by Holly Hook
Kiki watched her father join Darren in staring down in the patterns in the wood. Her dinner rolled around uncomfortably inside of her. She’d never liked her uncle much to begin with—he was always working and rarely even spoke to her during her younger years. The only interest he’d taken in her was the wrong kind, starting a year ago. This wasn’t about Patrick at all. It was about her mother. It was about Amber and Ashley.
“Yes,” her father said at last. “Protecting my children comes first, and it comes first for Dawn as well. Also, we cannot let Patrick spread his condition. Your task force may enter Frelladon as soon as it is assembled.”
Kiki wanted to hug her father, and her mother, too. She couldn’t imagine how it felt, making such an agonizing decision.
“We still have Lateine to worry about,” Kiki interrupted.
“Jacob Ortiz has joined our alliance against the Emperor,” Damon said. “However, Ivan is sending more troops to the occupied part of the city by the hour. We need to act quickly, if we’re to contain the invasion.”
Chapter Fifteen
The counterattack occurred three hours later.
Kiki watched from her chair, tense, as both Keilaran and Delainian forces marched for the barricade separating Frelladon from the suburbs occupied by Lateine. Black figures raced through the green night vision, guns ready, as a flare of Lateinian magic flew over the barricade and landed on the concrete, pulsating like lightning before it fizzled out.
Next to her, her parents watched with equal apprehension. Damon stood by, pacing next to the screen, ready to call orders into his radio at any second. Darren and Gracie had joined him, outfitted with headsets and ready to give orders of their own, as they no longer had a Commander. The yellow walls of the university fallout shelter felt like they were closing in. Kiki itched to be out there, fighting alongside her people, but she couldn’t risk being seen out in the open with Patrick flying around. Not yet.
“Take out the barricade in front of the arena. Troops, stand aside.” Damon’s voice cracked a bit as he hit the button to end his radio call and change frequencies.
“Yes, sir,” came a reply etched in static.
Jacob shuffled to the front of the room, blocking Kiki’s view for a second. “Keep casualties to a minimum,” he said for the tenth time, grabbing Damon’s sleeve. Kiki almost rose from her chair to pull him away, but he let go before he could.
“We are, Jacob,” she reminded. “Sit down.” The man could be so nervous and jumpy sometimes. Kiki had lost all of her patience with anyone and everyone tonight, and she sorely needed a good night’s sleep and a nice romp with Damon, which she hadn’t had in weeks. She stared down at her engagement ring and back at Damon, who watched the screen intently. If this war didn’t end, they might not have much of a future together.
A rocket flew downwards, fired by a helicopter. The concrete barricade exploded in white on the screen for a few seconds, to be replaced by black smoke swirling up into the early morning sky. Once it cleared, the specks on the ground raced forward, Keilaran and Delainian troops side by side. She couldn’t tell who was who now.
“Remember, no casualties unless absolutely necessary.” Darren took his turn to pace in front of the screen as he spoke into his headset. “Load the prisoners into the armored trucks and depart immediately. Be sure to grab any civilians you find.”
Before he finished, another eruption of magic exploded on screen, sailing over the heads of the troops running through the hole in the barricade. Several soldiers fell to the ground. Kiki couldn’t tell if they were opening fire on the still-unseen Lateinians. One held what appeared to be a megaphone. Hopefully, some of them would surrender and come to their side.
“Please…” Jacob pleaded to the screen, folding his arms around himself. Riley appeared by his side, transfixed as she watched the battle.
A trickle of figures ran out from the occupied suburb, arms behind their heads. Civilians? Lateinians? If it was Lateinians, it wasn’t all of them, because the rain of magic didn’t stop. A few soldiers pressed on through it, dodging the deadly rain now coming down through the barricade opening.
A storm of static and soldiers’ yells came through all the radios in the room. Gracie winced as her headset came to life. Chairs scraped as everyone rose to watch what was happening onscreen. Damon yelled something into his radio again, though it was hard to make out through all the noise in the room. The screen kept pulsating white and green as her father’s head blocked the view, Ryan joined the Storms to watch what was going on, and Riley, probably hoping that no one would notice at the moment, slid her hand into Jacob’s.
* * * * *
Together, Keilara and Delainia had recaptured about one-third of the occupied suburb, liberated several families of civilians, taken sixty-two Lateinian troops prisoner, and lost twelve soldiers between both countries. Two were still unaccounted for, and were assumed dead.
Kiki paced up and down the short hallway of the fallout shelter, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Eight days had passed since the joint operation between Keilara and Delainia, but there hadn’t been any further movement on either front. Perhaps becoming allies with Delainia had only bought them some time before a bigger invasion came courtesy of the Emperor. The two countries’ forces seemed to have merely balanced out the growing Lateinian presence behind the barricade, which had moved up a mere hundred yards that night. Lateine still had possession of the arena, complete with its brainwashing tents and bronze statue of Ivan, and according to the civilian families liberated from there a week ago, offerings were still piling up at his feet and being shipped back to Lateine in those military boats.
“Hey.” Damon appeared next to her in his wrinkled uniform, leaning against the door frame. Even in his tired state, his ice blue eyes were nothing less than stunning.
