The Fifth Queen

by Ali House

  Suddenly an idea popped into her head. They’d spent the past couple of days trying to convince Kit that she was from Briton, but they hadn’t really tried to convince her that she wasn’t from Tecken. A plan started to form. It wasn’t the best plan ever created, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to get the help she needed, but if it worked it might bring an end to this.

  Chapter 30

  “You work too much.”

  Kendra laughed at the statement, but she knew it was true. “Well, I’ve got a very big project going on. Maybe I’ll have more free time in the future.”

  Skye shook her head. “Maybe is not the answer I was looking for. Normally I expect my best friend to not be such a hard worker, but I’ve given up hope in you a long time ago, you public servant.”

  They were having supper at Slice & Dice, a restaurant downtown that was Skye-approved. When she first moved back to Stanton, Kendra had been worried that her former roommate would be too busy hanging out with newer friends and wouldn’t have time for her, but Skye had been delighted to learn that Kendra was back on the island permanently. When they met up, it was like no time had passed since they last saw each other.

  While Kendra was busy exploring the Segment, Skye had finally chosen a major, stuck with it, and graduated. She was still in university, however this time she was the teacher. When Kendra learned this, she remarked that Skye could probably teach every single course being offered, due to her many years jumping between classes. Instead of being bashful, Skye agreed with her.

  “I apologize for being so good at my job.” Kendra tried to lay on the charm, but she knew that Skye would require more appeasement than that.

  “Oh, did you hear the latest rumour?”

  Kendra shook her head, thankful that Skye was so easily distracted. “You know I don’t pay attention to rumours, but do go on.”

  Skye leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Apparently the Six-Elemental’s gone crazy and thinks that she’s a Tecken spy.”

  “Seriously?” Kendra replied, acting as if this was the first time she’d heard such a thing.

  “Yeah. Apparently the ISS are holding her in their cells – the ones they haven’t used since the Second Invasion. I’m surprised you haven’t heard this.”

  “I’d heard a rumour about the basement holding cells being used again, but I had no idea what it was for. Do you think it’s true?”

  Skye nodded. “Tyler was spotted on Tecken a few days ago, so I’d believe it. I think all those letters in the newspapers have pushed her over the edge.”

  “After some of the stuff I read, I wouldn’t be surprised. Whoever’s writing that stuff really has an issue with the Six-Elemental.”

  “It’s probably some crazy Humanists from Briton.” Skye looked at her watch. “The movie starts soon, we should hurry up and finish.”

  “Only if you promise to stop making fun of my work ethic,” Kendra teased.

  Skye rolled her eyes. “You know I can’t do that.”

  Δ

  When Kendra decided to work for the ISS on Stanton instead of Tecken, she knew that strategically it would be a better way to endear herself to the people of the Segment. Despite the ISS’s attempts at integration, most people from Tecken didn’t leave the island, or if they left for university, they returned soon after graduating. Not many people moved to Tecken, so at least it wasn’t a one-sided argument. Kendra wanted to prove that people from Tecken were just as conscientious about issues on other islands, and shatter people’s pre-conceived notions.

  However, she wasn’t ready to tell everyone that she was from Tecken just yet. Although the higher-ups in the ISS knew, she’d held that particular piece of information back from her co-workers, wanting them to form their own opinions about her first. Maybe once the Briton task force was in play, she’d let people know. Or maybe after that.

  The only problem with that plan was that she really wanted to tell Skye the truth. The more time they spent together, the more she wanted to let Skye know who she really was. She valued their friendship and didn’t want to continue lying by omission. Hopefully Skye wouldn’t have an issue with it, but there was always a possibility, which is why it would be better for Kendra to tell the truth sooner rather than later.

  When the movie finished, they went for a walk downtown to discuss what they’d thought about it. They usually agreed overall, but there were always some small parts that they would argue about. Kendra didn’t know why, but she enjoyed arguing with Skye. Maybe it was because nothing they argued about was really serious, so the stakes weren’t high. It didn’t matter who was right and who was wrong, as long as they were spending time together.

  “Fine,” Skye sighed. “I will acknowledge that the lighting was really good in the end scene and not overly trite.”

  Kendra held back her laughter. “As much as I enjoy this victory, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

  Skye paused. “I... um, is this...” She paused again. “Because I have something I wanted to tell you, too, and I think it might be the same thing.”

  “You do?” Kendra couldn’t have been more confused if Skye was speaking a different language.

  “Yeah. I mean, I think it’s time for certain things to be said out in the open.”

  It was Kendra’s turn to pause. “What are you talking about?”

  “Huh?”

  “What do you think I want to say?”

  Skye shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, we hang out a lot and stuff, and I really enjoy spending time with you and care about you, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. Right?”

  Kendra felt her cheeks heating up as she finally realized what Skye was saying. “Oh. Um, I need you to put a pin in that for a moment. But we’ll definitely come back to it. It’s just that I should really say my thing first.”

  Skye motioned for her to continue.

