by Edward Lake
He wiped his eyes. “You are unworthy! That is why God created you—to be an unworthy servant.” He turned his back to me. “Follow me. I’ll take you to your family.” He marched out of the room and into another hallway. “Don’t even think about grabbing your guns off the floor. If you do, I’ll slaughter them.”
Ada grumbled as she moved ahead. I stayed close behind, eyeing Saros. He stopped at the elevator at the end of the hall. When Ada and I reached him, he opened the doors and let us go in first.
Saros stepped into the elevator and closed the doors. He walked to me, looking me up and down. “You must be excited to see them?”
I ignored him and looked the other way. Even so, I could feel his eyes on me. Being so close to him made me feel sick, like I would vomit at any moment. Finally, when we reached the rooftop, the doors opened and I saw my family. Declan, Grandma, Turk and Lydia were gathered in the center of the roof, surrounded by enemy soldiers.
I shoved Saros and ran out of the elevator. My head was spinning. My legs felt heavy, like I was moving in slow motion. The soldiers moved aside, as if Saros had told them to do so when I arrived.
At last, I reached Declan and sank into his open arms. I cried my eyes out, my lips quivering, my body shaking. Declan squeezed me and wept. Grandma joined in and made it a group hug. Lydia hugged my leg, sobbing.
I opened my eyes and saw Turk, standing a few feet away from us, glaring at me. I tapped Declan’s back and stepped away from him. He stared at me for a moment, then turned his head and looked at Turk.
He waved him over. “Turk? Come on.”
Our little brother shook his head and stepped back.
Lydia threw her hands up. “What are you doing, Turk? It’s Zena.”
“She left us!” he yelled. He was puffing hard through his nose, and tears welled in his eyes. “She doesn’t care about us. She never did!”
I moved towards him and knelt. I saw flashbacks of the look he gave me the day I left our cell. The same look he was giving me now. “Turk…you know that’s not true. I did what I did to save Declan.”
“Liar! Grandma told me about when you were young like me. She said you always wanted to be a soldier. Tell them the truth! That is why you left us. You didn’t want to be with us anymore!”
“No, little brother. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” My eyes watered. “I didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to save Declan.” I reached out to Turk, my hand shaking. “I love you, and I’m sorry I hurt you.”
He stared at me for a long while, his eyes flickering, tears running down his face. “I thought I would never see you again.”
I wiped my eyes and inched closer. “It’s okay. I’m here now, and I’ll never leave you again.”
Declan moved ahead of me. He knelt and held his hand out to our younger brother. “Come to us, Turk. Please.”
Agnes hurried to him and knelt. She hugged him and held on tight. “We’ll take care of you and your family. They need help, and that is why we brought you all here.”
My little brother’s face transformed into a weeping, angry mess. I was heartbroken, blaming myself for his pain. He tried to break free from Agnes, but she wouldn’t let him. I ran towards him, but the soldiers blocked me and knocked me to the ground.
Saros sauntered to me, his hands folded together, looking down at me. “Having you and your family around Turk is not good for him. Hence, the four of you will be taken to my chambers. Once my medical staff evaluates your condition, we will begin the proper treatment for all of you.”
Out of nowhere, an enemy ship flew down from the sky and landed on the roof. The ramp opened, and a soldier ran down and hurried to Saros. When he got closer, I realized it was Captain Otto Slate. The same man who helped Evander train me at the recruitment camp on the North Star.
“My Priest! We must leave Sodus at once! The rebels and Serpents have won this battle. We must retreat now!”
I quickly checked the sky and saw thousands of Holy Army ships falling from the sky. Then, a blazing shot ripped through the air and hit Saros in his arm. The old man screamed and grabbed his wound. Slate tried to save him, but before he could drag him to safety, a missile came down and hit the ramp on his ship.
Slate and Saros staggered backwards and fell to the ground. Within seconds, the rooftop was surrounded by rebel ships, hovering over us, their cannons aimed at the enemy troops. The soldiers tried to run for cover, but it was no use. The rebels and Serpents took them out with ease.
