Steel Lily (The Periodic Series)

by Megan Curd

  “Cole,” Mom warned.

  His comment made me uneasy. “What do you mean, people like the ones here?”

  “The elementalists. The ones willing to continue the rebel cause. All we wanted was to restore the world. Restore peace. To be rid of these infernal domes.” He looked at me with icy blue eyes, sadness etched in every wearied line of his face. “We wanted you to have a normal life, not for you to wind up being a test subject like your mother.”

  “But I am like mom, if she’s an elementalist. Is that where I got it from?”

  She sucked in a gasp and looked at Dad. “So you were right.”

  He leaned against the barren wall with his eyes closed. You would have thought someone had laid the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Of course I was. Did you think I would have been so willing to leave if I wasn’t sure of it?”

  Mom eyed me, shrinking away as she spoke. “Are you…are you with the Resistance?”

  The accusation sent me reeling. “Am I with the Resistance? Seriously?” I laughed from the sheer incredulity of it. “My friends and I are trying to find a way out of here; we don’t want to be part of the Resistance. I’ve carried your picture around since you disappeared.”

  I paced the tiny room as I rambled on, tears welling in my eyes and spilling over. “I kept your steel teapot, Mom, even after someone ruined it. For all these years I’ve wondered what it would be like to see you again, worried that you hated me…”

  “Hated you? How could we hate you?” Her voice was an octave higher. The pain in her eyes made me feel bad for voicing my thoughts.

  “I’ve missed you so much. This whole time…I wondered if you were dead. I searched for you as much as possible. I’m so sorry for everything.”

  She spoke into the crook of my neck as she held me tight. “You’re sorry? Avery, you’ll never know how hard it was for your father and me to leave.”

  “Then why’d you do it?”

  She glanced to the bedroom door, where Dad stood silently. “Your father knew the radiation had tainted us. For some reason, he wasn’t affected. We were all so sick when we first arrived at the dome. Don’t you remember? You and I got the worst of it. Somehow we became capable of manipulating the elements. We saw you do it once but never again. I, on the other hand, couldn’t control it. The Resistance caught wind of my gift and came for us. Your father fought at first but gave in to keep you safe, keep you out of Resistance hands. We thought if we went willingly, they’d leave you alone. I’m so sorry you’ve been sucked into this. All over that awful vacation to Indianapolis. Not a day goes by I don’t regret it.”

  “Why can’t everyone who was exposed to the radiation control elements? Why just certain people?”

  “That’s why they’re testing your father and me, to see what the radiation did to us individually.”

  “So this place Riggs has constructed, it’s a Resistance headquarters of sorts?”

  “You could call it that, but there’s so much you don’t understand, secrets this place hides.”

  “That’s not the first time I’ve heard that.”

  “And it won’t be the last.”

  She pulled me into their tiny bedroom. “Run as fast as you can from this place,” she whispered. “No one has to understand why, not even your father, but I know you’re different. Don’t let them change you.”

  My heart thrummed in my chest. Something wasn’t adding up. “Why wouldn’t you run with me?”

  She sighed. “I can’t. I’ve come to the conclusion your father and I are here for good. They need me.”

  I looked up in shock. “You’re helping them?”

  Her shoulders slumped, and her eyes dropped to the floor. “Riggs promised he would find you if I helped.”

  “And he did.”

  “And he did.” Her eyes lifted to mine, and she placed her hands on my shoulders. “He never said he was bringing you back here. I’m a mother. There’s nothing more in the world I could ask for than to see you, healthy, happy, and whole. Now that I know you are, I regret assisting him. I never wanted you to be a lab rat for experiments; I just wanted to know you were safe.”

  I took her hands off my shoulders and held them tight. “We’ll get out of here. We’ll get out of here, and we’ll be safe together.”

  She laughed. “That’s a wonderful idea, but I’m quite sure I’ll take my last breaths in this place.”

