by Belle Malory
Soft music drifted from the speakers, the crowd staying silent. More than one person wiped at their eyes. Kennedy wished she could cry with them. She wished she could release the anxious, vulnerable piece of herself that felt like weeping with these people. But she couldn’t. Crying was something she only let herself do in private, behind closed doors.
General Vickard spoke behind the podium. “Thank you all for coming. We wish Phoenix and Davaris could have been here as well, but their injuries prevented them from doing so. Rest assured, we’ve been told they should make a full recovery.”
Injuries.
Kennedy almost rolled her eyes. So that’s what they were calling it.
Phoenix and Davaris were holed up in a concrete cell like pariahs to keep them from blowing everyone else up. Their circle had lost its balance. Their abilities intensified, and neither had any control over them. They spent the last few days living through a series of fire spasms and heat waves, but nowhere near as bad as the first day. The first twenty-four hours were the worst. The pain the two of them went through was difficult to watch. They screamed and convulsed and shook like their bodies were being ripped apart. No modern medicine could stop it, and even when they tried, none of the doctors the Department of Extraterrestrials brought in could get near enough to help without being burned alive in the process.
Kennedy rubbed the bandage wrapped around her forearm from her wrist to her elbow. A second degree burn, Class C was how they classified it. If he had seared her skin any longer, it would have reached her bones. But it was the way Phoenix looked at her afterward that just about killed her. Compared to what he was going through, it was nothing. Just one stupid burn. She tried to tell him that, but no matter how hard she tried to make Phoenix see it wasn’t his fault, he wouldn’t listen. He’d kept himself locked away in his cell ever since, refusing to speak to anyone, including her. His silence hurt a million times worse than the stupid burn.
After a myriad of events and speeches, she tuned out, the ceremony was soon over, and someone’s hand brushed the small of her back. “Hey, Kenn.”
She glanced up, meeting Colton’s light blue eyes. They were easy, friendly eyes, and they stared at her in an all-too-knowing way. Lately she’d been talking to Colton more, finding it easy to confide in him. He was a good listener, and she appreciated that about him.
“Hey,” she replied back.
“Going to try again?”
“I can’t leave without saying goodbye,” she said, thinking of all the times she’d pressed that little button above Phoenix’s cell. She had yet to hear his voice on the other end.
“He’ll talk to you,” Colton assured her, keeping up with her quick pace. “Has anyone told him?”
“Doubt it.”
DOE wasn’t playing around anymore. The mission they planned for Kennedy and her circle was happening whether they agreed or not. Telling Phoenix probably wasn’t high on their priority list given that it wasn’t something he’d be happy about.
“Well, he has to come around eventually.”
She hoped Colton was right. DOE could issue all the orders they liked, but they would have to take her away kicking and screaming if they tried to make her leave without speaking to Phoenix first.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Have you made your decision about being put to sleep?”
“Um, I don’t know,” she said, shrugging. “I’m still thinking about it.”
Sleep mode was a feature on their ship that would keep them in a hibernation-like state for the six-month journey it took to reach their host planet. It sounded like a good way to skip the boring part of the trip—the dreaded waiting to get there—but being put to sleep for that long seemed wasteful. Ashley, trying her best to impart motherly advice, once told her never to waste one day of her life waiting for the next. Every second, boring or not, was a second that belonged to her, and she’d never be able to get that time back.
“What about you? Have you decided?” she asked Colton.
“Yes. Lanna and I are both gonna use it.”
“Really?” Kennedy couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice. Without anyone to keep her company, the voyage would suck even more. “But why?”
“We don’t want to be stuck on a ship for that long with nothing to do. Seems pointless.” He shrugged.
Kennedy nodded. She understood where they were coming from, even if she didn’t like it. Nothing about this mission made her want to do it. Hope still lingered inside of her, making her believe she could find a way to back out.
Wishful thinking, probably.
Even if it was possible, even if DOE decided to let one of them stay, it wouldn’t be her. She was the manipulator; the training would benefit her the most.
“Wait there!”
A hand snaked around her upper arm, yanking her back. She turned to stare into a pair of sharp green eyes surrounded by thick brows that were pressed inward, his mouth curled into a scowl.
“I have questions for you, number twelve,” the man said. “Most people idolize you keepers like friggin’ celebrities, but some of us want the truth. Are you just a face the government uses to manipulate the masses? Do you actually do anything, or are you a distraction for larger works at play?”
“Excuse me?” Why the heck was he asking her such off-the-wall questions? They sounded like lead-ins to some crazy conspiracy theory.
Before he had a chance to reply, two suited agents swooped in—seemingly out of nowhere—and pulled him off of her. It all happened so fast. They had the guy backed against the nearest wall before she could think straight. She hadn’t seen the agents, had no idea anyone had even been guarding her.
“Cease and desist, sir.”
“Kennedy, are you okay? Who is that man?” Colton asked, shielding her from the onslaught of the growing crowd. Even he hadn’t realized she’d been held up until now.
