Connor lets out a huff at this. “You’ve been around my brother and Evelyn too long. You let them get to you.”
“I don’t deny that they have pushed me in a particular direction, but I’m not going against Jeremiah just because of them. I’ve met the man. I didn’t see compassion in his eyes. You’ve said it yourself, he’s all business.”
Connor looks away toward the kitchen. “Your mission has changed a lot since we first met. Before, all you cared about was getting your people help. Now, you’re bent on fighting the ones that actually can.”
For some reason, Connor is messing with his wristband a lot, and when he sees me watching him, he sets his arm beside him quickly.
“A lot has happened since we first met,” I say. My feet start moving back and forth. I’m pacing, unable to stop. “When you met me, I was a normal person who had just discovered some crazy ability that I had never known was inside me. Since then I’ve learned that there are more people like me. I’ve learned that I can help Springhill without taking away their freedom.”
“That’s a roundabout way of saying that you’ve declared war on Jeremiah,” Connor says.
“I’ve declared no such thing. If what Evelyn and Aaron say is true, then he’s only protecting Springhill so he can use me to find more Starborns.”
“And what reason would Jeremiah have for doing that?” Connor asks, sitting up straight. “Cheaper guards? More effective guards?”
“That’s what I thought at first, but it’s starting to feel like it’s more than that.”
Connor shakes his head.
“I’ve made my decision,” I say, “and I don’t want Jeremiah to have unchecked control over Springhill.” I can feel myself getting heated. I shouldn’t have to explain myself to Connor. “I came here to tell you that I’m sorry you were blindsided by my words at the assembly, not to be lectured about my decisions.”
“I don’t know what was more blindsiding,” Connor says, “your lies at the assembly, or seeing you sucking faces with Aaron.”
I feel the blood eelever kdrain from my face and the pit in my stomach grow. I don’t know why it affects me so much to know that Connor saw me kissing Aaron in the woods.
“I don’t…I don’t know what that was about,” I say. “I don’t have feelings for him, it was just something that happened.”
“Forget it,” Connor says, shaking his head. “Who you kiss is your business. I was just surprised is all.”
I step forward toward the couch, but stop when I see his uninviting look. “Connor, there is a better way to protect Springhill. I will protect it. The people will keep their freedom. I’ll make sure of it, even if it kills me.”
“If it kills you?” he asks, looking up at me. “You’re ready for that kind of fight? You’re ready to sacrifice your life?”
“I will protect Springhill from the greyskins, and even from Jeremiah if I have to.” I look deep into his eyes, unblinking. “If it kills me.”
Connor stares back at me, not in confrontation, but seemingly out of surprise. Before he gets a chance to speak, I’m out the door of his shack, storming back to Evelyn’s. But a large cloud of dust follows the low rumbling of Screven vehicles moving toward me from the direction of the main entrance to the colony. They are moving fast. I know it’s no good to try and run, so I stop in my tracks, waiting for the guards to overtake me. My anger outweighs my fear. These people have no right to rule over me, yet they treat me like an escaped prisoner.
I have to squint and hold my breath when the vehicles come to a sudden stop on all sides of me, kicking up more dust than necessary.
A glance at Evelyn’s shack reveals Aaron and Evelyn peeking through the window. I shake my head, hoping they won’t come out for me, but before Aaron can even register my motion, he’s charging toward the group of vehicles.
Rob is the first to emerge from an SUV, and several other guards follow him.
“We were wondering when you’d show your face again,” he says, standing in front of me.
“How’d you know I was here?”
Rob nods toward Connor who is standing in the doorway. “Told him to let us know when you came knocking. We knew you would eventually.”
My eyes meet with Connor’s, but then I see his eyes go to his wristband. I shake my head at him and turn back to Rob.
“You really think you can just make me come with you? You’ve seen what I can do. Your vehicles and armed guards aren’t as scary as you think they are.”
“Well now, I’m confused,” Rob says, drawing out his words slowly. “If I remember correctly, you let everyone in the colony know that you don’t have any special powers at all, right? So, we shouldn’t be afraid of you.”
My eyes never leave Rob’s as his pistol snaps from its holster and is shoved against his neck, threatening to end his life with barely a flinch from me. The sight of a floating gun makes the other guards train their sights on me. Rob stiffens at his new predicament.
“Mora, no!” Aaron yells as he stands next to me.
“This is it then?” Rob says. “This is how you want to play it?”
“You just need to know that if I’m going with you, it’s because I choose to go,” I say through clenched teeth. “You have no power over me.”
Rob says nothing more, but his eyes scream how much he wants to kill me.
“Drop the guns,” I say to the other guards.
When they don’t comply, another thought flings them away from their hands and to the ground. They all stand in front of me, defenseless, with stelespaupid looks across their faces.
“I’ll go see Krindle by myself,” I say to Rob, throwing his gun to the side.
Rob bites down on his bottom lip, probably holding in what he really wants to say to me.
I begin walking toward the front gate while the guards trail slowly behind me, picking up their guns along the way. I leave Aaron and Connor behind. I don’t care to hear from either of them right now.
