“I know, Rena.” Blaze reached out, placing a hand over hers. A hush fell over them.
The affectionate gesture sent a shudder through Rena. Her mom had died almost five years ago, but the loss still felt fresh. Especially since she’d never gotten a chance to say goodbye. Her dad wouldn’t let her or the twins go to the funeral. She missed the warm comfort of her hugs. Most of all, she missed talking to her; she’d been able to tell her mom anything. She’d constantly thought about the future, taught Rena how to conserve resources, how to make the rations last longer, how to think two steps ahead.
“We have to keep this a secret, too,” Rena said. “My gift and this cave. Swear to me you won’t tell anyone where it is.”
“I’m not even sure where it is. Couldn’t find my way back to save my life.”
A light sound close to a laugh escaped Rena. Blaze had the world’s worse sense of direction. It was one of her few flaws, that and running on rocks.
“We should get refills.” She uncorked her canteen and dipped it in the water.
With their containers full, they climbed back through the passageway. Rena selected a ring with a gold-threaded brown gem, a heavy three-inch metallic bird, a small book with a cover showing a man on fire while he stood on a pile of books, and a large brown leather journal.
Blaze stooped next to her, pointing to the latter. “Don’t you want to know what it’s about?”
“Can’t open it.” Rena tilted the book on its side to show the brass lock. “There’s no key.”
“So, just break it open.”
“I don’t want to ruin it. I’ll see if I can find a tool at home to pick it. Go ahead, get samples to trade.” Rena stashed her loot inside her backpack and straightened.
Blaze held a palm full of jewelry, which sparkled in the fading sunlight. “You think it’s worth the penalties, without the proper codes and everything?”
Rena met her gaze. “Isn’t the chance of getting out of Hollowcrest worth any risk?”
Rena camouflaged the cave with dried brush, before they headed back to Hollowcrest. They reached the twenty-foot high boundary around the city after the sun sank below the horizon. A few of Rotting Tree’s branches hung over the wall. She boosted Blaze up to reach the one that curved over the side. Then, in a practiced move, she ran and jumped, using her foot to ricochet off the wall and propel her toward the branch, which she climb.
Blaze rolled her eyes. “Show off.”
Rena let her hand glide along the strange surface of the black bark. Despite the rough appearance, it tickled her palms. In the distance, a pale glow hovered over the Eden biodomes and Hollowcrest. Gigantic ELF structures marked each quadrant. She didn’t know the significance of the name, only that they attracted electric storm bolts.
“You’re not thinking about jumping, are you?” Blaze called from below.
She shook her head. The flowers down there held onto droplets of moisture despite daily exposure to elevated temperatures during the Burning. An unfortunate experience on her first excursion taught her to avoid the deceptive sweet appearance of those droplets. “Those flowers stink worse than the tree when disturbed. I’ll climb down, same as you.”
They reached Quad 2 well after dark, and still had a thirty-minute walk ahead of them. Rena traced her ID band while watching for Synbots. She was four years under the curfew age of twenty, and didn’t have a permit to be outside after dusk. Neither did Blaze.
The pavement held the sun’s warmth, but eventually grew cold at night. Displaced people crowded around barrel fires for warmth. The sight tainted her hope of escape. If the Syns caught her with unpermitted salvage, she could end up homeless too, or worse. She needed to buy a code, soon.
Rena focused on the people’s familiar shuffling vibrations for a distraction. She noticed an unnatural footstep pattern, one she recognized from when her brothers tried to surprise her. Someone was sneaking around. The question was, who?
She resisted the urge to scan the people behind her, and instead concentrated on the source of the pattern. The more she focused on the stilted footsteps, the more time lapsed between them. Finally, she stopped and closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw an invisible line stretch between her and the source.
A quick look over her shoulder revealed a boy slinking around in the shadows. The best place to hide was out in the open. She couldn’t risk drawing attention to tell the boy. Instead, she jogged to catch up to Blaze who’d stopped talking over an hour ago. The chilly wind chaffed her rosy cheeks, and her legs moved in a stiff manner. Pangs of guilt stabbed at Rena for keeping her out past curfew. She needed to do something, say something.
