36
“So, who’s absolutely terrified?” Domino asks as she walks between me, Rook, and Journey as we make our way to the cadet wing for a special training session.
“No way! I can’t wait!” Journey says, doing a little hop.
It’s been just a few days since our night at the Grotto, and Edward still hasn’t appeared, not that I expected him to. I can barely sleep from worry, but we have no one to ask or turn to without drawing the wrong attention.
“Can’t wait to die?” Domino asks wryly.
“I’m sure it’s perfectly safe,” Journey says. “They wouldn’t let us do this otherwise, right?”
Domino snorts. “I wish I had your faith in how much they value our lives.”
Tonight’s training includes heading out to a Storm Tower and watching the Breakers at work.
Clouds have been gathering all day, and that familiar prickle has been working its way up my back.
Thankfully, Rook and I snuck out to touch Spark only a few days ago, so it isn’t affecting me too much.
We also tried implementing some of the techniques Sol showed us to gather and harness Spark.
Our progress has been slow, but I’m determined to keep trying, even though we haven’t heard much from her, either.
We enter the facility to find Henry, Brooklyn, Chandler, and a group of Storm Guards wearing their uniforms and shiny purple harnesses.
Among them is Lieutenant Danica Stephens, the same woman who saved my ass during my trial.
I catch her eye, and she presses her lips into a quick smile before dipping her chin.
“Welcome,” Henry says, his hands clasped behind his back. “I know you’ve all been eagerly awaiting this.”
Several murmurs ripple through the room, mixing fear and excitement.
“This will be your first chance to get a true glimpse of what Guard life is like,” he says.
“You’ll be relatively safe inside your respective Storm Tower control rooms while the Breakers conduct their work, but I won’t lie—this will put you as close to danger as you’ll ever be during your schooling. ”
Another flurry of whispers circles through the crowd.
“But if being a Breaker is truly your goal, you need to understand what you’re in for.”
Without further preamble, Henry splits us into groups.
I’m matched with Rook, Domino, and Journey, and assigned under Henry and Danica.
We’re all issued a pair of goggles with purple lenses to shield our eyes from bright flashes of light, and then we’re on the move, heading toward the edge of the city.
Henry fills us in on what to expect as we travel, while Journey peppers him with a million questions. We reach the outskirts and make our way to our assigned Tower. I scan the horizon, noting the neighboring structures standing in the distance.
Rook and I stop at the base and peer up.
Made of iron and steel, the Tower stretches high into the sky.
Several Guards are already stationed at ground level, keeping an eye on the Tiera Frais, while about half a dozen Breakers are staggered on the various platforms, each gripping the rubber handle of a glowing Spark wand.
A staircase on the side winds around the base, and we begin making our way up to the lowest platform. It’s the largest, with a small, enclosed glass room and a bank of monitors and buttons running around the edges.
Several screens reveal various parts of the city, including greenhouses on the south end of the island and factories in the north, where more Towers are placed atop the various buildings to help keep everyone inside safe.
Another screen shows a close-up of General Sol standing atop the Citadel, her dark hair blowing in the wind. She appears fearless and confident as she takes her position at the center of the roof with a ring of her Circle Guards facing her.
The clouds are gathering, rolling together, flashing with lilac and amethyst. Rook’s pinkie hooks into mine as shivers race over my skin. We’ll be so close to the storm here. Probably feel it when it hits the Tower.
“You okay?” he asks in a soft voice, and I nod.
“I think so.”
“Don’t go out there,” he says, and I understand his worry. If either of us is hit, we’ll be exposed. Without our own Spark wands to gather the current, we’ll become the conduit. “Concentrate on driving it away from you. Remember what we’ve practiced.”
“Okay,” I say softly, and then we turn to face the window.
Domino and Journey are already standing with their faces nearly pressed against the glass, peering at the swelling clouds blanketing the city. I imagine people far in the distance running for cover, hiding themselves.
In the distance, I can see Fiama Society Tower A, and I wonder what my parents are doing.
Are they at home or having dinner with friends?
The Storm Tower atop their building glows, ready to protect them.
I wonder what it might be like to stand there someday and keep them safe, knowing they want nothing to do with me.
