Stronger (6 page)

A pointy piece of glass catches the sun, sending purple bursts of color around me. I stare at its jagged tip. I could check out my crazy theory. A finger prick isn’t fatal; I’ve done that before in the greenhouse and survived. Before I can second guess myself, I peel off a glove and jab the end of my finger with the point.

Several drops of blood pool and my head feels heavy, my chest too tight. What have I done? I wipe away the drops and am surprised when no other drops follow. With a deep breath I try it again, deeper this time. It doesn’t go in as easily but I push harder and then suck in my breath as it slides deep into my finger. I pull it out with a cry and cradle the weeping wound to my chest.

It stings and the amount of blood makes me certain I’ve killed myself. I’m shaking, my finger screaming in pain. With a trembling hand I wipe at the wound and find it’s no longer bleeding. Not only that but it’s healed. Healed like a Val would… except there isn’t a scar. I’m still gaping at my finger when a kick to my back has me sprawling all over the debris. “No stopping,” an angry voice yells before moving on.

I stand up, dusting myself off. I’m too stupefied to continue working, my mind still trying to understand what’s happened to me.

“Good morning, Deb.”

I freeze, recognizing the voice of the one Val I really wanted to avoid today. Bryant.

I pull a few pieces of hair free and let them fall into my face, hoping he doesn’t remember me from last night.

Bryant clicks something on his tablet and then scans my signacom. “Emily,” he says, reading my information. “Your help here is appreciated.”

I kick at a fallen support beam, still hiding my face. “My pleasure.”

He nods. “You’re doing good work.” The ‘for a Deb’ isn’t spoken aloud but I hear the words anyway. He studies me and it makes it hard to breathe. “I know you, you were here last night. The Deb I rescued.”

I shake my head sharply before working again. “We’ve never met.”

His eyebrows pull together before he finally shrugs. “My mistake.”

I’ve never been more happy that all Debs look alike to the Vals.

To my surprise, Bryant stays, working alongside me, hefting the heavier chunks of marble and stone into a wheelbarrow. He’s helping with the clean up while the other Vals are simply supervising. Why? I want to ask but am afraid to point it out to him, afraid he’ll leave.

I’m constantly peeking at him when he isn’t looking. I notice the way his muscles ripple when he picks up the twisted metal, how he tips his head back when taking a drink from his canteen and how he sighs when he stretches. Just being beside him warms me more than the sun emerging from behind the lavender clouds. The urge to pinch myself and make sure I’m awake hits me hard. But I don’t bother because if I’m dreaming I have no desire to wake up. I find myself humming, content with life for the moment.

“What song is that?” Bryant asks.

“Something I learned when I was little.” It was one my father taught Ty and me when we went out looking for the special truffs my mom used in her cookies.

“I know it.”

I almost drop the load I’m carrying. “Do you?”

He nods and flashes me a smile before singing a few lines. With a hesitant grin I join in, my alto mixing with his baritone. He starts another song, but I don’t know it and just listen instead. When our wheelbarrow is full, Bryant pushes it to a bin outside while I help balance the load. Bryant says I can take a break and I slump down on a bench next to a garden of iridescent truffs. Bryant stands nearby, admiring the colorful fungi.

“We should clean out all these weeds too,” he says, bending down and grabbing a handful of Sarallin flowers.

“Oh, leave them. They just need to be opened.” I bend down and peel back the brown fibrous pod covering the center of the plant. The bright pink petals inside uncurl, standing proud in the cold dirt. “See? They’re beautiful.”

“How did you know to do that?” He touches the edge of the petal. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Ah, you don’t work in the greenhouse. We get a lot of these there. They can grow almost anywhere.”

“Really?”

“Yes, they look just like the flowers that used to grow in gardens before…” I bite my tongue to stop my words from tumbling out. It might not be a good idea to sound anti-Orion in front of Bryant, one of their favorites.

“I’ve seen the old pictures.” Bryant pulls open the shell of another one. “They do look like the flowers that used to grow.”

“They make us weed them out of the greenhouses, but I hate to do it.” I pull off the protective covering of a few more. “They’re leftover from the old Earth. The stories say they weren’t supposed to survive, but they did. They look fragile and weak, but they’re strong, maybe the strongest plant there is.”

He pulls a flower free and brings it to his nose, then coughs. “It stinks.”

I laugh. I have the urge to nudge him with my shoulder but know that would be a grievous mistake. For a Deb to initiate contact like that would get me in real trouble, but I still remember how it felt to have him touch me, and I want it again. Could I touch him but make it look like an accident? The thought warms me far more than my flimsy coat ever could. I slowly raise my hand, reaching toward him when a melodic voice stops me cold. My hand falls back to the frozen ground.

“Bryant,” the chiming voice repeats from a few feet ahead. Starburst. His girlfriend. The Orion. My enemy. “Come to me.”

