Silence of Stars

by Holly J. Wood

  The light coming from Gideon where he held my elbow had changed from its usual warm flow to an electric charge. My heart thudded and my eyes flicked to Grace. She gave a small nod. I carefully removed the screens and blinked a few times, expecting to shield my eyes from the brighter atmosphere, but everything appeared normal.

  Lord Krane came closer until his face was mere inches from mine. I averted my eyes, my personal-space sirens blaring.

  He made a soft chuckling sound in his throat. “Good things come to those who wait, do they not?”

  I swallowed, unsure if I was supposed to answer. He seemed to be speaking to someone who wasn’t there. After a long pause, he turned to look over his shoulder.

  “Lieutenant, you and the Guardian are excused. I would like a private audience with your Captain.”

  Grace hesitated. “Your Excellency, I assure you that whatever you wish to tell Captain Taylor may be done in our presence. Cadet North is trustworthy, and as for myself—”

  “Enough!” he shrieked. I flinched as he slammed his fist on a nearby chair. “You are dismissed.”

  The light from Gideon burst into an electric charge and I cried out as it zinged from my elbow all the way down my arm. Gideon dropped his hand as Lord Krane swung on him.

  “Is there a problem, Cadet?”

  Gideon’s jaw set and his eyes glimmered like fiery blue diamonds.

  “There is no problem, your Excellency,” Grace cut in. “Our Guardians are trained to never leave their charges, so the situation is simply unfamiliar to this Cadet. We will excuse ourselves and wait outside.” She bowed and took Gideon’s arm, ushering him from the room.

  Gideon’s eyes stayed on me and I knew he wanted to use Mindspeak, but I gave a slight shake of my head. It was too risky. He finally turned and followed Grace from the room, his shoulders tense as the door closed behind them.

  “Guards, you will leave as well,” Krane said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  Fear iced up my spine as the room emptied. Every inch of me wanted to run out the door, but I remembered Gideon’s warning and stayed in place. I had to be civil with Lord Krane—too much depended on it.

  As the door slid shut for the final time he turned to face me, still uncomfortably close. I kept my eyes trained on the floor.

  “Look at me,” he ordered.

  I raised my eyes to meet his. Revulsion turned my stomach at the unnatural pink hue.

  “What is your full name, Captain?”

  “Lark Taylor.”

  He stepped closer until his cheek brushed my ear. “I like that,” he whispered.

  I forced myself not to flinch away. My thoughts beat about like a caged bird. What would I do if he made a move? Would it jeopardize Earth’s chances if I fought him? I thought of my mom and Reagan and stood my ground.

  Krane circled me once, like a boa constrictor sizing up its prey.

  “You’re wondering why I’ve asked you here,” he said as he came back around to face me. “I am a collector of sorts, and when I saw you in the stadium I knew I had found a rare jewel.” His pink eyes traveled up my body, stopping to rest on my face. “I had to have a closer look.”

  I took a step back, my pulse hammering.

  He closed the distance, focusing on my eyes. “I have never seen eyes quite like yours. Such a unique color. So—expressive.”

  I glanced away again and he chuckled.

  “You need not be afraid. I have no intention of harming you. On the contrary, you should be quite flattered.” He stepped back and turned to face the fireplace.

  I kept one eye on the door.

  “As I said, I am a collector. I enjoy rare and beautiful things—especially beautiful women.” He turned back around to face me. “I’d like to invite you to come with me to Bahira, my home planet. It’s the most exotic world in this galaxy, and I’m sure you’ll find it to your liking.”

  My throat went dry as he waited for my response. I thought about the many times I’d heard my dad give diplomatic answers to people attacking his views. I needed to draw from that now.

  I forced a smile. “I’m honored by the invitation, your Excellency, but I couldn’t abandon my training. I’ve been selected as Team Captain, and there is too much at stake for me to go with you.”

