“What?” Ivan bellowed. “You bastard! What did you do?” He edged his bulky frame to the lip of the chasm when another quake hit, this one stronger than any of the last. Chalky clouds blinded me.
“Help!” Ivan screamed. “Help me. Please.” His voice faded. “Please...”
I laid on the ground with my hands over my head, blinded by the dust, my pulse thrummed so loud, it overpowered the quaking stones. Rocks jabbed my back. Dust choked my lungs.
When the tremors stopped, I sat up. Gasping for air, I climbed to my feet. A hand found mine, and I recognized the warm skin, the callused fingertips.
“Morven?” I asked.
“I’m here,” he answered.
An aftershock made me lose my balance. Morven caught me as I fell, his hands cradling me.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
My heart felt like the floor opening with millions of fissures. I couldn’t leave Dad alone, but I couldn’t doom Ithical either. “Yes. I’m ready.”
The dust settled, and I found the shapes of giant glowing rocks in the debris. Cade limped toward us, holding the queen regent as she staggered beside him.
I searched for Ivan, but I didn’t see him in the debris.
“Ivan’s unconscious,” Cade called.
When he reached us, I was shocked at the red blood streaming down his face from a cut near his hairline. He handed the queen regent to Morven.
“Take care of her,” he said. “She protects our world better than you think. You’ll need her when you take the throne back from the miners.”
Morven nodded, releasing my hand as he wrapped his arm around his aunt.
I took a step forward. With Ivan gone, maybe I could go home—the way I should’ve all along, with the aid of the actual seventh lie.
“Cade, will you help me get home?” I asked.
His chest rose and fell. He smeared the blood on his face as he attempted to wipe it out of his eyes. “Are you sure you still want to go?”
“Yes. My promise stands. I won’t allow this world to be stripped of its resources.”
The cut seeped with bright blood. His eyes burned with intensity, the bright blue of cerecite. On his forehead, the gash shifted a millimeter to the right.
Excitement raced through my blood. My suspicions were confirmed. “It wasn’t the knife, was it?”
He shook his head. “No. I created the knife to be a decoy.”
“You’re the seventh lie,” I said. “Aren’t you?”
He gave a single nod.
I scrutinized him. “How is it possible?”
“It happened during the explosion. The first one,” he said. “Some of the cerecite became part of Isaac, and it became part of me, too. That’s how I’m able to live so long.”
“But... if it’s you, this isn’t good. We’ll never be able to remove the cerecite from you.”
“No. There’s a way,” he said solemnly.
“How?” I asked.
“It’s him,” Morven whispered beside me.
“What?” I asked, focusing on him for the first time.
“He can change his form. Just like me. A wolf.” He nodded at Cade, and a look of understanding passed between them.
Cade’s eyes flicked to the gateway. Its six rows of lights shone through the dust clouding the room. With a deep exhale, he turned back to us.
Tears brightened his cobalt eyes. “You’ll remember me?”
“You won’t be forgotten,” Morven said earnestly. “You never have been.”
“Thank you,” Cade answered. Light glowed from his skin, igniting as if he were on fire. A greenish glow surrounded him as cerecite attached to DNA. I shielded my eyes as he transformed. Shimmering bands that reminded me of braided DNA formed translucent wings. His body morphed, his head and neck elongating, a tail growing from the lean, reptilian frame, all connected by the glowing ladder-like cords, the building blocks, the bridge between living and non-living.
“The green dragon,” I said, my voice subdued by awe.
We stood and followed the dragon to the gateway. When he reached it, he pumped his wings, leaping into the air, flying in a low circle.
“He’s opening the gateway,” I said. “Just like he promised.”
Warm wind brushed my cheeks as the dragon sailed overhead. Seams ripped through the floor, throwing me off balance, though Morven caught my hand, helping me stand straight.
