“Aaron seems to think there’s another way to protect the colonies and villages,” I say. “He said there are more people like me called the Starborn.”
Connor lifts an eyebrow to this.
“That’s all I really know,” I continue. “He said he wants me to meet with his leader.”
“His leader? The only other person I see him around is Evelyn.”
I nod. “I don’t really know anything else. He said the Starborn have been around for thousands of years.”
“Sounds like a load of crap to me,” Connor says, pushing his plate aside.
“Well, a week ago I would have told you it was a load of crap that a person can move a ton of metal with her mind, but I can. Your brother can absorb electricity and shoot it from his fingertips. It all sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
“I guess,” he says.
As we sit in silence for a moment, I can’t help but wonder why he and his brother are so different. Their looks, their opposing views on Screven, everything about them is opposite of the other.
On the balcony in Screven, Aaron had eluded to the fact that their parents had died, but gave no other information. Had they been killed by greyskins? I’m almost afraid to ask. I shake the thoughts from my head when Connor says something to me.
“What did you say?” I ask.
“I said the couch is open for you again tonight if you want. I figure you don’t have a place.”
Aaron had offered to let me stay at his place, but I can’t really imagine doing that. I feel way more comfortable around Connor than I do Aaron.
“Sure,” I say.
I help him clean the plates and actually finish the rest of his vegetables before setting the pan in the sink. I can tell that something is really bothering him, but I don’t press it.
After cleaning the plates, we go to the crow’s nest for no good reason other than to spy on people in the colony. This seems to get Connor’s mind off of Aaron, and it helps me to forget about my own problems for a little bit.
We look to the horizon and all is quiet. For long moments we don’t say anything, but it isn’t uncomfortable like it was in the vehicle with Rob and Aaron.
Soon, it’s sunset and the red and orange hues paint the darkening sky across the entire horizon. I ask Connor what time it is and he tells me. I sigh, knowing I have to go meet Krindle and Aaron. I don’t really know what it’s supposed to be about. Krindle said something about discussing what happens next, but I thought we already knew what we had to do.
“I won’t wait up for you,” Connor says with a grin as I make my way to the ladder. “Hey Mora.”
I stop my descent.
“Don’t let them bully you into something you don’t want to do – Krindle or Aaron. You’re allowed to make your own decisions.”
I’m not so sure that I really am at liberty to make my own decisions. One wrong move could leave my family without protection. I don’t particularly like Jeremiah or the Screven guards, but I’m not so sure about Aaron either.
“I’ll be okay,” I assure him.
He grins at this and turns back to the orange skyline as I climb down. At the front gate, I see both Aaron and Krindle waiting for me. I know I’m not late, but they both look at me with slight irritation in their eyes.
“Shall we get started?” Krindle asks, motioning to a door behind him.
I nod and follow Aaron. The door is actually imbedded into the outer wall of the colony and on the inside is a flight of stairs. Four flights actually, and they lead up to a short hallway to Krindle’s office at the end. When I step in, I see a meeting table where Aaron and I both sit. The fading light shines in through the windows that overlook the outside of the colony. I can’t help but feel saddened by the bleak sight of dust and lack of plant life.
Krindle walks to another desk in the room and turns on a flat television screen. I’ve never seen a working one before. The clear, crisp brightness of the words scrolling up and down the screen at Krindle’s command is stunning. He reads the screen for a few moments as Aaron and I sit in silence.
“The orders say that the two of you will be providing a presentation to the colony tomorrow at noon,” Krindle says, swiping his finger up and down the screen. “Jeremiah says he’s giving you free reign on what to say, just so long as you cover a few certain topics.”
“Such as?” I ask.
“First, he wants you to talk about how great the Screven guards have been for the colonies,” Krindle smiles at this, then looks up at me. “Maybe you can talk about how much you’ve wanted your village to become a part of Screven.” Looking back at his screen, he continues. “Aaron, he wants you to talk about your family history. Your story.”
“Absolutely not,” Aaron says.
Krindle’s head jerks up at this. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t have to do anything of the sort. I’m not going to use my parents as a recruiting tool.”
“The people need dramatic examples to prep them for the true heart of your message,” Krindle says. “It’s essential.”
“Essential for what exactly?” I ask. “What are we getting in front of the people to talk about?”
“You’re trying to get the other…uh…people like you, to come forward. We have to come up with a better name than just saying people like you.” Krindle scratches his chin in thought. “Power People? No, that’s not good. Super Humans?” He smirks at his own suggestions.
“What about Starborn?” I say.
Aaron gives me a sharp glare at the mention of the word.
Krindle’s eyebrows rise at this. “I like it!” he says. He instantly types some kind of note on his personal wristband. It’s bigger and fancier looking than what the colonists wear; the screen spanning his entire wrist allows plenty of room for whatever he needs to type into it. “Starborn,” he repeats. “It’s magical, yet mysterious. Good.”
Aaron is still staring daggers into me. “What?” I ask, but he just turns his head back to Krindle, stone-faced.
Krindle looks back up to Aaron. “If you won’t use your family history, then I suggest you come up with something that will be just as good. “
I can tell Aaron is angry. I just don’t know who he’s angrier with – Krindle or me.
