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

it to the wick and the flame caught, illuminating the room. Finn was still lying under the covers, staring at me with groggy eyes.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

“Someone fired a pulse rifle.”

My words jolted him awake, and he bolted upright, his movements as quick and graceful as a cat’s, and joined me as I scrambled to pull on my clothes. My heart seemed to thud harder with each passing second, and I was straining my ears, waiting for any other sounds that might tell me what was happening or even how soon we could expect the guards to barge into Finn’s house. There were no other energy pulses, but occasionally the echo of a bang breached the walls, letting me know trouble was still far away. The guards were probably going house to house, starting on the lower levels. Ione and Rye were above us. I still had time.

Finn and I said nothing until we were both dressed, then I turned to him, having to swallow down my panic to get the words out. “I have to get to Ione. I promised.”

He nodded, his eyes big and wide and filled with the same worry swirling through me.

I took one step toward the door, but he stopped me, grabbing my hand. “Ava, I—” He paused, uncertain. “I don’t know if what I feel for you is love, not yet, but I know I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone else. If this is goodbye, if this is the last time we talk, I want you to know that.”

“Don’t,” I said, afraid my emotions would get the best of me and I’d lose control before I could make it to my cousin. “Don’t say goodbye, Finn. Not yet.”

“I have to,” he said. “Just in case.”

He pulled me toward him, the movement almost violent in its desperation, and slammed his lips against mine. The kiss was deeper than any we’d ever shared, and it seemed to seep into me until I could feel it in my toes. I clung to him, kissing him back, holding on to him like he was the only thing keeping me grounded, and doing everything I could to memorize how it felt to be in his arms in case it was the last time.

It was over too soon, and before I’d had a chance to completely catch my breath, we were rushing from the house.

Hand in hand, we moved over the walkways, doing what we could to stay quiet while running. I couldn’t tell if it was my footsteps or the pounding of my heart echoing through my head as we climbed the stairs, at least not until I saw the first soldier and it got louder.

It was my heart, and it felt on the verge of exploding.

The guard was two levels below us, dragging a couple figures from a house. The female in his grasp was small, either a child or a human, and she was sobbing. Whoever she was, she wasn’t alone in her suffering. There were other sounds, cries and pleas for mercy, people calling for loved ones who were being dragged away. Here and there, I caught glimpses of figures moving through the darkness as Finn and I ran, but I never slowed enough to see who they were or what was happening. Not that it mattered. I knew. Deep down, I’d always known this would happen. I just never imagined I’d be here when it did.

We were both gasping when we rushed through the front door of Rye’s house. Like the one we’d just fled, a candle illuminated the room, the dim light flickering through the darkness and casting dark shadows in the corners. Somewhere at the back of the house—the bedroom, probably—Ione was crying while Rye whispered unintelligible words as if trying to comfort her.

“Ione!” I called, only daring to raise my voice a little.

Hinges creaked, and my cousin appeared, pulling herself from the shadowy hallway. She was already dressed, as was Rye, and she was trembling.

“What’s happening?” Ione managed to get out.

I went to her, taking her hand and leading her to the couch where I urged her to sit, all the while keeping a firm grip on her hand. “They’re coming. Now. They’ll be here soon, and we’ll be taken into custody. It isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll be with you. Just like I promised.”

She nodded, her head bobbing as her wide eyes stayed focused on mine. “Okay.”

“Okay,” I repeated.

Even though I was expecting it, I still let out a yelp when the front door burst open what felt like seconds later. Two men rushed in, pulse rifles in hand, both of them shouting overlapping orders, making it impossible to understand more than a few words.

“…against the wall…”

“…above your head...”

“…species traitor scum...”

Finn and Rye moved so they were facing the wall, and one of the men rushed forward, his pulse rifle aimed at them. “Don’t move.”

The other headed for Ione and me. He stepped into the dim light, and recognition swept over me when the candle illuminated his face. It was Dean.

“On your feet. Put your hands up,” he spit at us. “Now.”

I did as I was told, nodding to Ione as I stood to indicate she should do the same. Dean kept his weapon aimed at us like he thought we were going to be trouble, and even though it was too dark to see the expression in his eyes, the hardness in his stance chilled me to the bone.

“Turn around,” he growled, sounding like a wild animal. “Slowly.”

We did as we were told, and he moved the second our backs were to him, first to me, grabbing my arms and pulling them behind me. A second later, rough plastic bit into my wrists as he secured them, and I had to resist the urge to let out a yelp when they were pulled tight. It was rougher than necessary and punishing, and it was only partly to