The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series

by Carissa Andrews

“Let’s hope we can get it back down,” I mutter.

  14

  Runa

  LIGHT REFRACTS FROM THE TREE, sending cascades of iridescence in all directions. The low sun makes everything seem magical, as I take in the Caudex hidden in the Tree’s upper branches. It’s amazing none of the AirGliders spotted the book—surely they’ve been on the lookout for the Tree of Burden since my talk with Videus.

  “Maybe if you get close enough, the Tree will give the Caudex back?” Trae suggests.

  “Maybe,” I say, walking closer.

  From here, I can see it’s pages glittering brightly, but it’s masked well within the light from the Tree.

  “Was this your idea?” I ask, turning to Trae.

  He makes a face, “Not exactly.”

  His right hand runs along the back of his neck, as he squints his eyes.

  I watch him, waiting for more.

  After a moment, he finally says, “The AirGlider—the one in my head, he’s not so bad. He’s actually helped a couple of times.”

  My eyes widen, and I turn to square up with him. “You’re not seriously saying you’ve been talking with him, are you? You know they can’t be trusted until their connection to Videus has been severed.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know that. But I think his already has.”

  “Why do you think that?” I ask, watching his every micro expression as they flit through his face in rapid succession.

  “Look, Runa, you’re gonna have to trust me a little bit.”

  “You, I do trust. But I don’t trust the AirGliders who have free reign and are tied directly to Videus. Here—let me help, maybe I can,” I begin.

  Trae steps back, his hands up as he shields himself from me.

  I stop moving toward him, throwing my hands up in defeat.

  “Look, if you’re happier with the AirGlider in there—”

  “It’s not that, I just don’t think it’s a wise idea to remove him just yet. There’s a lot we don’t know and he’s been very helpful so far.”

  “This is ludicrous. After the conversation we just had—and now you want to defend one of Videus’ programs being in your head? Do you not understand how crazy that sounds? We should be working to get it out, not hang on to him for further exploitation. He has his own body, Trae. He’s disembodied,” I say, emphasizing the last word.

  “Technically, what we should really be doing is getting that damn book down from the top of the tree,” Trae says, jamming his finger up into the air.

  “Fine,” I say through gritted teeth.

  Turning on my heel, I reach for the Tree’s trunk. It’s cold and smooth to the touch. As soon as my hand comes into contact, the aquamarine crystal at my neck glows brightly. The branches of the Tree twist in a dance all their own, as they work to gently carry the Caudex back down to me.

  I reach up, taking the glowing book from its embrace, and step back in awe. This Tree has been through so much, but it’s still a wonder all its own.

  Taking a cleansing breath, I tug the aquamarine crystal from behind my top. It glows and hums at a frequency only I can hear, I think, as it prepares to unlock the Caudex.

  “You said this was glowing before you left the Archives,” I say, glancing up at Trae’s wide eyes.

  He nods.

  The lock disengages, and I slip open the heavy cover. The pages fly open to the one with new insights.

  It takes a moment for the light to subside so I can read the information. Trae hovers to the side, close but granting enough space for privacy.

  “Can you see anything? What does it tell you?”

  “Just a second,” I say, holding up a finger.

  The dark writing reveals itself, one word at a time— as if it’s being written by an invisible hand.

  Daughter of Five, the moment to end Videus’ reign grows near. The next move will be the igniting of the Beacon. This will set a chain reaction to allow the Acropolis to rise once again. The Pillar factions need only a cause to unite them. The Acropolis will stand as a clear message to all that the prophecy is true and the process has begun.

  I take a deep breath. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about the Acropolis, but everything is always so vague. How do I ignite this Beacon? And where is it even located?

  As if answering my questions, the book keeps going.

  The Beacon’s location is hidden under humanity’s feet, ready to engage whenever the prophecy is initiated. Upon proximity to the Beacon, the Daughter of Five’s blood and the mark of completion will act as the key.

