The Seat of Power (The Securus Trilogy Book 3)

by Anthony Maldonado

“Are the transports still functional?” I ask, determined to get Kagen to help.

  “Yes, one waits for you now,” she says. “Is it true that you’re letting us come with you?”

  “Of course, everyone is welcome,” I say, not wanting to turn down someone Kagen obviously trusted.

  As we head to the transport, Sayda breaks off from the group.

  “Where are you going?” I ask her.

  “I need to get Haddie,” she says with swollen eyes. “It doesn’t feel right leaving him here.”

  “Okay, I’ll make sure we’re ready to receive him by the time you return,” I say, knowing no words would have the power to console her now.

  They were a tight group of friends, and this whole mess has hit them harder than most of our people. Of the four original friends, Sayda is the only one healthy right now. First it was Merrick, then Hadwin. My mind refuses to finish the thought, not wanting to acknowledge the possibility of not being able to save Kagen.

  We go through a decontamination chamber before getting on the transports, making sure we will not bring The Agent with us. Arluin sits next to me during the agonizing ride back to Securus. All I can do is hold my love tightly in my arms, hoping he will not die. Before him, the men in Securus always saw me as a way to gain power and standing in Leadership. Not Kagen. He always looked at me differently, like I was the only woman he could ever love. I wish he would do that now. I whisper to him, hoping those hazel eyes will answer me, but they do not.

  This is so unfair. I love Kagen so much, but a part of me is mad at him for willingly sacrificing himself for a chance to save me. It is not until we are nearly to Securus that he moves again. Kagen’s eyes open. He looks at me with the same groggy stare he normally has when waking up.

  “Kagen, how do you feel,” I ask, not knowing what else to say.

  “Happy,” he says with a delirious smile.

  “What?” His response is unexpected. Could his mind be slipping away?

  “I’m happy I got to wake up to an angel one more time,” he says.

  “There’s gonna be many more times to come,” I tell him, fighting the tears and giving him one more kiss.

  Kagen’s eyes close again, and his body goes limp. Arluin tries to wake him, but he does not respond. We are close to Securus. I have one of the laborers give me the transport’s communicator to contact the control room. A familiar voice answers my call.

  “Talia, it’s so good to hear your voice,” Cyrina says. “I think Caelum tried to kill us. We lost hundreds of people, but most were able to get out. The lower levels were the only ones affected. We sealed them off until they can be sterilized. The rest of the facility is uncontaminated. Are Kagen and the others with you?”

  “He is, but he’s in bad shape. Get the Healers ready, Kagen needs to go directly to their surgical room,” I tell her before my voice fails.

  “We’ll be prepared for you,” she replies.

  Cyrina does not ask for any details. She has always been a good friend and is one of the few people who can read my emotions. I am sure she sensed the desperation in my voice. My eyes stayed fixed to Kagen the rest of the way, watching his slow breath become ragged, hoping for it not to cease altogether.

  As soon as the transport stops, the outer door opens. Jace rushes in with Rana and Adara close behind. When Rana sees Kagen, she stumbles for a second. Her reaction makes me worry even more than before. In her many years working in the infirmary, she has seen just about everything. For her to react that way means Kagen truly is on the verge of death.

  Arluin and I help them carry Kagen out of the transport and onto the waiting gurney. As we run through the hallway toward the waiting elevator a dreadful emptiness overcomes me. This is the same way I felt when Kagen was taking my father to the infirmary the day he died. With no people inside the facility to get in our way, we reach the infirmary quickly. They rush him into the surgical room.

  “We need you both to wait outside,” Jace says as he begins his sterile preparation.

  “We’re not going anywhere,” I tell him, barely able to keep from ripping his head off.

  I watch as they remove the bandages to reveal a pool of blood underneath. No words are spoken as they furiously work to save Kagen. Rana puts him on the respiration machine to support his increasingly shallow breaths. My eyes are drawn to the rapid beating of his heart displayed on the monitor above him. After a couple of minutes, the pace slows.

