by Rebecca Ann
“Freeze, squirt!” Shannon pulled Lily back into the apartment, shutting the front door. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To get something from my dad,” Lily said. “Victoria’s mom wants to recruit people to go to Ada, and she needs a huge screen.”
“I thought dinner would be the best time to gather a group,” Elizabeth said as she stood and went to the door, her back to me.
“I can get you what you need. I know where we can get a screen, and I can bring it to the dining hall a little bit before dinner tonight.”
“Perfect! Thank you! Vi, let’s go practice our presentation.”
I shook my head. “I never said I’d do the presentation with you. I’ll be there, of course, but you know more about it than I do.” I wasn’t going to get dragged into this. “And please don’t call me Vi.”
“These people are your friends, your student’s families. They’ll listen to you. Please? Princess Madalina has worked hard on this program.”
I pressed my lips together. I wasn’t going to let my mother guilt me into helping her. Especially since I had zero faith in her and this program.
“I’ll try to join you after I practice and schedule the next donating shift,” I said and went to the door. “I’m going to go practice. I’ll see you later.”
I walked out of the apartment, down the hall, and onto the street, moving my cane back and forth. The conversation with my mom had left me exhausted, but I wasn’t going to let her presence ruin my plans. I’d go to Ada with her, but after that, I would do the rest on my own. I wanted to get to know her, but I needed to do it on my terms. I wasn’t going to let her hurt me again, and I wasn’t going to lose Lindsey either. If I had to control my powers to save Lindsey, I’d do it.
As my anger dissolved, I climbed the steps with a new sense of determination and walked into the building, heading straight for the donation room. I checked the schedule on my net-screen. I had an hour before the next batch of people would be here. Then I called Bethany.
“Victoria!” Bethany’s cheerful voice brought a smile to my face. “I just got out of class. What’s up?”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize you were taking classes!”
“Oh, I’m not! I’m a TA for a teacher here. It’s too bad you didn’t teach. I could’ve been your TA. Anyway, is everything okay?”
I sat in the blue hard plastic chair behind the table. “Yeah. I just wanted to know if you’re free now to practice. I have an hour before I have to be here for the next round of donations.”
“Sure! Where are you?”
“In the donation room!”
“Okay! I’ll be there in five minutes. Actually, hang on.” A second later, she appeared in front of me, a girl I didn’t recognize next to her. “Thanks, Julie!”
“No problem!”
“So, ready?”
I smiled as I got to my feet. “Let’s do this!”
I followed Bethany down the hall.
“We can practice in the gym,” Bethany explained as we continued down the hall. “Well, it’s really an empty classroom they use for a gym.” She stopped at a room on the far end and flipped on the light as I stepped over the threshold. It was completely free of furniture. My heart sped up as she walked further in, but I didn’t stop. Folding up my cane, I put it on the floor near the door. I would do this.
For Lindsey.
“Okay,” Bethany said as she shut the door. “The first thing the teachers back at the LI school would do, especially when we were younger, is test our abilities to see where we were and how much control we had.” Bethany stepped up to me.
I exhaled, and with my back to Bethany, I let my power flow, shooting across the floor. I licked my lips, beads of sweat on my forehead as the bolt traveled across the floor like a snake. I inhaled a sharp intake of breath as it disappeared into the carpet.
“Victoria?” Bethany asked as she stepped in front of me. “Can you tell where the bolt is headed? Can you hear it?”
“I can see it depending on where I am. Like in here, because it’s bright, I can see where it’s headed. In a crowd, I can’t tell where it’s going,” I answered, voice shaking slightly. “As for hearing it, I can only do that when it’s quiet.”
“Gotcha. Okay. Keep going...”
I COLLAPSED ONTO THE floor an hour later, knees stinging from the impact. My chest heaved with quick, ragged breaths, my heart thumping like a war drum. I ran a hand over my sweaty forehead, the other flat on the floor. My whole body, all the way down to my fingers, ached.
