Chapter 21

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

JESSICA

I don’t like leaving Trench, especially with his wound—and especially knowing what he and several others of the brotherhood are getting up to today. But I would only be waiting at home while he went, and I doubt Kimba would let anything short of full-blown illness keep me from going to this party.

He made sure I had my little keychain of stabby things and my spray bottle of serum as well. They hang from my hip like a tassel. And I kiss him before I open the door to the garage and the waiting car.

“Don’t do anything dangerous while I’m gone.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“No, you can’t.”

Kimba honks the horn, and I finally go.

I get in the back seat, and Laurel looks at me over her shoulder. “Ready for some ‘girl time’?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Chrys isn’t here, so Laurel probably won’t try to drag me into anything too wild, but we’re headed to Margot’s, so who knows?

Kimba asks me more questions about the research as she drives and I give her the answers I can and share the limitations I’ve come up against.

I see Laurel pursing her lips in the reflection of the window. “What is it?”

She winces and for a moment, I think she might brush me off, but she doesn’t.

“Okay, but you told me to ask. How much not-sex are you having?”

Kimba rolls her eyes and I just sigh. “More than I should.”

“Good.” Laurel takes a deep breath and exhales it on a heavy sigh. “He’s only got so much longer to convince you to stick around.”

“Laurel,” Kimba says in a scolding tone.

“Excuse me for wanting my sister to be here and with a man who clearly makes her happy.”

Kimba changes the subject and I explain what the acidic compound does.

They both agree it’s best not to have it in their outposts until I’ve done more testing.

“Who knows, it might hurt the two of you too. Well, maybe not your, Laur.”

They both look at me over their shoulders. “What do you mean?”

“If you are changed by bonding to members of the brotherhood… taking on bits of their mutations, it stands to reason that this could affect you now too. But in your case, you might heal right up.”

“Ew,” Laurel says, while Kimba says, “let’s not find out.”

Kimba parks her car in the employees only part of the lot at Margot’s.

“Are we here to pull a shift?” I ask as I step out with them. “Because Laur can vouch for the fact that I am a terrible waitress.”

Kimba laughs and shakes her head. “Today is all play and no work.”

We go to an elevator that is both brighter and larger than the one patrons use to get up to the top, and when we’re inside, the button Kimba pushes doesn’t send us up. It turns us around .

The doors open, still on the ground floor, and when I step out, I have to pause.

“What is this place?”

“Depends on the day,” Kimba squeezes my arm and goes directly to where Hannah sits on the arm of a chair, reading a book over another woman’s shoulder.

“Apparently,” Laurel tucks her arm in mine and slowly guides me through the enormous open space. “This is basically a training room. They give classes over there.”

She points at where Kimba and Hannah are with the woman and her book. The chairs there are arranged in a semicircle with an enormous screen on the wall in front of them.

“And apparently anyone who works here can come down and just hang out away from the noise.”

“It reminds me of the rec center back home.”

Laurel chuckles. “You’re right. All it’s missing is the tennis courts and swimming pool.”

She leads me straight to Margot. “Maybe she’ll add them both if you suggest it.”

“Well,” Margot looks me up and down as Laurel flits away to talk to Cindy and Andrea, “Don’t you look like a warm summer’s day.”

I look down at my yellow sweater and my corduroy pants. “I thought it was fall vibes. Daffodil yellow and all.”

She laughs and then asks. “What are you suggesting?”

“Nothing, I just told her this space reminded me of the rec center back home.”

She nods. “It certainly has most of the amenities. Let me guess… swimming pool?”

“And tennis courts.”

“There’s a basketball hoop over there, but most Earth sports stayed on Earth.” She chuckles. “Did you know that the Agency brought baseball over? The men here love it.”

Margot hands me a drink. “Laurel told me you usually drink Palomas.”

“Did she also tell you I don’t usually drink alone?”

Margot lifts a glass of her own from behind the bar. “Who said anything about drinking alone?”

She clinks her glass against mine, “Here’s to inevitability.”

“Is it inevitable?”

I look out over the room. Most of the women have gathered in a seating area near a trio of poles. There’s food and pitchers of, I assume, lemonade.

“Let me ask you a question.” She swirls the ugly green liquid in her glass, ice clinking. “If you don’t plan on bonding to him, why are you taking the Vitamin S?”

“Who says I am?”

“Your Agency file. They make note of any and all prescription requests… and refills.”