“Have you figured out a way to ask Tree to the Summer Solstice yet?”
“No,” Blaze answered.
“Did you change your mind about asking him?”
“No.”
Rena stopped. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
Blaze continued walking.
“I’m sorry I made you break curfew. I didn’t realize we’d gone so far.”
Blaze spun around, one hand pressed to her lower back. “I’m not mad at you. I’m exhausted and freezing cold. We better hurry before...” She sucked in a quick breath, wide eyes fixed somewhere behind Rena. She whispered, “Synbots.”
Weapons in hand, three pairs of Syns patrolled the street. Their red lasers scanned the masses huddled around the barrels. In gestures more mechanical than the androids, people automatically held up their ID bands for verification.
The boy pressed against the only standing wall of a collapsed house. The first set of Syns passed by. The boy waited, then slinked to the end of the rubble. He should’ve stayed still. The second set spotted him. He sprinted in the opposite direction so fast she lost sight of him. The Syn discharged the stunner and the boy reappeared in a crumpled mass a few yards away. Other. Rena’s breath caught.
A transport vehicle plastered with an image of Overlord Andrick’s almost smiling face sped to the scene. A Syn exited, picked the boy up with one hand, and tossed him in the back. Rena felt the engine rumble through the ground as it drove away. She wanted to stomp her feet and squash the lingering sensation, but resisted.
“Rena!” Blaze whispered. “Move it.”
She struggled to keep a normal, non-conspicuous pace, and even more not to hide her ring. Only guilty people tried to hide. “Did they see us?”
“Don’t think so,” Blaze whispered as she pulled off her new ring and stashed it in her pocket. “Know anyone around here?”
Warmth burned her cheeks. She stared at a blue house with a gray roof. He was inside. “Uhh… Nevan lives in that house.”
“Let’s go.” This time, Blaze did the dragging as Rena planted her feet.
“Are you crazy?” she whispered as she checked the position of the Syns, still three blocks away. “We can’t go to Nevan’s house. I’ll die.”
“Well, we can’t exactly stay outside. Do you want to get caught, too?”
The androids weren’t that close, yet. Okay, maybe they were, but knocking on Nevan’s door?
“Let’s talk about this rationally,” Rena suggested.
“We don’t have time for this.”
“This house here is closer.” She rocked side to side while raking her hands over frizzy braids. “Let’s just go there.”
“And what if the tenants alert the Syns?” Blaze peered over Rena’s shoulders. “We don’t have time for your version of rational.”
“Blaze… What if he turns us away?” The corners of her eyes glistened. Fear of detection battled for dominance over fear of rejection. “I don’t think I can handle that.” She wasn’t ready to find out the truth.
“Fine. Let’s try this house.”
Blaze lightly tapped at the door. After a few seconds, she knocked harder and took a step back. “I don’t think anyone’s home.”
“I could’ve sworn I saw someone peeking out.” Rena had actually felt foot vibrations from inside the house, but she was so
used to protecting her secret, the lie came out first.
“Rena! Why didn’t you say so? We don’t have time to waste on people who obviously aren’t going to help.” She brushed past her to the blue house.
The Syns neared. One stopped to identify a pedestrian on the opposite sidewalk. The other angled toward the girls.
Blaze stood on the front porch, jabbed her finger down at the ground and mouthed the words, “Get. Over. Here. Now!”
She shuffled across the lawn to postpone the inevitable. When she stepped onto the porch, Blaze shoved her forward, then reached around her to knock.
“But, what if his parents—” she started to say, but stopped. Someone walked toward them. By the lyrical footsteps, she knew exactly who it was.
The door creaked open.
Chapter Four
Nevan’s dual-colored eyes—one blue, one hazel—captivated Rena. She drowned in them, in his dark eyebrows, his long, wide-based nose, his full lips. Even the faint V-shaped scar on his forehead that first appeared two years ago was too beautiful to look at. Her heart pounded, as if struggling to close the distance between them. She chewed her lip, dreading the usual shock of pain from emotional spikes like this, only it never hit.
