“That I support terrorists?”
“Yes.” Arthur’s face darkened. “And that you’re the one who was supposed to rescue the parents, and you failed.”
Waverly felt as though she’d been punched in the gut, but maybe Arthur was right. Maybe she couldn’t get elected at all.
“Look,” Arthur said, appealing to her through his eyeglasses, with magnified blue eyes. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about an election.”
The elevator doors opened, but Waverly stayed put, looking at Arthur with sadness. After their talk in the shuttle, she’d thought she had an ally, someone who was her equal. Now she wasn’t sure what to think about him.
“Good-bye, Arthur,” Waverly said as she stepped off the elevator. Arthur seemed to want to say more, but only nodded as the doors closed between them.
She walked down the corridor deep in thought. When she reached her door, she punched in her lock code without looking at her fingers and walked into the living room.
Immediately, she knew something wasn’t right. In the dark room there was an earthy smell that didn’t belong. Someone was here. She picked up the cricket bat that she kept by the door and cautiously turned on the light. She blinked her eyes, unable to believe what they were showing her: a man lying on her couch. A man whose face was a mass of bloody bruises and swollen features, leaning up on his elbow. She tried to find a scream inside of her, but she was paralyzed.
He opened his mouth and spoke: “I’ll leave if you want me to.”
“Seth,” she whispered, dropping the bat. “Seth, oh my God.”
“I needed someplace safe.”
She locked the door behind her and ran to him, knelt on the floor, put her hand to his swollen forehead. A sloppy bandage, blood-soaked, covered the top of his scalp. “What happened to you?”
“I think I met our stowaway,” he slurred. His lower lip was split and swollen like a purple balloon. “Nice guy.”
Seth told her that he’d woken up in the lab and had come here for help. He didn’t remember much about the attack itself. She could see just talking was a strain for him; he was in a great deal of pain.
“You have to get to the infirmary.”
“No, please.” He reached for her hand, closed his fingers around hers, squeezed. “I can’t go back to the brig.”
His face was so swollen he was barely recognizable, but when Waverly brushed her fingers against his cheek, his skin felt cool.
“I don’t think you’re running a fever. No infection, anyway.”
“Do you have any pain meds?”
“I think so,” Waverly said, and went into the bathroom to look. She found a bottle of strong medication that her mother had used for her migraines, and a pang went through her. What if Mom gets a migraine on that ship? She blinked back tears and went back to the living room.
“Here,” she said, and meted out three pills to him, which he swallowed all in one go. “Your face looks like hamburger,” she said.
“We can’t all be beauty queens,” he said without skipping a beat. Despite his injuries, he seemed happy to see her.
She hid a smile and went to the kitchen to fill a small basin with warm soapy water, then sat on the coffee table next to him and, with a damp washcloth, began wiping the blood off his face to reveal a gray, peaked complexion.
“How did you get out of the brig?”
“The stowaway let me out, I’m pretty sure.”
“What?” She was so surprised she dropped the washcloth, and it landed on his chest. “Why?”
“I think I was his decoy.”
“Kieran thinks I let you out.”
“That making trouble between you two?”
She shrugged. “We broke up awhile ago.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “If I had anywhere else to go…”
She tried to read his expression, looking for any evidence that he was glad she and Kieran had split. She found none. His face was consumed with pain. “Can you sit up enough to undress?”
“Time for my sponge bath?” He managed a smirk.
“You’re lucky I don’t throw you out with the trash,” she said, but she held the washcloth, waiting.
He sat up, groaning, and wriggled out of his shirt, which was caked with blood. She gasped. His chest was mottled with ugly bruises and abrasions. “What did he do to you?”
“Gave me a bear hug,” he said with a groan.
Quickly and efficiently, Waverly passed the soapy cloth over his shoulders, down his back, across his abdomen, and along the ridges of his ribs, taking special care around an evil black bruise at his side. She knew he was looking at her as she worked, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She couldn’t. She was too aware of how quickly she was breathing. It was perfectly natural to be helping him, and yet she felt awkward. She heard him breathing, too, could see the rise and fall of his rib cage. His scent was sharp but pleasant, like pinesap, and she caught herself taking it in as she scrubbed his torso clean.
“And now for the lower half,” he said straight-faced.
She only handed him the washcloth. “I’m going to see if I’ve got anything that will fit you.”
She went to her mother’s room and turned on the light, then cried out in dismay when she saw the bloody sheets. “What did you do?”
“I’m sorry,” Seth said, sounding mortified. “I didn’t know what room I was in. I came in here when I realized.”
“That’s my mom’s bed.”
Bottom lip quivering, Waverly walked past the soiled bed and went to the closet, where she found a pair of her mother’s sweatpants and an old shirt of her father’s that Regina had kept. Waverly went back into the living room and handed the clothes to Seth. He stood shakily to dress but collapsed on the sofa again with a whimper.
“You’re really hurt,” Waverly said.
“I am aware.”
She resisted the urge to brush his hair out of his eyes, and instead sat in the armchair with her hands in her lap. “What does the terrorist look like?”
“All I saw was the blood in my eyes.” He lay back, his eyes on the ceiling. “I woke up in the chemistry lab. I went there for a shower, I think.”