  “What’s it saying?” Trae asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

  Instinctively, I rub my wrist where the partial mark is hidden. Will the Beacon still ignite if I only have a partial mark?

  Shaking my head, I look up at Trae.

  “It’s saying I need to ignite a Beacon. It sets off some sort of chain reaction to rise something called the Acropolis,” I say.

  Trae’s eyes widen.

  “The Acropolis?” Trae repeats.

  I nod, “My only problem—well, there are a few actually. For starters, I have no clue where the Beacon is, let alone the Acropolis.”

  Trae shifts slightly, his eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

  “And, well, it says the mark I was meant to receive through my trials would ignite the Beacon. But the final trial was never revealed. I don’t know what happened.”

  “Can I see it?” Trae asks, moving closer.

  I hold out my wrist, pulling back my jacket cuff. The glowing, blue ink glitters like sunlight in water.

  “It’s a flower?” he says.

  “The Everblossom,” I say, sliding the cuff back into place.

  “Wasn’t that the flower that was said to have been everywhere when humanity first arrived? Even in the snow?” he asks.

  I nod.

  “Thus the name, I suppose.”

  “So, if this mark was meant to be the key to ignite the Acropolis, how do you finish up the final trial? Is it something you can just hop back into quick and—”

  “No Trae. It doesn’t work like that. I was told if I left before I was finished, I would not be able to get back.”

  “Then why did you leave?” he says, taking a seat in the snow next to me.

  “I had to get back to you. Something big was going to happen and I couldn’t let you believe I wasn’t going to return,” I say, thinking back to the future crater where the Lateral used to be.

  “Okay, so what do we do now?” Trae asks, “Are we back to square one?”

  I push myself up to a stand and take a short walk to engage my mind. Trae follows, keeping pace with me.

  After a few minutes of silence, I say, “I don’t understand. If the mark was the key, why wouldn’t they tell me before I left? Why didn’t the Caudex deem it more important then? Everything is hinging on it now. Without it, I’m basically inert.”

  Trae shrugs, “Maybe it didn’t occur to them?”

  I lower my eyebrows and make a face.

  “After everything I’ve been through, that’s not likely,” I say. “I don’t know why it matters, I don’t even know the location of the Beacon or the Acropolis. Maybe they put their faith in the wrong person?”

  Trae clears his throat.

  “If it helps, I know the location of the Acropolis,” he says.

  My eyes widen as I turn to look at him.

  “You do?”

  Scratching the back of his head, he nods sheepishly.

  “Okay, where?” I say, raising my eyebrows.

  “It’s the Archives,” he says.

  I blink rapidly, taking in this new information. At first, I want to laugh. To tell him the AirGlider in his head has done a number on him. But the more I think about it, the more I realize he could be right.

  The place was much larger than I gave it credit for. And Ammon and I stumbled on that massive room. It didn’t look like the rest of the Archives, filled with relics of humanity. It was elegant, beautiful, and
full of power.

  I turn to Trae, and say, “How do you know this? Did the AirGlider tell you?”

  Trae shakes his head, “Not so much told. I sorta sensed it when he realized.”

  Sucking in a sharp breath, I say, “Does this mean Videus knows? We should go. We need to get a step ahead of him”

  I turn on my heels to head back to Tethys.

  Trae chases after me, grabbing hold of my wrist.

  “No, Runa. Stop. Videus doesn’t know. The AirGlider, he—when he realized, that was when things changed with him. He knew he couldn’t bring the news back to Videus.”

  “Didn’t Videus have control over him?” I say.

  “This—revelation, it’s what broke the connection,” Trae says. “That’s what I believe.”

  I bite my lower lip, thinking.

  “Okay, good. That’s good,” I say, beginning to pace. “A relief, I guess. But we still need to find the Beacon.”

  “Well, I’d imagine it can’t be too far. Can you? I mean, everything’s been kinda going on here on this side of the planet.”

  “Plus the Caudex says it’s under humanity’s feet. Could it be in the Vassalage somewhere?” I say, thinking out loud.

