by Petosa, Jess
"That isn't up for discussion right now," Luke chided her.
"Awkward," Max whispered and for some reason, Ally struggled to smother a laugh.
"Excuse me?" Luke frowned.
Max shrugged, "These formalities are drying up the room, man. I can barely breathe in here."
Ally couldn't wipe the smile off her face, but she knew Max was walking on dangerous ground with Luke right now, especially if Luke really had replaced Aden. She stepped toward Max and stood in front of him, placing her hand on his chest and looking up.
"I appreciate your attempt to lighten up the mood, but that kind of thing doesn't fly around here," she said it low enough that Tilt, Hank, and Jed couldn't hear, but there was a good chance Luke picked up on it.
"Do you need your girlfriend to fight for you?" Luke said from behind them.
With the way this meeting had been going, Ally was definitely not expecting Luke to throw a petty insult like that.
Several things happened at once. Max pushed Ally aside, and in the same moment Luke raised his hands. This ended up being the least of Ally's worries because the door opened and Stosh and Sabine were pushed in. The Rogue on the ground moaned and tried to sit up. Luke’s head snapped around and the Guards reached for the creature. Ally and Max spun to face their friends, and in the midst of all of that Jed had ran to the table and grabbed a gun. In hindsight, Ally should have known who would have quicker draw. The trigger was pulled and the dart flew through the air, straight toward Luke. It felt like it all happened in slow motion. Ally jumped sideways, right in front of Luke just as the blast of light hit Jed in the chest. He was thrown backwards, but the dart still flew on. With a small pinch, it embedded itself at the base of Ally's neck.
A burning fire filled her veins and she crumpled into the darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
"What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing is wrong with her, she is just transitioning."
"Why does she keep twitching?"
"Stop asking so many questions..."
Ally was slowly waking up, but kept her eyes closed just a bit longer. She had been dreaming that she was back in the settlement, with Stosh and her mother. She had never gotten curious about the transport, and had never jumped the boundary line. But the dream was too good and too perfect; it was time to spiral back into reality.
Her eyes fluttered open and she narrowed them again at the bright lines above her.
"Dim the lights," a male said. It was the second voice she had heard waking up, the authoritative voice.
Luke.
The lights above her dimmed slightly and she almost sighed.
She looked over and saw him sitting on a chair beside her bed. Pax was standing behind him, and he assumed that the first belonged to him. Ally hoped to see a sign of recognition in Luke's violet eyes, but instead she just found pity. And curiosity.
"What happened?" Her voice sounded raspy and dry.
"You don't remember? Think hard, Allona." Luke seemed amused with her now.
She closed her eyes at the sound of her full name. She remembered being in Luke's office, and something going wrong.
"Oh gosh," she said quickly. "I was shot with a dart, one with the cure in it."
Luke just nodded. "The change has been extraordinary. It worked much faster with you than it has on the Rogue."
Ally tried to reach her abilities but, sure enough, they were gone. She felt empty without the familiar buzzing, lighter somehow. Even though she hadn’t used them much while in Champaign, she still felt slight panic at the loss. She knew that her eyes were probably green again, and she wondered silently if she might start to shrink. She bristled a bit at the fact that Luke hadn’t even started with a thank you. If the dart had managed to get to him, he would be an Ordinary right now. Permanently.
"Where are the others," she asked, choosing not to chastise him.
"The boy who shot at me is dead, the others, including your brother, are in lock-up," Luke answered.
Ally just nodded. "I didn't know, neither did the others." She felt the need to defend her group.
"I know," Luke said. "I had someone look into their minds. It seems as though no one was clued in except the shooter himself and he is dead, so we don't know if he received orders from Champaign."
"He wouldn't have," Ally jumped in. "Heath would never risk it."
“Even so, we are going to send a team to pay Heath a visit. A look into his head will tell us what we need to know, and then we can start negotiations for the guns." Luke said with a peculiar smile.
Ally didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous. Luke sounded peaceful when he spoke, but what if his story was a cover. A band of Exceptional Guards could be on their way to Champaign right now, ready to take out the entire population.
"I do have a question for you though," Luke said as he leaned toward her.
Ally sat up in the hospital bed. She recognized the room from when she and Stosh had been detained after their mother's death. She wasn't sure if it was the same room, but it had a similar set up. She took a sip of water from a cup next to her bed.
"Why bring us these guns at all? We figured you might have an idea of the Rogue situation, but why try to help us out?"
Ally licked her lips, trying to think of an answer. Telling the truth seemed like a bad idea at the moment.
Because I thought I loved you, Luke. Because we used to date and you saved my life. You helped me handle becoming Exceptional and helped me escape back into my own world.
But now you don't remember me.
"Because maybe we are all working toward a common goal," she finally said.
"And what is that?" he asked.
"A better world. A better now..." Ally said with a shrug.
The corner of Luke's mouth pulled up into a smile. "I'll need to keep you detained with the others while we wait for news from Champaign."
Ally nodded. It was more than she could hope for after one of their own had attacked Luke. With the current state of his personality, she was lucky they weren't all being punished, or sentenced to death.
