Destiny Rising

by Siobhan Davis

  “Tying yourself down with a wife and baby at eighteen,” he says, slapping Cal on the back, “brave man, bro.” He winks at me, as if he’s just cracked the funniest joke ever.

  Mel thumps him in the arm and scowls. “I’d wager I’m the happiest man on the planet right about now,” Cal says, refusing to rise to the bait. Jaden snorts and I squeeze Cal’s hand. I didn’t expect anything different from my new brother-in-law, and he sure as hell is not going to ruin our buzz.

  I leave Cal back at our apartment to go in search of Zane. Cal had no issue with me tracking him down immediately, agreeing that it would be awful if he were to hear the news from anyone else.

  I check the IT room first and Ben tells me he’s up on the observation deck. Deflecting a few more good-natured jokes leveled my way, I take the elevator to the top floor.

  As I round the bend, I spot his stiff form on the floor. His head swivels in my direction when he hears my approaching footsteps. His gaze never leaves mine. Maneuvering down on the floor with all the grace of a sumo wrestler, I spot his eyes latching onto my belly. “Crack any form of joke about my size, and I swear to God, I’ll pitch you over the edge,” I say, gesturing behind me. I’m only half-joking.

  His lips curve ever so slightly. “That bad, huh?”

  “I think I’ve heard every bad joke there is,” I admit, cradling my arms around my tummy. I sneak a look at him, taking in the five o’clock shadow and bloodshot eyes. His clothes are loose in places where they used to be tight. He looks like crap. “How are you?”

  “I’m good,” he replies, his face angled away from me. I know they’re mere words. Sensing his emotions, my head is a jumbled mess. “I know why you’re here.” I lift my head and scan his face. His eyes drop to my left hand. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

  I suck in a sharp breath. Are you kidding me? How on earth could news have traveled that fast? “Who told you?”

  He looks down at his feet, fiddling with the laces on his boots. “You let your shields drop about twenty minutes ago.”

  I groan. Ah, crap. I’ve let my emotions turn me into a pile of useless mush. Aggie would be so disappointed in me. I have to pull it together. “Zane, I’m really sorry that you had to find out like that. I wanted to tell you myself, in person.”

  He shrugs but pointedly doesn’t look at me. For once, I’m at a loss for words. Everything that comes to mind is either overused clichés or some form of apology. I know Zane wouldn’t want to be mollycoddled or pitied so I keep my lips firmly shut, figuring the silence is the lesser evil. Mentally greeting my fishy friends, I sit patiently by his side.

  “There’s something I need to tell you,” he says, after a few minutes.

  “Oh?” I tilt my head to the side.

  “The President propositioned me.” My brows shoot up. “Not like that,” he says, a slight smile gracing his mouth. “He said he’d call Micha off if I agreed to return to Novo to work for him.”

  “Did he now? I take it you flat-out refused.”

  He nods unhappily. “Hey,” I say, my hand settling on his arm. “You know that was the right thing to do. And I’m fine. She didn’t get to me.”

  “She’s still out there though.”

  “She won’t get near me, and at some point, she’ll be found and Saoirse will deal with her.”

  “I’ve been worried sick the last couple of weeks,” he admits.

  “That’s why, out of the blue, you were checking in on me again? Why Dad didn’t want me to go back to Greece?” Now it makes sense.

  “Yeah. We were both concerned even if you are more than equipped to deal with her. Didn’t stop us worrying though.”

  “I understand, but you need to stop beating yourself up over it. I’m fine.” More than fine, but I don’t want to rub his nose in it.

  “You’re happy?” he asks. His warm brown eyes drill into mine.

  I’m not going to lie. “Yes.”

  “Then I’m pleased for you. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy so don’t ruin that by worrying about me. I’m fine,” he says, with a forced smile. “Besides, with the amount of work I’ve got on my desk, there’s isn’t time to think about anything else.”

  “Catch me up,” I say, clinging gratefully to the neutral topic of conversation. “What have I missed?”

  “I cracked the project,” he says, genuine excitement dancing in his eyes.

  “No way!” I twist around and face him. “For real?”

