Chapter Fifteen

Belema

 

I let out a long breath when the airship lands in Ekebati. There was a point there I thought I wouldn’t see another day. It’s a struggle to unbuckle myself with trembling hands but I manage to do it and push myself out of my seat leaving Neith behind.

 

We landed feet away from the main mansion entrance and when I step out into the sunshine, Mommy is running out the front door.

 

“I’m so glad you’re alive.” Tears stream down her cheeks.

 

“I’m okay, Mommy.” I fall into her embrace. “Please stop crying.” Wiping her tears, I notice my eyes are wet as well.

 

“Oh, Neith!” she calls and stretches her arm. Neith joins us and I stiffen as our arms touch. After clearing the danger zone, we spent the rest of our flight in complete silence. Facing impending death was enough to rob us of our words. All I could do was think about how close to death we were. The wind rushing at my face as robots launched themselves out of the airship. The crash and shuddering after-effect of missiles exploding nearby. I shudder uncontrollably at the recollection.

 

“Thank goodness, you’re both safe,” Mommy says before walking us into the building.

 

She takes us past Aina, Uncle Nabo’s annoying AI secretary, and we enter his office where he sits with my dad. Both men spring to their feet to hug us.

 

“I was so frightened when I heard the news,” Daddy says, holding me to his chest. “Nabo has done an excellent job of keeping me calm. Nothing he said could comfort this one, though.” He releases me and takes Mommy in his arms, laying kisses on her forehead. “They’re okay,” he assures her repeatedly as she sniffles in between a fresh stream of tears.

 

“Can you believe those bastards had the nerve to attack in such a manner,” Mommy says, leaning into my dad. I sink into one of the two chairs in front of Uncle Nabo’s desk and try to tune out what is certain to be rebel-bashing.

 

“It’s understandable,” Uncle Nabo says coolly, letting go of Neith to return to his seat, his face set in a dark scowl. “The nomes are yet to respond to their assault against our children at Fenix. Plus, our failure to deal with Nome Cyra must be common knowledge.” He swipes at his table pulling up a screen which he taps. “The rebels don’t fear us. They must see us as easy prey to pick apart one by one.”

 

I tug at the lace sleeve of my blouse as my mind drifts back to those terrifying moment that felt like hours on the airship. Why would the rebels do this? And where would they get the funds to purchase such weapons? The rebels have never resorted to such violence in the past. What happened at Fenix was an anomaly. While not common knowledge around these parts, I know the Fenix incident was orchestrated by fringe elements within the rebellion. Lack of confirmed information tying the missile attack on the rebels won’t stop everyone else from thinking they are responsible, however.

 

Hands in the pockets of her blush pink pants, Neith gives me a smug look from her perch to her father’s right. The look says, See? I’m not the only one who thinks those rebels are scum. I roll my eyes and that introduces anger to her expression, setting her features alight as the corners of her eyes crinkle. She whips around, her dark brown hair whirling around her head as she walks over to the glass wall behind Uncle Nabo’s desk.

 

“Thank goodness you had some Phalanx on the airship.” Mom’s voice cracks and a moment later, she’s crying into Daddy’s chest.

 

He rubs her back and her hair. “Shh, it’s okay, Tari. They’re okay.” I’ve never seen her so upset and the sight of her in such anguish breaks my heart. Thank goodness we survived this affair. I don’t want to imagine what the extent of her pain would be if the unthinkable had occurred. I’ve got to make certain the rebels had nothing to do with this.

 

“Yes, Nabo,” Daddy says. “How many will we get today?”

 

What is he talking about? I feel the frown manifest on my face as my eyes dart back and forth between my parents and Neith’s father.

 

“I have fifty units waiting to board your airship. You will receive another contingent of a hundred, tomorrow morning,” Uncle Nabo replies.

 

“Wait!” I cry. “We’re getting them too?” I look from my parents to Uncle Nabo, who raises one bushy eyebrow at me.

 

“Yes,” Mommy says, her voice feathery. “I’m not leaving Ekebati without Phalanx to keep us safe.”

 

‘Keep us safe?’ I just watched some of those robots turn against each other. I don’t want them anywhere near me.

