Uprising (15 page)

Dr. Nickel nodded at me to continue.

“Aside from whether or not they live or die,” I said, “we need to agree on one thing.” I looked at Anna sitting quietly with Chloe on the couch like they were trying to go unnoticed, and realized what I wanted. “Human integration. It’s the only way to truly be free, and that’s what we’re fighting for. Freedom.”

“I think we can all agree with that,” Mac said. I was surprised to hear his voice. I didn’t think he’d be on board with the idea, but then I followed his eyes. They were on Anna in a way that made me have to hold back a secret smile.

“So what’s this plan you say you have?” Alex jumped in aggressively. “Because I don’t believe you.”

“What is your problem?” William said, stepping forward. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “No, he’s right, William,” I admitted. “I don’t have a plan. I was hoping we could come up with one, all of us.”

“Can I say something?” Kara asked. “No matter what our plan is, we need to train those people out there to defend themselves. Anyone on our side is at risk. They need to know how to fight.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

“What about dividing them into groups,” Anna said from the couch. Everyone turned and stared at her, like she wasn’t one of us. It made my skin crawl. Even they saw her as an outsider.

“What kind of groups?” I asked, trying to ignore everyone else.

“You know, like in the army they have recon, front line soldiers, cooks even.” She shrugged and fidgeted with her hands. “I just mean, some people can’t really fight, so—”

“That’s a great idea.” I folded my arms over my chest and raised my eyebrows at everyone around the table.

“Sounds smart to me,” Kara agreed.

“We have to consider the threats,” Dr. Nickel added. “Our last attempt at war failed because he threatened human life. He’ll do it again, and we have to be prepared for that.”

“You were aggressive before. We won’t be,” I said. “We’ll lay low. Act quietly. They’ll have no reason to kill humans or attack us if we aren’t posing a threat.”

“So, it’s a coup d’état,” William said, smiling widely. “I can live with that.”

I nodded. “We’ll just get more and more people on our side until they no longer have the control. Then we’ll deal with human integration after that.”

12.

I WOKE UP TO THE SMELL of bacon and the sound of jovial voices over the clanking of serving spoons on plates. William’s chest was pressed against my back, and his heavy arm was draped over my side. The idea of a baby must have still been on his mind, because his hand was on my stomach. I didn’t want to talk about it so I rolled over, forcing his hand to move to my back and nuzzled into his chest. It felt good to wake up here, where we were safe.

“Bacon,” he moaned, his voice deep and crackling with sleep.

I laughed. “After all we’ve been through, and all the people waiting out there, your first thought is of cooked pork?”

“I know. I’m an animal.”

His eyes finally opened, and we stared at each other across our pillows. “I’m nervous.”

“You, nervous? I don’t believe it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

“Come on,” he said more seriously. “You were great yesterday. I’ve never seen you like that before. You were . . . amazing.”

“What if they see through me?”

He reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Then they’ll see a person, like them, doing all she can to do what’s right. Nobody’s perfect. You can’t expect yourself to be.”

“Sometimes I feel like I should be wiser,” I said. “I mean, I’ve lived ninety years. Why do I still feel so naïve?”

“I think everyone’s different. There are old souls and young souls. For a lot of us, we act as old as we feel. Who wants to walk around acting like a grandpa, right?”

“Yeah, but you’d think after ninety years of life, I’d have a little more experience or knowledge . . . something. Sometimes I feel like I’m still a child.”

He pushed his pillow down and moved his face closer to mine. “You’ve been sheltered. So have most of us, really. You know how my parents are. Kept me living at home for almost a century. Ninety years really isn’t all that long if you think about it. My dad, now he has some stories.”

“Like what?”

“He used to tell me about the Civil War. It was a different time. Boys had to be men. Now, life’s too easy.”

“It won’t be. Not for much longer.”

He leaned over to kiss my cheek, and as his fingers grazed my skin, I wanted more. I pressed a hand to his chest, holding him down so he couldn’t escape my kiss. It was the perfect way to avoid what was waiting for me outside. At first he fell for it. He pushed against my lower back, scooting me closer to him. Every time our lips parted I breathed. There was no reason to stop.

I peeled his shirt up over his head and reached for my own.

“Ellie,” he said, stopping me.

