by Alexia Purdy
She tapped on her screen, and I heard a printer spitting out something on the side of her console. She held up a card with a chip in it and waited for me to take it.
“Just use this to enter the door on the third floor, suite 304. Make sure you go in slowly, or you’ll startle them. They get really intense in there.” She grinned, her white teeth shining in the harsh overhead lights. I’d get a headache sitting there all day typing away under such a glare. I wondered how she tolerated it. I took the card and thanked her before heading around her desk and toward the elevators, as though I’d been there before.
Look like you belong, and no one will question it, my mother’s voice echoed in my head. She’d always schooled me in presence and poise. Never show any fear or nervousness. Never let others think you’re scared or beneath them. You are in command of your environment always, so make sure everyone knows it.
I hoped her lessons had stuck. So far, so good.
The doors to the third floor slid open, and I stepped into what looked like the hall of a palace. It looked regal and clean. New paint had been applied, surely after the attack on the city by the Insurgents. The carpet looked brand new as well. Decorations had been replaced, mirrors hung with their ornate frames as though they’d never been smashed. None of the improvements could mask the eeriness I felt in my soul at being there. Most of the damage to the city had been fixed, but not as nicely as this place. Knowing it was for the leaders who governed the city and the rebellion’s headquarters, it made sense that it would get the most attention.
I inhaled a deep breath, my heart still beating madly. I had to get it together before I bolted from sheer panic. Straightening once more, I walked down the hall to suite 304, hearing soft murmurs through the door. I couldn’t make out any of the words or voices, which made me think the door and walls were insulated better than other rooms. I wondered who stood on the other side of the door. My father? Clyde? Gideon?
I pressed the card to the scanner on the right of the doorframe. It clicked and turned green as the locking mechanism turned and set into its open position. Gripping the cold metal of the door handle, I let out a breath as I pushed it open.
The current argument ceased as I stepped in. Eyes snapped to me. I took a breath and clicked the door shut behind me, making sure I looked like I belonged there just like everyone else.
“Star?” A familiar voice called out, and I nearly fell to my knees.
“Father.” My voice barely came out in a whisper as he embraced and pressed me to his chest.
“It is you! I’ve been so worried about you, but thought it best to give you some time and space before I visited you.” He held me at arm’s length and beamed. “You’re as beautiful as ever. Your hair, it’s darker.”
“Yeah, I dyed it and had it cut a few inches shorter.”
He grinned at me and cupped my chin. “Well, it’s beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I cleared my throat, knowing the whole room was watching. A room full of men. “I need to speak to you.”
He suddenly remembered the others in the room and smoothed down the front of his shirt. He faced the others and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for the interruption. This is my daughter, Star.” He turned toward me. “Why don’t you join us? We were just discussing a new strategy to infiltrate Farlan’s regime.”
A thin man at the other end of the table with a gaunt face and even thinner black hair atop his head stood up from his chair, nearly knocking it over.
“I don’t believe she should be here,” he barked out. “These matters are for those who are directly involved with the situation aboveground and are strictly classified.”
My father placed his hand on my left shoulder, puffing out his chest. I admired how strong he appeared, unperturbed by the objections of his associates. It gave me confidence enough to straighten up my posture as well.
“Star will be involved in every aspect of these plans. She endured weeks of captivity in Farlan’s grasp and never gave them any information on the rebellion or our whereabouts. I doubt you, Gregory, could have done the same.”
He glared at the guy and dared him to retort. His bravado fed into mine, and I no longer felt insignificant. A smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. I knew right then that I forgave him for everything. He would fight for me from now on and listen to me. I could tell he was not the same person I had left in our house, defeated and withered, comforting my mother as they watched the soldiers take me away. This man next to me would never let anything like that happen to me ever again.
I beamed with pride.
Gregory reluctantly slid down into his chair again as my father directed me to an empty one next to his. Once everyone had returned to their spots, I felt two sets of eyes drilling into me with more dedicated focus than the others.
Clyde and Gideon.
Chapter Twenty-four
Star
Clyde and Gideon were seated right next to one another, leaning away from each other as though touching would be lethal. I flicked my eyes between them and felt my cheeks burn as my stomach dropped. I knew they might have been there, but nothing could prepare me for a stare down from both of them like this.
Regardless, I wanted to run over and hug both of them, relieved they were still safe. They looked amazing, freshly shaved with their hair brushed back away from their faces. It was the first time I had truly seen them next to one another. Two sets of eyes, one pair like an ocean and the other like rich earth. Both held me mesmerized without effort. There was no doubt my feelings for them still burned brightly, regardless of the past.
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to forgive Clyde. And Gideon… I didn’t know where we stood. I felt more alone in that room full of people than ever before. Ripping my eyes away, I feared my thoughts would run away without me, into dark places I refused to enter. My stomach knotted as a thought flitted through my mind. Why had neither of them come to see me for a week? Maybe they had just returned from some preparatory work. Maybe their mission had been cancelled. I was desperately hoping for the second scenario.
