Destiny Rising

by Siobhan Davis

  Dad swallows a fairly hefty dose of humble pie.

  “What if they use them against civilians in an attempt to discredit us? Or just pit them against each other?” Commander Skyee asks.

  “We doubt they’d turn them against each other—it defeats the whole point of the Vita control. However, they may decide to use them against the general population and pin the blame on us. That’s a significant concern and something we need to discuss in more detail,” Dan Fielding admits.

  “Our main priority now is accelerating our plans to win this war via technology and to start actively plotting our takeover of Novo. It’s clear who has supremacy on the ground. Let’s show them we have the upper hand in every other way.”

  “Are you sure about that?” I ask.

  “Your point is?” Calista tilts her head to the side.

  “We were told that the monitoring drones have been taken out,” I say, drilling an imaginary hole in Zane’s skull as I pierce him with a stare, “yet the government were still aware of our movements and the locations of our base operations and clearly had adequate time to prepare to strike. How is that possible if we have the upper hand technically?”

  “That’s a good point,” Dad says. Calista places a hand on his shoulder, and because I’m in close proximity, I can see the pressure she applies as she flattens her palm down. She’s not liking her any Remus love today.

  “That is perplexing indeed,” she admits. “Zane, your thoughts?”

  I slouch back in my chair and plant my disinterested face on.

  “I don’t have an explanation. I’ve double-checked everything and changed all the security codes protecting our schedules and communication channels. I’ve confirmed that all the drones have been destroyed and we haven’t been hacked. The only logical deduction is that we have a traitor, someone is feeding intel to the other side.”

  Several heads swivel in Dad’s direction and a cold sweat drips down my spine. I pull myself upright in my chair. “Now hang on here a second,” Dad says, invisible steam blowing out of his ears. “Don’t start pointing the finger at me. I haven’t done anything to betray our cause.”

  “If there is a mole, and that’s a big if,” I say, “isn’t it logical to deduce that it’s someone with sufficient technical expertise? A person with the knowledge of how to transfer data and then cover their tracks.” I level a stare at Zane.

  “Didn’t think you were cut from the same cloth,” Zane says, gesturing with his hand toward Dad and me. “Guess that’s something else I assumed wrong.”

  I jump up in my seat. Commander Skyee clamps a hand on my shoulder and pushes me back down in my chair. “If you two can’t put aside your personal differences, then neither of you belongs at this table.”

  “I think we’re done here for the moment,” Calista says. “Normal council meeting at ten p.m. sharp. Meeting dismissed.” Chairs scrape loudly but I’m trapped in mine, Ariana’s dad pinning me at the rear. Calista calls Zane aside and they walk into the small room just off to the right.

  “Follow me,” Commander Skyee says. I trail him into the room.

  Zane regards me neutrally so I do the same.

  “Whatever is going on between you two cannot interfere with the work you do here,” Calista says, her gaze darting from Zane to me. “Both of you have an important part to play, and I can’t afford for petty squabbles to get in the way of our goals. Sort out your differences or stay out of each other’s way. I will not tolerate conduct like that again. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Crystal,” I say with begrudging admiration. I’d hate to get on her bad side.

  “I apologize profusely for any upset,” Mr. Diplomatic says, and I feel like hurling. What did Ariana ever see in this guy? He acts as if he’s about ninety. Maybe that’s what she’s into, a nasty little voice whispers in my ear. Shut up! I all but growl at my inner demon.

  I stalk out of the room and storm down the corridor. Zane catches up to me. “Can we talk?”

  “I’ve nothing to say to you.” I don’t as much as glance his way. If I look at him, I’m afraid I won’t be able to contain Mr. Angry anymore. “Get lost.” I motor on ahead, reciting the Saoirse mission statement in my head—anything to quell the nascent rage building to fever pitch inside me.

  An arm fists in my shirt and I whirl around. “We need to talk,” Zane says, the toe of his boot nudging the edge of mine.

  “Get the fuck away from me.” I shove him.

  “God, you’re such an ass. I’ll never understand what she sees in you.”

