Revived (The Lucidites Book 3) (41 page)

He reaches forward and seizes my hand, his eyes swelling with tears. “All your life I’ve been waiting for you to experience that moment but I never knew when it would come to pass. And it has, hasn’t it? You visited me?”

Confused and elated I say, “Yes, I’ve been here every day.”

He shakes his head. “Not here. In the past.” He gulps, swallowing down tears. “I named you Roya after that.”

“After what?” I say, knowing what’s coming next, but needing to hear it.

Tugging my hand in closer, he looks at me with earnestness. “I knew you were there. Seventeen years ago I felt you. I felt the messages in the words I didn’t hear. And I knew they were yours. They were, weren’t they?”

I nod, an ache erupting in my chest, engulfing the space around me.

“You saved me all those years ago. And all these years you’ve saved me by giving me hope.” Sliding his hands across his drenched cheeks, he sucks in a breath. “And I’ve been waiting, hoping I didn’t imagine it because then it meant that at some point in the future you didn’t hate me anymore. That one day you forgave me enough to risk your life to save mine. And you did. All these years I would never have been strong enough if you hadn’t come to me, inspired me when you were first born.” His weak smile is full of pain. “I’ve been merely surviving, waiting to get to this point. Waiting for you to get to this point. To where you saved us.”

I slip my hand from his and fold my arms around his neck, hugging him into me, feeling him convulse with sobs against my chest. “We’re there now,” I say. “We’re there now.”

Chapter Fifty

“I
am grateful you both will be returning to news reporting,” Shuman says, standing with both hands clasped behind her back. “Without your reports we have logged half as many stories as we used to and nothing as significant as the ones you normally report.”

“It will be good to be useful,” I say, scanning the Panther room. It’s always a relief to dwell in a space that doesn’t show the damage from Zhuang’s attack. To look at Joseph’s face and see the light back in his eyes also brings comfort. He was slow to come out of the depression that hit us all after Day Z, but Trey waking up helped. The burden he carries for murdering our grandfather may never leave him, but I will be his secret keeper and help him shoulder its weight.

“May I ask you a question?” Joseph says to Shuman.

“You may ask both of your questions to me.”

Joseph gives Shuman a confused look. “Nah, I just got one. Where’d you keep all those rattlers that besieged the battle on Day Z?”

“I keep them in various places around the Institute,” Shuman says dispassionately.

Joseph looks at me and raises an eyebrow before turning back to Shuman. “Ugh, is that safe?”

An almost smile flicks in her eyes. “It is,” she says, answering his second question. How she does that, I have no clue. Shuman turns without another word and stalks away.

“I think she has a crush on me,” Joseph says, looking satisfied.

“You think everyone has a crush on you.”

“They do...well, not you. That’d be creepy.”

“Speaking of people who have crushes on you,” I say.

“He gave me until the end of the year to come out,” Joseph says, shaking his head and writhing a bit.

“And if you don’t?”

“Then T man is through with me for good.”

“So what are you going to do?” I ask, although I already sense his answer.

“Work on a speech to give at the Christmas feast,” Joseph says.

“Oh, so you’re going to wait until the last possible moment, huh?”

“Oh, sis,” he says, draping his arm over my shoulder as we walk. “You know you gotta make them wait with suspense. It makes ’em want you more.”

“Well, and also you’re scared to death about telling the Institute you’re gay.”

“I’m tryin’ to give you love advice which you desperately need, so don’t go changing the subject.”

“I’m good actually. I’ve got the ‘impossible-to-get’ act down.”

“Oh, that you do,” Joseph says with a whistle.

Taking a seat in my news reporting recliner I say, “Hey, and why would you think there would be a Christmas celebration at the Institute? None of the Lucidites I know are Christian.”

Joseph laughs. “And most of the people I know who celebrate the holiday aren’t Christian either. It’s a much needed occasion to wear red and lavish your loved ones with gifts.”

“Red isn’t my color,” I say.

“Well, just buy me something really expensive that I don’t need.”

“You’re making money news reporting now, buy yourself something.”

“I don’t log as many reports as you since mine are so far in the future. I know you’re pulling in like thirty thousand a week,” he says with a disgruntled huff.