  He lowered his eyelids. “Ah yes . . . your people are in danger and you feel a responsibility to help. Is that it?”

  I nodded and straightened my shoulders to show that my answer was firm.

  “Charming little planet, Earth,” he mused. “It certainly does seem to possess some valuable resources.” His eyes skimmed over me again. “What a pity that your race has found itself in such a precarious situation.”

  “Yes.” I cleared my throat to try to keep my voice even. “I understand the Council determines which planets are a liability. Can you explain how that works?”

  His thin lips pressed into a line. I worried I had overstepped my bounds, but then he smiled. “I would be happy to expound on our process—if you should choose to accompany me. I’m sure there is a great deal we could learn from one another.” He traced his bony white finger down the side of my cheek, his touch burning like a laser.

  I clenched my teeth against the pain, bile rising in my throat at the salacious look in his eyes. I swallowed. “I’m flattered by the offer and would very much like to learn more about the Council, but for now my place is here.”

  Krane dropped his finger, his pink eyes glowing with displeasure.

  I held my breath as he seemed to deliberate. Was he deciding whether to kill me or let me live? The moment was endless. Finally, he sighed and pulled something from the pocket of his black robe. It was a piece of emerald-colored glass, the size of a business card.

  He held it out to me. “Take this.”

  I stepped forward, careful not to touch his skin as I took the object from him. The green glass swirled like moving clouds. It was as if the object was alive. There was a small circle etched onto one side. I looked up at him in question.

  “My calling card. I am not normally a patient man, but in this case I’ve decided to make an exception. If, after your three-week course, you decide to take me up on my offer, press that button and an airship will be sent to bring you to me.” His pink eyes narrowed. “This is a very exclusive invitation, Lark Taylor. Do not take my offer lightly.”

  I nodded, unwilling to vocalize a response one way or the other.

  He tilted his head to the side, regarding me. “Hold still.”

  Before I could react, he tapped on the oversized jeweled cuff at his wrist and took a few steps back. A light shot out from the cuff like a laser, scanning me from head to toe. I closed my eyes and held my breath.

  “Eyes open!” he barked.

  I started, blinking my eyes open as the light scanned, half-blinding me in the process before it suddenly turned off.

  “What was that?”

  Krane jeered and headed for the door. “Think about my offer. I expect to hear from you soon.” The door opened and he strode from the room, his dark cape billowing behind him.

  I stood motionless, trying to make sense of what had happened. A few seconds later the door slid open again. Grace and Gideon hurried into the room.

  “What did he want?” Grace asked quietly.

  Did he hurt you? Gideon’s chest heaved as his eyes searched mine.

  I shook my head. “He gave me this.” I held out the glass.

  Grace’s eyes widened.

  Gideon’s face was a mask as he took the card from me, handing it to her.

  “What did he say?” she asked. The intensity of her reaction was unsettling.

  “H-he invited me to visit him on Bahira, but I told him I needed to stay for training,” I said. “He gave me this calling card and told me if I wanted to come at the end of the course, I could press this button, and an airship would come for me.”

  Gideon and Grace exchanged looks.

 
; My stomach tightened. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on pushing the button. Ever. The guy is majorly creepy.” I shivered just thinking about his freakish pink eyes and slithering voice.

  “Shhh!” Grace pressed a button near the door and it slid closed with a locking sound. She turned to me, her face drawn. “You mustn’t speak of this to anyone. Lord Krane is a powerful member of the Council, and his interest in you complicates matters more than you know.” A crease formed between her brows as she glanced at Gideon. “Neither of you can breathe a word. That’s an order.”

  A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Yes, Lieutenant.”

  Grace turned back to me. “This is important, Lark. Did he say anything else?”

  I placed a hand to my temple, trying to think. Grace and Gideon remained silent as I explained the details of the conversation again. Their tension was palpable. When I finished, Grace paled.

  “Anything else?”