“Have you been spying on me?”

“No, I was just notified because that one went on my tab instead of Trench’s.”

“Oh,” I hadn’t even thought. “Sorry. I’ll pay you back.”

“No need.” She smiles at me. “Kimba might have thought I sent what I did as a joke, but I am serious as a heart attack when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“And I’m sure you never do anything by halves.”

She winks at me and then looks past me. “Go say hi to Cindy before she comes over here to drag you to them.”

I do as she says.

I’m not sure anyone would disobey Margot. She seems to know exactly how to talk to people.

Cindy grabs my hand the moment I’m close enough and draws me into the group.

“Hey science lady! Nice to see you again,” Sari says with a little wave.

Cindy introduces me to the others who are there, all of them women who work for Margot.

“Believe me,” a petite woman named Sherri says, “When you’ve had your kids, you are going to want a little break from them. The first two years, they take up all your time.”

“But, Sian men have traditionally been more care-focused than human men. Well, American human men at the very least. I can’t speak to other men.” Betty says. “I’ve never had to ask Raud to help with anything, he just does it.”

I let them talk about their impending children and meander toward the poles. They’re not like the ones upstairs. They have hooks and eyelets at the top. There’s a ladder on the wall and netting rolled up between two of them.

Andrea looks up with me. “Kimba has offered to show us how a lot of it works, but no one’s been brave enough to take her up on it.”

There’s even a trapeze tucked away in the rafters.

Andrea’s nose wrinkles. “I am not afraid of heights, but the thought of swinging all over the place like that makes my knees hurt.”

“My little sister would love it.”

Laurel comes up beside me and leans against me. “Right? Can you just imagine Chrys putting this set-up to use?” She snorts and for a moment, I question what’s got her in such a silly goofy mood.

“Do I need to tell the Agency to fast track your other sister?” Margot asks, coming to sit in a chair that might as well be a throne.

“You can do that?” Laurel asks.

“Honey, I can do almost anything.”

“She really can.” Hannah sits on the arm of Margot’s chair and I start to question if she knows how chairs work.

“I don’t know,” Andrea says, giving her a half-hearted glare. “I am still waiting on my mango juice.”

“That takes a little longer. I’m in the middle of a battle with the agricultural board over whether or not bringing over the whole fruit poses a risk to native species.”

“Wait, really? There’s a possibility I could get mangoes?”

“A slim one.” Margot holds up pinched fingers.

The conversation moves to things Margot has gotten on the approved import list—edamame, Earl Grey tea, and chocolate hazelnut spread—to the favorite tea shops both in Ilidi, but also in Kaveter City on the other side of the mountains.

One conversation flows into the next and into the next.

No one asks me about my actual research.

It’s refreshing.

Sari knocks me with her shoulder. “So, how are you and your hunky guy handling a life of separate bedrooms?”

I wince, and Cindy giggles—like maybe the drink in her glass does have alcohol—and kicks her feet. “Oh my god, you’re sleeping with him.”

“Poor guy.” Margot chuckles into her glass, but she doesn’t look sorry for him in the least. “He must be in pain constantly.”

Laurel manages to change the subject and when they start talking about their kids, I check out a little.

My glass is empty and Hannah snatches it up.

I take the opportunity to escape the questions and follow her.

“No more alcohol for me, please.”

“Sure thing.” She puts the tequila down and moves to the fridge. “Do you want it to look like you’re still drinking?”

“No, thanks though.”

She pulls a jar out of the fridge and splits the contents between two glasses. It’s dark blue, but the moment she pours lemonade into it, it turns a beautiful purple instead.

“Butterfly pea?” I guess as she hands me my glass.

She nods. “Yep. You should try it with creme de violette and a little gin sometime. It’s fabulous.”

I turn back to the others, not sure I want to rejoin the discussion just yet.

“I know Margot’s already asked, but… is there something you’re waiting for?” She holds up a hand. “Listen, I’ve only seen the two of you together the one time, but even Hazard thinks you two are perfect for each other and I don’t think he’s ever said that about anyone.”

“You talked about us?”

She chuckles and takes a sip of her lemonade. “We talk about everything.”

The way she smiles when she talks about him makes my stomach feel a little tight. She loves him.

“Hey.” She knocks me with her elbow. “You’ve gotten something most people don’t. You’ve had weeks with him. You know him. But I don’t care how much Laurel wants you to be here, it’s a choice only you can make, because there’s no going back on a bonding.”