  “Does that mean he’s getting better?” I ask Arluin, pointing to the monitor.

  When Jace notices the heart rate, he turns back to Rana. “He’s bradying down.”

  I do not know what that means, but it sounds bad. Rana and Adara inject more medicine into his intravenous line and attach the automated chest compressor. They continuously shout instructions and esoteric medical terms. When they finally say one thing I do understand, their words take my legs from under me.

  “The damage is too much, we can’t save him,” Adara tells me.

  The monitor keeps slowing down. I rush over to Kagen.

  “Don’t leave me,” I whisper to him. “I love you, Kagen.”

  The heartbeat on the monitor disappears, but Rana does not stop. It is not until they have run out of blood and exhausted all the medications on the shelves that Rana slumps over in a chair on the side of the room. Kagen, the man I love, and the person responsible for liberating the last traces of humanity from Caelum’s tyranny, has died.

  *

  I am still in the infirmary when Sayda returns to Securus. Arluin has already brought his mother, Cordella, to see Kagen one last time. They are in their quarters now, but I cannot bring myself to leave this room. Kagen remains on the gurney, though Rana covered him before she left. My mind keeps telling me he is not really gone until I leave him, even though that makes no sense.

  Sayda does not say a word when she walks in. She stands next to Kagen for a moment before sitting on the floor with me. Neither of us speaks. We only lean against each other. The weight of the other is the only thing keeping us upright. With what happened to Kagen and Hadwin, we have both lost our hearts today. We share a bond of misery that tests my resolve to continue on.

  After a while, Sayda breaks the silence. She fills me in on everything that happened in Securus since I was taken away. Anger seeps through my wall of misery when she tells me how Eyra took over and caused so much turmoil. Right on cue, I hear Eyra burst into the main hallway of the infirmary. I stand at the door, keeping them away from Kagen. She stops in front of me with two of her cronies and a couple Guards at their flanks.

  “Where is he?” she demands.

  “Who are you looking for?” I ask in a stern tone.

  “Kagen. He has a lot of answering to do when he gets out of the infirmary. I know he had something to do with The Agent being released here,” she says.

  Her words enrage me. Normally I am diplomatic when dealing with people like her, but that time has passed. I feel Sayda’s fury as she stands next to me. Before she acts on it, I do. Eyra stands in disbelief, too slow to react as my fist flies at her. Eyra’s nose crumbles beneath my knuckles. She falls backward onto the floor, clutching her face in an attempt to contain the streaming blood.

  “Don’t you dare speak his name,” I shout. “He died liberating us from Caelum. Because of Kagen, the Controller is dead, along with the rest of Caelum. He gave his life making sure they could never threaten us ever again while you were too busy with your narcissistic desire for power.”

  Eyra does not say a word. Even her cronies have lost their desire for confrontation. They no longer seem sure of what to do. Even if they do not know, I do.

  I point at the two Guards. “You two, take them to the Detention Center. Eyra can rot in there until I set up her trial.”

  I have no idea whether the Detention Center was affected by The Agent or not. Either way, she and her followers will stay imprisoned there or somewhere secure for a long time. We have so many more important things to tend to
than dealing with their treachery. After they have all left the infirmary, Sayda turns to me.

  “Are you okay?” she asks.

  “No,” I tell her. “But that doesn’t matter right now. We have a lot of work to do. Our people need to know what happened. Can you take this to the Research Department?”

  Sayda takes the Pellagra cure and leaves the infirmary. The task is a small one, but I am not the only one who needs a distraction. It is past time for me to make an announcement, so I tell Kagen goodbye one last time before tearing myself away from the room. Once in the hallway, each step requires immense effort. On the way out, I pass Rana slumped over at a desk in the exam room with her head in her hands. Jace stands beside her, attempting to console Rana without any success.