Out of the corner of my eye I see the change come over him as the compulsion hits him. He beams up at the tall, graceful alien with shimmering, golden hair cascading past her shoulders. His smile is dreamy, his eyes glazed over, empty and robotic. All of the other workers appear just as enchanted. Compelled.

I clench my teeth as Bryant hurries to her and bows, offering her the flower in his hand. My flower. With a giggle she accepts it, and the two move away together. When they’re gone, I pull out the clusters of Sarallin by the handful, tossing them aside, and work without ceasing until I’m dismissed.

As soon as I’m checked out, I head toward the abandoned hardware store where tonight’s meeting is scheduled.

I give the secret knock and slip inside. Several people are standing around talking about people I’ve never heard of. I’m dismissed with a glance and I stand in the corner, out of the way. They wouldn’t have been so rude to me if Uncle Charlie were here. As the leader of the resistance, they respect his wishes to treat me like the asset that I am. At least when he’s around, which isn’t very often. Uncle Charlie has always treated me like I mattered, one reason why he took me from my parents. Even though they loved me, they would never have seen me as more than a Deb. They would have seen only my shortcomings, my limitations, not the potential of what I could accomplish.

My eyes wander over the ten or so people in attendance. I fight back a grin when I see Ty in the group. He keeps sneaking glances my way. A part of me still harbors the hope that he’ll somehow remember me as his little sister, but at least he recognizes me, if only as the Deb he met at the last meeting.

I turn my back on the group and stare at the dusty display case filled with hammers and wrenches. My fingerprints leave smudges on the dirty glass. My heart leaps to my ears when Ty’s voice speaks right behind me. “You’re alive.”

Oh… that’s why he’s been paying attention to me. I’d been bleeding the last time he saw me.

“I am.”

He studies my face. “And you’re not bleeding anymore.”

He sounds accusing. I can’t blame him. It is strange. I lace my fingers behind my back. “I know. I can’t explain it.”

“You did good last night with Zac. That was really brave.”

“He’s safe, then?”

“Yes.” Ty runs his finger along a dusty shelf. “Did you see Carlos this morning at the greenhouse?”

“No. When I saw how quickly Eclipse went after Zac, I went to Carlos’s house.” I study the ground. “I wasn’t fast enough. Eclipse beat me there.”

Ty must hear the guilt in my voice because he bends down enough to make eye contact with me. “That isn’t your fault.”

His words help ease the guilt I’ve been carrying. Slightly.

Another five knocks interrupts whatever his next question was about to be. The familiar face of my Uncle Charlie appears in the doorway, and I run across the room to him. “Uncle Charlie,” I say in a soft voice before I barrel into him.

He swings me in his firm embrace, twirling me like he did when I was a little girl. He keeps an arm around me as he guides me to those waiting for him. They all dip their heads in respect for my uncle, but I can see the way their eyes tighten as they watch the close contact between a Deb and a Val. He either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. But he’s always been that way, the one person in my life to see me as an actual person and not just as a Deb.

Uncle Charlie gives me a hard look. “I read your report. You took a stupid chance.” A deep line forms between his eyebrows. “But since you did it, I’ll be asking you a few questions about what happened and seeing if it can be useful.”

“Of course, Uncle Charlie.”

Ty shoulders his way past the others. His voice is a whisper. “Uncle Charlie?”

My uncle tenses, his fingers spasming on my waist but he doesn’t let me go. His free hand takes hold of Ty’s elbow and he drags him into a nearby hallway out of sight of the others. Ty looks less than thrilled and shakes his arm free, but lets him talk. Charlie’s voice sounds strained. “Ty, I’m glad to see you. I’d heard you’d joined up a few years ago.”

He’d heard? Wouldn’t he have known, being the head of the resistance?

Ty’s glare is unmistakable. “Yeah, my parents and I joined. But we had no idea you were involved.”

They didn’t know Uncle Charlie was the leader of the rebellion?

Uncle Charlie clears his throat. “I’ve been part of it for a while.”

“We haven’t seen or heard from you in more than a decade.”

My head jerks toward my uncle. “That long?”

Charlie breathes deeply. “We had a difference of opinion.”

Ty’s hands clench. “A difference of opinion? You killed my sister.”

Charlie tenses again and I gasp.

Ty folds his arms across his chest. “Didn’t he tell you?”

“They still think you killed m—her?” Charlie doesn’t say anything, just rocks back on his heels, avoiding eye contact.

“My sister was in his care when she drowned,” Ty says. “He knew the ice was thin and still he didn’t watch her closely.”

“She was just a Deb, though, right?” I ask. Some sick part of me needs to know if they really cared about me, if they missed me. “I would think such a strong Val family wouldn’t worry too much over the death of such a weak genetic link.”

