X-Marks: Rising Shadows

Trust

My bracelet quaked as Dimitri's name flashed across the black screen on my wrist. He was calling, and I knew why. I just had to get away from this table to answer him, somehow.

I looked up from the table and through the white petals and dangling crystals of the centerpiece. In the corner of the room, the upper city people, dressed in their glittering dresses and suits, passed through a wide door framed with flashing round lights. This was my chance.

"I'm uh - going to get some fresh air," I said to Mat and Nate as I stood up.

Mat nodded and continued to stuff his face with food from his towering plate of meats and potatoes that fell onto his nicely pressed all black suit.

Beside Mat, Nate was wearing a sharp dark gray suit, with a buttoned-up blue shirt and a yellow tie. He looked down at my flashing wrist with alert eyes. They both knew who was calling and what we had all agreed to do. This was the signal we had been waiting for.

It was a risky plan. More dangerous than anything we had ever done. Even when we had crossed paths with the Allies, we had more of a chance than this. But everything was already in motion. Just before midnight, Dimitri would begin to evacuate the lower city, and at that exact moment he would set off an explosion in the gala gardens far from the other attendees. With everyone focused on sifting through the rubble, it would give us enough time to get back to the lower city and as many people out through the exit tunnels as possible.

This was the kind of distraction Dimitri had in mind, and if it didn't go as planned, I wasn't sure there were enough words that could get us out of that kind of trouble. Dimitri had told me, those in the upper city weren't happy about the lowers staying in the Union but the thought of them on the other side possibly joining the Allies made them even more fearful.

I looked across the table. Valen's eyes were scanning my whole body. I wondered if she knew what we were about to do. We hadn't told her of our plans. Not yet at least. If we could just talk some sense into her. Make her realize the Union wasn't the home we were looking for. Maybe she would leave with us. But if not, we had to be even faster than we had planned. I was running out of choices. Either protect my sister and father or fight to stay with Valen.

I picked up the hem of my long green dressed and moved away from the table as quickly as my high-heeled shoes would allow and cut through the tall bodies holding skinny glasses of bubbly pink drinks.

As I stepped through the exit door, I could see why so many were passing in and out. On the other side, there was an archway made of bright light that looked like waves of stars in the sky. The vibrant lights faded through the colors of the rainbow and washed over my skin.

Dimitri's name continued to flash on my wrist. I needed to find a place away from everyone before his call disconnected. I slipped through one of the openings of the archway and into a walkway where I could be alone.

"Hello?" I whispered and tapped the side of my bracelet.

"Evee, are you there, alone?" Dimitri said from the speaker on my bracelet.

"Yeah, I think so," I said as I looked around the darkened path lined with tall leafy bushes.

"Excellent," he said, "Are you on your way to your positions in the garden."

"I'll start getting the others now," I said.

"Please hurry. We may not have as much time as we thought."

"What about my sister and father?"

"Of course," Dimitri said, "They're waiting right at the exit gate along with as many as we could trust to know first. Once we get them out the rest will follow if they choose to."

"Okay," I said as my nervous stomached began to settle again, "I'll let you know when I'm at the gardens."

"Please do," Dimitri said and disconnected the call.

I leaned against a glass bench beside me, feeling my cold blood rush in and out of my numb skin.

I thought about the people in the lower city. People like my dad, who crossed the Union border just to find a safe home. People like my sister, who tried to do the best she could with so little. People whose hopes and dreams rested on these next few minutes that all counted on me.

"What am I doing," I said as the icy panel of the bench hit my bare back and made me shiver.

"You're not going to tell Valen already are you?" Nate said from behind.

"How did you -"

"Find you?" Nate said and looked around the darkness, "You should learn to be a bit quieter," he said and lowered his voice.

"Oh like you?" I whispered and stood up, "Just where have you been all these weeks."

Nate looked away from me, his eyes focused on the lights of the arches instead.

"Evee, I can explain," he said and softened his tone, "But not until later."

"Fine then," I said and leaned away from the bench, "Let's find Mat and make our way to the gardens."

I walked toward the arches back through the narrow opening when a hand tugged mine back. I twisted my neck and shoulder to see Nate's face close to mine.

"Evee, do you trust me?" he said, his large brown eyes meeting mine.

"Of course, I do," I said, feeling his warm lips close to my forehead.

Nate wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pushed his trembling lips on to my forehead.

"Good," he whispered onto my cheek, "I can't lose you too."