Daughter of Strife- Part 1 Read online

  Long colorful sashes drape her body in intricate designs, flowing around her as she bustles about with her work, but she is otherwise unadorned. Most of the locals here do not wear Eden Fashionables or use EZ-Dye or other body mods, I've noticed. I asked Nubia about it once, and she wrinkled her nose at me. "The gods have given us these bodies, and they are beautiful as they are. What need have we of modifying them?"

  When the infant on her back begins to cry, she finds a spot to sit and pulls him around to her front to nurse, her breasts heavy with milk. Her smile softens as she stares at her child, and her husband, Set, joins her, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her forehead. They whisper to each other in their own language, and though I could have Evie translate, I don't want to intrude. It's a private moment, until it's interrupted by their twin girls who come running up giggling, their long dark hair flowing behind them, their dresses marked with dirt. They chatter to their parents, telling an exaggerated story by the looks of it. The four of them laugh as the baby continues to feed. It's a happy moment, unspoiled by their war-torn land, by their service to the Orders, by their humble living situation. It's pure. It's family. It's love.

  And it tugs at my heart. I think back to times with my parents, when the three of us lived a simple but happy life. We laughed, cuddled, shared secrets and adventures. My parents were my whole world. The pain of their loss has become more manageable, but it still stings. They say time heals all wounds. I think time just gives us a chance to become friends with the pain that will forever be a part of our hearts.

  The twin girls find a half-deflated ball and start playing a game I don’t recognize, laughing and smiling as their father joins them.

  Kai and I could have had this. In time. Even with my Nightfall duties. We could have had this love, this joy, this family. Children clinging to us, laughing, telling stories as I nurse our baby. It's what he wanted. What I want still, if only the impossible could ever be reality.

  But it can't. And maybe that's for the best. As long as I'm Nightfall, anyone I love will be at risk. I already lost Kai because of my choices. How could I put my own children in danger?

  I pull myself back into the present and discreetly pour my remaining stew back into the pot, then wash out my bowl and utensils and meet my friends at the entrance of the excavation site. We pick up our tools, a pouch with brushes, a Mason’s Trowel, plastic bags, and garden clippers, and descend into the buried structure that appears to be some kind of building.

  "What do you think our Trial will be?" Wytt asks for the thousandth time.

  "I think we've speculated on every single possibility available," I say. "Including the unlikely scenario that we are given to aliens for experimental studies and probes."

  He shrugs as we descend further into the cavern. "It doesn't hurt to be prepared. Besides, now you're totally ready if we are abducted by aliens. You have a plan. A strategy. You're welcome." He winks at me and bows dramatically, and I nudge him and laugh.

  It feels good to laugh. It took us all time to get back to this, to us, and though we're not able to hold this mood all the time, it's enough. There are enough moments of pure joy, pure connection, pure present-living.

  The structure we enter is slowly being uncovered, dirt molecule by dirt molecule. It is such a tediously slow, long, painful process that I'm counting the seconds until this quarter is over. If there was any doubt about my being a fit for Hospitaller (there wasn't!) this has set those to rest. A deathly rest the likes of which one never wakes from. I marvel at the unending patience and cheer my best friend exhibits doing the same work that makes me ready to blow something up just for a change of pace.

  As if my mind summons the event itself, there's a shifting of dirt, a rumble underfoot, and someone shouting just up ahead.

  A Hospitaller Knight, clad in full armor, fires a laser-drill into a golden door. Bursts of smoldering sparks explode around her, showering the cave with light and heat. An assistant backs away hastily, screaming when a harmless ember hits the cuff of his grey shirt. The laser-drill shakes violently, its growls reverberating through the entire dig site. “It’s going to overheat,” I yell over the commotion.

  The knight pauses the drill, cursing under her breath as she examines the door. Not a scratch. The golden arch passageway remains sealed, just as impervious as the walls, it seems. After weeks of work, the knights still can’t get inside the Angel ruin. There are many speculations as to exactly what this building is and how it ended up here. A city built before recorded history? A monument? A military base?

