Shadow Fire (38 page)

"Weird." She sat down on the bottom step and looked up at the sky and around the horizon.

A transparent shield of channelled energy domed over the property and kept the ecosystem inside stable. Manicured lawns, ornamental flower gardens, expensive sculptures, and marble fountains were arranged meticulously throughout the landscape. In the distance, eight robotic sentinels marched in pairs on their rounds. Before long they would disappear into the woods and loop back along the artificial lake until they were programmed to do otherwise. There was also the faint sound of a running motor. Samarra tucked her blue dreadlocks behind her ears and straightened her clothes when a winged vehicle landed on the runway beyond the gates.
Cass.
She could barely contain her excitement as it made its way to the mansion.

"Cass!" Her cheerful voice rang clear above the hum of the engine. She rushed to the vehicle when it pulled up in front of her. She couldn't wait to see him.

Cassian opened the door and stepped out into full view. "Sammy!"

Samarra threw her arms around her brother and squeezed him tight. "I'm so happy you're finally home. It's been so boring here without you."

"It's good to see you too, big sister." He laughed and kissed her on the cheek.

"Wow!" She straightened the collar of his new blazer and took a good long look at him. "You've grown. You're as tall as me now."

He stepped up to her and compared their height. "Actually, I think I'm taller." His warm brown eyes sparkled mischievously in the afternoon sun. Samarra couldn't help but smile at him. She loved him with all her heart. Without warning, he picked her up and swung her in circles.

"Stop! Stop!" she begged in between laughter and hiccups. "I'm getting dizzy."

After Cassian set her down, Samarra stumbled quite a bit before regaining her balance. "Whoa…" She straightened her red hoodie and grabbed his suitcase. "Let's go inside. I've got so much to tell you."

Cassian reached for his things.

"Don't!" Samarra shooed him away. "They told me to take your stuff up to your room because the maidservants are busy. I don't want to get into trouble again today."

"Sammy, Mr. and Mrs. Sairfang won't be done with their meeting for another hour. Give me my suitcase." He sneezed into the crook of his arm. "It's too heavy for you."

"No it's not!" she said with indignation and pushed his fingers away from the handle. "In case you didn't notice, there are surveillance cameras everywhere — nothing stays secret here, little brother. Anyway, you may be as tall as me, but I'm a year older than you, so you have to listen to what I say. I'm taking the suitcase."

"Being thirteen doesn't mean you're the boss of me, but have it your way," Cassian said with a good-natured laugh.

The all-terrain aircraft revved its engine and sped back to the runway, leaving a cloud of dirt and pebbles in its wake. Samarra dragged her brother's belongings into the lavish mansion and up the marble staircase. An assortment of flowers decorated the halls and filled the great house with the spicy undertones of an exotic garden. Everything shone with a freshly polished gleam. Samarra heaved and pulled and had almost reached the top when she slipped and fell bottom-first all the way back down the steps. The suitcase tumbled down behind her and sprang open with a loud
thunk
when it hit the ground. Cassian's clothes spilled everywhere.

"Are you okay?" He rushed to her side.

Samarra wiped a scuffmark off the floor and stood up with her brother's help. The only thing bruised was her pride. "I shouldn't have waxed the steps." She crinkled her nose in disappointment. "It's nice and shiny, but way too slippery."

"Who in the world waxes marble stairs?" Cassian burst out laughing and ruffled her hair.

Samarra giggled in spite of herself and crammed everything back into the suitcase. "Mrs. Sairfang told me to polish everything, so I did." With two sharp clicks, the suitcase closed.

Cassian sighed audibly. "I hope they don't slip and fall when they come in, otherwise you're in for it."

"Maybe." Stubborn and determined, Samarra dragged the suitcase back up the stairs, all the way down the long hallway, and stopped at Cassian's bedroom. Two maidservants had finished turning down his bed. Samarra waited for them to leave before she ushered her brother into the bright and airy room. "You must be tired after all that traveling." She dropped his things by the door and took an ornate silver brush from the dresser. "Your hair is messy."