“I could kill you for that.” Ty takes a step toward me, his nostrils flaring. “Her death nearly destroyed us.” Ty points a threatening finger at Uncle Charlie. “We’ve avoided him for twelve years for the loss my sister.”

The pain in his voice surprises me. I’d never let myself think of the pain my family might have felt at my death. The newsfeeds and interviews about the family never even mentioned me, a subtle signal to me that they hadn’t cared. As a young girl, I heard snippets of conversation where my parents lamented my being a Deb. I thought I’d shamed them, that they didn’t want me. It was one of the reasons I’d never approached them when I grew older. But at what cost? I’d never even considered how they might blame Charlie. In his attempt to save me, he’d lost more than I knew.

“Uncle Charlie?” In his brown eyes I can see the loneliness he’s felt, the pain he’s kept hidden.

He pats my waist. “It was for the best. I promise.”

Ty isn’t watching Charlie anymore; his heavy gaze is on me. “You call him ‘Uncle’ too? Charlie, aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Charlie scratches at his beard. “Ty, this is… your little sister, Lexie.”

I hold my breath, waiting for Ty’s reaction, wanting nothing more than his acceptance, but afraid I’ll get the opposite.

The muscles in Ty’s arms flex. He practically growls. “That isn’t funny.”

Charlie releases me and squeezes Ty’s shoulder, looking him in the eye. “It isn’t meant to be. Really look. Don’t your recognize her?”

“Ty,” I say. My fingers play with the hem of my jacket sleeve. “I still have Polly.”

Ty swings his attention to me. His gaze lingers on me, and he takes a step back. “Don’t.” He shakes his head hard and glares at Uncle Charlie. “This is cruel, even for you.”

“He isn’t lying. I still remember the promise you made when I was four.”

Ty freezes, his eyes darting to mine. “And what was that?”

“That I’d be the strongest Deb alive, and could serve with your platoon.”

The blood drains from his face and he leans his back against the wall to keep from falling. He slides down the wall until he’s on the floor, his eyes never leaving me.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When they open again, they’re filled with tears and he’s studying me, like he’s really seeing me for the first time. A smile spreads across his face. He springs up and wraps me in his arms.

“I knew you seemed familiar. Lex… it’s really you? I’ve dreamt of moments like this but…” keeping my body locked against his he glowers at our Uncle. “How could you have done this to us?”

“Your parents were so upset over Hiram’s death they didn’t even seem to notice the requests from the leaders saying they wanted Lexie for testing, or what that might mean.”

“Testing?”

Charlie reclines against the wall behind him. “Yes, testing. Because of her high scores on the aptitude tests, they were going to send her to the experimentation center instead of the school. Faking her death was a kindness. What they do there is worse than you can imagine.”

“What? Why?”

“Because she was too smart. They don’t want smart Debs. And also because smart Debs are usually sturdier and can survive the experiments for longer.”

“My parents would have stopped it.”

Charlie let his head drop against the wall with a thud. “They couldn’t have. You were all under suspicion after Hiram’s death.”

“But we knew nothing of the rebellion then.”

“Ah, but they didn’t know that. It’s usually in our grieving that we start to suspect the truth. Hiram’s death was that point for me.”

“And so you what, pretended that Lexie died?”

“They were coming for her in a matter of days. Nothing you did could have stopped it. Only her death. But your parents couldn’t have planned it. They were too upset. You all were. And when they questioned her death, and I knew they would, your loss had to appear genuine.”

“It was.” Ty hugs me again.

“It’s time to start the meeting. We’ll discuss this after.”

Charlie pushes off the wall and walks to the meeting room. Ty holds onto to my hand, keeping us in the corridor alone.

“Can you really read and write and hack?”

I give him a grin. “I can. Uncle Charlie thought the battle to overthrow the Orions needed to be fought on every front. And that even a Deb could make a difference. Especially if that Deb could read and see documents most people wouldn’t be allowed to.”

“I’ve never heard of a Deb who can read.”

I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear. “The ones who can are usually killed. It’s the real reason for the aptitude tests they give us when we’re kids. They want to keep things the same.”

Ty looks away with a curse. “It’s hard for me to believe they are even more evil than I thought.”

“They like their slaves the way they are. They’re afraid of change.”

“Are there more like you?”

I shrug. “We haven’t found any alive, but we hope so. We only know about the others because of Uncle Charlie’s work in the labs after he retired from the military.”

“And you’re able to heal? Is that why your nose stopped bleeding?”

“No. I’m not sure how that happened. Bleeding has always been dangerous for me. Little scratches take forever to go away, and break open again, just like with other Debs. The thing with my nose, that’s… new.”

“I always thought you were special.”

“Thank you, Ty.” I smile up at him. “I’ve followed your training. I’m so proud of you.”