When Blaze poked her in the back, she exhaled, but couldn’t force any words out. Warmth rushed through her from being near Nevan, with his slight smile and shoulder length dreads. In spite of the cool night air, her armpits prickled with sweat. Looking at him made her cheeks hurt. She focused on a random spot near his shoulder and struggled to think of something, anything to say. This wasn’t how she pictured their first conversation. But what if it didn’t amount to words? What if he slammed the door on her?
Blaze pushed hard enough to move her two steps forward. The way Nevan focused on her made her knees wobbly. He traced a finger across his forehead and down his temple. She’d never observed him make that gesture before. Was it meant to calm himself? Or did he feel the heat, too? The thought made another burst of warmth blanket her.
“Ummm…uhhhh.” It was all she could force out.
She backed away. Her friend, turned roadblock, caged her in. Down the street, the second set of Syns reached scanning distance and headed for them. Panic raced through her, spiked her heart with adrenaline, and jump-started her survival instincts. She spun toward Nevan.
“We need a safe place to stay for a few hours. I know you don’t know us, but I’d…we’d be really grateful if you would let us inside.”
He leaned forward, glancing down the sidewalk. The movement stirred the air between them, and his warm citrus scent surrounded Rena. He stepped aside and spoke in a loud, booming voice, most likely for the Syns’ monitoring devices. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you.”
She blinked twice in disbelief. The Syns marched up the sidewalk. Blaze grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the house.
The machines didn’t stop.
Nevan’s dad came to the door. Rena shifted back to make eye contact. Nevan definitely got his height from him. They also shared the same smooth, creamy brown complexion.
His dad studied her and Blaze for a second before he flashed his son a ‘what did you do’ look and whispered, “Mr. Elliott won’t like this.” Then he stepped outside, holding the door in place with one hand while shielding the girls from the Syns’ lasers.
“I’m glad you girls finally made it.” He sounded much nicer this time, like he really meant it. “We were starting to worry. Why don’t you kids go with Risa? I’ll take care of this.”
Risa, who Rena assumed had to be Nevan’s mom because of those blue-gray eyes, ushered them away from the front door. Her chestnut hair swayed side to side as they walked through the den and past the kitchen to a room at the back. Hand-painted flowers covered the yellow walls from floor to ceiling. Well-worn dolls lay haphazardly around the room. The curtains, made with various shades and textures of pink scraps, were drawn shut.
This was Nevan’s little sister’s room.
Rena felt both relieved and disappointed Risa hadn’t taken them to his room. She often wondered what it looked like, but if they’d gone there, her curiosity would’ve turned her into a complete bodink. She’d be torn between watching him and memorizing every detail.
“Stay here.” Risa looked at each of them, her gaze stopped on Nevan. “The door stays open.” She pushed it until it hit the back wall then left the three of them alone.
“Well,” Nevan said as he sat on the lumpy couch and stretched out his long legs. “Why don’t you ladies have a seat?”
Seating options were limited to the couch, within arm’s length of Nevan, or a nearby metal chair with taped legs that looked like it might collapse at any moment. Blaze locked eyes with Rena, took two large leaps, and plopped into the chair. It teetered backwards for a few seconds before settling on all four legs. A mischievous smile crossed her friend’s face. Rena usually observed Nevan from a safe, unnoticed distance, but had fantasized about “accidentally” bumping into him at Market or a Solstice Celebration.
Not his house, and definitely not like this.
She’d been in the hot sun most of the day. Her hair was a mess, her fingernails were practically black from digging in the cave, and she was pretty sure she smelled about as good as she looked. She stepped back and locked her fingers behind her to conceal her grimy hands. If he caught a whiff of her, he’d probably plug his nose and run out of the room. A new surge of embarrassment wrapped around her heart, squeezing it so hard a lump rolled up her throat. How did Blaze talk her in to this?
This would be Nevan’s forever first impression.
