Fear Tomorrow (The Fear Chronicles Book 4)

by C. C. Bolick

  “Rena visited Chadsworth in his head. He told her it was the firetruck.”

  “He wants to be called Chase,” I said.

  His dad looked at me. “Was Agent Lockhart able to bring back his memories?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wonder why he doesn’t fight him,” Travis said.

  “Chase said Paleris is too strong for him to fight.”

  His dad held up the firetruck. “Waking Emily up is a long shot. At least now we’ll be able to get her out of the cylinder.”

  “Then what?” I asked.

  “After she wakes up, Angel can give her a drop of blood to drink. Angel’s gift of healing should keep her from dying.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Travis asked. “Angel tried to use her power to save Rachelle, but it didn’t work.”

  Travis’s dad pulled a device from his pocket that looked like a phone. The characters on the screen were in a strange order. No, it wasn’t letters but numbers. “Time to go back.”

  “What’s wrong?” Travis asked.

  “The fleet is ready for Rena’s second task.”

  Chapter Ten

  Travis

  When Rena and I reached the op-center, Skip pulled up satellite pictures from space on a large screen. Several views from space showed a line formation with at least a dozen ships.

  Tyler noticed us and headed our way, typing on his phone as he walked. Even in the green uniform, it felt like he’d never left his job at the agency. “You’re just in time to see the show.”

  “Show?” I asked.

  Near the screens stood the queen with Erin by her side. I couldn’t hear their words as Erin pointed at the screen. Their close proximity set my anger blazing anew. If it wasn’t for the queen’s order, Rena wouldn’t be standing next to me in the body of another person.

  “Have you seen my mother?” Rena asked.

  “She’s on her way,” Tyler said. “So is your father.”

  She bit her lip as she stared at the screen. “Any idea what this test is? I remember something about a fleet of ships.”

  Tyler stopped typing and raised his eyes. “Your mother hasn’t told you?”

  Rena shook her head. “She only told me I had to face tests to build my power, that I wasn’t strong enough to face the star yet.”

  “A show of force,” Tyler said. “The queen has planned a test to make sure you’re prepared.”

  Skip walked up. “If they wanted a show of force, they’ve got one. A dozen ships are knocking at our door with their weapon systems targeted on Earth.”

  “How do you know they’re aiming for us?” I asked.

  “Tyler upgraded our defense systems. The new software gives us advanced readings on ships from space. Not only that, we’ve lit up the globe by pinging power sources we didn’t know existed yesterday. Nuclear devices our intel hasn’t found.”

  “It could be a trick,” I said. “They could be trying to start a war like Paleris.”

  “Either way,” Skip said, “the fact we can see them now and their weapons are aimed at us doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “You’re not scared are you, little brother?” Tyler asked.

  “To be honest man, I’m scared.”

  Pade appeared and went to the queen’s side, whispering in her ear. She nodded and he looked our way.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Don’t you think firing on Earth is a bit much?” Skip asked. “I thought you said this would be a test.”

  The queen turned around. “A test that needs to feel real. If we don’t fire the strongest weapons we have, how can we know she’s ready to take on a sun?”

  Beside me, Rena bit her lip harder than before. “She doesn’t look ready and I’m not sure if I’m ready for this either.”

  With a glance to Pade and his nod, the queen followed my gaze. “We don’t have time for doubts.”

  Behind us, the door opened and in walked Agent Mason along with my dad. Mason spotted us first and headed our way. “Your mother’s ready. She said you need to change.”

  “We’re going back to space?” Rena asked.

  I examined her palms, but there was no blue. Was that fear in her voice? “Is Rosanna sure about this?”

  Mason pointed at the screen. “She’s out there waiting.”

  Rena stared at the looming line of ships. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”

  “You did fine before,” he said. “Don’t keep your mother waiting.”

  Rena rolled her eyes. “You know you can’t order me around anymore.”

  “Maybe one last time. I’ll be on Noah’s ship while you find your mother. I want a front row seat for the show.”

  Dad reached for Mason’s arm and teleported them to the ship.

  Pade looked at Tyler. “Ready for the fireworks?”

  Even though Pade was obviously now Tyler’s boss, Tyler didn’t seem stressed in the least. He turned to Skip. “If you’re worried about the ships, you’re welcome to join me on mine. Sitting behind the blast should take the edge off.”

  “Not a chance,” Pade said. “Skip will be flying on my ship, and Angel if she’d like.”

  Tyler cracked a grin. “Are you pulling rank on me?”

  “You bet,” Pade said.

  With a mock bow, Tyler said, “Whatever you wish, your highness.”

  “This is nuts,” Skip said with excitement. “I finally get to fly in one of those spaceships.” He lifted his phone. “Let me find Angel and see if she wants to go.”

  “You two go ahead,” the queen said. “I’ll make sure Angel gets to you.”

  Pade nodded and took Skip out of there.

  Tyler looked at me. “Are you planning to turn me down too? I’ve got a perfectly good spaceship they’ve assigned me to fly. I’m not bad at the controls after taking a few advanced courses.”

  “After my last trip, I never want to see the inside of a spaceship again.”

