Revelations (The Elysium Chronicles)

by Souders, J. A.

  Eli hesitates, then nods. “Yes.”

  Gavin and Asher look between Eli and me as I say, “And will I get my memories back if you fix them?”

  Eli at first doesn’t respond, but then he starts firing questions at me. “Have you been able to recall anything at all?”

  “I-I don’t know. I’m not sure.”

  “How about any dreams that seem more real than usual?”

  I share a glance with Gavin and nod. “Y-Yes.”

  Eli makes a hmm-ing noise. “How about hallucinations? Sleepwalking? Sleeptalking? Fugue states?”

  I nod quickly, getting more excited with every question. “Yes! Yes, I have. All of those.”

  “That’s the major reason we’re here, actually. She’s almost killed herself a couple of times with sleepwalking and the fugue states,” Gavin interjects.

  Eli’s eyes widen. “Please explain.”

  Gavin tells him the story of me walking into his weapons room and then of me almost drowning myself, while Asher explains about my hallucination in the Outlands.

  Eli tilts his head back and forth, obviously considering all of the information. “Yes,” he finally says. “The memories are still there, they’re just blocked. It’s part of their programming for Enforcers. We’ve never tried to get memories back, but I think I can.”

  He doesn’t seem confident, but I’ve heard all I need to hear. He can help. Probably. Before I can respond, Gavin asks, “How are you going to get her memories back if you’ve never done it before?”

  “Well, we’re going to have to reset the nanites.”

  “And how are you going to do that?”

  Eli shakes his head. “We don’t have time for explanations right now. It’s not safe here. I’ll explain everything when we get somewhere secure.”

  “Then let’s go.” I push past Gavin and Asher.

  They grab at my arms, each saying something to try to make me change my mind, but they speak over each other and I can’t understand.

  Besides, I don’t want to hear it. Eli says he thinks he can fix my memories. That’s good enough for me. I pull away and step closer to Eli before looking over my shoulder. “I’m going. You can come along if that will make you feel better, or you can wait here with the goo.”

  Then I turn back around and start walking toward the Tube station again.

  Eli laughs as they run to catch up after a long pause. “Still the same Evelyn, I see. Good. We’ll need that spunk.” Then he steps in front of me, leading the way.

  Gavin

  I don’t know what to do. I can’t say I’m surprised Evie made us follow Eli, but nothing good is going to come of this. I’m certain of that. I can sense Asher’s unease as he walks behind me, and serves him right. He’s the one who brought us down here. My only comfort is that even if Evie doesn’t remember Father, I remember the way she’d talked about him and how he’d helped her stand up to Mother in the past. If anyone can help her now, it’s probably him.

  Of course, that doesn’t mean I completely trust him.

  “The train itself is out of service,” Eli explains as we quickly walk through the Tube. “Due in part to a mysterious malfunction that ended up causing the entire tunnel to flood, killing six people.” He gives me a knowing look.

  I clear my throat. “And the other part?”

  His look doesn’t change, but it darkens. “I’m sure I don’t have to say, but it has something to do with some … failed experiments, and that marvelous substance you were trapped with.”

  Asher dances in front of Eli, walking backward to face him. “What was that stuff, anyway?”

  Eli shrugs and shakes his head. “We don’t know yet. We’re still studying it. It’s been a bit of a challenge. It resists all our attempts to gather it by somehow mutating anything that touches it into its matrix.”

  “And that doesn’t bother you?” I ask, shuddering as I think how close Asher came to “being mutated into its matrix.”

  “Of course it does. We’ve had to quarantine Sector Three.” He passes by Asher, shutting down any further questions, while the three of us exchange a look behind his back. Just another reason on the long list of them: murderous experiments, entire floors flooded with seawater, green mutating goo—to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.

