by Megan Curd
He hit the ground with a sickening crunch, but I heard him splutter and cough as he pulled oxygen back into his lungs before passing out.
“Avery Pike, you continue to impress me with your desire to make your lot worse and worse. I will have you back here alive—you and your mother—but the rest will die. And you will watch. Maybe I’ll even have you pull the trigger on Jaxon.”
Dad couldn’t contain himself. He stood up, and the veins bulged in his neck. “You killed Regina, but you’ll never have my Avery!” His voice cracked, and spit flew from his mouth as he yelled out in rage. “Regina and I have spent our lives protecting her from the Resistance, and I won’t stop now. I’ll die before I let you have her!”
“Regina didn’t die by my hand.” Xander’s voice crackled through the loudspeakers that echoed from the dome. “She died in vain for an Alliance that’s dead. And you, Cole, are now completely useless to me. My soldiers will come for your traitorous group, and you will die.”
Legs’s metal arm swung to life, landing a solid backhand blow to the side of Dad’s face. I screamed and tried to run to his aid, but Legs’s body was not his own. He looked on in horror as his hand lifted me in the air, and I began to choke. He threw me to the ground, and my head struck something hard, blinding me with pain.
My vision swam. Just before darkness clouded my sight, new pairs of feet came into view.
The soldiers had come for us.
***
I awoke with hands poking and prodding me. Cool water ran over my body and left me feeling exposed as the air hit my skin.
I was naked.
I tried to pull up, but my arms and legs were strapped to the bed. Panic consumed me.
What is this place? Where am I?
People cloaked in white medical coats milled about the room. One woman held a clipboard and kept looking at a computer screen lit up with numbers and lines while a man pressed his thick fingers against my jugular.
I was naked, and these people were touching me.
I screamed. “Let me go! Get off me!”
“We’ve got a live one, boys!” cried a woman whose voice I didn’t know. Her clipboard clattered to the ground as she threw her entire weight into keeping my upper half pinned to the table. “It’s all right, dear. You’re safe here! We’re just cleaning you up!”
Her black hair tickled my face as it rained down in sheets around her face, and I spat to keep it out of my mouth. She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. Not what I’d imagined death would smell like. Even with her reassurance, I bucked and screamed and begged to be left alone. Tears streamed down my face, and I blubbered incoherently.
She hollered over my screeches. “I need sedation!”
I felt a prick at the crook of my arm. My vision blurred again as the sting of the medicine expanded my vein. Her face began to spin in a kaleidoscope of colors as the medicine took its toll on me.
“Don’t kill me,” I slurred.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, honey,” she said, her face fading into the blackness. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
MY SECOND AWAKENING was much less traumatic, as I woke to birds chirping. No, it couldn’t be real. There had to be a track playing somewhere. I pushed myself off the plush bed, my hands sinking into the soft sheets and mattress as the duvet fell away. My arms were bare and free of the cuts and bruises I knew should be there. The black shirt I wore was soft and worn. I briefly wondered who had dressed me, but curiosity about my wounds won out. I shoved the covers down to expose my legs and pulled the black pants up to my knees, expecting to find lacerations and half-healed gashes.
Nothing. Not one scratch.
The birds calling to one another caught my attention, and I scanned the room for the source. I wasn’t in the academy; this room was too simple to exist there. The bed was a simple twin with fresh sheets and blankets. Across the room sat a wooden dresser painted a country blue, the paint chipping a bit at the corners as though it had been loved and used for many years. Above it hung a mirror with a window as its frame, the grid-like pattern still intact and probably meant to look like a window from the other side. In the reflection, I saw a door with a window.
Outside.
I leapt from the bed, marveling at the fact that nothing hurt. My feet seemed to move of their own accord, and being able to look out of a window mesmerized me. I approached cautiously, afraid to step into the direct sunlight shining in. Dust motes drifted like tiny planets in orbit, dancing with one another on their descent to the ground. After a moment of deliberation, I chanced extending my hand into the ray of light.
Warmth blanketed my flesh, but it didn’t burn. It felt amazing. I turned my hand over and allowed my palm to embrace the heat as well. Pleased, I stepped into the sunlight and peered out the window.
A small yet majestic tree stood outside the window, the green buds of leaves beginning to grow on the tips of the branches.
I had to touch it.
I opened the door, and a cool wind washed over me, enveloping me with the fresh scents of the outdoors. I took a deep breath of pleasure and took my first step onto green grass. It was soft under my feet and tickled my toes. I ran my hand along a bush and watched three little birds perched in the lower branches of the tree. They preened themselves and chirped happily.
Real birds.
I let out a whoop of delight and danced right there, too excited to stand silently in this new revelation. The birds took flight, and I watched them in awe as they disappeared in the glare of the sun. The sun was real, bright and warm; the tree, the birds, the dust motes were also unquestionably genuine.
Earth wasn’t ruined.
“Excited to know that our whole lives have been lies, huh? I knew you were a couple crayons short of a whole box.”
I turned to find Jaxon leaning against the doorframe of my room, his arms crossed and his muscles burdening the sleeves of his too tight t-shirt. His dreadlocks fell freely around his ears, and his sardonic smile gave me butterflies all over again.