Agnes stood up and scooped Turk into her arms. She gathered him up high and ran over to her husband and Slate.
One of the rebel ships landed, and the ramp opened up. Smoke bloomed from under the opening, and a tall, shadowy figure approached. I focused on him and soon realized it was Master. Jax, Evander and Taft followed him out.
The rebel leader marched right to Saros and stood over him, his black mask buzzing. “Pastor Saros. We meet at last.” He knelt and slowly touched his chest. “I lied. You know who I am.”
Holding his wound, wincing in pain, Saros’s eyes widened, his mouth hanging open. “Who are you?”
Master rose, still looking down at the lowly priest. “The ruler of the galaxy.”
19
Zena
Master slowly reached up and touched his mask. Everyone froze and watched closely as he opened the back of the mask. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I stared at him, trying to guess who he was. He carefully pulled the mask up and over his head, revealing his face. His dark brown eyes were heavy and still, and he had dark spots under them. His hair was gray with hints of black, and he had deep wrinkles. Commander Vault?
Saros gulped, his eyes big and wet. “Vault? Why have you done this to me?”
The rebel leader knelt and glared at the priest. “I wish you could feel the pain you’ve caused me, even for just a few moments. If only you could understand the damage your family has done by feeding people the harmful lies you and the former Saros pastors have preached for all these years.” His face tensed and his eyes became infuriated. “God is control, Saros. That is why you preach, so that you can control the minds of the weak. I blindly worshiped for years, until I realized I wasn’t being true to my convictions. I was a slave all along. Except my chains were invisible, attached to my mind.”
He grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing. “I had a son out of wedlock.” He glanced at Jax, then looked back at Saros and glared. “Your father wanted to kill me, but instead, to punish me, he killed Luna, my love. He tried to kill my son, too. But I sent him away, far away, where your father would never find him. My friends and associates kept him safe, and together, we formed the rebellion that would ultimately destroy you and your empire.”
I stared at Jax and immediately saw the resemble with Vault. There was so much emotion on his face as he watched his father confess this to Saros, like he had been carrying around a massive rock all his life, and he was finally able to let it drop to the ground.
Saros shook his head, his eyes manic. “Curse you, Vault!” He slammed a shaky fist on the ground. “All along, that is what this was about? Your disgusting, unworthy son! And that useless woman who gave birth to him! You’re a sad, pathetic old man. And God will—”
Vault clasped his hand around the pastor’s throat and squeezed. “Silence!” He squeezed until Saros coughed up globs of saliva. He shoved his head into the hard ground and quickly stood up.
The pastor gasped, squirming like a bug. “For years, the Saros Empire has told you how to live, told you how to think, dress, eat, and so on. You have been slaves to them all your lives—slaves to the idea that you are less than them. Slaves to a madman who would allow innocent men to die in a death sport! So that he can receive donations for his temples!”
He stopped and stared at me. “Tell me, Zena. What would your mother and father have done if they had the power to choose?”
The voices of my parents crept into my head as I looked up at him. I wondered how happy they would be t
o see Saros in this position, helpless and baffled. “They would have chosen a better life.”
He gave me a somber nod. “Yes.” He shook his head and went back to Saros. “There is no God. There are only good men like me and evil men like you.” He looked around at everyone on the rooftop. “Who would you stand with? A man who tells you how to live your life and threatens to kill you if you refuse to obey, or a man like me.” He held his hands out again. “A man who plans to set you free, so that you can decide for yourself.”
Jax and the others cheered and praised Vault as he went on.
The rebel leader marched over to me, his eyes locked with mine. “Rise, Zena.”
I stood up and sighed, my legs shaking. It was surprising to learn that Vault was behind everything: the security breach, the attacks on the North Star and Agholor, and the creation of the slave soldiers. However, as I thought about it more and more, he was the one who had all the access and influence.
