by K. M. Fahy
Kitieri paused, then nodded.
“And more frequent,” she admitted.
“Yes.” Catarva circled the table, slow and regal in the flowing white robes. “My experts give us two years.”
“Until what?”
“Until the lightning takes over.” Catarva stopped on the far side of the table, leaning on it with both hands. “It will override our PCRs, and people will no longer be able to step foot outside without being struck down.”
Kitieri blinked.
“People will starve in their homes,” Catarva went on. “Farmers, miners, builders… all of them will die, and the chain of supply will dry up. If we do nothing, it will mean extinction.”
“Th-they’re sure?” Kitieri croaked.
“Yes.”
Kitieri ran a hand through her hair with a shuddering exhalation. “Fuck,” she whispered. “But… what does that have to do with me?”
Catarva straightened. “It depends on how well you can learn to control your element.”
“What?” A short laugh burst from Kitieri’s chest. “You can’t possibly think I can somehow save everyone. I mean, that’s… it’s just…”
Her laugh petered out as Catarva’s grim expression brought her to silence.
“As I said, there is much you do not understand, Kitieri,” the Baliant said. “For now, trust that your survival means as much to me as it does to you and your siblings.”
Kitieri looked down, and Catarva leaned forward to catch her eye again.
“Let us help you,” she said. “Wear the bands, stay out of trouble with the Advisors, and maybe we can get through this alive.”
Though Kitieri’s eyes met the Baliant’s gaze, her mind raced. What was Catarva hiding? How could she possibly save so many people? The lightning would override the Gadgets, and…
“Kitieri.” Haldin’s soft voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to him. “Can I put these on you?”
She looked again to the bands he held, and fought the squeamish reaction in her stomach. Her hands tingled as her lightning responded, and she clenched her jaw with a stiff nod.
Her lightning’s subtle burn subsided as the crystals touched her skin, and Kitieri closed her eyes. Don’t think about it. Just don’t think about it. The cold metal clicked into place around her neck first, then her wrists, and then came a tap on the toe of her boot.
“I need your ankles, too,” Haldin said, kneeling before her. Kitieri braced her back on the wall to pull off her boots, and Haldin snapped the bands closed just above her joints. With each snap, the warm buzzing within her quieted further until all she felt was cold.
“Feel any different?” he asked, standing.
“Yeah,” Kitieri said flatly, adjusting one of the wristbands. “How do they come off?”
“I have the key,” Haldin said, holding up a tiny pin on a crowded keyring. Kitieri glanced at it before leaning down to pull her boots back on. “As your training progresses, we will remove them one by one.”
“Thank you, Kitieri.” Catarva came around the table again, coming to stand right in front of her. “I know this is difficult, given what you’ve been through, but it is the only way forward.”
Kitieri swallowed the painful lump in her throat as she stood up straight. “Am I dismissed?”
Catarva dipped her head.
“Dismissed.”
Chapter 11
By the time Kitieri reached the final landing above the ground floor, tears had soaked the high neckline of her uniform jacket. She stopped at the arched window, looking out over the network of walls and pathways that connected the Church grounds.
The faint, metallic scent of a coming Strike tickled in her nose as she approached, and she reached out a hand.
Let me still feel it.
Her fingertips brushed the glass, and felt nothing but the cold, smooth surface. No burn stirred in her chest or rushed down her arms, and Kitieri pulled her hand back.
It was dangerous. She knew that. Any misstep could spell disaster, and every Strike risked the lives of those she held most dear. Without control, she was a monster.
She knew that.
But the lightning was still a part of her. Even in lock, its presence had been there, purring inside her ever since she could remember, and its sudden absence felt like a piece of her soul had been taken.
Only until I learn control.
The window fogged under Kitieri’s long sigh, and she turned away, descending the final set of stairs. As she turned the corner, a heavy force checked her sore right shoulder, and she staggered back.
“Ow, what the—?”
Her hand flew to the throbbing joint, and she looked up to see a tall, stocky officer smirking down at her.
“Oh, sorry, did that hurt?” he sneered. As Kitieri stared, bewildered, five more gray officers appeared behind him.
“Look, Corte, it’s the chosen one,” one of them drawled.
“We’ve been waiting for you,” Corte said. “And what’s this?” The man hooked his finger under the exposed band around Kitieri’s wrist, and she jerked back.
“Don’t fucking touch me!” she spat.
“Or what?” Corte advanced as Kitieri backed away. “You thought you could threaten an officer and get away with it? That’s not how things work around here, girl. You should rot in prison for what you did.”
“I didn’t touch your scummy friend,” Kitieri seethed. Her back hit a wall, and Corte’s malicious grin widened as he pinned her there.
“See, that’s not how he tells it.” Corte looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know, guys, who do you think we should believe?”
The five officers’ laughs echoed through the wide hall, and Corte turned back to Kitieri with a deadly grin.
“And now… you have no element.”
He lifted his hand to reach for her collar, and Kitieri’s reflexes engaged. She knocked his hand away and swung her closed fist at his face. Corte blocked the punch, and slammed her back into the wall so hard that stars burst across Kitieri’s vision.