  Corinne nudges me. "What's on your mind?”

  I shrug. "Just considering how the Orders annihilated the Nephilim almost to extinction, but are more than happy to use the technology Angels brought us for their own benefit. Seems a double standard to me."

  She shoots me a warning look. "Careful how you talk around here," she whispers. "Treason won't look good on your Knighthood application."

  "I know. I know. I'll behave."

  We watch as the knight who manned the laser sets up an explosive near the door instead. Probably time to move on.

  As we walk deeper below ground level, I imagine trying my own hand at getting that door unlocked. I could probably hack it with Evie. Or maybe use on of those Angel Tech computers Grandmaster Marian keeps on hand. She sits on a metal box along our path, typing into a pad. While I’m used to seeing her in flowing black robes, today she wears grey pants and a simple blue shirt, her shoulder length dark hair slick with sweat. “Grandmaster,” I say. “Perhaps now I can take a crack at that lock on the door?”

  She squints her brown eyes at me. “No. This work isn’t for Initiates. Especially Initiates with your grades, Scarlett.”

  “Ouch,” says Wytt, nudging my arm. Then quietly. “She knows you’d get it open faster than they ever will. Probably just trying to save face for the Hospitallers.”

  I chuckle as we leave the Grandmaster behind and cross paths with Garin. He doesn’t seem to notice us as we pass, while he slams a pickaxe into a wall of stone, whining about the day's work to Ernst, his loser buddy who has become his second since poor Bart was eaten in our last Trial. "This isn’t training. This is free labor. Why are we even here, wasting our time like this? We should be training for combat. This is for biters."

  I mean, I don't disagree with him, but I'm certainly not going to align myself with him. Working together during our first Trial didn't endear us to each other. If anything, he's been even more antagonistic since then, though every once in a while he backs off, as if remembering the night of the tournament. That night changed us all. It sobered our class and the staff at Castle Vianney. The attack hit too close to home and highlighted glaring holes in the castle's security. The Pope was quickly whisked to Rome but is already back to business as usual. No rest for the wicked, as they say. Wytt, I'm sure, would know exactly which 'they' said it. Or wrote it.

  I'm still reeling that I allowed myself to be so duped by someone I thought was an ally but who turned out to be my enemy all along. I should have seen through Thane's disguise. Since that night, I've been working on new programming for Evie, so she can automatically map a person's body movements, size, weight, inflections, and match them. I'm not going to be caught unaware again if I can help it.

  There’s a boom behind us. A loud cracking sound from the door. Jaden stands up straighter. "Did they finally manage some success?" he asks, as desperate as the rest of us for something new to see or do.

  A great billow of burnt orange dust fills the cavern we are in, gagging us all. Grandmaster Marian's voice pierces through the fog. "Students, please follow me into the new area you will be working in today.”

  “Any luck with the door?” I ask.

  “Not yet, Initiate. Now do as your told.”

  We follow our teacher deeper into the underground structure, moving away from the dust and dirt into a less excavated part of the ruins. Amber is the last to arrive, still mostly a loner, though we've all tried reaching o
ut to her from time to time. Around us, bits of silver metal peak out from mounds of dirt, shining in that ethereal way all Angel Tech does, as if it's been imbued with the gifts of the Angels themselves. Maybe it has been.

  My hand falls to Kai's sword. It will always feel like his sword, I think. Even as it becomes more mine by the day. It lets off that same subtle sheen of power that we are surrounded by here.

  "I have a new assignment for you," she says with a smile.

  This gets a cheer from all of us. Even Garin.

  "You will spend today digging up the ruins in this area, carefully and meticulously storing and categorizing everything you uncover."

  The cheers turn to groans. All except Corinne, of course, whose eyes shine like it's Christmas day. This is worse than dusting. Much worse.