I paused with the hem of my shirt in my hands. “What?”

“I just don’t think this is a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” I protested.

“You know,” he said, hiking his shoulders. “Do you think you’re really . . . pregnant?”

I didn’t answer. I knew I was, but he didn’t.

“Because if you’re not,” he continued. “This could mean . . .” He shook his head. “Do you really want to take that chance?” I slouched back into the soft mattress. So maybe I didn’t know for sure. I was taking Adrianna’s word for it. “No,” I answered.

***

When I stepped outside amongst the people lining up for breakfast and gathering at tables, everyone got quiet. They stared at me like my presence meant something. It startled me. I wasn’t expecting such sudden attention. I looked around, meeting curious eyes and smiled, like I was trying to pass myself off as one of them. I couldn’t think of what else to do.

“All right. Let the girl get some food,” Mac yelled from behind me. It seemed to lighten the mood and voices began again. I turned to him with gratitude, but he was too busy tucking a knife into the side of his belt. “Well, get in line. You’re not expecting special treatment are you?”

I laughed. “No.”

“I was,” William said as he stepped up beside me. He grabbed my hand, and we walked toward the back of the line. Eyes followed us, but I was met with kindness when I looked back, and each person stepped aside to let us go ahead of them.

“No, it’s fine,” I resisted uncomfortably, but hands pushed me ahead until William and I were beneath the white canvas canopy.

I tried to stand taller and keep my shoulders straight, hoping to seem more worthy of this treatment, as we inched forward toward the table of potatoes, eggs, and bacon.

“Good morning,” Cearno said cheerfully from behind the grill. “Help yourselves.”

It was a relief to see someone I knew. “Hi, Cearno.”

“Take some extra bacon,” he said through his gray beard, and I gladly accepted. Anything he made was bound to be delicious.

“Thanks.” We shared a look, and I followed William to a nearby table.

The camp was set up in a circle with clusters of tents bordering its edges. To the left was a large white canvas hut. I couldn’t see what was in it, but I assumed it was a meeting place. In the center of camp was the largest fire pit, but I could see others in the distance. Small pillars of smoke billowed up from places amongst the tents, providing warmth in the chilly morning air. The familiar pine and birch trees from my past surrounded us. Some had no leaves this time of year, but all had grown since I was a child. It was strange to see my family home transformed like this. It used to be my own secret place. Now it was just . . . a place to be.

Beyond the canvas hut were a few rows of brown multipurpose tables with metal fold-out chairs. Just before William and I took our spots at one of them, Sam and Nics caught sight of us and ran over with wide smiles.

“So, what? Only the special people are allowed inside the house? Best friends don’t get access?” Sam punched William on the shoulder playfully and then slapped his big hands on his back as they hugged.

Nics nearly tackled me, squeezing her arms around my torso until I couldn’t breathe. “We were worried,” she said, shoving me.

“I wasn’t,” Sam said with a shrug.

“Everything I say, he has to say the opposite,” Nics complained. The tops of her ebony cheeks gleamed in the sunlight.

I missed their bickering. It was nice to be back amongst friends. As they continued, I caught myself eyeing the streaks of gray in Sam’s sand-colored hair. Kara’s memory had taught me what he must have gone through for trying to save that human girl on the beach so long ago. It wasn’t right to have years stripped from your life for trying to do something good. Those were the reasons we were here. That type of punishment had to stop.

“So what has everyone been doing?” I asked, trying to get a feel of what would be expected of me.

“We’ve just been waiting,” Nics answered as she sat opposite us.

“For what?” I asked.

Sam looked at me like it was obvious. “For you.” Without warning, Rachel and Paul ambushed us. The two of them flew in spiral formation through the air, Rachel nothing but a tiny rainbow ball of light. After nearly crashing into our table, Rachel returned to her bodily form and wrapped her arms around my neck. Locks of her wavy blonde hair fell into my eyes as she smashed her face close to mine. “You’re here!”

Paul sat next to William and put a strong tan arm over his shoulders in a half-hug. “Why didn’t you guys come say hi last night?”

William shrugged. “Escaping from Christoph is a little exhausting.”

“So it’s true? That was the rumor, but we weren’t sure.”

