“That’s my girl. How can I help?” he asks.
“I have no idea. When Ammon and I were transported here, the book didn’t make it with us. I’m not sure why.”
“How did you get here? Was there a phrase or something you needed to say? Did you walk through another portal like the Tree?” he asks.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what caused the transportation. One moment we were sitting beside a tree, the next minute we were in your allayroom,” I say, trying to think and run at the same time.
“Well, that’s vague,” Trae says, scratching his head.
I stop short, looking at him for a second. “What happened to your hair? Why didn’t you keep the blue hair color?”
Trae’s dark brown eyes widen, pain surfacing again in their depths.
“It just didn’t—it wasn’t me anymore,” he offers with a shrug.
Nodding, I lean in, taking his face in my hands and staring directly into those sorrowful eyes.
“Trae, I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make this right. There’s nothing I won’t do to make it happen. Whatever changed you, whatever made you lose yourself—I won’t let it come to pass.”
Stepping up on my toes, I let my lips linger just in front of his. Trae’s body stiffens, as if he doesn’t know what to do.
He may seem older—he may be older—but he’s still Trae. My Trae.
I close the gap, kissing him deeply and letting our connection take over. Guiding his lips, he finally releases the tension in his shoulders and takes me in his arms. He presses me against his body, his lips crushing down on mine until mine tingle and my heart races. His kiss is fervent, passionate, and hungry. My mind blurs and my pulse purrs.
It’s only been weeks since our last kiss for me, but for him—it’s been so much longer. I can only imagine what that was like for him, not knowing if I’d ever return. Not knowing if I was alive.
After a long moment, he finally breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against mine. His breath is jagged, and his hands tremble on my neck.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispers.
“That makes two of us. Thinking of our first kiss—it’s what got me through some of the tougher days when I first went through the Tree,” I say, sighing.
“So, how does it feel kissing an old man?” he chuckles.
“You’re still you. That hasn’t changed.”
I grin, lifting my hand and letting my fingertip trace his left eyebrow.
“Not as much as you are,” he says, a hint of a smile drawing across his lips and making his dimples shine.
“Well, not for long. I’m going to find my Caudex and get back to you. Do you hear me?”
“How are you going to get back? What about the trials you’ve been talking about? Don’t you have to finish—” he says.
“Not at the expense of those I care about,” I say, shaking my head.
Nothing—not even finishing the trials is worth the loss of my friends. I take his hand, leading us the rest of the way to the small cabin.
Opening the door, Ammon stands in front of the large table, a smile beaming from ear to ear.
“What’s going on?” I ask, suddenly suspicious.
“Oh, nuthin’,” he says, rocking back and forth on his heels.
It’s the first time, his poor bruised face has been able to break into a full smile. He’s finally starting to heal, but the swelling around his eyes seems to be the last to go back to normal.
I cock my head to the side, “It doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“Well, how much do you love me?” he asks.
I look at Traeton, who shrugs in return.
“Er—I don’t know. Is this a trick question?” I ask laughing to myself.
Unable to hide his excitement, Ammon steps aside, revealing my Caudex resting on the table behind him.
“Unbelievable—Ammon, where was it? I was just telling Traeton that I was going to make it my mission to find the Caudex and get us out of here,” I say, rushing to the little boy.
I scoop him up in my arms, giving him a great big hug and twirling him around in a circle.
He giggles, and as I release him, he says, “I didn’t find it anywhere. Sometime after the two of you went off galavanting to wherever, I was sitting here wondering what I could do, and all of a sudden this bright light filled the room. Next thing I knew, the book was sitting on the table like it’d always been there.”
“Well, this is fantastic,” I say, sitting down and pulling the aquamarine stone out from under my NanoTech jacket and undershirt. I wave it in front of the Caudex, opening it up.
Trae walks up and stands behind me, peering over my shoulder.
“So this is the Caudex thing, huh? Looks pretty…old,” he says, “and vacant.”
I flip through the book, searching for any new passages that may have been added to the tome. Of course, it’s as empty as it’s always been.
“Tell me about it,” I say, sighing.
“Is there anything in there that’s gonna help you get back?” Trae asks.
“Nothing so far,” I say, raking my hands through my hair.
I don’t get it. Why bring the book to me, why have all this crypticness surrounding what I can and can’t know? Why can’t I determine when I’m ready for the next lot of information?
This is ridiculous.
“Ugh—” I say, slamming the book shut. “This is so frustrating. I need to find a way out of here, but this book never wants to give up its secrets.”
“How so?” Trae asks.
“It seems like whenever I want information, it’s never available. Then, when I’m about ready to give up, it will finally show up—just in the nick of time. I don’t understand it. Why can’t I just be given the access I need? Why can’t I be the one to determine when I’m ready for new details?”
“Maybe it’s not about you?” Trae suggests.
“What do you mean?”
“What if it’s about the people around you, the lesson you’re learning, or even the elements you’re surrounded in?” he suggests.
“Like the kind of light I see the book in? Or—” I ask, eyeing the book.
“Maybe? Has there been any time where it consistently reveals more information?”