“Have you ever wondered where the money to fund this place comes from?” I ask, kicking my feet back and forth over the side of the chair.

“Gosh, Stark, if I wasn’t in your head I’d think you were pretendin’ to be that thick.”

I give him my usual “what the hell are you talking about” look.

“Sis, what do you think Pops does when you log a news report with tomorrow’s lottery numbers for the state of Oregon? You think he just swells with pride that his daughter has such a fun gift?”

“He uses that to make money?”

“As well as other methods. I mean having a gaggle of clairvoyants gives the Institute information about future stocks, worthy ventures, and not to mention the technology we sell to the US government.”

“Man, that’s genius,” I say.

“It’s a good thing I’m gonna take over this place and not you, you’ve got zero business savvy.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll take pity on me and keep me employed, dear brother.”

“Oh yeah, you’ll be my bread and butter,” he says with a smile. The space grows comfortably quiet. “Does that mean you’re sticking around even after your two-year sentence is over?”

“Joseph, wherever you are, that’s where I want to be. So yes, I’m sticking around.”

Chapter Fifty-One

T
he following Sunday, as everyone chows down on fresh food, the Head Official for the Lucidite Institute boards the stage in the main hall. My father walks with a new confidence as he makes his way to the center of the platform. Despite the weight he’s lost he appears strong. Before he even takes the microphone in his hand I notice the people in the main hall revolve on him, respect in everyone’s gaze. Had they always looked at him like this? Was it my perspective that kept it hidden from me? Surely people have a new found respect for the man before us, who everyone knows has sacrificed everything to protect the people he loves.

Every shred of scrutiny that my father ever faced dissipated when the stories began to circulate. The ones about how he’d lost our mother, sent his children away to protect us, and watched over us every single day without fail. And all to shelter us, and to safeguard the fate of the Lucidites. Too many times recently I’ve overheard people in the main hall or the library speaking about my father like he’s a living legend. And it always brings a small smile to my heart, because he truly is. He’s the passion and fortitude that writes the stories of unconditional love.

“I know everyone here has been through a long and strenuous ordeal,” my father begins in his unemotional tone. “And I’m here to reassure everyone that we will recover from this. I will make sure of it.”

Trey lets his eyes drift to where Joseph and I sit and I find it difficult to maintain eye contact with him. We aren’t back to normal because before this we had no normal. After hours of sitting with him while he lay in a hospital robe I feel past normal with the man who stands on the stage before me. He isn’t just my father, he’s a leader of a place I’ve realized is my home.

Trey clears his throat and just when I expect him to run his fingers through his silver hair he keeps his hands firmly planted on the microphone. “All of our enemies are gone. We have survived, although I know we have suffered. We will rebuild. We will heal. We will get past this. I will make it my mission to ensure that every person at this Institute, every Lucidite, has the resources to rise from this challenge. We’re a family. And we will stand together stronger because of what we’ve experienced. If there’s anything that any of you need to do these things that pushes us forward, please come to me personally. Thank you.”

The brevity in his speech is what ignites the silence that follows. I love that he knows long speeches are not the way to loyal hearts. Lowering the microphone he stares out at the sea of faces, making eye contact with all of the residents. Applause erupts around the hall, but my father quickly quiets it, not looking for the endorsement of his people. His intention was to bolster confidence, not receive it. He pulls the microphone to his chin again. “Dr. Livingston has a couple of logistical reminders for you all, so at this point I’ll hand the microphone off to him.”

Aiden takes the microphone, his casual nature exuding across the main hall. It might just be me, but he lights up spaces, spreads an energy of passion wherever he is. “Here’s the deal, people,” he begins with a melodramatic sigh. “Even if you’ve used the GAD-C a trillion times, I want you to review the new procedures for how to operate the devices. I have to make this demand of all of you, because A) some of you long-time users are getting a little sloppy and that’s not going to bode well for you.” Laughter explodes from various tables.

“I’d like to see my nose in a new place for a fun change,” a guy says from the back corner.