“That’s crazy,” Rachel beamed as she slid in beside me.

“How’d you escape?”

“Naturally cunning instincts,” William answered.

I laughed. “Yeah. Right.” I took a bite of my pan-fried potatoes, savoring the flavor of garlic and pepper. “It was pure luck.”

I let William tell the full story, only interrupting when necessary or to reel in his exaggerations. For a while, I hardly noticed the crowd developing in the large white tent to my right.

“So, now that you’re here,” Nics asked, “what’s the plan? What’s this morning’s meeting about?”

“Meeting?”

“Yeah,” Nics answered. “You said we’d start in the morning. Everyone’s expecting you to tell them what to do.” She looked back and forth between William and me. “You do have a plan, right?”

People were flocking toward the tent, watching me as they passed. I knew they were waiting for me. They had the same question Nics had.

“Yeah,” I said, staring at the groups of people coming together. “We get ready to fight. We organize our troops, prepare for attacks, and communicate exactly what it is we’re fighting for.”

My words took them all off guard. I didn’t know what they were expecting me to say, but I could tell they were surprised.

“All right!” Paul said, slamming the table with his fist. When we finished eating I stepped into the tent, but this time, people didn’t stop talking to stare. The air was charged. I could feel their energy as a hundred conversations jumbled together. Their anticipation made my stomach flutter with stage fright, but I knew what I needed to say.

Against the canvas wall of the tent, I saw Anna and Chloe. Anna smiled at me, even though I knew she didn’t feel comfortable here. Most didn’t know they weren’t Descendants. I beckoned for them to come to the front where I stood with William, our friends, Kara, Alex, Mac, and Dr. Nickel. Every single person here was in this tent, and they were all waiting for me to step forward and speak.

Logs had been placed in lines like rows of benches, and people sat on and against them while others stood. The younger ones sat in groups cross-legged on the dry grassy dirt in front, giggling and whispering secrets.

“Can you get me a chair?” I asked Rachel. She snapped into her messenger form, the small multi-colored ball of light, and zipped outside to get a metal folding chair.

I hugged Anna and Chloe as they stepped next to me. “Somebody’s popular,” Anna said with a sarcastic smile.

“Want to trade places?” I joked. She knew this wasn’t me. I was shy and nervous. I wasn’t a leader, but I needed to be, and I’d surprised myself these days.

“Are you going to tell them about us?” she whispered into my ear.

I nodded. “I have to.”

She raised her eyebrows and gave me a look that said, “All right, here we go.”

They couldn’t be kept a secret anymore. Their presence here was a symbol of what we were fighting for.

I squeezed her hand and stepped onto the chair.

“Good morning,” I spoke, loud and confident like before. The crowd quieted, and my heart pounded. “If you’re going to stay here, you should know what we’re fighting for.”

My eyes drifted from face to face, and I straightened my shoulders. “We’re fighting for a life free of The Council’s oppression. One where we don’t have to fear for our lives if we show compassion to someone who needs a helping hand. We shouldn’t have to live in hiding, afraid to be ourselves, afraid to help others. Those who are here are fighting for the right to undo some of the wrongs in this world. We’re fighting for a future where years of our lives aren’t stolen from us for doing good deeds.” Sam stared back at me with a hard jaw and passion in his eyes. I shifted my gaze to Kara. “A future where we don’t kill for someone else’s cause out of fear for our families, where we aren’t forced to take human life to save our own.” I swallowed down the heat and anger brewing in my chest. “I want to live in a world where humans and Descendants can live in peace together. A world where the consequences of loving another race isn’t death. People who stay are those who want a new way of life. Who want to fight for freedom.” I put my hand on Anna’s shoulder. “This is Anna. I’ve known her since I was in my fifties. I was there when her daughter Chloe was born. They’re my family. And they’re human.”

Not a sound was uttered amongst the crowd. My throat felt dry as I waited for them to erupt into a protest, but no one said a word. I searched the sea of nervous eyes for someone who didn’t approve, but only found surprise and acceptance in the faces that stared back at me. “If you don’t believe that human integration is the key to freedom, that is your right, but you don’t belong here.” I stood confidently with William closely beside me. He smiled with pride, and that alone gave me strength. If everyone left but him, I’d be okay.