by Belle Malory
“Sorry for what? The meeting went perfectly fine.”
Kennedy blinked. “Wait—so she didn’t ask you about the mission?”
“Yes, she did. We spoke in length about it actually.”
“And you didn’t want to choke her to death?”
“Choke her?” He asked, sounding startled. “Stars, no. Your mother is a lovely woman.”
“Just to be clear, we are talking about Ashley Mitchell, right?”
“Since when did I turn senile? I may be old, but I remember who your mother is, kiddo.”
Well, sheesh. That was a first. “It’s just that she hasn’t exactly been supportive of me going.”
“She did express her concerns,” Mason said, clearing his throat, “but she realizes how important this is for you. Anyway, I’ve told her I’d give you the weekend to spend with your family, and I plan to make good on that promise.”
“Sir, but the whole weekend? You want to cut my training this close to our departure date?”
“No arguments, Miss Mitchell. But before you head out, I need you and your circle members to meet me outside the Room of Lost Prophets. There’s something I’d like you all to see.”
Kennedy leaned away from her brace, blinking. The Room of Lost Prophets had always been off limits, the door tightly sealed with a padlock to keep everyone except for authorized personnel out. But as far as she knew, no one ever went in there. “See you shortly, Professor,” she said before signing off. No way was she missing this opportunity.
She waved goodbye to Nika and Zane, then quickly left the gym. As she made her way down the hall to meet the professor, she caught sight of Alanna.
“Da Room of Lost Prophets?” Alanna asked in her islander accent. “What ya think he wants to show us in dat room?”
Kennedy shrugged. “No idea. I was starting to think it was just an old broom closet with a fancy plate on the door.”
They found the door to the Room of Lost Prophets cracked open, the murmur of Professor Mason and Colton’s voices coming from inside.
Kennedy peeked in, pushing the door open as she and Alanna entered the room. The room was smaller than she expected, no bigger than her bedroom, but it was filled from top to bottom with…well she wasn’t sure what this stuff was in glass cases lining the walls.
“Come in, come in,” Mason motioned the two of them. “Alanna, shut the door. We don’t need any curious eyes invading our privacy.”
Although she didn’t yet know what she was looking at, Kennedy gawked at the glass cases. Inside of them were jewels and metals in colors she was sure she had never before seen. Gadgets and devices that were inexplicable.
“Artifacts that have come to us over the years,” Mason clarified, as if reading her thoughts. “Ancient relics from alien civilizations, some of it given to us, some of it discovered. In the drawers, we keep records of modern civilizations.”
“Why do they call it the Room of Lost Prophets?” she asked as she noticed a crystal globe lit with an array of colors beneath its surface.
“Because most of the information stored here is either religious or prophetic in some shape or form. Apparently we’re not the only world founded with religious values.”
She continued to wander about the room, absorbed by her surroundings, while Professor Mason busied himself at the center stand, flipping switches on the console. “Look over here,” he said, lights flickering in the space before him. “This is what I wanted to show you three. The reason this room is so important.”
Images in the shape of bookcases appeared. Mason waved his hand, and the shelves flew to the left as he searched through the volumes. “Ah, here you go. Great example.” He held up his palm, and the flow of shelves came to a halt. He tapped on a book labeled Gringolla 1299. “This planet lives in the heart of Andromeda. Creatures as big as our dinosaurs exist there, and they’re intelligent.”
“Why isn’t this information available to the public?” Kennedy asked. “Are we trying to hide it?”
Mason swallowed, obviously uncomfortable with the question. “Personally, I think we should open these files to the public, but our department officials got together and voted to keep them private, for now.”
“Why?”
“We’re getting such a large influx of information about life-bearing planets that the department hasn’t had enough time to sort through it. Eventually, we’ll catch up with ourselves. Until then, we’re being careful about what we choose to release.”
That was a stupid reason to keep them private; it sounded like it was more about control than anything else.
“Here it is,” Mason pulled out the volume he was looking for. “Azuras 3050. Your destination planet. This is all the information we have about it. I want you three to read it, cover to cover. Learn about the culture, the animals, the weather. Try to memorize as much as you can before you leave.”
“Thanks, Mason. This oughta be helpful,” Colton said.
“You’re welcome.” Mason nodded, straightening. His eyes lingered on them for a long moment as he scratched his beard. “Ah, there’s something I want you three to know. I don’t agree with everything this department does, but as far as this mission goes, I’m all for it. It’s not going to be easy, and, well…anyway, I just want you all to know I’m proud of you guys for going through with it. We can’t learn everything in books. Sometimes we have to learn from others to become our own masters. Because of you three, we might actually have a shot at defending ourselves against the Sae-yers.”
Mason was one of the few officials Kennedy trusted inside of DOE. Until now, she hadn’t realized how important this mission was to him.
It made her feel like she was standing over a border, with one leg on each side, hovering there. She couldn’t make up her mind about where she was going. Going in either direction would cost her something; she simply wasn’t sure which cost was greater.
