Stephanie Thomas - Lucidity

by Unknown

  Brandon apprehensively approaches the bed and asks, “Why do you need them?”

  Echo blinks and looks over each of us. “They are the source of healing energy that the Dreamcatchers need to thrive.”

  “Can’t you find this energy in other things? Like the plant that was just used to heal you? You didn’t need a Citizen to do that … ” Brandon points out, and I realize that I have not thought of this before now.

  “There are different types of healing energies. This was a sickness. But sometimes people are physically wounded, like Gabe, and another physical being is needed to help mend them,” Echo replies, then looks at me. “If we free the Citizens, and they all decide to leave, then what will we do?”

  I press my lips together in thought. I have to answer this carefully, or else Echo will always be too afraid to let his people go. “Echo,” I begin, my hand closing over his, “we weren’t made to be immortal. Your people might have found a way around this, temporarily, but if you keep at it … it will end in disaster. You, yourself, took me to the Settlements to see the horrible conditions that they are living in. It will only be a matter of time before they rise up against you, rebel, and ultimately destroy everything you’ve worked so hard to maintain.”

  Echo looks away from me and to the windows, which are filled with the glow of the harsh sun outside. I am reminded that this is a city of gold, a city filled with a certain evanescence which cannot be described. It is beautiful and consumed with light, the opposite of my home. The opposite of the darkness I am used to.

  “Let them be free, Echo. Change Aura for the better. And then, you can come home with me, and help me change the City, too.” I whisper the words as we gaze out the window and into the sunlight.

  I peer to the side, watching as Elan shifts uncomfortably where he stands at the mention of changing the City, but Brandon smiles and nods his head in agreement.

  “And Gabe?” Echo looks up at me. “How are we going to get him back?”

  Elan and Brandon are watching me expectantly. There’s no way they are going to return to the City without Gabe.

  I reach up and pull the bottle cap necklace from under the tank top that I have yet to change out of. I look down and run a thumb over the picture of the raven, remembering when Gabe bought it for me, remembering how defiant he was in the face of the Keeper. He wasn’t afraid of loving me then. He’s still not afraid.

  I can only think of one option.

  “We will fight for him.”

  Chapter 20

  The tarmac buzzes with commotion as ships idle in place, waiting for their cargo to be loaded. Most of that cargo consists of Dreamcatchers dressed in combat gear, strapped with weapons, and ready to fight. They disappear into the hull of the vessels, one-by-one, ready to fight for something they’ve probably never thought of fighting for in their lives: a Seer.

  I stand beside Brandon and Elan, all of us also dressed in jumpsuits, guns strapped over our shoulders. The wind blows freely over the flat surface of the spaceport, whipping my long hair around my face and causing the flags of Aura around the perimeter of the tarmac to snap violently back and forth. The sound of the canvas cracking reminds me of the tents that Gabe and I stayed in at the Rogue camp. It makes me ache for him all the more. I want to leave now.

  There’s no particular fanfare when Echo finally arrives from his escort, the same ship that he used to get me from the City to Aura. It pulls in and lowers its ramp, and two lines of three Dreamcatcher guards emerge first from the ship, preceding Echo, who wears the same combat outfit as we all do. Nothing about him differentiates him as the king, which is good, because I don’t need him targeted any more than I need to blow my own cover as Keeper.

  All-in-all, there are about ten, mid-sized ships loaded with maybe ten to twenty men and women each. I hope it is enough. The Rogues might not be as technologically advanced as the Dreamcatchers, but they are crafty, and I’m sure they’ve come up with some sort of plan in case they were ever attacked. They are too smart not to have.

  As Echo approaches me, I manage a smile, but it’s nervous at best, and he can probably tell. I hook my hair back behind my ears to keep it from blowing in my face. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Gabe helped to save my people, and my people will help to save Gabe,” Echo replies simply enough, then reaches out to brush a stray strand of hair out of my line of sight. “It’s only fair.”

