wanted answers, too.
"I don't know," she insisted.
The door to the conference room opened. Rell’s stomach dropped to her feet.
Isobel.
Now all eyes were locked on the dirty little girl with a doll in her hand who had entered the conference room.
Isobel raised her arm, pointing a finger at Rell. "She has a new soul. She is two parts of the three. My people are coming to take her away."
The room went from silence to an aggravated chatter.
"Quiet!" Leila had to yell it three times before the din subsided. "Who are you?"
Isobel smiled, her eyes glinting under the bright lights of the conference room. "I am the bringer of life and death. You will all bow to my people." Her green eyes turned a deep shade of brown, the black pupils shrinking.
"We bow to no one," Leila said, crossing her arms over her chest. "We've lived here for hundreds of years. Who are you to tell us what we can and can't do?"
"You will obey!" Isobel's mouth opened wide, wider than was natural. Her body lifted into the air, the soles of her feet hovering at the height of a
chair seat. Her doll hung from one limp arm, and her hair floated around her head, static electricity crackling from the strands. "We are the rulers of the sand. This is our planet, and we have tolerated your presence. Until now."
Rell sat glued to her seat, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. The dragzhi seemed to cower deep in her stomach. It was the first time she'd felt its fear.
Countless grains of sand pelted the windows of the tower. Rell stared at Isobel. Menace dripped from the girl's eyes, burying the sweet child Rell had found cowering underground.
9
The window shattered, and sand whipped into the room. People screamed, falling to the floor.
Rell sat paralyzed, staring at Isobel as she flew over the defenders, cackling, with one finger pointed at Rell.
"You will come with us." The sand flew in and out of Isobel's mouth, as if it were the very air she breathed.
The dragzhi inside Rell screamed in terror. Or maybe it was her own scream. She didn't have time to figure it out.
"Rell, come here." Torsten covered his face with his arm, coughing as he yelled from rows away.
"She is not yours," Isobel said as she floated ever closer.
"She's not yours either," Torsten sputtered, another cough wracking his throat.
"Give her to us, and we will call back the sandstorm." Isobel gestured to the window and the furious maelstrom of sand enveloping them.
Rell took a step toward Isobel. For once, she wished the dragzhi would do or say something, anything. "If I go with you, you'll let the others go?"
Isobel nodded. Holding out her hand, she beckoned to Rell. "Come with me."
Rell's shaking hand reached out to Isobel's.
"No!" Torsten screamed.
Rell refused to look at him as she rested her hand in Isobel's. The sandstorm came to an abrupt stop, grains spilling to the floor in heaps.
Torsten stood, his wild eyes pleading with Rell.