“You okay?” Bethany kneeled down beside me. “I’m sorry. Did I push too hard? You want some water?”
I sat back on my heels. “It’s not your fault. I’m the one that kept going. I’m too eager, I guess. Trying to cram an entire childhood’s worth of training into a few practices.” I took the water Bethany held out, unscrewed the cap, and took a long sip. It wasn’t cold, but it helped soothe my parched throat. “I need to go again! I have to be ready for Ada in a couple weeks.”
“You’re going to Ada?”
I nodded, still breathing hard. “Yeah. To find Lindsey. My mom is going to talk to people tonight at dinner. She’s convinced this program is going to help us be free.”
“And what do you think?”
I sighed as I stood on shaking legs. “I don’t know. All I know is that I’m going to Ada. Whatever happens after that, we’ll deal with it. But I have to be ready.”
“How are you getting there?”
I looked at her and shrugged. “I don’t know. We haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Now can we just practice?” I splayed out my fingers in front of me, palms down. Another spark flew from my fingertips before she could reply.
Chapter Sixteen
LINDSEY
“Lindsey?” Melody called as she came into the room where I was changing into a pair of black pants and a white shirt with the Watcher’s jacket.
“Already ready!” I called from behind the privacy curtain as I tied my shoe. I put on my jacket and stepped out from behind the curtain, tightening my ponytail. “Did you talk to Madalina? Where am I meeting everyone to leave?” Butterflies danced in my stomach, but I wasn’t sure why. I’d be bringing my family to safety. Okay, well, I wasn’t sure it was safe, but we’d be together again.
“Not ’til after you see District One,” Melody answered, removing her Watcher’s hat. “Madalina’s in her study. I’ll be at the docks getting ready to leave.”
I teleported to Madalina’s study to find her seated at her desk. “How does your mother feel about LIs coming here?”
Madalina looked up, startled. “You scared me to death.” She rose to her feet and came around the desk, her long purple dress flowing behind her, her hair pulled back in a stylish bun.
“Sorry, but she wasn’t exactly friendly toward me yesterday. I want to know what to expect when we get back from District One.” I couldn’t keep the disdain out of my voice. Carmella appeared as evil as I’d imagined.
Madalina sighed. “It was actually her idea to bring LIs back here. Only if they’re kept in a separate location, of course.” A touch of resentment flavored her words as she picked at her dress. “I have no idea why. But in a way, it’s a good thing. I can keep you guys away from her as much as possible.”
“And that’s not at all suspicious to you? She experimented on LIs for years. She could do it again.” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice. I’d been right in keeping my guard up. This was turning out exactly how I’d feared. “You said we’d be free here.”
“You will—in a manner of speaking.” Madalina’s hand rested on my shoulder, her dark eyes filled with guilt. It took every ounce of willpower not to jerk away. “I’m sorry. I know—” She shook her head as if to clear away an improper thought. “And for the record, Carmella isn’t my mother.” She gestured toward the door. “Shall we go? I called and arranged a tour of the factory. We’ll take the train to District One. I like to ride it every now
and then. Keeps me in touch with the citizens.”
I stared after her, nose wrinkled. Really? Did she think the conversation was over because she walked out of the room? “We’re not done talking about this,” I called as I followed her out into the hall.
Madalina’s heels made no sound on the carpet, but once we reached the stone floor in front of the main palace entrance, they clicked rapidly along the floor. “We’ll take a hover to the train station.” She stopped. “And I’m sorry. I know we’re not done with the conversation, but talking about it in public would be too risky. I promise, we will finish it.”
I sighed but followed after her, almost running to keep up and gasping as a cold wind blew into my face. Madalina sure walked fast for someone in heels. “How far from the palace is it?” I let Madalina go first up the ramp and trailed after her. “How do the hovers work with the glass up top?” A stupid question, but I needed something to distract me. I sat down in one of the leather seats, buckling my seatbelt.