“I’m excited to know that we’re alive, actually.”
He flashed an impish grin as he pushed himself off the frame and sauntered over to me, his hands in his pockets. “Give it a minute to soak in, then dwell in the angst of a lie-ridden fifteen years with me again.”
I laughed as I scanned the green yard. “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” I gestured back to the building. “Where are we? Not the academy, obviously.”
“Obviously,” he stepped closer, exuding happiness I had never experienced from him. “The Alliance isn’t dead. Riggs got us to the meeting point. They came to our aid when the buggy collapsed.”
“And the burned soldiers?”
“Most of them are dead.”
“Most of them?”
He shrugged, clearly unperturbed by the thought of more soldiers lurking, waiting in the wings for another attack. “Xander called them back when the Alliance made their appearance. He knew they were outnumbered, I guess.”
I raised my eyebrows. “He wouldn’t let us go like that.” A thought hit me. “Alice’s tracker—”
“Already taken care of. The Alliance got us out of the line of fire and surgically removed it before they got anywhere near this place.”
“And this place is?”
His smile broadened. “Dome Four. Well, right outside of it in the surrounding neighborhoods, actually.”
My mouth dropped. “You’re kidding me!”
“Nope. Seems like you were in the heart of the Alliance the entire time. Go figure.”
“My parents…”
“Your dad is in the men’s wing, right next door to me, actually.”
As pain constricted my heart at the thought of having lost Mom, I was reminded of Riggs. “Jaxon, your dad…”
“Apparently still has a streak of goodness somewhere in that creepy shell of his.”
I stood there in shock. I could tell he was fighting back tears. He stared at the wooden floor, and I understood why. It was easier t
o stave off tears if you weren’t looking at someone who cared about you.
“So you got the flash drive to work?”
“Yeah. Sari made quick work of it when she woke up.”
“And Legs? Everyone?”
His eyes darkened. “Everyone’s fine. The Alliance took good care of us. As for Legs, they got the arm off, but he hasn’t come out of his room since. Refuses to eat most of the time.”
I hesitated, unsure how to word my next question. “Do you hate him?”
Surprise filled his face. “Hate him? For what? Being a pawn of Xander’s? I was taken in by him too, fooled to believe he was looking out for me. I can’t hate Legs for something that I too was guilty of. I don’t have time for hate in my heart anymore, Avery.”
His sage-like insight surprised me. I wasn’t sure I’d be as reasonable if the tables were turned. “And your brother? The soldier?”
He sighed. “I don’t know if he’s alive or dead, but either way, he’s not on our side. Xander has him under his thumb like the rest of the ruined Alliance army.”
“I never thought someone could be so evil, especially Xander. He had us all fooled. How could he get so malevolent?”
“Sari thinks it’s all on the flash drive,” he said sadly. “There are a couple files she hasn’t hacked into, but she said it looks like Riggs gave us a lot of information on Xander and the Resistance. He’s still under sedation, by the way. The doctors said it’s better to let him heal without waking him up. That arm did a number on him. The flash drive is a good start toward what our next steps should be. Sari will probably have all the files opened by the end of the week. She’s scary when she’s determined.”
I laughed. “That’s true.” It sounded like they’d had time to get things going. “How long has it been since we arrived?”
“Three days.”
That’s how long I’d been asleep. I patted my body down. “Where are all our injuries?”
His face was a mixture of emotions. “It seems that Dome Four isn’t frugal because they’re poor, they’re frugal because they save up for times of need. They have all the technology, all the medicine they could ever need—for the dome and for us. Our injuries were supposedly easy to fix. The Alliance is strong, but they’re also smart. They understand the Earth isn’t something you can abuse. They’re trying to make it inhabitable again.”
I pointed skyward, where real clouds dotted the sky. “Looks like they’re doing a good job.”
“Yeah, but it’s a far cry from ready. We’ll still have to go underground some days because of the carbon levels or the UV rays being too dangerous. And with the Resistance doing everything they can to abuse resources…”
“It makes my job more important.”
“That’s why Xander wanted to figure out how to duplicate your gift. Endless resources, bottled up in the human body. He could abuse the earth without ramification if he could keep using humans.”
I shuddered at the thought of being used like cattle then discarded when my usefulness had ended. “What’s his end goal, do you think?”
“According to the videos that Dad has? One world regime with him at the head. He’s power hungry, and keeping people resigned to the domes keeps him in power. When people know there’s hope for a future, they’re dangerous. Keep them oppressed, keep them thinking that all they have is all there is, and he can control them. He’s corrupted Dome Seven. We don’t know how far his reach is yet.”
The thought scared me. Could a single person manipulate us as an entire body? “And the Alliance wants to stop it, right?”
He nodded.
Resolve rose inside me at the thought of my mother dying for the Alliance to continue. “We need to fight with them.”
Jaxon’s smile broadened. “I was wondering when you’d say that. You’re kind of the poster child for our merry little band of rebels now. Your mother was one of the leaders in the Alliance, and they want you to fill her spot.”
“They?”
