by Erica Rue
Dione didn’t need clarification. “How’d you learn the song?” she asked.
Oliver gave a short laugh. “It was complete luck. After I got here, I explored a bit. At first, I was curious. Soon, I was just trying to find somewhere safe. Unfortunately for me, I stumbled into hyena territory. They chased me. They’d gotten me pretty good in the leg and were just waiting for me to tire out.”
He rotated his leg to reveal chunky, white scars on the back of his calf. “I ended up collapsing at the foot of a sitac tree, you know, the ones with all those twisting branches and the yellow fruit? Completely filled with parrots. When the hyenas came close to finish me off, the parrots all started singing. It was like the hyenas had been shocked. They jumped and ran away faster than I could blink. I think it’s because the parrots were so loud, because they don’t flee my song that fast.”
“That’s incredible,” Dione said. “Jameson must have built fail safes into these creatures. Protection for whenever he visited the island.”
Oliver nodded. “I had enough time to stop the bleeding and recover. You know, finding that hyena song was one of the reasons I set up camp here. I had a way to protect myself from the hyenas, who, in turn, unwittingly protect me from other things.”
Dione’s mind immediately shifted to the images Bel had sent her. “Like the dragons?”
“You’ve seen one?” Oliver’s tone had changed. “They shouldn’t come this far south.”
“When we were in the Flyer we got too close,” she reassured him. “We haven’t met any since we landed, though.”
His shoulders relaxed. Dione didn’t press him, but it was clear that he had encountered one of these dragons, and the occasion had left a lasting impression.
“Dione, come up here. I’m in the tree house,” Brian called. “I’ve got something for you.”
“Go on, I’m nearly finished.” Oliver said.
“Thanks for the story,” she said.
“My stories have to be enjoyable to make up for the food.”
Dione climbed into the tree house. Once inside, she studied her surroundings in wonder. More glowglobes lit the interior. The floor was sturdy, but the walls were different. They looked to be made out of some sort of woven husks, meaning they were strong yet flexible. In one corner, there was a pile of dead leaves that Dione realized was actually a blanket made from hyena pelts. The bright green of the facsimile leaves had faded to a dull brown.
“Can you believe your dad built this place on his own?”
Brian smiled, pulling out a small jar from his pocket before looking at her. “Of course I can. This,” he gestured to their surroundings, “is his thing. He can always cobble something together. Come here, I have something for you.”
Dione inspected the jar in his hand. “What’s that?”
“Antibiotic ointment.”
“How’d you get that?” There hadn’t been any in the cargo on their stolen Flyer; she’d checked when doing inventory.
“I swiped it from one of the crates they were loading back at the Vale Temple.”
Dione wrinkled her forehead. “But why? It was already going to your people, so what was the point?”
“Because I couldn’t be sure that Victoria wouldn’t horde and ration it out only to those she deemed worthy.”
That made sense. She remembered how Brian had hidden all of those meal bars they’d found in the Forest Temple. He’d been saving them for people in need instead of handing them over to Victoria. Dione smiled at the memory. Brian’s desire to help others was one of the reasons she’d liked him in the first place.
Brian patted the floor next to him, and she sat. Without another word, he inspected her wounds and smeared the deepest punctures with the ointment. Her heart raced at his touch, and in the silence, she was sure he could hear it. She had to say something, anything to cover up the sound.
“How are you feeling?” she asked. “I mean, your neck.” She gingerly touched the bright pink skin at his throat, feeling its unnatural heat.
“Everything’s still tender. I washed off most of the aloe, so it’s starting to sting a bit.”
“Oh, I can go look for some more. We passed a few on the way here, and there’s still some daylight left.”
“No,” he said softly, looking into her eyes, “stay here. I can bear the ache for a night. One more.” He had finished with her arms and legs, leaving only the bite at her collar bone. It had been dangerously close to her neck, and now he leaned in close to tend to it.
Dione closed her eyes and willed the pounding in her chest to quiet. She had spent all day thinking about what he had said to her, replaying his words over and over: I care about you, Dione. More than I’ve cared about any girl before. It wasn’t a big romantic gesture. He hadn’t declared his undying love for her. He had been honest, and that meant his confession about Lithia had probably been honest, too.
That realization had been liberating. Brian had almost died yesterday, and she had come close today. Tomorrow would present the same dangers. Was it her fear pushing her to open up to Brian? Or did she really like him? She heard Lithia’s voice in her head telling her to take a chance and live. She had nothing to lose.
With that realization, she allowed herself to feel what she’d been fighting. Brian’s touch sent a pleasant fire through her whole body.
“Does it hurt?” He put down the jar, suddenly concerned.
Dione opened her eyes to find Brian was still close. “No, but I care about you, too.”
She watched as surprise shifted into understanding. Dione didn’t know who started the kiss, but it didn’t matter. It felt like taking a drink of water on a hot day, longed for and invigorating.
Dione wasn’t sure how long had passed when they finally broke apart. “Just to be clear, I’m not sharing.”
Brian smiled and pulled her into an embrace. “Understood.”
The sound of steps on the ladder announced Oliver’s arrival. He laid out some fresh fruit. “Rabbit’s almost ready, too.”