Even as her head swam, she hooked her leg around the back of Corte’s knee, sweeping him to the ground with a loud thud. Intent on escape, she jumped over him only to be knocked back by a fist she hadn’t seen coming. She fell over Corte as he tried to stand, tumbling to the floor with a sharp cry. A booted foot lifted in preparation to kick her, and she curled into a tight ball to brace herself.
“Hey!”
Haldin’s deep voice reverberated off the stone walls, and Kitieri peeked one eye open to see the coming kick freeze in mid-air as Haldin reached the bottom step.
“You are all on immediate suspension,” he thundered, “and you will report first thing tomorrow morning to the Board of Advisors. I will have all of your asses for this kind of behavior!”
A mumbling chorus of apologies reached Kitieri’s ears, and she pushed herself up on one elbow.
“Get out of my sight.”
The six officers scuffled away under Haldin’s murderous glare, and Kitieri watched his tense shoulders fall with a sigh. She looked away as he turned to her. Expecting admonishment, she frowned when Haldin’s outstretched hand appeared in her vision.
“Let me help you,” he said. Kitieri ignored the officer, getting to her feet alone.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“Are you sure?” Haldin gestured to her face. “That looks like it hurts.”
As the adrenaline drained from her system, Kitieri became aware of the warm, metallic taste in her mouth, and lifted two fingers to her lower lip that came away bright red.
“That’s great,” she mumbled. Haldin offered her a clean white square of linen from his pocket.
“No, thanks,” she said, turning away.
“Looking forward to answering questions from two curious kids, huh?”
Kitieri narrowed her eyes at the officer, and grabbed the kerchief with an exasperated huff. “Fine.”
The cloth soaked up more than she had expec
ted, and she looked up at Haldin with her eyebrows raised. He tapped the side of his own chin, and she scrubbed at that spot with a clean corner of the linen.
“Better,” Haldin confirmed. “Would you accompany me to dinner?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Understandable. But I’m sure your brother and sister would like to see you. They are escorted to the hall by their final teacher of the day.”
Kitieri rolled her eyes. “All right. But you’re going to have to stop using my siblings against me.”
Haldin grinned and turned toward the wafting scents making their way from the dining hall. As she walked beside him, Kitieri folded the bloodied rag and shoved it into her pocket.
“Thank you,” she muttered.
“Don’t mention it, I have plenty.”
“I mean, for…” Kitieri waved a hand over her shoulder in the direction the six officers had fled. “…That.”
“Oh.” Haldin bowed his head. “I’m sorry about them. They’re good men, but they don’t understand. I will never condone violence against a fellow officer, and the repercussions of their actions will be severe. As I’m sure you know, the right combination of fear and misunderstanding can wreak havoc on an otherwise sound mind.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Kitieri said, keeping her eyes on the floor. “They think I stole something from them. That I don’t belong here.”
Haldin dipped his head to the side. “They’ll get over it. What you and I need to focus on is your training.”
“Right.” Kitieri touched the band on her wrist. “I don’t suppose you’re interested in telling me what Catarva meant by all that back there.”
Haldin’s expression tensed, fine lines forming around his mouth. “It’s not my place,” he said. “The Baliant will disclose more as she sees fit, and it’s our job as officers to respect her decisions and follow her orders.”
“Mm.” Kitieri nodded. “But you seem to know more than any of the others.”
Haldin cut her a dark look. “I’m her Commander. I should know more.”
“Oh.” Kitieri scratched her forehead to hide her blush. His high rank had been clear since the training yard, but Commander? Of the entire Church?
The warm glow of the dining hall illuminated the hallway as they approached, and Kitieri’s stomach rumbled at the sweet and savory aromas in the air.
I guess I was hungry, she thought. The anticipation of her awaiting siblings put a spring in her step, and she was almost to the beckoning doorway when Haldin grabbed her wrist.
“What?” She spun, pulling her hand back. The man’s solemn expression quelled her momentary excitement, and Kitieri shrank back. “What’s wrong?”
“There is one thing that I need to be honest with you about,” Haldin said quietly. Kitieri searched his face, reading every line and wrinkle.
“All right?”
Haldin checked over his shoulder before leaning in close. “Catarva didn’t want me to share this with you yet, but I think you should know,” he said. “We don’t have as much time to get your element under control as I’d hoped, so your training is going to have to be expedited. It’s bad enough we’ve already lost a full day.”
Kitieri’s brows furrowed. “Why, what’s—”
“Just know that we’re going to need you soon.”
Kitieri’s eyes widened. “I thought she said two years.”
“Not for that,” Haldin said. “Not yet, anyways. This is something different.”
The fine lines of worry marking his face reminded Kitieri of his expression in the training yard that morning.
“Does this have to do with why you left today?” she asked.
“Yes.” Haldin’s tone was short and clipped. “I’m doing what I can to buy time, but when this thing comes to a head, I’m going to need you.”
Before Kitieri could respond, two officers passed and Haldin broke the tension.
“Hi, Haldin.” The woman waved.