  Well, that’s like a red flag to a bull. Rage thunders through my veins, snapping the thin thread on my control.

  I punch him in the face and man does it feel good.

  CHAPTER 20

  Pain flares across my knuckles but I relish the feeling. Zane rubs his jaw and stares at me warily, but he doesn’t make any attempt to defend himself. I suspect it’s because he understands that he deserves it for breaking the unwritten code. You never go after a girl when she’s engaged to someone else.

  I have zero impulse control, and unable to summon an ounce of restraint from anywhere, I punch him again. He staggers back and a flash of anger burns in his eyes.

  Oh yeah, baby. Now we’re on.

  Zane throws himself at me, swinging his arms. His fist glances off my chin, and I lose my balance, falling flat on my back. Zane has gained the upper hand and he lands on top of me, leveling blows all over my face and upper chest.

  He’s really getting into the spirit of things now.

  But he’s no match for my body strength, and I quickly flip him off, rolling him onto the ground. My fist pounds into his face and a spurt of blood showers the front of my shirt.

  Then I’m yanked backward and tossed to the side. Climbing to my feet, I sway slightly. Isla is crouched over Zane and Jax stands in front of me, a wide smile spread all over his face. “If you’re looking for additional wrestling partners, I’m always game.”

  “Shut up, Jax,” Isla says, supporting Zane to stand. “That’s not helping.”

  Zane spits out a mouthful of blood and I shoot him an amused look. He’s definitely rattled. Anger propels him forward, and dipping around Jax, he swings for me again. I bark out a short laugh as my fist extends, but Isla jumps in front of Zane at the last second and my punch sends her flying backward. Zane twists around and takes the brunt of the fall, Isla landing heavily on top of him. She cries out and the sound cuts through the red haze of my anger.

  Jax lifts Isla up. “Damnit, Isla. Why’d you do that?” I ask, trying to level my breathing.

  “Why do you think, you idiot!” she says, pushing me hard. She shoots a stern look at Zane and me. “Have you two lost your freaking minds? Seriously? Are we not dealing with enough crap?”

  Her words are sobering. I doubt Ariana would be pleased to know we’ve been trading blows. “He started it,” I mutter.

  “Oh please,” she says, hands propped on her hips. “You’re as bad as each other. You,” she says, jabbing me in the chest, “I’m not all that surprised at, but you,” she says, turning to prod her finger at Zane, “Words fail me.”

  “You’re hardly in any position to criticize.” A knowing look passes between them.

  “Yeah, well,” she admits, clawing her fingers through her hair, “I’ve seen the error of my ways. Come on, we best get your face checked out.”

  Zane stalks past me with a face like thunder.

  “Never a dull moment,” Jax chuckles, slapping me on the back. “Later, bro.”

  Going back to my apartment, I grab a long, hot shower and change. My jaw aches something fierce and very faint bruising lines the curve of my cheek. The desire to knock Zane into next year still hasn’t dissipated and I’d happily sign up for round two.

  Stomach rumbling, I head toward the cafeteria and spot my sister in the line for the hot buffet. I squeeze in behind her, ignoring the loud protests from the rear. “That’s so rude,” Mel says.

  “Bite
me.”

  “You’re incorrigible.” She shakes her head and tries to smother her smile.

  “Today’s been a shitty day, in a shitty week, of a shitty month. Skipping the line is the least of my worries.” I frown at the crowd in front of us. “Is it always this busy in here?”

  “No. But we’ve had an influx of new residents, and it appears everyone is hungry.”

  We finally make it to the top of the line, and I heap two plates full of food and swagger behind Mel as she weaves a route to her usual table. Understandably, my brother and Ruby are a no-show. Ben and a couple of unfamiliar boys are already seated. Thankfully, the dickhead is nowhere in the vicinity or I might be tempted to kick off again.

  “So, how have you been?” I ask Mel, as I scoop a forkful of rice into my mouth.

  “Okay.” Her eyes are downcast. She looks anything but okay.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” I’d rather talk about her problems than give her any opportunity to start probing into my disastrous private life.

