Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel by Kate Mary (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📗

lips, and even though I told myself it was a bad idea, I lifted my head so I was looking at him. I swallowed as his eyes searched mine, studying me like he was trying to work out a puzzle. I knew the feeling. He was as much of a puzzle to me as I was to him, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking him over, studying his every facial expression and feature, from the curve of his jaw to the dip at his throat where his collarbones met.

“Dean is a nice guy,” I said.

“You don’t know what he really is.”

“And you do?”

Finn nodded but didn’t elaborate.

“What is he?” I asked.

“A lot happens in the District that you don’t know about,” he said.

I waited for more, for him to tell me what those things were or what Dean had to do with them, but he didn’t. It reminded me of what Dean had said to Finn the night before, and I couldn’t help thinking their accusations boiled down to their own conflicting prejudices.

But I didn’t want to discuss Dean. Didn’t want him here with us right now, so instead I said, “I’m sure that’s true of everyone. Can we ever really know another person?”

“I guess that’s fair,” Finn said, but some of his reserve had returned. He held up the e-reader. “Thanks again.”

I took it as a cue to leave and turned to the door, tossing my bag over my shoulder. “You, too. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“I think that’s probably inevitable.”

The conflict in his tone almost made me turn back, but I forced myself to keep moving, to keep my eyes straight ahead and my focus on where I was going instead of the person I was leaving behind. The less I interacted with Finn, the better, because I had a feeling not only was the attraction mutual, but he wasn’t very happy with himself because of it.

Chapter Seven

“Good morning,” Mom chirped when I stepped into the kitchen for breakfast the following morning.

She’d been extra chipper since meeting Dean, and while it should have felt like a relief after all the bickering we’d been doing lately, it didn’t. I couldn’t help attributing her change in mood to the Ione situation, or more accurately, to the fact that deep down my mother had been worried I would also run off with a Veilorian.

It made me want to date one just to spite her.

The thought was immediately followed by an image of Finn. Specifically, the memory of how he’d looked yesterday when I arrived at his house.

God, I had to get that alien out of my system or I would go crazy. Hopefully, my date with Dean would do the trick.

My sister was once again missing when I took a seat at the breakfast table, a steaming bowl of grains sitting at my normal place.

“Where’s Lena?”

Mom turned back to the counter and picked up her already half-empty glass, waving it in the air as she said, “Here or there. I can’t keep track of that girl anymore.”

Ice cubes clinked against the glass when she took a big swig of the brown liquid, and I sighed. For anyone else, it would have been too early for a drink, but this was pretty much on par with how things went in our house. If the radiation from years of working the mirrors didn’t eventually kill her, the booze would. It was inevitable.

“She’s sixteen,” I said. “Don’t you think you should know where she is?”

Mom half turned to face me and scowled. “I know how to raise children. You turned out somewhat okay. Never getting into trouble, and you didn’t run off with a Veilorian. That should say something about my parenting skills.” She let out a hmpf and took a big drink. “And Lena’s a good one. Better than you. ‘Course, I can probably blame your deadbeat father for that.”

As usual, the viewing screen was on in the other room, and the booming voice of Karl Winters interrupted our conversation before I could mention that Lena’s dad had been as much of a deadbeat as my own.

“With the election less than three weeks away, the most recent polls show Veronica Waters with a commanding lead, proving what she’s been saying all along. Humans want more restrictions.”

The voice of Veronica Waters suddenly filled the room. “Humans want to feel safe on their own planet, but they can’t unless we take serious steps to ensure Veilorians are controlled. The current mayor has let us all down. I’m not sure if he’s unwilling to do anything or if the rumors about his ailing health are true and he’s just unable to do more. Whatever the reason, the truth is simple. We need to take steps to stop interbreeding. The survival of the human race depends on it!” Her voice grew louder as a round of applause and cheers rose up. “While we have no way of knowing for sure, our best guess is that dozens of halflings have been born inside the District this year alone. Dozens. This has to stop now!” More cheering drowned out what she said next, but it didn’t matter. I’d heard more than enough.

I got to my feet even though I’d only eaten half my breakfast.

“You’re registered to vote?” Mom asked as I grabbed my bag.

“I am.” I avoided her gaze, hoping she’d drop it at that. She had to know I’d never vote for a candidate who was going to make my cousin’s marriage illegal.

Once again, she proved me wrong when she said, “Good.” She nodded once as she sucked down another mouthful of booze. “Veronica Waters needs all the support she can get if we’re going to win this thing.”

I sank my teeth into my bottom lip, but it didn’t work. No way could I keep quiet after that.

“I’m not voting for her.”

Mom spun to face me, her eyes wide. “You have to.”

“No,” I said, “I don’t. She’s a bigot, and