"I knew you were going to say that." Cassian had their routine down pat and sat down in front of the mirror.

"Are you hungry? Would you like me to make you something to eat?"

"After the soup you made me last time, no thanks." He made a face at her as she brushed his dark hair.

"But I've gotten better at cooking! I've even figured out the secret to making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich."

Cassian shook his head. "It's not your food... I just feel sick. All I want to do is sleep, but I have to leave again with Mr. Sairfang tonight. He's taking me to a dream lab first thing in the morning."

Samarra slapped her hand on his forehead and checked his temperature. "This is your first day home from boarding school, and you're feeling sick. How can he expect you to go for testing so soon? Can't he wait until you're feeling better?"

"He wants to do some mind mapping before I've been around you for too long. He said you were a disrupting variable, whatever that means." Cassian frowned. "I still don't know what he's trying to find."

"He's been trying to find something since we were this tall." Samarra's hand hovered two feet above the ground. "Haven't you had enough?"

"I don't have a choice. He told me he'd send you away if I don't do what he says. I guess it could be worse. Only happens twice a year."

"Poor Cass." She hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay. It's not your fault."

Samarra spat on her hand and patted down the cowlick that sprang up like a crest in the middle of his head.

"Don't." He smacked her hand away. "You remind me of Mother. She does that all the time, and I hate it. She's more polite about it though, none of that spitting."

"I'll stop doing this—" Samarra licked her fingers, "—if you stop calling her Mother. Has she been making you call her that again? She's not our mother. Our parents are dead, and they have been since we were small. The Sairfangs are only our guardians."

Cassian stared at his new sneakers. "Sometimes I like to pretend. I feel sorry for her when she tells me that she's always dreamed about having her own son."

"Stop pretending." Samarra pointed the brush at his face. "Blood kin is you and me. Don't ever forget that!" She sat down cross-legged on his bed. "So are you going to tell me about your time away? I heard you got chased by a savage bush pig."

Cassian spent the next hour recounting his adventures at boarding school, but instead of cheering her up, his stories from away made her retreat wistfully into her thoughts. Though she was grateful that she lived on the safe side of the estate walls, Samarra often dreamed about a different life, a more exciting life than the one she had with the Sairfangs, but her possibilities were limited.

For years, the natural environment on Gaia had been destabilizing. Dangerous levels of toxins in the sea and air had led to the collapse of entire ecosystems around the world. As the population had exploded, food crops had become scarce and prices had skyrocketed. Water wars and food riots had broken out everywhere. Only a lucky few were able to survive happily through increasingly long seasons without harvest. The others were left to live in a world that was falling apart all around them. Samarra knew she was more fortunate than the rest of the world, but she also felt like a wild animal whose cage had become too small to contain its wild spirit.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Mr. Sairfang ducked his head into the room. He had a strong jaw, a full mouth, and piercing blue eyes under heavy brows. His perfectly styled blond hair was beginning to show traces of grey. Despite his handsome exterior, Mr. Sairfang was ugly on the inside. Samarra flinched at the sight of his crooked smile.

"Son!" he exclaimed. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to welcome you on your arrival. Our meeting ran late — nothing to worry about. We'll catch up at dinner before we head out later this evening. The journey ahead of us is long, but we can't miss our appointment with Doctor Runaghan. She might be the one who can figure you out." He looked out the window at the setting sun and checked his watch. "Mrs. Sairfang has planned a special meal to celebrate your return. After dinner we'll take a walk through the grounds, and I'll show you the changes I've made to the surveillance system. I'm sure you'll be impressed." He ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the doorframe. "The best news is that the cybots have finally been upgraded. They're more intelligent and much faster now." His expression brightened considerably at the mention of work. "I'll let you see the new generation for yourself afterwards."

"Can't wait!" Cassian looked excited, but Samarra knew he was faking it.

Mr. Sairfang glanced at Samarra. "Your help is needed in the dining room." He shut the door behind him and the room was still.