  “Nothing.” She lifts a glass to her lips and drinks slowly. “I’m upset for Ruby.” Picking up her fork, she resumes toying with the food on her plate.

  “I know. It’s awful but I’d rather not think about that right now.” I drop my fork and push my plate away, appetite ruined as I recall the look in Commander De Luca’s eyes just before he passed away. Talk about something else. Anything else. “You look very thin, Mel. I hope you’ve been taking care of yourself.”

  “Cal, don’t start. Please. You try being imprisoned underwater for two months and see how you feel,” she says, pushing back her chair and standing abruptly. “I’m going to check in on Ruby. I’ll catch you in the morning. Sleep well.” Hunkering down, she kisses my forehead and leaves.

  Way to go, douche. It appears the infection of foot-and-mouth I’m inflicted with shows no signs of abating.

  My feet drag me to the observation deck as if on autopilot. My thoughts instantly drift to Ariana. She claimed this place as her sanctuary almost the minute we arrived here. Now that I know the extent of the terrifying memory she recalled, I can fully understand the wide-eyed alarmed look she’d been rocking that first day.

  How ironic that she felt it would be the thing to pull us apart when a few errant kisses did the job more than effectively.

  A body slumps down on the floor next to me. “You know there’s a bench right there,” Isla says, pointing with her finger.

  “I like it better here.” My voice sounds robotic.

  “Weirdo,” she mutters. My lips curl up slightly.

  “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

  “I was following you,” she says, and my eyebrows rise in surprise. “You were totally oblivious. I know a troubled soul when I see one. Takes one to know one, I guess.” She swipes her palms down the front of her pant legs.

  “And?” I shrug my shoulders.

  “And, jerk,” she says, slamming her elbow into my side, “you looked like you could use a friend.”

  “Is that what we are?” My look is incredulous. “Last time I checked, you were his friend and I’m done sharing friends and anything else with him.”

  “Are you always this dramatic? No wonder you and Little Miss Innocent were drawn to each other. She was all about the drama too.”

  That flips my rage switch to the max. “Screw you, Isla.” I push off the floor but a hand hooks my arm.

  “Stop overreacting. I apologize for any offense.” She tilts forward and stares at me. “Better?”

  “Don’t you have anything better to do, sweetness?”

  She throws back her head and laughs loudly. “God, I can read you like a book. Deflect away, Cal, but that’s not going to cure whatever’s got up your butt. Judging by the ‘woe is me’ look on your face, I’m guessing this is to do with Ariana.”

  “And what if it is? What business is it of yours?”

  “You know what? You’re right! I couldn’t give a monkey’s ass about whatever is going on with you and the princess. Thought you could use an ear to bend. Guess I was wrong.” She hops up. “I’m out of here.”

  “Wait,” I call out when she’s taken four or five steps. “Don’t go.”

  She turns slowly, surveys my face, and then sits down on the bench. I’m not sure why I recalled her, but now that she’s here, I feel a flagrant urge to unload. Maybe telling someone who isn’t a member of Ariana’s fan club will add some perspective. If anyone understands the situation, it’s Isla. She’s the other side of this coin.

  I pick myself up off the floor and sit down beside her. I relay a quick overview of what transpired between Ariana and me.

  “Okay,” she says, when I’ve finished talking, “You’re pissed because she shared a few kisses with Zane?”

  Her flippant tone annoys me. “Don’t tell me I’m overreacting because I’m not. She’s my fiancée, she’s wearing my ring, and that’s supposed to signify commitment to me.” My fists clench in my lap.

  “Hey,” she says, fingering my arm, “I’m not saying that. You have every right to be angry with her. But I think you need to put it into perspective.”

  “What exactly do you mean by that?” I lean forward on my knees.

  “It’s like I said before, those two share an intense connection and they have considerable history. She shouldn’t be running around kissing him when she’s with you but she’s chosen you.” She jabs her finger into my chest. “I know she’s told Zane it’s over, so shouldn’t you focus on that instead and just let bygones be bygones?”

