by Terina Adams
The doors slid aside as we approached, and a fragrant smell wafted out to greet us. It reminded me of home. The perfume and makeup counters were always the first you encountered when you entered large department stores. The smell, which did not come from a perfume counter but a group of Aris women standing in the entrance, was soon overwhelmed by the rich aroma of spicy and sweet mingled in the warm enclosed air. Like great arms, the smells welcomed me in. But there was nothing welcoming in here, only strangers. My tattoo was a lie. I was not like them. The hatred and fear they would feel for me if they knew the truth. And so they should, for I could level this mall if I wished.
What was I thinking?
Destruction massaged my thumping heart. Always there now, always bothering me, always trying to highjack my intentions.
“I’m not hungry,” I mumbled.
“Good thing, because we’re not stopping.” He cut further conversation off by quick marching us across the expansive high-polished floor.
I glanced down at my reflection. Like Jax, I saw no indication on me that we’d been in a fight with a sweeper. It shouldn’t be that way. It shouldn’t be so easy to destroy someone’s mind, but it was.
I didn’t see where Jax led. Nor was my mind on the people around us. A part of me was struggling to keep up with what was happening now, because it was back with the sweeper, busy filling in the emptiness with guilt and self-loathing now that destruction had subsided. But another part of me was relieved. We were alive. We were free.
I should feel heavy-limbed thinking about what I’d done. I should feel like my heart was falling through the floor. But the jumble of my emotions cancelled each other out, so all I felt was numb. But he tried to shoot me, no hesitation in his mind. Them or us. That was the truth. This was the only way.
The mall opened out into a wide dome. Glass lifts, shaped like eggs, glided up and down between the five levels of the mall. Occasionally, one would disappear through a chute in the ceiling.
“You’re joking,” I said as Jax steered us toward them.
“We’re not staying here.”
“I thought you said we could bury ourselves in here for a while.”
“We’re not safe anywhere now. Since he’s not dead, they won’t be alerted to his predicament. But that’s only true as long as he’s not discovered by someone in the street.”
“We should’ve moved him.”
“And wasted precious time? Besides, we had nowhere to hide him.”
We reached the cavity that housed an egg-shaped lift.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”
“I’d rather wait.”
“You’re making me nervous. Destruction doesn’t like me nervous.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
A gentle breeze dusted my face as the lift returned. People’s feet came into view as the lift descended in silence, not as fast as the lifts at the terminal, but these were fast enough to make my stomach curl into a tight ball.
“Hasn’t anyone here heard of enclosing your lifts in metal so you can’t see out?”
“I’ve never met anyone with a fear of heights.”
Of course you haven’t.
A group of smartly dressed Aris exited the moment the lift came to a stop. My eyes flicked behind their ears or to their wrists, but everyone scattered into the mall before my eyes could settle on the defining marks that labeled them good citizens of Califax.
The only marker to the doors of the glass lift was a strip of red glowing lights, which were green now that the lift had come to a stop. I peered inside the empty lift and saw the mechanics below floor-level. Jax bumped me through, soon followed by a stout woman who’d come up behind us. It was like walking on air. I huddled next to Jax, not wanting to touch the sides, as the only thing to indicate there was any glass there was the row of lights, now red because the doors were closing.
The lady got off at the first level. I looked at Jax, but he shook his head. By the time I glanced around to check out what was sold at this level, the lift slowed one level up.
“Where’re we going?”
“To the roof.”
I was about to ask why when we disappeared inside a brightly lit chute. A glow of flickering light messed with my sight. A breath later, butterflies tumbled through my stomach as the lift came to a rapid stop and the sun glared down at us. The lights turned green, separating through the middle as the doors slid apart to wrap around like the shell of the egg.
Unlike getting in, I jumped out the moment the red lights slid aside.
“How did the lift know to drop us off here?”
Jax tapped his temple.
“Do those things cook for you as well?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me. Strange earth humor was not appreciated at a time like this. But Jax was busy looking around the roof filled with personal transport. This was the equivalent of an earth parking lot, only on the roof. Instead of a variety of cars, there was a variety of flying vehicles, each as individually designed as any car back home.
“I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
“Given our run-in on the street, it’s likely the sweeper on the skytrain sent through his findings. We can’t use the skytrains now.”
“We’re going to hitch?”
“We’re going to acquire a skycraft of our own.”
“Steal, you mean.”
“That’s a matter of semantics.”
I followed alongside him. “Won’t that be hard to do? These things look well secured from the outside.”
“The newer models, maybe. Few have the capability of stealing one. Owning your own vehicle is rare. They’re expensive to buy, and you need room on your roof to park them, since it’s forbidden to park them on the streets. Only sweepers are allowed to do that. But most importantly, you need to learn how to fly one. That in itself is financially prohibitive to most. It also means there are only a handful of people capable of stealing one. With so few having an air license, there are rarely buyers for stolen skycraft.”
He passed the first but stopped at the second. “This one’s an old model. Perfect for what we want. The newer models are a little trickier to steal anonymously.”
