by Lysa Daley
Maybe because we're probably the only two teenage alien girls on the planet. You would think that would forge a bond. I've always wanted a sister; desperately so when I was younger.
But she makes me nervous.
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she tried to stab me when we first met.
The compound is quiet as I step outside into the chilly morning air. I pass a pair of nuns walking to the church, but nobody else. I plan to head over to the hospital to spend a little time with my uncle before school starts, then I can swing by the stables to check on Tom.
But when I arrive at the medical ward, I discover Fitz and a cluster of his team members gathered around Calliope’s bed. By the way everyone sort of lazily slumps, I suspect they’ve been there for a while.
Simmons sees me standing in the doorway and approaches. “Dr. Maggie let us know that she regained consciousness around 4:30 a.m.”
“It’s barely 6:00,” I say lightly. “You can’t give the girl a little time to rest?”
Simmons frowns as she replies, “Unfortunately, a troubling situation has come to our attention.”
Before I can ask what it is, Fitz motions to us. “Why don’t you ladies join us over here.”
As we step to the periphery of the group, I see that Calliope is propped up, looking more alert. I notice that one of Fitz’s guys, an agent who’s unfamiliar to me, records the conversation.
“Tell us again about your guardian?” Fitz asks.
Her face hardens, “Like I already said, my guardian, General Zek, was killed by the Draconian scum.”
Fitz challenges this answer, “We were unaware that General Zek had been assigned to guard a sister of light.”
“That is because he was my second guardian. Twice I have escaped assassination by the Draconian Threat. And twice I have lost a guardian.”
“I'm very sorry to hear that,” Fitz backs off a bit. “When did that happen? Where?”
“I lived in the Alpha Centauri system until my first guardian was killed. For several more years, I lived there unprotected with only a mother and her other children. Finally, General Zek rescued me, and we relocated one star system away to Tau Ceti where we settled on the planet Fluxrun Three.”
“No kidding?” Jax says, his eyes wide. “That’s my system. Fluxrun Two is my home planet. My name is Jax by the way.”
“Are you Jaxorus Flux Dyious?” she ask. “Master of the long sword and the way of the silent warrior?”
This long title surprises all of us.
“…Yes,” he nods, looking a little embarrassed by the big name. “I mean, that is my formal name on my home planet. No one calls me that here.”
“I heard tales of your bravery during my training on Fluxrun,” she tells him.
“I haven’t met someone from my system for quite a while,” Jax replies with a warm smile. “How are things there?”
She hesitates. “You don’t know?”
His face flattens. “Know what?”
“I am sorry to tell you all that the Tau Cetian system has all but been destroyed by Draconian forces.”
“What?” Jax says. “But there are 15 planets?”
“Last I knew, they were all gone except Fluxrun 14 and 15 on the outskirts of that solar system,” Calliope informs him.
Jax looks like someone just punched him in the gut.
“I was barely able to get out with my life. The Draconian-Grey forces infiltrated our system. Initially, their attempts were stopped by the armies of the Alliance. If the Draconians could not rule Fluxrun, then they would not let it remain. Instead, they destroyed the whole system. I’m sorry to have to tell you.”
Rattled, Jax abruptly turns away. “Excuse me…”
The gravity of the situation permeates the room. There’s a long solemn silence. Finally, Fitz continues, “How did you get to Earth? How were you able to navigate?”
“I came in an old Suncraft pod that my guardian refurbished,” she explains. “The coordinates were set when I left the system. I had nearly four months alone in the craft.”
“Those old Suncrafts were slow and famously unreliable,” Tanaka, the tech guy, interjects. “It’s amazing she made it at all.”
“It was the only star-worthy craft we had access to,” Calliope continues. “The war had destroyed everything else by then. When I entered your atmosphere, I was able to manually fly this ship.”
“So then you came all by yourself?” Dr. Maggie asks like a concerned mother.
“Not all alone. Just me and Raki.”
“Who is Raki?” Fitz asks.
“My Drolgon guardian. He came too, of course.”
“You have a Lesser Valarian Drolgon as well?” Simmons inquires.
“I have a Greater Valarian.”
The adults exchange worried looks.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“That must be what attacked Tom the other night,” Fitz states.
“Impossible,” Calliope shakes her head defiantly. “Raki would never attack another creature. Unless, of course, he believed it to be a direct threat to me.”
“He might feel threatened in a foreign environment,” Simmons suggests.
“Where is he now? Your valerian guardian?” Fitz asks.
“We landed deep within your forest. Half an Earth day from here. Raki has taken the form of a green-headed, flock creature with wings that nests along your flat waters.”
“Green headed? A bird on the lake?” Fitz translates. “Does it say “quack quack?”
“Yes,” her face brightens for the first time since she spoke of her guardian and the doomed world from which she came.
“Your Raki has been hanging out with a flock of ducks.”
She smiles. “These winged creatures seem benign.”
The word benign makes me wonder. “How did you learn English?”
“My craft’s computers. I had four months to study the ways of this planet. I have consumed much of your local entertainment. Books, movies, songs. I believe I speak 22 of the most common dialects on this planet.”