I wanted to see him overthrow the High Priest, hoping that he would set me and the others free to live our lives as we pleased. However, there was a part of me that worried about Vault’s hatred of God. I wondered if he would truly let people be free to live as they chose, or if he would mandate that no one ever speak of or worship God again. That would not be true freedom. It would be Saros all over again.
Vault held his hands out over Saros. “Years ago, when I finally developed the courage to listen to my conscience, I conceived a plan to rebel against the High Priest. I wanted to be the one to end his life. But I soon realized there were so many who are more deserving of such an honor than me.” He folded his arms and stepped backwards. “Consider this a gesture of appreciation for your contributions to my cause.”
Looking down at Saros, I felt numb. I had wanted to kill him for so long. I had awoken from many dreams that ended with me slaying the pastor, only to realize it was all in my head. I wasn’t afraid to do it. I was afraid of what would happen in the aftermath.
I wondered how Sadie would feel about me killing her father. Maybe she would be happy, considering he tried to kill her. Or maybe she would hate me for taking away her chance to make peace with him. I also pondered the possibility of any remaining followers of the Saros Empire targeting me for killing the High Priest.
Still, my desire for revenge was too strong. My hands trembled as I stepped closer to Saros. I reached him and stood there for a moment, giving our eyes a chance to connect. All around me, it felt like time had stopped. He was clearly afraid, sweat pouring down his face, his hand trembling as he held his wound. I had no pity for him. No remorse. He was lucky to go out this way.
I screamed as I reached down and gripped his white robe. I dragged him away from his wife and Slate. I climbed on top of him and wrapped my hands around his neck. Saros tried to fight back and push me away, but I was too strong. I slowly applied pressure and beamed when I saw his face turn red.
Saros gagged and clawed at my arms, drool oozing from his mouth. His nails made small cuts on my skin. But it didn’t hurt. There was nothing he could do to hurt me. Not anymore.
“Zena!” he squealed. “This isn’t the end of me. The Holy Spirit will punish you for this.”
“No! Linus!” Agnes cried.
I ignored his grumbling and her sobbing as I applied more pressure.
“Kill him, Zena!” Declan hollered. “For Father! For Mother! Kill him!”
Hearing my brother’s voice in that moment gave me a surge of energy. I shouted until my voice hurt and strangled Saros. I held on and watched his face turn purple. I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head, then at last, I slammed his head down and gradually let go.
My eyes twitched and grew wide as I looked down at his lifeless body, my chest throbbing, sweat forming across my brow. I had just killed the High Priest of Starlight, the man I had wanted dead for so long.
But I didn’t feel better. There was no happiness. No sadness. Only the same numbness I felt when I approached him. I couldn’t understand why. Even thinking about all the pain he had caused me and my family did nothing.
The emptiness I felt angered me. Staring at his dead face, I yearned to feel something. Anything. Finally, I looked down at my hands and stared at the redness and deep lines the choking of Saros had caused. It was hopeless. After all my years of wanting revenge, I finally realized that vengeance could never cure my pain.
Vault walked over to me and offered his hand. “Come, Zena.”
My eyes twitched as I looked up and reached out to him. I took his hand, and he pulled me to my feet.
He smiled faintly and set his hands on my shoulders. “I have great plans for you. Will you join me, Zena? Will you help me destroy the last remnants of God and the Saros Empire?”
“On the contrary, Vault!” Slate hollered. He rose from the floor and pointed at the sky. “You may have killed the priest, but the Holy Empire is not dead!”
Several enemy ships swooped down and fired a slew of missiles at Vault and me. The rebel leader grabbed my arm and pulled me to safety. The missiles hit the roof and rocked the floor. Everyone ran for cover. The rebel ships spun around and fought back. But the damage had already been done. The rooftop split and crumbled down the middle.
Vault tried to lead me into his ship, but it was too late. The roof caved in, and we all went crashing down into the palace. I screeched when I saw my family fall with me. Vault and I crashed onto a table in the dining hall. We rolled with the broken pieces and moved out of the way before the falling rubble crushed us.
