XXXI

Elodie’s fingers tingled as she brushed past the curtains. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. A rainbow brought to life and stretched before her in rows and rows of flourishing flowers and heavy buds—not in planters, but growing from the dirt floor of the warehouse. The thick and foreign notes greeted her and pulled her between the rows of blossoming color. Her vision spotted as she took deep inhale after deep inhale, trying to store the luscious scents within her chest.

The space had stolen her words, her thoughts, her worries. Trees blossomed pink and white and yellow along the sides of the warehouse. Their grace and beauty formed a protective, nurturing wall that surrounded the oasis. Jade-colored vines and tall, greenish-yellow stalks stretched toward the warm and gentle lights glowing above. The artificial sun and the small vine-covered shed sprouting from the middle of the space were the only obvious signs of human interference.

This is nature. Real nature.

“It exists,” Elodie said aloud.

“It does.” Aiden was behind her twirling his fingers between the leaves of a plant she’d never seen before, his rich pine scent in harmony with the complex and candied perfumes of the nearby blossoms.

She delicately brushed her fingers over a soft puff of powder-
blue blooms. “How?”

“Eos,” he said matter-of-factly.

Elodie thought about that for a moment as she sank her nose into the sweet center of a bloom so orange it looked ablaze. “This,” she swept her arm over a group of flowers that waved gently in her breeze. “This is what Eos does?”

“One of its many functions.” Aiden wandered deeper into the multi-colored rows. “The Key likes to take things, natural things, and distort them. Turn them into something else.” Elodie followed as he explained. “Like corn.” He paused near the tall yellow-tipped stalks. “The corporation took this plant in its pure, natural form,”—he grazed one of the stalk’s pregnant pods—“and changed it.”

Elodie tilted her chin. “Or did the Key make it better? They made just one of those plants able to feed one hundred people.” She shrugged. “That’s progress.”

“That’s perversion.”

Her arms snapped up to cross over her chest. She’d never heard anyone talk that way about the corporation that had saved their species from extinction. They owed their lives to the Key. And their continued health. The Key was the only thing between humanity and another pandemic. Didn’t Aiden understand that? Didn’t Eos?

He broke off one of the pods and brought it to her. He peeled back the green covering and brushed away the shiny hairs, letting them fall to the dirt. White-and-yellow buds the washed-out color of a cloud-covered sun nestled inside.

It was familiar and nice, but in the way VR was familiar and nice—close enough to what she already knew to make her comfortable, but not exactly right. Elodie shook her head. This wasn’t the corn she knew. Corn was bright, vibrant, electric, sunflower yellow. She wrinkled her nose. “What’s wrong with it?”

Aiden brushed away a few more hairs and examined it. “Nothing. This is how nature intended. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This is what it looks like when we’re hands off.” His thumb grazed the swollen kernels. “Want to try it?”

Before she had the chance to answer, Aiden dashed into the plant-covered shed. He reemerged with two slightly burnt corncobs. He handed her one before peeling the charred husk away from his. The kernels squirted as he took his first bite. “Real corn is so much better than that genetically modified stuff.” He jabbed his cob in her direction. “Try it.”

Elodie shucked the rough papery husk. Golden hairs clung to her fingers and she shook the cob and her hand free from the soft strands. After a few attempts, she gave up and brought the warm cob to her lips. She loved corncobs, but had never seen one like this, fresh from the stalk, still trailing silk. If she hadn’t watched Aiden, she wouldn’t have known what to do with the green covering.

Again, Elodie’s thoughts flashed to Vi and her no-nonsense bravery. Elodie could be that brave. Aiden already thought so.

She bit down. Flavor washed over her taste buds, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes as she took another bite. It was so much more than what she’d tasted before. Those flavors had been enhanced, but the true taste of corn was better than the saccharine sweetness of what she was used to. It was dynamic and juicy and sweet and pure and utterly delicious.

She opened her eyes.

Aiden’s gaze lifted from her mouth. How long had he been watching her mow through the corncob?

“It’s good.” His words were thick and sweet. “Isn’t it?”

