by AJ Eversley
My hand was around his throat before I realized where I was.
“Sawyer…it’s me…” Max’s voice sounded with struggle against my hand clamped around his throat.
As my mind focused, I swore under my breath and released my hand from his neck. He coughed as his lungs filled up once again with air. His eyes searched me, scanning for whatever might have caused me so much pain. But my pain was deep inside, and he’d never see it.
With a wince, I noticed the bright red mark around his neck that was sure to produce a bruise.
“Sorry, I didn’t—” I sat up, not sure what to do.
“Yeah, I know.” He coughed again. “Another nightmare. Just like every night.” Max sat on his cot, rubbing his neck as he tilted his head side to side.
“I—” No words escaped me as my mouth gaped open. “Next time, don’t try to wake me.” I said, a little colder than I intended.
“I normally don’t. But this time you sounded…hurt. It was worse than normal, wasn’t it?” His voice was soft as he looked me over once more.
I nodded, not wanting to relive it again or reveal what was keeping me up every night.
Max sighed as he lay back on his pillow, wincing a little at his already stiff neck.
Guilt poured through me. “I really am sorry.” I breathed.
“Just try to get some sleep…so I can too.” Max rolled over away from me.
Even though I closed my eyes, I knew sleep wouldn’t reach me again.
Chapter 2
I must’ve dozed off because I woke to a wagging tail hitting my face. Groaning, I opened my eyes and stretched my arms. “Oh, sorry. Did we wake you?” Max smirked. He threw a treat to Chevy, who jumped down from my bed and sat on the floor, patiently waiting for more. Chevy had taken a liking to Max, unlike me. Max knew the way to the little dog’s heart … food.
With a stretch, I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, revealing my bare, pale legs that tingled from the cool air. Max glanced at them before I threw a blanket over my lap. “Thanks, Chevy.” I stifled another yawn. Chevy gave me a sideways glance before he returned his attention to Max for more.
Max tossed him another treat before he showed him his empty hands, “Sorry, boy. All out.” Max rubbed his head, and Chevy whined. “I’ll bring you more later. Maybe I’ll bring your grumpy owner one too.” He winked and then strolled out the room.
My glare followed him the whole way.
With a long yawn, I flopped onto my bed as Chevy sauntered over and jumped up, trying to lick my face. A soft chuckle reverberated in my chest as I pushed the dog away, recalling the first time I met Chevy and how he placed a slobbery, wet kiss across my cheek. Time seemed to slow all around me, and I was all too aware of the silence. How did it have the ability to sneak up on me without notice?
The nightmares haunted every hour of my day. Even in the daylight, I couldn’t shake them off. The horrors followed me like a shadow I couldn’t escape.
My chest ached as I squeezed the star pendant around my neck so tight it broke skin, but I didn’t let it go. I couldn’t until every last one of them paid for what they’d done. The pain would linger on until I righted that wrong.
As I wiped away a tear, Chevy squirmed his way under my chin and whimpered. I could wipe away the tears from my eyes, but I couldn’t erase the pain in my heart.
~
Despite being stuck deep in the ocean with little room to move, I still found ways to get some training done. Within the depths of the ship, down by the boiler room where I didn’t let Chevy join me, a furnace room provided a space just big enough for me to train and exercise without scalding myself on the large, hot furnaces. I had burned myself a few times already but learned to be careful. Despite the lack of energy I felt, training at least felt natural and normal—it was my release.
I stood in the middle of the furnace room with sweat dripping down my body as the heat rose. It was nearly unbearable, but it helped me to stay focused on my training and prevent my mind from wandering.
My knife was in one hand, and my eyes were closed. Little sparks grew from the furnaces surrounding me, and every now and then, a larger spark flashed. I would swipe my knife at it as fast as I could, trying to slice it before the embers disappeared. It was a test of patience and accuracy. At first, I had started with my eyes open, but that had become too easy. I had graduated to closing my eyes and waiting for the telltale pop of a spark before I opened them to find the ember.
