Broken Skies (6 page)

“Fine then. Go home.” He points a finger at my nose and narrows his eyes. “I’m going to take care of Daniel, but you, me, and Jace are going to sit down and have a talk later.”

Does he think I’m some disobedient child to be ordered around? I scowl at him.

Flint runs his hand through his hair. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that…just tell Jace I’ll be over in a couple hours.”

“Will do.”
Just not right now. Or anytime soon.
Forcing my mouth into a reassuring smile, I give him a mock salute and then walk off.

Once out of his sight, I quicken my steps, close my eyes and let out a long, slow breath. I should have stopped walking for my little stress release because, since I can’t see where I’m going with my eyes closed, I collide with Emily and land on my butt in the dirt.

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry,” she says. She puts out a hand to help me up but quickly retracts it as I get back to my feet on my own.

I brush the dirt off the back of my pants. “It’s okay. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Did you hear about the alien ship that was spotted East of town? One of the hunters thinks it may have even landed for a while.” My stomach drops. “Wasn’t Jace out hunting today?”

“Uh, yeah, he was.” My mind searches for the right words, the ones that will get rid of her and get me back on my way. “But he came home early today. Wasn’t feeling well.”

“Oh no,” says Emily. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Nope, there’s nothing at all you can do for Jace right now.” Bad choice of words.

Emily’s brow furrows. “Is everything okay?”

Why is everyone asking me that today? Am I that obvious? I’m saved— if you can call it that— from answering by a commotion up the street. Three soldiers are jogging in our direction. They brush right by us and Emily steps closer.

“Jax, are you okay? you’ve gone a bit pale…” She places a gentle hand on my shoulder. For once, it’s not the touch of her hand that sends my stomach dropping to the ground, it’s the direction the soldiers are heading— East, toward my house. Of course, I don’t know for sure that’s where they’re going, but…

“Crap.”

Emily looks from my face to the soldiers. “What’s going on? Let me help you.”

I shake my head. “I think the only person who can help me now is about to be taken into custody.”

“Jace?”

“Nope.” I take off toward my house at a run. Emily calls out behind me, but I ignore her, my mind set on figuring out my next step. I need that alien in one piece in order to get my brother back and I will do whatever it takes to keep him that way.

FIVE

Please be wrong. Please be wrong.
The chant repeats in my head with each pounding of my feet as I run back to my house. I dart in between houses, through yards and around people. Maybe I can beat them there?

No such luck. By the time I near my house, I can already see the soldiers milling about. My feet skid with my sudden stop and I take a detour behind the row of houses across from mine. I travel through backyards until I am directly across from my front door, which is wide open and flanked by two soldiers.

Great. Just great. How the hell am I supposed to get around them? My luck doesn’t improve. Daniel exits between the soldiers, his hand around Lir’s upper arm, just as Flint rounds the corner and jogs closer.

“I told you that girl was crazy,” says Daniel, shaking Lir’s injured arm roughly. “I knew a trip over here would be…what’d you call it?…
productive.
She’s brought one of those things in here. And where’s her brother? That twit is probably in on it. They’re working together to—”

“Shut it, Daniel.” Flint’s words are quiet, but the tendons in his neck strain against the collar of his uniform as he clenches his teeth and his hands are in fists at his side. “I will take it to my father and we will find out what’s going on. I’m sure Jax has an explanation… leave Jace out of it.”

Daniel steps closer to Flint, sneering. “What is it with you and that idiot and his nutso sister? Not even you can protect them from this. You know the rules. No outsiders without permission and this erk’s about as outsider as you can get. Why I bet Dane’ll even let me be the one to pull the trigger if I ask nicely.”

Lir chooses that moment to break out of Daniel’s grip and start running, heading right toward my hiding spot. The alien may be quick, but he’s no match for the five soldiers that have him surrounded, especially injured and with his hands bound in front of him. One of the soldiers easily trips him, sending Lir to land face first on the ground. He struggles to his knees, but Daniel moves forward, stepping onto Lir’s back, slamming him to the ground. Before I can move, Daniel brings the butt of his gun down onto the back of Lir’s head.

Daniel stands, raising the barrel of his gun to point at Lir. “Let’s just go ahead and take care of this problem now.”

“No!” I step out from behind the house, raising my hands slowly. “I need him.”

Daniel turns, bringing his gun around to point at me. “So I was right. You’re a traitor on top of being crazy.” He grins. “Dane’s going love this.”

Flint steps forward, pushing Daniel’s gun toward the ground as he does. “Knock it off Daniel.” His eyes meet mine. “What the hell is going on, Jax?”

I focus on Flint, ignoring everyone else. He will understand. He has to. “Flint, they took him. They took Jace.”

“Who?” Flint’s eyes widen and his gaze travels back to Lir. “The erks? What the hell?”

“I’ve got a plan. I’m getting him back. But I need his help.”

Flint’s eyes narrow “You’re trusting the erk? Why? Do you really think it’s helping you?”

“
He
is helping me.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Something you’re not right now. He and I have a deal. I get him to the city and he gets me inside so I can get Jace. Just let us go.”

Flint shakes his head. “I can’t do that. I’m going to have to bring it in… There are other things…Nevermind.” He grasps my arm and pulls me forward. “Come on.”

“No.” I plant my feet and refuse to move.

“I don’t have time for this, Jax.” He runs one hand through his hair causing the blond spikes to stick up even more. “We’ll get Jace. I’m not letting you go there alone.”

“But you don’t understand—”

“No.” Flint leans in closer, his voice strained. “You don’t understand. I can’t let you go to that city. Jace would never forgive me. You and I will figure this out, but you have to come with me and I have to turn the alien in. There have been attacks…”

“Attacks?” Something in his voice tells me that this is serious.