  The thought of her dead stung worse than I could have imagined. “No!”

  Her eyes widened.

  “No. We’ll get out of here together.”

  “You don’t understand, baby girl,” she said as she stroked my hair and gestured around her meager home. “Once you’re here, you’re not getting out.”

  “Then why tell me I can escape?”

  She extended her hand, forearm up. I looked at her questioningly, and she shook her arm. A small flashing red light illuminated the translucent skin at the crook of her elbow.

  I gasped. “What is that?”

  “My tracker. I’m not going anywhere. Do you have one?”

  “Not that I know of…”

  “If you don’t know, you don’t have one. Good. Don’t let them give you one. I haven’t seen many students, save for the medical apprentices that come and go, but none of them had them, only test subjects.” She managed to hold her pained smile in place.

  I would have never imagined her to have the bravery she possessed when I was little, but she was fierce. Brave. Everything I wished I could be. I put my hand over the crook of her arm to hide the flashing light. I didn’t want to see the thing that chained her to this infernal hovel.

  “We’ll get out of here, the both of us.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but a knock echoed from the front door.

  I let out a frustrated sigh through clenched teeth.

  “That’ll be Jaxon. He’s a good looking young man,” she said with a wink.

  “And he’s Riggs’s son,” I added, to lace my words with as much disinterest as possible.

  “I don’t care who he is; he’s not good enough for my daughter,” Dad said, breaking his silence.

  Mom laughed and leaned her head into mine. The warmth of her skin and her clean scent reminded me of the times I’d jumped into her bed on the weekends and curled up alongside her, content to spend the day listening to her stories. The memories vanished like smoke with the reoccurring pounding of Jaxon’s fist against their door. She pulled away, but true happiness still emanated from her. “Never judge a book by its cover, Avery. You’re a testament to that.”

  “As are you, elementalist,” I said in jest.

  Her eyes warmed, and the laugh lines from long ago—before the war had stripped her of all frivolity—stretched with her broad smile. Though appearing genuine, it also carried the air of newness, as though the muscles of her mouth hadn’t performed that simple act in a long time. She kissed the top of my head before turning to open the door.

  Jaxon stood in the entryway, his hands clasped behind his back. He inclined his head slightly to acknowledge my mom. “Mrs. Pike, I hope everything is satisfactory?”

  She nodded, and her expression shifted to all business. “Yes, thank you, Mr. Pierce. We’re out of milk and cheese, so whenever you have an opportunity to order more, that would be nice.”

  Jaxon’s eyes never left mine. “I can arrange that for you. Look for me in a few days’ time.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s no problem. I can get Mr. Pike some more of those tarts he likes as well. One of the supermarkets still had quite a few left back in storage.”

  “Mr. Pierce, you nearly got kicked out of the dome for that last time—”

  “Not a problem. I’ll be more clever with how I conceal my contraband this time.”

  Her mask cracked, and she gave him a hug as she would an old friend. “Thank you. You really do take care of us.”

  He responded stiffly, but I wasn’t s
ure if it was because of the murderous glance I’d cast his way, or if there was a camera somewhere. “I try. You deserve the best, Mrs. Pike. I’m sorry I can’t provide more.”

  Her hand intertwined with mine, and she squeezed gently. “I’ve been given the best gift ever today, so if you can bring her back again soon, that’s more than enough for me.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. Avery, we need to get going. My father wants you in the library before dinner.”

  I wrapped both arms around my mom and squeezed as tightly as I could. “I’ll be back,” I said loud enough for Jaxon to hear. “I won’t let this be the last time I see you.”

  “Bring that teapot with you next time, baby girl,” she said in my ear before pulling away. “Even if it’s ruined, I’d love to see what we could do with it. Maybe between the two of us, we can fix it.” She patted me on the back and kissed my cheek. “I love you, Avery. I always have and always will. Make me proud.”

  “I will.”