  “You make it sound so simple,” I say, jiggling my knee. “It’s not that easy to switch off my emotions. She has ripped my heart to pieces.” Isla rolls her eyes to the ceiling and I scowl. “How can I believe that she truly loves me especially when that’s never made sense?”

  “I don’t know what kind of baggage you’re carrying around, Cal, but I can tell you that she was dreadfully upset in Clementia the whole time you were gone. Look,” she says, holding her hands up, “It’s no secret that I’m not her biggest fan, but even I can tell that she cares deeply for you. She carried this picture of the two of you with her all the time, and Zane told me that she constantly defended you in front of the War Council, even when they taunted her. And I’ve seen how she is with you. There’s no way she’s faking it, she’s not that good of an actress.” She snorts and I shoot her a filthy look.

  She composes herself. “The issues I had with Zane and Ariana were always more to do with him than her. I know now that there was never any possibility of a future for me and Zane other than friendship, but I didn’t realize that back then. She was never my competition. Just like Zane isn’t yours now.”

  I can’t deny that her words affect me positively, but they still don’t replace the chunk that’s missing from my heart.

  “How can I trust her? Accept that this time she’s telling me the truth?” I ask the one question that has most confused me these last few hours. Because in a nutshell, that is what this boils down to.

  “Only you can determine that for yourself,” she says, standing. “But she has chosen to turn her back on the connection she has with Zane and that is pretty epic. It seems like everyone has accepted that her and Zane are no more, except for you. You need to ask yourself why that is.”

  She walks away, leaving me alone with my jumbled thoughts.

  The next two weeks pass by in a haze. I speak to Dad about Deacon, and while he doesn’t outright agree, he has at least decided to hold off on pressuring Commander Skyee for the time being. Mel wanders around like the walking wounded, but she’s retreated into herself, and she won’t tell me what’s wrong. Jaden spends most of his time with Ruby, and I’m glad that at least outwardly he seems to be looking out for the girl.

  I’m assigned to work with Dad on the baseline attack plan for Novo and it’s a welcome distraction. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize how hard he is trying to change, and the dynamic of our relationship is improving. If there�
��s anything good to have come out of this war, that’s definitely it.

  I refuse to sit at the same table as Zane in the cafeteria so Mel and I usually eat on our own. Ben takes it in turns, and I know it frustrates him that he’s split between both of us. Despite his many protests, I refuse to wave any white flag.

  I’m lying on my bed, scrolling through some reports that Dad gave me to study when the door to our apartment glides open. Ben steps in, followed by Zane. Heckles instantly raised, I slide off the bed and stand with my legs outstretched, my arms folded around my waist. “What’s going on, Ben?” I studiously ignore Zane.

  “You two need to talk. Clear the air.”

  “The hell we do.” I spit the words out of my mouth.

  “We’re not children anymore, Cal,” Ben says. “And this has gone on long enough.”

  He turns and walks toward the door. “I’ll leave you to talk in private.”

  We stand facing each other for a couple of minutes, neither of us speaking. “May I?” Zane asks, gesturing toward one of the chairs.

  I wave my hand dismissively. Dragging two chairs out, he sits down on one and looks at me expectantly. I scrub a hand over my jaw and sit down. “Isn’t this cozy?”

  When in doubt, joke.

  “Look,” he says, his lips puckering, “I’m only here for her.”

  I snort. “She asked you to come speak to me?”

  He shakes his head. “No. We’re rarely in contact anymore.” A muscle thrums in his jaw.

  “Then why are you here?” I level a flat stare at him.

  “Someone has to knock sense into that thick skull of yours.” I rub my middle finger up and down my nose and the corner of his mouth twitches. “Look, I get that you don’t like me and you’re peeved that I kissed her behind your back.”

  I slam forward in my seat, my nose inches from his. “Peeved? Are you for fucking real? That doesn’t even begin to sum up how I feel about the fact that you were kissing my fiancée and trying to wheedle her out of my arms. The two of you must have had a good ole laugh behind my back.” I slump back in my seat, hurt replacing my anger.