Fifteen
Kennedy arrived at the restaurant late, her mom quick to criticize her for it. “We’re only here for three days. You could at least do us the favor of showing up on time.”
“Sorry,” Kennedy said, taking the empty seat next to Reagan. “The tunnel I normally use to travel into the city was closed for maintenance. I had to use the south tunnel in another section—holy shit.”
Kennedy nearly fell out of her chair. Hunter sat across the dinner table, casually leaning back against his seat, looking bored. He actually came.
Ashley set her glass of water down on the table, swallowing. “For Pete’s sake, Kennedy. Language.”
Beside her, Reagan snickered. “I thought she phrased her thoughts quite well.”
“Not helpful, Reagan.”
Kennedy was too stunned to pay any attention to anyone else but Hunter. “Your hair…it’s gone.” He had shaved his beautiful, silky brown curls into a buzz cut. It made him look different, older. No less handsome, but the boyish charm was nearly gone.
“And yours is blonde,” he replied, as if that were much, much worse.
“It’s a wig.”
“Good to know. At least there’s one part of you that hasn’t changed.”
Reagan snorted at that. “Like you have room to talk.”
Kennedy narrowed her eyes. Of course she changed. Hello, obvious. She’d been forced to give up her entire life, her friends, her family, and move to this space station where everything was cold and unfamiliar. Her anonymity had been traded in for a name and face now recognizable to the whole planet. And on top of that, she’d been given the more responsibility than most adults could handle, much less any teenagers. It’s not like she wanted to become the weapon DOE was morphing her into. She never asked for this.
As she stared into her old friend’s hardened eyes, she wondered if any part of him understood the sacrifices she made and the fears she had to overcome. She wondered if he knew that she’d kill for a little normality, that nothing would make her happier than getting back that carefree, quiet life where the two of them searched t
he skies for UFOs from their backyards and talked to each other everyday through their windows. Nothing about the way he was looking at her showed that he understood. Not even a little.
Stars. She’d like to go off on him, tell him what an ass he was being. And she’d like to blast him for his last comment too, but she didn’t. The hurt he was feeling was at her expense. If she had just told him about Phoenix, he wouldn’t have had to find out the way he did. As much as she wanted to scream and yell and cry, she held it all in.
“I’ve missed you, Hunter,” she said calmly, and left it at that.
Several seconds ticked by as she waited for him to respond. He simply sat back in his chair and looked the other way. Ugh. Why had he even bothered to come? He was never going to forgive her.
Then she thought she saw his face soften for just a moment—probably just her imagination—but she held on to it.
Jake nudged his son with his elbow. “We’re all glad Hunter could make it, considering how he won’t be able to see his best friend for over a year. We’re very happy he came to wish her goodbye.” He said the last part through clenched teeth.
Hunter rolled his eyes. “Yep, right. That’s exactly why I’m here.”
Jake frowned, recognizing the sarcasm for what it was; they all did, but let it go.
The server came by to hand Kennedy a menu. “Select your plate by pressing on the picture. If you have any questions, press the button on the top of the screen.”
“Thank you.” Kennedy looked around the table. “Have you all ordered?”
“We were waiting for you,” Ashley said, picking up her menu. “Have you been here before?”
She shook her head. “Most nights I eat at home; Matilda cooks for me.”
“The Series Seven android?”
Kennedy nodded.
Ashley pressed her lips together. Kennedy knew it bothered her hearing that a robot cooked her daughter’s meals. “She’s been using your recipes,” she added, hoping that would help ease the sting of it.
“Oh, really? I’d like to meet this android.”
“I’m sure she’d like to meet you as well,” she said, smiling. “So what’s new? How has everyone been?”
The conversation drifted into peaceful territory after that. Ashley and Jake caught her up to speed on the house renovations, which they both seemed excited about. They had big plans to expand the small house into something much newer and grander; they even promised she’d have her own room next time she came to visit.
Ashley no longer seemed upset. In fact, Kennedy couldn’t help but notice the significant change in her mom with Jake around. As casual as they tried to play it off, cuteness oozed from the two of them. It was difficult to imagine her mom happy with anyone other than her father, but here she was. Happy. Witnessing it in person wasn’t as weird as Reagan made it out to be. Their relationship felt oddly comforting. Oddly familiar. Kennedy watched Jake throughout the dinner, seeing him in an entirely different way. She’d always adored him as Hunter’s father, but knowing that he made her mom happy made her love him that much more.
Hunter didn’t seem as comfortable with it. She caught several disgusted glares. She could guess why. The fact that their parents were now together only furthered a wedge between their chance of ever having a shot. She hoped that wasn’t the case, hoped he would only see her as a friend, but there was still too much animosity there.
She waited until Ashley and Jake were distracted to speak to him again. “So why did you really come?”
He looked at her with a lazy smile. “To see you, of course.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Hunter.”
“Fine. I had other reasons.”
“Which are?”
“None of your business.”
Kennedy had to stop herself from hurling her water glass at him. Then an idea occurred. “Tell me, or I’ll tell Jake about the bourbon.”