I think for a moment, “Not really.”
“Well, there has to be something. Don’t you think? What about the Tree itself? When did it reveal itself to you?”
“Not until I had my sight.”
“Okay, and you’re certain your sight is working—erm—the way it was before?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, I—I think so?”
Suddenly, I’m unsure. When was the last time I saw the orbs of light? Or anything that wasn’t immediately obvious?
How on Pendomus did I not notice this sooner?
“Wait a minute—you might be on to something,” I say, getting up to pace.
“I am?” Trae says, following me with his eyes.
“Yeah, he is?” Ammon repeats, scratching his head.
“We’ll find out.”
I reach down and reopen the book. I flip to the first page I find with writing on it.
“Can you read this?” I ask, pointing to the passage.
“In the age of the elders, the Acropolis served as the source of foundation for all of Pendomus—long before the invasion of dying Earth. The structure was the most beautiful in the world, truly a spectacular sight. Inhabitants of Pendomus…” Trae says.
“Okay, see what I mean? Anyone can read this. So what if—” I break off, my mind racing, “—what if my sight is missing and didn’t even realize it? What if this is another trial?”
“What good’s the other sight gonna do?” Ammon asks, craning around to look closer at the Caudex.
“Runa can see things we can’t. Her blue eye can somehow make out stuff—magical stuff all around us. Stuff you and I would have no idea was even there,” Trae says.
Ammon’s eyes widen, a
nd Trae’s eyebrows pull in as he takes a step forward.
“Ammon, can you do that again?” he asks.
“Do what again?” Ammon says, backing away.
“You haven’t done anything wrong. I just want to see something,” Trae says, reaching out for him.
“Trae—what are you?” I begin, but Trae holds up a finger to wait.
“Where did you say you knew Ammon from again, Runa?” he asks, his voice curious and slightly amused.
“I found him bound in a cave on the desert side of Pendomus. Well, at least I think it was. Now, who knows. Why?”
“Ammon, can you widen your eyes again for me?” Trae asks.
I stand up, walking closer, trying to figure out what Trae’s looking for, or what he’s seeing.
Ammon shifts his gaze from Trae to me, and when I nod, he tries to widen his eyes as best he can. The swollen puffiness has gone down tremendously, but you can tell it’s still difficult for him to do.
“What is it?” I ask, “What did you see?”
“Runa, look at the color of his eyes,” Trae says.
Moving in closer, I take a look. Under the heavy lids of his swollen eyes, I distinctly see a color similar to my own—a deep, vibrant amber in both eyes.
Ammon watches me as I watch him.
“Whoa—I’ve never noticed before. You’ve got—hey, what’s going on here?” Ammon says, reaching for my face.
“I know, I have two different colored eyes—” I begin.
“No, it’s not that, I could kinda see you had two different colored eyes before. You’re right eye, it’s the same color as mine. No one ever has the same color, not even my mum from what my dad told me,” he says. “I liked being different.”
“My eyes were always this amber color. Well, before I was attacked. No one has ever had the same eye color as me, either,” I say, turning to Trae. “What do you think this means?”
“I was hoping you were gonna be able to tell me,” Trae says, scratching the back of his head.
“I honestly don’t know what to think. Could Videus have been tracking us down because of the eye color?” I suggest.
“Could be? Is there anything special about it?” Trae says, shrugging.
“Not as far as I’m aware. It’s just…different.”
“Well, in Videus’ eyes, that may have been just enough to hunt for. Remember the kinda guy he is. At least, I think he’s a guy,” Trae says, making a face. “He’s after anyone who may threaten his creation. Or his way of life. If he thinks he’s found a link of some sort, he’d go after it.”
“True,” I say, blinking furiously as I try to make sense of this new revelation. “Why would Ammon be beaten to the point where we couldn’t see his eyes? Is that relevant? Or even important? Or was it just happenstance due to what Videus was doing?”
“I think it could be important. Then again, it could all be one big coincidence,” Trae says. “There are too many variables.”
I make a face, and shake my head. “You of all people should know there aren’t coincidences when it involves me.”
“Well, I don’t know about that. You and I meeting was a coincidence,” he says.
“You’re different,” I say, getting up and walking away.
“Not really. The only difference was you were saving him,” Trae points at Ammon, “and I was saving you.”
“Yeah, but you were in an area you were typically in. You…you being where you were when you found me wasn’t unusual. But I was teleported—or something—to his location,” I say, trying to reason out my thoughts.
“You weren’t teleported right to me, though. You said you had to get a bit lost first,” Ammon says, trying to be helpful.
Trae grins, shrugging slightly.
“Oh, don’t be so smug,” I say, sticking out my tongue and smirking.
“Not smug, just…happily validated.”
“Okay, regardless, I think we should be wary of it. My instincts are telling me to be cautious. Videus doesn’t seem to do things without a lot of thought. In some ways, he seems infinitely more advanced than we are. Like he’s been preparing for centuries and we’re just learning to crawl.”
