daynight (50 page)

“Not by choice, I assure you. Until tonight we’ve been banned from visiting,” he says. “She’ll be here soon.”

“You are here first to stake your claim, then?” I say. “She’s due to Cleave one of us, so I assume you prefer that be you.”

“I did see her first,” he says, grinning. “But I don’t think it’s up to me who she ends up with.”

“What do you mean you saw her first?” I say. “She didn’t even meet you until I went missing during the flash flood.”

“Not true,” he says. “We met the night of the Goodington party. It was love at first sight for me. She went running off after she caught Tristan and Briella kissing. I tried to catch up to give her a ride home. But then the explosion happened and you carted her off. After, my father banned me from pursuing her until she’d adapted to Theran soil and the Ten could agree on who was her most suitable Cleave.”

I pause a moment. So now it all makes sense. Ethan’s perfect girl was Kira. The guy Kira spoke of that she’d met at a party who was ‘perfect’—that was Ethan. She’d known him all along. How shocked she must’ve been when he showed up again and she learned he was a Darcton. That must’ve killed the fantasy a bit, although after spending all that time ‘playing’ his girlfriend, she seems to have forgiven him for his bloodline.

“So why did you let me fall for her if you were already head over heels?” I say.

“As I said, I was banned from seeing her until she’d acclimated and met the Second Chancers. The consequences, had I disobeyed, would have been deadly. And, by that time, you two were already spending time in the canyons and the general sentiment was that you’d Cleave ‘any time now.’ I figured I’d lost my chance,” he says, shaking his head. “But then you disappeared and my father ordered me to show her the video of Tristan and Bri and take her home for a break. We got to be good friends.”

“That’s all?” I say.

“She played along with the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing while we were back on earth because she had to. She’d never betray you willingly,” he says. “She’s not like that.”

“But you really love her?” I say.

“Yes. I do,” he says. “More than you can imagine.” Oh, my imagination’s been going wild on you and Kira for a while now, so I think I’m all caught up.

“And she loves you?” I ask.

“I hope so, but I don’t know. I’ve never asked her directly. I know she cares for me. She surely loves you. That, she’s told me many times,” he says.

“So, where does this leave us? Two brothers after the same girl. We’ve both fathered her children. Not looking like it’ll end well,” I say, my arms crossed.

“I will abide by whatever she decides,” Ethan says. “The choice is hers. I refuse to interfere with her free will.”

“That’s the thing though. It doesn’t sound like she does get to decide. She made some deal with your… our… mother to let the Ten decide who she Cleaves. How could she do that?” I say.

“She did it to save your life. That alone should tell you how much she loves you,” he says. He looks jealous, as if she wouldn’t do the same for him. I think he underestimates how much Kira cares for him.

“Well, I don’t stand a chance given what I’ve done to the SCI and the fact ‘our’ mother will clearly favor you over me. Being my egg donor doesn’t really create a strong mother-son bond,” I say, pacing the room.

“From what I understand, Kira offered to Cleave you on multiple occasions and you
chose
your cause over her,” he says. He’s right, but I glare at him anyway. “Besides, our mother will do what’s best for Thera, not either of her sons. She’s not super maternal if you know what I mean. She still has major issues with my ‘faulty genes.’” No wonder I have trouble with relationships. Between my mother and my father, you’d think I’d been created by a couple of emotion-free robots.

“You have to promise me to treat her right if you Cleave her,” I say.
 

“Likewise to you,” Ethan says to me, though it floors me that he hasn’t gone running to our mommy to make sure he wins her hand in Cleave. Why would he give in so easily? “Do you love her? Like in the ‘she’s the only one for me’ sense?”

“I don’t buy into the whole ‘there’s only one for me’ thing or do I believe in ‘love conquering all or being all’. I’ve done the love thing before and got burned. But, as much as I’m capable… yeah, I guess I do love her. I just have to keep it all in context. I can’t let the entire world go to hell because of it.” I surprise myself by admitting this to Ethan. I expect him to tell me that it’s not enough. That she deserves better. Because he’d be right. I do love Kira. But, I also love the cause and the people who cared for me in my youth and are suffering as we speak.
 

