Uprising (Children of the Gods)

by Therrien, Jessica

  “Elyse,” Adrianna said before I made a move. “She’s been conceived. I already feel her.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but my breath caught in my throat. If those words had come from anyone else, I might not have believed them, but Adrianna was of Hera. Her bloodline was linked to the abilities of others. I couldn’t dismiss that.

  “How do you . . . you feel her?” I managed, my heart squeezing and pumping in my chest.

  “Like I feel every female Descendant.” I stood there, unmoving.

  “Come on,” William beckoned from below. “What are you waiting for?”

  Something in me switched on, and I couldn’t bring myself to draw my dart gun. I glanced at Lilia, and she stared back at me with kind eyes like she was telling me something—go.

  She nodded her head at me, and I turned away, hoping I wouldn’t regret the decision as I ducked into the hole. My bare feet found the rungs guided by the flashlight, and when I came to the end, I hoped I wouldn’t break something or cut my toes off.

  “Be careful,” he said. “Do you want me to try and catch you?”

  “No. I can make it,” I answered. “Just point the flashlight at where I should land.”

  I made the jump, and the sting of the impact shot up my legs as I toppled into William.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I got to my feet and stared at the hole above us. “Fine.”

  “What did she say to you?”

  “Nothing. Come on.”

  There was no way back up. The ladder had dropped us into a cement tunnel just high enough that William didn’t have to duck. In one direction, the space narrowed too tightly for us to continue. There was only one way to go.

  Water ran sluggishly around our ankles as we made our way through the maze of tunnels. The smell was stale and offensive, like old toilet water, and it burned my nose. At first, the stream looked black as oil in the dim light, but when William pointed the flashlight at my toes it seemed clear enough to be safe.

  “Walk on the sides,” William instructed. “And go slow. Watch where you step.”

  The tunnel walls changed shape from circular to square-edged, and every so often red and orange stalactites stuck out from the cement pipe walls like fingernails reaching out to grab us.

  After the fifth turn had led us nowhere, I wondered if Adrianna’s plan was to leave us scurrying around like rodents in an inescapable maze of tubes. William bounced the flashlight from one wall to the other hopelessly as we walked. I was starting to imagine us stuck down here, dying of starvation in the stink.

  “There,” William’s voice rang out through the still air. His feet splashed the shallow water as he ran forward, and I hurried after. Two peepholes of light gleamed down on us as we stared at the bottom of a steel manhole cover.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked. “I have no idea.”

  “Should we just go for it?”

  “No. Let me at least see where we are,” he said, handing me the flashlight.

  I pointed the beam at the bottoms of his shoes as he climbed up through a chimney-like opening toward the street.

  “What do you see?” I asked.

  He closed the lid. “Fancy heels and valet workers,” he answered as he made his way down. “We’re right in front of a nice restaurant. We need to keep moving.”

  “No. We’re here. Let’s just jump out and run.”

  “Run where, Ellie?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He sighed, unsatisfied with my plan, but began to climb anyway. “Just let me make sure the coast is clear, okay? Wait sixty seconds before you come up.”

  My head stayed tilted back as I counted. Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four. The lid lifted before I got to sixty. “Elyse! Come on. Hurry,” William ordered through the hole.

  I didn’t think. I moved. As fast as I could from bar to bar. “What’s wrong?” I breathed once I’d popped out into the open air. Eyes were starting to find me. People were staring.

  “Get in the car,” William said through clenched teeth. I didn’t argue.

  The car was silver and smooth. One of those types men usually compare to a woman. I made my way to the passenger side and ducked in, eager to escape the looks.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, once William began to pull slowly and casually away.

  “Escaping,” he said, enjoying himself a little too much. “What does it look like?”

  “By stealing a car?”

  “Well, technically it’s not stealing.” He hiked his shoulders up. “The guy gave me the keys.”

  I glanced out the rear window. “What? Why? Is your ability back?”

  “No.” He smiled to himself. “When I stood up, he was getting out of the car and thought I was the valet.”

  “Seriously?” I laughed, despite my worry. “But you’re a mess. Your tux is all wrinkled and wet. There’s blood on it.”

  “I know. He hardly looked at me. Just threw me the keys and ran in. He must have been in a hurry or something.”

  I looked around in disbelief at the smooth black leather seats knitted together with white stitching. The dashboard was a glossy gray wood, equipped with navigation, XM radio, and an array of lit up features. Here we were clean as sewer rats fleeing our capture in a luxury sports car.

  “What kind of car is this?” I asked, brushing the door handle with my fingertips.

  William’s eyebrows lifted, and he tightened his hands around the wheel with a grin. “A Maserati.”

  He revved the engine pressing the pedal to the floor. I let out a scream, and my head flew back into the seat as we launched onto the freeway.

  My fingers gripped the door, the dash, anything to steady myself. “Slow down!” I yelled.

  “It’s a Mas-er-at-i,” he tried to clarify.

  “I don’t care. Don’t drive like a maniac. What if we get caught?” I felt my brow tighten. “This is too risky. We need to get rid of this car.”

  “Come on,” he coaxed. “We have at least an hour before he reports anything.”

  “Where are we even going?”