“Yeah, yeah. Not on my watch,” Aiden replies with a chuckle. “And B) I haven’t just been working on my Pac-Man gaming skills while our esteemed leader was recovering, as some of my employees like to joke. I’ve made critical upgrades to the devices and you’ll only be aware of them if you read the new instructions. The specifics on the new functionality are posted beside the machines.” Aiden pauses. His eyes fall to the floor of the stage. The pause lengthens, making people in the room stir.

Finally, Aiden brings his eyes up and looks at Trey and then out to the rest of the crowd. He pulls the microphone back to his mouth. “Oh, and there’s one more thing. It’s of great importance and something I want to make everyone aware of.” He scans the room as everyone focuses on him, waiting for this specific information. Aiden clears his throat. Fidgets with the microphone. His eyes find me. “I’m relentlessly and inescapably in love with Roya Stark.”

My eyes widen in shock. Aiden stares out past the prairie of faces, his gaze pinned on only mine. People make noises around me but I don’t pay attention to them. Aiden and I stand alone in the main hall, the only two souls on Earth connected by our gazes. Entangled by a love so pure it erases everything around it.

I chance a look at my father. His stare bounces between Aiden and me several times. Astonishment writes a new expression on his face, one I’ve never seen before. I guess my father’s intuition doesn’t inform him of everything. I lose the opportunity to take in his next reaction because my attention is assaulted by Aiden as he leaps off the front of the stage and hurries through the cheery Institute residents. Too fast he stands before me. I push out of my chair and walk directly to him, magnetized by a force.

“That was quite the announcement,” I say, chewing on my lip.

“Long. Over. Due,” he says, scratching the back of his head. “You wouldn’t believe how many people keep botching up the GAD-C procedures. It’s just a matter of time before someone auto generated with their parts all wrong.”

I slap him playfully on the chest. We laugh, both of relief and nervousness. People move out of the main hall now, some lurking, watching us. Aiden isn’t the least bit aware of them, his eyes fastened on me.

“Well…” he finally says. “Now there’s no keeping this thing between you and me under wraps. The secret is out.”

“Indeed,” I say.

“So I hope you’ll have me even if I’m unemployed.”

“Aiden, I will have you any way I can get you.”

A brilliant smile lights up his face. “Really?”

“Yes, really. It’s always been you, Aiden. Always. No one else owns my hear––”

My dad’s sudden appearance by our sides interrupts me. He looks at me and then Aiden, his mouth and eyes pinched. I’m prepared to say whatever I need to defend us. To lay down every excuse to protect this guy I love and the job he loves.

Trey turns to Aiden. “You know––”

“Dad, this is––”

My father holds up a hand, shakes his head at me. “This isn’t something I want your opinion on, Roya. This is an issue between Aiden and me, as he is an employee of the Institute. I would ask that you kindly back out of this conversation,” he says.

I have no intention of backing out, but I shut my mouth just this once. It’s something about the meaningful expression in my father’s eyes. We’ve come so far and the last thing I want is for us to regress.

He turns and focuses on Aiden, looks to be calculating something. “Aiden, I believe you’ve taken a big risk to do what you’ve just done. A sacrifice of sorts. You knew that, didn’t you?” my father says, peering at Aiden with a measured glare.

“Yes, Trey, I did.”

“How long has this been going on?” Trey asks, his eyes only on Aiden.

Aiden looks at me and dares to smile. “Since the moment I saw her.”

“Hmmm,” my father says like a disgruntled sheep. “I see.”

“Dad––” I interject.

“Again, Roya, this is not a matter I want your input on.” He steps sideways, his back to me, and half whispers in Aiden’s ear. “Well, I only have one last thing to say to you on the matter and then we will be done. No arguments. Is that clear?”

Aiden doesn’t say a word, just nods, eyes dripping with tension.

“After a declaration like that I think you owe my daughter a kiss.” My dad hitches his head sideways, chancing a glance at me over his shoulder.

“Yes sir,” Aiden says.

The smile that flits to my father’s face takes a gentle pressure off my heart. He claps a hand on Aiden’s shoulder and leaves.

Aiden’s eyes land on me at once. “Your father is a wise man,” he says, a giant smile on his handsome face. The main hall is almost empty, but when Aiden steps forward and slides his hand along my cheek I lose sight for anyone but him.