Two years ago, they snuck into Jake’s liquor cabinet. Unknowingly, Hunter had replaced a priceless bottle of bourbon Jake was saving for his fiftieth birthday with apple juice. If he ever found out, he’d be livid. The bottle cost more than his annual salary.
“You wouldn’t.”
She looked over at Jake, who was busy feeding Lincoln. “Hey, Ja—”
“Okay, stop.” Hunter glared at her. “Since when did you become a blackmail expert? They teach you that in keeper training?”
“Get to your reason, jerkface.”
“If you really must know, I came because I wanted to meet a stargazer.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again. That certainly wasn’t something she expected to hear. “You came all the way to Olympus to see a stargazer?” she asked, just to be sure she heard him correctly.
Hunter shrugged. “They say the best ones live here. Know any?”
She shook her head. “Not personally, but several of them live in my section.”
“Great. Let’s look one of them up and get a reading.”
She tilted her head. “You know they can’t actually predict the future, right?”
“If that were true, the government wouldn’t consult with them all the time. How else do you think they ended up living in your secluded section?”
“I don’t know about all this, Hunter. You’ve been listening to too many conspiracies.”
“You don’t have to buy into it. Humor me.”
She stared at him for several seconds, thinking. If participating in his silly hunt for a stargazer got him to spend time with her this weekend, what was the harm?
“So?” he prompted.
“Okay, we’ll find one.”
Reagan overheard them, and leaned toward their side of the table. “These plans better include me. You two are not leaving me stuck with Lovey and Dovey all weekend.”
“Who do you think is going to make it possible?” Hunter said. “We need you to convince Ashley to let us go out by ourselves.”
Reagan nodded. “Okay. I can make that happen. But it’s only if she believes you two have made up. So put on some happy faces and pretend to like each other again.”
“I never stopped being his friend,” Kennedy grumbled.
“If friendship means betraying my trust, leading me on, and breaking my heart, then, yeah, you never stopped.” Hunter’s words poured over her like acid. Well he certainly wasn’t holding back, so why should she?
“You expected more than I ever said I was willing to give!” she said, before she could stop herself.
“And you let me expect more from you—”
“Guys,” Reagan cut in. “This is the opposite of what I just asked you to do. Smiling faces, remember?”
Hunter reached for his iced tea, holding it up as if to toast her. “Sure, Reagan, I suppose I can fake it for one weekend.”
His sugary smile only deepened Kennedy’s frown. She didn’t like this side of him. Anger was one thing, but she never thought Hunter was capable of intentionally hurting her. She blinked, her eyes stinging, and wondered if she could get through this weekend.
“Kenn?” Reagan prompted.
Breathing in through her nose, Kennedy forced her lips to turn upward for a brief moment. “Yes, we can fake it.”
Reagan sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. She shook her head disapprovingly. “I’ll get Mom on board. In the meantime, the two of you need to work on your acting skills.”
Sixteen
“Wake up, sleepin’ beauties, or were the two of ya plannin’ to waste the day away?”
Day?
Seemed like he’d only been asleep a few minutes…Phoenix blinked through his groggy haze, focusing in on the dying crackling campfire. Behind that, pink and gold rays of dawn stretched out on the mountainous horizon. The sunrise. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, couldn’t stop watching the sun break through the fabric of night, happiness aching in his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen one. The warm vibrant colors, the brightness of the sun—it was beautiful.
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Something hit him square in the face, ruining the moment. A pair of boxers. He glanced up to find Davaris’s uncle looming over them, a sly smirk playing at his chapped lips. He met the man briefly last night. His name was Hamilton Woods, and he looked like a much older version of Davaris, probably late sixties, but with a cataract clouding one eye, and a more hawkish nose. “Did ya happen to notice the cool drift of wind down below? Seems your clothes and sleeping bags are now cinders.”
Phoenix shivered. What the… Not again.
The sleeping bags Hamilton had given them last night surrounded their bodies in ashes, and they were completely naked. At the rate he was losing clothes, Phoenix figured he may as well wrap himself in aluminum foil.
At least Davaris made a good call by choosing to come out here to the Nevada desert. Other than their clothes, there wasn’t much they could accidentally destroy inside miles of sand.
Hamilton threw them each a flannel button up and a pair of overalls. “Get dressed, boys. We have places to go. Things to set fire.”
Phoenix stood, sliding the boxers on. “So you told him everything then?” he asked Davaris.
Hamilton answered for him. “If he didn’t, he sure told me more than I wanted to know. I saw what he can do, and I’m still not convinced these old eyes aren’t seeing things.”
“And you’re okay with us being here?”
“Course I am. You think I’m gonna turn my own nephew away when he needs me?” Hamilton shook his head. “Don’t care who is lookin’ for you two, whether it be the law or the world government. We’ll keep it hush.”
“Thanks, Uncle Hammy.” Davaris grinned, buttoning up his shirt. “We appreciate it.”
“Come on up to the house, now. Your Aunt Wyla is cooking ya’ll eggs and bacon. You’ll have to eat on the front porch, of course. Can’t have you two roasting my furniture.”
