“Ava! Please—”
I lean toward her. But what can I do? There’s nothing in this room to stop it.
Ava’s body melts, distorting and twisting into something else—someone else. The fires die out as if someone snapped their fingers, and a young man takes Ava’s place. I step back, blinking wildly.
His face is so familiar—
“Do not stand by and let history repeat. If she dies, everyone dies!” Baxten’s voice rings in my ears, and his bile spews outward.
“But I—” I sputter.
Waxy hands reach out for me. “No! Promise me you’ll remember—she dies, everyone dies!”
Baxten’s flesh begins to drip like candle wax, evaporating upon contact with the sizzling floor. Within seconds, all that remains is his mocking skeleton and his haunting words.
Air. I need air.
Gasping, I try to roll over, but Runa’s still nestled against my body. The dream was so real, too real.
“Well, would you look at this?” Kani snickers nearby.
My eyelids slam shut and my muscles tighten. The last thing I need right now is these two perverts making comments.
With a sigh, I rub Runa’s back, hoping to wake her, but she doesn’t move. The expressions on Ava’s and Baxten’s tortured faces haunt my mind, and I tense even more. Dammit, I need to get up—take a minute to myself. Being this close—it’s suddenly unbearable.
“Don’t you two look cozy,” Kani’s obnoxious grin hovers above us, and I narrow my eyes.
Runa rubs her eyes as she rolls over in the sleep sack.
“Yeah, too noble and all tha’. Right, Trae, right,” Fenton’s jeering comes next.
I cringe as Kani’s smile widens. Last night had been both exciting and scary as hell. Now, all that’s left is the scary part.
“I’m gonna … I gotta—” I release my arm around Runa and slide away from her. She clutches the sleep pack close and sits up, blinking her wide eyes. Wishing I could blend into the shadows, I back away until I graze the rocky wall.
What I need is a few minutes alone—a few minutes to sort all this out in my head.
“You can imagine our surprise,” Kani jeers, “when we wake up and find Runa missing. Only … she wasn’t missing at all.”
Fenton smirks, and I run my fingertips along the deep groove of my forehead. Runa’s eyes weigh on me, trying to get my attention, but I can’t meet her gaze. Instead, I keep seeing Baxten’s dripping flesh in the back of my mind.
“It’s abou’ time ya both got on wit’ it,” Fenton chuckles.
“Geezus, it’s not like that,” I glare at him. Shaking my head, I take off down the tunnel.
“He was freezing. I thought …” Runa’s eyes catch mine as I turn the corner, but I keep walking.
When I can no longer hear them, I find the nearest alcove and slide to the ground. My back is pressed hard against the uneven rock, and the temporary pain feels good. It’s what I need.
This attraction to Runa really muddies my mind and all my plans. I’m supposed to be heading out with Ash. I should’ve taken off already.
But now … Who is she? Could this dream mean anything or am I just losing my mind the way Ava was? What if I’ve been idiotic to toy with the idea things were okay? I’ve tiptoed to the edge of believing. But what if I’ve been kidding myself to think things could work out with Runa. That we were meant to be together, and all could be right in the world. Here, people get hurt, and they hurt each other. Hell, in my case—even dead and gone. I’m not always going to be around. I can’t always protect her. Especially if I have my missions to accomplish.
The nightmare may not have been reality, but the basis for it—all of it is real. It’s my mistake, my stupid childish anger that killed Ava. Had I kept my mouth shut the way I’d been told—who knows where we’d all be right now.
Baxten’s another matter. There’s no way anyone could’ve saved him, I know that. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing I could’ve. They should both be here.
Pounding my fist into the ground, I press my eyes shut tightly.
This is all my father’s fault.
If he’d been a better role model, cared equally for his children, things would’ve been different. I wouldn’t have felt the way I had back then.
My head throbs. I haven’t thought about my father in so long. He’d cared so much for Ava. She was always his precious favorite, and no one else could ever match up. When she was captured—he let us go without a second thought. But she was already lost—we weren’t. He’d left us all wandering in the woods without a way to keep us safe. We needed him.
I needed him.
I pull my knees close and rest my forehead.
Who am I kidding? I’m not any different from my father in so many ways. I leave people behind, too. But I do it because I’m trying to rectify my past mistakes.
How selfish. I snort and press my eyelids tighter. Cecilina and my mother are in the Lateral, but I can’t bear to see them.
How awful is that?
Runa should have nothing to do with me. These feelings—maybe I need to bury them and move on. She deserves better than me. She deserves someone as special as she is. Someone who can always protect her. I need to pull myself together and finish what we started. Fenton and I will scour the Archives for an explanation to what happened to Runa’s brother and whoever this Videus is.
Then, I’ll be gone.
She’s better off this way. Never knowing just how much …
Latching onto my resolve, I lift my head to find Fenton standing a few feet away. His glasses are pushed to the top of his head as he observes me in silence.
“Ya can’t beat yerself up like this, ya know?” He walks over to me and takes a seat.
