Disobedience

by Kaitlyn Andersen

  The instant their skin touched, a loud pop filled the air and a bright blue light flashed behind Finn’s eyelids, drowning out the rest of the room.

  She felt her body go limp and then she felt nothing.

  Finn came into consciousness slowly, her limbs and eyelids heavy with sleep.

  No, not sleep.

  As the memory of how she came to be unconscious returned to her, she sat up quickly and almost head-butted Isis where she peered down at Finn’s prone body.

  The bright lights within the Aquariian’s sanctuary nearly blinded her as she took in the lush greenery cushioning her body and the various scents of newly bloomed buds and blossoms.

  “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she told the woman in a wry tone as she struggled to sit. “How did I get here?”

  “Take it slow, child.” Isis frowned with concern as she helped her into a seated position.

  Finn leaned against the fuzzy bark of a tree and regarded the Aquariian with a watchful gaze as she waited for the blue woman to break the silence and tell her what the hell was going on. Sensing her disquiet and growing impatience, Isis took a seat across from her, taking the extra time to cross her long legs elegantly.

  “My sweet Tiri is not one of the blended like you and the others,” she told Finn after a beat.

  She had been prepared for many things, but the Aquariian’s softly spoken admission came nowhere near to making the list.

  “What . . . what do you mean? She’s not a hybrid?”

  “My people are peaceful. Many years ago, we chose not to take part in a war we had no stake in. But then the Reliance came for our planet; for the life we spent eons cultivating. And just like that”—she snapped her long fingers—“they destroyed it. Without a second thought.” Her silver eyes met Finn’s with an intensity that left her squirming. “Aquariians are a peaceful people until we are pushed too far.”

  Never underestimate the depths of an Aquariian’s rage.

  Grim’s warning echoed in her ears as Isis continued.

  “When the Luminary approached us with a plan for revenge—a plan to take back our planet—Aquarii’s highest-ranking priestesses brokered a deal.”

  Finn’s mouth went dry as she whispered, “What deal?”

  “Aquariian’s have always maintained the balance of living things. One flower blossoms while another dies, returning to the earth to start anew. We have always cultivated this cycle, but it was never in our power to create. Something like that requires a great sacrifice.”

  Isis reached out a slender hand, her fingers grasping Finn around the wrist.

  Instantly, images began to take shape in Finn’s mind. She focused on the strength of Isis’s grip and the soft grass beneath her body as she beckoned the images to the forefront of her mind.

  The stone pillars of an Aquariian temple extend to a vaulted ceiling painted with beautiful murals of multicolored plant life. Everywhere she looks, vines and blossoms wind their way around the stone building, stealing her breath with their beauty. Voices catch her attention and she steps forward to see a small group of people standing near a large stone altar. Grim stands before four Aquariian priestesses known as doonas, their silver robes heavy with the multifaceted chains marking their rank.

  “I understand this comes at a great cost to each of you,” Grim states gruffly. “Know that your sacrifice will not be in vain.”

  One of the doonas with deep-set wrinkles around her eyes and mouth locks eyes with Grim. Her voice is no more than a low rasp as she says, “You must vow to protect her, Khaleerian.”

  “I vow it,” he answers readily.

  They all nod in unison, seemingly satisfied.

  “Come forward, child.” The doona at the center of the quartet beckons to someone hidden in the shadows and a young Aquariian moves forward with unsure steps, stopping next to Grim. Finn immediately recognizes Isis. “Isis will join you, once the ceremony is complete, as the child’s protector,” the doona explains. “While I trust that you intend to honor your vow, Isis will be there to ensure you do.”

  Grim nods in acquiescence as the four Aquariian doonas form a circle around the stone altar. One by one they join hands. Finn watches on, transfixed as they bow their heads in unison and begin to mumble indecipherably. This continues for several moments before a bright blue light begins to emanate from their center, washing over the altar and consuming everything in its path.

  Finn jumps when a loud popping sound fills the temple. The blue light becomes unbearably bright, forcing her to shield her eyes with her hands. She keeps them there for long seconds until the glow recedes. As her eyes adjust, she realizes that the doonas are gone and four small piles of ash stain the ground where their feet had once been. Her eyes shoot to Grim and Isis, but they don’t seem to notice the strange anomaly. Their eyes are studiously fixed on something small squirming at the center of the stone altar.

  A loud cry echoes off the stone walls around them and Finn nearly chokes on her rising heartbeat. She takes tentative steps closer at the same time Isis hurries with uncharacteristic clumsiness toward the altar. A small baby with pale lavender skin covered in green, vinelike markings and a shock of white-blonde curls squirms in place. Her bungling fists try to find their way to her mouth and her face scrunches with the onset of tears when she can’t seem to get her body to cooperate.

  Isis reaches the baby and places her finger in the infant’s grip, cooing and smiling down at her. As the baby soothes and coos up at Isis, the stone floor beneath the altar begins to crack. Finn watches on in stunned silence as thick vines, grass, and multihued blossoms begin to grow, sprouting through the floor and clamoring toward the ceiling.

  Finn felt Isis release her and her eyes shot open, searching out the Aquariian’s.