  Rena nudged my side. “Like my dad said, you’ll have a front row seat.”

  “You need to get going,” Erin said to Rena. “You can ‘change’ in one of the offices with a couch.” She motioned to a door along the far wall. “I’ll help you.”

  Rena reached for my hand but stopped in mid-air. “You should find your gloves.”

  “Understood.” As she walked away, I looked at the queen. “What if the ships fire and Rena and her mother can’t stop the blast? Having them fire at Earth is a huge gamble.”

  “We have an alternate plan.” She pointed to the door seconds before it opened and in walked Angel and Van, who’d changed out of the white outfit and into his black uniform.

  The hairs bristled on the back of my neck. “You let him out?”

  She reached up to touch my cheek, as she had on Golvern. I backed away. “Since my powers have returned, touching me is no longer an option. Neither is reading my future.”

  “In that case, we must hope that Van will be enough to stop the blast if needed. He’s our best pilot.”

  “No,” Van said. “That honor belongs to your brother.”

  “No more talk, Van. Just do your job.”

  He straightened, locked his hands in front, and bowed. Not a mocking bow like Tyler had made, a real bow of reverence and loyalty. “Yes, your highness.”

  “Don’t worry,” Angel said to me. “I’ll go with Van and make sure he follows through.”

  Sending Van up was taking a huge risk with everyone I cared about. He’d already taken the person who meant the most.

  I could only hope Rena and her mother pulled this one off.

  * * * * *

  Rena

  I appeared in the vastness of space high above the earth. Before me was the same line of ships I’d seen on the screen in the op-center. Seeing them up close gave a whole new meaning to a front row seat.

  A ball of light shimmered as it approached, fading to leave Mama at my side. “It’s about time you arrived.”

  “Could you teach me ho
w to make that entrance?” I asked.

  “Some other time. Are you ready for this test?”

  The ships spanning my field of vision felt pretty intimidating. “I’m not sure. Do we get a warm-up round?” I held up my hands, which seemed solid against the blackness around me. My palms held not a speck of blue. “I think I feel terrified, but my hands say otherwise.”

  “This task will be difficult, Regina, but not impossible. You handled the nuke like a pro.”

  “That was one bomb. Will all of these ships be shooting at us?”

  She nodded. “One burst aimed at Earth. Our job is to stop the warheads before they reach the half-way point.”

  I took a deep breath though I felt sure the space around us didn’t include air. “How much time is that?”

  “Let’s not focus on time.”

  “How long?” I demanded.

  “Seconds.”

  “That’s not as bad as I thought. Just focus my power on each of the warheads. Will they send more than one?”

  “Don’t over-think this. Each ship will fire one blast. I’ll take the left half and you take the right. If one of us gets ahead, we’ll help each other. We’ll hold our ground here and only move back if necessary.”

  “How will we know if any slip through?”

  She sighed. “You’ll know. Dig deep to find that courage you’ve shown time after time when duty calls.”

  “This isn’t the same as before. We’re talking alien weapons shooting at us.”

  “When you disarmed Louis’s bombs before, those were alien technology. Noah supplied him with weapons to test your powers. It’s how we knew you weren’t powerful enough to face the star while still in human form.”

  “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Do you remember when I said you couldn’t absorb the energy from the nuke?”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “I was wrong. You’re so much more powerful than I am.”

  “At this moment, I don’t want power as much as I want time.”

  “Regina,” she said with humor, “how much more time do you need?”

  I stared across the ships. “Do you know which ship Travis is on?”

  “I believe Tyler’s ship is the third one from our right.”

  “How do you know so much about their ships?”

  “I’ve been working with Noah on this much longer than you realize, so has your father.”

  “Great, more secrets.”

  “There are no more secrets.”

  Her words made me shiver, even in the depths of space. Would we ever see the day when no one kept secrets?

  “Good luck and don’t let your courage slip.” She flew to my left and stopped in a position close enough I could see her motions. Mama raised her hands as if preparing.

  Maybe I should do the same. I moved to the right and faced the ships she indicated. All of the ships looked the same to me, like the ship Van used to fly us to the sun. It was made of metal and black glass and not much bigger than a car.

  On one of those ships was Travis, watching, waiting to see me in action. I couldn’t disappoint him.

  When a line of fireballs shot toward us, I scrambled to pull my thoughts together and reach out with my power. I’d worried these weapons were different, but I felt a hint of the same signature from Louis’s bombs. Like DNA but for a bomb. Mama’s form turned a bright yellow and then a flaming orange.

  Did I look like this to Travis? Could they see our forms as pure energy? I pushed away the thoughts as I used my power to slow time. The warheads seemed to hover in the air with a flaming tail of fire.

  I wrapped myself around the first bomb and dispersed the energy as I had with the nuke. A sickness rippled through me and I felt my light flicker like before. I didn’t give into the fear of fading. Mama was right. Each time I grew stronger.

  “Hurry, Regina,” Mama whispered across the empty air. “I’ve already finished three. Are you going to let me beat you?”