  Kendra took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know I don’t talk much about my past, but I just wanted you to know that I’m not from Drakkar, as I may have implied. I was actually born on Tecken. I wanted to get out and explore the rest of the Segment, because I know that there’s more out there than what we were told growing up. I know I never said anything about it, but there’s a lot of history between these two islands, and I thought it would be best if I avoided the subject, and, well, I just want to make sure that you knew the truth, now, before...”

  She looked over at Skye, who looked confused, as if she was trying to process the information but was having a hard time trying to make it fit. Kendra looked down at her feet, unsure if she should say more or stay quiet. At least she’d finally said it.

  “Um,” Skye said slowly. “Well, I was not expecting that.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Like, I know you were young when the Second Invasion happened, so it’s not like it was your fault. I’m just surprised that you kept this from me.”

  Kendra shrugged, embarrassed. “I wanted to make sure you either liked or hated me because of my personality and not my home island. Most people’s reaction is instant hate, and I wanted you to get to know the actual me. If it makes you feel better, you’re the first person I’ve told. Well, other than my bosses.”

  Skye thought about it. “Okay, that does make me feel a little better.” She sat down on a nearby bench. “I mean, I want to say that I’d have been a bigger person and wouldn’t have let that affect what I thought about you, but I really don’t know. I’ve grown up knowing what the Eriksons have done to Tecken and Stanton, so I’m sure that would have coloured my opinion, even in some small way. So, even if I wanted to be mad that you kept this from me, I don’t know if I can.”

  The response was good, but Kendra could tell that Skye was still having trouble processing the information. “If you need some time to think this over, I can go.”

  “No. It shouldn’t change anything.” Skye stood up, a determined look on her face. “You’re still you. The person you were when you were six isn’t th
e person you are now. And I know who you really are. Unless you’re holding more information back from me...” she narrowed her eyes.

  Kendra’s brain rifled through the rest of her secrets. Magnus Erikson being her biological father was a pretty big deal, but when she thought about it, she wasn’t actually an Erikson. Magnus had nothing to do with her childhood, her life, nor her path right now. Her achievements were her own, not his, and she would succeed because she was the best person for the job, not because of her EDNA.

  Smiling, Kendra shook her head. “I can’t think of anything else.”

  Skye sighed again. “Well, then I guess we should probably continue as normal.”

  She smiled. “That would be great.”

  They continued on their walk, but Kendra could tell that her earlier revelation was still on Skye’s mind. Maybe it had been the wrong time to bring it up. Maybe once Skye had time to process it, she’d realize that she couldn’t look past it and they’d never be friends again.

  When it came time for them to split off in their own directions – Skye towards her apartment building in the East and Kendra towards hers at the ISS apartment buildings – Kendra wasn’t sure what to say. She wanted to apologize again, but before she could, Sky spoke.

  “It’s stupid, you know?”

  “What?” Kendra asked, confused.

  “To blame people for something that they had no hand in. To be prejudiced towards someone who doesn’t deserve it. Your being from Tecken shouldn’t change anything that I feel towards you. If anything, I should acknowledge that growing up there is what made you the way you are – the lame public servant who wants to help everyone in the Segment.”

  Kendra couldn’t help smiling. “Thank you..?”

  Skye reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “And even though I think that public servants are the worst, I like you Kendra. I really do.”

  “I really like you, too, Skye.” The smile spread wider on her face.

  “Would you like to come back to my place, so we can talk some more?”

  “I’d love to.”

  Chapter 31

  There was ‘uncomfortable’ and then there was ‘Why did I come here? This is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had in my entire life’ uncomfortable. Zenyth was currently experiencing the second feeling and not liking it at all. She hadn’t told anyone else what she was doing because she didn’t know if they’d agree with it and she wasn’t prepared to back down. All she’d said to Naydir and Vaughn was that she had something to do and would be back in a couple hours.

  “You can go in now,” the receptionist smiled, putting more friendliness into her inflection than was normally called for. Zenyth had a feeling that the receptionist was overcompensating, but she had presented herself as an officer of Stanton and hadn’t explained why she was here, trying to get an audience with Tecken’s Leader without an appointment.

  Zenyth stood up, straightened her shirt, and thanked the receptionist as she walked through the door. She’d been expecting an office like Frederick’s, but it was quite different. It was the same size and had windows along three of the walls, but the rest of the design was more function than form. Filing cabinets lined the fourth wall, and there was no kitchenette or no place to sit down, except for two chairs across from a large desk.

  Sitting behind the desk was Akola Allen, the Leader of Tecken. Aside from being an incredible soldier, she had been in the room when Erikson died and had taken command of the island before the Second Invasion even ended.

  Zenyth hadn’t had much contact with her, but she knew from Kit’s stories that Akola had been Kit’s best friend while she’d been on Tecken and had been in charge of watching her and making sure the reassignment didn’t fail. She knew that Akola was an Earth Elemental, and that her actual hair was blonde, but she dyed it bright red in order to seem more Elemental. Other than that, she knew that Akola could be tough as nails and difficult to work with.