“Fenton, don’t start—”
“Trae, ya can’t live life shielding yerself from everythin’ tha’s gonna bring ya pleasure in this world. You’re a good guy—a grea’ guy. But yer stupid.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better?” I spit, “Geezus, Fenton. You don’t know—”
“Pffft. I’ve known ya a long time. Yer no’ mystery ta me. Here’s wha’ I mean. Life … is meant to be lived. Enjoyed. Why else are we here?”
My jaw tightens and I stare at him. What can I say? I don’t know what the hell the meaning of life is. I can barely manage to stumble through my own.
Fenton’s face is serious, “Runa’s awesome. Sure, a little naïve, but it won’t last. She’ll get things figured out.”
I frown, “I don’t need—”
He cuts me off again, “But she doesn’t need ya. You’d be right about tha’. She’ll survive because I think she’s stronger than she realizes.”
“First thing you’ve said I agree with.”
Fenton’s dark eyes set on mine, “But you—you need her.”
I look away.
“The question is,” he continues, “are ya strong enough ta admit it to yerself?”
He’s trying to be helpful, and I can’t fault him—but his words only make me feel sick. Staring blankly at my hands as they rest on the ground, I sigh.
Strength, huh?
He has no idea how much strength this is gonna take.
15
Runa
THE MOMENT THE GUYS come around the corner, my heart sinks. Trae’s face is guarded and his dark eyes lack their usual luster.
Have I screwed everything up?
Everything is so confusing … These feelings. Baxten. The voices. My life.
“Fenton, do you think you can do some digging on this Morph situation when we get to the Archives, too?” Kani’s voice has an edge. “I, for one, want to know what the hell actually attacked Runa.”
“Good plan, love,” Fenton agrees.
The line on Trae’s forehead digs deeper, but he doesn’t say anything. Reaching into his bag of food, Fenton shakes his head and starts setting things out to eat.
Fenton hands me a small orange object and proceeds to peel back the ou
ter layer of his own. “This’s an orange, Runa. Ya’ll love it.”
The orange has a good weight and an interesting texture. Clutching the round object in both hands, I bring it to my nose. It doesn’t have much of a smell.
“I told you you guys Delaney’s as bad as the Helix. Still can’t believe she made everything up.”
Trae is stoic, his jaw clenched, and his eyes on the ground in front of him. I dig my fingernail into the outer shell of the orange, as Fenton did, and a sweet, pungent odor entices my senses.
“Well, it is pretty clever, dontcha think? Gives ’em a cover while keepin’ ’em safe,” Fenton says.
“That’s not the point, Fenton,” Kani spits. “They’re controlling the way people think the same way as in the Helix—through manipulation. How can they be trusted?”
I see what Kani means. However, when I was inside, I never realized we were being manipulated. Though I’m not sure how that makes it any better.
Somewhere farther along the darkened tunnel, a strange scratching noise makes us all freeze. Fenton’s bread is lifted to his lips as his eyes dart back and forth. Trae even makes eye contact for the first time since we woke up.
A momentary silence falls before the scratching happens again. Trae stands, then heads down the tunnel toward the sound. I grab Kani’s microlight and scramble to my feet.
“I’m going with you,” I tell him, grabbing hold of his wrist.
Trae looks down with wide eyes and brushes my hand away. “No, stay here with the other two. I can handle this. It’s probably nothing. Don’t worry.”
The top of my hand tingles from his touch.
“If it’s nothing, then I should be able to come with you,” I say defiantly.
“Don’t be stupid, Trae,” Fenton drops his bread and stands.
If eyes had the ability to stab, Fenton would be in serious condition from Trae’s murderous stare. Through gritted teeth, Trae says, “Fine. Let’s all go.”
He takes the lead, walking with purpose down the dark pathway.
My chest swells and I exhale. Why is he being this way?
“This is the way out. What if someone found the entrance?” Kani’s whisper wavers beside me.
“Let’s hope no’,” Fenton mutters.
With the microlight in ambient mode, we barely have enough light to see where we’re going. The sound starts again as we approach, but it’s different—almost similar to fabric flapping in the breeze. We reach a bend in the tunnel, and Trae pauses, holding up a hand for us to stop.
When the sound happens again, it’s clear how close it is—on the other side of the bend. Trae’s fingers begin a silent countdown.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Adrenaline floods my veins, and every part of me is hyper-focused on whatever is causing the immediate threat. We rush forward as a group, tumbling out one after the other.
Flapping around the middle of the dark tunnel is a single, disoriented junco.
With a white beak.
I step out in front with my hands raised. “Wait—wait!” Everyone stares at me unblinking. “He’s my …”
The little bird shimmers eerily in the dim light, almost as if he himself exudes it. Bending down, I reach for him. First petting his gray head, then scooping him up. He’s so small, his body fits well in the palm of my hand. With my pointer finger, I stroke the place between his wings.
What possessed you, little bird?
I look up to a mixture of relief and confusion on everyone’s faces.
Kani shifts and puts a hand on her hip, “Don’t you even tell me this is the bird you were delirious over when you first got here.”
“Wha’ tha hell would it be doin’ down ’ere?” Fenton leans forward, fiddling with the yellow band on his face.
