Apocalypse Before Finals - Julie Steimle (bts book recommendations .TXT) 📗

twisted with unmasked jealousy.

Jafarr shrugged. "I didn't think those counted. I thought only day visions counted."

Surprised, Sir Banden laughed, stepping back from Jafarr. "Oh no. Only a rare few have day visions. Even I don't get them without seer fire."

Jafarr blinked, growing increasingly embarrassed. His day visions were a trial. He honestly had no idea how rare they really were.

The head record keeper walked to Jafarr and patted his shoulder kindly. "People are given gifts to serve great purposes."

"To make me feel guilty?" Jafarr muttered.

Sir Banden laughed again. It was friendly though. "Only if you are guilty and deserve chastisement."

Jafarr flushed.

"We need to go," Zormna said turning and beckoning him back to the entrance hall.

Jafarr nodded.

The record keeper walked with him to the two Surface Patrol flight scooters. "Let me come with you."

All three teenagers blinked at him blankly. Zormna looked at Alea Salvar and shrugged. "Do you think you could...?"

Salvar glared at her. "What for?"

"I don't know." She shrugged "For, for... I don't know. It feels right."

Jafarr nodded.

The head record keeper smiled.

But Alea Salvar glared at them both. To him the seer and Jafarr looked one and the same with their dark hair and eyes, but Jafarr's scars made Salvar still think of him as a criminal, whereas this man was probably decent. "Get on."

Sir Banden grinned delightedly and straddled the seat right behind Alea Salvar. His robes fluffed up, revealing dark slacks underneath.

Jafarr walked over to Zormna's flight scooter and placed his hands on the handlebars. Zormna grabbed his wrist and pinched, shaking her head.

"No, Jafarr." Zormna smirked at him. "This is my flight scooter and not your motorcycle. I drive."

Removing his hands, Jafarr cracked a grin, letting go. Waving her on, he said, "Just don't drive crazy."

Alea Salvar broke into a surprising snort, casting an amused look at them. He immediately took off into the cavern traffic. Zormna glared after him and straddled her flight scooter.

Jafarr also watched Salvar. He tapped Zormna on her shoulder. "You spent a lot of time with that guy, haven't you?"

Zormna flushed. "Yeah, so?"

Jafarr smirked. "It is just obvious he knows you very well."

With a huff, Zormna shook her head, gunning the engine to her machine. "Hang on."

 

They arrived at the Alpha district rather than Zeta. It was a change in plans Jafarr had not known about, which was why Zormna came for him. Alea Salvar had come along to keep an eye on her - possibly to make sure she did not run off with Jafarr. The notions that seemed to be swirling in the Alea's head had not quite settled, but Jafarr still got the distinct impression that Alea Salvar wanted his own relationship with Zormna to grow into something more than brother-sister. And while riding with her, Jafarr was inclined to warn her, as he knew Zormna was not likely to respond well to such a change in their relationship. Then again, he thought, maybe Zormna already knew.

They arrived at the gates of the Alpha District which were open but heavily guarded. This red-haired gate guard of about twenty-something years greeted Zormna familiarly and pointed the way toward the great hall where most of the soldiers had gone.

"Anzer Tellovii," Zormna exclaimed, seeing him. "I see you still run the gates."

The man smirked back at her with annoyed familiarity. "And you're as cocky as ever." He then pointed down the hall. "The Kevin has called a meeting," His gaze drifted toward Jafarr who sat behind her. The man squinted with curiosity then his eyes flickered with recognition. "Zeldar?" He then looked to Zormna. "I thought you hated him."

Zormna sighed and for that matter so did Jafarr.

"We're going to get a lot of that, aren't we?" Jafarr said, leaning toward her ear.

Zormna nodded. She leaned across to Tellovii. "People change."

She then urged her engine and rode out of the front hall. The anzer watched Zormna and Jafarr fly out of sight into the parking hall.

Zormna hopped off the scooter and glanced back toward where they had come from. Whispering towards Jafarr, she remarked, "Consequently, it was his hair that I turned green."

Jafarr busted into a laugh. He looked back down the hall thinking about the story Zormna had written and read out loud in Mr. Humphries' class. But the moment he thought about his teacher, a chill of dread swept over him. For a second, he felt as if his scars were burning on his back.

Mr. Humphries... his school... his friends.... What if...? That dread swelled over him.

"We'd better hurry," he said to Zormna

Zormna nodded, watching him carefully.

They walked toward the large corridor, going through to the doors of the conference hall. The doors stood gaping wide open. They could see thousands of soldiers inside the huge dim cavern, a room Zormna was familiar with and one Jafarr had seen only once before on a class trip when he had first met Alea Arden.

"Full circle," Jafarr murmured.

Zormna glanced at him once more, wondering what he was thinking.

They entered together.

Everyone's eyes were fixed to the front of the huge cavern where the Kevin spoke, his voice resonating throughout the room. His image was magnified on a screen behind him. His words echoed everywhere, declaring that the Surface Patrol was now at war against the People's Military.

"...But I suppose you must have more motivation to fight against the atrocities the People's Military have inflicted on us," the Kevin said from the stage. His eyes gazed out toward the door, fixing on them, and he smiled. "And here it is. Alea Zormna, come forward with your guest."

"Guest..." Jafarr murmured as all eyes turned on them.

"Better than being called an enemy," she responded.