“What would he be doing in the chem lab?”
Seth sat up suddenly, winced, and collapsed back onto the couch. “I can’t believe I forgot,” he said breathlessly.
“Forgot what?”
“I found a mess in the lab. I think he was making something.” He hit the couch cushions with a fist. “How did I forget that?”
“Making what?” Waverly asked.
His eyes snapped to hers. The two looked at each other for a long moment.
“Better tell Kieran,” Seth finally said, resigned.
“Okay,” she said, doubtfully. “What do I say?”
“You’re a smart girl,” Seth said, eyes closed. “Lie.”
Waverly walked out of the apartment and down the corridor, rehearsing under her breath. When she reached the corridor for Central Command, she passed a group of preteen girls, led by Marjorie Wilkins. As Waverly passed by, Marjorie took a bracelet from a small basket she wore over her arm. “Do you want to show your support for Kieran by wearing one of our bracelets?” the girl said. There was no smile behind the offer. The rest all turned to see what Waverly would say.
Waverly felt the girls’ challenge and was annoyed. “No, thanks.”
“Because you’re a collaborator?” one of the girls shot back. She had thin red lips that stretched across her face like a slash.
“Collaborator with who?” Waverly said, arms crossed.
“Seth Ardvale,” Marjorie said, squinting meanly. “Everyone knows you’re helping him.”
Waverly felt the air go out of her, but she made her face blank. There’s no way they could know, she told herself. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Everyone knows you went behind Kieran’s back to visit Seth in the brig.”
“That’s nobody’s business but my own,” Waver
ly said. She tried to pass them, but one of Marjorie’s friends, a stubby little pip-squeak named Melanie, blocked her way. With a crooked grin, she shifted her gaze meaningfully to the wall to Waverly’s right.
Waverly saw her name written there with an arrow pointed toward a picture, and though she knew she shouldn’t give them the satisfaction, she took it in. It showed a stick figure with long flowing hair on her knees in front of another stick figure with a large erection. Underneath was the caption Traitor plus traitor equals true love.
“Who drew that?” Waverly demanded.
Marjorie only shrugged her shoulders. “It was there when we got here.”
Waverly looked at each of them in turn. They stared back with insolent smirks on their faces. Waverly felt hunted, transparent. They’re just kids, she told herself. But how many of the crew thought this way about her?
She shouldered her way through them and marched to Central Command to ring the buzzer. The door slid open for her almost immediately, and she looked back at Marjorie, who was obviously jealous that Waverly could walk right in.
Inside, Kieran stood up from the Captain’s chair and looked at her as if watching for sudden moves. Arthur visibly stiffened.
“I won’t take up much of your time,” Waverly said to Kieran coolly.
Kieran indicated a chair. “Have a seat.”
Waverly sat down in one of the chairs near Kieran. “I was in the chemistry lab yesterday, and I saw something that seemed out of place. It’s been bugging me ever since, so I thought you should know.”
“Okay…” Kieran said slowly. He wove his fingers together and waited for her to go on.
She realized she had no idea what Seth had seen exactly. “I think it’s better if I show you.”
Kieran regarded her for a moment, then stood. “Let’s go.”
“Maybe we should bring some guards,” she said shakily.
Kieran went to the cabinet in the corner of the room and took out a can of mace. “We’ll be fine,” he said.
She wanted to insist on more protection, but she knew it would look odd if she did.
It felt strange to be walking down a corridor with Kieran like in the old days. He pressed the button for the elevator, casting glances toward Waverly. She pretended not to see, tried not to show her fear.
The lab level was dark, and Kieran went to a control panel and turned on the lights, then the two of them padded down the corridor. Waverly was afraid to breathe too loudly. When they reached the door to the lab, Kieran walked confidently in.
The lab looked as immaculate as ever. Every surface gleamed bright stainless steel. The sink was spotless and dry, as though it hadn’t been used in weeks. All the trash cans were empty. Waverly looked around the room desperately for some sign of what Seth had been talking about. But there was nothing.
“What did you see?” Kieran asked, his eyes on her face, his voice quiet.
“I— It looked like a science experiment,” Waverly fumbled. “Beakers and test tubes…”
Kieran looked around the spotless lab. “Where?”
“On the counter.” She could feel her face redden and pretended not to notice that Kieran was studying her.
“Where on the counter?”
She pointed to a random spot by the sink, and Kieran walked over to it. “When did you see this?”
“I don’t know. Yesterday morning,” she said, kicking herself. How stupid could she be? Each of her lies was more obvious than the last.
He walked back to stand next to her by the entrance, his eyes on her face. “Are you in contact with Seth Ardvale?”
Her throat closed, and she stared at him, her mind racing. “Really, Kieran?” she said, feigning anger to cover her fear. “That’s where your mind goes?”
“This morning we found a video record of him leaving this room yesterday, looking pretty beat up. When we came down here, this lab was clean. How else would you know about it if he didn’t tell you?”
“Well, I haven’t seen him,” she said, and stared at Kieran, defying him to contradict her. She watched his face, waiting for some sign that he knew Seth was in her apartment, but when Kieran dropped his eyes, she knew he’d only been guessing.
