Sun Touched (Diamara Book 1)

by J. C. Hart

  "What do you mean?" Garrett asked. He stood over the older woman with a frown, his hands planted on his hips. Such a far cry from the way he used to speak to Tahra.

  Tahra coughed, blood peppering her lips. It was only then that Madea realized how pale the woman was. She was going to die, too.

  "There's another bomb, isn't there." Madea let out a discouraged sigh. "You never meant to come out of this alive, did you? You were planning on making us orphans."

  Everything shifted beneath them and Madea fell to the floor, splinters digging into her hands and knees.

  "There's more to come," Tahra said, a sad smile brushed over her lips, though her eyes were serene, at peace with what she'd done. "Two, at least. You should get out of here. I never meant to hurt you, or your baby."

  "You didn't mean to hurt me?" Madea shrieked. "What do you think this would do?" She lunged at her mother, gripping her by the shoulders and shaking her, unable to stop the tears from flowing now. "Why? Why are you leaving me again?"

  "Maddy, come on." Garrett grabbed her by the torso, hauled her away from her mother. "We need to get out of here. She's giving us the chance to save ourselves. Let's take it."

  Another shock pounded the floor, but somehow he managed to keep them both upright. This one was further away, and maybe there was nothing left to shake loose from the house. "Say goodbye." He glared at her.

  Madea pressed her lips together, teeth sinking into the flesh.

  "Say goodbye. You'll regret it if you don't." He forced her to turn back to Tahra.

  Madea sighed and brushed away the tears. "Goodbye, Mother. I wish things could have been different."

  "So do I."

  By the time they reached the top of the stairs there was another explosion. This one seemed further away still. They made it to the bottom, Garrett gripping her hand the whole way.

  "Can you run?" he asked.

  "I'll try." She nodded and squeezed his hand, trying not to notice the dust trickling down from the cracks in the ceiling. Tears blurred her vision and she fought the urge to just sit down and let the roof cave in on top of her.

  Anya stirred inside, sensing Madea's emotions. The child sent her a burst of love which renewed her energy. Not much further and they would be out now.

  Ether creatures trailed behind them, fading in and out of visibility, tendrils wafting toward the ceiling as though they were trying to hold it up. Of course, they couldn't, but if they could try, then she could try too. She picked up the pace, moving ahead of Garret. "Almost there," she said, her breath ragged but stable. The dust in the air was making it hard to breathe, but just a few more steps...

  Another rumble moved the ground beneath their feet. Madea stumbled and fell, crashing onto her belly. Pain shot through her and she let loose a primal scream. She cradled her stomach as Garrett scooped her up and pushed free of the house.

  He sat her down in the clearest spot he could find, though there were pieces of the dome, bits of broken houses, glass everywhere. Cramps shot through her body but she held everything in as tightly as she could.

  "I'm not going to lose this baby," she panted out.

  "No, you're not. It's going to be okay. We'll get you to a medic."

  "No. No I'm not going anywhere." She tucked her head down and shut out all thoughts, focusing on the child within her womb. Can you hear me, Anya? Please.

  There was a light flutter inside, but nothing as strong as before.

  Anya, she pleaded. No response. Nothing.

  She would not lose her baby. Not after losing her father, her mother. She took a deep breath, pulling everything from the air that she could. The ether creatures pressed against her, through her, their tendrils tangling inside.

  Anya, she called again, more firmly. I know you're in there, I know you can hear me. Stay with me. This is the first order I will ever give you and if you never listen to another I don't care, just stay with me.

  Another flutter, stronger this time. Madea could feel Garrett's arms around her, and then a charge of energy shot through her. Her eyes flew open and her jaw dropped when she saw techni-coloured flashes of light dancing along the tendrils of the creatures, pumping into her body. Anya squirmed, wriggled, kicked with more vehemence than ever before and Madea laughed, relaxing into Garrett's embrace, weak with relief.

  "Don't you dare scare me like that again, little one," Madea whispered. Anya booted her.

