Looking over toward the flames, even from this distance away from them I can tell they are raging too large.
Dax moves speedily away from the enraged flames, toward another red rock formation.
Once we are hidden behind the rocks, Dax turns the bike off, and the desert is silent.
I want to climb off the bike, but my body is frozen in the seated position. I lean sideways to allow my weight to help me lift one leg over. My feet land on the ground with a thud, and my body forces me down, as if my legs cannot even hold my weight.
I start breathing in slowly to relax my body and mind.
Dax steps off the bike and heads over toward the edge of the rocks, where Hayden is already standing.
I follow.
We peer around the edge. The blaze is raging high, almost as high as a Purenet building.
I focus on listening to mumbled voices,
“They must be close. We cannot go back to the Chancellor without them.”
“Anyone for chargrilled Grounders?” one of the voices laughs. My legs buckle beneath me as I realize what they mean.
“Are there Mutes there?” Hayden asks, looking at us with wide-open eyes. “Did you see Mutes, Skylier?”
“No,” I shake my head.
Dax bends over me. “What did you see?”
It's not what I saw, it's what I heard. I cannot tell him, the words cannot come out.
They killed them, they burned them to death. They are laughing about it.
Dax slumps his body down next to mine.
What else did they say?
They cannot go back to the Chancellor without us.
Chapter Twelve
Dax and I are frozen to the cold, rough ground that reminds me of home. I would be at home now if I hadn't decided to go with Dax. And, just maybe, his friends would still be alive.
Ashamed, I rest my head on my knees as I try to conserve the last bit of body heat.
Hayden's voice breaks the silence. “We have to wait here until the sun rises. We cannot ride in the dark, and if we turn our lights on they will see us for sure. Or we can wait for them to leave, whichever comes first.”
Dax nods in agreement.
Distant groans reach my ears. It seems like there are hungry animals roaming the area. But what if they aren’t animals?
“What if the Mutes come at us through the night?” I ask, shivering at the thought. Automatically, I look around. I can still hear movement and groans far from us.
“Don’t worry about them, Skylier,” Dax says. “If you go to sleep, I’ll keep watch. We won’t sleep all together.”
“All right,” I nod. Apparently Dax and Hayden can’t hear them, as they’re far from us. Due to my strong hearing skills, I do, which I regret at the moment, for those noises make me anxious.
“Are you afraid of the dark?” Hayden asks.
“I can see in the dark. And read minds.” I lift up my head proudly.
“Really? I heard some Cuevas can do that. What else can you do?” Hayden asks.
“I can hear the softest whispers.”
“You can do both?” Dax asks.
“Yes. It took years of training my mind to stay calm and focus. There is nothing much else to do in the Cueva—just school, work, eat, and sleep. It's kind of boring. Most people don't bother now; they are focused on getting out of Cueva.”
“You were going to go back. You were going to spend the rest of your life at Cueva, with that boy from the selection room? Is he your boyfriend?” Hayden asks as his eyes burn into me with the need to know more about Lowell.
What is Lowell to me? Is he my boyfriend? I always dreamed we would be together. Has all that changed now?
“We were not allowed to date in Cueva until after selections,” I mutter.
“Those rules would have never stopped me,” Hayden smiles. A tingle dances over my cheeks; half of me is enjoying the attention, the other wants to curl up into a ball and hide in the darkness.
“Yeah, Hayden’s... a bit for breaking the rules, and not very good at it,” Dax mocks.
“What do you mean by that?” Hayden questions.
“Well, you got thrown out of Purenet, didn’t you? And how many times out of the Grounder community?” asks Dax.
Hayden folds his arms, then taps his finger on his lip, nodding, “I think I’m up to twelve times, but I don’t think that is too bad for the three years we have lived there.” Hayden smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Dax, you know me and the Grounders have a love-hate relationship. They love to hate me.”
Dax leans back into the rock and adjusts his position. “You know that’s not true.”
Hayden kicks a small stone on the ground. “You know it is,” he says, frowning.
“You don’t help yourself,” Dax replies.
“It’s not my fault, just good genes,” Hayden says, smiling.
“Of all people, you had to date Tanis’ ex-girlfriend.”
“That wasn’t my best decision, she was as crazy as him,” Hayden laughs. “I’m not with her anymore, and we weren’t really dating.” Hayden’s crystal-blue eyes stare at me, pulling me in.
He’s no good for you. Dax's mind jumps into mine.
I turn toward Dax, frowning. I can make my own decision, thank you.
Trust me; you can do better than him.
What’s wrong with him? I look over to Hayden.
“Nothing,” Dax says, and his mind adds, he’s my best friend, he’s just a player.
Hayden stands looking puzzled. “Did I miss something?”
Dax and I glance at each other; we've been alternating between mental and vocal conversations. No wonder Hayden is confused.
Dax remains silent for a moment. “We can read each other's minds,” he says, as he waves his hand between us.
Hayden stands back in surprise. “Cool, can you read mine?” he asks me, and squints his eyes as he stares at me.
