“Trae—what are you—?” I whisper, unsure what to do, but wanting desperately to follow wherever he’s leading.
“I’m showing you,” he says, “the way we are meant to be.”
He lets go of my hand, allowing me to decide what I do with it. Placing his hands on the sides of my face, he draws me closer, pressing his lips to mine. Gentle at first, then more hungrily. His lips tug at my own, his tongue working some kind of magic as I sigh into him. Every part of my body is humming and radiating an intense heat—a vibration all its own.
Desire.
The word comes to my mind, and I realize that’s what this is. A desire for Trae, but one unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s a desire to have him. All of him.
I allow the desire consume me, my fingertips tracing the hairline further down his torso, not wanting to let this moment pass. Not wanting to go back to the horrors, the trials—
Suddenly, I remember myself; my mission. What am I doing? I’m not here for Traeton. I’m here to pass the trial of hunger. How could I be distracted with this?
Traeton grabs hold of my hand, pressing it to his lower abdomen. The warmth from his hand burns mine, and I pull back, staring into the desire mirrored back to me.
However, those pretenses drop—and a more reserved Trae emerges.
“Hunger comes in more ways than one, Runa. When it comes to humanity, there’s much to learn—and desire—the hunger for another is one you’d never experience in the Helix. Videus removed it intentionally through his own anger and frustration. But it’s also the way you were brought into being. Without the knowledge of desire—love, lust—you cannot possibly understand the humanity burning inside you. You’d lose your connection to where you ca me from and why,” he says. “Don’t lose sight of your humanity. Allow yourself to feel it, to embody it without shame or denial.”
Placing a gentle kiss on my lips, he evaporates like steam dispersing.
Confused, I take a step back.
My heart is still racing, still thrumming loudly in my ears, all over my whole body. Every ounce of me wants something only Trae can give me.
Suddenly, intense pain sears in my left wrist and I claw at my NanoTech jacket, pulling it back. As if someone were drawing on my skin with pure light from inside my body, I watch as a single petal takes shape on my wrist. I don’t have to even question the shape it will eventually take the shape of; the everblossom.
It would appear, I’ve just overcome my first trial.
8
Runa
THE LANDSCAPE SHIFTS and I’m suddenly alone beside a small fire. I blink away my surprise, trying to regain my composure. I stand up, trying to ground myself in these new surroundings.
Oddly enough, it’s dark outside. In all my life, I’ve never seen the night. Not once. I’ve heard stories about it, but I’ve only seen the same beautiful sun, with halo locked in its designated spot. Well, that or high in the sky and demandingly hot, like it is on the desert side. With a tidally locked planet, warm nights like this one are not something any of us are accustomed to.
I look up, searching the black sky for a sign. A sign of anything—that I’m still on Pendomus. Still in my trials. Still technically alive.
The longer I look up, an astounding thing happens. The sky fills with the twinkling of lights as the stars I’ve heard about in my eLink downloads emerge. Truthfully, they’re not all that unlike the orbs I’ve seen, guiding me since I acquired my new sight. At first, I thought it was just the fire’s ashes flickering into the sky, but it’s become evident I was mistaken.
I step away from the fire, straying further than I probably should, but an imaginary force tugs at the middle of my body, propelling me forward. The further I get, the brighter the stars become. Some are dazzlingly bright. Others are dimmed, but still there. One section appears like a puddle of light; dense, but full of colors and intensity. I can’t take my eyes off of it.
~Beautiful, isn’t it?
Holding my breath, my shoulders stiffen. The sensation is one I’ve grown accustomed to, since it has always been a part of my life. But it’s out of place here.
The eLink was supposed to be damaged upon my return to the present time.
I shake my head. Maybe I just thought I heard—I mean, no way someone just—
~Of course someone just tried to talk to you. It’s me. Why is that so hard to believe?
Instantly, I turn circles, trying to locate the source of voice. How does it know where I am? I swear, it’s so familiar.
~You won’t find me, Runa. I’m not there. Hell, I’m not even sure I know where I am.
“Who is this?” I ask, scared to accept someone has meandered into my mind without permission.
~You know, I honestly don’t remember. How weird is that?
“Is this some kind of sick joke? A game?” I sputter.
~No, I don’t think so. It’s weird though, I guess. I know your name, but not my own. Kinda messed up, actually.
I squint into the distance, weighing my options. How does one escape their own mind?
~You look pretty tonight.
“How would you know? You said you weren’t here,” I say, looking for something I could use as a weapon if needed.
~I’m not, but I can still see you. In my mind, somehow. You don’t need to be scared. I won’t hurt you. You’re all I’ve got.
“What does that mean?” I say.
~Just that. Here I am, talking to you and I don’t even know who I am. Or where I am. But I know you, so—you’re all I’ve got.
Making my way back to the fire, I sit down and stare into the glowing depths.
Of course, this is the next phase; the next test. It has to be.
Why I always let these things catch me off guard, I’ll never know. You’d think after all I’ve been through already, I’d be used to it—not so naive.