  "Are you okay? Is she—" A frown creased Garrett's forehead, as though he were trying to decipher what had just happened.

  "She's going to be fine, trust me. More than fine. We're going to have our hands full." She glanced up at him as she said those words, waiting for his reaction.

  Garrett bit back a smile. "Yes, we will." He kissed her then, taking her mind off the wreckage around them and giving her some hope for the future, whatever that might bring.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  "What the hell happened here?" Rickard's voice echoed in the silence. He kicked rubble aside as he approached, trailing dust.

  "Obviously, we underestimated Mother’s desire for revenge." Madea forced herself to her feet. Her limbs trembled, but held, though she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

  "I need to tell you something." Rickard ground his teeth together, scraping fingers through his hair as he switched weight between his feet.

  Madea wanted to smack him, make him stop moving because his worry was infectious, and each twitch he made crushed air from her lungs. Her tongue flicked across her lips as she tried to think of something to say, because maybe if she didn't panic, maybe it would all be okay.

  "Where's Sarai?" Madea demanded.

  Rickard swallowed hard, slid his eyes away from her. "She's with the medics—"

  Madea surged forward, pushing her way past him, but he grabbed her arm, anchoring her to the spot. "She's going to be okay, Maddy. But she lost a leg. She got caught under some debris and they had to cut her free."

  "Oh God." The strength went out of her, but Garrett and Rickard were there, holding her up. "How could you let this happen? You were meant to look after her!" She noticed then the haggard lines on his face, the sag of his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Rickard. I know you didn't make this happen. I just...I need to see her."

  "That's why I'm here." He shrugged off her words and drew her in for a hug. "I love your sister, and I'd do anything to have been in her place. Come on, she needs you."

  "She needs you too," Madea whispered, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  The two men supported her on the way back to the nearest hatch. It was a relief to close the door on the devastation and loss in the world above. At least for now.

  They made their way to the med bay in silence. Madea broke free from Garrett and Rickard as soon as she saw Sarai unconscious, her missing limb hidden by a sheet. Madea went to lift it, but Rickard pushed her hand away.

  "Leave it for now, Maddy. It's not going to do you any good to see."

  Instead, she slipped her hand into Sarai's, the warmth of her sister’s skin melting away some of the ache in her heart.

  "I'll get you a chair," Garrett said. Rickard murmured something about finding another medic, but Madea wasn't listening to them. She was watching the slow rise and fall of her sister’s chest, syncing her breath with her last remaining family member, and wishing away consciousness.

  When she came to, she was in her own bed. Madea frowned, wondering whether maybe it had all been a bad dream. But no, there were aches in her body that spoke of yesterday's events, and a heavy weight in her chest when she thought of her parents.

  If she closed her eyes, maybe she could pretend it was years ago, when they had been a happy family. A family who were becoming accustomed to life on a new planet, who were pioneers at the beginning of an adventure. Her parents had loved each other once, and she had loved them.

  Still loved them, just couldn't seem to reconcile herself with their actions. Was she likely to make bad choices too? Was her dutiful nature at risk of
becoming a desire for power?

  No, that had never been her way. Hers was to do as she'd been told, to play her role and do her duty. And yet now...now she had a chance to make a real difference, to help shape life on Diamara for the better. She had more knowledge than either of her parents.

  She rolled over, reaching for Garrett, but the bed was empty. Panic clawed at her as she got up and moved through the lounge, heading for the door in her pyjamas.

  "Madea?" Garrett's voice from the couch was husky with sleep.

  "Why weren't you with me?" she asked, dropping to her knees beside him. He took her hands, kissed them both.

  "I was just going to sit down for a minute but I must have fallen asleep." His eyes narrowed as he took her in. "You were worried. I'm sorry."

  "No, it's okay. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

  "I'm fine. Really. Are you?"

  She chewed her bottom lip, averting her gaze. "I will be okay. Eventually. It's a lot to process."