“Clearly, flopping along trying to locate Runa,” Kani snickers.
Concern creeps across Trae’s face as he steps forward. His intense brown eyes investigate the bird in my hands.
“What do you wanna do? With the bird, I mean,” Trae asks.
“Well, we can’t leave him down here,” I say, “He needs to come with us to the surface. As long as he’s not hurt, I can release him into the trees when we get outside.” Now nestled against my body, the bird is calm and collected. I gently stretch open his wings, and he allows me to examine him. “Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary.”
“Yeah, because it’s completely ordinary for a bird to be down here,” Kani says.
Trae tilts his head and says, “Okay, enough. Time to head out. We gotta get into the Archives as soon as possible—especially since we need to get this bird to the surface. Everyone ready?”
Fenton rubs his hands together and says, “Yesssss! Let’s doooooo this! Time fer some diggin’.”
After gathering the remainder of our things, we prepare to head to the surface.
“Runa, the series of tunnels ahead will be difficult terrain, particularly with a bird,” Trae says, “They were left pretty rough as a natural defense to the Lateral.”
I glance at the junco in my hand. How did he make it all this way?
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
We walk for almost an hour with barely a word spoken. I follow a few meters behind Traeton, with Kani and Fenton taking up the rear. Kani giggles behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see her nudge Fenton with her shoulder. My eyes trail down to their interlocked hands. Waves of anxiety roll through me, and I face forward only to notice how Trae’s hands are balled into fists. I concentrate on petting my junco. He doesn’t seem to mind.
“I think I’m going to name him Rowan,” I announce.
“You would,” Kani chuckles.
I can even hear her roll her eyes.
Fenton laughs, “I dunno. Kinda nice name. Oof!”
Kani pulls her elbow from Fenton’s rib cage and grins at me.
Trae doesn’t seem to notice the exchange at all as he continues on the pathway. I didn’t have many expectations about how today would go. But this—isn’t even close.
At least Rowan has calmed down. In fact, the way he relaxed, it’s like he was looking for me, and now things are put right.
I steal another glance at Trae’s hands. So much has happened in the past week. There are so many things I can’t wrap my head around, and he’s one of them. He’s comforted me when I needed someone— I’d like nothing more than to be next to him again. To feel his arms around me, to smell his skin. To know I’m not as alone as I feel. For the briefest moment, he looks over his shoulder and sparks crackle in my abdomen.
These feelings … they’re so distracting—and consuming. I should be completely focused on my mission to get answers. To find out what happened to Baxten. To figure out where this key is. Instead, I’m more confused than ever.
Is this why the Helix felt it was necessary to diminish hormones? Honestly, I don’t even recognize myself.
“Kani,” I call back, “what made the Helix begin their genetic matchup program?”
I instantly regret my question, because a wicked smirk takes over Kani’s expression, making me blush. I almost walk into Trae, who has become a statue in the middle of the walkway.
Kani snickers, “What an interesting … er … question.”
Fenton’s smile is huge and goofy.
“What?” I search their faces. It’s too late to take the question back.
Trae uses his fingertips to smooth out the lines on his ashen forehead. “I, uh ... why’re you asking, Runa?”
“I was thinking about my parents’ selection, and what it would be like. You know, having the geneticists pair you up without any say. The design and implantation process seems so ... impersonal. My mother and father hadn’t even met until after Baxten had been implanted.”
“Well, actually,” Fenton begins.
Trae’s eyes could be laser beams, and he raises a hand,
“Fenton, I got this.”
Kani snickers again and erupts into a fit of giggles.
“Why is this so funny?” I round on her, “I want to understand.”
Rowan flaps wildly, clearly unsettled, and I pet his head to calm us both down.
“No one’s laughing at you, Runa. I don’t know if you’re ready for some of the information you’re asking for. Or the information these doofuses are insinuating, anyway,” Trae says.
I sigh. “If I’m going to be a part of this group, you have to trust me.”
“Let’s stick with your question for now, okay?” I stare into Trae’s dark eyes as he continues, “Why did they start the program? Well, from what we’ve pieced together, when the first ships colonized the planet, it was less of a planned thing and more of a necessity thing. Earth had been destroyed, and the ships escaped with a few hundred people each. These people were hand-selected to be a part of a mission based on their genetic makeup and intelligence.”
I wave my hand dismissively, “I know all that. It was a part of the history downloads.”
He nods, “What you don’t know is a pandemic swept through years after we colonized. According to the records in the Archives, our numbers dwindled so low … had everything been left to nature, we would’ve killed ourselves off. The resurrection scientists intervened, and their program was redesigned to help the Geneticists instead of finding a way to make Earth’s animals live here.”
I shift to one side, “I still don’t get it, though. Why would they need to intervene with whatever natural courses we had before?”
Trae rubs the spot under his lip.
“Because of the problems that arise when people,” he swallows hard, “mate with someone too close to their gene pool.”
My head spins as I try to place the context. It makes no sense … not in a human context. Kani stifles another giggle, and I turn to them for further explanation.
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 14
