Everwinter: The Forerunner Archives (40 page)

"So do we," the man reveals. "A device that came from the very city we find ourselves standing in. A Box." The man hesitates. "Haven't you wondered how that Box came to be in Eversummer, Juno?"

I shrug. "Of course. But it's a mystery we haven't solved yet."

"Oh, it's no mystery," the man retorts. "Your 'friend' here is the one who delivered it."

I gape, my gaze falling on Altair. "Is that true?" My tone is accusatory.

Altair doesn't look at me. His mouth is a sneer, his throwing stars still tight in his grip. "It's only half the truth, Juno," Altair tells me. "I was trying to
prevent
the Box from falling into the wrong hands. I failed."

I nod at that, t
urning back to the men. "How do you know all this?"

The lead man grins. "Your
Father," he replies. "We beat the information out of him shortly after you escaped from Krakelyn. Altair has been working for your Father for a long time, Juno."

"I know," I say
with annoyance, because I don't actually know the specifics of that relationship yet. 

"We wanted to know where your
Father sent you, but he wouldn't relent on that point. Eventually, he fled Krakelyn, and we think he took the Box with him. We don't care about the Box so much. It's
you
we want, Juno."

Altair takes a threatening step forward. "I'm warning you," he says.

"Easy, Altair, easy," the man soothes. "All we want is to right a wrong that’s been done to the world. Solve an injustice, if you will. Now, Altair, you're going to lower those stars of yours, and we're going to take Juno, or you're both going to die right here on the spot." The men take a few threatening steps forward, weapons drawn and pointed. 

"What do you want with her?" Altair asks. My heart hammers anxiously. Altair is seriously outmatched here.
 

"Oh,
we
don't want her," the lead Deacon replies. "The gods do. They demand her blood. Altair, why do you think this is all happening? The mutations. The Final Judgment. It is all the wrath of the gods, sent to remind us that the True Body Plan is the only way to live our lives. Too many in this world have forgotten that. The Final Judgment was our punishment. The good news, though, is that the damage can be reversed! We can undo what the gods have done to us! All they require is a sacrifice, Altair. The blood of the last human!"

"Oh, for gods sake!" I huff.
“You guys are no better than the Children of Mutanity! They wanted to kill me too!” I feel like I'm in that grassy field again, the Children screaming for my blood. 

Jude screaming for my blood.

              “You’re wrong, Juno,” the man counters. “We never turned our backs on the True Body Plan. We still believe mutations to be an abomination. We just want to prove that to the gods by offering up a sacrifice.” 

"Not gonna happen," Altair warns, lifting his arms in a final threatening gesture.

"Very well," the man says. "You've made your choice." He waves a hand in the air. "Take them!" he yells. 

But the men before us don't move.

Instead, we're attacked from above.

Deep shadows descend,
momentarily blocking out the light from the windows. Something heavy and blunt strikes me between the shoulder blades with incredible force, the same happening to Altair. I scream in pain. Two men have elbow dropped us from the rooftops, taking us both by complete surprise. An immense weight presses down on my back, forcing the air from my lungs, pressing my face into the snow.

I'm pinned.

Altair, however, is not so lucky.

The entire group of Deacons swarms him, kicking him while he's down, trying to reduce him to a bloody pulp. The attack is so vicious, he'll be dead
within a minute...

TWEEEP!

A high pitched noise, not unlike a bird call, rushes to my ears.

The man on top of
me suddenly falls over, face to the ground. Stunned, I see a small, arrow-like dart protruding from the back of his neck.

He's not dead, just unconscious.
 

TWEEEP! TWEEEP! TWEEEP!

More darts fly down the alley, striking our attackers, rendering them unconscious in seconds. Realizing the change in their predicament, the remaining four men halt their assault and turn toward this new threat.

Too late.

Four more darts fly, striking each man with deadly precision.

But only three of them go down.

The last dart strikes home, but it's snagged in the bulky clothing of the final man. He hits the ground in a dive, taking a shot at his attacker with his shooting iron. The attacker dives as well, the bullet flying wild and slamming against a snow mound with a white explosion. I hear our savior curse as now he's lost his advantage. The last Deacon struggles to his knees, pointing his shooter directly and–

SNAP!

The Deacon's head twists unnaturally sideways, a broken, bloody mess, as Altair grasps it and reefs on it. The Deacon falls limp. Altair comes to me immediately, helping me to my feet.

"You okay?" he asks, ignoring his own discomfort; he's beaten far worse than I am.
 

I cringe at the pain in my back from the attack
, my spine popping. "Ow!" I cry then nod. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

We face our savior.

He's clearly another man, swaddled head to toe, holding a small but long barreled weapon that can only be a dart shooter. I've never seen anything like it.

"Who are you?" I ask, stepping forward cautiously with Altair at my side. "Why did you help us?"

The man comes into the yellow light of one of the windows. All we can see of him is his eyes. But it's all I need.

"No," I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Hello, Juno," the man says, pulling his hood and scarf down to reveal a face I loathe more than
any
other in this world.

"Jude," I say through clenched, grinding teeth.

"Bloody ashes," Altair says, eyes wide. He suddenly produces a throwing star.

"Hey," Jude says, hands raised. "I come in peace. Please." He lowers his own weapon, slipping it into a holster at his belt.

"What are you doing here, Jude?" I literally growl. "I told you I never wanted to see you again!"

"I know!" Jude admits, keeping his distance.
"I... I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, Juno, but... I can't thank you enough for sparing my life. I can't say I would have done the same had the situation been reversed. I'm sorry."