"There is one thing I'd like to prepare you for, though," Luke said as he stood. Pax stayed in place, having been exceptionally quiet for the duration of this conversation. It was unlike him, but many things had apparently changed since Ally had last been in the City.
"Your friend, Sabine. She'll be taken to a house on the inner rim of the City, and set up with a new family to serve. I won't permanently detain you, your brother, or your other friends, but Sabine was born in this City. She left illegally and therefore will be made to stay."
Ally's stomach dropped and she clung to the sheets, her knuckles turning white. "She left the City willingly, she shouldn't have to stay."
"That may be how things work in the Wilderness, but not here," Luke started toward the door. "I just wanted to warn you since she will be retrieved later this evening."
Once Luke and Pax had left the room, shutting the door behind them, Ally brought her pillow up to her face and screamed.
It was another hour before she was taken back to the holding cell. Two nurses had come to check on her and then given her clean clothes to change into; the standard Ordinary black cotton. She felt slightly off balance and nauseous when she stood up, whether from the vaccination or little food and water, she did not know.
"Ally!" She heard Sabine's voice before she spotted her. The hall the Guard led her down this time was different than the holding unit they had been on before. This one held two large cells on either side, and it appeared as though all her friends were lumped into one.
The Guard opened the door on the right and pushed her in, locking the door behind her.
Sabine's arms were around Ally's neck before she could blink, and Stosh wrapped both of them in a hug. Ally looked over their shoulders and saw Max standing nearby. Hank and Tilt were leaning against the back wall precariously, not meeting her gaze.
Sabine finally pulled away and looked up
at Ally. "Your eyes. They’re...”
"... just like mine," Stosh finished with a smile.
"How long was I gone?" Ally asked.
Max finally stepped forward, standing awkwardly in front of her. He seemed to be torn between giving her a hug and hanging back. In the end he tapped her shoulder lightly and then returned his hand to his pocket.
"Two days," he answered. "That is about half of the time it took the Rogue back in Champaign."
“Maybe because I was just an Exceptional," Ally thought out loud.
Sabine giggled. "Who would have thought there would be a day when someone could be just an Exceptional?"
"What is this place?" Ally finally had a chance to look at her surroundings. The cell seemed to be sectioned into rooms, and had walls where there should have been bars. There were blacked out windows on the back wall, and the only way to see into the hall was through a few small windows by the doors.
"The Guard called it an apartment," Sabine responded. "It has two bedrooms down that hall, a bathroom, and a kitchen. This is a living room of some sort, at certain times of the day we have access to a TV that comes down out of the wall."
At least Luke was imprisoning them in style.
"Luke told me that we'll have to stay here until they have a chance to talk to with Heath. The attack has them all feeling untrusting." Ally spoke to the others, even though Hank and Tilt still wouldn't look at her.
"I don't blame him," Max said. "I would do the same. At least we aren't being kept in those little cells."
"And we are all together," Sabine added.
Ally felt a stab of pain in her gut. She needed to talk to Sabine, and Stosh, as soon as possible.
"Are we sharing a room?" Ally asked, hoping she could get Sabine alone.
"Yes!" Sabine said quickly. "Stosh is in our room as well, and Max, Tilt, and Hank are in another. Come on, I'll show you."
Ally thought that Sabine sounded awfully upbeat considering the circumstances. Then again, she was used to being held against her will, and had spent her entire life in the City. The room was a modest size, with two beds stacked on top of each other and a single bed pushed against the opposite wall. There was a small closet full of clean clothes in all sizes, and a mirror hanging on the wall. Other than that, it was empty.
"Sabine," Ally said slowly.
"I know," Sabine's voice cracked as she spoke. "I was told yesterday."
Tears started to stream down Sabine's cheeks and Ally wrapped her into a hug. Her own emotions were feeling off again, and she couldn't seem to conjure any tears of her own for her friend.
"We'll figure something out," Ally said.
Sabine shook her head against Ally's shirt. "No, you have to let me go. It isn't worth the time or the trouble. There are more important things to take care of."
"I won't leave you here," Ally pulled back and looked down at Sabine. "It isn't safe here, and not just because of the Rogues."
"I'm serious, Ally. Don't make me a priority."
"Does my brother know?"
Sabine shook her head. "I don't know how to tell him."
"This isn't your fault, just tell him what you were told," Ally said.
"Okay, send him in."
Ally left the room and found Stosh in the living room. Once he had left to see Sabine, Ally sat down on the sofa next to Max. It was a stark white color, and very comfortable. It reminded her of the furniture in Luke's house.
"You look different," Max said to her.
“That is the first time you’ve said that to me.” Ally smiled at him.
“You keep changing on me…” he responded.
Ally laughed. "This is how I used to look, for eighteen."
"I know, but Exceptional Ally is the only one I know," he responded.
Ally rolled her eyes. "I've always been Ally. Just because my outside changed, doesn't mean my inside did."
"Unfortunately, that isn't always the case," he replied.
"Where are Tilt and Hank?" She had just noticed their absence.