I peered around, noting that most of the men at this table were never around in the city. Maybe there were sleeping quarters in the building. Most of their work was aboveground anyway. I would bet they all had housing aboveground where they spent far more time.
“Now, let’s get back to the discussion,” my father announced. “The plan to return Gideon to the Insurgent regime is on hold for now.”
I found Gideon staring my way, sporting an indecipherable look. It made my heart jump. I’d missed him. The past week had been torture. He’d been so upset about the ball that he’d left me to myself. Waking up alone was one of the worst feelings I’d ever had.
“Should we proceed, then?” one of the older gentlemen asked. This one looked familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d seen him.
“Yes, John, I think we can, but first, we need to see if the proposed candidate will want to take on the task,” my father said. He turned toward me and smiled sympathetically.
Why did I have a bad feeling about this?
John stood up, tossing me a glare before he started. He wasn’t one bit happy to have me there. He was barely tolerating my presence as though I were diseased in some manner.
“Phase one includes awakening two strategic prisoners from the deep cavern holds to use against the Insurgent regime,” he stated before reaching for a paper sitting on the table in front of him. “We would usually be able to enter these caverns from the main tunnels of the prison level, but the recent collapse cut off all access to this area with dense rock and debris. Our workers have tried to excavate the tunnel, but it keeps bringing down more debris and remains unstable. The best they could do was brace the collapse and ensure it doesn’t crumble any further while they work on reinforcing the walls. The warden notified us the only ones who are allowed access are those with permission or of a specific gender.”
As he finished, he flicked another disdainful glare in my dir
ection. I almost withered beneath his scrutiny. I shrunk in my seat, wondering why he felt the need to dislike me so much.
“You mean only females can enter those tunnels?” my father asked.
“Yes,” John nodded.
Just then, I remembered where I’d seen him before. It’d been brief, but I recalled seeing him at Harkin House, one of the rebellion’s safe houses Clyde had taken me to. John had been barking to all the soldiers, tossing orders around like he was someone important. My eyes widened. This guy was one of the top commanders. No wonder he hated seeing a naïve young girl interrupting his regimented plans. I bet he was fuming inside and would probably state his disgust to my father later.
“How would we get in otherwise?” My father wrinkled his forehead, thinking about what John was planning.
“The only other way to these deep caverns is by the tunnels of the Others.”
My father sat up, his eyes widening at the statement. “What? That’s impossible. No one is allowed in that area, it’s completely off limits. The last group to encounter them suffered greatly.”
John frowned. “I know. This is why they only allow females or males who’ve been approved by their legions. They know that men are the ones who make war.” He sat back down into his chair, looking more frustrated with each moment. “There is only one candidate who can go, and your daughter is the only one who can understand the gadgetry.”
I turned to my father, my mouth dropping open. It seemed that I would have been summoned sooner or later; it was pure chance I’d found my way into this meeting while they were discussing me.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “What gadgetry?”
He turned to me with sadness in his eyes. No, he couldn’t be offering me up for something dangerous again, could he?
“Star,” he began, “I won’t make you do it. I swore I’d never allow that again. But if you wish to take on this task, the entire rebellion can be saved. We’re losing this war. Farlan is always several steps ahead of us. If we don’t do something now, I’m afraid we will have to retreat.”
“No.” I shook my head. “We can’t retreat. We’ve come so far. I heard of all the progress we’ve had topside. All the amazing ground we’ve won back and people we’ve recruited to our side. How can we be losing?”
“Because all our efforts to infiltrate the Insurgents are slow and tedious. Clyde is the only one who has been able to retrieve any information for us, and that has come to a screeching halt.”
I turned to Clyde, confused. “What happened?”
“I was tasked with finding Gigi and bringing her back to Farlan. Since she ran away, I’ve been removed from my normal duties to work on tracking her. I finally found her, but she refuses to return to her father. I need to convince her somehow. If she doesn’t go back, I’m no longer in a position to gain any more information.”
I scoffed. “Maybe she doesn’t want to go back to being imprisoned like an animal.”
Clyde flinched at my acidic words, pressing his lips into a stiff, thin line. He stared at the table, refusing to look me in the eye. He knew what I meant. He was engaged to Gigi. Without her to keep him near Farlan, he was a lost cause. I wondered if he’d been replaced in Farlan’s inner circle since Gigi had left. If he couldn’t get her to go back, what would become of him?
What do I care? I thought. But I did care, which was why I felt a twinge of jealousy. He had moved on after breaking my heart. I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for him to decide if he loved me or not.
I felt eyes on me and found Gideon watching me intently, his face darkening. He’d seen my exchange with Clyde. He knew my snipe was fueled by resentment. My pride deflated as I noted the hurt he radiated. Gideon loved me, that I knew. After all we’d been through, my heart was refusing to cooperate, stuck between two amazing men. I was driving a wedge between all of us.
My nerves gave out. I wanted to flee from the room as the other members began to argue about using the tunnels of the Others. What did they mean by this? I looked around and watched the group as they bickered. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to take much more, I stood up and yelled out.