“Fine,” Aaron says. “I’ll come up with something.”
“Okay,” Krindle says. “Better make it good. Lie if you have to. I want all these…Starborns to want to come forward. They have to trust you. I’m telling you this because the next thing Jeremiah instructs is very important. You’re going to have to show them your powers and call on them to do the same.”
“Whatever you want,” Aaron says.
Krindle turns his head slightly. “Really? I expected a little more resistance from you.”
“You’ll get nothing but cooperation from me,” Aaron says.
The second I look in his direction, I know he is lying. He’s only saying what Krindle wants to hear.
Krindle types something into the television screen, mumbling to himself. “Very good then,” he finally says. “Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll have a lot more Starborns to help us out.”
“You realize, with Jeremiah’s plan, he’s driving you and the other guards out of work,” Aaron says. “That doesn’t bother you?”
Krindle looks down and laughs lightly. “That’s hardly the case, and something you don’t have to worry about.” He looks at us both with sobering eyes. “The two of you will meet me here at eleven forty-five. The colony will be waiting for you.
Before we’re dismissed, Aaron is already out the door. I look back at Krindle, smile, and follow Aaron.
Outside, Aaron is walking fast and I almost have to jog to keep up with him. I check to see if there are guards around before I call out to him. It’s clear.
“What’s your problem?” I ask loudly.
He turns on me sharply, a movement I’m not expecting. I come to an abrupt stop.
“My problem is that you are blind to what these people
are doing,” he says. “My problem is that you are following them willingly, but you refuse to see that these men are evil. All they want is power.”
“I get it that they are running a business,” I say.
“No, no, no. They are much more than that, I promise you.”
“Then tell me about it. What are they?”
He steps closer to me, lowering his voice when he speaks. “Tomorrow, when it comes time for us to be on the stage, announcing to the entire colony that we have special gifts, I will be far away from here. I suggest you do the same.”
“You’re leaving me to do this by myself?”
“If you decide to stay here, yes.”
“You are so selfish,” I say. “You refuse to see that I’m only agreeing to all of this to help my family.”
“There are other ways!”
“Then show me!” I say this too loudly. A few people in the distance look our way, but choose to ignore us. “Then show me,” I repeat with my voice lowered. “You said you wanted me to meet with your leader. If you don’t want me to speak in front of Salem tomorrow, then you’re going to have to convince me real fast. Otherwise, I’m doing the only thing I know to do.”
“Tomorrow,” he says. “I will show you to my leader tomorrow.”
“It’ll have to be early,” I say.
“Where have you decided to stay tonight?” he asks.
For some reason I almost feel embarrassed by the answer I have to give, but I decide to just say it. “At Connor’s. He’s been generous enough to give me a couch before. I’m comfortable there.”
Aaron’s eyebrows lower slightly at this. “Five in the morning,” he says. “I’ll meet you outside Connor’s place. You give me three hours, I guarantee you, you won’t get on stage tomorrow.”
I don’t know what to say to this. What if he does convince me? According to Jeremiah, guards are already on their way to Springhill. My family is so close to finally getting the protection they need. If I back out of the plan, would Jeremiah harm them? Would he use them against me? But I know I just can’t sit by and ignore another alternative that is being presented to me.
I set my jaw firmly and look Aaron straight in the eyes. “Your leader better be a fast talker. If I have one shred of doubt about you and these other Starborns, then I stick with my plan.”
“That’s your choice,” Aaron comes back.
He says nothing else as he turns and walks away.
Chapter Eleven
The sun hasn’t risen yet, but already I’m wiping the sleep from my eyes, getting myself ready to go. There were no bad dreams last night, but it wasn’t exactly the best sleep either. I forgo the pleasure of washing my face so I don’t wake Connor who is sleeping in the upstairs room, and I try to open the front door as quietly as I can. I’m not expecting the outside air to be cold, but this morning it is. I nearly jump out of my skin when I see Aaron standing in the road, staring at me.
“Sorry,” he says as I stifle a gasp. “You ready to go?”
Part of me feels very weird about going with Aaron to see his leader or mentor. I know this trip is meant to change my mind about everything. And I can honestly say that I’m not the biggest fan of how Screven has presented itself – especially with the way Jeremiah talked to us, nearly demanding that we take part in his recruitment plan.
Another part of me wants Aaron to show me a good reason not to go along with Jeremiah’s plan, but I’m afraid that unless he shows me some kind of immediate solution to Springhill’s problems, then I will be forced to do as Jeremiah says.
“Yeah, let’s go,” I say.
“Is Connor’s place comfortable enough for you?” he asks, nodding to the shack behind me.
I look back, but only out of embarrassment. Aaron had offered to let me stay at his place, but I had told him I was comfortable here. I clear my throat.
“Yeah, it’s okay.”
He smirks and shakes his head, seemingly trying to hold back a laugh. I don’t really know what to say, so I don’t say anything.
Through the early morning darkness, Aaron leads me along the eastern edge of Salem near the wall. When we come close to a part of the wall that is shrouded by trees and thick bushes, Aaron looks over his shoulder to see if anyone else is around. When he turns back to the wall, he steps forward and pushes aside some bushes and begins to kick dirt to the side.