“I’ll give you that,” Trae says, nodding. “There’s obviously been a lot going on behind the scenes. More than anyone was ever aware. Hell, until I met you, I thought the biggest problem we faced on Pendomus was not wanting to live in the Helix.”
“Until I was attacked, that was my biggest problem, too,” I say, beginning to pace.
“Nothing is ever easy around you, Runa.”
“That’s putting things mildly. Okay,” I say, eyeing Ammon’s grinning face, “so going back to my sight. What if I’m in the middle of a trial and didn’t have any idea? From the trends I’ve seen happening, they’re going along my senses or integral parts of me. The things that make me, me. Or keep me alive. Thirst, hunger, hearing…I don’t know. Maybe I’m reading too much into it?”
“Until you have reason to believe otherwise, your hunch sounds pretty accurate,” Trae says.
I nod, but bite my lip.
“The only trouble is, if my supernatural sight isn’t working, how do I get it to come back?”
14
Traeton
I’VE NEVER SEEN KANI like this before. She’s completely left the building and a blank slate appears to have taken residence in her head.
“Are you going to be able to get her back?” I ask, “This is getting creepy.”
“Trae, she’s in shock. She’ll come out of it when and if she’s ready. Not before,” Landry says, rolling his eyes and lowering his eyebrows. “Since when did you get so impatient?”
“I’m not impatient. I’m just—I need to know what happened to her. To us,” I say, sinking back and taking a seat on the couch.
“And we’ll get there,” Landry says, his tone taking a deeply serious one I’ve only heard my father use when I was a kid.
I nod, keeping my distance from Landry as he tries for the third time to coax Kani out of a fetal position.
For whatever reason, seeing her this way puts me more on edge than I’d like. There’s something seriously not right with it. I mean, even after she had to—well, after Fenton—she was okay. Not perfect, but okay. What could be worse than that? What in the hell happened down in the Archives?
“What was the last thing she said to you? Do you remember?” Landry asks for the second time.
“Landry, we’ve been over this and to be perfectly honest, who cares? She wasn’t making any damn sense. And we need sense to be made.”
“Fine. What about you? You said you were outside? How’d that happen? Did you sleep walk or something?” he asks.
“No idea,” I shrug, then run my hand through my hair. “If I knew, things would probably be a bit simpler, don’t you think? I don’t even remember what I was doing right before—well, before blacking out.”
“Whatever happened, it had to have been big. Either psychologically or physically. Maybe a bio-explosion? If I can figure out what it was, I can treat it more effectively.”
“You mean like a bomb or something?” I ask.
“Sure,” he says, nodding, “Could be anything.”
“Well, it did kinda seem like a bomb went off—just not the standard kind. Sure, there was stuff all over the place, but no incendiary evidence.”
“Could be a different kind of device, though. Could have been of biological origin or even one designed to only affect the humans in a room. Like an EMP for people’s brains. You and Kani both have the eLink embedded. Could be something tied to that?” Landry mutters, shifting over to his holographic screens.
“Sure, I guess— But that’s way your area of expertise. Besides, if it were an EMP, why would Kani be like this? Wouldn’t she just be as confused as I am? Not completely mental?”
“Unless it malfunctioned,” Landry says.
“Right. Didn’t think of that. Ugh, I’m way outta my depth here.”
I don’t
know how to put it into words, but there’s something I feel like I’m forgetting—something important.
What in the hell was it?
“Okay, right. I’m gonna—” Landry taps the center of his forehead with his fingertip.
“You okay?” I ask.
Landry hasn’t quite been himself since he met up with us. I can’t put my finger on it; he’s just—off. Not a ton, but enough. I take a step toward him, but he raises his hand.
“No, Trae,” he shakes his head, “I don’t know when I’ll be okay. Shit sucks and I’ve been better—but I know you get that.”
I nod. Nobody has gotten over what’s happened to Fenton and I don’t imagine it’ll happen any time soon. Losing people, especially those who you care deeply about—it stays with you. But we need to find a way to make it mean something. If we don’t, then what’s any of it for?
“Trae, how about I make you something to eat? This could take a while and to be honest, it’s probably best for Landry to work on Kani alone,” Alina says, entering the main room from the allayroom.
For the first time in ages, I entertain the thought of food. I lurched up anything that had been in my stomach, so it’s probably a wise idea. Food hasn’t had the same appeal without Fenton. He was the one who could make a meal out of damn near anything and was always making sure no one went hungry.
I actually have no idea when I last ate.
“Yeah, that sounds nice, Alina. Thanks,” I say, nodding.
Getting up, I follow her into the small kitchen area in Landry’s home.
“What can I help with?” I ask.
Alina points to a chair at the table and smirks.
“No offense, Trae, but the last time you offered to help and I accepted, we ended up with burnt mushrooms and a hockey puck out of our meat. I’ll handle this one alone.”
She winks at me, and continues to take out the utensils, pots, pans, and ingredients she plans on using.
“Hey, I could at least hand you stuff. Right?” I say, chuckling.
“I doubt that’s wise. You have a way of trying to interject yourself and it never turns out well,” she laughs. “Remember that time when you and Fenton—”
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 38