  Garrett laughed, his voice low. "You're not kidding." He noticed the stricken look on her face and quickly added, "Sorry, I mean...Parts of the domes are down. More people have no doubt been Touched."

  "Which is why we need to seize the moment," Madea said, realizing what had to be done. "We can use this to move ahead, smooth things over before anyone else has time to swoop in. Come on." She pulled him to his feet and caught a whiff. "Actually, on second thoughts, have a shower. I'll meet you in Tahra's office soon."

  "Okay." He bent to kiss her again. She wrinkled her nose as he left, his chuckle hanging in the air behind him. She grabbed a piece of fruit from the kitchen and headed out the door.

  It was quieter than she expected on her way to the med bay, though once she was inside the room was bustling. There were at least a dozen patients in beds, and more sitting in the waiting area. Madea made her way to Sarai's side and slipped her hand into her sister’s, waking her with a squeeze. Rickard was slumped in a chair by her side, his soft snores cutting through the chatter

  "Hey, Maddy." Sarai smiled.

  "Hey, yourself. How are you doing?" She waved her free hand at her sister’s lower half. She couldn’t bring herself to actually look at Sarai’s ruined legs. She felt too guilty today. Sarai was the one in hospital, but here Madea was, asking her for support.

  "As good as I can be. Were you there when they—?"

  "Yes, and no. I saw them before it happened. Mother...Look—" Madea bit her bottom lip, trying not to squirm. "Things are messy, and I have an idea, but, I need you on board. We need to unite everyone. So I want to have a funeral. Today."

  "So soon? We haven't even found their bodies yet. Have we?" Sarai struggled to sit up but winced and lay back.

  "Don't strain yourself, please." Madea smoothed the covers back over her sister. "I don't know if they've been found yet, I just think that we need to officially close the chapter of their reign—Dad's over the domes, and Mother's over the Touched. We need to make sure everyone knows that we're not a threat. We need to show them that we can work together."

  "And you think a funeral will do that?"

  Madea shrugged. "It's a gesture. Something formal. I don't know. Have you got a better idea?"

  "No, I don't." Sarai sounded hollow, defeated. Madea shouldn't have said anything, shouldn't have come to her—but they were Sarai's parents, too. She couldn't do this alone.

  "Let me work it all out, okay? And when everything is ready, I'll send someone to get you. We can stand strong, together." A ragged sob tore free from Sarai, and Madea covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

  Sarai wiped away the tears. "No. It's fine, really. I'll adjust. It's just a leg, right?"

  "I bet you'll tell me that your only dream was to be a dancer now," Madea said, trying to keep her voice light, trying to keep her own tears back.

  "I've heard those replacement limbs are pretty nimble these days," Sarai replied, a smile playing on her lips. She reached out and grasped Madea's hand. "Don't blame yourself for this, please. I wanted to help. It was my choice."

  "How are we ever going to recover from this?" Madea asked, shoulders slumping. "It's such a mess."

  "Maddy, if anyone can pull it off, you can. You've always been capable, always done what needed to be done."

  "I was only good at my job because I had someone to tell me what to do."

  "No, I don't believe that. You were always smart, always had a plan." Sarai gave her another squeeze then let her fingers slip free. "Now get out of here. You've got stuff to do."

  "I love you." Madea leaned down and placed a kiss on her sister's forehead.

  "Love you too. Now go. I need to rest." Sarai closed her eyes.

  "Okay, okay, I'm going." Madea laughed despite herself. She retreated from the med bay, trying not to look too closely at the wounded filling the ward.

  Tahra's office was a mess. Somewhere between leaving their last meeting and heading to her father's, Tahra must have returned—though for what reason? Madea sat at the desk, feeling the weight of the moment settle on her shoulders as she leaned forward and tried to figure out what came next.

  There was a light knock on the door.

  "Penny for your thoughts?" Garrett asked, moving to sit across the desk from her. It seemed so odd. Back when she first came it was her mother behind the desk, and her on the other side. Garrett took orders from her mother, and now he was looking to her.