He grabs my hand and says, “I may not have asked for it or wanted it, but you are my brother and that means something. Don’t ever forget that.” I don’t know what to say, given I definitely didn’t ask for this, so I just nod. We hear a knock and within seconds the door is open and Kira enters. She looks surprised to see Ethan here and it creates an uncomfortable moment where no one knows what to do.

“I’ll see you both later,” Ethan says. He looks Kira right in the eye and I can see she is guilt-ridden by our triangle. Once the door is closed, she gives me a hug and a lingering kiss on my cheek.

“Hey,” she says. “How are you doing?”

“Not too bad for a prisoner,” I say.

“What were you thinking? Why didn’t you just leave the city?” she asks.

“It’s such a nice place and I’ve gotten rather attached,” I joke. “Plus, I wasn’t able to find a good bed and breakfast to book outside the Eco barrier.” She smiles at that. I have missed her smile; everything about her.

“I’m guessing you have some questions for me,” she says, staring down at her feet.

“I think I’m all caught up with the multitude of omissions on your part—the deal you struck, the babies and the like,” I say. “But I did find out one new tidbit tonight—that ‘perfect’ guy you met at the Goodington party was Ethan, wasn’t it? And the ‘perfect girl’ he’d told me about was you.”

“I guess. I’m sorry,” she says. “I met a handsome, charming stranger at the party. I didn’t act on my feelings because I was tied to Tristan and then Ethan disappeared, and I figured him for dead. The more I remembered him, the more perfect he became. That doesn’t mean he
is
perfect. That bubble burst long ago.”

“Do you love him?” I ask.

“I love you—if I even believe in the institution of love anymore,” she says, looking up into my eyes. “That said, I know that being in love doesn’t automatically lead to a lifetime of happiness.” Everything that’s happened has broken her. Or she just doesn’t want to admit her feelings for Ethan to me.

“Trust me. Love exists. I love you. Ethan says he loves you,” I say. She bites her lip at the mention of Ethan and starts to sway side to side a bit. “And I think you love him.”

“Perhaps, but it’s not relevant, is it? Tonight, the Ten will determine which one of you I Cleave and when and how I live my life,” she says. “They don’t care who I’d rather be with.”

“You agreed to that,” I say, regretting the words as they leave my mouth.

“Yes. And I’d do it again given the same circumstances,” she says, a dead serious expression on her face.
 

“Well, screw the deal. If they Exile me, come with me. We can make our own future,” I say. She pauses and sinks her head.

“You know that won’t be an option, Blake. As much as I’d love to run away from everything and be with you, I can’t leave the people I care about, knowing they won’t be safe,” she says.

“Even if that means we can’t be together?” I say, biting my own lip.

“Even so,” she says. “But you can choose to stay and then there’s always a chance.” She runs the back of her hand down my cheek which sends shivers of desire for her down my spine.

“You want me to stay here and watch while they have you Cleave Ethan?” I say.

“You don’t know that’s what is going to happen,” she says.

“Perhaps that’s what you want anyway,” I mumble. “You can have pretty little babies together who can grow up to be the ‘future of Thera’ and who can continue the SCI’s grip on the Second Chancers.”

“Stop it,” she says, fuming. With a whisper she adds, “I had a choice and chose to protect the people I care about. You have a choice. The Ten will have their choice. I don’t know if all those things will match or not, but I do know that I’m not giving up about anything. So neither should you. Come here.”

She drags me to the corner of the room behind the treadmill—perhaps the only spot in the room shielded from view through the mirror—and she straddles my lap, facing me. To my surprise, she removes her shirt to reveal her shimmery party tube top. The last girl that revealed herself to me in party attire was Bailey and I remember where that led. I still feel a little guilty that I never told Kira what happened.

At first I think that Kira’s attempting, yet again, to get me to Cleave her. But that’s not the case. In fact, despite her position atop me, she’s being a little robotic. She’d never go back on her deal and risk my life. And we both know they won’t let us stay ‘hidden’ for long. She points to her stomach where she’s drawn an elaborate diagram and instructions in what appears to be… makeup? The picture looks like a bicycle wheel, but when I see what she’s written I understand the message she’s trying to communicate. Ms. Kira Donovan has discovered the SCI’s Achilles heel. When the powers that be banned paper and pencils they forgot that other methods could be used to communicate if necessary.