My mind was focused on the task at hand as I strained to hear the subtle, little pop, and then I attacked.
Once my body was attuned to the sound, I stood and closed my eyes. This small change had potentially painful consequences. If I was off-balanced, I risked falling against one of the furnaces. Even with my Carbon body, the burns would last awhile, and the pain would be intense, stinging on the inside long after the exterior wound disappeared.
The telltale pop sounded. My eyes flashed opened, and I steadied myself in less than a heartbeat before the ember appeared to my left and I swiped at it. The movement jolted my equilibrium off-balance enough that I missed the ember and grazed my hand against the side of the furnace. It was the smallest of touches, but it burned through my whole body. My face scrunched into a wince while I shook my hand in pain and I swore under my breath.
Letting out a long sigh, I accepted defeat and decided that was enough for today. I made my way past the Captain’s men, who nodded politely and said, “Ma’am.”
The sweat still dripped down my back by the time I had reached the main floor. I shuffled down the hall to the communal showers, only to find Max there. His scent filled the washroom with a crisp pine scent that seemed to follow him from the forest he’d lived in for years. I waited by the wall until I heard the water turn off. Without looking, I handed him his towel.
“Come for a little peek, have you?” Max muttered as he wrapped the towel around his waist. His bronze skin was lean and strong, very few blemishes across it. Much different from my pale, scar-filled body. He was taller than I was and stood with a confidence I remembered once having.
“Believe me, I wasn’t looking, nor do I plan to,” I snapped. I kicked off my boots and removed my shirt. He smirked back at me in the mirror; his eyes followed my shirt to the ground as it fell. Slipping into the shower stall, I tossed the rest of my clothes around the corner and turned on the water as cold as I could handle.
My hand stayed under the ice-cold water for as long as I could manage before I turned it up a little warmer, enjoying the clean, crisp water falling over my skin.
Steam filled the shower as I turned the water hotter. It flowed over my body and relaxed every tight muscle from my shoulders to my legs. Warm air filled my lungs and steadied my racing heart while I attempted to clear my mind of distractions. The sound of running water was enough to keep the horrible thoughts at bay.
Reluctantly, I turned off the water and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around my body. I took another towel to my long hair which fell over my shoulders in a tangled mess. My feet stumbled as I stepped around the corner to find Max still there. His navy blue khakis clung to his waist, two small divots formed just above his strong wide back, which was still bare. A soft blue bruise lingered around his neck where I had choked him the night before. A pang of guilt washed over me, and I looked away.
The knots in my hair were hard to tame as I took a comb to the long locks. I noticed the occasional glances from Max before I became annoyed. I dropped the comb and twisted to face him, “What is it already?” I asked. I was tired of feeling like an alien for him to examine every time I was nearby. Just because I was different, because I was a Carbon, didn’t give him the right to rake his gaze all over me the way he did. And even more than that, I was tired with the heat it brought to my cheeks.
I felt his stare gazing over my scars and the paleness of my skin, probably judging my small frame with every probing look.
“What? I’m just amazed someone could actually be that
pale.” He waved his toothbrush in my direction with his all too familiar cocky smile. “Did Cytos have zero sun, or is this a side effect of being a Carbon?”
“It actually didn’t have much sun. And I was too busy saving lives to worry about getting a tan unlike you clearly.” I rolled my eyes. “Could you at least put a shirt on?”
“You came in here and steamed up the whole damn place. I didn’t want to ruin a good shirt.” He shrugged. “But don’t worry, you can stare all you want. I don’t mind.”
“Ah—” I bit my tongue at the choice words I had for him and grabbed my dirty clothes. “I suggest you don’t come back to the room anytime soon unless you’d like a matching bruise to the one around your neck.” I heard his low chuckle as I rounded the corner.
