We walk the small stone stairwell as it curves slightly to the right and we end up at a small, wooden door. It’s simple, and nondescript. I reach for the handle and push it open.
The room is dark, but as we enter, dim lights flicker to life.
“This is Alina’s place,” Trae says. “We’ve been right underneath her house.”
“What’s going on Trae? Why did you want to leave so quickly? It seemed Landry wanted us to stay and talk. Isn’t that a good thing considering how he’s been?”
“No, now’s not the time to chat with Landry. You’ll just have to trust me,” he says.
Trae takes the lead, having been inside Alina’s before. The house isn’t big, but it’s still nice to maneuver through it without needing to orient ourselves. We walk through a small kitchen, which unlike Landry’s house, is a room all to itself. Then, on to a hallway which leads to the main entry.
Trae’s breath is shallow as he guides us through each room.
“I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. Please, what’s going on?”
“I just—got a bad feeling about hanging out down there.”
“A bad feeling? How?” I ask, tugging his arm and making him stop. “It was the AirGlider, wasn’t it? Did he say something to freak you out?”
“Runa—I know you’re skeptical. Hell, I’d be too. But Caelum really does want to help,” Trae says.
“Caelum? Are you kidding me?” I say, dropping his hand.
Laughter bubbles up, a strange, almost maniacal laugh.
“He just wants us to get somewhere safe,” he says, his gaze shifting to his feet. “Something’s not right and he—”
“Safe? You think anywhere is safe? I knew—I knew you were compromised, but I figured it was just some miscellaneous AirGlider. Videus is coming for us. From every angle. Every timeline. Every direction and we don’t even know how we can stop him. All I’m supposed to be—this Daughter of Five— it’s all useless if his number one in command is inside your head. Why didn’t you think to tell me this sooner? Why the hell did you keep this from me?”
“I knew you wouldn’t understand,” Trae says, his voice low. “And I didn’t want to worry you. Honestly, Runa, I have this under control.”
“Like hell you do,” I say, glaring at him.
All this time, he knew who was inside his head—he knew it was Caelum and chose to keep it from me. How could he do this?
“Do you think I like this? Having some damn bird inside my mind, invading my thoughts whenever he wants? It’s obscene, that’s what it is. Especially because of us—and everything we’ve just—but I’m making the most of it. And look, he warned me, warned us, right before—” Trae takes a step back, taking a deep breath and lowering his shoulders that had risen.
“Right before?” I say through tight lips.
Trae blinks, his dark eyelashes rapidly fluttering across his cheeks.
“Look, we can talk about it elsewhere. We really need to go. It’s not safe here,” he says.
“Because Caelum says so? Of course not. We’re in the Lateral—with friends.”
“Runa, please,” Trae pleads. “We need to leave. Something is coming, if we don’t. Lets go, then I’ll tell you everything.”
I search his eyes. Desperation clings to their inner reaches, and despite my anger, I hear myself say, “Fine, let’s go.
Trae exhales and reaches for the door handle.
“Guys, what are you doing in here?”
17
Runa
BOTH OF US JUMP, startled at the voice from the darkness of the room. Trae flings the door open, and light floods into the entryway.
Alina enters the light; her eyebrows tucked in.
“Guys?” she repeats.
Trae grips the door handle tightly, but doesn’t move.
“We were looking for you and Landry,” I say, stepping toward her.
“Well, Landry’s not here. I think he’s over at his place. He’s still trying to come up with the EMP you guys need,” she says, her shoulders relaxing a bit.
“Oh, great. That’s—great,” I say, turning to look at Trae.
His eyes widen and he tips his head toward the door.
“We’ll just go check in with him to see how that’s going,” I say with a smile.
I start backing toward the door. Alina’s eye twitches slightly, and she shakes her head.
“Okay, well, if you need anything else—knock next time,” she says.
I nod, “Yes, you bet.”
Trae’s out the door before I even turn back around. I race out of the house and down the steps into the cobbled streets of the Lateral. My eyes widen as I take in the sheer number of people milling about. They’re all walking around, their eyes wide as they take in their new surroundings. Most of them are slightly emaciated, and look as though they haven’t seen sunlight of any kind for years.
Perhaps they haven’t.
“We need to find someplace quiet. Somewhere we won’t be spotted by someone else we know. Keep your head down, I have just the place,” Trae says, plucking a hat off a kid on the street and covering his bright blue hair.
I initiate the hood from my NanoTech jacket and drag it up over my head. Keeping our heads down, we meander through the crowded streets. Intense energy rolls off each person we pass connected through the bloodlines. I sense their connection to me, and I have no doubt they sense mine to them. No hood or hat could hide that.
Some of them lift their heads as we pass, searching for something they can sense, but not physically see. I want to reach out to them, tell them we’re here to put things right. But I know now is not the time or place. I need to regroup and figure out how to initiate the Beacon without Videus being alerted through Caelum.
Yet, as we continue on, like being drawn to a magnet, we start being followed. It starts with one confused straggler, and continues to expand.
I grab Trae’s hand, “Trae, stop. We need to stop.”