“That’s something I’ll keep in mind.”
Ironing over my sarcasm, he continued, “All vehicles are registered with the senate. Their movements are also tracked, as private vehicles are not allowed to leave the city limits. Add to that fingerprint analysis on primary surfaces and a few more modern tricks.”
“In other words, impossible.”
“The technology inside the older models means they’re not traced as easily and easier to steal.”
“Are they air-worthy?”
“Owners must adhere to a strict maintenance schedule, which is enforced regularly. That’s part of what makes them so expensive to own. And since public transport is unrivaled, owning your own private vehicle is more about prestige than convenience.” Jax smiled at me then stared off over my shoulder. I glanced in the same direction but saw nothing, which meant he was consulting his cephulet.
I was tempted to lean on the vehicle while I waited but was nervous it came with some form of security alarm I would set off if I touched it. “If there are only a few capable of flying these things, doesn’t that narrow the culprit down?”
“It does. Handy for the senate.”
“But not handy for us.”
He was too busy attempting to break into the skycraft to look at me. “It makes little difference to us.”
“How so?”
“I’m not a registered pilot.”
“But… how is that?”
“You ask too many questions.”
“And you’re frustratingly cryptic at times.”
He was too busy to glance at me, but his lips twitched at the corners. Playful Jax warmed my heart. When like this, he was someone I wanted to be around. That feeling was soon blown away by the thought of Alithia
and Azrael. Jax was not the guy for me, an Aris in a world of division. More than that, his heart was already with someone else. God, I was stupid.
A soft hiss sound, and I spun around to find the door of the vehicle lifting up. Jax smiled at me then dropped the smile when he read my face.
“What? You’re feeling squeamish about the theft?”
I straightened and unfolded my arms. “As if.” Left off that sentence was after what we’d done in the street.
“I might not be registered now, but I’m a good pilot. We don’t have far to go.”
“Do you have to report to anyone before takeoff, let them know you’re joining the airspace?”
“Private vehicles operate below a certain altitude, out of the way of the skytrains. We follow a certain grid pattern, which ensures separation. So you can enter and leave without a clearance. Never take your own route.”
“But they’ll be able to track where we land.”
“Are you going to trust me, or is this you delaying the inevitable?”
“You should know the answer by now.”
Chapter 18
Elva marched the floor of Jax’s apartment, her body wired for a fight. She tossed her hair as she paced back toward us.
“You risked everything taking her to Islia.” She placed the emphasis on her like I was the big problem in this equation; in Elva’s mind, I was a big problem in every equation. “Look at you.” She waved a dismissive hand in his direction. “You’re lucky you’re still alive, but if you do that again, I’m going to kill you myself.” She spun and marched away, her heels smacking on the high polish. We all remained silent as if mesmerized by her forceful stomps. After enough pacing, she swung back to face us. Instead of nullifying, her pacing seemed to have arced her mood. “I could’ve told you the outcome. I did Nuke’s and Patrick’s tattoos.”
“And my wrist is still smarting,” Patrick said.
Elva rolled her eyes and adjusted her weight onto one hip. Like dynamite, I was sure she would explode with the right spark. Jax’s apartment was huge, but with Elva here, the walls inched in closer, the air weighted, too thick to breath. Jax withdrew into himself, staring at the floor, wearing the mask he’d worn many times before.
Only an hour ago, Jax landed our stolen skycraft on the roof of the apartment opposite his own. Apparently, there were a few residents in those apartments who had one of their own, which meant it didn’t look strange to see a skycraft land there. Landing incriminating evidence next door to his apartment felt too close, but Jax assured me they’d have no reason to assume it was him.
“God only knows what’s made its way back to the senate. If the sweeper called in his findings, the senate will know enough.”
I glanced to the sweeper’s belt laying on the low table in front of the sofa. Jax had pulled the EPH device apart and sure enough found one of my hairs placed inside the receptacle. Not only did the sweeper know my true factional nature, but he’d also know I was an alien. And now the senate knew.
“So, we move faster with our plans,” Nuke said.
Elva drilled him to his seat with her stare. “You have no idea how hard it will be to move around Califax if the senate knows about Sable. The city will be in lockdown, apartments searched. There’ll be nowhere safe. I’m not even sure we’ll get into HQ.”
“Perhaps I should return to the fringe.”
There were no words to describe Elva’s expression toward me. Jax finally shifted from his marbleized position, eyes on the floor, to look at me. Nailed by two sets of eyes, I launched to my feet. “It’s as you said, Jax. I need to leave Califax. I will head to the Persal village of Uradra.”
Elva sauntered toward me. With each step she took, I prepared myself for her belittling sarcasm, which sliced in all the right places. I gasped when she gripped my chin hard and wrenched my head to one side. “What’s this, honey?” The word honey came out barbed. “You think they’re going to welcome you in a Persal village?”
“It wouldn’t be hard for me to convince them otherwise. They’ll understand once I explain.” This close, I had to look up into her eyes.
“Why should they welcome a Persal desperate to be an Aris? You think prejudice is bad in Califax. This is nothing compared to the provinces. They will hate you for choosing another faction.”