  Dad came to the door and put his hand on my shoulder, then pulled me in for a hug. I felt his chest heave with a sob he was holding in. “Avery, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. When we—when I—decided it was best for us to go with the Resistance, I was afraid. Afraid to house you. Afraid to die.” He swallowed and continued. “After listening to you and your mother, I realize that there’s no place in this world for cowardice.”

  “Avery, we need to go.” Jaxon said again with more urgency.

  I could feel my heart pounding in my throat as I swallowed. “Dad…”

  He waved me away. “Go. Do what you need to do, and promise me you’ll never stop fighting for what’s right.”

  Mom pushed me toward Jaxon and ushered us out the door. “You need to get going. Remember what I said about books, Avery. Sometimes you can be surprised.”

  With that, the door closed and left me standing beside the boy who’d known my parents were here and never thought to mention it, even after I poured my soul out to him. No matter what Mom said, he was a book I refused to judge by anything other than his cover.

  WE WALKED IN silence past the burned man, and before I knew it, we were in the atrium. Light streamed through the glass ceiling, making my eyes water, thankfully masking the fury that also betrayed me.

  As we walked through the corridor to the library, Jaxon coughed awkwardly. “So um, your parents.”

  I ignored him. People couldn’t hurt and betray you if you didn’t give them the time of day. I mentally chastised myself for getting to know my peers here but then felt bad, because Sari was quickly becoming a confidant of the truest kind. Well, maybe only some people were untrustworthy, and I had a knack for attracting them.

  He stopped at the door of the library, obviously waiting on a reply he wouldn’t receive. He stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. “Yeah, so Riggs wanted to see you. He’ll be in the back by the fire, I’m sure.”

  I tried to dodge him as best as possible, but he stood near the doorframe. I inhaled his trademark cologne as I passed, leaving me irritatingly breathless. What bothered me most was that his scent was familiar. I shouldn’t care. Shouldn’t notice. Shouldn’t have taken enough interest to even know he had a smell. The door clicked shut behind me, and I turned to watch his shadowy outline diminish in the light.

  I should have clocked him straight in the nose when I had a chance.

  “Ah, Jaxon delivered you right on time,” Riggs said.

  I turned to find his giant frame in front of the fireplace. The flames seemed to lick his sides, giving him the appearance of being on fire.

  He signaled for me to take one of the overstuffed chairs in front of his desk. I was too tired to argue, too emotionally sapped to come up with a snide remark. I dropped into the chair and prayed it would swallow me whole.

  “How was the reunion with your parents? Good, I hope?” His concern was almost believable.

  “It was long awaited and appreciated,” I said gratefully, all the while feeling as if I were swallowing shards of glass. I hated being indebted to him.

  He sat down in the high-backed oak chair, the pristine leather sighing quietly under his weight. “Good, good. I was hoping it would be a happy one.” He leaned back in his chair, his hands going behind his head in his habitual manner. “It makes me happy when I can reunite families. Makes me feel like I can still help the world find equilibrium in the chaos.”

  “What happened to your son? The one in the infirmary?”

  My question was so abrupt he didn’t have a chance to prepare himself. His brows scrunched together—in either anger or pain—and his eyes darkened like storm clouds. He leaned forward, his voice poisonous velvet. “I told you what happened to him, and I would prefer to leave my family out of our conversations.”

  His eyes were like a venomous snake’s, and the only option was to stare them down until he buckled. “Then I request mine be taken out of our conversations as well, Mr. Riggs.”

  A smile crept back over his face. “Very well. I will say that I’ve arranged for you to visit your parents each Wednesday, should you excel in your courses, from after breakfast until lunchtime.”

  My heart leapt but then faltered. “And if things don’t go well?”

  His eyes revealed a pained expression. “Then I assume you would understand why your parents might come across some, ah, minor road bumps, shall we say?”