  “I doubt it. That was all Videus’ creation. Did you sense anything like that when you were down there?” Trae asks.

  I shake my head, “No. But it was difficult to discern much. Many of the people—they have powers of their own.”

  Trae’s eyebrows flick up, “Really?”

  “That’s why Videus wanted them. Their bloodlines are connected to mine. It gives each of them their own special gifts.”

  “Wow, handy,” Trae says, shrugging. “You know, if it came down to a fight with Videus.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. They’ve been through hell. What Videus did to them—it’s unconscionable,” I say.

  “What about the Lateral?” Trae says, his tongue skating across his lower lip.

  “What about it?” I ask.

  “Could the Beacon be there somewhere?” he says.

  I shake my head, “No, I really don’t think—” I begin.

  But the memories of being underwater with Tethys as she brought me to the Lateral flood back. There were gears and other machine-like qualities under the floor of the Lateral. What if it actually is the location for the Beacon?

  “We need to go,” I say, grabbing his hand.

  “Go? Go where?” Trae says, surprised.

  “To the Lateral. You might be right, but I need to be sure.”

  “What happens if you can’t get it to ignite? You know because of the mark thing?” Trae says.

  “Then, I guess I only have one choice left,” I say, frowning.

  “And what’s that?” Trae says.

  “I have to do whatever I can to get rid of Videus before he destroys everything.”

  I tuck the Caudex under my left arm, and make my way to Tethys. She stands up, stretching slowly, and shaking the snow from her fur.

  “Whoa, do you ever get used to seeing her?” Trae says startled.

  “From the moment I made the connection with her,” I say, smiling, and petting the fur on the side of her head. “It’s like I’ve known her my whole life.”

  He shakes his head, eyeing her.

  “That doesn’t bode well for me.”

  Tethys bends down, allowing me to climb on first, then Trae follows. Without hesitation, the bubble of her shield surrounds us and we take off for the Lateral. She already knows the mission before I have to tell her. The snow is an extension of her—it allows her to feel, sense, hear things.

  Making our way through frozen trees and snow dunes, Tethys maneuvers us to take the underground waterway again. I need a closer look at everything to know if Trae could be right.

  The cliff’s edge is nearing. The sky is a beautiful shade of purples, oranges, and golds thanks to the locked sun and its halo casting its illumination in the sparse clouds.

  “Hold on tight,” I say to Trae, knowing what’s about to come.

  Trae grabs hold of my waist.

  With that, Tethys throws us all over the edge of the cliff. We shoot downward at such a velocity, yet it’s odd—just like last time, in the moment, it’s as if time stands still. My hair rises as gravity gives way, and my stomach turns. Trae howls, gripping me tightly.

  We crash through the ice and snow, then slowly submerge into the watery depths below.

  “What in the—?” Trae says, opening his eyes and releasing his grip a little.

  “There’s a channel of water underneath the Lateral. I’m not sure if anyone else realizes it’s there. The last time Tethys brought me this way, I remember seeing things. Statues, and a strange structure under the floor,” I say. “I remember thinking it was odd.”

  “Okay, I coulda used a little warning before we cliff jumped, though,” he says, taking a deep breath.

  “Sorry, it didn’t occur to me until we were coming up on it,” I say, gripping Tethys tightly and peering into the blackness of the water.

  Tethys moves surely through the depths, allowing the water to guide her to where she needs to be. Both Trae and I remain silent, waiting for a glimpse of the Lateral.

  Light streams into the water at large intervals, casting shadows and illuminating some of the underwater sculptures. I can’t tell if the light comes from outside, or the Lateral itself, but I’m happy for the visual disruption. The intensity of darkness becomes disorienting after a while.

  As we get closer, I claw at my wrist, holding it tightly to my body as the skin starts to burn, like it’s searing away. Soon, the sensation becomes unbearable. I grope at the fabric of my jacket, pulling it back and exposing the partial mark.