"They disappeared to our room. I think they feel guilty for what happened with Jed. They were closer to him than the rest of us," Max rubbed at his jaw, which was heavy with stubble. Maybe razors were considered a weapon in here.
"Well they shouldn't. None of us knew, Luke said he proved that. Do you think someone back in town set this up?" It was something that had been on Ally's mind since Luke told her of her groups innocence.
Max shrugged. "Who knows? I would like to believe that my Uncle would never do it, but I don't know who to trust anymore. This world is so messed up."
Ally reached over and took his hand lightly.
"What do we do now?" Max peered over at her.
"We wait..." Ally said with a sigh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Luke sat at his desk, watching a rubber ball roll back and forth across the surface. He had been in the same position for an hour now, running over the mornings’ events in his head. He felt shaken and confused. He had worked too hard recently to shut down his emotions and handle his job with a steady mind. But now, all he could think about was the girl in the apartment below. What was it about her that he found so familiar? He knew it wasn't his Ordinary. The two couldn't look more different. He had thought when he went to the ORC he had picked a blonde out of preference. Now he found that he had picked her for a change. Something drew him to this Allona girl, and it was something his mind had previously thought to deny.
He couldn’t even bring himself to think about the shadow he had seen when Allona was in his office. It had drifted through the door and wrapped itself around her, disappearing into her skin. It was the first time he had seen it make that much contact with a person, and he had no idea what that meant.
"Luke," Pax had been sitting in the chair across from his desk, staring out the window and occasionally dozing off. "I have to report to training in ten minutes. Is there anything you would like me to do?"
The ball stopped rolling across the desk, pausing on a random scrap of paper.
"Actually, there is. I want you to look up information on that girl downstairs. Allona."
Pax's expression showed concern. "Aren't there people more qualified for that? I don't think I would be..."
"No," Luke cut Pax off. "I need you to do it. I don't want people to know that I’m interested in her."
"Are you though?" Pax asked. "Interested in her I mean? It’d be natural for you to want to know information on all of your captives."
"They aren't captives. They are guests ... with limitations," Luke added. He realized how silly those words sounded coming from his mouth, but Pax had the good intention to remain straight faced.
"I should have time tomorrow morning," Pax said as he stood. "Come to the training center for lunch and I'll have the documents ready to transfer to your mini-port."
Luke watched Pax leave before he put the ball back into motion. His mini-port beeped frantically and he grabbed it from the desk, checking the screen.
Rune.
He turned the mini-port off and stood up. He had slept in his office the past two nights, and it was time to go home. His mom would need someone to talk to, and would want updates, and then there was Rune. He had to deal with her.
It took self-control not to stop on the containment floor and see Allona. He felt a pull toward her this very moment, but he fought it off. He made it out the front doors and down the street before he realized how stiff he was. He relaxed slightly, trying to enjoy the walk home. It was a cloudy afternoon, and it was already growing dark even though it was barely dinnertime. At this time of night most Exceptionals were headed home, while Ordinarys were already inside, finishing chores or cooking dinner. He enjoyed the less crowded street for his trip, and was glad no one stopped him along the way.
When he had finally stepped into the foyer of his home, he was almost run over by his frantic mother. She was wearing a blue, feathered gown and eye shadow to match. Her lips were a deep purple, wh
ich matched the giant clip holding her gray hair high on top of her head.
"I'm going to see your father," she said so quickly it all sounded like one long word. "We were supposed to get time together later this week, but the hospital called and said that I could see him tonight."
She beamed at the thought, pulling a hot pink coat on over her clothes. In a flash she had kissed his cheek and was on her way out the door. Luke realized that he hadn't even said hello.
"Lukin?" a small voice called from the den.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the doorway, peering around the dim room. Rune sat in one of the chairs, her feet on an ottoman and a large book in her hand. She had learned to read in the ORC and had made good work of the Mathias' collection of books.
Luke tried to smile but it was a weak effort. "Are you feeling well?"
Rune just nodded. "Better than before, actually. Artis is going to help me up to bed in a minute," she motioned to the door. On cue, Artis came trotting into the room. She was a short and plump Ordinary, with wild brown hair and skin full of freckles. She had been hired on several weeks ago to take over laundry and housekeeping, and proved to be diligent and strict. Luke was thankful that Rune was headed to bed, even if it was early, because he didn't have the energy to talk.
He left the den and headed into the kitchen, finding Mazzi fast at work. Even if their numbers had dwindled for the evening, the cook seemed to be preparing a feast for twenty.
"Smells good, Maz," Luke took a seat at the high counter that framed one side of the kitchen.
Mazzi was one of the few people he could let his guard down around. She had been their cook since he was a baby, and was one of the few consistencies in his life.
"Just wish there were more people to enjoy it," Mazzi said as she stirred a pot of something brown on the stove. She was obviously off put at all of the people canceling on dinner.
"That just means there is extra for me," Luke replied.
Mazzi smile at him, the gesture fading quickly. "Penny for your thoughts? You look tired, Mr. Lukin."
Luke rested his elbows on the counter and put his hands on either side of his face. "Nothing important, Mazzi. There is just a lot to handle at work right now, and not enough time to prepare everything for when the Rogues arrive."