  I thought for a moment and frowned. “Actually, yes—he made me hold still and scanned me with this light thing in his cuff. It was weird.”

  Gideon’s face went slack.

  Grace pinched the bridge of her nose. “Mapping.”

  “What?” I shifted my weight.

  She dropped her hand and looked at me. “It’s like taking your picture, but in holographic form.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “So he can look at the hologram of you whenever he wants,” Gideon growled.

  Ew. Disgust churned my stomach and I shook my head to remove the image.

  Gideon crossed his arms, squeezing his biceps as if to keep from hitting something. “Lieutenant, we’ve got to put her into hiding.”

  I gawked at him. “No, I can’t do that. How would I be able to help everyone back home?”

  Grace turned to him. “Lark’s leaving now is out of the question. And you can drop the ‘Lieutenant’ business. My office is secure and I’ve locked the door.”

  Gideon’s face hardened and he stepped forward. “Fine, Grace—then tell me what you plan to do, because now that Krane has his sights set on her, Lark’s not safe.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” she snapped.

  “Guys, slow down,” I cut in, “Krane said that I could decide whether or not to visit him, so why don’t I just not go?”

  Gideon gave a hard laugh. “That may be what he said, but that’s not what he meant. If you don’t push that button at the end of the unit, he’ll track you down and find a way to hurt you for it.”

  His words pooled my veins with cold dread. “Which could put Earth in danger.” I sank into a chair, my heart thudding, thudding, thudding against my ribcage. “I don’t have a choice. I’ll have to go.”

  Grace took the chair opposite mine. “Let’s not panic. The last thing we should do right now is give up hope.”

  I dropped my head. If my mom were here she’d say the same thing. But wasn’t I entitled to freak out a little at this point?

  “You must complete your training—prove to the Council that Earth’s people are worth saving. In the meantime, I’ll come up with a plan to deal with Lord Krane. We have three weeks. On some worlds, that’s an entire year.” She smiled and gave my knee a small pat.

  I blew out a long breath, running my palms down my thighs before I stood from the chair. “Where do I start?”

  CHAPTER

  Fourteen

  “That’s the spirit.” Grace stood and turned to Gideon. He was staring at the fireplace, his jaw set.

  She watched him for a moment and pursed her lips. “Gideon, maybe it would be best for you to go back to your Freedom Fighter training. This assignment has already been taxing. Perhaps I should assign a new Guardian for Lark.”

  He spun around, his eyes flicking to me and back to her before he shook his head. “Lord Krane has a way of getting under my skin, but I can move past that. With your permission, I’d like to finish the assignment.”

  My pulse slowed as I watched Grace tilt her head uncertainly. The thought of not being with Gideon made me panic a hundred times more than the thought of visiting Lord Krane. I schooled my face to remain impassive, but inside I was pleading.

  “Are you sure?” she finally asked.

  “Yes.” Gideon’s broad shoulders straightened as he stood military-straight.

  “Very well.”

  My knees weakened with relief. I glanced at Gideon, but he was still watching Grace.

  She dropped her chin, giving him a no-nonsense stare. “You may remain Lark’s Guardian for now, but if I see any further manifestations that you’re becoming too emotionally involved, you will be reassigned. Understood?”

  He gave a curt nod.

  I bit the inside of my cheek. I needed to do a better job of trying to emotionally distance myself from Gideon, or I would lose him completely.

  Grace glanced at her cuff and then at Gideon. “I wanted Lark to join the Academy tour with Captain Harris, but his tour is almost ending. Why don’t you show her around for a few minutes before lunch, and then follow the itinerary for the rest of the day. If there are further updates, I’ll link them to the schedule.” She pressed a button on her desk, and the door slid open. “That will be all. You are dismissed.”

  Gideon saluted. “Yes, Lieutenant.”

  Grace nodded at him and turned to me. “Good luck, Captain. I’ll check in with you later.”

  I shifted. “May I have a word with you first?”