Everyone in the room stared at them as if a spotlight had been thrown on them, though none was to be had in that hall. Jafarr reached over and clasped Zormna's hand, and she took his, holding tight for support.

"This is the time, Zormna," Jafarr whispered to her.

She nodded.

They walked together up the aisle. As they passed forward, they heard whispers about them both. "I heard she was dead." "Wasn't she on special projects?" "Isn't he that criminal?" "Doesn't she hate him?" "What's going on?" "Isn't he a Zeldar?" "I heard someone saw them together on Partha." "What's that on his forehead?" They let go each other's fingers when they reached the stage, though some in the crowd had noticed they had been holding hands... and were amazed.

Zormna stepped onto the stage with Jafarr close behind. The Kevin stood solidly on the stage in a clean suit, washed and less shaky than when they last saw him. Alea Salvar stood behind his father with Sir Banden at his side. Alea Arden stood next to them, grinning widely at Zormna and then fondly at Jafarr, his eyes saying so much. Alea Arden stepped forward and embraced Zormna with one arm the second she set foot on the stage.

"Glad you're back," he uttered under his breath. Then he let go and reached over to Jafarr, embracing him, much to the boy's embarrassment. "I knew it."

Jafarr blinked and stepped away for a second, regarding Alea Arden sideways while wondering what the man thought he knew.

The Kevin frowned slightly on Alea Arden's open familiarity on the stage as he beckoned Zormna and Jafarr forward. Lifting his other arm to the crowd he said, "These two saved my life. You owe them that."

Both Zormna and Jafarr blushed, yet did not lose stature in their embarrassment. Spines remained erect. Jafarr glanced back at Alea Salvar, but Salvar looked the other way.

"But also, you owe them your allegiance," the Kevin announced, a little grudgingly. He then stepped back, leaving Zormna and Jafarr at the front. He whispered behind them now, taking another deferring step backward. "It is your time, Zormna. Do as you will. You are the last Tarrn."

Zormna blinked. Her heart beat loudly in her chest. Never before did addressing a crowd cause her so much fear, and she would have run if it were not for the steady assuring gaze from Jafarr at her side.

"Do it," Jafarr said, taking her hand and then pushing her forward.

The fifteen-year-old military leader felt her age for the first time. But she lifted up her chest, squared her shoulders, and spoke as the soldier she was trained to be.

"My fellow Arrassians. I come to you not as an Alea of our military, but as a citizen of Arras. The People's Military has kept us down. They have murdered our families and hunted our kinsmen. They have oppressed us since the first days of this city, since the death of the Royal Tarrns."

A huge audible gasp filled in the room, and possibly also in other rooms across the Surface Patrol compounds where this was being broadcast. Zormna had broken the no Tarrn talk rule in front of the Kevin and everyone - an eternal taboo they all knew too well. However, the Kevin did not flinch or even scowl. Zormna lifted her head and continued, strengthened by Jafarr who was gazing at her with hope.

Zormna unclasped her uniform collar again and reached inside, pulling on the chain around her neck. The room seemed to hold its breath when she drew the chain out and the medallion with it. Zormna held it up for all to see, though it was not large. She swallowed and blinked her burning eyes, trembling. "I am Alea Zormna Clendar... Tarrn."

The room exploded with noise. Much of the gasps and exclamations were exultant. A rare few were in dread. Zormna dropped her medallion onto her chest and drew her arm out of her sleeve, loosening the other fastenings to her suit. She rolled up the right shoulder sleeve of her under-suit to expose the brand mark there. The gasps expanded. The exclamations increased. Zormna remained silent until they died down. Then she spoke again.

"I am a Tarrn. I am the last. And I am begging you to join me and Jafarr," she waved her hand over to her scarred, dark-haired companion who still had the circular stamp on his forehead. She saw it and flushed. "...Zeldar. He is the leader of the rebellion against the P.M.s, like so many of his forefathers. A rebel like Zeldar Tarrn himself. And he had asked us join him. I am joining him."

The crowd murmured again, especially at how reverentially Zormna spoke of the man who for all practical purposes was the enemy of the state - and her distant relative.

Zormna beckoned Jafarr to come forward. He bowed politely to her then the crowd, finally raising his chin as he gazed out at the soldiers there who, in the past would have mercilessly captured him and thrown him into prison.

"We need your help," Jafarr said, his warm tenor echoing throughout the room. It was not the voice they imagined him to have. Yet, a few started to recollect that some in his lineage were also famous musicians and singers. "Not only have the P.M.s oppressed our people, but they have also gone to Partha."

A loud rumble escaped the people in the crowd now. Jafarr continued though. "Zormna and I have already seen them take a government building in a small city there. They intend to enslave everyone on that planet - which is against every law of our people since the founding of this city. The Surface Patrol is the only force that can stop them."

Assenting angry murmurs rose. Many fumed in the audience, wishing to go down now to remove their enemy.

Zormna raised her voice. "I need to know who will help us."

Thunderous cries of "I will!" boomed throughout the room. Then, as if thunder had struck the entire room, everyone was on their knees, bowing low to the floor.

Zormna felt a shiver run through her. She turned to those on stage for help, but even the Kevin was bowing, as well as Alea Salvar, Alea Arden, the head record keeper, and also Jafarr.

"We will serve you to the end," Jafarr said, gazing up at her.

Flustered, Zormna grabbed his shirt, then his