Power Divided (The Evolutionaries Book 1)

by s. Behr

  “She didn’t know I was there either.”

  Lily and Kai looked between both of us as if they had never seen us before.

  Lily turned to me. “You knew there were two of them?”

  I nodded.

  “How?” Both Kai and Lily asked in unison.

  It was apparent that neither twin was willing to come clean about the Ark, and without Hailey, nor was I. “That’s not important right now. We came to see how your sister is doing,” I said, focusing on why we were all here.

  “How can this not be important?” Lily asked, her hand starting to cut off the blood flow to my fingers.

  “Lance, how could you be this careless?” Kai asked in hushed frustration. Lance ignored his brother as we heard footsteps heading in our direction.

  “Go,” Lance said to his brother. Kai grabbed Lily’s hand out of mine, pressed a button on his wrist, and they vanished.

  I sucked in a breath, and before I could panic, he said, “Your friend is perfectly safe. Your mother is coming. You will act as if I brought you here. Don’t be foolish and make this difficult.” Lance’s words were like silk.

  “Why should I believe you? Lying comes easy to you.” I glared at him.

  “That’s funny, I could say the same to you.” He smiled like a shark. “And I wouldn’t say lying comes easy; it always comes with a price. But survival, that I do know, and that is what we are going to do here.”

  A knock sounded on the door. “Kai, are you awake?” my mother asked.

  “Yes.” He coughed, then turned to me and whispered, “Survive this discussion with your mother, then you and I can talk. Like civilized people. What do you say?” His eyes narrowed, waiting for my reply, his smile now a razor’s edge.

  I met his gaze. “I don’t see that I have much of a choice,” I muttered.

  “Please, come in,” he called out.

  I turned to face my mother, who looked up from her charts with an expression of surprise, Queen Catalina behind her. “Violet! Darling, you should not be here.”

  “I wanted to know how everyone is. How my people are. How Penelope is.”

  She looked me over, the tension between us palpable, then with his perfect grasp of charm, Lance interjected. “I hope you will forgive me, Your Majesties, I found this lovely lady out on the hover bay and asked if she might keep me company.”

  Queen Catalina stepped up beside my mother. My mother looked at Lance with a faint suspicious smile that only I or my father would recognize. Finally, she said, “Kai, I came to tell you there has been no change. Penelope is stable, but has not regained consciousness. If you would like, I can have your parents give you a more detailed update when I see them shortly, but I think you should try to get some rest. It’s been a long night.”

  “That would be generous, Queen Eva. Thank you. Perhaps, Princess Violet can show me the way?”

  She gave him a lingering look before turning to me. “Violet, it’s quite early. Did Ameli bring your breakfast this morning?”

  The anger at my helplessness yesterday, and my worry for Lily provoked me to say, “Yes, of course.” The lie seeped from my lips as smoothly as I had just accused Lance. Maybe there was something to what he said.

  She studied me for a moment, and I could feel the warmth on my neck rise. I think even Lance began to wilt under her gaze when finally, she said, “Good,” then turned to Queen Catalina. “Violet has a blood sugar condition that requires a little attention. Nothing serious, but I am glad even in times like these, I can count on Ameli to look after her.”

  She turned back to me. I knew it wouldn’t be long before she would learn the truth, but I had more important things to deal with than breakfast. I was going to get Lily back and get some answers from the Yzer twins.

  For Lily’s sake, I insisted on seeing Penelope before we left. Pen’s room was a specialized glass enclosure that allowed us to peer in from the hall, but when sealed, was completely isolated along with its own air sanitizing system and com pads for communication on both sides of the door.

  Pen lay in the stark white bed, a shadow of the girl she had been just yesterday. The door was open, and I watched Lance whisper to his sister, one of those rare creatures who needed only minutes to capture genuine affection from anyone who met her. She had stolen my heart with her love of life from the moment I saw her. From the twirl of a gown to a single grape, her enthusiasm was contagious. But her smile had been stolen for a reason, even the best technology and healers could not find.