“I have no idea,” she said, the man’s voice still roaring in her ears. How ironic that he assaulted her with those pointed questions just as she was wishing the crowd were less ignorant. Larger works at play? What had he been insinuating?
She pushed through the onlookers. The agents had their Tasers out, aimed at the bearded man.
“Stop!” She stepped between them, holding her hands out to hold them off. “He didn’t mean me any harm, at least I don’t think he did.” Now that the shock had worn off, she was able to get a good look at him. He was slender, early thirties maybe, hovering just slightly above her in height. The entire package was distinctly familiar, even the resonance of his voice.
“You should go about your business, Miss Mitchell,” one of the agents said. “He’s a public nuisance; we’ve got it under control.”
Kennedy ignored that. “What’s your name?” she asked the bearded man.
“Daxton Hughes,” he spat out, still eyeing the Tasers directed at him.
Right away she knew where she’d heard it. “You’re the guy on the waves.”
“That’s right, the talking head. If you’ve seen my show, you know what I’m here for. Tell me, Miss Mitchell, if it’s your job to protect the planet, why do you need bodyguards?”
“I don’t.” She side-eyed one of the agents, picking up on the way he discreetly spoke into his brace. “I didn’t even know they were around. But in case you didn’t notice, we’re at a public event. There’s security everywhere. Now what do you want, Hughes? Or did you only stop me to make outlandish accusations?”
“You can’t call them outlandish unless you can prove—”
Kennedy stepped forward, steeling her features. “Stop wasting my time and get to the point. You won’t get another chance.”
Even the agents flinched. Kennedy was dimly aware of all the eyes on her. Reporters like Hughes tried to defame the keepers before, stirring questions about their purpose, trying to find conspiracies where there were none. They were looking in the wrong direction, always hoping to find a crack in the government’s stability they c
ould split in two.
“All I want are answers,” Hughes said by way of an explanation. “Rumor has it, you have Maxwell Ryder in custody. Can you tell me why?”
“He’s accused of being involved in a terrorist attack.”
“The same attack that got Fang Chen killed?”
“I can’t comment on it. Let the investigators do their jobs. If they press charges, it will become public record.”
“Considering he owns the largest tech company in the world, I think people have a right to know what’s going on.”
“They will, once more information is gathered.”
Except she wasn’t so sure that was true.
Kennedy had no idea what would be revealed to the public. If they didn’t put him in prison, DOE might find a way to quietly off Ryder. Because of him, the Sae-yers slipped past the Peri-Guard undetected. He committed the worst treason known to mankind. He conspired to make it happen—wanted it to happen. Which made him too big of a threat. Persecuting Ryder would give DOE a face, someone to blame, but it didn’t outweigh the greater risk of keeping him alive. They would kill him, she was sure of it now.
Colton reached for her hand. “Let’s go, Kenn.”
She turned to leave, but Hughes called out to her again. “Whispers of a larger war are spreading,” he lilted.
Goose bumps spread across her arms. It was the same kind of tone he used to make an impact on his TV show. “They say Ryder has something to do with it. They also say this isn’t the first time these aliens have visited Earth. Throw me a bone, Mitchell.”
The back of her throat itched. She didn’t blame him or anyone else for wanting answers. She simply didn’t have the authority to give them.
She opened her mouth and closed it again, struggling with what to say. Colton noticed, and took over for her. “Sae-yers have never been to Earth before, Mr. Hughes. Not that we know of. And we’re taking every precaution to make sure they don’t come back.”
Colton tugged on her arm, leading her away from the crowd.
As soon as it was safe, she let out a huge breath. “Jesus, Colton, where did that come from?”
“We were just attacked, Kenn. It’s human nature to be suspicious.”
“You lied to him.”
Her hands shook as she removed the sphere from her pocket. Colton noticed, and helped her power it up. The rubbery material expanded into a round transporter.
“I didn’t lie,” Colton insisted. “I told him Sae-yers have never been here before. Only their machines have entered our atmosphere.”
“This doesn’t seem right…the secrets, the lies, it’s starting to be too much. Is it really in their best interest to keep this from them?”
“I know exactly how you feel, and to be honest, I don’t know. Where to draw the line is a tough call for everyone involved. I think the majority of people could handle knowing more, but it’s not up to us.”
She nodded warily. “Maybe it should be.”
The weight on her shoulders grew heavier every day. What would she say if she had the right to speak freely? Would she choose to keep the same secrets that haunted her dreams? Sometimes she wanted people to know. And sometimes it seemed forcing others to share in her nightmares was the crueler choice.
“Think of it this way: we’re investigating the facts, collecting all the info we can before making a move. The Earth keepers are leaving for Mexico tomorrow morning, and they’ll find whatever Ryder was looking for. Whatever’s on that land has to be significant. We’ll find it and use it against the Sae-yers.”
“For all we know, there’s nothing there—”
“Ryder had a motive, Kennedy. He bought that land for a reason. You said yourself Ryder promised Plaffle a super-charged energy gemstone.”
“Yes, but he didn’t say there’s one located in Mexico. And it could’ve been a bluff. We don’t know the real reasons he bought that land.”