He turns around, confused. His eyes widen as he takes in the large crowd gathering behind us.
“What! How’d they follow us?”
I shake my head and say, “Instinctively. I could feel it, too.”
“Feel what?” he says, his eyes wide.
“Each of them. The ones who share the bloodlines.”
He licks his lower lip, nodding to himself.
“Trae, we need to face this head on. Time’s running out. There’s no place left to hide and we both know it. Without the mark, we have to take a stand. Maybe they’re part of it,” I say, sweeping my hand out to the sea of people.
“Runa, you do what you gotta do. At this point, I’m just here to back your play.”
“You’ll tell me what you needed to say later?” I ask.
“Yeah, sure.”
I take a deep breath. It feels like I’ve been made for this moment. That everything I’ve been through was leading me to this point.
Turning to face the crowd, I look into each of their faces. Despite everything they’ve been through; the isolation, the torture, they all gaze back into my eyes with hope written across their faces.
Stepping up onto the ledge of the fountain in the middle of the Lateral, I take a moment to watch the gathering crowd.
“You’ve spent the last few days, weeks, months, or maybe even years wondering what you’d done to deserve the treatment you’d received. You’ve probably wondered if there was something different about you—or maybe wrong with you. Maybe you already knew,” I begin. “Now is the time where we lay everything on the table. The hands we were dealt have been difficult. But they’re nothing more than circumstances. They don’t define us, even if they’re a part of who we’ve become. What defines us is the direct actions we take in our lives. The way we move through those circumstances we’ve been given.”
I take a deep breath, searching for the words. There’s so much to say, but without threatening to overwhelm them, I need to relay what’s most important.
<
br /> “Things are about to become dangerous. The man—Videus—that’s his name, he’s going to be coming for me—coming for all of us. I wish I could tell you being here was the end of your suffering, but I don’t know what’s in store yet. I just know whatever he has planned, I’m going to stand and fight him. This is my life. They’re your lives. I’m not going to give Videus any more pawns to play with. You each have power inside you. I know you’ve felt it. Maybe you even know what that power means for you. You need to tap into it now. It’s what you were captured for. It’s what Videus is most frightened of. He kept everyone separate because he didn’t know which of you would lead him to me. Little did he know, together we’re stronger than one person.”
I look out into the sea of confusion and understanding. Those who are with me begin explaining to those around them.
“If we rise together, standing against his tyranny and violence, we can take back our lives. I have a plan. I can’t promise it will be easy. I can’t promise I can keep you all safe. But I do promise that if you’re with me, I will do everything in my power to break this cycle and give you your lives back,” I say. “We need to come at Videus head on. We can’t sit back, waiting for him to come to us. That’s what he’ll expect. Instead, we leave at dawn to retaliate. Think about it for a moment. Talk about it with those you love before you decide.”
Everyone erupts in chatter, drawing attention to our crowd by the rest of the Lateral residents. Some begin to leave their homes, making their way to us.
“What’s going on here?” Delaney says, walking up beside Trae.
“Lane, we’re all in danger—I’m sure you’re well aware. We need to take a stand and put an end to all of this. Everything we hold dear is at stake,” I say.
Without a second thought, Lane tips her head and says, “We always knew it would come to this. The records are old, but still clear. Whatever you need, the Council is at your disposal.”
“Council?” Trae says, taking Delaney by the arm and pulling her aside.
I step down from the fountain, and follow.
Lane points to me and says, “She’s the Daughter of Five, is she not?”
My eyes widen.
“How do you know that name?” I ask, suddenly cautious.
Delaney inhales slowly, then straightens her jacket. Her dark, curly hair is piled on top of her head, the way it was when I first met her. She looks calm and put together. Not like someone who should know anything about the Daughter of Five.
“I’ve been a part of a group inside the Lateral called the Council. There are four of us and we’ve been seated by those who came before us. We’re meant to watch for signs of the prophecy,” she says.
My head is spinning, and I step away.
A secret group of humans who knew about the prophecy? How could this even be possible?
“Who are the other three?” I ask, turning around to face her.
Trae glances from me to Delaney and back again.
“You won’t know them,” she begins.
“Try me,” I say.
“They’re from different cities on Pendomus. So unless you’ve been to the outskirts of Kanlantia or the highlands of Franish, I highly doubt it will matter. What matters is we need to sound the alarm. I knew—I knew from the moment you told me you were attacked by the Morph,” she says.
“What about the Morph? You told us the Morph was fabricated—Oh, right,” Trae says, his eyes widening in recognition. “You already knew about the Waterbear.”
Delaney nods.
Thoughts swirl around in my head like a wild current.
The Morph was designed deliberately based on Tethys. Delaney has known all along about the Waterbear and other Pillars. She’s known about the propaganda of the Daughter of Five. It was all right here, under our noses the whole time.
Shaking away the surprise, I say, “Look Lane, if you’re aware of the prophecy, then you know we need to find a way to get the Beacon initiated so the Acropolis will rise. We need to release Videus’ control on the Four Pillars so they can choose for themselves who they support.”
“If you’re the Daughter of Five, you know you’re the only one who can get the Beacon initiated. Do you have the mark?” she asks.