She inched backward, willing herself to vanish. If she could trigger earthquakes, maybe she had other unusual gifts. Invisibility would be nice right about now. Nevan watched her with an amused expression, dimple crinkled. Blood rushed to her face so fast it made her dizzy. She needed to sit down before she fell down. Sweet Mother Earth, how embarrassing would that be!
The mattress in the corner was as far away from him as she could get and remain in the same room. It was also closer to the door. Easy escape. She settled on the edge and pulled off her backpack. She set it on her lap and leaned over it with her elbows on her knees and her feet twisted inward.
Nevan sat forward, shifting his gaze from Blaze to her. “Don’t mean to be rude, but why did you risk being out past curfew?”
She wasn’t about to admit breaching the city boundary or triggering an earthquake that could’ve not only killed her best friend but also unearthed hidden time capsules. Besides, with his voice lingering in the air and his beautiful eyes focused on her, the only thing going through her head was SME, Nevan talked to me. Nevan’s looking at me.
After a longer than reasonable pause, she finally blurted out, “We got lost.”
He nodded as if that were explanation enough, but when Rena got nervous, she lied. Blaze hid her mouth behind her hand as Rena explained which streets they took, where they were trying to go, and how, by sunset, they had gotten so turned around they couldn’t find their way home.
He focused on her the whole time she spewed her deceit. “…and that’s how we ended up here. Which, of course, we didn’t know was your house. I mean, how could we, right?”
“The roads in this Quad can get kind of confusing.” He nodded in agreement.
“If you think these are bad, you should see the ones in Q3.”
“That where you live?”
She crossed her arms and studied the flowered wall pattern. No way was she admitting to living in the poorest Quad. “I’m familiar with it.”
“I have a friend over there. Need GPS to find his house.” Nevan chuckled, and it was a deep, joyful sound Rena could get used to hearing.
Cell phone in hand, Risa entered the room. “I didn’t catch your names.”
“I’m Rena Moon, and this is my best friend, Sadira Kolanir, but she goes by Blaze. We’re sorry about bothering you. We didn’t realize it was this close to curfew until the Syns s
tarted patrol.”
“Speaking of which, we’d better give your parents a call. It’s not safe for you two to go out again tonight. You’ll have to stay here.” She handed Rena the scratched-up cell phone.
It was only a bunch of wires encased in plastic, but it felt ten pounds heavy. Her mind drew a blank on what she could possibly say to her dad to make this situation okay. She’d broken two laws, three if she counted her dad’s rule against sleeping under the same roof as a boy not related to her by blood or marriage. It was enough to get her grounded for the rest of her life.
“I can’t call my dad. We’ll have to be more careful going home,” she said.
Risa rocked her head back, making her chin sink into her neck. “Young lady, have you forgotten what Overlord Andrick will do to your dad if you get caught out past curfew?”
“No, ma’am.” The Overlord was generous in many ways, yet he had zero tolerance for people breaking his laws. She didn’t want the Syns to ‘relocate’ her dad to Iron Mountain. People rarely came back from there. Her shoulders slumped. Still, she couldn’t bear the thought of the look from him. The ‘Rena, you know better. Your little brothers look up to you. Why can’t you be a good example for them?’ scowl. Little brothers certainly weren’t her idea. Long moments ticked by. She sat motionless.
Risa eased down next to her. “I know I’d be worried if Noodle didn’t come home.”
Noodle?
Rena stole a glance at Nevan. His lips thinned and his eyes narrowed in a soft glare. His dimple took the edge off the heat of the expression. Part of her felt mortified for him, the other part was glad to have another little tidbit to tuck away and think about later.
“Your parents will probably go out searching for you.” Risa scooted closer. “Would you like me to call them? What’s your mom’s name?”
“Laurena Moon,” she responded without thinking.
Risa put a hand on Rena’s shoulder. Her tone softened. “I thought your name sounded familiar. I always believed Laurena should’ve been selected for agricultural work. She helped a number of people Medical Staff declared lost causes.”
Edge of Truth (9781310978142) Page 3