  I want to go to the announcement office, but my legs take me back to my quarters. The room feels lifeless without Kagen here. Being here alone is almost too much. I find my way into my side office, barely reaching my chair before collapsing again. My eyes turn down and see something out of place on the desktop. I pick up the memory drive and connect it to my computer. Instead of opening a file, the device demands a password before revealing its contents. Only one thought comes to mind. I type in my personal nickname for Kagen. As soon as I do, his image appears on the screen.

  “Hey Talia,” he says with a warm smile. “If you’re watching this, I didn’t make it back. But that’s okay, because you did. And don’t give me your stubborn look because you’re mad at me. I told you before it’s not fair to use your cuteness against me.

  “I’m making this video because the chances of me coming back alive from Caelum are slim. I accept that, but there are some things I need to tell you. First, I love you so much. It has only been a short time since I’ve had the courage to say so, but I’ve loved you for much longer than that. My time with you has made me truly happy, even though the circumstances around us weren’t the best.

  “Going to Caelum is something I have to do. It was my fault the Controller sent Malin for you. I could never live with myself if my actions led to your death. No matter what, if you’re back in Securus, I’m at peace. You are everything to me, and more than that, our people need you. This place has been falling apart without you. Truth be told, if you don’t return soon, I’m not even sure Securus will be worth saving.

  “Don’t be mad at me or yourself for this. We both know there was no other way. This had to end. At least now my nightmares will stop. Every time my eyes close, I see the faces of all the people I’ve watched die. I’m not strong enough to go through that without you.

  “I’m not sure how my plan will play out, but hopefully Braeden Karun is dead and you are finally free. You’re the only person I’ve ever met capable of overcoming the faults in all of us. Our people need your leadership if they are to truly start over. That’s your destiny, and I’m content with being able to see you blossom into the brightest star Securus has ever produced.

  “It’s weird to even think about being truly free. It’s even weirder to think I played some role in achieving our freedom from Caelum. Hopefully people will remember that and not the things I had to do to reach our goal.

  “Take care of my mom and Arluin for me. Hopefully Hadwin and Sayda are there with you. They’ll both help you with anything you need, no matter what.

  “Oh, and I get the feeling you’ll get along well with Rylan and Bynah. They have a lot in common with you. They’ll be of great help when you free Munitus. When you do go there, make sure to say hello to Mr. Breck and Tauren for me. That outta get them both riled up.

  “Well, I gotta go, beautiful. Time is short. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

  Before he turns the recording off Kagen sends me one last kiss. I am unable to move for some time. He always knew how to make me smile. The unexpected recording does not take away the pain, but it does ease some of the anger and guilt. Kagen knew the stakes, not only for the both of us, but for the rest of our people. He was right in that this was going to end soon. If he had not done something drastic, Braeden would have. His message helps me accept the need to continue forward. I cannot waste the opportunity he has given us by becoming paralyzed by my grief.

  I stay in my office to watch the recording again. The loving look in Kagen’s eyes strengthens my heart nearly as much as losing him weakens it. It is not until Cyrina arrives that I am finally able to tear myself away from the recording.

  “Talia, it’s time. Everyone has been brought back inside,” she says lightly while gauging my mood.

  “Okay, let’s go.” I get up and wipe the tears from my eyes. Cyrina is right. Everyone must be scared and confused. Securus needs to know what Kagen has done. They need to know we are finally free.

  Chapter 31

  Cyrina follows me to the announcement office. She signals when the system has been activated. I sit up straight, suppress my emotions, and look into the camera. My people need me to be strong for them. They need to see me prepared to lead them.

  “Securus, I am Talia Vaden. As some of you already know, I was recently abducted by the Controller of Settlement Resources and taken to Caelum. That was the only reason for my recent absence. For that, I apologize. As far as the release of The Agent in our lower levels, the affected areas have been sealed off and will be purified. I can assure you there will be no further loss of life from The Agent. But today has even more significance than Caelum’s attempt to kill us with The Agent.