“Stop it!”
The entire room quieted. All eyes turned to me, startled.
“This isn’t how we should act! We’re here to discuss solutions. I don’t want to hear any more problems. I’m willing to go on this mission and do as you ask. I just need to know what this mission involves.”
My father grinned ear to ear as he watched me lecture his advisors. It felt good to know he was proud of me. Though I had been the wayward daughter for most of my life, he had prepared me to be outspoken and ruthless, even though it had backfired a few times.
Gideon stood up, avoiding my gaze. “Then I’ll be going with you.”
Confused, I glanced at my father then looked back at Gideon. “What? How are you able to go?”
He frowned, crossing his arms. “I’ve been there before.”
Realization dawned on me. “The Others—I remember you telling me about them. You’re one of the people they’ll allow into their tunnels.”
He nodded, not offering much more.
“What does it require to get approval to enter those caverns?” I asked, wondering if I really wanted to know.
“When I was part of the Insurgent army, another soldier discovered that I was a spy. He managed to stab me, and I had to run. Fortunately, instead of alerting his comrades, he chased me into the underground, where I’d retreated, but I didn’t want to lead him to the Glass Sky City. Instead, I took him on a wild goose chase to the deeper tunnels and caverns. There, we ran into the Others.”
My eyes widened as I sat back down in my seat, feeling my heart skip a beat. He had faced so many things. The otherworldly creatures who lived in the deeper tunnels… I wondered just what they were and if they were really so dangerous. From the sounds of it, they only allowed special exceptions into their domain. Females mainly, and those invited. Why was Gideon one of the chosen ones?
“These Others… what are they exactly?”
His eyes remained trained on me as he continued. “Well, before I get ahead of myself, the soldier followed me into these caverns, and just as he was about to overtake me, he was silenced. I turned around. He was already on the ground and bleeding, and I saw what appeared to be a person, but when they lit up the tunnel with some magical, light-emitting stone, I could see that they were different from us. The Others are not human, but they appear very humanoid.”
“Aliens?” Another member of my father’s cabinet asked. He looked petrified, as though this was the first he was hearing of this revelation. Everyone in the underground knew of the Others, but it was apparent that the details were hazy. They’d never heard a first-hand account like Gideon’s.
“No, they aren’t aliens,” Gideon chuckled. For the first time since I’d seen him, he relaxed. “They call themselves the fae. Magical creatures. Some are what fairytales describe as elves; they’re the most like us. And there are trolls, bat-like creatures, and other such things. I was shocked at seeing these creatures, but being injured and needing help apparently saved my life. You don’t want to know what they did to the soldier who was chasing me.” Gideon shook his head, his eyes straining as though he were recalling the horrific scene.
I swallowed the lump stuck in my throat. Gideon had more secrets than I could ever fathom.
“How do they know you’re approved to enter?” I asked, afraid they might just kill us on contact.
“They gave me a totem which allows me into their domain. From there, we can enter one specific chamber of cryogenically frozen prisoners we need.” Gideon sat down, presumably finished with his explanation.
“A totem?” I reached for the pendant he’d given me the day he’d rescued me from Farlan’s prison. I kept it on me at all times, just in case he asked for it back. My fingers slid into my pocket to curl around the cool, tarnished metal.
My eyes swung over to him. I’d be going on this dangerous
mission with my sweet Gideon. What if something happened to us? I’d never get over losing him that way. I averted my gaze to the table, afraid the tears stinging behind my eyes would spill. Heartbreak was around every corner, lurking alongside danger.
“I guess it’s settled. Star, Gideon will update you on the mission plan after the meeting. In the meantime, John will present the information on the prisoners you’ll have to retrieve.”
I nodded, not looking up as John handed out some documents. Prisoners… I couldn’t believe they were desperate enough to extract frozen prisoners who had probably been put away for heinous crimes. I didn’t like this plan at all, but I had to trust in my father. They wouldn’t be awakening these people without good cause.
As my copies of the documents were placed in front of me, I knew I didn’t want to flip through them, but I straightened, knowing that if I were to keep safe, I’d have to study every word on those pages. I folded back the cover page and saw the pictures of two inmates. Even from those still images, they radiated evil. It would not be easy to convince these men to join us, but it was apparently all we had left.
Chapter Twenty-five
Star
“Wait!”
The entire room turned to see who had interrupted the closing remarks of the meeting. My eyes widened as everyone focused their attentions on Clyde, who was on his feet, determined to be heard.
“Clyde, yes, what is it?” My father asked.
“I’m going on this mission as well,” he stated, far too calm to have just thought it up. He’d been waiting to comment on the whole thing until his pent-up energy had burst out.
My father was taken aback. He swung his eyes to John and then to Gideon. The shock on everyone’s faces told me they never would have guessed this could happen. I stared at Clyde, wondering if his demand had anything to do with me. Maybe. He was supposed to get Gigi to return her to Farlan, not join us on a mission to retrieve dangerous people. Why would he need to come?