  "Gosh, I haven't heard that saying in years. Didn't we leave that back on Earth?" She flashed him a weary smile. "I think that we need to have a funeral. We need to come out into the open and let everyone know that we're not a danger. The damage is done now, and there are going to be people who've been exposed. I haven't been back up to the surface since it happened, but I can imagine the state of chaos."

  Garrett nodded, lips pursed. "I've had some people up there and it is pretty hectic. There's a lot of mess, a lot of people hurt and scared."

  "Do you think they know about Father?" Madea reached across the desk and grabbed his hand, needing to feel his warmth against her.

  "I think they're assuming the worst. His house is a wreck and there has been no word from him."

  "We need to move fast, before others can step into his position." Madea pushed herself up from the seat. "We need to write up some information. Did Tahra have anything like that?"

  "No, I'm not sure she ever intended to inform the masses, just—"

  "Expose them and deal with it after." Anya booted Madea, stopping her thoughts from turning to anger; there was no time for that now. "Right, I'm going to write something up. I need you to gather people who you can trust and get them ready to move. We need to get the members of the council to Carson's place at—" She scanned around, trying to find the time. "I don't know. What time is it now?"

  "It's still morning. How about seven pm? That's less than twenty-four hours since it all happened."

  "Only that long? It doesn't feel real."

  Garrett stood and came around to embrace her. His lips pressed against her forehead and he held her steady for a moment before pulling back. "We found their bodies. What do you want to do with them?"

  "Cremate them," she said without hesitation, her jaw tightening. "Can you arrange that? And get me in touch with someone who can spread my information to every phone in the colony. Whether they come or not, I want people to have access to what I've got to say."

  "Okay."

  "Get the word out to anyone who will listen, and make sure Rickard and Sarai know, please. I need to work on this."

  "Okay." Garrett nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "I don't want to say that you remind me of your mother, but you do. She was a good leader, despite what she did. Decisive, doing what needed to be done."

  "But I will never force people to do things they don't want to."

  "Which is part of why I love you." He kissed her again, on the lips this time, melting away her hurt. She would do what she needed to do, to make sure
that they had a life together, a happy one. "I'll see you soon," he murmured, pulling away and heading for the door.

  "I love you too," she called after him.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Madea stood on what remained of the front steps of her father's home, the pyre burning behind her. The sun was setting, the risk of exposure was low and a small crowd gathered before her. Wind swept down from the shattered remains of the dome above, setting her blue dress fluttering. It reminded her of the ripples on the lake where Garrett had taken her to meet the ether creatures.

  She gripped his hand harder, wishing that he could do this for her. But no. It was on her shoulders.

  "I've called this meeting because things have changed. My father is dead, my mother too, and with them the old ways must die. Diamara is not Earth. We've known this for a long time, but now we have a chance to really adapt to this new life."

  She nodded at Garrett. He hit a button on his phone, sending out the information package. Some reached for their beeping devices, but others ignored them.

  "Everyone in the colony has just been sent an information package. In it you'll find the details of what has happened. I've put in everything we know about what it means to be Sun-Touched, and I've outlined some scenarios. The bottom line is that there is more to all of this than you know, more than can be explained, and maybe more than you could make yourself believe. But it's the truth, one that we all have to live with. Even though it will take some adjusting to."

  Madea scanned the faces, trying to gauge how her speech was going. It seemed impossible that she could get everyone on side. Impossible that they could find a way to resolve this—but she knew they had to.

  "I'd like to take a few moments to remember my parents. Each of them was a visionary in their own way, each of them was passionate about their cause. Let their deaths be a lesson to us that the only way forward, the only way to thrive, is through collaboration, understanding and open lines of communication." Madea bowed her head, forcing a trickle of tears out. The well of her sorrow was almost empty, but she had to make an outward show of it here. She had to capture these people, somehow.