I hold out my arm, allowing her to lift my sleeve. The glowing Everblossom with its missing petal shimmer under the surface of my skin.
“It’s not complete?” Delaney says, lifting her eyes to mine.
“It’s not,” I say.
“Then it’s no good to us,” she says shoving my arm back to me.
She begins to pace.
“How can you only have a partial mark?” she says, crossing her arms.
“I didn’t finish the trials. I needed to come back,” I say. “I got word my friends were in danger.”
“Of course you did,” she says, rolling her eyes. “They’re always in trouble. That doesn’t negate the importance of what you were meant to be undergoing.”
“Look, are you going to back me up, or are you going to second guess my judgment?” I say, anger welling inside of me. “We don’t have time for petty squabbles and second guessing. What we need now is direct action. By now, Videus could know where we are, and how to get to us. With or without the Beacon, we need to find a way to join everyone in a common cause.”
Delaney’s face is unreadable, even as she cocks an eyebrow and glances toward Trae.
“What exactly do you have in mind?” she finally says.
“I was thinking—the Beacon is meant to be partially a symbol. It’s a way to alert the Pillars the prophecy is true and is in action. To me, that means it’s time to stand up and do what’s right. It gives them all a reason to break ranks with Videus, if they can, and fight for their independence again,” I say.
“You realize that’s easier said than done. Many of the Pillars have been enslaved and had years of mental and physical conditioning to keep them in line. If it were as easy as you say, to just—break ranks—many would have done it before now. What about all those who can’t do it on their own? The Beacon was meant to be more than just an alert system—it’s meant to amplify your power. That’s how the Acropolis will rise again.”
I take a seat on the edge of the fountain.
“Well, that’s news to me,” I say, biting my lip. “I didn’t know.”
Why does everything have to be so mysterious? Trickling in at the most inopportune times? Why can’t they just spell it all out and say, Runa—get your butt in gear and make this, this, and this happen?
Why can’t I just be omnipotent or something? Ugh.
“Alright. Here’s what I think we need—”
High above the city, the lights flicker, immediately followed by a rumble knocking debris loose from the cavern ceiling.
“What was that?” I say, looking up.
“Nothing good,” Delaney says. “Trae, stay here with everyone. I’m going to fill in Ash and the team. We need to be ready. By the looks of things, dawn just came early.”
Delaney rushes off, maneuvering through the crowd of people until I lose sight of her.
Another loud crack above us rumbles the very fabric of the Lateral. One of the large lights hanging high above the city crashes to the ground, leveling the roof of a smaller house on its descent.
Someone nearby screams.
“It’s started,” I say, eyeing the group of people beginning to lose their calm.
“Everyone—everyone listen to me. We can’t panic,” I yell over the sounds of crying, screaming, and shouts.
The volume settles only a little, so I close my eyes, trying to connect with each and everyone in the Lateral. Bloodline tied or not, we all have a stake in what comes next.
I push the boundaries of what I can do, searching each molecule of this place for sentient life. When I’m satisfied I’ve found everyone I can, I open my eyes.
Above each them is a bright white and blue light—letting me know they’re online with me. In a strange way, they remind me
of the orbs of light I first saw when my vision was adjusting to this new power inside me.
~Everyone, we aren’t prepared. None of us are, but that’s the thing about life. Things shift and change all the time without our permission. Things are never clear. Never one-hundred percent concrete. What matters is what we do when things shift. Videus is coming. He’s already here. It’s time to take our stand and protect those we love. Are you with me?
With that, the ceiling of the Lateral itself tears apart like someone opening a metal can. Large boulders launch as debris, landing all around us. Snow from outside careens inward, splattering around in odd places, bringing the outside into the Lateral.
Flashes from the future of the gaping hole where the Lateral used to be instantly come to mind. Everything is beginning again—and even though I’m here, I’m not able to stop it.
Large holes rip through the cobbled streets, revealing the large, open water below. Screams erupt as a young boy loses his balance and falls into the water.
I rush forward, unable to help myself. If something isn’t done he’ll die and I can’t have that on my conscience. I reach out to Tethys, knowing she’s nearby, still circling somewhere in the watery depths below.
As I reach the massive hole’s edge, another huge chunk of the cavern ceiling comes crashing down, leveling a nearby home to its foundation. A huge chunk of ice and snow skitter across the floor, landing near my feet. More screaming.
There’s so much screaming.
The pitch digs at my core, and my body begins to shake from the rush of adrenaline.
I need to get the boy—get the boy, and then focus on the rest.
Staring into the depths, I push my consciousness into the water. As much as I’ve connected to the inner realm of Tethys’ watery magic, I don’t have the kind of strength she does to push him out. This will have to be done from beneath.
Tethys acknowledges she’ll protect him and get him to safety. I sense her as she hunts beneath the Lateral, searching for the boy. After a moment, the water below turns a bright blue and begins to boil. Just as she had done before with me, she bursts upward.
The Complete Pendomus Chronicles Trilogy: Books 1-3 of the Pendomus Chronicles Dystopian Scifi Boxed Set Series Page 65