“Evening, officers,” Haldin replied with a warm smile, leaning away from Kitieri. Though their curious stares shifted to her, Kitieri kept her eyes on him.
“Shall we, then?” he asked, still wearing his friendly façade as he followed the other two.
“Haldin, wait—”
“Tomorrow,” he said. “Meet me in the training yard at dawn.” As they stepped through the arched doorway, he paused again. “Eat well, and get your rest tonight. The coming days will be nothing short of brutal.”
Across the room, two voices called her name, and she turned to see Taff and Jera waving her over. She returned the wave with an enthusiastic nod, and looked back to find Haldin walking away.
“Tell them as little as possible,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at dawn.”
Kitieri sighed as the man struck up jovial conversation with another officer, leaving no room for her questions.
Nothing short of brutal? She blew a puff of air through her nose. You’ve never worked in the mines.
“Kitieri!” Jera flailed her arms, and Taff held up the third plate of food that was saving her spot. With a wide grin, she trotted over to them.
“Hey!” she cried, throwing her arms around them both as they rushed to her. “It’s so good to see you again!”
“It’s only been a day,” Taff said, pulling back.
“A very long day,” Kitieri corrected. “What are you looking at?”
Taff’s narrowed eyes were fixated on her face. “What happened to your mouth?”
Kitieri touched the sore spot on her lower lip and felt the heat and swelling there.
“Just a training accident,” she said. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
Jera nestled close to her on the bench, shoveling carrots and beans into her mouth at an alarming rate, while Taff circled to his own side of the table. His eyes lingered on her as he took his seat.
“It’s rude to stare,” Kitieri said, stabbing roasted potatoes onto her fork.
“What’s that on your neck?”
Kitieri huffed, looking up from her plate. She’d already known Taff was too observant to fool, but that did not make the coming conversation any more enticing.
Jera poked at the band around her wrist. “This one, too. They look like the one that lady melted.”
“They’re a lot like that,” Kitieri said, putting her hand over her sister’s, “but kind of different.”
“Different how?” Taff asked. “What do they do?”
Kitieri pressed her lips together, meeting Taff’s hard gray eyes. “They’re to help me control my element,” she said quietly. “So it’s not as dangerous for all of us.”
Jera laughed. “It’s not dangerous for us, though.”
“It is.” A lump lodged in Kitieri’s throat, choking off her explanation, so she squeezed Jera’s hand.
“Is it like they said, then?” Taff’s voice was small as he looked down at his plate.
“Like who said?” Kitieri asked.
Taff shrugged, swinging his feet under the bench. “I overheard two of the instructors talking as they walked us here. They said Catarva was crazy for letting a lightning walk free, because…” He trailed off.
“Because what, Taff?”
“Because you’re going to kill us all.”
Kitieri bit hard into her swollen lip, and Jera jerked beside her.
“What?” she whispered. “You are?”
“Of course not,” Kitieri said, squeezing Jera’s hand harder. “You know that I love you both more than anything, right? And that I would never, ever hurt you?”
Jera nodded, but Taff kept his head down. Kitieri tapped the table. “Taff?”
Reluctantly, he looked up.
“That’s why I’m wearing these bands,” she said. “To protect you. To protect all of us. Yes, the lightning is dangerous, but I can learn to control it… and I will. I promise.”
“But you were wearing the same thing at the pillar and it didn’t stop you then,” Taff said.
> “Well, now I have five instead of one,” Kitieri said. She forced a smile, holding up her wrists to Jera. “See, I can’t possibly hurt anyone with five!”
Jera broke into a ready grin, while Taff stared at her from across the table.
“I just have to be careful,” Kitieri sighed, meeting her brother’s gaze. “When I learn to control it better on my own, I can take the bands off. Everything will be fine.”
Taff sniffed once, dropping his eyes to his lap.
“Believe me,” she whispered, reaching out to him. “I would do anything… anything… to keep you two safe. Do you hear me?”
Taff took her hand. “Can you promise the same for yourself?”
“I’m going to do my best.”
“Again.”
Haldin threw out his hands, releasing his electric element for what Kitieri was sure had to be the four-hundredth time. Its charge tickled her lightning, pulling just enough through the blockage of the oran crystals for her to intercept it and ground it before she could be electrocuted.
“Again.”
Kitieri strained to keep her power coming through the bands. Sweat ran down her face and neck, soaking her uniform and the strands of hair that clung to her skin.
“Again.”
Her hands shook, and her chest heaved with rapid breaths.
“Again.”
The lightning didn’t come this time.
“Shit,” she whispered, just before Haldin’s electricity jolted her back against the wall of the training yard and she hit the ground. The powerful shock dissipated quickly, but her head still spun.
“Son of a bitch,” she muttered, rubbing the back of her head.
Haldin’s boots crunched on the dirt, and he offered her a hand. “Excellent work, Kitieri,” he said, pulling her to her feet.
As she dusted off her pants and jacket, Kitieri shot him a baleful look. “Didn’t feel excellent.”
Haldin grinned. “It’s only been four days. Do you remember day one?”
Kitieri groaned. She’d spent more time on her ass getting shocked on that first full day of training than doing any real work.