I burst into laughter, and so does Dax. Hayden folds his arms, clearly upset.
“Screw you two!” Hayden walks off to another rock formation.
“Come back, we're only joking,” Dax laughs.
“He will forget all about it after a nap.” Dax smiles.
What makes Hayden wrong for me? Being with him and Dax makes me feel more alive than I have my whole life… no, that’s not true.
I rest my head on my knees, and think of Lowell, and the minutes we secretly shared together hidden away in the Cueva. Those moments made me feel alive, too. Was that because we weren’t meant to be together alone? And was it the sneaking around that excited me, or was it that we were together? I don’t frigging know anymore! My head and heart hurt just trying to figure this out, and this is the least of my worries.
“What's wrong with your mother?” Dax asks, breaking his silence.
“She has blood cancer. She doesn't have long to live, just a few weeks.” My heart breaks as the words pour from my mouth. “We were hoping my brother, Rian, would get selected for the Sanction Games, and the bitcoins would pay for the medicine she needs. In all the years of my family trying to get into the Games, we've never been selected. Someone is holding our family back.”
Dax lowers his head in shame.
Your father did this to her... spills out of my mind.
Dax's eyes widen as he listens to my thoughts. “I know.”
“Sorry, it's not your fault. It's just horrible what he's doing to people. Why did your father banish you?” I've been dying to ask him this question since I first found out.
“I overheard my father talking with someone about the poisoned bio meat. I told him I was going to tell everyone.” Dax frowns a little as he says it, as though he's embarrassed.
“Who was he talking to?”
“Someone from another Sanction; I think the Empire is making all the Chancellors do it. To be honest, I think the Sanction Chancellors are enjoying it. It will give them power for another century.
Dax falls silent for a moment,
then adds, “Where is your father?”
“My father went to sell his organs in Purenet and never came back.”
My mother had begged him not to go, but he had insisted. He refused to allow the disease to kill her; he preferred to die himself if it meant keeping Mother alive.
“Please, Kaso, don't go. I beg you,” Mother cried out from her bed. This was the place she spent most of her time, as her legs were too weak to carry her.
“Surely there is another option?” Rian asked the same question I wanted to.
“Son, there is none. We all know that. Let's enjoy these moments together. I will be home before you even know.” A fake smile was pasted on my father's face.
I wished I could read his mind, like Calista and Rian could. It was always weird that I could not. Mother said it was because of my other special gifts. I would have given them all up that day if I could have listened to the thoughts running through his mind.
I was sure it wouldn't have done much good. Over the previous few months Rian and Calista had been blocked, even when they played games. It was as if he was worried some thought would slip away from him.
“Please, can you take Calista to her dorm? Thank you,” Father said.
We walked silently along the path carved out of the rocks, and many thoughts ran through Calista's and my minds. Will he be okay? What if he never comes back? I wonder what a kidney looks like. I bet it's all gooey. She hadn't learned to block yet; I wished she had... question after question.
He will be fine.
What if he's not? Then what?
Calista, stop thinking, you are giving me a headache. Block.
“Hey, that's not fair!”
“He'll be fine. Get some sleep. He will be back before you know it.” I hoped he would. I was asking the same questions she was; I just didn't want to admit it.
“Okay.” Calista slumped her shoulders down in defeat.
“Come here.” I grabbed her around her waist and squeezed her tightly. A seven-year-old shouldn't go through this.
“Group hug,” Calista laughed as she dragged Rian by his arm. She was strong, like Rian. He had no choice but to join in, and he threw his arms around us.
“Arh... I need air,” Calista squealed, laughing.
Rian and I jumped back, giving our little sister some space to breathe.
“Good night Calista, sleep tight, see you tomorrow.” I softly kissed her on her head.
Rian's question broke the silence as we walked back to our parents' room. “What if he doesn't come back?”
“He will.”
“You are talking to me now, not Calista,” he muttered.
“He has to...”
“You've heard about others not coming back, right?”
“Of course, they were sick before they left. Father's not sick.”
“But were they?”
“What?”
Rian looked around the Cueva; we knew we were being watched.
Why would they let you sell your organs if you were sick? That doesn't make sense, even for them. Think back—do you remember any of them being sick before they left?
Don't think like that... we have to stay positive for them.
“All right kids, less of the sad faces.” Father smiled warmly, creating wrinkles around his eyes. Mother's illness had aged him. He had also lost weight from the stress—or was he sick like the others?
Without thinking, my arms wrapped around his waist. Hugging him tightly, I didn't want to let go, I didn't want him to go. My eyes welled up with tears; I could no longer be the strong one.
“Why can one of us not go with you?” I blurted out.
“Skylier, my dear, you know the rules. You need to be invited to Purenet.”
“I hate the rules!” My voice bounced off the cave walls.
“Hush, child, these rules stopped the wars. We must be grateful to the Chancellor for that.” At a time like this he used the same line as always... "Be grateful to the Chancellor,” he said, as if he was programmed to say it.
“I would be grateful if he gave Mother the drugs she needs, instead of you having to sell your organs. Are we not worth more than that?” I yelled, unable to control my anger anymore.