This is when I see the trap door at the base of the wall, large enough for someone to crawl through.
“Only a few of us know about this,” he says to me. “But it’s been here from the beginning.”
He bends down and pulls open the trap door with ease. From here, I can see a set of stairs that leads down into a small room.
“It’s a good way to get in and out of here without detection,” he says. “And no greyskin would be able to figure out this secret entry.”
“Couldn’t you just tell the guards that you’re leaving?”
He lets out a snort and shakes his head. “They aren’t letting anyone out of here without a good reason. And they aren’t going to track me, because my wristband was destroyed a few nights ago.” He smiles at this. “I like to sneak out every now and then to practice with my gift.”
“You have the need to use your abilities often?” I ask.
“Not really,” he says. “But it’s good to know my limits. To practice. To really get to know what I can do.”
I never really thought about my new abilities as something that I should test out. So far, they’ve just worked for me. Until now, I haven’t really thought that I needed to practice.
He motions for me to go down into the tiny bunker first. He then grabs the covering of bushes and places it over the trap door so it will camouflage the space when he closes it.
If I thought it was dark outside, the inside of the tunnel is pitch black. When Aaron closes the trap door, I can hear him shuffle toward me. He bumps into me by accident.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
I hear him feeling around for something until there’s finally a blinding flame from a lighter he has pulled from his pocket. The flame cuts through the darkness, revealing the corridor that is about ten feet long and five feet wide. I have to bend my head low to keep from hitting the ceiling. On the other side is an identical set of stairs, apparently leading up to the ground, just outside the Salem perimeter.
“How have the Screven guards not discovered this?” I ask
“Those of us who know about it are very careful,” he says, almost as though to give me a warning to keep my mouth shut about it. He walks past me and I follow as he climbs up the stairs. The light flickers out as he reaches up to open the new trap door above us. At first, he barely lifts the covering, and the dirt that had been camouflaging the door starts to fall in. The darkness is thick, although the beginning of the daylight is all but ready to wake the slumbering people of Salem. He turns his head in every direction, and when he is satisfied, he lifts the door further and scoots it to his side. He then motions for me to follow out into the open field.
When I emerge, I can see the darker outline of the woods in the distance. Aaron makes sure the trap door is properly concealed again and starts walking toward the woods.
Little is said as we reach the edge. After a few minutes, the sun is up and I’m sure that Connor is wondering where I’ve gone. But I know he won’t raise a fuss about it. He knows what position I’m in, and will probably assume that I wanted to be alone before my little presentation with Aaron. After we’ve been hiking about an hour we find ourselves standing in front of a house in the middle of the woods. In truth, the place looks beautiful – much more so than the living spaces of those inside the colony walls.
“So, this is where he is?” I ask. “Your leader?”
“This is where she is,” Aaron says as he takes a step forward.
I hesitate, not sure now whether I should move forward with him. What if they convince me that what I’m doing is the wrong thing? I just don’t feel ready for
that kind of argument.
Aaron looks back at me. “You have nothing to be afraid of,” he says.
Perhaps he’s right. But I don’t necessarily fear what or who is inside the house. I fear my own willpower that might be so easily bent.
I step forward beside Aaron and move to the door. He lifts his fist and knocks. It only takes a moment for the door to open, and once again I come face to face with the redheaded girl that I met when I was out with Evelyn. She looks me up and down, then looks at Aaron.
“You’re early.”
“Have to be,” Aaron answers. “We might have to be somewhere by noon.” Aaron motions to me. “This is Mora. Mora, this is Heather.”
“Yeah,” Heather says as she turns and walks back into the house.
“It takes her a little bit to get used to newcomers,” he says.
I remember similar treatment from Heather the other day when Evelyn had introduced us. Two strikes for her as far as I’m concerned.
When I walk into the place, I barely get a glimpse of the inside before a very tall, muscular, blonde-headed man walks up to me and extends a hand.
“Mora, right?”
I try to keep from wincing as his grip grinds my knuckles together.
“Oh, sorry,” he says. “I forget sometimes.”
“Because you’re an idiot,” Heather calls out from the other room.
He rolls his eyes, then smiles. “My name is Danny.”
I smile back at Danny as he moves aside to allow us to pass.
The house is spacious, and we seem to have walked into a large foyer. The entire place is neat, tidy, and very open. It lacks that end-of-the-world quality as my grandma calls it. No bugs. No dirty floors. I feel about as rich as when I stayed in Screven. The wooden floors of the hallway go deep into the house and branch off into various rooms throughout. Part of me wants to explore the beauty and craftsmanship, but I know I’m not here to gawk.
“Do all of you live here?” I ask.
“On and off,” Aaron says.
Heather peeks her head in from one of the doorways on the right. “Aaron, she’s ready for you in the kitchen.” Before she moves into the room across from the kitchen, Heather gives me another onceover, and then a short scowl. I’m not sure where the animosity comes from, but I do know that Heather is on the verge of strike three.
Out Of Darkness (The Starborn Saga) Page 13