Stolen Skies

lert sounded. Sirens wailed through the halls, red lig

ael's hands. "They'll breach the

sitate. "We ne

r.

My boots hit metal and moss, my pulse pounding to match the alarms. I w

idea how to

eypad, and the metal slid open, and he finally saw a thin passage that we

es it go?

the collapse. Lead to a r

er eyes. "You s

the base locked down. We

once. "If th

Kael said. "

me and dragged m

s swall

stone. My palm stayed locked in his, and I hated how much I noticed it. The warmth

overhead was turning violet, stars bleeding through the canopy.

p running for

nreadable. "We're not run

ith all of this? War? Memory wipes? Fathers who lie?

d close.

y staying alive long enough to f

nd what did she

ur father. Against the system. The silence.

le li

for the first time, he

igreed with lines of glowing light, as if he was tattooed

you?" I

he said. "Ha

like ice.

original. I'm...

hudding wildly. "So I'm not ju

nod

cream. Cry. H

did somet

d into

I sa

make. I saw Kael. The way he never let go of my hand. The pain i

said, voice shaking.

es

w me as

es

y do I feel that I meet you for the fir

dn't

t lean

didn't exist. My father's lies. My m

it va

ushed mine-

se it was

it felt

*************

e Girl

could've paused

it d

sound of a hunter drone screeching low overhead. The a

already scanning the treet

sk where.

ry inhalation, but adrenaline held me up. Kael moved next to me like a shadow, qui

fairytale. I

rt vehicle, long since swallowed by vines. Kael p

-sleek, silver, and sile

it

ot authorized for surface access. You are classified as com

le bod

cking me p

broadcasting directly to yo

what to think"

s rough. "What you just can

at by his body, I was shielded by one of the beams sweeping by all together. I could se

I said, "they'll

"Then we

to him. "

ke it

dge that led to one of the scout drone's blind routes. Kael moved with sur

rk?" I asked, helping hi

t it'll make a hel

came out shaky. "You

meone tells m

wooping lower this time, scanners blazing. I stood behind

pered, eyes locked on t

e se

w

e-n

the tr

eetops. The drone swerved into a shockwave and spiraled out of control. I

ky glow as if the

exhaled a breath I hadn't r

a slow, distorted grin. Good g

d. "There'll be m

swer. He did

was strangely silent. Kael set a perimeter, then lit a fire with practiced ea

ago, I was

Vo

omething el

aring into the embers. "The versio

touching. "I barely remember him

. "Because that

dark and quiet. "Becau

't sle

ed to drift off,

nto it like he'd been