She smiled. “Hey. Don't see you much anymore.” The words hung in the air, a testament to their new reality. “No privacy in the bunks.”
“At least the Storms aren't staying here with us.”
“They're not the ones that Patrick is after.” A flare of anger raced through her veins, and she subdued an urge to take out her pistols and start firing at the walls that were now her prison. She was highly trained in the military arts, more than capable of defending herself. “Anything from Darren's task force?”
The frown on Damon's face gave her all the answer she needed. “They had a couple of sightings this morning down by the Center of Industry of something flying around the building, but it disappeared before they could reach it. It seems he's still in the area.”
“Of course he is.” Kiki turned and let her forehead rest on the yellow wall, the one with the smudge she'd grown so used to this past week.
“Kiki--” Damon slipped his arm around her waist as a door opened and closed nearby.
“I need to get out, Damon, even if it's only for a few minutes. I haven't seen the sky in days. I'd love to breathe air that isn't through a filter. We haven't even made love in weeks.”
She lifted her forehead from the wall to see Damon smiling at her.
“What?” she asked. He had that look in his eyes, like he was hatching one of his crazy plans.
He held out his hand and smiled, looking so much like the Damon she knew from the night he'd proposed to her. “I think I can oblige you. I'm supposed to be resting right now, and it happens to be very foggy this morning, so chances are, we can make it across the campus without being seen.”
* * * * *
Even the drizzle splattering against Kiki's skin felt wonderful as she ran down the sidewalks of Frelladon University, holding hands with Damon as if they had both regressed to sixteen years old with no war or insane hybrids looming over them. They were running through the rain at the Academy again, almost late for class and about to get a chewing from the teachers. They were running down the street, eighteen years old, as Damon accepted her parents' invitation for him to move out of the orphanage and live at the palace. Fog hung heavy over everyt
hing, forming a protective wall in all directions that no one fifty feet away could possibly see them through. The chances that Patrick was here were exceedingly small.
“Where are we going?” Knowing Damon, he'd chosen the botanical gardens or the planetarium. He would never settle for something as boring as an empty classroom.
“I thought you might want to see this,” he said, stopping in front of a set of glass double doors. White print on them read Broadcasting.
“Oh.” She hadn't yet had a chance to listen to Jacob's messages to the captured Lateinian troops. “Has he reached the occupied area yet?”
Damon smiled. “We think he has. About half of the captured soldiers are against Ivan's policies, but were too afraid to speak up until we took them. We have them detained at the base now, and they're working to relay Jacob's programs to their comrades at the arena in exchange for their freedom later on.”
Kiki pulled open the door and nodded to a pair of Keilaran soldiers waiting inside. They stood aside, guns held rigid, as she and Damon passed. A single door stood open near the end of the hall, and Jacob's voice floated out of it.
“You, the soldier, do you really live the life of luxury? What motivates you to fight for Ivan? Is it pride, or is it fear? Is his campaign really for the good of all citizens that reside in Lateine? I think not, now that I have seen beyond the borders of his palace, and have seen how the citizens of other nations live. And now, you have seen this, too: clean parks, safe, well-built homes, schools that teach math, science, and the arts rather than leader worship...”
Kiki slid her hand into Damon's as they neared the door. Jacob certainly had a way with words. If he could persuade his former troops to turn against Ivan, they might have a chance.
“Look at the Emperor. He tells his citizens that they are treated equally. He is right, in one aspect. All are dirt poor. Yes, you heard me right. The way your families live at home is far below the average for our neighboring nations, a fact that Ivan has kept from most of us for generations. Is this a country that you wish to live in any longer? I don't think so. Under new leadership, we can educate our citizens the proper way, which in the long run will push Lateine to economical success. We can create an alliance with surrounding countries, as foreign as that idea seems now, and open trade routes. Imagine, trading with the world rather than shutting it out. Lateine would truly be glorious then.”
Kiki rounded the corner into the broadcasting room. Sitting there, on a chair next to Jacob and holding his hand, was Riley.
Damon flashed her a smile. He knew, too.
Jacob adjusted himself in his seat, putting his lips closer to the microphone.
“You have already heard my account of what the Emperor's palace is like inside. He does not demand his expensive offerings in order to keep Lateine safe. The wealth of our hard work belongs to the people of Lateine--”
Jacob stopped short as Riley clutched his arm. “I feel it. He's trying to watch me again.”
The former Imperial Commander leapt up, as if he'd rehearsed this a million times, dodging to the side and pulling at a plastic tarp stashed at the edge of the radio controls. Riley jumped out of her chair and hit the light switch, dimming the room to the point where only a red button on the control panel was visible. It vanished as Jacob pulled the tarp over the equipment.
“Don't say anything that could give this away,” Riley whispered in her ear.
A faint tingling sensation crept over Kiki's skin, making her pull closer to Damon. It was a feeling she'd had a few times before back in the palace, even without Patrick around, but had dismissed until now. This must be how it felt when a Lateinian zoned in on someone to watch them. It was a horrible feeling. How had Riley coped with this for so long? According to her, Ivan had been watching her for some time.