  “It’s a good first step in the right direction of forging a peaceful relationship between the Seers and the Dreamcatchers.” I glance up at the ships as their ramps start to close, sealing up their hulls and signaling that they are ready to go.

  “Do we have a plan?” Elan asks, always concerned about the logistics of everything.

  Echo readily nods his head and motions for us to follow him back onto the vessel that he arrived in. The three of us follow him up into the ship, and after us, the guards load in and seal off the hatch. We are on our way.

  “The plan is, we will take them by force.” Echo glances between the three of us, saying nothing more.

  “That’s it?” Elan deadpans.

  “That’s all we need, Seer Elan. The Rogue camp is located in a wide-open space. By the time they realize we are coming, we will already be upon them. We will have the element of surprise.” Echo raises a hand, letting the captain of his crew know to proceed onward. The ship lurches forward, but after the initiate jerk, it’s hard to tell if we are moving or not.

  Brandon sits forward, resting his elbows on his jumpsuit’s kneepads. “And how are we going to find Gabe? And what about all the people who won’t be fighting? Like the women and the children?”

  As badly as I feel about it, I never thought about the Rogue women and children, who will be stuck in a fight that they didn’t start.

  “Remember in combat class, Brandon? Sometimes you can’t prevent causalities. People are going to get in the way. That’s just how war goes.” Elan doesn’t seem so concerned about who might get caught in his crossfire. He’s always been the one to charge forward, but only after coming up with a sound plan. And as I watch him shift in his seat, I can tell he’s not comfortable with Echo’s plan so far.

  “But is this war?” Brandon directs the question at me. “Are we starting a war?”

  I hesitate. Are we starting a war? Do I really know the answer to that question? “It’s a battle, Brandon. All we can do is be careful that we don’t take down the unarmed.” Turning to Echo, I fix him with a look. “Can you give those orders? Before we get there? No one is to shoot at anyone who isn’t shooting at them?”

  “Sounds fair enough.” Echo motions to one of the guards, beckoning him over. “Commander, please make sure that the rest of our contingent is aware that we are not shooting at those who are unarmed and not fighting. We are only fighting those who are taking part in the battle.”

  The Commander salutes Echo and heads off toward the front of the ship, presumably to relay the new orders to the other ships that are following us.

  The four of us sit in silence, listening to the humming of the ship as it hovers through the air, its trajectory set for the Rogue camp. I am nervous about what I will find when I get there. I am nervous that we won’t be able to get to Gabe … or that it will be too late when we do. I tug on my sleeve, my fingers tracing the thin line of thread. And then something urges me to look at Brandon, and when I do, he lifts his hands to his head and closes his eyes. A Vision.

  I move from my spot next to Echo and kneel down in front of Brandon, putting my hands on his knees. “What is it, Brandon? What do you See?”

  Brandon winces, his face screwing up into a pained scowl. It doesn’t take long before his hands drop from the sides of his face, the Vision over. His eyes flicker open, the violet orbs glowing, and he looks to me, swallowing hard. “That was strange.”

  “What was it?” I try to encourage him to share with me, when in actuality, it’s his duty to share with me. I am his Keeper. It is expected. But I don’
t press him.

  “Well,” Brandon rubs the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. “The thing is … I started to See something, something bright … and then all of a sudden, everything turned black … and all I could See was darkness. And then it was over.”

  Elan’s brows knit in concern. “That isn’t normal, is it?”

  “Not normally, no. I’ve personally had it happen once, but my Visions aren’t quite the same as everyone else’s.” My admitting as much makes me nervous. What does this mean?

  The Commander returns to the back of the ship and announces, “Estimated time of arrival is now ten minutes.”

  Ten minutes. It felt like it took Gabe and I forever to get to the Rogue camp. Now I’ll be there again in a mere ten minutes. Ten minutes and we’ll be rescuing Gabe.