“Hush!” Father snapped loudly, “It's your curfew time. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Fine!”
“Watch that tongue of yours. Remember the ways we taught you... Skylier, remember.”
Tears roll down my cheeks onto my dress as I rest my head on my knees and remember that day. That was the last time I spoke to him. Angrily, I stormed back to my dorm. Each night I waited for the shuttle to return and bring my father home, but it never did.
Dax wraps his warm arm around my shoulders.
Chapter Thirteen
What's your mother like? Dax's voice drifts into my mind.
She's beautiful. Hazel-green eyes with sparkling blue edges, like yours. Her hair is bright-white, like mine. Her heart is warm and joyful. Her love for us is almost overwhelming, it's so strong. She is smart; way too smart for Father... She is the image of what a mother should be. Well, except for her voice, I smile. She has a terrible voice, and my dad would make fun out of her all the time.
Dax raises his eyebrows. A terrible voice? Just how bad?
Really bad, my mind tells him, as we both break out laughing.
But, aside from the voice, she’s a wonderful mother. She used to do everything for us. But that was before she became sick. She is still all those things, but in shadow form... her skin has a grey tone as she fades from life to death. The joy in her voice is gone, rough, as if the cough has ripped the last bit of happiness away from her. Sometimes it's hard to recognize her, but the bonds of love will always be there.
What's your mother like? I allow my thoughts to drift into his without hesitating.
Dax's mind goes blank for a moment, but he hasn't blocked me. It's more like he's frozen in time.
“Like my father.” He sighs. “We had staff that raised us. My parents liked Xander and his twisted ways, the complete opposite of me.” Dax's face turns into a scowl.
He tilts his head and stares back, a puzzled look on his face.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Was your mother a Host?”
“No. That’s the part that isn't adding up. I was thinking the same. She said she wasn't but she must have been. Can you read other people's minds?”
“Yes, my brothers'—Xander and Nero—and my father's.” Dax looks to the ground in disgust. “Most of the time I block Xander's and my father's thoughts—they are both evil and twisted, always preying on the weak and seeking ways to become stronger and more powerful. Can your father read yours?”
“Nope. Was your father able to read yours?”
“No. He hated the fact that I was able to read his. Xander reading his mind just made it easier for them when they were attacking people.”
“What about Nero?” I ask.
“He is the second-oldest son. He moved away to another Sanction a few years ago. He will never be the Chancellor of Purenet because Xander will take that role,” Dax tells me.
Dax picks up the little sand particles off the ground and rubs them between his fingers.
“He is the smart one in the family. He learned quickly about Xander's and Father's twisted ways. He pretended he couldn't hear them. He told me to do the same, but I was too young and stupid to listen to him.”
“Were you able to read your mother's mind?” I ask.
“No. Could you?”
“Yes. She blocked me, until she got too sick and weak to do so.” I hate referring to the strong woman I grew up with as weak.
“I always thought the Host received the egg and sperm from the sponsors, and the Host just hosted the baby, and then gave it over to the genetic parents.” This is what we've been told.
“I thought that as well... what do we know? This place is built on lies.” Dax shrugs his shoulders.
“One thing I do know is that onl
y blood relations can read each other's thoughts. Which makes us related, and I think you’re my brother.”
Dax smiles warmly, “I was thinking the same,” making me feel less alone.
Dax falls silent for a moment and then nods in agreement. “We will go to the Grounders first, and then to your mother…” I really want to go home first, but the Grounders' home is before our committee. I guess that's why he joined the Grounders—he got there first. People don't last the walk from Purenet to the Cueva.
“What are the Grounders like, the original ones?” I ask.
Dax leans back on a rock, casually, like he’s in an arm chair. “They are like any dysfunctional community. Once you see past their physical appearance, they are simple people, just trying to get through life,” Dax smiles fondly.
“Their physical appearance?” I’ve only ever seen the Grounders from afar.
“They are larger than any human I’ve seen. When we used to go on The Sanction Games tours visiting the other Sanctions, I would meet people from all over the world. Never did I meet another person that could compare to the strength and size of an original Grounder.”
“They should compete in the games, if they are that strong,” I say.
“I thought that when I met them, but the games are not just about strength, which they have loads of. You also need to be smart; normally the one that wins the games is a mixture of both, with a few winners that were just lucky,” Dax says.
“So… the Grounders are stupid?” I feel awkward asking.
Dax winces, some are, and he claps his hand over his month, like the words crept out of his mouth.
“I… I didn’t mean that. It’s just, their ancestors survived the Mutes, and it seems to have stolen some of their common sense genes,” he smiles. “You will see soon enough.”
I nod, smiling. Dax chuckles, “They do really stupid thing, really,” he adds, and I can feel that he’s burning to tell me something about them.
“For example?” I encourage him.
“They wipe their butts with poison ivy after having too many drinks,” Dax replies, smiling, as I chuckle. “And now try to get some sleep.” He stands up.
Wasteland: Age of Sanctions (A Invasion Survivor Series) Page 7