“All I need to do to find out if you’re lying is check the video log.”
She kicked herself for not thinking of that, but it couldn’t be helped. The best thing was to change the topic. “Why are you pretending Seth is working with the terrorist?”
Kieran’s mouth tightened. “It’s the most logical explanation right now.”
“Seth would never work with anyone from the New Horizon, and you know it.”
“He’s capable of anything, Waverly,” Kieran said quietly and very condescendingly. But he was lying. From his guilty manner, she could see he didn’t really believe it.
“He’s not a traitor,” she spat.
“He turned on his Captain,” Kieran said, voice raised.
“You’re not the Captain!” she yelled. The metal walls around her rang with her voice. “You’ve never been elected!”
“You agreed to support me!” he shouted with a finger in her face. “Now you’re just being irresponsible. If the leaders of our vessel seem to be quarreling, that’s bad for morale.”
“Without an election, Kieran, there are no leaders.”
Kieran’s lips flitted together and apart, the way they did whenever he was nervous. “There hasn’t been an election on this ship for decades,” he said breathily. “And with a terrorist running around—”
“You’re using the terrorist to gain political points, Kieran. And that’s just … just…” She felt tears welling in her eyes, but she furiously squinted them away. “I mean how can you say Sarah and I—”
“She helped them hide! By defying me she gave Seth and the terrorist time to—”
“She didn’t know about the terrorist!”
“She knew about Seth. Everyone did.”
“And you’re using him as a scapegoat.” She sliced the air with the flat of her hand. “You’re turning the whole crew against him.”
“Keeping the crew united against a common enemy is one way to protect them. If you were in charge, you’d see—”
“That’s just the thing, Kieran. You’re the only one who thinks you’re in charge.”
“You want to try it? See how easy it is?”
“I intend to.”
She left him looking blank-faced and small.
As she walked down the corridor to the elevator, she didn’t see the tiny boy watching her through the glass of the stairwell doorway. She didn’t see him slip into the corridor as she stepped onto the elevator, and so she didn’t know that she was followed back to her quarters, and as she closed the door, the small shape slipped into the apartment across the way.
THE GIRL
Seth understood his stay with Waverly would be ending, even before Waverly returned and told him that Kieran had guessed he’d contacted her, and that he couldn’t stay beyond tonight. He also understood that there wouldn’t be anything between them, but he couldn’t deny his giddy happiness at being handed a bowl of hot chicken soup and a crusty roll by the beautiful Waverly Marshall.
“I don’t like kicking you out,” she said, her large brown eyes trailing over the bruises and scrapes on his face.
“The pain meds were really what I needed,” he said, sitting up. It was amazing how much better he felt already. “One more night on your couch, and I’ll be fine.”
Their eyes met, and for a long moment, Seth wondered what she was thinking. There was no seeing past her stony gaze.
“How about I drop off food for you. Would that help?” she asked as she dipped a crust of bread into her soup.
“Sounds too risky,” Seth said.
“It’s not like I could get in worse trouble with Kieran, or the rest of the crew for that matter.”
“The rest of the crew? What for?”
She paused, her head down, gaze remote, as if the topic were t
oo painful to discuss. Finally she said, “They’re mad I left the parents behind on the New Horizon.”
“If you did, so did they.”
She shook her head. “No. I should have—”
“Waverly,” he said sternly. “You chose between rescuing a bunch of little kids who can’t help themselves, and a bunch of adults who can. You did the right thing.”
“But—”
“No!” he said, and stared into her eyes until she looked up at him. “No one has the right to criticize you for what you did. No one. You have to believe that, inside of you, or they’ll keep coming at you.”
She looked at him for a long time, thinking about what he said, before finally nodding. “You’re right.”
“I usually am.”
Her eyes moved slowly, from her bowl, to his face, to his hands, to her bowl. She showed him very little, but he could still see she felt uncomfortable, and he liked what it did to her. She was vulnerable this way.
“Anyway,” she said, her voice stronger now, “about some food for you. We’ll work out four or five drop-off places and the times. I don’t think anyone would figure it out.”
He was tempted, especially after the soup, which was salty and spicy and perfectly balanced. But he shook his head. “I’ve put you in enough danger already.”
“It’s not like Kieran would have me executed.”
“I know,” Seth said, leaning up on one elbow. “But I don’t like thinking of you in the brig.”
“You act like you have a say in what I do,” she snapped. She seemed upset from her talk with Kieran, but he knew better than to ask her about it. The last thing he wanted to talk about was Kieran Alden. “I’m going to leave you meals whether you want me to or not, so you might as well get the benefit of them.”
“What if someone notices you?”
“I’ll just leave the food where no one ever goes. The observatory, for one. There are lots of abandoned places like that.”
“Okay,” Seth said doubtfully. “If I can’t stop you, go ahead.”
Waverly smiled nervously at him, then went into the kitchen, and she soon came back in with a small plate heaped with cookies. “Want one?”
“I’ll have four,” he said, and took a handful, leaving her a single cookie.
Spark A Sky Chasers Novel Page 11