I tossed my dirty clothes in a pile and ripped off my towel as soon as I entered my room. Chevy, sensing my annoyance, buried himself under my blankets. Max irritated me so much, and I couldn’t even begin to explain why. Everything that came out of his mouth made my blood boil. I swear he did it on purpose. Like he knew which buttons to push to cause optimal annoyance. Either he wanted to provoke an attack, or it was his idea of fun with nothing else to do on this ship. We were all going stir-crazy, but I was the last person he should be messing with. And he had to know that, but it didn’t stop him.
Frustrated, I threw punch to my pillow, causing the burning in my hand to flare up again as I squeezed my palm. “Damn it.” I shook my hand. Max was getting to me without even being present.
Hastily, I threw on a pair of clean clothes and wrapped up my hair in a messy bun before storming up to the control room, desperately in need of some sort of distraction.
Later that night, I didn’t have any nightmares because I don’t think I slept at all.
Chapter 3
Kenzie
A quiet hush ran through the station as Kenzie walked down the near-empty hallway. The metal walkway clanked ever so slightly under his heavy boots, and a vast darkness surrounded the large space station with bright stars dancing outside the tiny windows. Earth stood like a stone hovering in the distance, hanging in the sky among the stars. The silence was all-consuming.
It had been two weeks since they had fled Kuros to the safety of the space station orbiting earth and Kenzie’s ears were still ringing from the blow he took that he still couldn’t remember. The space station was circular in shape with twelve different sectors branching out all around it, each section housing thousands of Carbons, all waiting for their orders.
With every stride he took closer to the room where the prisoner sat waiting, Kenzie’s energy grew, building up inside of him, waiting to burst free and to be unleashed. The ringing in his ears ceased as the killing calm took over. Two guards stepped out of Kenzie’s way as he entered. The doors slammed shut behind him.
The prisoner looked up as Kenzie walked in and circled behind the man. Rolling his shoulders back, Kenzie flexed his fingers. The prisoner’s narrow eyes widened as Kenzie stopped behind him, his shadow looming over the prisoner’s body. Sweat dripped down the prisoner’s brow, soaking up his jet-black hair and the man trembled.
Kenzie rested his hands on the man’s shoulders, “You’ve been very bad, Mr. Chou. Sending out a warning to our enemies wasn’t a very smart idea.” Chou had given the human resistance a message before Kuros fell, detailing the power source for the human host pods, which their enemy ultimately was able to disable.
“The stars will save me. I put my faith in the stars,” Chou mumbled, though his eyes widened with fear.
“You put your faith in the wrong hands.” Kenzie squeezed against Mr. Chou’s shoulders, enough to make him wince. “Who told you about the power source? I’ve seen the video. I know that someone, a girl, gave you this information to warn the humans. Tell me who it was.”
Chou glanced over his shoulder with a little sneer on his face, “You were betrayed, by one of your own.” A menacing chuckle escaped him before he mumbled the same line, “The stars will save me. I put my faith in the stars.”
Kenzie held back a snarl. He would have to find out who within their regime had betrayed them, but for now he had more pressing matters. He had come seeking answers to a different question.
“Where is she?” Kenzie asked calmly.
“I don’t know—” Chou stammered, but before he could say another word, Kenzie grabbed his shoulder and unleashed his powers on him. Chou’s body tensed and fought against the burning pain running through him. As Kenzie released him, Chou slumped back in the chair.
“Where is she?” Kenzie asked again as he circled around and stood in front Chou, hands clasped behind him as they burned with fire.
“Please, I beg you. I don’t know! I swear it—” Chou screamed in agony. The pain seized only moments before he nearly passed out. His body was heavy with fear as he looked up to Kenzie. “Please, no more. Please!”
“Where is she?”
Chou’s flinched, just the slightest movement, but Kenzie caught it. Chou knew something, “Please—” he whimpered.
Kenzie placed his hand on Chou’s forehead, and his whole body went ridged. Chou’s eyes rolled in the back of his head as Kenzie freed nearly all his powers, holding out until the last second. “Where is she?” Kenzie screamed. His face was only inches away.