“Okay, if you’re not really here and you’re not going to hurt me…what do you want? And what should I call you?” I ask to the ether.
~Call me anything you want. I don’t care.
“I have to call you something, otherwise this is just creepy,” I say, lowering my eyebrows and frowning.
~Then call me ‘Something’.
“Very funny.”
~I wasn’t kidding. It honestly doesn’t matter. Just as good as anything.
“Alright, if you know me, but don’t know yourself or where you are… Do you know where you were? Where you started before you were here?” I ask, trying to draw out the information I need to pass the trial.
~I—I remember white before this. And searing pain. Could I be dead?
“I don’t think that’s how things work. I’ve never had a conversation with a dead person before,” I say.
~Then how do you know you can’t?
“Well, I guess I don’t, but it also doesn’t mean I am,” I say, laying back and looking up. My eyes return to the sparkling blackness above me.
~The stars, they’re beautiful tonight, aren’t they?
I hold my breath for a moment.
“They really are,” I finally say.
~I wish we saw them more often.
“I’ve never seen them. No one has. It never gets dark where I am,” I whisper. “Well, until now.”
~You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them, either.
“Then how did you know what they are?”
~I just—do. I think I read about them in a book. Maybe a lot of books?
“Hmmmm…” I mutter, lost in thought. “Am I still on Pendomus?”
~Where else would you be?
“I thought you didn’t know where you were,” I say.
~I don’t. I said where else would you be. Not me.
“Convenient,” I laugh. The simple, but passive sentence reminds me so much of…
~Who was he?
“Who was who?” I ask, startled.
~The man you were just thinking about. He—feels familiar. Like I should know him.
&
nbsp; “How can he feel familiar when he was just in my thoughts? I didn’t even fully imagine him,” I blush. My mind is instantly drawn to the most recent memory of the last trial. Technically, I’m not even sure it was Trae, but simply an echo of him. But the likeness was profound and I know he was meant to invoke the feelings and sensations he did.
~Oh, now that’s different, but—whew. Does he know how you feel?
“Oh my—get out of my head!” I say, covering my face. I’d let my guard down and my mind wander a little too much.
This is so inconvenient. Of all the ways a trial could test me, a stranger digging into my most private thoughts and memories really sucks. It’s not fair.
~Why? I just want to understand. The memory—it was, well hot, to put it bluntly.
“For the love of all that’s holy. Those are my memories. Mine. Not yours. And he knows— at least, I hope he knows. Ugh. I don’t know. I don’t even know what I feel for certain. It’s all so new.”
I scratch at the newly acquired symbol of achievement at my wrist. The light sparkles like the stars from the outline of the petal.
~You know, I think maybe he does.
“Oh, you’re in his head now, too?” I say, laughing.
~I’m just saying I’d be surprised if he didn’t. With the kind of energy you both share—even the memory has power behind it. That means something.
“Well, I’m glad to know it was special, but Trae’s off limits to you, okay?” I say, shifting in my seat.
~Trae?
“Yes, his name.”
~Why is he off limits?
Gosh, it’s like talking to a child. I wonder if I was this bad when Trae first found me?
“Because, he just is,” I sigh.
~Do you love him?
“Wow, you have an utter lack of understanding what the term ‘off limits’ means, don’t you,” I say, rolling my eyes.
For a moment, there’s silence in my head and an insane urge to giggle bubbles to the surface. If anyone were to see me, I’d look stark raving mad to them. Granted, you think I’d be used to that by now.
~If it’s any consolation, I think he loves you, too.
“You cannot possibly know that,” I snort.
~I know I shouldn’t, but I do. Energy like that—it can’t happen one-sided.
“Well, that’s great, but I’m not even sure the memory is really of him. And right now, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
~Why not?
“Because, we’re apart,” I sigh, “And don’t ask why.”
~Then how am I meant to know?
I take a deep breath. Why not…
“We’re apart because I had things I needed to take care of.”
~Because you’re the Daughter of Five?
“Yes, precisely,” I say, returning my gaze to the fire.
~I see.
I suddenly feel mentally exhausted from this exchange. This person, entity—whatever he is, knows more than most, but his own confusion is difficult to handle.
“Can we just let this go for now? Why don’t you tell me why you’re here instead?” I say, mentally counting the stars. Who knows how long I’ll get to actually see them, after all.
~I don’t think there’s a specific reason. I just remember things going wrong. Then, I was wishing I was home and for some reason, there was you.
“Well, that’s odd. You know, since I’m not a home. And I’m about as far away from anything resembling a home as I could possibly be,” I say, chuckling.
~Don’t ask me, I didn’t control it.
I smile. I can actually relate to that.
“Then I guess we’re both here for reasons unknown.”
~Guess so.
“Well, Something… what else should we talk about?” I ask.
A moment passes. I search the stars, waiting.
“Something?” I repeat.
The silence is deafening.
As fast as he arrived, he’s gone. But that’s not the weirdest part. For a brief moment, I felt safe. Like I was talking to an old friend, not a strange new mental acquaintance.