Within a few minutes, I’m up the four flights of stairs inside the colony wall, in front of Krindle’s office door. I don’t want to wait for the answer to a knock, so I barge right in. Krindle stands from his seat in surprise at my presence. His shocked look turns into an angered, contorted face while feelings of betrayal flood through him, I’m sure.
Over his right shoulder, I see the moving image of Jeremiah. He’s in some kind of videoconference.
“Mora,” Jeremiah says from under his shaded hat and sunglasses. “We’ve been expecting you to show up around here at some point.”
I say nothing as I look back and forth between Jeremiah and Krindle.
“We have a lot to talk about,” Jeremiah says.
“And you have a lot of explaining to do,” Krindle adds.
“Now, now Krindle, I’m sure Mora has a good explanation as to why she tried to make fools of us.”
Krindle reluctantly motions for me to sit in a chair to face Jeremiah.
“So, why did this happen?” he asks calmly. “Were you nervous?”
“No,” I say.
“Did I make you angry in our meeting here in Screven?”
“No.”
“Did Krindle do something?”
“No.”
“Then please tell us why you decided to speak against us,” he says. “Why did you break our agreement?”
“Because I realized that I’m just being used by you,” I say.
“Well, of course I’m using you,” he says with a smile. “You are a wonderful tool to be used by Screven. You will help us make this terrible world a better and safer place.”
“That’s not what I mean,” I tell him. “You demand too much from the people that you offer to protect.”
“Yet none of them go hungry,” he says. “Sure I demand a lot, but I have my own city to think about.”
“Yeah, they all seem fat and happy,” I say.
“You judge us after only seeing a single street of Screven?” he says to me.
“It was enough. People here live in shacks while yours live in grand houses. You feed off the colonies. It’s parasitic.”
Jeremiah smiles for a moment as though I’ve said something funny, but then his face turns suddenly stern.
“You do realize that I’m not the only one trying to use you right now, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“I mean that the other Starborns are using you to try and start something against me.”
“Other Starborns?” I ask with an eyebrow raised. “I thought the reason you needed me was because you couldn’t find them.”
“I know there are others. I just don’t know where they are yet. Sure, I want to use you to help me find them so our work will be more effective.” He watches me from behind his sunglasses, probably studying my face. I know what he is saying has some truth buried within it, but there’s more to it. In fact, no one is telling me the full truth about anything, and I’m starting to get sick of it.
“So Moraem"l seem,” Jeremiah says, “what do you think about trying to help us again? People will trust you. Especially when you show them the power you hold within you. You will eventually save many lives.”
“How do I know you can be trusted?” I ask. “How do I know you aren’t using me for selfish gain?”
“You won’t know at first,” he says without hesitation. “That’s why we have to get to know each other.”
I don’t know if it’s his appearance or just the way he speaks, but Jeremiah’s offer repulses me. From the beginning, I knew that I didn’t particularly like him as a person, but I liked what he could do for me and the people of Springhill. Part of me wishes that I could have shaken hands with him so I could look in on his meetings. So I could see him for who he was behind closed doors.
The thought hits me like a train. In a way, I might be able to make that possible. At least for the next few minutes. I hope that my new idea doesn’t spark a different expression on my face.
“Mora?” Jeremiah asks after several seconds of silence.
“You’re right,” I say. “I don’t want to be used by the other Starborns. I was scared the other day, but seeing you again has brought back my confidence.”
It’s Jeremiah’s turn to raise an eyebrow, but I’m not sure that it is one of speculation. Maybe surprise?
“I just want assurance that you won’t turn on me,” I say.
“We wouldn’t dream of it.”
I look at Krindle who has been sitting quietly.
“You’ll shake on it?” I ask.
“What?” Krindle asks.
“In Springhill, when people want to make a promise, they shake hands.” I stand and shove my hand toward Krindle’s face. His eyes squint at me for a moment before turning to look at the video feed of Jeremiah.
“Consider it my own personal handshake,” Jeremiah says, and nods at Krindle.
Reluctantly, Krindle extends his arm and I grab his hand to shake it. His grip is too weak to be considered a proper handshake, but it will do. I smile and hope that I’m not being transparent.
“We’ll discuss a new approach soon?” I ask.
“We will contact you when the time comes,” Jeremiah says.
I smile again and turn to leave. I can almost feel the glare that Krindle is giving me as I close the door behind me. I look in every direction of the short hallway in front of me, and satisfied that no one is around, I immediately shut my eyes.
My focus travels the short distance to see above Krindle’s head as I secretly observe the meeting between the two. I know I should probably be farther away from the door, but I don’t want to miss a single word.
“How should we proceed?” Krindle asks.
“She’s bluffing,” Jeremiah says. His jaws clench tightly as he grinds his teeth. The sound is like a creaking door on rusty hinges, and it seems to bother Krindle as much as it does me. “She’s trying to buy more time to leave Salem without notice.”
“What if she’s sincere?” Krindle asks.
“It no longer matters. Either way, she’s unreliable. I’m ordering a Code Red on Salem.”
Krindle’s face goes white. “Code Red, sir?”