  “Well, take it easy, Brandon. I need your head in the game when we get to the camp. Okay?” I pat his leg and stand back up, my own mind much heavier now with Brandon’s unusual Vision. Sitting back down next to Echo, I take a deep breath and look him over when I notice he’s staring at me.

  “What is that about?” he asks as he pulls his gun in front of him and checks to make sure everything is working. He pulls the magazine out, looks it over, then slams it back into place with a click.

  “I’m not quite sure. I’ve never heard of a Vision that just … stopped like that.” I speak quietly, keeping the conversation between myself and Echo, as I don’t want to worry Elan or Brandon any more than they already are. Brandon keeps rubbing his head with his hands, and Elan is whispering something to him, but I can’t quite make out what it is they are talking about.

  “Do you think it’s a bad thing?” Echo wonders.

  I tug my necklace out of my jumpsuit and hold it in thought. “If I had to guess? I wouldn’t think it was a sign of anything good to come.” My violet gaze settles on Echo, watching as his expression falls in concern. “But I don’t know what it will be if he didn’t actually See anything. It just doesn’t seem good.”

  “Well,” Echo starts and pats my leg in an effort to comfort me, “let’s not think about it too much. We’re going to find Gabe, and then we can fix the whole slave issue … and then we can get you back to the City.”

  “After we divorce,” I remind him.

  “What?”

  “I am the Keeper, remember? I can’t be married … and most certainly not to a Dreamcatcher.” I tuck the necklace back under my jumpsuit and reach out to brush Echo’s cheek with the back of my fingers. “Especially not the Dreamcatcher King.”

  Echo sighs and leans back against the hull of the ship. “I thought you said you were going to change things?”

  “That might be so, and I really want to, but I can’t just return and drop all of this on them. They are already probably mad at me for leaving them to follow you in the first place … but to return and announce that I’m the Dreamcatcher Queen?” I can’t help but to laugh wryly at the very thought. It wouldn’t go over well at all. “It would be a disaster, Echo. You and I both know that. And you are the diplomatic one, so I’m sure you get it more than I do.”

  “I guess.” Echo lowers his eyes as my fingers run down the side of his face.

  “Let’s not think about that now, okay? We have a mission to focus on, and everything else can come after.” At least, that is what I am telling myself. Maybe I will regret it later, when there’s so much on our plate that we don’t know where to start, but I can’t afford to waste my energy thinking about it now.

  “Five minutes!” the Commander announces, his voice rising above the humming of the ship.

  “Well, here’s hoping your minimalist plan works, Dreamcatcher.” Elan rolls his eyes and grabs for his helmet, shoving it on over his head.

  Echo also reaches for his helmet, cradling it between his palms. “Sometimes, the best made plans are ones that aren’t complicated with details, Seer Elan.”

  Elan waves off Echo’s words with a vague gesturing of his hand, seemingly uninterested in his philosophy.

  “He gets that way before battle,” Brandon assures Echo, half-apologizing on Elan’s behalf.

  Echo shrugs his shoulders and fixes his helmet on his head, ending the conversation. I also prepare myself by slipping my helmet on and pulling the tinted visor down over my eyes. I can still discern Brandon’s glowing gaze from behind his own visor, though it is dimming now and will probably be back to normal by the time we touch down.

  The windows to the ship are small and only allow for brief glimpses of the outside world. We are moving so quickly that all I can make out is the dark, reddish hue of the miles of sand that stretch out forever in each direction. It’s a wonder that we can find the Rogue camp in this vast wasteland at all, and a part of me admires them for being as bold as setting up in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but their numbers to protect them.

  Today, it will be found out if numbers alone will keep them safe.

  “Brace for impact!” the Commander’s warning comes just before the ship touches down, jolting us around in our seats and announcing the end of our journey.

  “Well, here goes nothing, right?” Elan jumps up and pulls his gun in front of him. “Let’s go get Gabe back!”