“Do you wish you could?”

Her smile slips and she doesn’t try to save it. “Every day.”

“I’m sorry.”

She smiles again, but it’s an empty gesture. “Noa… I don’t talk about him because it hurts. We had one blissful week and then… I don’t know what happened.”

She downs the rest of her drink like a shot and then takes a deep breath. “He’s not abusive, he’s just… not really there anymore. It’s the strangest thing to live in a house with someone who will take care of all of your basic needs, who will buy anything you want without a second thought, but all you feel from them anymore is regret.”

She wipes away a tear and excuses herself before she walks steadily out of the room.

I don’t really participate in the rest of the conversation. I sit a little outside the circle, drinking my lemonade and thinking.

TRENCH

I don’t think this many of us have been in one of these vent stations at the same time before.

“I didn’t need all of you.” I say, looking at the three who’ve joined me. “Who’s watching the Zone?”

“The others have filled in our gaps. If there’s a problem, they can handle it.” Drift’s gaze moves around the space like he’s mapping it out. He probably is.

Hazard and Drift, I’ll take. But I wish Arc had stayed away. I don’t need any of my faults or failings played out for me.

“Besides,” Arc glares at me and I wait for this insult, but it doesn’t come. “We all want to know what’s going on.”

I wonder what he’s saving for later.

“Yeah,” Kilo says, appearing—again, as if by magic—from the shadows near the wall. “We’re curious by nature. You know that.”

He slaps me on the shoulder and walks past me, bag slung over his shoulder. “After all. None of you have managed to figure this thing out yet. You need me.” But he looks at Arc, standing in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest. “Not sure why he’s here.”

I do know why Kilo’s here. Drift can’t use the drone mechanisms because they mess with his eyes, Core can’t stand the sound the visual display makes. The rest of us on this side of the Zone have our reasons too.

Kilo picks up a large rock crumbled away from the side of the old cavern wall and hefts it over the railing, immediately leaning over to watch it fall.

It hits the hard crust of the lava flow and doesn’t break through.

“Awesome. I don’t plan on falling, but I’d rather not burn to death if I do.”

We all watch him set up the drone and go to the small bridge that spans the cooled flow. We silently observe as he zips the thing down the tunnel into the darkness.

Arc stands, taking a step forward like he’s going to complain about being bored a moment before Kilo says, “Got something.”

He flips his goggles up and points to the small display screen. “Claw marks.”

“Looks like the ghoul was right.” Arc squats down beside Kilo, glaring into the darkness and then looking up at the red numbers projected on the ceiling.

“Arc, wait.” Drift tries to reach for him, but my brother has already jumped down onto the cold lava.

“We’ve got twenty minutes, and I want to see this for myself.” He gets to the start of the tunnel and turns back, “You coming, or what?”

Kilo curses under his breath. “No fucking thanks.”

Drift grimaces and then looks at Kilo. “Stay here and keep scouting down the tunnel. Let us know if anything is headed our way.”

“Will do.” He flips his goggles back down.

The three of us go down via the emergency ladder that lowers us down and rattles back up above the normal flow line as soon as we let go of it.

Even though it was Arc that decided we needed to take an actual excursion, Drift is the one who leads the way into the tunnel, drawing his gun and turning on the light on top of it.

We’re only a few feet in when Hazard stops, breathing heavily, like he just got punched in the gut.

“Hazard?” Drift pauses, but Hazard waves us forward.

“Give me a minute, I’ll be right behind you.” Hazard takes a deep breath and walks back down the tunnel, away from us.

Drift nods to me and I follow him, but Arc doesn’t.

“You okay?” I hear him ask.

“Yeah, sometimes I just get sad for no reason.”

I think we all know the reason.

Arc hangs back with him, and I know no one else hears him say, “If you need to talk to someone, Core sees a guy in town, and if you don’t want anyone to know you’re seeing someone, Margot has a few people on staff too.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I keep myself from looking back at my brother, clenching my teeth and trying to ignore the grating reminder that I am the only one he cares to torment in that particular way.

“ Uh, hey guys? ” Kilo switches the last word to English and it sounds wrong to my ears. “ I think you need to see this .”

“Ahead or behind?” Drift asks.

“ Keep going until you find the drone. It’s not good .”

It takes us too long to get there. The limited time makes my skin start to itch.

Another tunnel, bored by similar machinery, but not on the maps, and above the normal flow line of the lava.