  “Yep. We did a test run with some of our aircraft yesterday, and we were able to hack into the cockpit and override the pilot’s control. I think Calista wants to marry me.” His smile fades out at his unfortunate word choice. Eek. It’s as if we’re tiptoeing on eggshells.

  “Does that mean we’ll be advancing the plan to takeover Novo?” I ask, purposely choosing to ignore the elephant in the room.

  “I think so. The Inner Council has called a full meeting at two p.m. I believe they intend to outline the latest strategy then. Speaking of which,” he says, stretching out his legs, “I need to be getting back.” He hops up, smoothing a hand over his rumpled shirt. The movement catches my attention, and my gaze fixates on his chest as he extends an arm to help me get up.

  Anxiety races around the edge of my consciousness as I zone in on his heart. My breath comes out harsh and ragged. “Eh, Ari?” Zane asks, peering at me curiously.

  Unsure of what exactly I’m seeing, I scratch the back of my neck as I look at him. “Um, Zane.” I bite down hard on my lip, struggling to find the right words to explain. “There’s something in your heart.”

  His brow furrows and he pins me with a curious look. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure,” I admit, tucking my hair back behind my ears. “Can you take your shirt off?” Though my request is purely innocent, I feel the warmth as it spreads from my chest. He looks at me like I’m nuts but slowly unbuttons his shirt.

  “May I?” I ask, lifting a hand over his bare chest. He nods, a muscle clicking in his jaw. Laying my hand over his heart, I immediately feel a rush of heat and a throbbing, pulsing movement. I plant my ear against his skin and feel the shudder of his body underneath me. Ignoring that, I close my eyes and concentrate.

  My eyes open wide and I stumble back, horrified. “Zane!” My voice is barely louder than a whisper.

  “What, Ari? What’s going on?” His hand wraps around my wrist as his eyes probe mine.

  “I think there’s some form of listening or recording device embedded in your new heart.”

  “What?” he yells, eyes widening in alarm. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m one hundred percent certain there’s a foreign object locked inside your heart. I can’t say for definite how or what it’s been monitoring, but when I pressed my ear to your chest, I could hear a low drone of voices and words so it’s my best guess.”

  Our eyes lock in shared understanding. “Damn,” he says, dragging his hands roughly through his hair. “I need to inform Calista. Conduct damage limitation.” He starts walking toward the elevator and I trail at his heels. “Goddamnit. Everyone was pointing the finger at Commander Remus and the whole time I was the source of the leak.” He pinches the bridge of his nose as we step inside the elevator.

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it, Zane. How were you to know? I should have spotted it sooner.”

  “You’ve discovered it now. That’s the main thing.”

  We go to Command Center together, and I hover beside him as he updates Calista and my dad. They both look at me in awe, and I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. This is not something to feel awed about. I know my gift has only expanded with the training I’ve received from Aggie, but if I’d been less preoccupied with my love life and less emotional, I might have spotted something wrong sooner. I can’t help but mentally punt-kick myself in the head.

  Calista taps her pen off the top of the table as she thinks. “You’re off the project now, for obvious reasons, Zane.” He nods and my heart ach
es for him. This has been his baby for years so the unfairness of the whole situation sucks big time. “We need to try and determine our exposure. Think carefully, Zane. What could they have heard that might thwart our plans?”

  Zane stands up in his chair and summons the digital board with a sweep of his hand. He raises a finger to his lips and starts writing out a list.

  My head slumps on the table an hour in. It’s kind of funny watching a silent debate as the three of them use the board to dissect the risks. From what I can gather, the intel governing our ground bases and troop movements was totally compromised. Zane’s shoulders hunch over and I know he’s thinking of all those lives lost. “It’s not your fault.”

  “It wasn’t intentional, but it’s still my fault.”

  “Zane,” I start to argue but he raises a palm to halt me. He starts scribbling furiously on the board. I stifle a yawn and wonder if it’d be rude to make my excuses. I’m exhausted from our two-day long journey, and I want to return to Cal before he starts adding two plus two and computing ten. He knew I went to find Zane and I don’t want him worrying.