  But only Garin complains as we all take our shovels and begin. I pick a remote corner to work, in an attempt to spare my nasal cavity from inhaling more dust than I have to. But it isn't long until the air is so thick with the orange red dirt that we are all coughing and forced to put on our goggles and protective masks to continue. And not the fancy new Eden Wearables kind that I know are on the market. Nope. We are forced to go old school. It's sweaty and uncomfortable. And the work is back breaking.

  I'm already working up a heavy sweat as I begin to dig, and I'm glad I chose to ignore the chill this morning in favor of cooler clothing. I'll be drenched by the end of the day.

  I'm becoming more and more convinced that a big part of this training is just about making us work in uncomfortable environments. It's smart, actually. Most of my fellow Initiates haven't experienced much hardship, other than Garin, who had it harder than me with a single mom and constant grueling work just to keep food on the table.

  He and I are two sides of the same coin, and proof that where you come from and how you're raised doesn't determine the kind of person you will be.

  "Hey watch it!" Garin growls at me, and I realize I was digging mindlessly, throwing dirt onto him.

  "Sorry, lost my focus," I mumble, stepping across the cavern to distance myself from him. There's not a ton of room in here, and with ten of us digging, it's noisy and crowded, but I find some space in the northwest section of the area. I tear away at the stone, carving out a passage.

  Above me, a grove of mushrooms glows a translucent green in the darkness, each about the size of my hand. I haven't seen their kind before. Are they unique to this area? Some kind of mutated new species from exposure to Angel Technology? “Hey Wytt. You ever see these before?”

  He glances up, then shakes his head and gets back to work. I do the same. My muscles burn and my face drips with dirty sweat as I continue to push, digging while being careful not to hit the ruins lest I destroy anything precious. That's always the balance with excavations, I've learned. Getting to the artifact or ruin as quickly as possible without damaging anything. The Hospitallers prefer caution over speed, which is why we have spent weeks dusting.

  This is at least a change of pace, I suppose.

  But my strength is waning faster than normal since Corinne and I had to go on rations of LifeForce. In some ways, I miss the dusting.

  Several hours later we break for lunch, and Corinne and I look at each other in despair. We're both so hungry, and the stew we are being offered just isn't cutting it. I try to eat a bit more than usual, but the thick viscous liquid clings to my throat and makes me gag.

  Wytt notices and grins. "Soon, my lovely ladies. Soon we shall be back at Castle Vianney with food fit for the noble. Once our Trial is over, we are free. Oh to be home, in a comfortable bed, with clean clothes, and good food. The joy of it all."

  Corinne looks around the excavation site. "I'll miss it here, though. I want to focus more on healing than research and excavation, but this trip has torn my loyalties a bit. It's amazing."

  None of us share her enthusiasm so we stay silent.

  As we are called back to work, Wytt picks up his shovel and sighs. "I wonder what our Trial will be."

  We all just laugh and get back to digging, working for another grueling six hours. By the time we are finished, the sun is long gone, the evening cold and dark as we emerge from the underground covered in dirt and sweat.

  Lana leans her head against my shoulder and sighs. "I'm so tired and sticky and gross," she says.

  Wytt takes her hand and smiles at her. "You're still just as beautiful."

  Their friendship is real. Their romance is still fake. I thought perhaps, after faking for so long, they would fall for each other, but they seem firmly planted in their friendship with no romantic inclinations. But their public relationship is giving Lana's parents hope, and thus ensuring her continuation in this program that means so much to her.

  I stretch my arms high and twist and bend, trying to get the kinks in my body out as we put our tools away.

  Grandmaster Marian arrives with Nubia, Set and their children in tow, carrying baskets. The family doesn't usually come this close to the excavation, and they look nervous as they follow her, their eyes glancing at the site. They have a deep mistrust of Angel Technology. I read it permeates their entire culture.

  "As those of you who’ve been keeping track know, it’s our last night of rest before the Trial," Marian says, smiling. "You have all worked hard and learned much. Tonight, we have brought you a treat to celebrate."

  She waves at Nubia and Set, who begin passing things out to our group.

  Not things.

  Food.

  Yummy food.