“She…I…I’m not sure,” Chou whimpered.
Kenzie reached for him again.
“Wait!” Chou cried. “He had a boat; that’s all I know. They didn’t say where they were going, just that they had a boat.”
That would have to be enough. It was clear that was all Chou knew. “Thank you. See? That wasn’t so hard.” Kenzie’s smile was menacing as he took a step closer, and Chou quivered a smile back.
Kenzie lifted his hand to Chou’s chest, and his powers released at their full capacity. A hole, the size of his fist, went through Chou where his heart was and led out to the other side of him. His body slumped to the side, dead. Kenzie didn’t spare a second glance. He felt no pity for this man. “Take care of him,” he ordered the guards as he marched past.
His feet clanked harder this time on the metal walkway to his master’s office. The Earth below floated still and silent. He chanced a peek this time, noting the blue and green canvas marred with craters and broken edges from a war long ago—a war that had ended before he was even born and before this new battle had begun.
Kenzie knocked once before entering. “You were right. He did know something.”
“Good, good. And?” Coleman asked.
“They took a boat.”
“Ah, I see. So she is on the United Isles then. I had hoped she wouldn’t be so foolish.” Coleman pursed his lips. “We need those Carbons to be ready.”
“Sir, there’s also someone in our midst who betrayed us.”
Coleman’s face burned with fury.
“How would you like me to proceed?” asked Kenzie.
“Leave that to me. Just focus on those Carbons.” Coleman leaned back in his chair, resting his hands in his lap.
Kenzie nodded and pivoted to leave.
“Kenzie?” Coleman stopped him. “You have done well, son.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter 4
The men on this ship weren’t afraid of me, not the way the people in Kuros were. Not the way they should’ve been, the way Max should have feared me.
But today, as I walked through the ship halls with haste on a mission, no one got in my way. I hadn’t slept most of the night, and when I had finally passed out, my rest was broken by the sound of a door slamming—done on purpose no doubt. Everything Max did was calculated and intended to piss me off. And he’d done just that. As I stormed through the ship in search of my bunkmate, I pictured all the different ways I’d punish him for ruining my sleep. Not once, but twice.
My hands were shaking as I clenched and unclenched my fists. I was so mad that Chevy didn’t dare follow me when I’d stalked out of the room only minutes before. My rage had been bottling up
for weeks, sitting deep inside of me.
I tore around the corner and into the mess hall, and there he was. In less than a heartbeat, I was at his side, gripping the side of the table to resist the urge to strangle him.
“Morning.” He smirked.
“Morning…that’s what you’re going with? Morning?” I bared my teeth, leaning in closer.
“Uh, should I have added ‘darling’ to the end?” Max purred, glancing up from his half-eaten food and feigning ignorance, but he wasn’t a fool.
I took a deep breath and stepped away, doing my best to calm the tightness in my chest. He wasn’t worth it. “Next time, could you try closing the door just a tad softer when you leave?” I said through clenched teeth. Not waiting for a response, I rotated to leave but didn’t get far.
“Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?” A smug smile on his face was all it took to throw me over the edge.
Red flashed before my eyes. I lunged at him, knocking both him and his chair to the ground with a thunderous bang. Glass and cutlery crashed onto the floor as I dug my nails into his shoulder, pinning him under the weight of me and making sure he heard every word I said. “I’ve had about enough. If you ever want to see the sunlight again, you’ll leave me the hell alone. Got it?” I threw my hand over his mouth when he tried to protest. “No! Not one more word. Do you understand?”
Something like fear mixed with amusement danced in his eyes as they fell from my own to my lips, now a thin sharp line. I removed my hand as heat ran from my cheeks to my neck in one fluid motion. A side of his mouth lifted into a grin as he nodded his acknowledgment ever so slightly, intentionally slow.
I gave him one last glare before I pushed him away and stood up, feeling his stare follow me the whole way out.