  “I was thinking my parents’ house. My dad probably has security around the place.”

  I sighed. “It’s too far away. How are we going to get there?”

  “What’s the matter, Ellie?”

  I didn’t realize I’d had an attitude until he mentioned it. I’d been snapping. Everything I said came out with a sharp edge, like he was to blame for something, but for what? We were safe, free, alive. I had no reason to be upset. No reason except the idea of a baby.

  “So? Are you going to tell me?”

  I didn’t answer. Instead, I stared out the window, feeling guilty about acting mean. It wasn’t his fault.

  I could feel him looking at me. “We’re going to have to talk about it eventually.”

  “About what?” I said, denying what we both knew he meant. I tried to make my words sound gentle, but they were still coming out rude. “I’m sorry. I’m just stressed.”

  He took my hand, kissing the top as our palms warmed. “Well, you shouldn’t be. We’re free.”

  I cracked a smile at the thought.

  “Which means,” he continued, “the baby is free. I’m actually excited—”

  I pulled my hand away. I didn’t want there to be a baby, not now anyway. Not when I was being hunted, not when there was supposed to be a war, not when I was supposed to lead. I could barely protect myself, how could I expect to protect and care for a baby? I wasn’t ready.

  “I don’t think it worked,” I lied. I hoped. Maybe if he thought it, it would be true. At least he wouldn’t talk about it.

  “Oh.” His eyed drifted back to the road. “You don’t know for sure though, right? You said yourself it was the oracle’s plan. Maybe you were right. Maybe she knew we would escape.”

  As far as the oracle was concerned, I didn’t know what to believe. All I knew was that you should never trust someone blindly, and I would never make that mistake
with her again.

  “I’m sure,” I answered. “But it doesn’t mean—”

  Blue and red lights interrupted me. They flashed on the dashboard like a disco ball, and a siren wailed behind us.

  I whipped my head around. “Are we getting pulled over?”

  William eyed the rearview mirror. “Yeah.”

  “Were you speeding or something?”

  “No. Sixty-five exactly.”

  “They know. Should we try and outrun them?”

  “Yeah, and get a whole fleet on our tail and a TV spotlight? No. Just let me try and talk him out of it. Open the glove box.”

  10.

  I COULDN’T SEE THE OFFICER’S face as he spoke to William.

  “License and registration,” he said through the open window, not bothering to bend over and look at us.

  William already had the document in his hand. The car belonged to a Jeremy Wright. I couldn’t imagine him as a Jeremy.

  “Sorry, officer. I left my wallet at a restaurant. We were just driving back to get it.”

  The man reached his hand in, and I stared at the blue cuff of his uniform, then the gun on his hip as he took the paper. My feet tapped against the floor of the car. This wasn’t going to work.

  “Do you know why I pulled you over?” he asked. I could hear the amusement in his voice.

  “No, sir,” William answered quietly. Then silence. I recognized the look on his face, the sharp concentration in his eyes. Was his ability back? “I don’t believe we did anything wrong.”

  The prompt was subtle, but it seemed to be working. Maybe this would turn out all right after all.

  A burst of laughter exploded from the cop, and his rounded belly shook. “Nice try, son. Get out of the car.”

  “If he arrests me, just drive,” William whispered before opening the door.

  “No,” I said sharply under my breath.

  I stared out the back window as William was patted down. I couldn’t hear what was being said over the rush of the freeway, but after a moment the man removed a set of cuffs and pulled William’s hands behind his back. My throat went dry, and for a second I began to panic but stopped myself. No. Figure it out, Elyse. I forced myself to think. I wasn’t going to let us be held prisoner again. I’d do whatever I had to. Then I remembered my dart gun in the sack at my feet. My ability might be working by now. It was worth a try.

  I punched the two gold buttons on my bracelet, grabbed a dart from the pouch, and dipped it in. The rest of the blood slid into the palm of my hand and I cupped it, just in case I needed more. As I turned to open the door, the cop was there opening it for me. I froze.

  We looked at each other for a moment, and I expected him to draw his gun or order me to put my hands up, but he just stared. The blood had dripped through my closed fingers onto the tops of my legs. The dart dyed scarlet was ready to be loaded.

  “It’s you,” he said, an unexpected and cheerful smile warming his face. He had friendlier eyes than I had imagined. They matched his dark brown hair and tan skin. “Come on.” He spoke quickly, ushering me out of the car with sudden urgency. “We need to get you out of here. Careful not to get your blood anywhere.”

  I grabbed the black sack with my blood free hand, still wary of what was happening, and stepped out into the wind. Cars zipped by feet away from me, blowing my hair away from my face.

  William’s eyes widened in confusion as the officer came jaunting back toward him with a sudden change in mood. He looked at me for answers, but my eyebrows were still pinched together with uncertainty, and I shook my head at him.

  “Come on. Get in. Get in,” the officer urged as he nearly forced William into the back seat.

  William looked at me through the window, mouthing the words run, but I stepped forward. The cop beckoned me eagerly with his hand and pushed open the passenger side door from the inside. I took a breath, avoiding William’s gaze, and got in.