  “What was that?”

  “That was the sacrifice my people made to aid the Luminary in his cause.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Our oldest and wisest doonas gave their lives to bring Tiri into this world. She carries their knowledge and wisdom inside of her and with them, the ability to do the impossible.”

  Finn struggled to take it all in, her wide eyes fixated on Isis.

  “Everything you see here,” the Aquariian continued, “was created by Tiri. This room was once sterile and barren, until I brought her to it. With no more energy than you would exert to go for a brisk walk, the child created life from nothing.”

  Finn thought about the mural on the walls of Tiri’s bedroom and how closely it resembled the murals within the Aquariian temple.

  I saw it in a dream. Finn had listened to the child’s whispered admission all those weeks ago having no idea they were anything more than the musings of an imaginative child.

  If what Isis was saying could be believed, Tiri was the most valuable being in all the galaxies.

  “She can bring it all back,” Finn breathed, thinking of the synthetic grass and plant life covering the Inner Rings.

  “The galaxy remains reliant on the Arcturians and their government and technology for food, air . . . everything. In a matter of cycles, Tiri could change all of that. She could tip the balance away from the Reliance’s favor. She could give us independence.”

  A galaxy free of Reliance control? Was such a thing even possible? Finn thought about the synthetic plants, intense vacuum ultraviolet light, and laser turbines replacing the existing plant life on every planet in the Inner and Outer Rings. They truly did depend on the Arcturians and their tech for the very air they breathed.

  “The Arcturians would never let it happen,” Finn countered.

  “That is why they must not know.” Isis leaned in closer, spearing Finn with her stare. “We have to protect Tiri until the time is right, regardless of the Luminary’s plans.”

  Finn nodded absently, the weight of this most recent revelation sinking in. Grim’s endgame was all that mattered to him. She had no idea what his plans were, but she would not let him endanger Tiri in his selfish bid for
revenge.

  Before she could comment further, the door to the sanctuary opened and Shane, Conrad, and Iliana filled its frame.

  The captain gave Isis and Finn a quick once-over, crossing his arms at his chest as his eyes finally met Finn’s.

  “We need to talk.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Finn followed the somber trio to the dining room. As she crossed the threshold, she found herself face to face with the rest of the crew.

  Two meetings in one day?

  All of them were seated around the table in their usual places (save for Isis and Tiri). Even Nova perched quietly in a chair between Jax and Lex. Finn’s eyes flitted through them until she met Enyo’s alert gaze.

  The Sirian gave her a nod, her expression serious. Finn offered her a weak smile and took a seat next to Conrad. The big man’s body was stiff with tension, adding to Finn’s growing feeling of unease.

  Shane cleared his throat and let his eyes rove over the group before finally breaking the tense silence.

  “I received some information on Kreet. We’ve been given the go ahead from the Luminary to begin our next rescue.”

  Finn straightened in her chair.

  “And will the Luminary be taking part in this rescue?” she asked in a sharp voice.

  Shane barely spared her a cursory glance.

  “As you all know, I took a meeting on Kreet. While there, I received confirmation of something called the Dome located on Aquarii. Several of the blended from the senator’s list have been moved there.”

  Aquarii?

  She hadn’t been to Aquarii since . . . Finn shuddered as she struggled to keep the unpleasant memories of Sophie and their imprisonment with the chancellor at bay.

  A heavy silence filled the room and Finn let the subject of the Luminary drop for a moment, refocusing her attention on Shane, who looked as tightly strung as she had ever seen him.

  “What’s a dome?” Lex asked with furrowed brows.

  “The Dome is a prison,” Shane responded in a flat tone. “The Reliance ships the blended there and forces them to exhibit their abilities in violent challenges and fights to the death. It’s modeled on the old Colosseum in ancient Rome. Our intel reports at least eight blended being held prisoner there as we speak. There were more, but the most recent games killed three and several others were sold off.”

  A low growl turned Finn’s attention. Everyone looked shocked and horrified by what Shane was saying, everyone except Enyo. Enyo had breezed past shock and horror and careened straight for rage.

  “Apparently,” Shane continued, “successful fighters are bought and sold by high-ranking officials to keep and use their abilities as their new owner sees fit. Those who are killed in the Dome are labeled as weak stock and considered better off dead.”

  “What are we waiting for?” the Sirian hissed. “We are wasting time talking when we should be tearing that Dome to shreds.”

  Shane eyed her carefully before continuing.

  “The Dome is more heavily guarded than any other Reliance building we’ve infiltrated. We need to send a team down to Aquarii for reconnaissance before we can plan an effective rescue.” His eyes flitted over to Finn’s once again. “Finn, do you mind if I speak with you privately?”

  The table went silent. Finn nodded absently before standing and following Shane out of the dining room. As she passed, Conrad shot her a look she couldn’t quite decipher and the heavy tug of anxiety pulled at her.

  She trailed behind Shane as they made their way through the corridors of Independence and up to the bridge. Once there, he motioned for her to take a seat and leaned back against some free space near the ship’s consoles.

  He didn’t waste time with small talk.