****

Samarra had rearranged the logs in the fireplace and busied herself straightening chairs. Dinner with the Sairfangs was usually a sombre affair, but now that Cassian was back, everything would change until he left for school again. The antique table that lined the length of the dining room had been set with glistening silver and the finest porcelain. Mrs. Sairfang had taken out her best crystal and a silver candelabra draped in wildflowers provided a beautiful centrepiece. Samarra waved at Cassian when he entered the room.

Mrs. Sairfang was breathless. "My darling boy!" She wrapped Cassian in a delicate hug. "I've missed you from here to the moon and back." Her expensive perfume wafted through the air. Her flowing red hair scattered painful memories in its trail.

Making his appearance moments later, Mr. Sairfang gave his best smile to Cassian. His eyes went numb when he saw Samarra. "Have you finished cleaning the attic?"

Samarra couldn't move. She gripped the back of the closest chair, expecting him to start shouting at her at any minute. "Not yet, Mr. Sairfang." She looked at everything in the room but his face. "I… I've been helping Cass unpack."

Mr. Sairfang's face softened at the mention of Cassian. "Well, you better get to it right after dinner." Blond strands fell out of their slicked position, and he brushed them back with a frown. "Or I'll have to break the promise I made to your mother before she died."

Samarra's breath got knocked out of her at the mention of her mother. Why was he doing this to her again?

"Mr. Sairfang…" Cassian said, trying to divert attention away from her like he always did.

"Yes?" Mr. Sairfang asked, and the two were soon absorbed in a conversation about boarding school.

It wasn't much longer before everyone took their assigned places at the dining room table and the first course was served. Dinner was abundant and largely uneventful. Four maidservants waited on Cassian's every request. Samarra, as always, was left to fend for herself. Although she was famished, she picked at her food without interest. Luckily the Sairfangs were too focused on Cassian to pay attention to her, so she imagined the fun she and her brother would have during his stay.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Sairfang stood up abruptly. "Cassian, why don't you meet me in the foyer in twenty minutes?" He turned to Samarra. "Stop daydreaming and clear the table." With a look of warning to Samarra, he excused himself and left the room. Mrs. Sairfang followed close behind.

"That was harsh." Cassian grabbed a tissue from his pocket.

"It's nothing compared to how he usually acts around me." Samarra played with her silk napkin. "She's worse. It's harder to pick out she's doing it because it's not always obvious, but I can tell… It's the look in her eyes." Samarra leaned closer. "You've been gone for what, six months?"

Cassian blew his nose. "Something like that."

The maidservants came in to clear the table. Samarra dropped her voice to a whisper. "Well, you missed out on the worst. They would save up their anger for the end of the day, when they would yell at me for all sorts of dumb reasons."

"Why would they do that?" he asked as if he didn't believe her.

Samarra shrugged. "I don't know. They don't like me. I bet it has something to do with our mother, but I can't be sure. It doesn't help that they never answer when I ask them questions about her — or our father, for that matter — so I can't ever find out the truth of it all. They don't even know her name. I tried to look for information online, but I couldn't find anything."

"What truth, Sammy?" Cassian asked in his typically calm manner. "That our parents died in a crash and the Sairfangs have been looking after us all this time?"

"It's not just that," Samarra insisted. "Don't you ever want to find out more about our parents?"

Cassian shook his head. "Stop being paranoid. There's nothing more than what we already know. Mr. Sairfang found us in an all-terrain aircraft that crashed off road. Our father died instantly in the head-on collision. Our mother died shortly after Mr. Sairfang pulled her from the wreckage and promised he would take care of us. It is what it is. You're too nosy for your own good."

"Whatever," Samarra said with a wave of her hand. "Okay then, get this — last night Mrs. Sairfang made me scrub your bathtub three times before she thought it was shiny enough." She jumped up and paced the room in a huff. "Why three times? You should have seen me afterwards. My nails were all chipped and caked with gross bits."

"What's the problem? It's not as if you care about that girly stuff anyway."

Samarra could tell her brother was teasing by the familiar twinkle in his eye. "I don't like froufrou things, but I do like clean nails. Anyway, enough of that." She sat back down. "I've missed you a lot. I hate it when you're away for so long."