  Whatever the troubles of the world were, I knew that little girl was not to blame, but for some reason she was chosen as the price the Hg-1 had to pay.

  I studied Lance as he caressed Penelope’s cheek with tenderness and care while still whispering soft words in her ear, and my mother stepped out of the room.

  Lance caught my gaze as my mother asked, “Violet, before you go, I would like to speak with you.”

  He appeared next to my mother, staring straight at me. “Are you ready, Your Highness?” He feigned a convincing yawn. “It’s been a long night, and I can’t remember the last time I had anything to eat. Would you be so kind as to show me to the kitchen?”

  “I would be happy to call something up for you, Kai,” my mother replied.

  “Everyone is exhausted or busy. I don’t want to trouble anyone, just something simple like an apple would do if the Princess doesn’t mind taking me to the kitchen on her way home.” He turned to me, and I nodded.

  “Of course,” my mother replied, “how considerate of you. Violet can show you the way.” I turned to leave when she said, “Violet?” Looking back at her from over my shoulder, she smiled. “I love you.”

  After everything that had happened, I could only say, “I love you, too.” And I left knowing I meant it.

  Once we were out of the healing wings, I started toward the residence levels of the Queen’s Palace, but Lance brought me to a halt with a few words. “They aren’t here.” He changed course, heading out to the hover bay.

  “Where are they? Why would your brother just steal Lily away like that?” I demanded as I quickened my pace to keep up.

  “Your friend is in no danger,” he said as he slid into the first available hover. I climbed in after him. “Ancient Archives,” he said as if he had grown up in Amera all his life.

  “Why are we going to the Archives?”

  “It seemed like the safest place, no people, and less chance of either of you damaging anything or anyone.” His lips pressed into a grim smile.

  I pictured the Archives in my mind, thinking it was a smart choice, but I worried about Lily despite his reassurances.

  “Why the ruse? Why lie about there being two of you?” I fired at him.

  “And why would you not tell your parents about us, about the Ark?” he shot back.

  “With everything that happened, I just… I…” My mouth fell silent when I couldn’t find a reason that I could share with him. Instead, I watched the sunrise as we sped toward the spiral building. My thoughts remained on Lily. I didn’t think they would risk harming the daughter of the general. But after yesterday, the limits of what I thought people were capable of had been blown to bits.

  “It’s for security,” Lance murmured, his jaw flexing. He scrubbed his face. “The way things are in the Homeland, there are rules and reasons, but the basic purpose is security.” His gaze fixed intently on the landscape, coming to life with the rising sun.

  “I don’t understand.” I tried to imagine what he meant, but I couldn’t.

  He turned away from the horizon to face me. “You’re lucky that you don’t. Must be a nice way to grow up.” I had no reply, and he continued. “Certain families in the Hg-1 have twins that live in secret for security. Usually high-ranking families. Both my parents come from families that would fit that description.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “You’re saying you have a protocol in your country that requires your parents to have secret children?”

  “Yes. Penelo
pe’s twin is still in the Homeland,” Lance said as I stared at him trying to believe what he was saying was true.

  “Your parents brought both you and Kai and Penelope but kept her twin at home?” I tried to convince myself he was playing some kind of strange human trick on me.

  Lance laughed. “Do you think anyone can say no to Pen?”

  I could see the genuine love for his sister written on his face. Some private memory of Pen made him look years younger, and for just a glitch, happy. But as fast as it came, reality set his expression back into the stark gaze of smoldering anger. I had seen that look before, in the moments before he threw that rock that nearly blew me apart. I thought of what it would mean if what he said were true.

  “She’s going to be okay. I have never seen my mother fail. She’s the best healer in Amera.” I hugged myself.

  “That’s what everyone keeps saying, but Pen still hasn’t woken up. My mother was right; we should never have brought her here.”