“And you left notes for Astrid?” Fitz asks.
“Yes. I was initially unable to tell if she was being held here against her will, so I did not want to make direct contact until I knew it was safe.”
“Why did you not return to the Pleiades?” Fitz asks.
“My guardian entrusted the memory stone with me. I am to give it to her guardian.”
Fitz reacts like he’s been slapped. “The memory stone? Are you certain that’s what you have?”
She seems surprised by his reaction. “Yes, I was told to give it to Astrid’s guardian when I arrived.”
The mood in the room has changed. Everything feels more serious.
“Where is it now?” Fitz asks.
“It’s safe,” she replies. “On my craft.”
“You have done well, Calliope,” Fitz says. He sounds impressed by her. Proud of her. For getting here. For learning our language. For surviving. “Is your craft still intact?”
“Oh yes, I was able to bring it in for a landing it is in an open stretch of field,” she says. “My guardian made sure that I was a well-trained pilot.”
“Where is it now?”
“In the woods near the duck lake,” she replies.
Fitz looks to his men. “Her craft must be the object we picked up on satellite.”
One of his men speaks up, “Sir, that's a densely forested area. Even a one-mile area will take us more than a day, possibly two, to search.”
Fitz nods then turns back to Calliope. “Do you have any more specific details? Any landmarks?”
She thinks for a moment. “On my way out, I passed several long structures built along a lake. They had many long land vehicles filled with dead trees.”
Reading the map on his tablet, Tanaka says, “There’s logging camp to the north of us. Not far from the radar sightings.“
Fitz is on his feet and heading out the door. “Let’s go.�
�� Fitz turns to his team. “We need to find her ship and get that stone. Before anyone else does.”
Chapter 31
The ancient prophecies foretell that one of the seven sisters of light will defeat the Draconian threat. Unfortunately, these fantastic predictions don’t explain exactly how that’s supposed to happen. Nor do they indicate which of the seven sisters it will be.
Prophecy or no prophecy, I’ve always been pretty sure that I am not the chosen one. And now that I’ve met Calliope — who is a thousand times more capable than me — I’m even more convinced that it isn’t me.
“It’s must her,” I whisper to Ruby as we stand outside. “She’s the more important one.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Ruby rolls her eyes. “You’re both important. C’mon, they’re going to leave soon.”
In the big conference room, documents cover every inch of the table, and a big map of what looks like the local surrounding area is being projected up on a white board.
The adults are in the middle of an intense discussion when we walk in. As soon as Fitz sees me, he puts the conversation on hold. “We are in the process of forming a squad to retrieve Calliope’s craft. It’s imperative that we do as soon as possible.”
“What is this memory stone?” O’Malley asks.
“Good question. A thousand years ago, when the prophecy of the Sister’s of Light first came into being, a memory stone was created from the same metal that forced the stardust swords. While each weapon is unique to the bearer, the exact same elemental stardust resides in each one. The memory stone acts as a sort of sword tracking beacon. It knows where all seven swords are at any given moment.”
“That’s pretty impressive,” I say, “It’s like lo-jack for magical weapons. Good to know I’ll always be able to find BrightSky.”
“True,” Fitz agrees. “However, whoever controls the memory stone, can also locate the swords.”
This had not occurred to me.
“Therefore, it would be disastrous if the memory stone fell into the wrong hands,” he adds.
Jax picks up where Fitz left off. “I know it seems like putting all of that information in one place might be a terrible idea. But there was a real possibility that any one of our planets could have been overrun, or even totally destroyed, by the Draconians.”
“But Calliope has it? So what’s the issue?” I ask, looking at the solemn faces staring back at me.
“For centuries, it was kept safely on Lyria under the watchful eye of the Council of Light. But the memory stone recently disappeared. The council speculated that it was smuggled to the Arcturian system.” Fitz explains.
“The memory stone was stolen?” I ask, trying to understand where this is going.
“Yes. They now believe that it may have been Calliope’s second guardian who stole the information. Perhaps to sell to the Draconians. If they could find all the swords, they could destroy all seven sisters.”
“It would be nearly priceless to them,” O’Malley adds.
“But — “ I hesitate to say this out loud. “But her guardian was my uncle’s brother.”
“All we know is that her guardian told her to come to this planet to find your uncle,” Fitz says as everyone suddenly seems to be avoiding eye contact with me.
“You don’t think my uncle would betray the alliance?” I can’t believe what they’re suggesting. “You don’t think he had anything to do with stealing this memory stone?”
A heavy silence fills the room.
“I’m sorry, but it’s a possibility we have to consider,” Fitz replies gravely.
“You’re crazy,” I reply as anger rises in me. “You have completely lost your mind if you think my uncle would ever help the Draconians.”
“I hope so,” Fitz nods. “But I have to do my job.”
“I, for one, don’t believe your uncle would betray the alliance.” Jax voices his opinion.
“To be honest, I don’t either,” Fitz confesses, dropping his head as if the weight of this problem is pushing him down. “But it is imperative that your uncle does not learn about the memory stone or the fate of his brother until we have more information.”