  “When I took over as head of Leadership, I made a promise to all of you. Today, that promise has been fulfilled. Kagen Meldon, along with his brother Arluin Meldon, Sayda White, and Hadwin Chon all risked their lives to free me from Caelum while others in Leadership ignored my orders, putting Securus at risk. Kagen and his team’s selfless actions are why I can tell you Caelum is no longer a threat to us.

  “Caelum has been destroyed by the very monster they used against us today. Along with their city, both the Controller and Patron of Leadership are dead. Even their deaths would not have been enough if Arluin had not managed to find the Pellagra cure, effectively severing the last method of control they held over us.

  “Our freedom has not come without its cost. In addition to the tragedy on the lower levels, both Kagen and Hadwin lost their lives while liberating us. We’ve lost two great men, but their actions will never be forgotten. We can honor their sacrifice as we move forward without the fear and control Caelum has held over us for centuries.

  “Even though we’ve accomplished so much, there’s much left to do. The most imperative step is freeing the people of Munitus and Castellum. We cannot allow the lingering oppression of Caelum to control them. Once their freedom has been achieved, we can finally build a new life. We’ve located a site ideal for a new settlement, but now that we no longer need worry about reprisal, I would like to begin by building near Securus itself. Doing so will allow us to use its energy and security when needed.

  “We’ve all lost something since we discovered Caelum’s existence, but now we have the opportunity to move forward. If you wish it, I will remain in my current position and do my best to guide us through this transition. If you decide you would rather proceed without me, I will not resist. This isn’t Caelum. I’m not a dictator. You may vote as you wish. Please have representatives from each hall come to my office with your decision. Thank you.”

  By the end of my speech I am barely able to keep my head upright. The pain from my loss weighs heavily upon me. Caelum has taken away both of my parents and now the man I love. Overcoming those loses will not be easy. Whether I move forward or not will be up to the people. If they have faith in me, that will be enough. But if the damage done by Eyra and the release of The Agent is too great, my future will be uncertain. Part of me wants the people to reject me so I can be left alone to my pain. No matter what they decide, I will see to Kagen’s last wish. Munitus will be freed.

  While waiting for their response, I turn the security cameras on. The screens show much of Securus, but the halls are all nearly e
mpty. Scanning the feeds, I find the last groups of people again going to the surface. A handful of them break for the exiting mass, coming to the Leadership level with sour expressions. It appears they have their answer.

  Their decision does not bother me at first, until I remember what Kagen said to me before he died. He always had faith in me and my ability to help our people. Now that they are going to reject me, it feels like I have failed him.

  Cyrina intercepts the angry group of people before they make it to my office. After a brief conversation, they turn and head to the surface while she comes for me. To my surprise, when Cyrina arrives to my office, she is not alone. Sayda and Arluin both stand beside her. They must have come up here before the people made their decision in the halls.

  “I’m ready to face their decision,” I say before they have a chance to speak.

  “They want to see you all on the surface,” Cyrina tells me, rubbing her hands together nervously. “I don’t know what they’re planning, Talia. Maybe you should stay here.”

  “If you go, I’m with you, Talia,” Sayda says with fierce determination in her eyes.

  Arluin stands firmly next to her with a Persuader in hand. “Me too.”

  I stand up. “Then we go.”

  We head to the exit chamber. Despite Sayda’s protest, I go up first, ready for whatever awaits. When I climb out of the hatch, the waning light from the setting sun casts shadows all around us. The setting feels appropriate, since this also marks the end of a part of my life. Seeing the entirety of Securus startles me for a moment. There are so many of them. I always knew our numbers but have never seen them in one place like this before. Even with thousands of people in front of me, the only sounds come from birds in the forest and insects greeting the coming night. None of the people move or speak until both Sayda and Arluin are standing by my side.

  Facing the mob in front of us causes a wave of fear to swell up inside me. I do not know what we will do if they turn violent. The same group of representatives that was coming to my office steps forward. One of them lifts her arms to signal something. Near the middle of the group, one of our screens from the halls is now held upright by the people. She pulls out a microphone, holding it up as she speaks.