But this is what I signed up for. I wanted to help. I wanted to be useful. I wanted to protect everyone who can’t protect themselves, regardless of how I feel about them.
More clouds tumble and gather, and Domino whistles as we all stare up at the sky. “This is gonna be a big one,” she says. “I guess we were due.”
She isn’t wrong. While the storms always pose a danger, their intensity varies wildly. Depending on the wind and temperature, they might range from a few bursts to a constant barrage hammering every part of the city for hours.
Is it the best time for us to be observing?
Henry said we had to get up close to really understand what we’re being asked to do, so maybe a night like this is the best teacher of all.
He’s standing just outside the control room, a few feet away.
He peers up at the sky, a worried line forming between his brows before he glances over at the four of us.
I get the distinct sense he wasn’t anticipating this.
A radio crackles on the control panel. “Attention Breakers,” says a voice over the speaker. “Forecast conditions have shifted, and we’re anticipating a level five tonight.”
“Isn’t that the biggest?” Journey asks, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“The very biggest,” I agree.
“Should we be out here?” Domino asks just as the radio crackles again.
“Backup Guard headed to all Storm Towers,” says the voice. “Tempestade on alert. Do not move from your positions. I repeat, do not move from your positions. Standby for backup. Hold the line, Breakers. The general is prepared.”
My gaze falls on the screen, where Sol stands in the center of the roof, her chin tipped toward the sky.
Flashes burst around her, illuminating the sharp angles of her face.
She seems so peaceful.
Free to embrace the storm without fear of retribution.
I envy her so much in this moment. Could this be my future?
The four of us huddle together as the clouds build, rolling over one another like violent waves. Itching climbs up my arms and legs and over my scalp. Rook squeezes my hand harder, a strained look crossing his face.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the clouds like this,” Domino says.
“We’ll be fine,” I tell her. “We’re in the safest position in the entire city.”
“Right,” Domino says. “Sure.”
I notice her gaze wander to the flats, where hundreds of cog homes sit clustered together.
No doubt she’s thinking about her family and hoping they’re safe.
They were so proud of her—we all were—when she was elected student Society leader at the beginning of the year, and I know how much they mean to her.
The clouds crash, thunder booming, and in the distance, an explosion lights up the sky directly over the Central Park Tree Farm. Jagged lines of Spark spread out, filling the horizon before they’re absorbed by the net protecting the trees. Another burst arcs toward the Citadel and General Sol.
I watch on the monitor as she stretches out her hands and Spark hits her palms, crackling across her arms and legs.
She gathers the tiny points of light, just like she showed us.
They coalesce into a small orb, and before they shift into that deadly magenta power, she quickly touches the nodes surrounding her.
The Spark breaks apart, filtering electricity into the city’s generators, when another explosion lights up the sky.
Watching Sol makes me realize just how much she puts herself at risk of discovery every time she does this. What I mistook as freedom a moment ago takes on a different edge. She isn’t any freer than I am. She’s just knocking against the bars of a different type of cage.
Another burst spears across the sky, flying in arcs toward the Storm Towers surrounding the city. I watch as Henry braces himself with his wand held high. The shatterproof glass rod encases a glowing purple core designed to attract Spark.
A beam of jagged energy hits him with such force that he staggers back a few steps.
I hold my breath, terrified for him, but he’s obviously prepared. His wand crackles with energy, pulsing and shifting, while amethyst light contours his cheeks, lips, and nose.
He touches the wand to a thick grounding pole running down the side of the platform. Energy dissipates into it, crackling along its length and then out of view, where I know it’s now been neutralized into the earth.
I realize I’m holding my breath, and I let it out, noticing the others all doing the same. “Skies, that was so fucking cool,” Journey whispers, and we all start laughing, the tension between us easing.
More clouds explode, streaking across the sky. I watch in awe as the general and her Breakers gather and deflect with all the skill and years of their training.
But the bursts are growing larger and more frequent. They’re having trouble keeping up with the barrage.
I see the moment one breaks through.
Sometimes, a single bolt hits, and it’s a common enough occurrence. That’s how Bethany Fawkes died the night before we were all due to start at Amery.