Together, we stood and faced the gateway. The dragon screamed a primal sound of power as he sailed for the gateway’s opening, toward the wall of stone. As he approached, the light glowed brighter. I shielded my eyes against the onslaught of heat radiating from the doorway.
The seventh light ignited around the archway as the dragon flew through it. Digital lights with the code appeared on a screen by the seven objects. The wall of stone disappeared, revealing a snowy landscape punctuated with smooth, spherical boulders, remnants of an explosion that had happened centuries ago, evidence of the bridge between two worlds. The blue sky spanned above, so brilliant it stole my breath.
Morven squeezed my hand.
The queen regent stood beside us. “He did it,” she said, her eyes following the dot in the sky. “He saved us. The green dragon saved us again.”
Chapter 28
I woke before dawn in my bedroom. The warm blankets piled on me kept the chill away, making me never want to move from the bed. I could hardly believe I was here again.
Home.
But I had to get up. I had something important to do today.
I walked out of the room, dressed in only jeans and a faded flannel shirt, my bare feet slapping the wood of the cold floor.
When I entered the dining room, the table caught my attention. Free of the clutter of bills and torn envelopes, the wood grain gleamed in the overhead pendant light. I ran my hand over the tabletop, the surface smooth and polished.
A slim package wrapped in brown paper sat at the table’s center, a yellow post-it note attached to it, with the name Sabine written in Dad’s handwriting in magic marker.
Lifting an eyebrow, I picked up the bundle and unwrapped it, pulling out a Star Trek DVD collection.
On the back I found another post-it.
Sabine,
Let’s start with season one.
-Dad
I positioned the box on the table’s center, aligning its circumference to the grain of the wood, as if it were meant to fit perfectly. When I took a step back, I shook my head. Dad had a funny way of welcoming me home.
A figure stood on the front porch. I slipped on my sandals, grabbed the door handle, and pushed open the screen.
The springs slammed shut with a metal clank behind me, where I found Dad waiting for me. His eyes met mine as I walked to him.
“You’re up early,” Dad said. “I thought you’d want to sleep in.”
I rubbed my eyes, nightmares of collapsing cavern walls still lingering. “Couldn’t sleep.”
He nodded. The pool of porch light revealed the edge of the rows of green wheat sprouting from the soil. “I gotta get an early start today. Planting a new crop of soybeans in the west field.”
I stuck my hands in my pockets. “That’s good.”
“Yeah.” He sat on the swing and patted the slats beside him, so I sat. The rhythmic creaking of the swing was a familiar sound—one that made me feel I’d never left. The smell of old paint came from the worn wood, and the crisp taste of spring lingered in the air.
Dad patted my knee. “I’m glad you’re back.”
“Me too.”
“Mima would’ve been proud of you.”
“I hope so.” I threaded my fingers together. “I miss her.”
“I do too.” He wrapped his arm around me. “What I would give just to have one more conversation with her. To hear her voice as she told her stories. But...” he patted my back. “I’m glad you’re back, Beanie Girl.” He left unspoken the feelings tugging at my heart, the ones I feared would never heal.
&
nbsp; “We’ll get through this,” Dad said.
“Yes,” I answered. “We will.”
“What will you do now?” he asked.
I picked at the peeling paint. “I don’t know. I’m meeting someone from Vortech today. They’re offering me another job.”
“Will you take it?” he asked.
“Not sure. Vortech was never honest with me. They still haven’t told me what they’re using the cerecite for.”
“But you’re still meeting with them?”
I nodded.
He scratched his chin. “Why?”
I shrugged. “I suppose because I’m hoping for a fresh start.”
Glancing at the dark field, I couldn’t fight the emptiness tugging at me.
“Is something bothering you?” Dad asked.
I crossed my arms. “There was someone I met. I haven’t seen him since I left the airport in DC. It’s been a week. I thought... Well, never mind, that’s not even worth mentioning, I guess.” I crossed my arms as a chilly breeze rushed past. “I’ve got bigger problems. I don’t trust Vortech, yet it’s hard for me to leave Ceres behind. I think I fell in love with the place. It became part of me. It’s hard to let it go.”