“Keep checking ahead,” Drift tells Kilo. “We’ll see what this is.”

“ Will do, just don’t forget your time constraints .”

The drone zips away, and I shine my light on the claw marks that have almost made hand holds in the rock.

I’m the one who climbs up first. “Safe to say this isn’t a steam vent.” They’re nearly vertical and this one is completely horizontal.

Drift comes up after me and then Arc who knocks my shoulder with his as he moves past me. It’s only Hazard who lingers, looking down the tunnel after the drone

There is no light at the end of this tunnel. “It could go for miles.”

“ You’re running out of time ,” Kilo reminds us.

“Yeah,” I say, looking at the others, seeing the wrong kind of determination on their faces.

“I want to know what’s at the end of this tunnel.” Drift squints, because even he can’t see the end.

“No. You get back to the station. I’ll check it out.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I’m not thinking about you,” I tell him. “I’m thinking about Kimba and that weeun I’m sure you planned to announce sometime soon.”

“If we’re narrowing this down to those loved by a particular woman, I’m the only one here who’s exempt,” Arc says, already walking. “I’ll check it out and get back before the flow hits. I’m a faster runner than any of you three old men anyway.”

I look at Hazard. “Make sure he goes.”

I wait long enough to see Hazard take Drift by the arm and drag him away. Then, I Jog after Arc, catching up a moment later.

“Go back, Trench. If you die, who will look after your sweet little human?”

“She’s not mine.”

“Yeah she is. She’s in love with you, you’re in love with her… the only question involved in this is how long it’s going to take for you both to accept it and actually have that conversation.” He glances at me with a sidelong sneer. “Please don’t tell me you’re planning one of those awful romance movie moments where she’s about to get on the transfer ship home and then you finally profess your feelings in some grand display.”

He looks at me and the smarmy smirk vanishes from his face. “Oh, you’ve already told her.”

I don’t like how easily he guesses things… how easily he reads my face.

“Don’t worry,” he looks away, and huffs out a single breath laugh. “If she was only using you for your cock, she’d have asked to be passed around by now.”

“Fuck off.”

“Gladly, but you’re the one who followed me, remember.”

“Do you two enjoy stabbing at each other?” Kilo asks over the comm.

“Yes,” Arc taunts, “if Drift actually let us play with knives, who do you think would win?”

“I’m not going to fight you,” I tell him.

“I know. That’s why I’ve never pulled a blade.” All humor dies when we take a sharp bend in the tunnel and see daylight. “ What do we have here?”

“What is it?” Drift asks.

It’s an exit that’s too easy.

Arc laughs mirthlessly. “We are not going to need to come back that way. We’ve got a clean shot straight to Ilidi City from here, and even an easy route down the mountain.” He lifts his gun, using the scope to follow the path. “Absolutely zero obstructions to the valley’s tall grass. All they have to do then is wait until nightfall, and they can slink into the city where they can gobble up anyone they please.”

And who knows if one of them is doing that right now… “Call Kimba and let her know they might not be safe there. Tell her Jess has something to stop them.”

“ Jess has something to stop them ?”

“Yeah, but it would take us out too. I’ll give the details once we get this tunnel caved in and are back at one of the outposts.”

“ Whatever you say .”

I look back down the tunnel and wish I hadn’t come. If I was back in the station, I’d already be in my car, on my way to them.

“Stop fidgeting. She’ll be fine in Ilidi. Even if Jessica didn’t scare me a little, she’s with Kimba. Kimba won’t let anything happen to her.”

I glare up at him, but I don’t get a chance to ask if he’s being a sarcastic asshole as usual, or if this is one of those rare moments where he’s decent.

The drone zings past us, the back part of it a little melted.

Kilo says, “ I’ll find you guys an easy hike back to us .”

“Thanks.”

“You think filling it in will stop them?” Arc asks.

“I think it’s the first and only option we have right now.”

He nods over to a small spot gouged into the escarpment opposite us. “I could hang out, snipe them as they try to get out.”

“Drift is never going to go for that.”

“I know. I know a lot of things none of you give me credit for.” He glares out over the city.

“Do you know where the borehole came from?”

“No.” Arc looks behind us, and I have a feeling neither of us are going to like that answer when we find it.

“Come on,” he jerks his head toward the path. “Let’s get over there, if a cavrinskh is on its way back, I’d rather meet them there where they can’t back me into a lava stream.”