“I’ll get it,” Brian said.
Dione took a bite of the fruit, and in another few minutes Brian returned and the meal began in earnest.
For a few minutes, there was only the sound of chewing. Dione hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she found herself thinking about how amazing the rabbit tasted. Brian seemed just as hungry, and Oliver held his questions until they were finished.
He peered at his son, and the joy that had dominated his demeanor since their reunion faded away. Dione thought she knew the source of his apprehension, but she waited for him to ask.
“You said that Dione is neither Aratian nor Ficaran,” he said to Brian. Though phrased as a statement, it was clearly a question.
“She and a few others came here on a ship from another world,” Brian said. “You were on the right track about our origins, but not about this island. The Farmer and Architect had a different reason for warning us away from it, but there’s a whole empire of other worlds out there, from what Dione tells me.”
Oliver laughed bitterly, the first sign of negativity she had seen from him. “I’ve been staring my mistake in the face every day for years now. But tell me more about these other worlds.” He was looking at Dione now.
“There are hundreds, but I mostly know about my own home.”
“Then tell me of yours.”
Dione hesitated. No one else had asked her about her home. They’d been curious to find out the truth about their own origins, but even Brian hadn’t asked her about home.
“I live on Lavinian, one of the core planets. It’s a cluster where most of our Alliance—the government—works.”
“Lavinian,” Brian repeated.
“Is it beautiful?” Oliver asked.
Dione felt a pang in her heart and nodded. “Yes. I live outside the capital city, Haisukia, near one of the parks. It’s a protected area of wilderness. The city itself…” She trailed off a moment as she visualized home in painful detail. “The city ce
nter was built all at once, so all of the buildings are uniform, but each one has its own architectural flourishes.” She felt tears sting in her eyes, and she remembered the tour she had taken of the city with her father and uncle for her twelfth birthday. She had been a tourist in her own city, seeing everything through fresh eyes.
“Here, let me show you.” She pulled up some pictures on her manumed, wishing she had a holo interface so she could really share them.
Brian and Oliver went through the pictures in awe. They had never seen a city so large. While the Temples were imposing, most of their houses were small. Even the Ficaran apartments could not compare to the towering buildings of home.
“I always knew there was more out there, just not so far away.” Oliver returned the manumed to Dione. “I came to this island because I thought the truth was here. Maybe a city. The way that both the Farmer and the Architect wanted to keep us away from it, I knew I had to come here.”
“But you never came back,” Brian said. It wasn’t an accusation.
Oliver put a hand on his shoulder. “It was never my plan to stay. The currents make it impossible to leave by boat, and after several attempts—different times of year, different launch points—my little boat was wrecked, and I nearly died.”
“So you built a home for yourself here?” Dione asked.
“Not right away. Between attempts, I did some exploring. Shortly after my arrival, I realized that there was no one living here. Still, I was convinced this place was hiding something. That’s how I found the giant ship.”
“You saw the colonizer?” Dione asked.
“The ship in the middle of the island? Yes, but I couldn’t get close. I nearly got burnt to a crisp just going to look at it.”
“Dragons,” Brian muttered.
Oliver rubbed a conspicuous burn scar on his arm. “They’re vicious.”
Dione and Brian exchanged a look. She knew what he was thinking.
“Dione got the Flyers working again, but we crashed here. Victoria won’t send anyone to get us.”
“My friends are working on a way to come get us, but it will take days, at least,” Dione said. “Are you sure she won’t change her mind now that we’ve found your dad?”
“I think we’ll need a bigger bargaining chip than my father. She hates him. No offense, Dad.”
Oliver shrugged. “She’s not exactly my favorite person either. I’ve waited this long. I thought I’d never see another person again. Another few days won’t matter.”
“Dad, you remember the stories about the fabricator? How the Farmer used to leave and come back with supplies? Dione says it’s real, and I think it’s on the colonizer.”
“I see where you’re going with this, but it’s impossible to get anywhere near it. I nearly died for a glimpse.”
Brian wasn’t deterred. The tenor of his voice changed, and instinctively Dione grabbed his hand. “A few days ago, the demons found us. At least, Jameson called them that. Dione and her friends explained that they’re actually aliens called Vens. They attacked the Field Temple.”
Dione saw the color drain from Oliver’s face. “Bethany?”
“Mom made it, but we had to abandon the Field Temple once it was overrun. Those of us who survived escaped in the Flyers to the Mountain Base,” he said. “It’s like an undiscovered Temple. We teamed up with the Aratians against the Vens and killed most of them.”
Oliver and Brian fell into quick conversation—more details, followed by a flurry of questions and responses about individuals whom Dione had never met, and some that she never would. She noticed a few tears well up in Oliver’s eyes.
“Dad, there’s more.” Brian frowned. “Things got bad after you left. The rationing got stricter. Right now, we have a temporary alliance with the Aratians, but that’s because of the Vens, and all of the Artifacts and supplies we found in the Mountain Base. Without a way to manufacture the things we need, rather than scavenge them, we’re going to end up back in the same place. Starving. If you could see mom right now…” He trailed off.