I know we should be in the other room, that the fate of the world could come to what they are discussing, but I can’t make myself care. I have my brother back and he seems to accept me, Deb and all. It feels like the twelve years we were separated didn’t matter.

He scans my wristband, making notes of all the information it contains. He lets out a low whistle. “You’ve gotten in a lot of trouble.”

“Yeah, I know,” I say with a cringe.

“You work in the Information Center. I see how you’re able to get information for us.” He scrubs his hand over the back of his head. It reminds me so much of him as a little boy it nearly brings tears to my eyes. “And you work in the greenhouse? Why would you agree to work there?”

“They were going to assign a ten year old girl who could barely lift the shears there. I couldn’t let her work at such a dangerous place. She had a family.”

The corners of his mouth pinch together.

“And it pays well.”

“You barely have enough credits here to survive. I’m getting you transferred.”

“Don’t. I’ll have a good job once I graduate. Besides, I usually have more points than that, but I got in trouble for touching a Val.”

Ty startles. “You touched a Val?”

I bristle at the coldness in his voice. Beloved brother or not, apparently he still doesn’t think I’m worthy touch a Val. “He was dying from working in the dome. He was falling and I didn’t want him to land in the snow. I know a Deb shouldn’t touch a Val, but—”

“No.” He raises his hand to stop me. “It isn’t that you shouldn’t have. It’s just I’m surprised a Deb would be willing to help a Val after the way most of us treat you. That you’re brave enough to help one.”

“It was instinct. The Vals aren’t the true enemies; it’s the Orions.” I study the shadows on the wall of the people in the rebellion meeting. “Touching that Val is how I got my bloody nose.”

He groans. “The one I wasn’t there in time to prevent.”

“You stopped him from killing me.”

Ty’s shoulders slump. “When I think of how many I haven’t stopped or how many I myself have punished.”

I touch the line between his eyebrows. “It’s—”

“Don’t you dare try and tell me it’s okay. Until this moment I’ve never thought of a Deb as a real person while I’ve been patrolling. It helps to think of them as well… Did I ever punish you?”

“No, Ty. And even among us Debs you’re known to be kind.”

“Kind?” He raises his eyebrow. “Really?”

“Well, maybe not kind, but less harsh.” I search for the right word. “Fair.”

He threads his thumb in his belt buckle. “I thought the Debs all worshipped us, like they do the Orions.”

“Most do, but some of us are leery. We’ve seen enough not to have such blind loyalty. But we know you’re serving the Orions, who are perfection.”

Ty snorts.

“For the most part, the Debs do look up to you. They always blame themselves for the punishments they receive.”

Ty touches my cheek. “But you don’t?”

I put my hand over his. “No. I learned at a young age—playing with you and Bryant—that Vals aren’t perfect.”

He smiles and his dimple briefly shows itself. “We’ll have to meet together again soon. Tomorrow at four. Do you know the path by the school, near the beach?”

“Yes, I know it.”

“Will you meet me there? I want to talk more.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Wait. It’s pretty far. Can you make it? I know Debs have weak lungs.”

“We do, but Uncle Charlie has had me exercise every day of my life. I’m in better shape than most Debs, and I walk all the time. I can even do some basic fighting.”

“Maybe I’ll show you a few moves myself.” He ruffles my hair and a few wisps pull free. “And let me give you a few of my points, so you have enough to eat.”

He gives me another hug before we finally join the rest of the meeting. We learn that the attack on the Sacred Square was done by a lone, disillusioned man, not someone the resistance had recruited. He’d strapped a bomb to himself and ran inside the building. The statues weren’t damaged, something the Orions are happy about. After my failed attempt to shove one over, it makes me feel a little better that an explosion couldn’t knock them over either.

“Did we ever find out who was responsible for the explosion in the hangar?” one of the group asks Uncle Charlie.

Charlie shakes his head. “Just that several planes were damaged. Any other questions?”

“What about the people on the termination list?” I ask. “Did we save them all? Except for Carlos?” Saying Carlos’s name still sends a flicker of shame through me.

Charlie nods. “We mourn the loss of Carlos. It was a close call in a couple of the other cases, but we got the rest of them out.”

A thrill runs through me, knowing that my work helped save their lives. “I can do more, Uncle Charlie. Just let me know what you need.”

Charlie squeezes my shoulder. “I like your passion. We’ll need that. For right now, just hang tight.” His gaze moves from face to face, meeting each person’s eyes. “We’re getting close, people. Soon we will strike at the Orions and strike hard. I need to leave right away, one more thing I need to see to. When I return, we may have some new allies in our fight. I can’t say more right now. We can win this war, my friends. We can and we must.”

Ty is asked to stay after we disband. I consider waiting for him but know I have to get to my shift.

That night as I fall asleep, I dream of my brother and my family, of basking in their love.