"I don't care!" I scream now. "I don't give one bloody hells what you have to say! I will NEVER,
EVER
forgive you! Get out of here! Now!"

I'm almost frothing at the mouth. Altair has to hold me back. "Take it easy," he whispers at me. "It's alright."

"No, it's not!" I shake my head. "I HATE him!"

"I know, I know," Jude tries to soothe. "But there's a reason I'm here, Juno. I've been asked to deliver you a message."

"I don't care!" I scream again, irrationally. I've never felt so much hatred and rage before.

"What's the message?" Altair asks, to my extreme irritation. I scowl at him but he doesn't meet my gaze. "He saved our lives, Juno," he says. "Let's just hear him out." I try to pull away, but Altair keeps a firm grip on my arm. I want to cry.

Jude steps forward. "You're Father wants you to meet him at the Evernight Skytower in the Stockton District. Don't go to Ursa's lab. There's nothing there anymore."

My jaw drops and I shake my head. "How... My
Father? So he
is
alive?"

"Yes," Jude reveals. "And he's here, in Everwinter. You need to go to him, Juno. He knows
of a way to cure the mutations that doesn't involve synthesizing your blood. You don't need to go to Ursa's lab."

I shake my head. "I don't believe you. Why would my
Father send you? Why didn't he just come after me himself?"

Jude gestures to the limp, unconscious forms all around us. "Because of them," he replies. "The Deacons have been following him since Krakelyn, hoping he would lead them to you. There was nothing he could do about them, and so couldn't risk meeting you directly."

"But they found me anyway!" I snarl. "You probably led them to me!"

"No, Juno!" Jude cries. "I would never! I mean... I realize that you have no reason to believe me. But I'm not a Child of Mutanity anymore. I'm... I'm trying to atone for what I've done."

"You can't," I state bluntly. "Not ever. You betrayed me, Jude! In the worst way possible!" I shake my head. "It seems like everyone I love winds up betrayed or a betrayer."

Ursa flashes through my mind in that moment.

My Mother
.

She'd kept her missing toenail a secret her whole
life until somebody discovered it and ratted her out.

I still don't know who it
was.

"Leave, Jude," I say. "You've delivered your message. I don't believe it, but you've delivered it. Get out of here."

"Juno, please," Jude pleads. "You have to go to the Skytower. You have to–"

"LEAVE!" I scream, breaking Altair's grip and stomping forward. "NOW!"

Jude slumps, his head staring at the ground. "Okay. Just... One last thing, Juno," he says. "I still love you."

"GO!" I snarl one last time. I leap at him, arms raised in rage. I've never lost it like this before.

But it doesn't matter.

Before I can get within five steps of Jude, the world suddenly slips out from beneath me.

I've hit a patch of ice.

My legs flail upward, my body nearly horizontal in the air. Then I slam down, striking my head.

Everything goes black.

58.

"Very good, Jude!" Mrs. Cromarty exclaims, sitting at the center of the circle of eager students. "That's right! According to the True Body Plan, a human being shall have ten fingers and ten toes! Very good."

Mrs. Cromarty's gaze continues around the circle, coming to the next student. "And you, Juno," the old woman smiles warmly. "How many fingernails should a human being have?"

Juno smiles back, raising her own hand before her face. "Five!" she blurts enthusiastically. "Five on each hand! Five, like how old I am!"

"Very good!" Mrs. Cromarty praises. "And what about toenails?" she asks. "How many of those should a human have?"

Juno hesitates a moment, considering. "Well," she finally says, "it's usually five, like fingernails, but sometimes it's four."

Mrs. Cromarty frowns, her eyes betraying her shock. "What do you mean, Juno?" she asks. "Haven't you been studying your True Body Plan?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cromarty," Juno says sheepishly, "but it confuses me."
 

"Oh?" Cromarty asks, bewildered. "Why is that?"

"'Cause," Juno says, "my Mom only has
four
toenails on one of her feet."

Cromarty's face goes suddenly
pale and the children in the class start murmuring to each other.

"Cool!" Jude exclaims,
many of the children agreeing with him.

"No!" Mrs. Cromarty suddenly snarls, becoming very cross. "It is not cool!" She stumbles to her feet, visibly shaken. "Children, return to your seats! Work on your lette
rs! I have to leave you for a moment. I'll be right back."

Confused, the children do as commanded.

"What was that about?" Juno asks, sitting at her desk next to Jude.

"Hells if I know," Jude replies with a wicked grin.

"Bad word!" Juno chastises him, but they both laugh and, like their peers, set to work on their letters, the whole incident forgotten.

They're still too young to appreciate the import of the text carved into a wooden plaque above the classroom door.

"
Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Mutant to Live
"

"Juno? Hey, Juno! Wake up!"
 

I feel a pinch at the back of my neck.

I open my eyes.

The first thing I notice is that I'm cold.

Damn cold.

I'm on my back, staring skyward. Altair's face hangs over mine, concern written all over his face. "Are you alright?" he asks, helping me sit up.

I wince, the pain in my back intensifying. "Yeah," I cringe. "I just... How long was I out?"

"Just a few minutes," he says. "But if you can manage it, I think we should get moving. I don't want to
have to kill the rest of these men if I don't have to." A spike of adrenaline surges through me, thinking we're being attacked again. Then I look around and see the limp forms of the Deacons, still on the ground around us. A couple of them are groaning though, coming around.