 

“They haven’t been legalized yet. We’ll get in trouble”

 

“Don’t concern yourself with that, sweetheart.” Mommy disentangles herself from my dad and sags into the other empty chair beside me. Daddy grips the back of the chair, standing like a sentry at her rear.

 

“After today, there’s no question the Council will declare the Phalanx legal. Until that happens, we must ensure our safety. Enemies could stem from the nomes or elsewhere at this rate.”

 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I say quietly but the adults chatter among themselves, my words unheard.

 

Here we go again. Two nights ago, I almost lost my life because Uncle Nabo and Neith’s devious plotting went awry. Now, my entire family is being drawn into another Nome Reffour scheme. If for whatever reason, the Phalanx are deemed a Pact violation, the Reffours could be punished for flouting the law. If that happens, we could also be punished for having units. Do my parents not see that? What if Uncle Nabo’s rivals gain enough traction and convince a significant number of families to object to the Phalanx? What then?

 

Mom stabs her index finger into Uncle Nabo’s desk to emphasize her ire about something else the rebels did recently. Daddy and Uncle nod in agreement. Neith hasn’t moved from her spot at the window, ignoring the rest of us.

 

Unwilling to remain unheard, I say, “This is a bad idea.” My voice is strong and cuts into the ongoing discussion. Uncle Nabo stops speaking midsentence and gives me a fixed glare. I continue before my words fail me, “The rules require all security forces to be amassed publicly, not in a secretive deal like this one here. We really should wait for the Council’s decision before acquiring these soldiers.”

 

Sparks swarm like yellow jackets within Uncle Nabo’s golden eyes, but his expression remains deadpan. “I understand your concern, dear, and we will happily inform the Council of this acquisition at tomorrow’s meeting,” His voice is gentle though I know he’s faking the patient tone. “However, nobody can fault your family for wanting added protection from the rebels especially after what just happened.”

 

At this point, I’ve had it. Enough with the rebel blaming. They make for an easy target but I can’t stay quiet anymore.

 

“How do we know the rebels did this?” I ask, hotly. “Have they claimed responsibility?”

 

“Who else would do it?” Mommy’s voice takes on a high pitch.

 

Neith lets out a loud groan from the glass and slaps her palm to her forehead. “Here we go again. You and your rebels.” She rolls her eyes in the most dramatic fashion. “They can do no wrong in your eyes, right?”

 

“Oh please!” I wave my hand, dismissing her narrow-mindedness. Anger spreads over my skin leaving me warm. “There’s nothing wrong with me wanting to know who’s actually responsible instead of jumping to random conclusions.”

 

“Random?” Neith rounds the table in a few short steps. “Who else has targeted the nomes with such consistency? Your beloved rebels sow confusion wherever and whenever they can. Were we not on our way to deal with a rebel-induced strike in Tangor? Let’s not pretend they are blameless, Bel. They almost killed me today!”

 

How typical.

 

“Whoever controlled those missiles almost killed us. Not just you,” I spit back.

 

She blinks back her surprise at my retort. “Well … well, you were on a Nome Reffour airship. Are you suggesting you were the target?” She crosses her arms as her face and body language goes from uncertain to sudden conviction.

 

“It’s not always about you, Neith!” I stand.

 

She opens her mouth to speak but I hush her with a raised hand. Whipping around to face my parents, I say, “If you guys make a wrong decision with these units, just remember our entire family will be impacted.” Daddy looks calm but mommy’s mouth keeps opening and closing. She can’t wait to speak. “As someone who almost lost their life on account of the decisions made by others, I know what I’m talking about.” Heading to the door, I say, “I’m leaving!”

 

Mommy speaks up. “I’m so sorry about her outburst. She’s had a very stressful couple of days—” I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know she’s wringing her slender hands. She always does that when stressed.

 

“No way! She’s not the only one who’s had it stressful and she’s been acting like this for a while now.” Neith’s heels click on the polished floor behind me. “We need to talk, Bel!”

 

There’s nothing more for us to discuss. Neith has consistently dismissed Minim and sees them, as well as the Lesser Landers as beneath her. Another conversation won’t change her mind. It’ll rile us both up and right now, I simply want to crawl into my bed.