  “Of course.” Her hand hovered over the button again.

  I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “Alone?” I didn’t turn to look at Gideon, but felt his eyes on me.

  Grace raised her eyebrows. “Give us a moment, Cadet North.”

  “I’ll wait outside.”

  I heard his footsteps on the stone floor before the door slid closed.

  “What’s this about?” Grace asked.

  “I need some answers.” I leaned one hip on her desk, feeling more at ease now that it was just the two of us. “Why was I chosen as a Team Captain, and why are you pairing me with Rusty?”

  She sank into her leather desk chair and steepled her fingers. “I had hoped to answer these questions gradually. After you complete training, many things will become clear to you, but I’ll share what I can.”

  I leaned forward, impatient for her to continue.

  “There is a common factor found among all of the successful worlds. One thing that separates the flourishing society from the deprived. Do you have any guess what that might be?”

  I shook my head.

  “Records.”

  I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  She smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong. You do understand.” She slid open a drawer in her desk and retrieved two books.

  My eyes widened as I recognized Dad’s Bible and U.S. History hardbound. She handed them to me. As casually as possible, I ran my finger along the inside of the Bible. My shoulders sagged in relief. The Archive was still there. Was it possible Grace knew about it?

  “Where did you get these?” I asked.

  “Cadet North retrieved them before you deported.”

  “He was in my room? When?” I bit my nail, hoping there hadn’t been anything too embarrassing lying around.

  She waved the questions off. “The point is, you have an inherent sense of the importance of history; of learning from the past and recording what you learn. I believe there is a saying from your planet, ‘Those who do not learn history—’”

  “‘Are doomed to repeat it,’” I finished, still not following.

  She nodded. “Exactly. You were Chosen because of your understanding of this crucial point.” She shrugged. “And your knowledge of a successful government model doesn’t hurt.”

  I frowned. “So, you’re saying that Earth is being condemned because people have lost sight of history?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “Essentially. Each world has its own set of records.” S
he looked pointedly at the Bible. “The way those records are treated is directly correlated to how successful that planet’s populace becomes. If the records are discarded or neglected—or in your society’s case, destroyed—the inhabitants will fall into ruin. Every time. It’s happening with your planet at a rapid pace: wars, lies, hate, apathy, abuse. If we do not intervene it will only be a matter of time until your species self-destructs, taking a precious toll on the planet in the process.”

  Something about the way she emphasized the last words caught my attention. I folded my arms. “I’m not arguing your facts. It’s no secret things are a mess in our world right now—but is this really about helping us, or is it about our planet?”

  She sighed. “To put it bluntly—both. With Earth’s abundance of natural resources, it is considered a valuable habitat. Your toxic society is destroying those resources at an alarming pace. There are countless civilizations—prosperous ones—living on space stations who would be more deserving of your planet. This is why the Council has intervened. They will not hesitate to eliminate a corrosive society to replace it with a prosperous one.” She looked down at her desk. “They’ve done it before.”

  I sucked in a sharp breath. “Other Recruits failed?”

  Her eyes tightened. “Yes.”

  I put my hands to my face. “How many? What kind of success rate are we talking about?”

  She rubbed her forehead. “Don’t worry about the statistics.”

  “Grace, we’re talking about genocide. Of my people. I have to know what our chances are.”

  She stood and placed her hands on the desk. “No. The only thing you need to know is that you must do your best while you’re here. It’s imperative that your group be successful during training so they can integrate what they learn back on Earth.”

  I blinked slowly. “If we were to fail—I’m not saying we will—but why couldn’t we move to a space station and let someone else have Earth? Why do we have to be destroyed?”

  She shook her head. “Without radical improvement, your society would only destroy a space station as well. If they can’t manage to live peacefully on a planet, they would never survive in the close-quarters of space.”

  I frowned. “Even in the best of times there has always been unrest somewhere in my world. It’s impossible to expect perfection.”