She swallowed and brushed the back of her hand over her mouth. “It’s amazing.” She was breathless despite standing still.

“You still have a little . . .” His hand split the air between them, hovering inches from her lips.

It was happening again. That feeling that rocketed to the surface from deep within her core. It radiated out, seeped into her legs, and turned them to quaking bags of mush. Elodie licked her aching lips as her breath locked itself within her chest. Dizziness swirled her thoughts and her heart clamored within her chest.

Suddenly, Aiden cleared his throat and backed away.

Her breath released with a rush and no words came out as she tried to thank him. She could only smile as she wiped her fingers across her mouth while her heart calmed and the ground steadied beneath her feet.

A bee, its fat, puffy body yellow with pollen, flew drunkenly between them.

Elodie forced a swallow down her dry throat. Too many silent seconds had passed. What should she say? She tugged at her collar. What had just happened?

Aiden tossed the cob into a bin marked Compost and brushed his hands off on his pants. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it just as quickly. His smile was strained as he tugged at one of the curls of his short mohawk.

Elodie cleared her throat. “The corn was great.” She dug the toe of her shoe into the dirt. Everything was so . . . awkward. She turned back to the rows of flowers and crops, trying to buy herself enough time to formulate a sentence “So, Eos keeps all of this so they can . . .” She picked at the hem of her shirt. “Do things with it, then.”

She winced, glad that her back was to him. Could she really not come up with anything more articulate?

Aiden passed her on his way back through the flowers. “The hope is that one day they’ll be gifted to the earth. But that would mean that the Key would have to stop lighting it on fire.”

Elodie sucked in a breath. “You think Eos is going to venture out into Zone Seven?” She jogged to catch up with him. “Citizens aren’t allowed out there for a reason. It’s filled with monsters. That’s why they keep burning it down.”

He whirled to face her. Pink and blue and orange petals reflected in his eyes. “Have you ever seen any of these monsters?”

“In pictures and feeds.” Her shoulders hiked. “Just like everybody else.” She bit down on her lip as she thought about everything Rhett told her about Zone Seven.

“Some of us have seen them for real. Been face to face.” His throat bobbed with a tight swallow before he turned and headed back to the front of the warehouse.

“You’ve seen one? When? How? What was it like?” The questions flew out of her.

Aiden stopped sharply as the black velvet curtains flew open and two coverall-clad women stepped into the greenhouse.

Elodie peered out from behind Aiden at the woman wearing gloves and carrying a bag labeled Fertilizer. Her slick black hair, long legs, and pointed chin were unmistakably Fujimoto.

“Thea?” Elodie left Aiden’s shadow. “I can’t believe—” She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Does Astrid know . . .?”

The red-headed woman buried the tip of her shovel into the dirt floor, blocking their exit, before she stepped in front of Elodie’s best friend’s sister.

Thea leaned out from behind the intimidating woman and waggled her eyebrows. “Did we interrupt you two?”

“Aiden,” the woman with the shovel began, “this isn’t a date destination where you can get handsy without getting caught by the Key.” Her voice was steady, stern, familiar.

Handsy? Elodie bristled and shuffled away from Aiden.

“Nothing of the kind, Sparkman,” Aiden said, raising his open hands.

Sparkman cocked her head. “Don’t tell me your girlfriend believes that line about no touching today for a healthy tomorrow.” She shook her head and faced Elodie. “If you’re eating up everything the Key is serving, there are a lot of surprises about to come your way.”

Elodie’s jaw slackened and a dry squeak slipped past her lips. She should have questions, millions of them, but she couldn’t think of one. “They’re lying . . .” She wet her lips. Sweet corn still stained her mouth.

Sparkman’s golden red temples ticked as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. “Have been for a long time.”

Aiden held up his hands. “Look, Sparkman, she’s just a new recruit,” he said, tossing a glance at Elodie and motioning for her to follow. “And we were just leaving.”

The woman’s broad chin jutted forward as she leaned on the shovel, and her eyes bored into Aiden. “New recruits aren’t permitted here.”

