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

Finn’s mouth turned down at one corner. “Don’t die for us, Ava. The city needs humans like you.”

“The city needs a lot of things, but I’m not sure I’m one of them.”

Finn exhaled. “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

He turned back to the sink, but I didn’t move right away. I knew I should leave, but I was having a tough time making myself. It wasn’t just the knowledge that I didn’t know when I’d see him again or the attraction between us, either. It was this place. The District was so much more peaceful than anything I’d known growing up, and I hated walking away from that.

Still, after a few seconds, I said, “I’m going to head out.”

Finn’s body stiffened but he didn’t turn. “Goodbye, Ava.”

“Goodbye, Finn,” I whispered.

Then I left.

Chapter Eighteen

As usual, the news was blaring when I stepped into the house, and I cringed at the sound of the mayor’s voice. Escaping her these days was nearly impossible, especially at home.

The door clicked when I pulled it shut, and the sound cut off only a second later.

“Ava?” Mom called. “Is that you?”

“Yeah.” I dropped my bag to the floor.

Footsteps pounded through the house, faster and with more determination than I’d expected, and a second later Mom stepped into the kitchen. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t have a glass in her hand.

“Where the hell have you been?”

“With Dean,” I said.

“Don’t lie.” Mom crossed her arms, pausing to give me a pointed look and said, “I want to know where you were. The truth.”

As if reacting to her glare, my cheek throbbed where I’d been punched. I felt like I was about to step into a trap, but since I had no idea what it was, I couldn’t do a thing to avoid it.

“I was at Dean’s house. Just like I told you.” This time, even I didn’t believe it. I could have used some lying lessons from Lena.

Mom’s arms dropped to her side, and when she crossed the room, I barely had time to prepare myself. Her hand lashed out, smacking me across the cheek for the second time since that bitch had been elected, and the impact sent my already throbbing head back with a painful snap.

“Don’t lie!” The windows seemed to vibrate from the power of her scream. “I saw you on the news. Saw you protect that thing and get carried into the District. You’ve been seeing your cousin, haven’t you?”

My cheek throbbed under my palm, which was pressed against my face, but I refused to respond. Not that it mattered. She already knew, and I had a feeling I was facing strike three.

“I want an answer,” she said through gritted teeth.

The way her eyes had widened, crackling with fire, reminded me of a zealot or someone who’d gone insane.

“I only took her something,” I lied, the words coming out in a rush as the reality of what was about to happen slammed into me. “It was the first time I’ve gone into the District since Mayor Waters was elected. So many of their rations have been cut, and I was worried about Ione. That’s all. I wasn’t even supposed to go inside, but then there was that mob and…”

I let my explanation trail off, knowing I couldn’t explain protecting the Veilorian boy in a way that would satisfy my mother.

This was it. I’d finally gone too far, and I could tell by the expression on her face I’d pushed her to the limit. She was going to kick me out, and everything I’d worked for all these years would be over.

I’d let Lena down.

“I don’t care if she’s starving,” Mom said, her words harsh and bitter and hateful. “You know what she did. She made her bed, now it’s time for her to die in it. She betrayed her species. She traded her family for an alien!”

Her words were quite possibly the only thing that could have pushed my sister from my mind. With the exception of Lena, Ione was the only person who’d ever truly cared about me.

Heat moved through me as my anger rose. Thinking my mother, and probably even my aunt and uncle, would sit back and do nothing even if Ione was starving to death made me burn with rage. All because she’d married a Veilorian. It was unfathomable. It was infuriating.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” I said, my voice rising with my anger. “You’re the ones who cut her out. You’re the ones who said she was no longer part of this family. She didn’t make that choice. That was you!”

“She made the choice the second she set foot inside the District,” Mom replied, coolly this time. “Just like you did.”

I knew what she was saying, had pretty much known for a while now that we’d eventually reach this point, but I still wanted to make her say it. Wanted to make her utter the words to her firstborn daughter. I wouldn’t let her off easily, not for something this big.

“Say it,” I urged. “Tell me.”

“Get out.”

If someone had told me those two words could hurt more than being beaten by a mob, I would have laughed at them, but standing in front of my mother, revulsion and anger burning in her eyes, I realized what a fool I’d been. For weeks now I’d thought I hated her, thought she’d pushed me past the point of caring, but I’d been wrong. She was my mother, for better or worse, and being rejected by her now was very likely the most painful thing I’d ever go through.

“When?” I swallowed. “How soon do you want me out?”

“As soon as possible.” She turned her back on me. “You’re not my daughter. Not anymore.”

“I’ll find somewhere to stay,” I said, knowing I had nowhere to go.

Mom left the kitchen without looking back.

I headed to my room, pausing at Lena’s