“So,” Addie begins, “tell us about it.”
“There isn’t much to tell other than what you saw on the displays,” I respond.
“I’ve never seen a battle floor like that before,” Addie continues. “Where do you think it was?”
“The Dead Zone,” Frey answers before I do.
Addie and I look at him, surprised that he knew.
“That’s not possible. The Dead Zone is not habitable,” Addie says, brushing off his answer.
“If it wasn’t the real Dead Zone, then it was staged to look like it,” I say.
“You’ve seen it?” Addie asks, a smile forming on her face. “What’s it like?”
“You have to travel through it from the Outer Limits in order to reach Tarsus,” I say, trying to calm myself. I’m not sure why, but having to talk about the Dead Zone is causing me to panic. “There’s nothing but devastated buildings, broken highways, and rusted-out vehicles. Everything has either been blown to dust, burned, or melted. I’d hate to see what a person would’ve looked like under such conditions.”
“I’m sure no one was there when the place was obliterated. I mean, why murder millions of people?”
“Do you even know who used to live there?” Frey asks, his temper rising. I haven’t seen him get this mad in a while. “Why do you think the Outer Limits and Tarsus exist, Addie? Because the Dead Zone was nuked by the Patrician. They had no place to put their people, so they created our society today.”
“Where’d you hear shit like that from?” Rem asks, joining us.
I’m surprised she’s sitting anywhere near us, let alone talking to us. I wonder if she’s still mad that I’ve got the Dracken mark, or if her anger is finally waning.
“It’s not shit,” Frey says, heatedly.
I move next to him, placing my body against his to see if it’ll calm him down. I can feel his heart racing against my shoulder, but it only speeds up instead of slowing down.
“My sister did research on the Dead Zone. She discovered the truth and they killed her for it.”
“Who killed her?” Addie asks.
“The Patrician. Aedox came during the night, dragging her from her bed. My parents were helpless in stopping them. That’s why I’m here. To get to the event and put an end to the Patrician’s reign. We need this realignment so our society can go on and not wind up as another Dead Zone.”
He abruptly stands and I have to put my arms out to prevent myself from falling. He storms away and disappears into the men’s bedroom.
“He’s full of crap,” Rem says. “He’s always making shit up to get everyone on his side. Frey has to always be in control of everyone and everything.” Rem stands and places her hand on my shoulder. “Watch out who you align yourself to, Max. You may have the Dracken mark, but if your heart isn’t in it, you’ll quickly become their enemy.” She steps away and sits on another couch, joining a new group’s conversation.
I retreat to the training room, leaving Addie by herself. I lock the door behind me, walk to the center of the room, and sit. I need to get my thoughts straight and this is the quietest place on the floor. I pull my knees up to my chest, hold them in place with my arms, bend my head down, take a couple of deep breaths, and close my eyes.
What do I do? And what do I know? My father was once the leader of Tarsus, but he was removed after a short time. My parents started a rebellion against the Patrician, which led to them being taken from Tarsus and sent…where? Leader Fallon convinced everyone my parents are dead, then proceeded to hide me, but why? Who are the Dracken really? Were my parents involved with their creation? Who are the Patrician? Where do they come from? Are they people like us, or something else? Was what Frey said about the Dead Zone correct? Did the Patrician murder the people who lived there? How and why?
My head begins to hurt from all the questions. More slam against my skull and I let out a scream to deafen them. Someone tries the handle of the door, but when they discover it’s locked they start banging on it. It’s Addie, who shouts to me, asking me if I’m all right. I tell her I’m fine, but she continues to pound on the door. I stand up, think of a quiet place, and loop.
The carpeting under my shoes is gritty, like it hasn’t been cleaned in a while. One of the chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling sways from an invisible breeze. Head Master Edom is having a conversation with someone in his study. Since everyone else I need to talk to is not accessible, he is my only option. I’m just hoping that the Keepers can’t track me here. That their devices can’t get past the Dead Zone and into the Outer Limits. I step quietly towards the half-open door. I recognize the voice of the woman he’s arguing with belonging to Cil.
“This isn’t going to work,” Cil says.
“It has to, it just has to,” Edom responds. It sounds like he’s pacing.
“She’s a Dracken now. She’s chosen her side and it’s not the one you and the Patrician want her on.”
“Maybe she’s just trying to fit in, Cil. Max has always had issues finding her place in society. Perhaps she thinks this could be what she’s supposed to do. We just need to remind her of the true nature as to why she’s there.”
“And what if she starts asking questions? Do