“Commit it to memory,” she whispers as she pretends to nibble on my ear. I gladly oblige, my mind whirring with the implications of what she discovered.

A couple minutes later, the door opens and the security guard informs us we’re out of time. She slips back on her shirt and gives me a chaste kiss goodbye.
 

“I do love you, Blake. I know it’s not enough, but don’t ever forget that,” she says.

I try to stave off the tears until she leaves. Because I fear the security guard is right. The Ten will make sure that our time is up.

When a security guard comes
to fetch me at 0200 hours and leads me on a convoluted route to a massive field of solar panels, I’m positive I have a date with a firing squad. At least I’ll be dying with Kira’s taste on my lips. Instead of finding men with guns, however, I’m surprised to be greeted by my mother and Ted Rosenberg.

“Walk with me,” my mother says. Ted’s left with the security guard as we stroll between the large panels. “We’ve come to a decision about you, Blake.”

“Firing squad? Hanging?” I say. She chuckles.

“No. Actually, we’re giving you a choice,” she says.

“I can’t wait to hear this,” I mumble.

“You can choose to stay in Garden City and assist me in my work at Headquarters… assuming you agree to pledge strict obedience to all the Theran Canon. Or, if you feel you can’t abide by the Canon and put aside your feelings for the Theran government, you can choose to leave Garden City… self-exile, if you will, and the Ten will agree to not pursue you and let you live in peace,” she says.
 

I’m floored. She is seriously offering me a job at the SCI in return for my pledge of loyalty? As her ‘assistant’? I have trouble believing the Ten will trust me to leave without staging another rebellion. Or what if I left Thera and out the SCI on Earth? I’m not buying it.

“What is the catch? And what about Kira? Who does she Cleave?” I ask.

“The catch of you staying is that there are still many on the Council and Ten who feel you are guilty of treason, and who may not be your biggest fans here. Your life could be at risk,” she says. “The catch of you leaving is that those same people will be constantly leery of what you may do in the future. And could construe any actions you might take… as an act of war against us. You’d have to be very careful to live out your life without any thought of us.”

I pause to take it in. What would life be like working with Vienna? Would I be making her coffee? Taking dictation? Having Mommy and Son Sunnight brunch together? I shudder at the thought. Being at the Ten’s beck and call doesn’t exactly sound like a picnic. Would there be benefits? A passkey to the city models, perhaps? Free rein throughout headquarters? The possibilities are there. But, would the Ten trust me enough to give me any leeway and not shadow me all night, every night? I have to weigh the potential pros with the most certain cons. And the personal assistant option against life in Exile with Doc Daryn and the Survivalists.
 

“And Kira?” I ask.
 

“If you decide to stay, the Ten will decide between you and Ethan as a Cleave for Kira by dawn,” she says. Her expression is blank. Does that mean she’s made up her mind? Will the negative sentiments about me put me out of the running, or will Ethan’s faulty DNA kill his chances? They do seem to be all about DNA here, the SCI being busy building a master race of Original-blooded Daynighters, many of whom will be my children.

“Who would you vote for… for her Cleaving?” I ask, to see if I can get a reaction one way or the other. Her expression doesn’t change.

“You are both equally qualified. You both love her. I’m torn, as any mother would be between two sons. With Ethan, her long-term future would be with him on Earth. With you, she’d stay on Thera and raise my grandchildren here. I haven’t decided either way,” she says.

“What do you mean with Ethan she’d be on Earth?” I ask.

“Ethan’s attending law school and his path is to follow in my brother’s footsteps in the government there. Naturally, his Cleave would be at his side,” she says. Yet another thing Kira didn’t mention. That means, if I stay, there’s a good chance I watch Kira Cleave Ethan and then they both leave to live happily ever after on Earth, while I’m stuck with my mom and her minions. To me, that sounds like worse than living off bugs in Exile. Sheer hell. What if I’m wrong though and I do have a chance with Kira? Can she be the one for me forever? Unbidden, I feel Bailey’s ice-cold blue eyes glare at me in my subconscious, reminding me that I’d already failed once.

We’ve gone in a giant circle and I can see Ted and the security guard up ahead. As we approach them I ask, “Why’s Ted Rosenberg here?”