“We have to fly a little low, but it’s doable. Only the palace and a few people in District Two and Three have them, but we hope to change that in the near future.”
I glanced out the window, arms folded as annoyance pinched my nerves. Right now, I didn’t care about technology. Our unfinished conversation still lingered in my thoughts.
I shook my head. I needed to calm down. If I went into District One with a bad attitude, I couldn’t be objective. “It’s really beautiful here. Is that greenery in the courtyard real or fake?” Paths made of different-colored flowers stretched out before us. Several benches occupied a small space of grass.
“It’s sod. Growing things is difficult but can be done with the right tools and knowledge,” Madalina answered, hands folded in her lap.
We lapsed into a comfortable silence, and I stared out the window as the hover lifted into the air, moving above cluster of houses and buildings surrounded by fences. As my gaze wandered upward, my mouth fell open. Even in my grumpy mood, I couldn’t deny these mountains were beautiful, covered in a layer of white. A thin line of sunlight shined in through the glass, bathing the city below in a gold light. If we got to wake up to this view every morning, maybe Ada wouldn’t be terrible.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Madalina asked quietly. “And yes, that white stuff is snow, but it’s colder and thicker than on Earth.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but the sudden drop of the hover forced my attention to my rolling stomach. I gripped the armrest, bracing myself. Now I remembered why I wasn’t too upset when LIs were no longer allowed to own or ride in hovers. A second later, it landed with a thud. “Well, I guess we’ve arrived,” I muttered.
Madalina chuckled as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stood, heading for the door as it opened and the ramp came down. “Come on. The train to District One leaves in ten minutes.”
I followed her down the ramp into an icy wind. Not that it slowed people down much. The platform up ahead swarmed with people, mostly dressed in black, heads bent like canes. Some walked slowly toward the train while others ran to hop on as it rolled into the station. I ran to catch up with Madalina as she glided across the narrow cobblestone path, the click of her heels lost in the noise. A man with a beard dressed in a black uniform not that different from a Watcher’s hurried toward her. They exchanged a few words, and when Madalina turned around, I tried to wipe the look of impatience off my face. Madalina was taking time away from her princess duties to show me District One.
“Here you are, Your Majesty,” the Watcher said in an accent I couldn’t quite place. Madalina held out her wrist, and the Watcher ran a scanner over it.
“Thank you,” Madalina said with a polite smile. “She’s with me.”
I followed Madalina through the metal gate, shooting a confused look at the Watcher, who waved me away with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that. I can get my own token.”
“It’s okay. Once you get a chip ID, you won’t need a token,” Madalina answered, speeding up. “Come on! We’re on the northbound train.”
Two trains sat idle on either side of the station. We boarded the right one as the doors started to close.
“You can sit down, you know,” Madalina said from where she had perched on a hard, plastic bench.
The train jerked me backward, and I stumbled into a seat. I breathed in the stale, putrid air and tried to keep my balance as our car bounced along the tracks.
Glancing over at Madalina, who sat poised with her hands in her lap, I said, “Okay, seriously, you’re the princess! Why are you riding around in this bumpy thing? And why don’t we have, like, five guards with us? Isn’t that what princesses are supposed to do? Isn’t Melody supposed to be with us?”
“Believe it or not, someone is always watching my thoughts, but they know not to intervene unless I need them. Trust me, if we’re in danger, a Watcher hover will be here in seconds. Besides, I wanted to give Melody time to prepare for the trip to Caldwell. She’s going with you. And I told you, riding the train helps me keep in touch with the citizens.”
“We’re the only ones on here.”
“Well, most District One people don’t take the train. And we dodged rush hour.” The train’s brakes screeched to a stop. “Come on! We’re here!” Madalina stood as the doors slid open. A rush of air drifted into the car.