  Jaden receives a special Swedish chocolate that's his favorite. Lana gets a sticky pastry that has her salivating. I'm given a bag of marshmallows that makes me nearly swoon. Corinne gets a candy treat that used to be her favorite, and she frowns as she tastes it. I give her a look, and she shakes her head. It's no longer yummy. She offers hers to Wytt, who doesn't even question why she doesn't want it, and I hand her a marshmallow. "They work for me."

  She tastes one and smiles. "Where have these been all my life?"

  It looks like Marian brought each of us our favorite treat, and it's amazing. Then, in a stroke of luck and joy, we’re each given a LifeForce that we all guzzle down in a blink. It quenches my dry throat, restores energy in my cells, and clarifies all of my senses. I feel the soreness in my muscles leave, the tension in my shoulders dissipate, and strength returns to my limbs. I can tell Corinne is having a similar experience. Everyone else is also feeling extra energy from the drink, even if the effects aren’t quite as powerful on them as they are on Nephilim.

  Suddenly, this trip doesn't seem all bad. I snack on another marshmallow and sigh in happiness. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on a full stomach for the first time since we got here.

  "Have you all enjoyed your treats?" the Hospitaller Grandmaster asks.

  "Yes, thank you!" Jaden says, his lips smeared with chocolate.

  "Excellent. Now that you have all finished, there's one more thing you should know. Within your snacks was a rare poison that will kill you in twelve hours if you do not receive the antidote. Without leaving the excavation site, you must deduce the poison based on your symptoms, find the antidote and return to me by the deadline, or you will be pulled from the program. Welcome to your Hospitaller Trial, Initiates. It begins now."

  Wytt pales at the announcement. "We didn't anticipate this outcome," he says, disappointed. "I told you we should have thought more deeply."

  I sigh. "We'd still be poisoned though." I eye my marshmallows and empty can of LifeForce, wondering which one betrayed me.

  "Evie, can you get any info from my vitals about the poison?"

  "At this time, you are stable. I see no changes, but I will monitor and keep you informed."

  Set carries a basket around and hands each of us a vial as Grandmaster Marian continues. "This is the antidote. If you lose it, use it, or break it, you are disqualified. But it will save your life if you can’t find the natural remedy. Your task is to return to base cured of your poison, hol
ding an unused vial in hand by sunrise. Only then will you pass this Trial.”

  I tap my feet in place, ready to start, the excitement and worry bubbling up inside me.

  “As for Boons… only one of you earned the privilege," says Marian.

  "Gee, wonder who that is," Garin says bitterly. "Teacher's pet, anyone?"

  "She actually earned it by doing the work better than the rest of us," I say in defense of my best friend. "So shut it."

  Garin glares at me, but Marian claps her hands. "I wouldn't waste time bickering. The clock is ticking. Once you re-enter the dig site, you will remain there until you give up or find the cure."

  "What if we lose our antidote and can't find the cure and can't make it back in time?" Garin asks.

  The Grandmaster shrugs. "I don't recommend doing that. Death by this poison will not be pleasant."

  The Orders have never been shy about the fact that Initiates die during these Trials. We lost Bart during the first Trial. But this seems mostly safer. At least there shouldn't be any crazy modified monsters tracking us like last time.

  Corinne smiles as she glances at us. "My Boon is a map of the tunnels and the excavation site," she says. "It was sent to my eGlass."

  "That'll help," I say as we all move towards the entrance.

  Armed Knights stand guard at the site entrance, to keep us in or others out, I'm not sure. Probably both.

  Set stands there a little longer, his face unreadable as he watches us descend into the earth. I imagine this must seem insane to him. Poisoning students and sending them into what they believe is a dangerous area full of Angel Tech.

  Garin and Ernst take off at once, making their own way through the tunnels. Amber is already gone when I look around for her. Wytt, Lana, Jaden, Akio, Corinne and I stay together.

  "It'll be easier to diagnose with a wider range of data from all of us," Corinne says. Mostly she's being kind. We all need her expertise to help us figure this out.