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

time it sounded more annoyed than before. “I had a friend who got involved with a human, and it didn’t go well.”

I turned toward him, but his face was shadowed by the darkness, making it impossible to read his expression.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Nothing that unusual,” he said. “She told her family, and they were furious. They gave her an ultimatum, but she didn’t know what to do. After months of going back and forth, she eventually killed herself. She called my friend before she did it and told him she couldn’t choose. He was devastated.”

It wasn’t what I’d expected, and it made all my anger melt away.

It also made me think about the story Dean had told me.

Had that girl been his sister? Was that the weird connection he and Finn seemed to have?

“Anyway, I just didn’t want to have to go through that again,” Finn said before I could ask. “It didn’t happen to me directly, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t horrible. Raif was devastated, and he blamed himself.”

Understanding dawned on me. “You were worried about what would happen to Rye if Ione had to choose between her family and him.”

“I was worried he was wasting his time,” Finn snapped. “Do you know how many times I’ve seen Veilorians get their hearts broken by humans who are just looking for a thrill? It’s a fad. That’s all we are to most of you. You come in here so you can brag about it at school, but you don’t see us as actual people.”

His words were bitter, but his expression gave him away. It was about more than that and we both knew it.

“That isn’t fair, Ione—”

“I’m only telling you what I’ve seen, Ava,” he said, cutting me off. “You can’t understand where I’m coming from, so don’t pretend you can.”

I sat back, hurt and frustrated and confused, but unable to deny he was right. Ione was different, and I was different even if Finn hadn’t accepted it yet, but most of the humans who came into the District did it on a dare. They didn’t see the Veilorians as equals, and they never would.

“I’m sorry that happened to your friend,” I whispered.

“So am I,” he replied, and for the first time today he refused to look my way.

We were quiet after that, listening to the distant sounds and trying to decipher what they meant. There was a lot of yelling, the occasional scream, but from this far away those were the only noises I could identify.

Soon, the sounds began to grow fainter and less frequent, finally tapering off until there was nothing. The silence was almost more unnerving than the screams had been.

I waited a bit longer before saying, “You think things might have died down?”

Finn exhaled. “Yeah.”

“Should we go?”

“We should,” he said.

He got to his feet, pausing for a moment before pushing the crate away from the small opening. Once he had, I pulled myself up, thankful he hadn’t offered to help me. His nearness was hard enough to resist, and the last thing I wanted was to feel his skin against mine.

Before leaving the alley, I pressed Finn’s shirt to my nose and inhaled, breathing in his scent. Then I pulled it over my head.

“Thank you,” I said when I held it out to him.

I didn’t meet his gaze as he took it. “You’re welcome, Ava.”

His voice was strained, but he stood as tall and straight as ever, giving nothing away.

Unlike when we’d fled, we didn’t touch as we made our way back through the District to the city center, although to say I was unaware of every move Finn made and every breath he let out would have been a lie. I was conscious of it all, took it all in the way a dying person takes in the last few moments they have with their loved ones. Savoring it like I would never get to experience it again.

All thoughts of Finn were erased the second we stepped into the square and the full extent of what had happened slammed into me. I’d known there would be destruction, but I’d been totally unprepared for the carnage in front of me.

Most of the mob must have fled on their own, because there were very few humans left. The guards had rounded up those still present, and they now sat in a line, their hands secured behind their backs but their rage no more restrained than it had been before. It radiated off them like heat off the desert floor in the wastelands.

The group consisted completely of men, and while some of their faces were bruised or bloodied, most seemed not to have a scratch on them. I knew why. There were no weapons in the District, and it was unlikely many Veilorians would fight back unless absolutely necessary. They all knew any violence against a human would be dealt with swiftly and harshly. Even if it was in self-defense.

The people who’d been celebrating when the mob broke in hadn’t fared as well. It was dark in the square, most of the candles and lanterns having been snuffed out during the conflict, but there was enough light to see the carnage clearly. Injured Veilorians sat on the ground, some holding arms or heads, their skin streaked in blue. I’d known Veilorians had blue blood, but I’d never seen the evidence with my own eyes before now, and the sight sent a jolt through me.

While most of the injuries seemed minor, not everyone had gotten off so easily. I counted three unmoving bodies. Two of them obviously Veilorian, but I couldn’t say for sure just by looking at the third one. She was female and smaller, but whether she was a child or human, I didn’t know, and since she was lying on her stomach, I couldn’t see her face.

What did stand out was the dark, wavy hair.

“No,” I said as fear gripped my heart.

Like me, Finn moved toward the body. He was faster and reached it first,