another planet. They waged war. Gaining supporters wasn’t difficult, especially among those in the outer regions, far from the central cities.”
“Are they alive?” The words pour from my mouth without me realizing it.
“I told you. I’ve never met them.” He leaves it at that and continues his story.
“Outnumbered at every turn, your parents devised the Pearl Transport System to get off-planet and warn the people of Earth. Though he had been born into a life of farming, your father showed a great interest in many of the sciences and eventually became one of the planet’s leading physicists. He found a way to reverse the body’s growth process and shield the resulting material in what has now become known as Pearl Energy. In a way, Pearls are like a portable womb, carrying and protecting bundles of genetic information. Atoms. Molecules.” He pauses. “Utilizing a wormhole at the edge of our galaxy, Pearls were sent to Earth.
“Your parents hoped that if they could get here first, they’d be able to fight back. With the help of humans, of course. When the Authority learned of this, your family was targeted. You and your brother were targeted. You would have been killed, too, if your parents hadn’t managed to get you off-planet before the Authority showed up.”
My whole body shakes. I didn’t notice it before, but my heart’s pounding like a drum. My mind hurtles back to the dream-memory-I had in the security center last spring with Avery. The syringe filled with liquid. The pops and hisses from the small laboratory. The cloudy green energy. There were soldiers there, when my parents put me inside the Pearl and set me loose. The door busted down. There were gun shots.
Ryel bows his head slightly. “That was the night the Authority discovered Pearl technology. They’ve been augmenting it ever since, playing around with the formula. Strengthening it. When they land, they’ll be more powerful than us.” He grits his teeth. “But you have no army. You haven’t done your job. Your parents would be-”
“Don’t say it.” My fingers clench.
“Your leader is incompetent. He fears that we are the invaders, that every Drifter is the same. You people have yourselves to blame for your destruction.”
I wince.
“Where’s your brother? Please tell me he’s still alive.”
“Cassius is… ” I look down at the rocks. “It’s complicated.”
“Can you contact him?”
“I can try.”
“Good.” Ryel stands. “We’ve much to do. Pearls aren’t meant to stay locked.”
I pull myself to my feet. “Don’t you think I know that?”
Eva slinks away. “I’m going to go see about disabling our radar. The longer we stay here, the more likely the Academy will-”
“No.” I hold out a hand to stop her. “I’ll call Cassius inside the shuttle. I want to be alone for a minute.”
Ryel crosses his arms. “You’re the Pearlbreaker, Jesse. Don’t forget it, even for a second.”
“Yeah.” I don’t meet his eyes. Instead, I turn and trudge to the shuttle. I can’t do this without Cassius. Not anymore.
My arms tremble. It’s real, now. These past weeks, it’s been all I can do to stay sane, but now that I know the truth, I’m not sure I can handle it. There are too many things coming at me at once, each stealing a piece of my attention.
Water surrounds me on both sides. My feet sink into the ground. Below me are cities, subway cars, and skyscrapers, all buried by time. A look at our future, perhaps.
There used to be more of Japan. Hell, there used to be more of me.
17
Cassius sat cross-legged on the stripped floor boards, back against the wall. It had been several hours and Madame hadn’t shown any sign that they’d be leaving the abandoned Fringe building. He wondered if she’d told anyone at the Lodge what was happening. Or maybe she didn’t care. Maybe this had become too personal.
She was off in a different room of the old hotel now. Theo acted as her watchdog, standing just beyond the closed door, guarding. Madame’s voice remained ever present in Cassius’s head. It was only a precaution.
Sit. You’re not needed now. Not yet.
Avery sat on the side of the bed, kicking her heels back and forth, silent. Cassius hadn’t gotten to know her very well last spring. She’d been raised at the Lodge until Madame planted her as a spy in Skyship Academy, but Cassius never remembered seeing her. Of course, back then he’d only been a child. The more he learned, the more he began to doubt his entire opinion of the Lodge. How many kids did Madame have running around, harnessed as weapons?
Avery cleared her throat. “I remember when we were scared of you.”
“You were never scared of me.” He glanced up.
“That’s true. But Jesse was.”
His eyes shifted to the communicator beside her. “What are you gonna say to him if he calls?”
“What Madame told me to. The words she’s forcing into my brain.”
“I can try to dig it out,” he replied. “I ripped the old microchip from my wrist. If you’re not afraid of a little blood-”
“No, you can’t,” she said. “You’d like to think you can, but you’re harnessed. The moment you laid a hand on me, she’d know. Trust me. I’ve tried.”
Cassius’s shoulders deflated. “So what’s her plan? Bring Fisher here so she can collect the pair of us?”
“I’ll bring him here,” Avery replied. “After that, I don’t know.”
“Do you still love him?”
Her heels fall still. “What do you mean?”
“You did love him, didn’t you? He talks about you like you did.”
She sighed. “I’d do anything for him. I don’t know what you want to call that. Guilt, maybe. For spying on him.”
“You’re gonna feel much guiltier after this.”
She reclined on the bed. The room fell silent for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you ever think about what your life would be like if Madame hadn’t found you?” “I try not to.”
“The way I see it, I’ve lived two lives, one with her and one at the Academy. And neither one was really mine.” She paused. “When Jesse and I were running through the Fringes, away from you, it was scary. But even though we didn’t know what was going to happen to us, at least we were making our own decisions.”
Cassius’s gaze fell to the floor. “Madame’s the only mother I’ve ever known.”
“Pretty screwed up.”
“We’re all screwed up. And that kid, Theo? She’s done it to him, too. But he’s still young. Maybe someone can knock some sense into him. If he’s lucky.”
The door swung open. Theo strode into the room, cutting a line between the two of them. His eyes blinked rapidly. His steps were uneven.
Cassius backed up. “Were you listening to us?”
“I don’t know why she hasn’t separated you two,” Theo replied, twirling the handle of his knife around his finger. “It’s asking for trouble.” He turned on his heel and paced to the opposite wall, feet kicking the ground as he went.
“Stop that.” Cassius crossed his arms.
The kid’s dirt-specked face hardened. “Or what? You gonna do something about it?”
Cassius’s fist tightened. For a moment, he thought he’d be able to break through Madame’s control and strike the boy.
The moment passed.
Theo chuckled. “Didn’t think so.”
Avery yawned. “Just ignore him.”