  “You said this was the TSA. How do you know?” I asked, remembering the hooded figure before the bombing.

  He inhaled a sharp deep breath, his teeth ground as if he was reliving the nightmare of yesterday, and asked, “You knew it was me when I showed up at the match. How?”

  “You two aren’t as identical as you think.”

  He rubbed his left eye. “Most people never notice it. How did you?”

  Not wanting to admit to staring at his face for hours, I said, “I pay attention.”

  He eyed me for a moment, then looked back out the window at the rays of sun spraying color across the sky.

  “So secret twins,” I prodded. “I still don’t understand why that would be necessary.”

  He let out a labored sigh. “I know you don’t know much about our Homeland or our war with the TSA, but let’s just say, everyone there is willing to play dirty.”

  “Are you saying that kidnapping and child hostage situations are common?” I couldn’t even fathom what I was asking.

  “When you live in a place where resources are scarce, and lives are cheaper to end than feed, the only people that seem to care about their families are the ones that can afford to.”

  “That can’t be true,” I said, shaken.

  “Why do you think Pen was targeted? Did you see anyone else’s child up there? No. My family is the only one here that has the luxury of having more than one child. Imagine what it means that they have four, and people only know about two of them,” he said as if his words tasted sour in his mouth.

  I sat back in my chair, speechless. When we left Empire, and I imagined confronting these twins, I had been ready to feel a lot of things. I was ready to give them a piece of my mind; colorful thoughts had raged in the back of my brain the moment Lily disappeared. Instead, I found myself feeling something I hadn’t expected. Pity.

  I didn’t know what kind of world they lived in, what kind of people the TSA were, but there had to be a better way.

  The hover slowed as we pulled up to the bay outside the entrance of the Archives. I jumped out of the hover and ran in, Lance catching up in two quick steps.

  “Lily,” I called out.

  Higgins appeared with his usual pleasant smile. “Good morning, Princess Violet.” He turned to Lance and an expression of confusion crossed the hologram’s face. With a tilt of his head that reminded me of Hailey, he said, “Ambassador Kai. I thought you were in the Gallery of Shoes with Lady Lily.”

  “Thank you, Higgins.” Remembering the upgraded security, Higgins’ memory, all the cameras that were in this building, to both Lance’s surprise and my own, I found myself helping these twins keep their secret.

  I pulled Lance’s arm as Higgin’s called after me, “Don’t forget to pick up your bracelet, Your Highness!”

  “Thank you.” I waved and practically flew through the halls, not wanting Higgins to say anything more about the bracelet either. Keeping all these secrets had quickly become complicated and exhausting.

  We ran all the way down the spiral of the Archives until I reached the fashion level. “Lily!” I yelled.

  “Violet!” Lily stepped away from Kai and hugged me.

  “You’re okay.”

  “Yes, Kai explained everything to me. Oh, don’t be mad.” She hugged me. “They were just trying to—”

  “I know. You didn’t talk about it in here, did you?” I asked.

  Lily pulled back. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course not. But they should not be in here together. It might be too late already.”

  I looked at them both. “I know someone who can help us with that.”

  A watched pot never boils. But forget a teapot, and it will scream.

  “How could you leave me here!” Hailey yelled at me for the tenth time. Her tiny projection came from the bracelet I had fastened to my wrist opposite my other citizen’s bracelet. “I slipped your mind,” she accused.

  “Please, Hailey, don’t be mad, not today,” I begged. “You weren’t there.”

  “What makes you think that?” Hailey asked, tapping her tiny toe. She had stretched to the largest size the bracelet would allow, but she was still only half a foot tall.

  “Um, you were being transferred and because you were here in the Archives?”

  Her tiny eyebrows rose. “After the first few hours, I had moved enough of me into my new place,” she said, gesturing at my old bracelet. “I gained enough control to access the systems I needed to reconfigure the settings. What that Higgins had the transfer set to, well, that was just idiotic. That configuration would have taken days.” She shook her head as if it was obvious. “I had to reboot, and when I woke up that morning, I realized you left me here. I got bored waiting, and well…” Her eyes suddenly studied my arm. “I started looking around the system.”