  When we enter the Tube tunnel, dread hunches my shoulders. I expect the sound of rushing water and the icy chill of the ocean to pour over my head. Mother’d tried to drown Evie and me—not to mention the family that had been unlucky enough to have been in the train with us—the last time. There’s no evidence of any of that now. It doesn’t surprise me that the train—and bodies—are gone. Mother strikes me as nothing if not efficient. Even so, I’m glad Evie doesn’t remember any of it. She doesn’t need any more anguish right now. It’s funny to see her gaping around at the water that surrounds us and the lava flows below us that turn the water orange. She’s the one who grew up here.

  Asher is doing the same and I have to wonder if that’s what I looked like when I first came. I hope I didn’t look as stupid as he does, with his mouth hanging wide open. I can’t imagine I did. Evie wouldn’t have tolerated it.

  Then again … I chuckle to myself as Eli barks at Asher to stop gawking and keep up. That sounds exactly like what Evie had said to me.

  The tunnel slopes upward and for the first hundred or so feet, everything seems to be okay. But then Evie stumbles.

  I rush to help her up, but she says, “I’m fine. Just a bit tired.” Her voice is all breathy and her tone confused. She had another hallucination. I know it. I can see it in the way her eyes aren’t completely focused.

  Eli looks over her head at me with worried eyes. He turns his attention back to her. “We can rest if you need to, but we really need to get you somewhere safe as soon as possible. You’ll probably experience more and more of your … hallucinations the further we go. Especially back in Sector Two. The more familiar surroundings are likely to act as triggers, and we can’t risk you doing something to endanger yourself.”

  I know what he didn’t say, “and us.” Then something he said clicks in my head.

  “Wait. If she’ll get her memories back just by being here, why do you even need to do anything?”

  “I didn’t say she’d get her memories back by being here. I said here might trigger more hallucinations. And the hallucinations, as you well know, are dangerous. She’s been lucky—mostly because of you—up until now, but there’s no guarantee that she’ll stay lucky. Without my intervention, she could end up injured or worse.” He gives me a steady look until he’s satisfied I understand what he means, then he turns back to Evie. “Again, we can stop if you need to rest, just let me know.”

  She must see how worried he is, because she shakes her head. “I’m fine. Let’s just keep going.”

  We do, but after another couple hundred feet, she stumbles again. When I reach for her this time, she just leans against me. Her body is shaking, and even through that I can feel her chest heaving with each breath she takes. Whatever she’s seeing, it terrifies her.

  “Are you okay?” I ask.

  She nods. “Yeah. Perfect.”

  Asher shoots me an uneasy glance. He knows as well as I do how far from perfect we are right now.

  “Do you want me to carry you?” I ask. I don’t know if it’ll help, but at least we’d be able to keep going.

  She looks up at me with the look of “Are you insane?” She shakes her head. “No. I’ve got it.”

  For the next several minutes we continue up the constantly sloping floor until even I’m winded. The last week of running all over the Outlands has taken its toll. At least for the trip from Rushlake, I had a horse. Even if I did have to steal it. My whole body aches and I just want to collapse right here and sleep for a month. But I don’t trust Eli enough to close my eyes even for a second. Looks like sleep is off the menu until we leave.

  And then we come to the open doorway that leads into the main part of Elysium. Up
ahead, I can see the pools of light in the center of the Square, though the shops and businesses around it appear dark. Closed up for the night. It looks peaceful, like my own village after dark, but I know it’s nothing like that. Everything in this place is manufactured. False peace. Fake plants, a fake moon overhead, and a weird smell like baked goods. But even that isn’t quite right. It’s more candy-like—a sickly sweet—instead of real spices and sugar.

  I have to fight not to turn and run in the other direction as every cell in my body warns me of the danger. Eli gestures for us to get into the shadows made by the lights just outside of the tunnel, so we slip around the corner and press ourselves against the walls as he goes on ahead. My mind screams that we can’t trust him, that he works for her. He’s not bringing us to help, he’s bringing us to Mother.

  With a small shudder, I push the thoughts away. I don’t have a choice. Evie is determined Eli can help and Asher’s the classic case of curiosity killing the cat. Even as I think it, he steps into the light to look closer at something. I bark at him to get back into the shadows. Which he does with an “oops” expression, but doesn’t look all that concerned. I have to remind myself, he doesn’t know what could be watching him. Literally. And he doesn’t realize that his silver tongue isn’t going to be able to talk him out of any trouble he’s gotten into.