  We line up behind the Dreamcatcher guards, who stand on the edge of the ramp where it levels with the ship. A loud groaning precedes the hull opening, and sunlight floods the dark space, making me grateful for the tinted visor, else we would all be blinded. As the outside is revealed to us, I note that we are still a few hundred yards away from the camp, the tents dotting the horizon.

  The bell sounds.

  “That didn’t take long,” I murmur and reach for my gun, bringing it around front of me.

  “Let’s go!” Echo gives the order, and the guards descend down the ramp first, followed by Elan and Brandon, then Echo and me. When we are out on the arid, hard ground, I look behind me to see the other ten ships unloading their men and women as well. As soon as all feet are on the ground, the ramps are lifted, and the ships hover once more, heading for the camp. “They will provide overhead support,” Echo explains as we move forward as a team toward the camp.

  My chest tightens with anticipation. Each time the bell rings, it vibrates through my bones. Somewhere in there, Gabe must know we are coming. I hope he knows we are coming. I would hate for him to think that I’ve abandoned him for a second time. No, Gabe. This time, I’m coming back for you. This time, I’m not leaving you behind.

  Our footsteps fall in line with an unheard cadence. We are ready to fight. If we succeed, it will surely never be forgotten. It will change everything, Aura and the City fighting side by side.

  But if we fail?

  It doesn’t take long before someone opens fire. The Rogues. Little sparks of light flash from the tips of their guns, and I can see that first before I can make out the people behind the firing. They are ducked down behind barriers of sandbags piled up on top of one another about waist-high. They have cover. We don’t.

  “We should have gotten closer!” I blurt, but it’s too late. The Dreamcatchers return fire and the percussion of all the guns sounding off at once is deafening. Their ships provide cover fire as we walk forward in a straight line. From time-to-time, those who are in the front are picked off and drop to the ground, screaming as we close in. It won’t be much longer until we can take cover behind those same sandbags, firing blindly into the community of tents, if all goes well.

  As we get closer to the camp, the bell becomes louder, filling my ears with its warning. A few Dreamcatchers break the battlements first, jumping over the sandbags and firing into the line of dirt-smudged faces. At times, when they are close enough, I witness a Dreamcatcher grab onto a Rogue with their bare hands, and subsequently, I witness the Rogue fall on the ground, eyes white, mind empty. Gone.

  I must have stopped walking, since Elan shoves me forward and I lurch in the direction of the others. “Keep up, Bea!”

  Right. Keep up.

  We pres
s on into the mass of tents. I have no idea where they would be keeping Gabe, but I do have an idea of who might know of his whereabouts. Moses.

  “We need to get to the big tent. The one with the guards.” I point toward the middle of the camp. “That’s where Moses is.”

  “Moses?” Echo yells from under his helmet, and I can barely hear him over the gunshots and commotion.

  “He runs the camp!” I call back and motion for them to follow me. I try to remember the Training Games, and all the street tactics we were taught to defend the City. Stay low. Make use of the structures around you. Blend into your surroundings. Surprise is key.

  Though we are hardly in any type of city, I still keep the points in my mind. Ducking low, I decide to head for the middle of the camp, hoping that on the way, there might be some sign of Moses’ tent. Echo, Elan, and Brandon follow, and behind them is Echo’s small contingent of guards, who clearly do not like having to take up the rear.

  A few Rogues suddenly jump out in front of us, but before they can pull back on their triggers, Brandon opens fire, tearing holes into the Rogues’ shabby tunics, which start to turn red from their blood. One of them falls forward onto his knees, clawing at his chest, choking on his own blood. He’s still for a moment, then tips forward, face planting into the dirt and sand. The others drop soon after.

  I blink back at Brandon, who, if I could see his face, I’d imagine was smiling that big, stupid grin of his. But now is not the time for celebration.

  We zip down the narrow alley, tents on either side of us. Sometimes, as we pass, I can see women and children huddling in the corners, praying. All of this for Gabe.

  It only takes turning one more corner before we find Moses’ tent. And of course, true to form, Moses stands out in front of it, rifle held in his hand, smiling.