  “Good morning, Officer Hansen,” Akola said, not bothering to stand. “Would you care to take a seat?”

  “Good morning, Leader Allen,” Zenyth said politely, sitting in one of the chairs. “I have a somewhat sensitive matter to discuss with you.”

  Akola gave her the once-over. “I know that you’re friends with Katherine Tyler, that you were on the ISS’s civilian team, and you fought in the Second Invasion. I bring this up because I know who you are. If you’re here on your own and not on a special assignment from the ISS or the police, then I’ve already assumed the reason. Gossip travels fast.”

  Zenyth reminded herself that she was here to ask a favour, so she shouldn’t react to Akola’s hostility.

  “Well, then. Here’s the deal.” She took in a breath and let it out in a huff. “Someone’s been mailing Kit strange letters, trying to convince her that she’s actually from Tecken and that Stanton brainwashed her first. Turns out that Kit’s started to believe it all, and we can’t convince her otherwise. So, I was hoping that you’d be kind enough to go to Stanton and tell Kit the truth.”

  Akola raised an eyebrow. “Well, I had not been expecting that last bit.”

  “Yeah, it’s a bit of a shocker.”

  Akola took a moment to think, so Zenyth sat quietly. She still wasn’t sure if coming here was a mistake or not, but Akola seemed to be a level-headed person. Hopefully her hatred for Kit wasn’t as strong as her sense of duty.

  “Other than good community relations, why should I help the ISS? What can I possibly do that you can’t?”

  Zenyth shrugged. “We’ve tried everything else. The only thing we haven’t tried is to get someone who grew up on Tecken to tell her that it’s all a load of lies. Honestly, if you can’t get through to her, then I’m officially out of ideas. And as for the ‘why should you help us?’ Well, if Kit truly believes she’s from Tecken then she’ll want to move out here, so she’ll become your problem, not ours.”

  It felt mean to say, but it was true.

  After a much longer time than Zenyth had patience for, Akola finally nodded.

  “Fine, I’ll help you. I’ll rearrange a few things in today’s schedule, but don’t expect me to stay on Stanton for long. There are other matters that require my attention.”

  “Hey, I’ll take what I can get.” Zenyth rose to her feet. “So… When do you think you’ll be able to make it over?”

  She shuffled through a few pages on her desk. “Would early afternoon work? I’d appreciate some time to prepare myself.”

  “Afternoon is fine. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  Akola nodded at her, and Zenyth exited the room. She gave a polite nod to the receptionist before heading out of the building. Now all that was left was for her to go back to Stanton and tell everyone what she’d done.

  ≈

  Naydir was in the lunch room, talking with Sav, when Zenyth arrived back on Stanton.

  “Where’d you go?” Naydir asked. “I had to tell Frederick that you were working on a secret plan that was so secret even I didn’t know what it was.”

  “Um…” She had spent the entire drive over thinking of how to phrase her impromptu road-trip, but she still had nothing. “I was exploring alternate options…?”

  Sav frowned. “I have a feeling that this conversation should be happening somewhere more private.”

  Zenyth nodded. “That might be an accurate feeling.”

  The three of them headed towards the basement, trying to look as inconspicuous and uninteresting as possible. They knew that rumours were spreading around the island, but they didn’t want to do anything to feed into them. Some people thought that the ISS was working on a way to give people elemental powers and had kidnapped Kit to get her EDNA, others thought that the Six-Elemental was sick or dying and had been brought here to keep it quiet, while others were much closer – suspecting that the Six-Elemental had finally outed herself as a Tecken spy and had been contained by the ISS before she could destroy Stanton.

  As much as Zenyth wanted to
correct these rumours, she held her tongue. The truth wouldn’t help right now.

  They no longer had to flash their clearance badges to the guard standing beside the door to the basement, since everyone scheduled for this particular security job knew their faces. The guard nodded at them and unlocked the entrance.

  “So, what did you do?” Naydir asked as soon as they were in the basement.

  “I went to speak to Akola Allen.”

  Both Naydir and Sav stared at her.

  “And did she kick you out?” Sav finally asked.

  Zenyth shook her head. “I told her what was going on and asked if she could help. I figured that Kit would believe the truth if she heard it from someone who actually lived on Tecken.”

  Naydir let out a breath. “That’s a very rational thought, but I wish you’d discussed it with one of us beforehand. What if Frederick had already thought about that and decided not to pursue it?”

  “After what Kit did, I doubt that anyone would want to ask Tecken for help – especially Frederick. I only went because I didn’t know what else to do.” She looked towards the room where Kit was behind held. “Akola will be here this afternoon. If she fails, well, then I’m officially out of ideas.”

  Naydir and Sav followed her gaze.

  “Me too,” Naydir said quietly.

  It didn’t have to be said out loud, but they all knew that time was running out.

  Chapter 32

  The situation felt familiar, but Kit wasn’t sure why. There had been another room, in the past, and a collar that took her powers away, but the other details were hazy. She couldn’t trust her memory anymore, so she tried not to think about the past and focus on the present.