Pain swept across Oliver’s wrinkled face. “What’s happened to her?”
“She won’t work. She barely eats. She’s weak,” Brian replied.
“But there’s more food now. She’ll get her strength back.” Oliver seemed to be assuring himself just as much as his son.
“Mom’s sick. Lack of food is only one aspect of it. Plenty of others have been affected, too. So many lost children. I don’t want that for our future. Finding the fabricator would be insurance for our people. A way to guarantee trade and cooperation.”
“We need to get back,” Oliver said. “We can head to the beach in the morning. A Flyer would be able to find us there easily. You say you’ve got a way to contact her? I’ll speak to Victoria myself.”
“She hates you,” Brian repeated.
“I’ll find a way to convince her.”
“What about the fabricator? We need it.”
“We’ll stand a better chance with more people. The dragons are too much for us to take on alone.”
Brian stopped arguing in order to yawn. The yawn was contagious, and a moment later Dione and Oliver followed his lead.
“I think it’s time to get some rest. Take some pelts and get as comfortable as you can. We can talk again in the morning.” Oliver took Brian’s head in his hands and kissed his forehead. A tender display of affection. It made Dione ache for her own lost family, though it was her uncle rather than her father who first came to mind.
19. LITHIA
Lithia watched Cora from a distance. She looked fine, helping two young women with their tent. It was a far cry from what she had witnessed hours earlier.
“I’m worried about Cora,” she said. “I thought she was going to kill that guy today.”
“Took you long enough.” Bel rolled her eyes. “At the time, you seemed pretty on board with killing a potentially innocent boy.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Lithia said, returning the eye roll.
“Am I?” Bel replied. “I’m worried about you. You can talk to me. I’ve been through the same things.”
No, you really haven’t. Lithia swallowed her retort. Bel had been through something terrible, but something very different. Bel had lived because she had avoided the battle at her colony. Lithia had lived because she had fought through it.
“I’m fine,” Lithia said. “Looks like Theo is putting dinner on. I’m going to investigate.” She smelled something sweet and earthy, accented with garlic and some other scent she couldn’t place. Definitely worth investigating.
Bel was wrong. She was fine. No matter what had happened during the battles, she was still Lithia. Underneath these thoughts, a nagging voice whispered back, Are you, though?
Cora was still finishing up with the tent, so Lithia took a seat by Jai, the only other person she kind of knew.
“What’s for dinner?” she asked.
“Squash with herbs,” he replied. “Hot food has a way of bringing people together, don’t you think?”
She nodded. Others, lured by the scent and promise of food, were finding seats nearby.
Cora arrived and placed herself between the young couple and the middle-aged woman who had volunteered. She was speaking animatedly with them, almost as if she had forgotten the coldness she had displayed earlier. Lithia listened to their stories.
The couple, Taylor and Lena, had not been matched in the previous year. Her husband had not been bad to her, but he hadn’t been good, either. He had died in the battle. They’d joined Cora because they’d heard about Will.
The woman, Amber, told her story in a few sentences. “They’re gone. My husband and my oldest son. I just wanted to do something.”
Cora squeezed Amber’s hand. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have left my daughters with their grandmother to join you, but I couldn’t sit idle. I just couldn’t.” Lithia watched Amber trying to convince herself, but before she could offer a
ny consolation, Cora spoke.
“You have given them the best possible example. They’ll grow up knowing that you sought justice, even when others cowered. They’ll see your example and realize that bravery is in their blood.”
Lithia nodded in agreement. Jai leaned over and whispered, “See? I think she’d make a great Regnator.”
“Yep,” she replied. “Wait, this isn’t some ploy to convince me you should marry her, right?”
Jai chuckled. “No, not at all.”
“You promise?”
“I promise. It still feels strange—and wrong—to think that she needs me to become Regnator,” he said.
“That’s because it is wrong,” Lithia replied.
The squash was ready, and silence fell around the fire as people passed around bowls of food. When she finished, Lithia made a show of yawning and stretching her arms. “The squash was delicious, Theo. Thanks. I’m off to get some sleep,” she said.
“Good night,” Jai said, when she stood to head to her tent.
“Thanks. Good night,” she replied, smiling. As soon as her back was turned, the smile slipped from her face.
It won’t be, she thought grimly, bracing herself for more nightmares.
***
“Lithia! Lithia, wake up!”
Lithia recognized the voice but couldn’t place it. She was in a fog. She felt hot and fought the urge to obey. In another moment she was torn out of the hellscape of her dream, but she still couldn’t breathe. She sat bolt upright and looked around at the unfamiliar canvas that sheltered her from the wilderness.
Bel’s brown eyes were large with concern despite the fact that it must have been the middle of the night.
“What is it? Why did you scream?” Bel asked, sitting up and fumbling for her pila blade.
The memories rushed back to Lithia, the darkness, the bodies, the metallic stench of blood. It had been a dream.
Only it hadn’t, not really. Those images hadn’t come from the vids or holos. They’d come from the battle for the Field Temple. Or was it the Vale Temple?
“Just a nightmare,” Lithia said. “I’m fine.”