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you—”
I blink, and I’m laying near the edge of the cliff where I last saw Traeton’s echo. The nighttime evaporated the moment I looked away and took in the sound of Ammon’s voice.
Standing a few yards away, his chin is tipped upward as he tries to see me.
“When you didn’t come back, I started looking for you. Do you know how hard that is when your eyes are swollen shut like mine?” he says.
“Ammon, I—” I begin, but stop.
What just happened? I didn’t complete a trial—but I felt like I was meant to have that exchange.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, I think so,” I nod. “Was it just nighttime for you?”
Ammon makes a face, “Uh—no. We’re tidally locked, Runa. Unless you want to go into the frozen depths on the other side of the planet, we don’t see nighttime. Pendomus don’t revolve.”
“Right,” I say, shaking my head and walking toward him. “Your face is starting to look better. Not so swollen. And your cheeks have some color. The food must have done you some good.”
Ammon’s face lights up, and he takes a seat next to me. He flops on his back, resting the same way I am, staring at the sky.
“Runa, it’s delicious. I’ve never had such amazing foods in all my life. There’s this one dish that’s fluffy in the center with a creamy, sweet layer on top—mmmmm,” his lips stretch out broadly and he sighs in content. “It reminds me of the birthday cakes my Dad tried to make for me once, but this is waaaaay better. I wish you could try it. Have you figured out how to pass—”
I jut out my wrist to show him the glowing petal.
“Whoa, what happened there?” Ammon asks, sitting up and pulling my arm closer to get a look.
“It happened after I passed the trial,” I say.
“It looks kinda like a tattoo, only glowy,” he says.
I nod in agreement.
“You passed? Already? Yeesh, that was fast,” he says, then shrugs to himself.
“Was it?” I ask, turning to him.
“Sure seems like it. Then again, I’ve been trying just about every food I could get my hands on. Felt sick a couple of times, but it passed,” he laughs. “C’mon, you gotta try some of this.”
He takes my hand and together we make our way back to the table of food. We push through the trees and low lying bushes. As we approach the laid out table, I clearly see where Ammon has been. The foods in front of the seat where I left him have bites and pieces removed from them in a wide berth from his location.
I smile, “Ammon, you hardly made a dent. You had me thinking you barely left me a bite.”
“Did I?” he asks, serious.
I laugh, “Yes, there’s still plenty.”
“Well, go on then, try something. See if you can eat something now,” he urges.
I reach out, grabbing one of the lush fruits that had been dangling from the tree earlier. They rest in a heap inside a large bowl with other fruits of various colors and textures. Ammon’s eyes are on me as I grab the nearest one and pull it to my nose. I take in the fragrant aroma and sigh. My stomach grumbles in response.
“Well, go on,” he says, nudging my shoulder.
Slowly, I take a big bite. It’s the first real food I’ve had in days and my stomach groans loudly at the prospect. The juicy, soft texture coats my mouth and entices my tongue.
“Oh my—it’s delicious,” I say. “I’ve never had this fruit before, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“Oh, it gets better. You haven’t tried the cake-thing I was talking about,” he says, pointing to a large cylindrical object in the middle of the table. It has a large chunk removed from the side where Ammon has clearly made his mark.
“Well alright, with a recommendation like that, who could resist?” I laugh, getting up to try a bit
e. I dip my fingers into the cake and pull out a gooey chunk. The white creamy stuff surrounds the inner fluffy bit Ammon was talking about. There are tiny red fruits placed along the edge of the cake and I pluck one off to try, too.
“C’mon, c’mon. Try it already,” Ammon says anxiously.
I put the entire bite, fruit and all, into my mouth and close my eyes. Ammon was absolutely right—it’s beyond delicious. The gooey outside mixes with the fluffy pastry part and the fruit adds one last burst of flavor.
“Oh my—this is fantastic, Ammon,” I say, reaching for another bite.
“Told ya,” he grins.
“What else should I try?” I ask.
“Anything. Everything,” he offers.
Grinning I take his suggestion and start trying a little piece of everything, deciding what I like best. We spend the next few hours, eating and drinking the waters and juices; getting our fill for the first time in so long.
“Runa, do you think he’ll find us again?” Ammon asks, his tone suddenly serious.
I sigh, knowing exactly who he means. I wish I could tell him no.
“Ammon, I’ll keep you safe. Regardless of what happens, you have me, okay?” I say, turning to look at him.
“Yeah, I know,” he says, reaching for me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
For a moment, I’m taken aback. The contact of affection, any affection, is still so new to me. However, I lean into his embrace and stroke his dark hair. He sighs with content, and relaxes into me. We sit on the bench at the table like that for a few minutes, just watching the breeze through the trees—the insects as they float from flower to flower—the sun’s rays as it filters through the branches.
“You never told me how you passed the first test thingy,” Ammon says.
Warmth creeps into my cheeks, and I take a deep breath.
“There—um—wasn’t much to tell. I followed a wolf, or an animal who looked like a wolf. He brought me to the edge of the cliff and basically we… talked about the meaning of hunger,” I cough.
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 32