  “No,” I yelled. With my power, I reached out to the second bomb and absorbed the power. It exploded with vibrant colors—red, blue, yellow—the rich spectrum of colors that felt like the blueprint of life. Time… space… they were simply another variable to manipulate.

  As before, I used my knowledge of physics to approach each bomb from the optimal trajectory. I wrapped my power around the bomb and felt the power seep into my veins. The more power I absorbed, the more my body craved the rush of adrenaline that pulsed through me.

  “Regina,” Mama screamed in a panic.

  I turned and felt a rush of fear. One of the bombs had slipped through and headed straight for Earth’s surface. My power slipped and again I felt my light flicker. Racing forward, I flew with every bit of strength I had, but it wasn’t enough. The fire trail outpaced me.

  “I can’t reach it,” I yelled.

  “Don’t let it slip away,” she said, her voice fading.

  My fear grew while my power faded, which made no sense. Why couldn’t I reach the bomb? I pushed myself on, flying forward faster than I ever had. The stars against the far sheet of black blurred. If I couldn’t breathe in space, how could my eyes fill with tears?

  This was a bad idea. I wasn’t ready. I told everyone I wasn’t ready. I’d let myself focus on the colors and the rush of power and now people would die because of me.

  As my hope faded to dread, an object moved out of the corner of my eye. A ship rose from the hazy atmosphere and headed for the warhead.

  The ship seemed to take a million years to climb to an altitude on par with the trail of fire. A similar warhead left that ship on a collision course. My dread dissolved as the two warheads met in a storm of colors.

  I flew into the storm and called the neutrons, feeling each explode against my skin. Fire burned along my hands and down my arms, a fire that brought more intensity, more raw emotional buzzing through my veins, than I’d ever felt. I’d never used drugs, but I doubted any substance could arouse this level of happiness and power.

  But it couldn’t last forever. Time began to move again and I looked back at Mama. She flew to me and wrapped me in her arms.

  “I failed,” I said.

  “No, but it’s time to go back. You don’t realize, but your light is so bright it’s dwarfing the sun. People can see you from the surface.”

  I thought of myself back at the base. When I appeared in the room where Rachelle slept, I held out my arms and released the power. The lights went out and a loud humming filled the room. As the power flowed out of me, the lights came back up and I fell to my knees.

  The door opened and Erin ran in. “Rena? Are you messing with the power again?”

  “That was me. Sorry.”

  “Are you all right?”

  I grinned, the happy feeling still pulsing through me. Flying through two exploding bombs had pushed the limits of my power. As if I’d just run a mile, I felt energized. “Better than all right.”

  By the time I woke up in Rachelle’s body, Angel had returned. Like Erin, she looked on with worry. “What happened out there?”

  “I slipped up and let one of the bombs through.”

  “Don’t take it personal,” Erin said. “This was just a test.”

  “A test I failed. Where did the other warhead come from?” I asked.

  “Van was waiting with his ship in case you missed any,” Angel said. “He shot down the warhead before it could enter the atmosphere.”

  “Then he saved us,” I said.

  Angel nodded. “Never thought I’d say this, but it’s a good thing Van was there.”

  I sat up on the couch. “Why was Van there? I thought he was locked on the isolation floor.”

  “Because I sent him,” said a voice from the doorway.

  I looked up at the queen. “I think it’s time we were properly introduced. After taking my life, you owe me an explanation.”

  “I agree,” she said.

  * * * * *

  After Erin and Angel left u
s alone in the room, the queen walked to the couch and sat beside me. Upon closer inspection, I realized she was no older than me.

  “Are you sure you’re a queen?”

  “I was last time I checked,” she said. “My name is Kayden.”

  “You sound like one of us.”

  “A human?” She stared at the far wall. “I’m not from Earth.”

  “Not from Earth, but you’ve been here before.”

  “Yes.”

  “What right did you have to make Van kill me? He was upset about your order. The day before, he told me how he’d struggled with a choice he would be forced to make.”

  She turned to me. “He told you about my order?”

  “He thought it sucked and so do I.”

  “I never thought… You don’t hate him, do you?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but I couldn’t find the words.

  “Your silence is answer enough.”

  “I’m afraid Travis will go after Van and anyone else involved with killing me.”

  “Do you think he will?” she asked.

  “You’re the one who can see the future.”

  “Someone once told my future and I thought he ruined my life. I promised myself I’d never use this power to manipulate the future of anyone because I know how it feels. Yet, here I am.”

  “It’s not fair.”

  She reached for my hand. “May I?”

  “What’s the point in reading my future now?”

  “I won’t be sure until I’ve read it.”

  “I’m in Rachelle’s body. What if you read her future?”

  “Let’s try.”

  I nodded. She touched my hand and closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled.

  “What did you see?”

  “Your brother,” she said.

  “Alfie?”

  “He’ll be great friends with my younger brothers and Samuel. They’ll make an amazing team.”

  I swallowed. “Will he inherit my mother’s power?”

  Her smiled widened. “Some surprises are better to wait for.”

  “You don’t seem like a queen to me. Or an alien.”

  She dropped her eyes and took in the rest of me. “It’s strange to look at you now.”