Trembling, I looked around for my family, hoping they had survived the fall. I couldn’t find them anywhere, but I kept looking, praying they were still alive.
Vault waved me onward and pointed at the hallway on the other side of the room. “Follow me. We have to move before this whole building falls in on us.”
“No! I have to find my family and get them out of here.”
He was hesitant at first, glancing around as more and more rubble came crashing down all around us. “Okay. But we must hurry.” I was shocked to hear him say this. After all this time, I had thought of Vault as a cold, cruel man who only cared about his crusade to destroy the Holy Empire.
Together, we left the table and checked the area. From the shadows, a red laser beam touched Vault’s head. He ducked and leaped behind a splintered boulder.
Evander emerged from the darkness, aiming his gun at his former commander. “Vault!”
I put a hand up, hoping he would stop, shaking my head. “What are you doing! Saros is dead. The Holy Empire has fallen. We don’t need to fight anymore. At least not right now!”
“Zena, that man is pure evil. He plans to destroy God’s place in the galaxy. Is that what you want? A society of nonbelievers? This is our chance to stop him. Please, help me!”
I was so close to saving my family and being done with everything. The last thing I needed was a shootout between Evander and Vault. “Evander, don’t do this.”
“Yes, Evander! Listen to her! Let me help you, young man! Let me show you what you can achieve with a free mind!”
Evander ran past me. He fired a few lasers at the boulder Vault was hiding behind. The rebel leader responded with his own fire, but he missed, and Evander kept shooting.
Far in the distance, several feet from where I stood, a tall man staggered in the shadows. I looked closer and realized the man was recovering from the fall, brushing dirt off his arms and shoulders.
One of the lasers from Evander’s gun zipped right past me and hit the man. I watched carefully as he stumbled out of the shadows, holding his chest. My eyes grew wide when I realized it was Declan.
“Oh no!” I ran to him as he sank to the floor. I touched his wound; blood was leaking everywhere. “Stay with me, Declan. Brother! Please don’t leave me.” I looked up and glared at Evander. “What have you done!”
He lowered his weapon and covered his mouth.
My brother reached up and touched my face, his hand trembling. “Hey, y
ou finally put some muscles on that skinny frame of yours.” He smiled and coughed up blood. “I’m so proud of you, Zena. I always have been.”
I rocked him in my arms, praying that he would make it. “You’re going to be just fine, okay? You’ll see. Everything is going to be—”
He took one last breath and slowly died in my arms. His head dropped backwards, and his body went limp. I froze for a moment, staring at his lifeless body, my mouth hanging open. Finally, I shook him, hoping he would wake up, praying he would come back.
“Declan!”
20
Zena
Evander didn’t mean to shoot and kill my brother. But his reckless pursuit of Vault led to this tragedy. More and more blood leaked from Declan’s chest and onto my hands and arms. We were so close! I had shared so many tears with my brother. So many sleepless nights, wondering if we would ever make it out of that awful cell. To see him die this way sparked a rage inside me that I could not control, a fire that would surely burn anything near me.
“Zena, I didn’t mean to…hurt him. You have to believe me.”
My eyes burned as I lifted my head and glared at him. “I know, Evander. But that doesn’t matter.” In one fell swoop, I leaped to my feet and ran to him. I screamed and knocked his gun out of his hand. I attacked him with a combination of kicks and punches.
He staggered backwards, ducking his head and covering up. “Zena, stop! It was an accident!” Evander hit me with a quick jab.
I shook it off and countered with a leaping punch that sent him stumbling to the floor.
He got up quickly and blocked my next strike. “Zena, please stop! I’m sorry for what I did. But I can still help you save the rest of your family!”
I ignored him, tracking him with burning eyes. I caught him with a jab. Then he caught me with a jab. Back and forth, we hit each other with punches and kicks, matching each other’s speed and intensity.