  As though it had a mind of its own, the light of the mark floods outward from my wrist, painting the walls with the same shimmering blue light. The light embeds itself into markings etched into the stone and statues. It starts off bright, casting away the darkness. But after a few moments, the light begins to dim.

  “Guess it knows I haven’t completed the trials,” I say, frowning.

  “But at least we know we’re in the right place. That’s gotta mean something, right?” Trae says.

  “Yeah, I guess. But if I can’t ignite the Beacon, I don’t know how much good it is,” I say.

  “Well,” Trae begins, but sighs. “That’s why we have a Plan B. If we can’t get this thing to work, then we take Videus out.”

  “Maybe there will be more in the Caudex soon,” I say.

  Tethys begins hunting for the best way into the Lateral. The last time she burrowed through the middle of the street, but this time, she’s more restless. Not only because the stake of our planet lies within these moments—these actions, but also because there are more people milling about in the streets now. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone.

  After what feels like forever, she finds her entry point.

  “Hold on, things are going to get a little bumpy,” I say, pulling Trae’s arms closer.

  Tethys swerves, guided by something I can’t see.

  Suddenly, the mark glows again, casting the blue light across a series of stone steps along the left. They spiral along the wall of the cavern system, heading upward toward the Lateral.

  “Are those stairs? How would they even—? Who would have built those?” Trae asks.

  “One way to find out,” I say, as Tethys gets us close.

  Once we reach the stairs, it becomes clear Tethys won’t be able to follow. The stairwell is far too narrow—built for a person to walk up alone. But for as far as I can see, it’s under water.

  “Can you swim?” I ask Trae.

  “I think I can manage. How about you?” he says.

  “How hard can it be?” I say, shrugging.

  Trae takes a deep breath, but coughs.

  “If we’re going to try this, we need to get moving. Tethys’ shield will eventually run out of oxygen. Are you ready?” I ask, keeping my eyes trained in the glo
wing stairs.

  “Let’s do it,” he says.

  “Follow the light of the stairs. If anything goes wrong, swim back to Tethys. She should be able to help,” I say.

  Trae nods.

  I take my own deep breath, trying to fill my lungs with as much air as possible before we give this a try. I grab hold of Trae’s hand and clutch the Caudex with the other.

  “Okay, ready? 1…2…3.”

  On the count of three, both Trae and I inhale deeply and Tethys releases her shield. Water rushes in at us from all directions, throwing us about like rag dolls.

  I struggle to hang on to Trae. The vortex pulls us apart, our fingers slipping away from one another. I try to open my eyes to see where we’re meant to go, knowing he’ll be doing the same. The blue light is beginning to dim, but I vaguely make out the steps.

  Pushing myself as hard as I can with my legs, I make my way slowly to the stairs. As I reach them, I scramble with my free hand, trying to find something to grab onto to pull myself up and out. The stones are slippery, covered in some sort of growth. I try the walls, finding a hand hold wide enough to slip my fingers inside and push me upward with my free arm.

  I continue along the wall, searching for my next hand hold, and kicking myself upward through the water. The blue light finally goes out completely, and I’m plunged onto darkness as I scramble to get myself out.

  Panic starts to claw at my chest as the last dregs of oxygen dwindle and carbon monoxide is bursting to get out. I fight the urge to inhale, but I’m losing the battle.

  Just when I think I can’t take it anymore, I push myself through the surface. My inhalation is loud and sloppy, and I scramble, desperately trying to find something to hold onto. The steps above the water are no longer slippery, but dry and solid.

  I throw the Caudex up onto one of the stairs. With wobbly arms and legs, I pull myself completely out of the water. Spinning around the way I came, I stare into the darkness, waiting for any sign of Trae.

  “Come on, come on,” I say, shivering.

  I’m met with complete silence.

  “No, no, no,” I say, shaking my head. “Come on, Trae.”

  This can’t be it. After everything we’ve been through, all that we still need to accomplish. This can’t be how things end.