Goosebumps rose along Elodie’s arms. She’d heard that voice. But where?

Aiden settled back onto his heels. “Well, you’ll have to take it up with Echo. I’m sure she’ll be glad to know that Westfall’s Lieutenant Commander is giving new recruits a hard time.”

Sparkman’s reddish-blond braid slid from her shoulder as she stiffened. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she gripped the wooden handle of the shovel.

Elodie chewed the inside of her cheek. She’d heard that name before too. “Who’s Echo?”

Sparkman trained her heated gaze on Elodie. “Quit while you’re ahead, recruit.”

Elodie flinched as Thea leaned out from behind the strong wall of the shovel-wielding redhead and pressed her slender finger against her lips.

Aiden cleared his throat. “Like I said, we were just leaving.”

Thea disappeared back behind Sparkman. “Split up when you leave,” Sparkman said as she yanked the shovel from the ground. “After this morning, it’s not smart to have two members out together.”

That voice . . .

Elodie shuffled after Aiden as he marched past the women. Her breath slammed against her ribs as Sparkman stabbed the air in front of Elodie with the handle of the shovel, blocking her path out.

“I didn’t catch your name, recruit.”

I know that voice . . . Elodie’s memories cleared, and she was back in that bleach-scented hallway.

“In and out, gentlemen.” Boots marching closer, closer. “You two, scan the halls.”

“Your name, recruit,” Sparkman repeated.

Elodie’s heart flapped wildly as she struggled to form words.

“Violet.” Thea stepped forward. “Lieutenant Commander, this is Violet Royale. I know her. She’s—she’s a friend.” Thea’s slender arm swept back the velvet curtain as her eyes widened with warning. “Be safe out there, Violet.”

Sparkman lowered the shovel. “Welcome to the fold, Royale,” she said with a nod.

Elodie hurried past Sparkman, through the curtains past Thea, and didn’t exhale until she and Aiden were back out under the stars.

“That was my best friend’s sister.” Elodie stood at the top of the stairs above Aiden, her hands clapped on top of her head. “Thea is a member of Eos!”

Aiden charged back up the stairs. “Never say that!” His nostrils flared. “She wasn’t here. I wasn’t here. You weren’t here. None of this happened.”

Elodie’s cheeks were ablaze. “Yeah, I know.” Her arms dropped to her sides and she shook her head. “I don’t know why I said that out loud.”

“I get it. I just want you . . .” He motioned to the warehouse behind her. “All of us, to be safe.”

“One more thing,” Elodie dug her fingernail into the collar of her shirt. “No touching today for a healthy tomorrow. All of that is . . .” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “At one point, it was true.”

Aiden shoved his hands into his pockets. “No one’s denying that.”

Elodie nodded. “We should split up.” She peered up and down the shadowed street that stretched in front of the row of buildings as she squeezed past Aiden. “I can use Holly now. She’ll take me to the nearest MAX stop.”

Aiden’s heavy footsteps followed her down the stairs. “We’re good, though, right?”

Elodie didn’t know how to answer him. Eos was more than, better than, she’d thought, but she still had questions—about Echo, Sparkman, Aubrey, the Key. And then there was Thea. She was a Fujimoto, and Elodie had been a part of their family for years. Thea wouldn’t be involved in something sinister.

“Director Holbrook’s funeral is tomorrow.” Elodie let the words hang in the air as she rubbed the tiny X-shaped scar behind her ear and brought up a map to the nearest MAX stop. The same blinking light and 3D view that had led her down to the End-of-Life Unit, down to Aiden and this new chapter of her story, came into focus.

Aiden scratched his brow. “About that—”

“You know . . .” Elodie started, as she stepped into the street, her eyes firmly fixed on the cloudless night sky. “I think I’m good on new information today.” She ran her fingers through her hair and released the ends to dance along the steady breeze. “We can start again tomorrow.”

Right now, she needed to focus and tuck away all of her questions and worries. Once she got home, she’d experience another first—climbing up that tree.