“The erks,” Flint says. “They’ve been wiping human settlements off the map. Bombs. Guns. Some things we don’t even know what they are. Whatever that thing told you, whatever promises he made you, they’re lies.” When I don’t say anything, he continues. “I don’t know how you came across it, but I can guess it was a single ship doing a flyover? They’re scouting us out.”

“Scouting us out…” As much as I don’t want them to, Flint’s words make sense. The single ship. The aliens’ heated conversation and their reference to looking for something. Even Lir never really said what they were doing out there. “And Jace? Why would they take him?”

“I don’t know.” He averts his eyes and shifts us back toward the other men. “But I bet
it
does. The erk was using you to get back to his kind. Who knows what it would have done when it got you there, maybe even taken you too.”

I shake my head and back away, the burn of tears stinging in my eyes. Lir has been nothing but nice. We had a deal. He’s my only option. There’s no way he… or is there? Has he even been honest with me? My eyes reach Lir as Flint grabs my arm again. Maybe he thinks I’m being hurt— more likely he’s just worried about losing his leverage— but Lir jumps up and moves toward me, much faster than before. Has he been faking his weakness?

It’s not fast enough though. One of the men catches up with him and hits him twice on the back of the head with the butt of his gun and Lir goes down to his knees. His eye bore into me, begging me to do something, but my feet are frozen. What if Flint is right? I turn my head away, unable to watch anymore even though I can still hear the sounds of fists striking flesh. I blink quickly to prevent the tears from falling and lean into Flint.

“Let’s go,” I say. One way or another, I’m going to figure out what’s real and I’m going to get my brother back.

We stop outside the large building where Dane’s office is and Flint motions Daniel forward. “Take Scott and Michael and put the erk in one of the cells.”

“Sure thing,” says Daniel. “Come on guys, let’s put this thing where it belongs.”

Two of the soldiers step forward, Lir’s limp form draped between them. He hasn’t woken since the last time they hit him. The splash of green blood on his collar draws my eyes up to the still dripping wound on his temple. Shouldn’t he have stopped bleeding by now? Should I even care?

I pull my gaze away and shake my head. Flint wouldn’t lie to me, especially over something that involved Jace’s safety. Besides, this rescue mission will be a whole lot easier with some soldiers behind me. Forget the alien. Forget that he may or may not have saved my life in the woods. Forget that compassion in his eyes on the porch and the feel of his skin under my fingers.
Really
forget that last one.

After filling my lungs with a deep breath, I follow Flint up the stairs, without looking back.

“Enter,” Dane’s voice booms after Flint’s knock and we walk into his office.

Flint nods at his father. “Sir, there’s been a breach. An…unauthorized outsider was found within the perimeter.”

Dane’s eyes travel from Flint to me and back again. “And why is she here?”

“The intruder is an erk…an E’rikon. They took her brother Sir.”

Dane tilts back in his chair and intertwines his fingers in front of his chest. “And?

“She witnessed the event. One was left behind.” I move forward, but Flint stops me from saying anything by tightening his grip on my arm. “And it offered to help her in retrieving Jace.”

“It’s been secured?”

“Yes Sir. Daniel and two others are escorting it to the holding cells right now.”

“Am I to take it that the reports I’ve been getting about a landing are true?”

Flint nods. “Yes Sir.”

“The reported landing occurred East of town,” says Dane. His eyes swing to me, narrowing. “What were you doing outside, Jasmine?”

Flint’s fingers dig into my bicep, but his face remains still. His message is clear: I need to watch my words. “Jace left one of his knives at home and I was bringing it to him.” It’s a weak excuse, but at least it is one Emily could confirm if anyone asked.

“Your brother went out with the hunting party this morning.” Dane leans forward, the leather of his chair creaking softly. “You’re not permitted outside the gates without an escort. Who let you by?”

Flint lets go of my arm and steps forward, angling his body slightly in front of me. “I did Sir.”

“Leave us, Jasmine. I need to speak with my son alone.”

“There’s no time…uh, Sir,” I say. “We need to go get my brother now. The longer they have him—”

“No!” Dane’s fist slams down onto his desk, the vibration toppling a cup. “You need to do what you’re told. There will be no rescue mission Jasmine. Your brother is stupid enough to let himself be captured, then he suffers the consequences. I have a town to protect and I can’t spare any of my men to go traipsing off after your wayward brother.”

Heat fills my body and I clench my fists, driving my fingernails into my palms. Losing my temper is not going to work here. “Send me. I will do it on my own.”

Dane laughs. He actually laughs like my brother’s situation is some sort of joke to him. Then his eyes harden and his lips curl over his next words. “You are not permitted to leave.”

So much for not losing my temper. “I will leave if I want to!” I can’t help yelling, but Dane doesn’t even react to the volume of my words.

“You know the rules. You know what you agreed to when you accepted my protection.” His voice is even.

“No, I know what you coerced my terrified brother into agreeing to for me when I was catatonic,” I say through gritted teeth. “I didn’t agree to anything.”

“I don’t need your agreement, Jasmine.” Dane smiles. “Do you need to be locked up to ensure your cooperation?”

I open my mouth, a scathing retort resting on my tongue.
Are all humans this petulant…
Do I really think I’m going to argue Dane into agreeing with me? If I get locked up there will be no one to rescue my brother. I force my shoulders to drop and look down. “No, Sir,” I say softly. “I’ll behave.”

“Good. Now leave us.” A patronizing smile slithers across his face.

I shuffle out of the room, keeping my head down except for a glance at Flint as I walk through the door. His face is pale and his body tense. He and Jace are friends, but is that enough for him to stand up to his father? Either way, I’m not waiting around for someone else to do something. Whether Lir is using me or not, he’s really my only ally right now.