  “Hailey, you didn’t,” I said, glancing at the others.

  Lance hid a grin behind his fingers, while Lily and Kai both looked bewildered , trying to take in the miniature A.I. yelling at me.

  She shrugged. “What? I saw your schedule, and I knew you wouldn’t have a chance to pick me up until after the match. So I tuned in to watch, then all that chaos happened, and I saw everything.” Her expression changed to one I recognized as misery. “It was horrible. I viewed all seventy-one camera angles. Devastating.” She shook her head. “You were very brave, Mr. Yzer,” Hailey said, looking straight at Lance.

  Lance’s chin jerked toward her. “How did you know it was me?”

  “Oh, Mr. Yzer, you and your brother are as identical as the sun and the moon.”

  Kai and Lance looked at each other, searching for differences. Lily shrugged, shaking her head.

  “But mostly, I remember you perfectly from the eight minutes we spent together when we met. Though I have to say, you are not what I had imagined. Which is a good thing,” Hailey clarified.

  “What, you don’t remember all the long talks?” he said with a grin.

  “That was not me.” Hailey crossed her arms. Lance’s eyes narrowed, but Hailey explained, “That was the other Hailey. She took over rather suddenly. Please forgive the switch. It was necessary, and besides, I think you two of all people should understand.”

  Hailey ignored Lance’s confusion as she kept talking like she had been trapped in a desk for days. “I heard your brother explaining why there are two of you to Lady Kocur on the terrace. I am very sorry, Mr. Yzer and Mr. Yzer.”

  “What?” Lily gasped. “How? There were no cameras where we were.”

  “I made a few tweaks to the microphone on the one just around the corner from that bench. I couldn’t see you, but I could hear you,” Hailey explained.

  I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “We are really going to have to have a long, thorough talk when we have the chance.”

  “I did nothing wrong. We had a plan, and when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. I was simply trying to find out more about Mr. Yzer and Mr. Yzer. I thought I was doing your job for you,” she sn
apped at me.

  I felt my face warm as the Yzer twins’ gazes settled on me. “Hailey I would like to introduce you to Lily Kocur, as you know Lance, and this Kai,” I announced as Hailey waved.

  “Nice to finally, officially meet you. I have lots of questions.”

  “No, not now. Please, don’t get her started,” I said firmly. “Hailey, we will go into a full discussion later, but for now a few ground rules. First, please use their first names. It’s confusing and we don’t have time for it. Second, you are not in control here. You are not allowed to spy on people. And you can’t go messing around in places without the appropriate protocols. You of all people should appreciate that,” I finished, flustered at what she might have done with hours and a city at her disposal.

  “I did not ‘mess’ with anything; I improved your realm’s substandard security. Why do you think it was so easy for that terrorist to hack into your defenses?”

  We all stared at the six-inch-tall hologram.

  “Where did you find her?” Lily asked.

  Lance, Kai, and I all looked at Lily, each of us hesitant to tell the truth.

  I ignored Lily and turned back to Hailey. “Well, I appreciate you caring about Neyr’s safety, but no more, okay? This is something we have to take up with my parents. They are the ones in charge here.”

  “Fine.” Hailey crossed her arms and perfected the stance of a rebellious teenager. “I am still mad that you left me here.”

  I felt my frustration wane, remembering I had desperately missed her just yesterday. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you here. I wish I had picked you up earlier,” I said, as the others suddenly searched for something interesting on a far wall.

  She eyed me for a moment, her arms spread out. “I forgive you. I know you are just a human and you can only think about so many things at once.”

  Ignoring that comment, I said, “At least it gave Higgins time to find a way for me to hear you without having to walk around with my wrist up to my ear.” I touched the intricate platinum earrings that had been linked to the bracelet.