“You’re asking me to lie to my uncle?”
“We need you to keep him isolated from this news until we know more. In the meantime,” Fitz says, lowering his voice. “We’re taking a couple of search parties out to help us locate Calliope’s ship.”
Just then the door burst open, and a red-faced guard escorts a determined looking Calliope into the room.
“She insisted that we bring her, sir,” the guard say before Fitz can reprimand him.
“I can get you to my ship,” Calliope begins. “It will cut down on your search time. The memory stone is hidden inside my ship. You’ll never find it without my guidance.”
“Dr. Maggie said that you were supposed to stay in bed and rest,” Fitz scolds her like a little kid.
“Don’t be ridiculous, sir,” Calliope replies. “With all due respect, I’m feeling perfectly fine. And my short blades will act as a beacon to help locate the spacecraft. Therefore, it seems logical that I should come along.”
“It’s nothing but miles of trees out there, sir,” Tanaka adds, swayed by Calliope’s plea. “And there are at least a dozen small lakes. The girls could be useful if she remembers any landmarks. Could really cut back on search time.”
“Fine.” Fitz frowns, then says to Calliope, “But you let us know if you're not feeling well. And we’ll get you back here asap.”
“Then I’m coming too,” I reply.
“No, you’re not,” Fitz says flatly.
“Why not?” I ask.
“Because you’re safer here.”
“Why does she get to go?” I ask.
“Because she and her sword will help us find the ship.”
“I have a sword too,” I counter, holding up my umbrella. For once I have it with me when I need it.
“I hate to say it, but she’s right,” Jax says, “BrightSky will act as a compass just as much as Calliope’s short blades. They both might come in handy.”
Fitz considers this for a moment and shakes his head unhappily. “Normally, I would never allow this, but since time is of the essence, I’m not sure I have much choice in the matter.”
Less than an hour later, I’m in the backseat of a military style Humvee with Jax. I have BrightSky leaning against my leg.
As we load the trucks, Fitz returns Calliope’s her two short blades. She turns them into chignons, twisted her hair into a bun and secures it with the little ornamental red sticks.
Calliope is with Fitz in the Humvee in front of us. “From the visual description Calliope gave us of the area she believes she came from, it must have landed near a logging camp.
Tanaka, our driver, responds. “We’ve already sent a preliminary search party out. So far they’ve found no sign of it. No burn marks, no broken branches, no nothing. However, we got a message from the logging camp a few days ago reporting some unusual activity in the woods.”
“Did they specify?” Jax asks.
Tanaka shakes his head. “They left us a message. No details. Could be anything. We’ve been trying to follow up, but haven’t been able to reach them yet.”
The caravan of Humvees arrives at the logging camp. It’s built into a small clearing in the dense forest where three long one-story barracks stand along with one tall squat aluminum storage shed. Two empty flatbed semis are parked along the perimeter of the logging compound.
We all quietly disembark and gather together.
“It’s quiet,” Jax remarks, his eyes traveling from one end of the cluster of industrial buildings to the other end.
“Too quiet,” Fitz answers, slowly advancing toward the main building. There’s not a bird, nor a cricket, nor anything else to be heard. The silence unnerves me.
“Does this look familiar?” Fitz asks Calliope.
She looks around. “I’m not sure.”
We approach
the first and largest of the logging barracks. There’s no sign of life. Fitz and his men have their weapons drawn.
“Hello!” Fitz calls out and waits for a response. When there is none, he calls out again, “Hello! Anyone here?”
The air smells musty and rank.
Weapons at the ready, Fitz motions for the group to advance.
Jax steps in front of Calliope and me. “You two stay behind us.”
The team advances through the front room, into the common area filled with old furniture. The faint sound of a baseball game on TV murmurs from the back.
Straggling behind, I bring up the rear. Which is sort of creepy.
Turning my head to the left, I see that there’s a common bunk room filled with double decker bed frames. Leaning against a bed, I see what sort of looks like a small, pale log tangled in a blanket.
At first, I’m confused by what I’m seeing. Why would the loggers bring logs inside? Then I see drips and drops of blood sprinkled on the floor. Taking a step inside the bunk room, I finally realize that I’m actually looking at severed body parts.
Chapter 32
“Here, have something to drink.” Jax hands me a paper cup filled with fresh cool water.
Calliope comes and sits next to me. “Astrid, are you feeling a little better?”
“I’m about as good as someone can be after seeing the mutilated body parts of random humans,” I reply, trying hard to keep my voice from shaking.
Altogether, the team figures that there are three dead bodies. And a fourth partial body. All of them have been dismembered. Two of the four heads are missing.
What could do this? And why?
Standing near the parked Humvees, Simmons calls to us, “Calliope, can you come and look at this more detailed map?”
Calliope walks over to her as Fitz and his team continue to try to figure out where her spacecraft might be
“How can they just keep going?” I wonder aloud, gazing at the adults huddled around a makeshift command center on the back of one of the Humvee’s raised flatbeds.
“We’re fighting the sun,” Jax explains. “Probably less than an hour of light left. If we want to make any progress today, then we have to keep moving forward.”