  I jumped out of my seat. “Are you saying that my willingness to cooperate is linked to them?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying, Miss Pike. Now, head to the dining hall; it’s time for dinner.” He waved me away as though I were as inconsequential as a fly. “This time, will you be so kind as to not destroy the tablecloth?”

  My fingers curled and bit into the soft flesh of my palms. “So you brought me here to give thinly veiled threats and tell me not to burn down your dining room?”

  “I thought we’d start small after meeting your parents.”

  “Well, thanks for the consideration.”

  He seemed to deliberate, then his eyes brightened. “Let’s try one thing before you go.”

  Like a wolf smelling fear on its prey, he watched me as though waiting for me to run. I wouldn’t. “That sounds like fun. What would you like to try?”

  He stood and gazed into the fire. Coals crackled and hissed as he stoked the logs. “I know you can manipulate existing elements, such as changing water to steam, steam to snow.”

  I gasped. How did he know I created snow?

  He pointed the fire poker at me with an indulgent smirk. Its tip glowed red from being in the heat of the fire. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think Dr. Alexander would tell me about your little display in his office?”

  It wasn’t the fact that Xander told him about the snow that worried me. There was no way he would tell Riggs about Legs, was there? That would get him in as much trouble as us.

  “Your manipulation of the existent elements is apparent. That’s not what makes you unique, although you wield the ability better than some of your older counterparts. It’s clear you aren’t currently able to summon elements out of nothing, so I want to try another avenue. What I’m curious about,” he said as he twirled the poker between his thin fingers like a baton, “is if you can alter elements completely.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He picked up a goblet of wine resting innocently by his reading lamp on the oak desk and swirled it around. He sniffed the contents with his eyes closed then took a small sip. With a satisfied sigh, he opened his eyes and looked at me inquisitively.

  “I want you to turn this wine into fire.”

  I snorted in derision. “That’s not possible.”

  “Not probable. But I believe that we as humans are capable of much more than we give ourselves credit for. You’re going to prove me correct in this hypothesis.”

  “And if I can’t?”

  He swirled the contents of the goblet again and stared into the velvety red depths. His eyes crept upward and locke
d onto mine with despair. “Then it would be a shame if your parents didn’t receive their monthly rations, wouldn’t it?”

  “You can’t starve my parents!”

  “I can’t, but your inability to perform can.”

  “I don’t even know how to control what I can do, let alone try this stunt.”

  Riggs leaned over his desk and pressed a small black button on the corner I hadn’t previously noticed. A woman’s voice crackled through speakers built into the oak right beside the button. “What can I do for you, Mr. Riggs?”

  His eyes locked on mine. “Have next month’s rations been ordered yet?”

  “No they haven’t, Mr. Riggs. Would you like me to order something specifically for you?”

  He played the part of tortured soul as sadness spread across his face, even filling his usually apathetic eyes. “I need you to take away two sets of rations, one for—”

  “Stop!” I screamed. “Stop! I can try, I just can’t promise anything.”

  He leaned closer to the speaker, his finger white from the exertion of pressing the button. “Belay that request, my dear. Retain the usual rations…for now.”

  The voice sounded bored, as though Riggs had contacted her with such orders. “Of course, Mr. Riggs. Have a good day.”

  I was silent, horrified at his willingness to harm my parents. Part of me wondered how I’d gotten reattached so quickly, but I’d do anything to keep them safe. My body ached with mental fatigue, but I focused on the sloshing wine in his glass. Flames, furious and unrelenting, filled my mind’s eye as I stared through Riggs and into the fireplace behind him, imagining them in his goblet. Imagining he might burn for threatening my parents.

  The contents of the glass burst into a fiery lake. Flames danced across the top of the wine before sending sparks over the lip of the glass, burning him before he could drop it. The goblet turned end over end, as if in slow motion, before crashing into the ground. Shards of crystal tinkered across the wooden planks, and as soon as the fire touched the floor it turned back into wine, staining the rug under Riggs’s feet.