If she ever met that bastard, she was going to make him regret the day he took his first breath.
The tingling grew stronger, moving in waves across her skin as Ivan watched from afar, probably trying to stake out their surroundings. Damon was only a dark figure next to her. Jacob or Riley shuffled somewhere nearby. Minutes seemed to crawl by as her legs grew stiff from standing so still.
At last, the tingling wavered, faded off, and died.
Kiki let out a breath as Riley turned the lights back on. She squinted, the light blinding her. “How often does he do this to you?”
Riley swallowed and stared down at the floor. “When I first escaped, it was almost every hour. It's slowed down to a few times a day now. Luckily, there's a warning when it's starting to happen.” Her voice sounded so defeated, like she was resigned to living like this for the rest of her life. “He can only do that for a few minutes at a time, and it's a while before he can watch anyone again. If I time my showers right, I'm okay.”
“No, it's not okay.” She took her younger sister in her arms, hugging her tight. Riley was just as much a prisoner of stalking as she was, and only barely eighteen. “It's one thing if this happens to me. It should not be happening to you.”
Riley hugged her back. “Don't tell Mom and Dad yet. Especially Mom. They think I'm in the planetarium with Ryan and a bunch of armed guards. Ryan knows, but he's fine with it.”
“About what?”
“Us.”
She meant Jacob. Her father seemed to like him, but she wasn't sure if he'd caught the fact that Riley hung around Jacob quite a bit when they were all in the fallout shelter. Her mother was a bit more skeptical, of course. “I'm sure they'll be okay with it soon. I'll keep the secret for now.” She smiled at Jacob, who shifted nervously over by the controls. The man always seemed to be nervous. “To tell you the truth, I'm happy about this.”
The former Imperial Commander started to smile when the phone rang.
He scrambled for it, yanking the protective cover off to reveal the controls. The red light blinked until he pressed it, turning it a solid green.
“Ortiz Revolution Program, how may I help you?” he asked, voice cracking like an adolescent's.
A man came through on a line filled with static. “Jacob, it is time.”
“Time for what? Who is this?”
“This,” the man said in a low voice, as if someone might be listening in. “is General Avens, leader of the Lateinian occupation.”
Jacob's mouth fell open. Clearly, he knew who General Avens was.
“How may I help you, good sir?” Jacob asked as nicely as he could. “Is there something I could do for you?”
“Yes, there is. Many of us have listened to your broadcasts in secret out here, and you've certainly swayed many of our troops to your cause. However, I must be careful, as there are and will still be those loyal to Ivan out there. Soldiers are talking about you everywhere in Lateine.” He paused on the other end, likely checking outside his tent for eavesdroppers. “Ivan made a mistake in sending us outside our borders, so we know we can trust your word. There is talk of a revolution, and that you will be leading it.”
Jacob choked. “I'd...I'd be honored!”
“We wish to meet with you,” General Avens said. “I will personally ensure your safety by meeting you outside the barricade, with only a small band of soldiers to accompany me. I understand if you bring a force with you.”
“I'll see to it that that you can get through,” Jacob said.
He hung up the phone, beaming. Riley rushed over and wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her nose on his. Kiki smiled. What if this worked?
“You said you needed a force to come with you?” Kiki asked.
Jacob faced her just as Riley planted a kiss on his cheek. “Yes. If you could send--”
“No. I'll come with you,” Kiki said. She faced her sister. “I have a personal stake in this now.”
Riley's eyes opened wide. “Kiki, no. Patrick could--”
“Then Alexander will come along. I won't let him manipulate me, Riley.” She felt for her desert eagles. “Besides, I'm tired of hiding, and I'm not letting you go anywhere near Ivan's troops with
out me.”
* * * * *
Kiki paced the hall of the broadcasting room, waiting for Alexander to arrive. The fog had lifted outside, and she couldn't risk walking out in the open without him along. It might not even be safe with Alexander along, but this was a risk she needed to take. No doubt, her parents would be angry at all of them for this later, especially at Riley, but she was eighteen since four days ago, and responsible for diplomacy just as much as the rest of the Royal Family now. Gone were the days when princesses went to balls and spent all day combing their hair. This was war. All hands on deck.
What was possibly the only chance Keilara and Delainia had against Ivan's military had come, and they had better take it.
She turned to check for Alexander again as low murmurs came out from the broadcasting room. Damon needed to call in troops for the meeting.
Daylight streamed in through the glass door, framing the figure of Patrick.
He stood there, staring blankly with his violet eyes, unmoving. Kiki reached down for her weapons, panic expanding in her chest.
Patrick held his hand up without a word, signaling her to stop. He rippled like smoke for a second, then snapped back into place. That's when she noticed that he had no wings.
Kiki drew in a breath. This wasn't the real Patrick. This was the vision from the Garden Bath, back to pay a visit. It probably couldn't hurt her.
Probably.
The vision of Patrick signaled her to come over to him. Still, he did not speak.
Kiki checked to see if anyone else was in the hall. No. The mumbling grew more distant as Damon drew away, discussing security. She thought of calling for him. No. Maybe this vision had something to tell her. The last one sure did.
"You are taking on the form of someone I hate," she said to it.