  Dad places a hand on my arm and gestures toward the door. Perhaps some of my supernatural ability has rubbed off on him. Leaving Calista and Zane locked in some mute disagreement, I walk out the door, Dad hot on my heels.

  “You look like you’re about to collapse,” Dad says, slinging an arm across my back.

  “I’m beat,” I admit.

  “Zane won’t be in trouble for this, Dad, will he?”

  “No. It’s a setback but considering the nature of the work he does, I doubt there is too much at stake. It’s unfortunate that we asked him to manage communication of the schedules,” he says, tugging on his chin, “but at this point, our key concern is the IT project he’s working on. While the government may have caught snatches of conversation, there’s no way they’ll be able to sabotage our project or replicate it without access to all the code. How much of that did you catch back there?”

  I rub my itchy nose. “I kind of zoned out to be honest.”

  He chuckles. “Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?” He peers at me as if I’m some form of alien clone.

  I yawn loudly and he pulls me out the door. “We’ll talk as we walk.” I let him steer me toward the elevator and sway against him as we wait. “Zane isn’t happy to have to come off the project, though he understands why he must. He’s thinking of a way around it. He wants you onboard.”

  My head perks up at that. “To do what?”

  “He suggested that you work with Ben and you can channel silent communications between them. He’s concerned Ben won’t be able to plug in the necessary code adjustments without his input. At least this way he can help see it through to completion. Are you okay with that?”

  “Of course, Dad. Whatever it takes to help.” We stop outside my apartment. He looks me up and down and I look at him warily. “What?”

  “I just can’t believe my little girl is married and about to become a mom. Seems like it’s happened in the blink of an eye.” He takes my hands in his. “I know this isn’t what you had in mind for your future. Are you sure you’re happy?”

  “I am happy, Dad. I guess life has a funny way of throwing curveballs that surprise you. All that’s missing now is our freedom.” I squeeze his hands and let go.

  “Don’t miss the meeting at two. All will be revealed. Either way, this time next week we will know where we stand.” An icy shiver sweeps over my body. Kissing me lightly on the forehead, he turns and walks away.

  Cal is snoring softly when I enter the room. Peeling off my clothes, I slide in under the covers and snuggle into him. Even in sleep, his hands reach out for me. I’m asleep about the same time my head hits the pillow.

  A shrill buzzing sound wakes us both up as the screen in our room springs to life. The official announcement reminds everyone that it’s thirty minutes to the update meeting. We dress in a hurry and make a quick layover at the cafeteria before heading to the amphitheater.

  As Cal holds the door open for me, the drone of hundreds of voices reaches my ears. The amphitheater is filling up quickly. We locate two adjacent seats near the front and plonk ourselves down. I update Cal on the issue with Zane’s heart and the plan for me to work with Ben to help see the project through to completion. “Damn, we should have realized they’d do something like that after they sent me to Clementia with that camera behind my eye,” he admits, his knee bouncing up and down.

  “I know. It was foolish not to consider it. Pointing the finger of blame is of no benefit to anyone now, least of all Zane.” My head whips around as I look for any familiar faces.

  “He’s beating himself up over it?”

  I turn and face him. “He’s putting on a good front but I know he’s devastated. All those soldiers lost …” My words trail off as I spot Zane emerging from the ground-level elevator, pushing a man in a wheelchair. “Oh my God, Gil!” I jump up and motion for Cal to move aside. I run down to the front and screech to a halt in front of them. Crouching down, I wrap my arms around Gil and his hand rests on my back. I pull back and scan his face. His blond hair is longer than the last time I saw him, curling gently around the nape of his neck. His jade green eyes are clear but they lack their usual warmth, his mischievousness missing. His gray sweater hangs off his body, no hint of the muscular torso he used to pride himself on. Another persona altered as a result of the government’s meddling.

  “Gil,” I say softly, “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Ditto, Ari.” No usual bubbly humor laces his tone and his smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

  “He’s not in a good place, Ari.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. What about Emily?” Zane subtly shakes his head and that’s all the answer I need. It appears there is no one who has escaped the atrocities unscathed.