Well…technically they did know an ancient gemstone was rumored to be buried on the land Ryder bought from Penelope Little. And Ryder had promised Plaffle a gemstone. There were too many coincidences lining up.
“I’d bet my life that Lexie and the others find something.”
“Even if they do, we don’t know what it means yet.”
For all they knew, the Earth keepers could find a large diamond, or some other expensive bauble. Perhaps Plaffle only wanted the gemstone for its value and not some supposed mystical power.
“No, but we’re close to figuring it out. All of us are preparing for a war we hope will never happen. That’s why we’re leaving Earth. Our water circle will discover the strength keepers on other worlds possess. The Earth keepers will look for tools here at home. The fire keepers are still healing, figuring out how to manage without Fang. And the air keepers are gathering intel. We’re doing everything we can.”
“We’re also pretending the problem doesn’t exist. Yes, we’re fighting. Preparing. But we’re not being transparent.”
“Cops don’t always give the facts of a case before they’ve caught their suspects,” he pointed out. “We’re doing the same thing. There’s no good way to handle this, because the situation still sucks in the end. We’ve lost China, and now we’ve lost Fang. The best thing we can do is try to pick up the pieces without anyone compromising our strategy.”
Colton made a good case.
“Everything you’re saying makes sense. I just wish the guilt would ease up.”
“Go see Phoenix. Let this go for now.” He nudged her into her sphere. “And don’t turn on the waves for the next few days.”
She groaned. Hughes’s confrontation would be everywhere within hours. Colton sealed the entrance, attaching the thin rubbery material around her. Recognizing her presence, the sphere pressurized, muting out surrounding noises.
She checked the time on her brace. Soon it would be past visiting hours, not that it mattered. No one ever came to the door.
Even so…she had to try.
She waved goodbye to Colton and leaned back. The sphere slowly floated up, ascending into the public airways.
Once back in Section 9, Kennedy headed down a long, empty hall, and scanned her brace at the security entrance. This place was removed from the populated parts of the section, much like the sleeping dragon kept hidden under lock and key.
At the end of the hall, there was one small cell. Like always, she walked up to the thick metal door to press the little button on the right of the handle.
No answer.
Kennedy let out a heavy sigh and pressed it again.
Still nothing.
Damn. She’d really been hoping today would be different. Leaning back against the door, she miserably slid to the floor. “Phoenix,” she whispered, as if he could hear her through the thick wall of cement and metal. “Why won’t you talk to me?”
Yeah, he was dealing with stuff. Heavy stuff. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like. But shutting himself away from her and the rest of the world? Why couldn’t he at least speak to her?
Absently, she gathered the hair that had fallen in her face and pulled it back behind her shoulder. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, sitting here. Maybe she simply needed to feel close to Phoenix, even if he didn’t want to feel close to her.
Soon it would be too late, and that scared her the most. Her ship was leaving in two weeks, and if he didn’t let her in soon, there wouldn’t be another chance. Not for a long time anyway.
The speaker next to the door beeped, and she jumped.
“Kennedy?”
It was Davaris’s voice.
She scrambled to get to her feet. “Davaris? Are you okay? Is Phoenix with you?”
A few seconds of silence passed, and then she heard shuffling behind the door. “Honestly? No. Neither of us are okay. It took me this long just to gather the strength to walk across the room.”
She huddled over the speaker. “I’m so sorry Davaris…”
“There’s been some improvement since i
t happened,” he said, his voice strained. “But not much.”
She nodded, grateful to hear that. “Guess that’s better than nothing, right?”
“It’s hard to explain, Kenn. We still haven’t been able to harness the energy Fang transferred to us. Nix is taking it worse than me. Probably because he’s the manipulator.”
Every circle had a manipulator. In hers, they’d discovered Alanna could freeze water. Colton could heat it. But she was the only one who could move it. The same went for Phoenix. She glanced down at her arm, remembering how easy it was to get caught in his line of fire. He hadn’t been able to stop it anymore than she’d been able to get out of the way. For Phoenix, his loss of control would be unbearable. He was more skilled than all of the keepers put together. Since he was the first keeper discovered, he had been training the longest. Losing everything he had worked for was probably killing him.
“I need to speak to him, Davaris.”
She heard a sigh come from the other end. “He won’t, Kennedy. He’s just not himself right now.”
“But he has to,” she pleaded. “DOE is sending my circle to a water world to train. We’re being shipped out soon, and we won’t be back for over a year.”
Davaris went quiet. “I didn’t think they were going through with that mission,” he finally said.
“This latest attack made it blatantly obvious that we need to up our game. They’re not giving me a choice. I have to go.”
A few moments of silence passed. “Give me a minute,” Davaris said. “Let me try talking to him.”
“Thank you.”
What felt like hours passed as she waited by the speaker. Her eyes never tore away from it. She stood so still, breathing so shallow, afraid even her heart beat would drown out the sound of Phoenix’s voice.
It was taking too long. If he wanted to speak to her, he would’ve come by now.
