Defenders of Earth (Book 2 of the Keepers Trilogy)

Chapter 21

A/N: I redid chapter 21 because I had a hard time continuing the story smoothly. 

Another flashback. My mother,  sister, and a man that I don't recognize stand in a familiar room. I think it's my grandmother's house on Vezar, where I use to spend the  holidays. Before the war, before the lock down. Somehow, I feel terrified. It seems too calm. 

"Take her to Tarakdence," my mother tells the man. "She'll be safe there."

"Momma-" Artie protests, but Momma shushes her.

"I don't wish to part either," Momma tells her. "I would go with you if I could. But I have to finish Poppa's job here."

She hugs my sister, who's stiff as a board. "Believe me," Momma whispers, "I'd give anything for us to be together. I love you, baby."

"I want to stay. To wait for Poppa and Callie," Artie moans into Momma's shoulder. "I don't want to go."

I don't think she truly knows. I don't think she  truly knows her father's dead, that her big sister is on a foreign planet, without any way of coming home. She'll be waiting forever.

Evidently Momma's thinking the same thing, because she kisses Artemis's cheek and says, "You know that can't happen."

Artie begins to cry. She shakes in our mother's arms and clutches Momma's hair. They hold each other tightly, then Momma pulls away. Her cheeks are tear-streaked. I have never seen Momma cry. My parents have always been strong, always have held it together for other people's sake. Now everything's different. Poppa's gone. I'm hanging by a thread, and so is the rest of my family.

The man takes my sister's hand and pulls her away. "Come on," he says. "We're going to miss the transport."

Artemis nods and sniffles. Momma kisses her forehead. "Be strong, baby," she tells her, cupping Artie's face in her hands. She looks at the man. "Protect her. Please, brother."

"I will," the man-I think he's my uncle, but I never met him-says. The adults hug quickly, and Artemis and the man take their leave.

I hear something move outside. My first thought is, Bear. Or squirrel. I shrug it off and continue reading my book for history class. 

Then it occurs to me that neither bears nor squirrels are active this time of year. So I get up and knock on my parents' door. "Mom?" I call through it. "There's something out in the yard." 

"What is it?" Mom says sleepily. 

"I don't know. Can you come check it out?" 

"It's probably an animal," Dad says. "No big deal." 

I huff quietly and open the sliding screen door. I'll just scare the stupid thing off. Whatever. I step out of the house and turn towards the noise. 

And stop. 

And scream. 

I hear this high pitched scream and I throw myself out of bed. It comes from outside, so I open the window quickly and peer out. I squint, but I don't see anything. I run downstairs and out the open door. Leo has already beaten me there; he's got a gun, for some reason. I stop and stare at the purple light from the woods, illuminating the six-foot spider-like creature. I grab Mark and pull him back inside the house. "Shoot it!" I yell at Leo. I hear a loud bang that makes my eardrums ring and hear this awful screech. Leo darts back into the house. 

"The hell was that?" he demands. "Callie-" 

"Euravic. Hellish things. I've got a scar from one of them." 

"And they-they're with Simon?" Mark asks, looking at me as if I'll say no. 

"Yeah," I say numbly. "But-how?" 

"How, what?" 

"How did they-" I remember the purple light. "The rift. He's sending his army through the rift."

Another flash of purple. I wonder how many he's sending. Simon was always conservative, no matter how much he had in excess.

"You and Mark, go down to the cellar. Now!" Leo shouts at us. I decide against arguing with him and grab Mark's arm and drag him to the door that led to the unfinished basement. It stinks of mold down there.

"Do you know how to defeat those things?" Mark asks. I notice his voice is ungodly high-pitched out of fear.

"Uh, guns work well," I tell him, creeping back up the stairs in order to listen.

"You're not going back out there!" he hisses at me hysterically.

"Shut up, Mark! I'm not gonna leave. Calm your-"

I hear another gunshot, then silence. Footsteps approach the door, and I back down the stairs a little. Unfortunately, Emily and Leo don't store anything in the basement, so if I have to defend myself from whatever's on the other side of the door, I'm screwed.

"Mark, I need you to not panic. If you feel like panicking, or if you start screaming, I'll punch you," I tell him patiently. I bite my lip and reach for the knob. I'm reminded of those times during training and I'd complain whenever Amacus or James would use "it'll be useful in battle" as an excuse or compliment.

I wish they were here now, I think. I don't know what I'm doing. I have minimal training, and yet I know more about battle than anyone in this house. I cut off my thoughts there, because if I continue, I'll start panicking like Mark.

The knob turns in my hand, but I'm not moving it. There is someone on the other side of the door. Oh, please let it be Leo or Emily... I take several steps down as the door opens creakily. I hold my breath as light floods in, illuminating the soldier. 

I recognize him. I met him on Marix, when Simon held me prisoner. Preed was one of the few who had free will, which he used to hurt me, often against Simon's orders. The last I saw him, he had been dragging away James's murderer.

He presses his finger in his ear and speaks. "Sir, I've found-" 

The rest of his sentence cuts off with a bang. His eyes bulge out slightly and he crumples to the floor. I can see a bloody hole in the back of his head. 

Leo stands behind him, holding the rifle. "You found nothing," he spits. 

A/N I'm so sorry for taking away a chapter, then taking a long time to post a different one. I had a change of thought process, and I needed to redo chapter 21.

Anyhow, don't forget to comment, vote, and (please) share!