 

I’ve reached the stairs when warm fingers close around my wrist and she drags me back. A nearby door slides open and she lugs me inside. It’s been a long time since I entered the library. Rows of mahogany shelves hold thousands of hardly read print books. They look back at me with spines the colors of the rainbow. Sadly, my mood is one dark shade of gray.

 

When we finally stop, we’re standing before a gigantic painting in a gold frame. Uncle Nabo is seated on a dark wooden throne with a much younger Neith standing at his right. I remember when they posed for this painting. Neith and I were seven and she’d argued to include me. Uncle refused, brusquely telling her the painting was only for the two of them.

 

Ten years later and I feel the sense of rejection I had back then. I recall standing off to the side and wanting to be included. My own family was too busy for me. Mommy spent her time running the thousands of restorers around the world. Daddy spent his time conducting medical experiments in a quest to “advance science.” My siblings wanted little to do with a snot-nosed little sister then and it wasn’t until I grew a little older that we became closer.

 

“If you have something on your chest, now’s the time to tell me.” She clamps her fingers onto her hips. The stance is full of the self-righteousness she undoubtedly feels.

 

It irks me to see her stand there like that. As if I’ve done something wrong. Still, I don’t want to talk to her anymore.

 

“Leave me alone. I just want to go home.” My attention snaps back to the painting in its gold frame. Seeing the painting has sapped some of the angst I had when I left Uncle Nabo’s office and the last thing I want is to have a confrontation.

 

“No way.” She folds her arms over her chest and taxes me with an indignant glare. “Your mom might think this attitude of yours started after Mehrdad’s attack but I noticed a change in you long before that. What’s going on?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m leaving with the Phalanx units your family pushed on us. Everything’s great.”

 

She doesn’t miss the dig or my sarcasm. Her mouth twists into something ugly. “When did you start to hate my family? When did you start to hate me?”

 

“Oh please, I don’t hate you,” I say irritated by her innate ability to make everything about her. “That’s such a small minded thing to say. It’s so unbecoming of you, Neith.

 

“Let me tell you what I do hate. I hate the fact that your family forced me into your mess. I almost died and you guys have just moved on as if nothing happened.”

 

She winces and takes a step away from me. “I already apologized to you yesterday for getting you wrapped up in things. I thought we were done with that?” There’s a confused frown on her face."

 

“Somehow, sorry just doesn’t seem enough.”

 

“Don’t be so dramatic, Bel.”

 

I rush up to her until our noses almost touch. “Don’t be so dismissive, Neith!” My venom-filled voice is harsh to my ears. “You can’t give me a glib apology and think that makes everything okay. We’re talking about my life here?”

 

Both of us stand here so close our hard breaths cascade over our faces. Neith and I have bickered our whole life but we’ve always cared for each other. We always only ever had each other, really. In this moment, I realize things have changed between us. I don’t recognize this person in front of me.

 

Moments pass before she drops her chin. “If I seemed glib yesterday, I’m sorry. I meant it when I said neither Father nor I wanted to see you hurt. We would never.” She looks up at me with warmth in her eyes. “I sat with your mom for hours waiting for you to open your eyes. It was so scary. We can’t fight each other, you are family and I don’t like the fact that we’re mad at each other.”

 

I let out a tired sigh. “I don’t like us being mad either.”

 

“Good and we go back to the way things were because you need to find Invier for me. Dad thinks the Cyras wouldn’t have attacked so brazenly if they didn’t have support from other nomes. If we don’t get things under control, other adversaries will see us as weak and try to take us out.”

 

That’s what this was all about. She needs me for something so she does what’s necessary for us to be friends again. I’ve seen her use this tactic relentlessly with others but it never occurred to me she would use it with me.

 

“I’m sure with your new responsibilities you’re used to having people run around for you but I’m not a member of your staff. I’m not available at your beck and call.

 

She jerks her head back and squints. “What? Where is this coming from?”

 

“Oh, stop it!” It’s all about her and I’ve had enough. I don't want to be in her presence a second longer. “I need to go.” I turn my back to her and make my way down the library’s wide aisle without sparing a glance for the painting I once wanted to be a part of.