  We wait and I look around, trying to find the turrets, but I can’t see any from my angle. I take slow, deep breaths to calm my own unease. What if Eli’s going to get an Enforcer? Or Mother? What if he doesn’t come back at all?

  It’s so quiet around here. Last time we were here, this street—the whole Sector—was filled with people. So much so we couldn’t walk from one end of it to the other without having to weave between them. Where are all the Citizens? The Enforcers? Guards, even?

  Something’s wrong. I can feel it.

  A few minutes later, Eli reappears, alone, and gestures for us to follow him. “Keep quiet. The city is under curfew.”

  “Curfew?” Asher asks with raised eyebrows and Evie knits her brow together as if that doesn’t quite make sense.

  Glancing at her, Eli says, “Mother instituted it shortly after you … left. In fact, she started a lot of new, more restrictive laws using you as an excuse.”

  “Wonderful,” Evie murmurs. Guilt drips from every syllable and I can’t help but feel for her. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t know what happened after we left. This isn’t at all what should have happened. I clench my fists, then force myself to relax them.

  Just then Eli curses under his breath and yanks Evie deeper into the shadows. I immediately do the same, knowing better than to take longer than a second. When I turn, my back pressed as tightly as possible against the wall, I see someone that makes the blood in my veins turn to ice. An Enforcer stepping out of the shadows. I thought—wanted, hoped—I’d never see one again, but she’s unmistakable with her all-black clothing. The short dress that falls to just above her knees. The long boots, the tops hiding under the skirt, and the gloves and cape that cover the rest of her exposed skin. She’s looking right at us. Right at Evie.

  Her eyes flick to Asher, who was the slowest of us getting to the wall, and I want to hit him when he whispers, quite loudly, “What’s going on?”

  “Enforcers.” I barely breathe the word. It’s probably still too loud, but if I don’t answer him, he’ll just keep questioning. Next to me, Evie shifts from one foot to the other, and grasps my arm tightly. She’s shaking. Or maybe that’s me. The last time I saw an Enforcer up close, she was trying to put a bullet in me.

  But then she—the Enforcer—steps backward into the dark. It’s almost as if she’s melting into them, becoming part of just one large Enforcer shadow. My muscles spasm at the thought.

  Eli narrows his eyes, but doesn’t say anything. After a minute, he continues forward. Cautiously, I follow, sticking like glue to the walls. Last time, the shadows meant for the Enforcers kept us safe from the turrets. Not that running into more Enforcers is on my list of priorities—that last one is still causing my nerves to spit sparks throughout my body—but maybe with Eli here, they’ll ignore us.

  I won’t get my hopes up.

  I think he’s going to lead us to the maintenance tunnels Evie and I used the last time we were here, but instead he walks right past them.

  “We aren’t going to use the tunnels?” I ask, tense.

  He doesn’t even spare me a glance. “She’s too weak to crawl up the ladders on her own. Now hush and keep up.”

  I glance nervously at a section of the ceiling that has a black pole protruding from it. “What about the turrets?”

  This time he stops, but only long enough to give me a look. “Do you think I didn’t already think of that, Surface Dweller? I would not let harm come to my daughter, even if that means protecting someone like you. Now hurry, before another Enforcer sees us and all my precautions were for naught.”

  I bite back a nasty comment, because he’s right. While the Square appears to be deserted, it doesn’t mean we can drop our guard. Enforcers could be anywhere. Didn’t Evie teach me that?

  We move quickly through the spookily quiet city. Every once in a while an Enforcer steps out of the shadows, and every time they look in our direction, I think we’re busted. That it’s all over. But they just slide back into the shadows.

  “What the hell,” I whisper.

  Eli turns to me with an equally confused look, but his eyes are filled with worry and not a little fear. He mutters, “That’s not good.” Then he speeds up, but it still feels way too slow for me.