  As he drove away neither of us spoke. William didn’t have to say anything for me to know what he was thinking, but I wasn’t about to leave him now after all we’d been through. Instead I sat up front in silence. I glanced at the man’s nametag: OFFICER GOMEZ. When I looked up, I realized he was eyeing me as well, my bloody hand in particular.

  He nodded his head uncomfortably as he looked back at the road. “I’m David, by the way,” he said, breaking the ice.

  “Where are you taking us?” I tried to make my voice sound strong.

  “Oh.” He looked in the rearview at William with bright eyes. “To my house.” He’d completely dropped his I’m-acop-bad-guy role. “I’m descendant of Pasithea.” As he spoke his posture changed. He straightened up and concentrated on more than just driving. When his ability took hold, I felt my shoulders relax, my eyelids soften, the muscles in my face let go of tension, as if he was taking all of it upon himself.

  “Relaxation?” I asked in surprise, and I couldn’t keep myself from enjoying the feeling.

  He nodded and smiled. “Apparently you need it.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment, before the weight of my nerves was returned.

  “I’m glad I found you,” he said. “The community has been panicked since word spread of your capture. We need to keep you safe.”

  I turned to look back at William with a smile of relief, but his face hadn’t changed. “Once harm has been done, even a fool understands it,” William said, leaning forward to talk through the grate. His hands were still locked behind his back as he waited for the man to react.

  I watched him through the corner of my eye, suddenly more suspicious. It had been a long time since I had heard those words. I’d almost forgotten them. Mac had made us memorize the phrase for this very reason, and I’d neglected to use it. I bit my lip, angry at myself.

  David lifted his eyebrows as he shifted forward and stared back at William through the rearview. “The outcome of the war is in our hands; the outcome of words is in The Council,” he replied with a nod.

  The response settled my mind. At least luck was on our side. “How do you know who we are?” I asked.

  “Well, I didn’t at first, but after I saw your face, of course I knew you.” He held the wheel with one hand and removed a photo from his shirt pocket. It was of me. “You’re the last healer.”

  I took the photo from his hand. “Where did you get this?”

  “A messenger brought it to the station just before I left for my shift. He said they’d lost you. I guess they were expecting you to show up.”

  “What kind of messenger?” William asked.

  “I’m not sure what bloodline, but he can be called when you’re ready. He’s a young guy. It his nineties like you. His name is Alex.”

  When we pulled into the driveway of David’s suburban cookie-cutter home, he opened William’s door for him and removed the handcuffs.

  “Sorry about that, William,” he said. “It’s not every day I almost arrest the last healer. I got a little excited back there.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, she’ll do that to you.”

  I shook my head, trying to hold back a smile, and followed David through the front door. As we entered, a woman stepped into the living room to greet us. When she saw our faces her almond eyes widened with surprise. She pulled a picture out of the pocket of her apron, and her mouth opened.

  “David, how did you . . .”

  “Offer them something to drink, Mags,” he pressed. “Don’t just stand there.”

  “Sorry. I’m Maggie,” she said, brushing thick waves of amber hair from her face. She reached forward to shake our hands. “Please come in. Make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything?”

  Her hurried speech had William and I looking at each other.

  “Some new clothes and a shower would be nice,” William answered.

  “And something to eat maybe,” I added. My stomach had a voice as well, and it continued to growl at me as we moved to their brown suede sofa.

  “Sure.” She nodded. “Of course. I’l
l start on some sandwiches while you two shower up.”

  David offered William some khaki shorts and a T-shirt, and escorted him to the downstairs bathroom.

  “These are probably not the best fit,” Maggie said as she handed me some jeans that were a little too big, a tank top, and a sweatshirt.

  “They’re fine,” I answered as I followed her up the stairs. Anything was better than this dress. “Thank you.”

  It felt good to let hot water run over my cold, bare skin. I tried to be quick, drying and dressing as soon as I was out. I brushed my wet hair out of my face and stared into the mirror over the bathroom sink. As I looked into my own eyes, I was surprised at what I saw. They weren’t the eyes I was used to seeing. They were older, wiser, like they’d changed with experience. I didn’t recognize myself. My muscles were strong and toned, and there was something different about the way I stood. I looked capable, tough. The last few months I’d allowed myself to focus on training, helping Anna and Chloe, and getting away from Christoph. I hadn’t realized how much it had changed me. I only wished I felt as confident as I looked.

  “Word is out,” David explained after escorting us to the kitchen table. I sat across from him and took eager bites of my sandwich while I listened intently. “Communities have started to talk, take sides even.” His eyes shifted to mine, hopeful. “They’re waiting.”

  “Things have changed,” Maggie added. “Headquarters in all communities have closed. They’re worried about people congregating. We have to watch what we say. We’ve heard of Descendants disappearing.”

  “Do you . . .” David’s voice lacked confidence as he stared at me. “Have a plan?” he finished.

  “We have a plan,” William said with reassurance. He glanced at me briefly, knowing I wouldn’t have an answer. “We just need to get back home. We need to call Alex.”

  I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table. “How do we know he’s not still working for Christoph?” I asked. “I called him before. He never came.”

  “I’ll use the code,” David answered. “Just like you did with me.”