“I have my reasons for wanting this tattoo.”
She leaned in close to ensure only I heard every word while she whispered. “When you asked to be Aris, did you stop to think what it would mean for Jax?”
“What are you talking about?”
Her eyes were arrows, poisonous ones.
“Jax now feels obligated to protect you. That’s how he is. If it were me, I’d throw you out into the street and let you get on with pretending to be someone else. But Jax won’t, because he’s not as smart as me. He feels he has to babysit you, all because you have no spine. You’ll slow him down. He doesn’t even want you.” She took a moment from her near-whispered rant to let everything she said settle inside. Her smug smile sparked the embers of destruction. “But listen, sister. If our lives are put at risk because of what you’ve done, I’ll take you out myself.”
I exhaled when she sauntered away, finally able to breathe. Eyes were on us, wary, so I swallowed my emotions down and forced what I hoped was a neutral expression. Since I’d made a mess of our safety so far, I didn’t want to be the cause of friction between us all—there was nothing I could do about Elva. I’m sure no one heard our conversation, but Elva’s loathing of me was no secret, so I’m sure everyone guessed at what she said.
Jax straightened from leaning against the bench. “Since we don’t know what the sweeper did, we proceed with our original plan, although we proceed with caution. Elva and I will head to Aris HQ. It’s the only place we’re likely to gain any information.” He looked at Nuke and Patrick. “You two stay with Sable. You don’t know enough about how to act in this world to risk coming with us.”
“I’m going to Uradra.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” Jax asked, his sarcasm a rival for Elva’s, his tone slipping over the cliff of tolerance.
“That’s what she wants to do. Let her go,” Elva said.
“Splitting up’s not a good idea,” Nuke replied.
I ignored all of them, keeping my eyes on Jax. “Your family would be your priority.” Is your priority. He’d think of Alithia and Azrael first, as he should. I wasted too much time here. “Someone in the fringe will point me in the direction of Uradra. I made a mistake by choosing this tattoo, but the people in Uradra won’t turn me away, as they are waiting for Dad. It won’t be hard to convince them I’m his daughter, especially if Mum and Ajay are there. Holden will vouch for me too.”
“And that will be that.” Elva stepped forward. “That’s your divide. There will be no coming back. You will be Persal for good then.”
She was right. Like the crack I’d made in the fringe, a crack opened within me, growing wider by the second. But not just within me, it tore as an invisible barrier across the floor of Jax’s apartment, a gaping chasm, me standing here, everyone else on the other side. “I will not choose a side.” It felt like I was speaking from a distance, my words having trouble breaching the gulf between us.
“Too late, Mary Poppins. You already have.”
“No, when the war begins, I will be on your side.”
“The war has already begun, and you’re heading to your side.”
And there it was, the final split to sever our paths.
“Stop it.” Jax stepped forward, cutting through the argument. He turned to me. “Let’s talk.” He glanced around at the others then back to me. “In my room.”
Elva puffed out a breath as she spun away, slapping her arms to her sides.
“Give us a moment,” Jax said. He strode to his bedroom door, slowing enough for it to open once it sensed his proximity.
I stared at his back as I followed him in. You won’t talk me out of this. Not anymore. Our mi
ssion was compromised because of me. My inability to control destruction risked too many lives, put too many people in danger. I couldn’t let it keep happening.
With extra creases forking his brow, hands on hips, Jax stared out the window. It felt like we were suspended in that quiet moment before the violence of a storm. I moved across to sit on his bed, watching his profile as he continued to stare at the view, but it was likely he didn’t see the view with everything going around in his head.
“You won’t find what you’re looking for in Uradra.”
“You can’t say that for sure.”
“You’re right. But the people of Uradra were faithful to your father. I can’t see Holden wanting to return there.”
“But where else would he go? He wouldn’t tell them the truth about what happened. Besides, they’d soon forget once they saw he had a grafter. He can build an army of Persal.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
Of course, their reversed grafter had resulted in many fatalities.
He continued, “Why do you think your father and Carter took the risk and made the journey to your world if it was a simple matter of reversing people’s grafts on their world? It’s unlikely Holden will have as much success as he hopes. Once the fatalities rise, no one will believe in him.”
“I have to try, Jax.”
Was it my plea that brought him back into the room with me? He turned from the window and joined me on the bed. “I know you do. I understand that. It’s why I won’t stop you. I just want you to be prepared.”
His sudden gentle words, after everything we experienced getting here—the cruel revelation of Azrael’s parentage, my continual destructive actions, exposing us every step we made, the chase, the sweeper in the street, a man now better off dead than alive, and stealing the skycraft—made me stare at the floor. I felt a ball of lead fall through me, dragging all my organs down with it. I didn’t have the strength to lift my head. “This is all Holden’s fault.” Because it was easy to blame someone else.
“Holden joined your father, because he believed in the reason. Not because he wanted Persal to win. He loathed the suppression of the grafts. He truly believes we have a right to live as ourselves, united with our factional nature.”