  If Eli is worried, “that’s not good” is an understatement. My heart gallops in my chest and I feel cold, like I’ve just drunk an entire gallon of ice water in one shot. The only thing not stopping me from running straight back to the sub is Evie. Even though it’s obvious she’s terrified with her wide eyes and colorless face, she also looks resolute. There’s no way I’d get her out of here without a fight. Which would only draw more attention to us.

  “This is insane,” I say as quietly as I can. “We’re going to get caught. The Enforcers know we’re here. I know they do.”

  Eli only nods. “We must hurry. It’s safe where I’m taking you. I assure you.”

  I’m not “assured,” but Evie follows, leaving me no choice unless I hit her over the head and drag her back with me. I have to admit, that’s looking more and more like a good option.

  Suddenly, there’s a giggle and shout.

  “Meredith! No. Stop!”

  A little blond-haired girl darts by, and we all stop in our tracks. Eli’s face goes from worried to full-out terrified. He lunges forward, trying to grab the child, but she only laughs harder and slips right out of Eli’s outstretched hands. I reach for her too, but she only twists her body around, dodging me, still giggling.

  “Meredith!” a woman calls. We can’t see her yet, but I don’t need to see her to know she’s in a full-out panic.

  I focus in on Eli. The panic he’s obviously feeling is practically pouring off him in waves, which makes the dread pooling in my stomach weigh like a stone. He seems torn—undecided—but then he straightens his shoulders and takes a step out of the shadows. Evie makes a short squeaking sound, then slaps her hand against her mouth, her other hand reaching out to him. As if she’s willing him to come back.

  But it’s too late. An Enforcer has beaten both of us to it. Eli steps back into the shadows almost instantly.

  The Enforcer is holding the girl, who isn’t giggling anymore.

  Somewhere in me, I know what’s about to happen.

  A woman rushes around the corner, then stops in her tracks at the sight in front of her. Her eyes shut and even from here, I can see her swallow. But she straightens her shoulders and walks calmly forward. I have to admire that even though she’s obviously terrified, she doesn’t turn tail and run.

  “That’s my daughter,” she says, her voice only wavering slightly. “I apologize. She just learned how
to open doors. She doesn’t understand the curfew. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

  The Enforcer doesn’t say anything. She looks down at the child, who is shrieking now.

  The mother is still blabbing on, stepping forward, but Eli is mumbling something too and I can’t make out what either is saying. I want to do something, grab the girl and run, but I know what would happen. I’m a Surface Dweller. She’d probably kill the girl, then come after me next.

  But Eli could do something. Right? He could stop what’s happening. Why doesn’t he?

  Without warning, the mother’s body jerks as red spreads across her chest. Her eyes widen, but I can see the light in them die before she even hits the ground. I turn back to the Enforcer to see the glint of a gun in the Enforcer’s gloved hand.

  Her voice is as dead as the woman on the floor when she says, “Curfew is for the safety of all Citizens. Failure to comply will result in severe punishment.”

  Then she turns and disappears with the girl into the shadows. The girl’s howls slowly fade away.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Citizen Evangeline Summers, you are hereby summoned to report to the Medical Sector, tomorrow, March 15, to initiate fertilization treatments.

  —SUMMONS FOR PROCREATION DUTY, DATED SEVENTEEN YEARS PRIOR

  Evie

  The memory comes so fast and so hard, I almost feel like it’s pulling me from one world to another.

  “Congratulations! Evelyn has been chosen for Mother’s special program.” The woman behind the desk smiles. “You two must be so proud. It isn’t every family that gets the privilege of serving our city so completely.”

  “Special … program?” My mom, my real one, clutches me tightly to her chest. Dad is staring at my mom like something horrible has happened and it’s all her fault. I can see him clearly, but when I look at her, her face is just a smudge of smoke.

  She turns back to the woman behind the desk. “But—but we thought Evelyn was meant to be a scientist, like her father and I.”

  I fidget in my seat and try not to look at the woman, but fail. She makes me nervous. I want to suck my thumb even though my mom says big girls don’t do that.