The rumble of a vehicle’s engine came from the driveway. I stood to get a better look. In the light of the porch, a sleek black sedan drove slowly into view.
“That would be them,” I said. When the car stopped, I gave Dad a nervous smile and crossed to the steps.
Dad stood and placed his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.
“You got my gift?”
“I did. Thank you.”
“We can watch a couple episodes this evening if you’d like.”
“I’d like that.”
He smiled, wrinkles crinkling around eyes full of joy and sorrow. “Thank you for coming home.”
I only nodded, a hard knot forming in my throat as I hugged him. “I’m glad I could.”
He patted my back, then stepped away. “Now, go let loose on Vortech. It’s time to give them you’re best what-for. Then see what they’re offering.” He winked.
I squared my shoulders. “I will.”
When he stepped away, I faced the car, expecting someone to get out and greet me, but it idled in the dark driveway, silent except for the purring of its engine.
What were they waiting for?
After pacing down the porch steps, I marched to the Jaguar.
The back door opened. A middle-aged woman sat inside. Her knee-length black dress fit snugly on her Hollywood-thin frame, and she wore three-inch pumps to match. Red lipstick stood out against her pale skin. Black-rimmed glasses framed her shrewd, dark eyes. She wasn’t holding a weapon. At least there was that.
“Get inside, Miss Harper.” She spoke with a velvet-smooth voice, as if she weren’t accustomed to emotion.
“Inside? Why can’t we speak out here?”
“This will only take a minute. You’re perfectly safe.”
I took a step back. “What if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll leave. But I’d rather not have to do that.”
“I don’t see why we can’t speak in the house.”
“Because.” She pressed her lips into a tight line. “I’m sharing top secret information with you. I’d like to make sure it stays that way. It’s either this or we meet in Los Angeles.”
“I’m sick of traveling.”
“Then perhaps you ought to get in.”
I hated arguing, so I climbed inside and shut the door. The air smelled of clean leather and money.
“My name is Anna Johnson. You can call me Anna. I’m one of the partners in Vortech. You might know me by another name. We spent quite a bit of time together on Ceres, though only through communications.”
I cocked my head. “Fifteen?”
“Yes. Partially.” She smiled. “Agent Fifteen is a computer program engineered with the knowledge of the three founders of Vortech. Me, Vincent Fernoulli, and Yusuf Barnak. We created it to have all the knowledge it would need to assist you. I hope he was somewhat helpful.”
“Somewhat.”
She gave me a tight-lipped smile. “You’re a special person, Miss Harper,” Anna said. “We had faith in you, of course. You had potential, but I have to admit, I wasn’t sure you would make it home.”
“I wasn’t sure I would either. I was almost killed.”
“Yes. Almost.” She cleared her throat. “Let me get to why I’ve come here. I need your help. You should know that I haven’t come here on behalf of Vortech. I ask this as myself. Our corporation is being corrupted from the inside. Vortech has already begun the initial mining phase on Ceres.”
“What?” My anger flared. “That’s seriously the one thing I asked you not to do.”
She held up a hand. “It’s not what you think. We’re extremely sensitive to the local population. We’re building our facilities underground to keep a minimal profile. Only a few on Ceres even know we exist.”
“They don’t know you’re stealing from them, you mean?”
“It’s not stealing if you pay for it, and we are. Half of our production is going back to the miners. They’ve been equipped with new technology to eradicate their exposure to cerecite poisoning.”
I pursed my lips. What did she want me to say?
“But that’s not why I’ve come. I need your help in hunting down a criminal. Someone has stolen a portion of the cerecite. I fear the worst. If they’re using it for weapons, I need to know. Your unique gift is unequalled. I want you to return to Ceres with me and another agent.”
“Another agent? Who?”
She threaded her fingers together. “Cade MacDougal.”