“The Alliance leaders. I’ve only met one, and her name is Alexandra, but everyone calls her Lexie. But from what I hear, you tried to buck her off the bed when you first came to in the compound.”
I blushed. Of course I’d try to take out someone that was leading the Alliance.
Jaxon put a hand on my waist. He brushed the dreads out of his face with the other, his blue eyes shining in the sunlight. “She thought it was great, by the way. Said you already remind her of your mother.”
Tears flooded my vision as my mind recalled the last moments of my mother’s life. Her peaceful smile even in death gave me hope, but I still felt empty knowing I’d never get to have a relationship with her. Guilt rested in the pit of my stomach, and as I leaned against Jaxon, I wrapped my arms around myself to prevent my from breaking from the inside out, the way it felt I might.
“She shouldn’t have died. I should have been able to fend those soldiers off on my own. Her body…she wasn’t used to using her abilities. Riggs had been forcing me to use mine, to get stronger, and I still couldn’t do it well. I killed her because I couldn’t keep the soldiers away by myself.”
He lifted my chin and wiped away the tear that escaped. “Hey, this isn’t your fault,” he said gently. “She died protecting you. Protecting you was her life’s goal, and she accomplished that. You’re safe.”
He wrapped me in his arms as tears streamed down my face. He had broken down my walls, and I was unable to put them back in place now. Wetness tickled the top of my ear, and I pulled away to glance up at him again.
He was crying as well.
Sadness permeated our moment. I bit the inside of my lip as I thought of how lonely he must feel. “You know you have a second chance with Riggs now.”
“You’re right. I just need time to adjust to it. I know he’s a good man.”
“You got that from him,” I said fervently.
His eyes widened with shock. “You think I’m a good man? Even after all the stuff I threw at you?”
“Well, you were kind of a tool, I’ll admit,” I said as we both laughed. “The thing is, I saw glimpses of good in you. You couldn’t hide your true colors all the time.”
“Kind of like Riggs.”
I put my hand on his chest and felt his steady heartbeat thrum in time with mine. “It’s okay to be like your dad.”
He picked me up and carried me back to my bedroom. We both sat against the foot of the bed and held each other, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. I knew we would never speak of it again, but in that moment I knew no one would ever know me the way that he did.
The sunlight waned, giving way to twilight, illuminating the clouds outside the window in brilliant crimson and purple like a soft patchwork quilt in the sky. Another pang of sorrow hit me as I realized Mom would never see the beauty of a sunset as a free woman, which brought on a fresh wave of tears.
“Mom’s gone, and I don’t even have her teapot anymore. I have nothing to remember her by.”
“You mean that old lump of steel you toted around in your messenger bag?”
I pulled away from him. “That old lump of steel? That was the only thing of my mother’s that I owned!”
“It deserved to be more than just a lump of steel.” He used his free hand to fish into the side pocket of his cargo pants. He placed his hand on mine, and I felt the familiar weight of the teapot in my palm. His lips curved upward. The reflection of the clouds outside shimmered in his eyes, and I was sure I could see into the depths of his soul. “It deserved to be as beautiful and strong as you and your mother.”
When he pulled his hand away, I saw that the brushed steel had been shaped into a lily.
“Thank you,” I managed to choke out.
“Hey now, none of that,” he said gruffly, as he too fought to keep his emotions in check. “I stole from you. You’re not supposed to get choked up over that.”
I laughed. “It’s beautiful.”
We sat in easy silence as the sun continued to set f
or just the two of us. Finally, I cleared my throat as I ran my fingers over the petals of the lily in my hand. “I don’t know if I’m ready to talk to everyone yet.”
“That’s okay. The Alliance is strong; it won’t crumble if you need a little while to collect yourself.”
I nodded absentmindedly.
“Do you mind if I stay with you? You know, until you’re ready?”
“That would be nice.”
His face took on a sheepish grin, and he gestured his head toward the door. “I have to admit that you’ve got a couple people outside the door dying to see you.”
My eyes glanced over to see Sari and Alice peering around the corner. “How long have you two been standing there?”
Alice walked in, her usual conspiratorial manner firmly in place. “Long enough to know that Jaxon is a closet romantic.”
“Which is something I suspected, anyway,” added Sari. She put her arm around Alice. It appeared they were becoming partners in crime. “He’s always had a teddy bear collection in his laboratory. Wait. I wasn’t supposed to tell her that, was I, Jax?”
“Shut up before I tell her about your boy band CD collection.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A big lie,” Sari said with a laugh. “Disregard him. He’s a serial liar.”
Their smiles were encouraging as they sat down beside us, Alice’s eyes sneaking to the window where, fireflies illuminated the twilight.
She curled up against my open side. “My room didn’t have a window,” she said quietly. “Would you mind if we had a sleepover tonight, for old times’ sake?”
I laughed. “When have I ever turned down a sleepover?”
“Me, too?” asked Sari.
“I’m not sure how many people can fit in a twin size bed, but we can find out.”
“If there’s going to be three women in a bed, then I feel like I should be there too,” Jaxon said.
His response was a punch in the arm from Alice.
I sighed. “You know, if you had told me we’d survive everything, I don’t know if I would have believed it.”