I momentarily lost Madalina as she barreled ahead of me, but once outside, it didn’t take long to spot her. She was talking to another Watcher. I groaned. How many people would Madalina have to stop and talk to on this tour? Arms folded, I stared at the dirty sidewalk, counting the pieces of trash under my feet. Had it really come to this? Following Madalina around everywhere to talk about some program that may not exist?
“Madalina!” a man said in a thin, high voice.
I jerked my head up. Dressed in a black suit with his dark hair slicked back and shoes that looked like they cost a thousand dollars, he stood out among the run-down buildings and uneven sidewalk, completely empty of people. One building ran the length of the block, directly across the street. As I glanced upward, one stood taller than the others, like it was the mother hen watching over its young.
“Lindsey, this is Spencer. He runs the factory,” Madalina explained.
I jerked my head back down. Ah ha. The owner. That explained the expensive suit. Round-faced and broad-shouldered, he looked fresh out of college.
“Hi,” I sputtered. “Nice to meet you.” I swallowed past the dryness in my throat. “How far is the factory from here?”
Spencer extended a dark, slender hand. He smiled so wide he looked like his face would freeze that way. His teeth almost glinted even in the gray light that spilled across the sidewalk. “I’ll take you there once we finish the tour.”
I nodded, smiling with my teeth clenched. Ugh. Was this tour ever going to start? Stealing a glance at Madalina, who had that same fake smile plastered on her face, I trailed behind them through an iron gate and down another sidewalk. My shoes tapped against the cobblestone, a gentle, cold wind blowing in my face. I blew into my hands, my gaze not leaving the run-down apartments that went as far as I could see. Bags of trash took up most of the space in front of the steps. Some trashcans even had smoke rising from them. Someone had probably started a fire to keep warm.
I slowed my pace as my mind drifted back to a time when I’d been a kid in a neighborhood like this. Running through the crowded street, falling over trash bags in my haste to get away from the kid who was chasing me. Bullying me for who knew what reason. The air was always hazy with smoke and fog. I’d spent the first fourteen years of my life there, before Victoria’s dad helped us find a nicer house in the LI section of Caldwell. All of us in a one-bedroom apartment, my room nothing but a wall divider in the corner of the living room with a mattress on the floor covered with a sheet that didn’t even fit right.
I turned away. How could I have agreed to get a program up here? To make Victoria come live in this? The place needed help, yes, but not at the
expense of my family and the rest of the LI population. Still, I couldn’t give up. I hadn’t seen the factory yet. I hadn’t seen this program firsthand. I’d keep an open mind for now, with an escape plan in the works if needed.
After a few minutes of silence, I looked up at Madalina, trying to find the best way to voice my concern.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Madalina interjected quietly. In the empty street, her voice carried. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, gaze straight ahead. “I can see it written all over your face. How can one district be so different from another? District One has always struggled. It’s one reason I picked this one to start the program. I’m hoping that with more people here, with better education and more jobs, we can bring it up to speed with the rest of the planet. District One has lost all hope. It started declining when my dad and Carmella decided to kick all LIs out of Ada.” Sadness flavored every word, but I couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not. The fact that she was here and that she’d ridden that awful train meant she cared at least a little.
I glanced around at the people wearing coats that looked like they’d seen better days with patches along the sleeves and elbows. Their pants had rips down the legs. Their heads were down, shoulders slumped, like the problems of the planet rested in their hands. Where had they all come from? Five minutes ago, the streets had been empty.
“We’re approaching the factory,” Madalina explained. “It’s always busy around here.” She pointed to the left. “The school. There’s only one building, and as you can see, it’s in desperate need of repair. Until your father improves the system, Controllers and LIs will go to school together.”
I glanced to my left where a few kids, about ten or so, held hands. They stood in a circle, singing a song. I stopped walking as realization struck. Did that mean if LI kids were brought here, she’d try to control them?
“So she can control us all?” I asked, and a tiny bit of anger leaked into my words. “Why would she do that?”