  “I’d like you to choose a small team and take your luxury pod on-planet. With your abilities, you can gather enough intelligence to map out the Dome and lead this rescue when you return.”

  Lead the rescue? Finn’s heart pounded precariously in her chest.

  “You want me to lead the rescue?”

  Shane nodded.

  “You’ve already demonstrated a knack for this, and with what Iliana has shared with me about your abilities, you’re our best shot at success.”

  “Is this your decision or the Luminary’s?” she asked suspiciously.

  “It was mine,” a familiar deep grumble sounded from behind her and she turned to find Grim’s towering frame filling the bridge’s doorway.

  His shiny horns and red skin glinted in the light and his dark eyes showed no hint of emotion as they held hers. It was the first time she’d seen him since his betrayal so many weeks ago and she tried unsuccessfully to tamp down on the rage burning a hole through the lining of her stomach.

  “Dhala,” he said gently, “it is good to see you.”

  Finn released a sardonic laugh. She couldn’t help herself.

  “I wish I could say the same,” she told him through a clenched jaw.

  “Still,” he cleared his throat. “Shane tells me your training with Iliana has been progressing.”

  At the casual mention of her sister, Finn’s anger boiled over and she finally snapped.

  “I’m not doing this with you. I’m not going to stand here and pretend like I don’t hate you.” She took an angry step in his direction. “You kept me from my sister all these years. You knew what I was, and instead of helping me get back to my family, you turned me into a puppet in whatever game it is you’re playing with the Reliance.”

  Grim’s face remained devoid of any decipherable emotion.

  “You needed time to heal,” he told her evenly.

  “Is that what you were doing all those hours you forced me to siphon from your books? Helping me heal?”

  Grim sighed and sucked air through his teeth as though Finn were an errant child throwing a tantrum.

  “I know better than anyone the horrors of this galaxy. I gave you what was necessary to survive them.”

  “What’s the point of all this, Grim? What do you want with all these hybrids? How does a Farthers middleman get the kind of resources needed to infiltrate planets like Cartan and Aquarii?”

  She found the questions pouring out of her before she could stop them. There were so many unanswered, so many things she’d wanted to ask these last few weeks.

  Rather than respond, his stoic face shut down even further. His hand went to his pocket to touch something there before he seemed to realize what he was doing. Finn caught a glimpse of metal as he removed his hand and let it drop to his side.

  “Now is not the time. Choose your team; you leave for Aquarii tomorrow.”

  At his casual dismissal of her—the girl he’d raised from feral child to capable woman—Finn lost her last shred of control.

  She stomped past him through the doorway, her shoulder roughly bumping his midsection as she did.

  Ignoring his grunt of surprise, she stopped her retreat and turned to level Shane with a hard stare. If she was going to do this, she might as well get something out of it and there had been one thought plaguing her mind since Enyo woke up screaming in their room all those nights ago.

  “I’ll do it on one condition.”

  The captain’s eyes drifted over to Grim briefly before returning to her.

  “Name it.”

  “There’s a Sirian named Argo employed by the Reliance Army. I want you to use your contacts to find him for me.”

  If Shane found her request odd, he didn’t let on.

  “Consider it done.”

  TWENTY-SIX

  Finn clutched the chain she’d lifted from Grim’s pocket. It was the necklace. The one he’d sent her on a wild goose chase to find all those weeks ago when he’d prodded her to chase down Iliana to recover it. The necklace that had kicked off this entire mess and stripped her of everything she’d known to be true.

  She eyed it for several minutes, almost as though if she stared long enough, it would tell her everything she wanted to know.

  Well, it wou
ld . . . but she’d have to touch it first.

  Finn removed the glove from her hand and crossed her legs on the bed. She inhaled the scent of Conrad’s wax and closed her eyes. Her bare hand reached out and clasped the chain of the necklace. Almost immediately a loud buzzing filled her ears and images began to flood her mind so quickly she had a hard time focusing.

  She caught hazy glimpses of a pretty woman with hair the color of wheat and blue eyes so pure, they rivaled the sky on Gliese. Her smile lit up her entire face as she held a squirming bundle of blankets in her arms.

  And just like that the image was gone.

  Finn sighed in vexation. As soon as she would catch sight of something she wanted to examine further, the memory would evaporate. Every time she tried to grab on to them, they would slip out of her grasp.

  Finally, a memory clearer than the others came to her and she latched onto it in a death grip. She pulled it closer, allowing it to envelope her.

  Grim sits in his office. A book rests poised in his hand as he reads aloud in a low murmur. Finn can’t help but be soothed by the deep timbre of his voice.

  He pulls something from his desk and puts it around his neck. The chain and Khaleerian gemstone rest just below his throat. It seems small on him, as though the necklace were made for someone much slighter of build.

  Finn can tell from the dim glow of candles that it is nighttime. Still, she can make out his dark eyes as they stare into the shadowy corner. She takes a step forward, her eyes straining in the low light.

  What she sees has her stopping short. Curled up in the corner and resting atop a pile of blankets is a small child with a fall of dark red hair. She is sleeping soundly and snoring gently.

  That’s me.

  From the looks of it, this memory is taking place a few months after her arrival on the Mud Pit.