“Cade?” I nearly choked on the word. “A Vortech agent? Are you kidding me?”
“No,” she said with seriousness.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t believe he’s working for you.”
“He’s doing it to protect his world. He feels it’s his last chance to do so.” She leaned forward. “He came straight to us once he left the gateway. It was him who negotiated the Ceres mining details, begging us to keep a low profile, making sure we stayed away from populated areas. We agreed if he consented to help us find a criminal. Like him, you will be rewarded. Vortech has paid you for your work, but that amount can’t last forever. If you choose to work with me, I will guarantee a steady paycheck, one that won’t run dry once you’re done.”
Could I work for Vortech again? Go back to Ceres? See Morven? He’d come with me to Earth, but he’d wanted to explore; I’d wanted to come home. We were supposed to meet this morning, but I didn’t know where we were. Were we in a relationship? I had no clue. But I did know he couldn’t stay here forever. He had a monarchy to repair and a city to rule.
She handed me a business card. “Contact me anytime. I wish you all the best, Agent Harper.”
Nodding, I clutched the cardstock as I climbed out. The door clicked shut behind me, and the Jaguar disappeared down the road behind the tree line. I slid the card into my pocket.
“That was weird,” a familiar voice said behind me. Startled, I spun around to face Morven. His dark eyes glinted with mischief, and the paleness of his chiseled face contrasted the locks of hair falling across his forehead. Someone so dangerously attractive shouldn’t have been left to his own devices alone on Earth.
“You scared me!” I said.
“Did I? It was a complete accident, I swear.” His teasing grin told me it wasn’t.
“You’re early.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t stay away from you.” His grin turned to a lopsided smile, showing off his white, perfectly-spaced teeth. “I drove up while you were in the car.” He pointed at a classic model Harley Davidson motorcycle propped in the drive behind him.
“Where’d you get that?” I asked.
“Rented it,” he answered. “I won’t be here long, so I figured I’d have fun while I could.”
I eyed him. “You’re going back to Ceres?”
>
“Yes, sometime.”
I glanced at the empty porch. Had Morven talked to Dad? The idea of Morven chit-chatting with my father mortified me, but it filled me with hope, too.
Would Dad like him? Did I care if he liked him?
Morven walked with me to the whitewashed fence. We stood looking out over the field. The sun rose with streaks of pink against the gray. Dew clung to the green shoots of wheat.
It seemed almost poetic that Ceres should be named after the goddess of grain, when the plant had played such a role in my life—the source of life in the home I’d saved.
Birds chirped in the distance, and I took a moment to savor the fresh air. It tasted of spring—of new leaves, honeysuckle flowers, and a hint of lingering frost.
An ant crawled over the fence post. Morven’s curious gaze followed its movements. What would it be like to see an insect for the first time? The ant moved away, down the post and out of sight.
“I wondered where you went.” I propped my elbows on the wooden fence railing. “I came home, and you disappeared.”
His genuine, charming grin sent my insides fluttering. He rested his elbows beside mine. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I think you did.”
I playfully jabbed his ribs. “You didn’t tell me where you went.”
“Well, since it was my first time here, I figured I should catch up with as much as I could. I made a stop in Houston and visited NASA, then to Florida to Cape Canaveral. Did you know your astronomers have discovered more than seven-thousand exoplanets? Incredible.”
“So, you’ve been doing nerdy sciency stuff this whole time?”
“For the most part.” A twinkle lit his eye. “But I couldn’t stay away from you for long. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, to be honest.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face, the pads of his thumbs moving slowly over my skin, making me flush with heat. “What do you want, Sabine?”
I eyed him. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I need to know. What do you want from your future? Where do you want to go? And... is there any possibility that I might be a part of it?”
“I guess that depends. You’re the prince. You’ve got a lot of work to do restoring your home after what the miners did. Do you want me to be a part of it?”
The 7th Lie Page 27