  “There’s my favorite girl,” a sweet voice says from behind me. Whipping around, I find myself locked in Erin’s embrace. I inhale her feminine, floral scent and a surge of grief for my loss sweeps through me as I accept the comforting hug from Zane’s mom. “Let me look at you,” she says, stepping back, but keeping a hand on my shoulder. “How far along are you?” Intelligent eyes meet mine.

  “About six months, I think.” My brow puckers. “I’m going for a scan later so hopefully that will pinpoint an exact due date.”

  “Have you been feeling okay?” she touches my cheek.

  “I was pretty sick at the start but that’s passed now, thankfully. Other than feeling like I’m the size of a bus, I’m good.”

  “It’s great to have you here, kiddo.” She tucks me in under her arm and plants a kiss on my head.

  “Thank you so much for the clothes,” I say, gesturing toward my tunic and leggings. “I was beginning to seriously despair.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. That reminds me, drop around later, I whipped up a couple of other things for you.”

  “That’s so …” A throat clearing interrupts me. Looking up, I stare into my husband’s eyes. Cal stands awkwardly to the side, hands shoved deep in his pockets. I’ve no idea how long he’s been there.

  “Mrs. Anders,” Cal says politely, acknowledging Zane’s mom with a nod of his head.

  “Erin,” she says, patting his arm. “Call me Erin.”

  “They’re about to start. We need to take our seats,” he says to me. He extends his hand and I step forward, lacing my fingers in his. “I’ll catch you guys, later.” My gaze darts between the three of them. Zane maneuvers Gil into a space at the side of the stage and then makes his exit. Of course, he can’t be permitted to stay for the session.

  We’re settled back in our chairs and Cal’s arm hangs across the back of my seat. Calista Corr takes to the stage. Excited whispers race through the air. “Can I have complete silence, please,” she requests. The room mutes. “Thank you all for coming. We gather here today on the cusp of monumental change.” She surveys the crowd, allowing her words to sink in. “We
are ready to take back control of the world. To regain freedom over our lives.”

  Loud cheers ring out in the vast room. She smiles and raises a palm. The crowd instantly quiets. “In two days’ time, we will implement a carefully planned attack on Planet Novo. Using cutting-edge technology, we will infiltrate the planet and take control of all stealth-craft and all Earth-based government operations. Once we have taken NSAF and ousted the President, our key priority is complete disablement of the Vita program, thereby removing the government’s ability to use mind manipulation to entrap us. At the same time, we will mount an orchestrated raid on every Ranger town in the United States, capturing and incarcerating all those forces who remain loyal to the government. We have coordinated closely with our rebel allies throughout the world, and our actions will be replicated in every other nation on Earth.”

  A rousing chorus of clapping resonates around the room. Calista passes the reins to Dad. Once the clapping has died down, he addresses the crowd.

  “Assignments will be displayed on all screens tonight. Certain individuals have been assigned to operations here, others will pilot stealth-craft as part of the attack on Novo, and the rest of our troops will form ground units assigned to target Ranger towns. Our IT experts have found a way to control the government air fleet so you will not need to be concerned with any aerial assaults. However, government forces on the ground will retaliate and bloodshed is unavoidable. Not all of you will make it back.” Clasping his hands behind his back, he scans the room, taking in each and every face.

  A deathly hush has settled over the room. I look at Cal, immediate concern for his safety bludgeoning its way to the forefront of my mind. That he’ll be assigned to the front line isn’t in any doubt in my mind. I clasp his hand firmly in mine.

  “There is no greater honor,” Dad says, “than to die fighting for freedom. Be proud. Be brave.”

  A solemn round of clapping echoes around the amphitheater. Calista steps up to the podium again. “I doubt there is anyone in this room who hasn’t already suffered tragedy and loss,” she says. I swallow a painful lump in my throat. “We’ve had more than our fair share,” she continues, her eyes sweeping the room. “At eight p.m. tonight we will gather in the garden for a memorial ceremony to remember those who have died helping us reach this day, and to pray for all those brave soldiers who will fight to seize control of our world. Thank you for your attention.”