Jeremiah nods. “Salem needs to remember why we are here. May
be a few Starborns will come out in the process.”
“What should I do with Mora?”
“If she escapes the Code Red, she won’t be able to fight us too hard, because I have a guard ready to kill her grto tarborns andmother and little brother with a single order. If Mora comes after us, she’ll lose her family and then I’ll start a Code Red in Springhill.”
Nausea tears through my stomach, and my concentration on Krindle is broken as I try to hold in the vomit that is threatening to spew out.
What is a Code Red? Jeremiah knew that I had family, but how did he find out about Grandma and Jake? I know I have to do something, but what?
First, I’ve got to get out of Krindle’s tower.
Then, somehow, I’ve got to warn Salem without letting Jeremiah kill what’s left of my family.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It’s late at night and I’m sitting at Evelyn’s kitchen table with Aaron, Danny, Heather, Evelyn, and Heinrich. I’ve just finished telling them about my meeting with Jeremiah and Krindle. I hesitate to tell them about Jeremiah’s viciousness, since none of them know about my ability to watch people from far away. I decided to say that I was daring enough to press my ear to the door when I left. None of them question me about it, though Evelyn stares at me for a long moment.
“Do any of you know what a Code Red is?” I ask.
None of them answer, but all of them look at Evelyn who shakes her head.
“No doubt it’s a complete takeover of the colony,” she says.
“More than likely,” Heinrich replies.
“Haven’t they already taken you over completely?” I ask. “They already hold so many rules over you.”
“It’s true,” Heinrich says. “But now we are allowed some freedoms within their parameters. A true takeover would most likely involve complete control over our schedules and everyday lives. I would be removed as well.”
“Jeremiah also said something about the Code Red possibly bringing out more Starborns.”
The others look at each other sharply.
“Then it’s something more serious than a takeover,” Aaron says. “Sounds like a fight.”
“But his guards can’t take us,” Heather says. “It would take a huge number of them to bring us down.”
I look at Evelyn again, but she is stone faced and silent, staring at a spot on the table, but beyond any of us. I can’t help but feel that she knows something the rest of us don’t.
Everyone agrees to go their separate ways for the night, and to keep an eye open for any suspicious activity from the Screven guards. Evelyn invites me to spend the night on her couch and I gratefully agree.
Aaron is the last of the others to leave. At the door, his gaze lingers on me. Part of me wants him to stay back. Just to be here. Just to talk to me.
He looks up at Evelyn and then back to me.
“We won’t let them get to your family,” he says. “We can figure all this out together.”
“I hope so,” I tell him.
He offers a nod to Evelyn, smiles at me once more, and closes the door behind him.
“Aaron is optimistic,” Evelyn says. “Always trying to have a positive outlook on things. I fear that will be his undoing one day.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, walking to the table.
“I mean that Aaron doesn’t think we can lose anything,” Evelyn says. “He believes that we will tto task, ake down Jeremiah with little effort.” She shakes her head. “But that won’t be the case.”
“How do you know?” I ask. “We’re Starborns. It’s just like Heather said. We have too much power to be stopped.”
“Power,” Evelyn snarls. “You get yourself used to a word like gift or ability and the
moment you start talking about using them against another, it suddenly turns into power.”
“I just mean that Jeremiah has nothing on us,” I argue.
But Evelyn shakes her head again. “That’s not true at all, Mora. Jeremiah has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and he’s not afraid to use them.”
“Then why don’t you tell me and the others what those tricks are?”
“Well, I don’t know what he plans,” she says. “I just know what he is capable of doing. I know what he’s done in the past.” She lets out a sigh and places both hands on the table in front of her. “The point is, we can’t underestimate Jeremiah just because we can move things around with our minds or shoot electric bolts from our fingers. We can die. We will die. I just don’t want our recklessness to jeopardize our plans.”
Her words are true, though I still can’t imagine what it is that Jeremiah would have over us, should it ever come to an all-out conflict. Being here with Evelyn sets off a fountain of questions springing to my mind. Aaron had said something about Evelyn having a dark past. I can’t even begin to guess what that might mean, but it can’t be a good thing. I want to ask her about it, but she will either deny it, or come up with some way to sidestep the question. She might even tell me right out that it’s none of my business. In any case, I doubt it would do any good to ask. But that’s not the only thing that bothers me about Evelyn.
“Why did we spy on Aaron and Heinrich the other day?” I ask. “They are obviously on your side. Why did we look in on their meeting?”
“You didn’t know they were on my side,” Evelyn said. “At that point you didn’t know there really was a side to be on. I was simply trying to introduce you to the idea that people weren’t happy with the way Jeremiah handles things. I was planning to talk to you about it before you went off to meet with Jeremiah, but you didn’t give me a chance.”
“Sorry about that,” I say. I suppose I can understand her reasoning for not telling me everything at the beginning. Maybe she would have scared me off, or maybe I would have thought she was crazy. But I had just discovered a special ability that I hadn’t known was possible.
“So,” I say, “how did you discover that you had unusual talents?”
The Starborn Saga (Books 1, 2, & 3) Page 18