The Kaizen must’ve noticed Gemma’s reaction, for she halted in the middle of the hall, causing Gemma to almost slam into her.
“Okay, let’s get this over with,” the captain said, placing her hands on her hips. “I apologize for the things I said and did to you during your Trials. I do not hold your sister’s actions against you. You have shown true remorse over your actions as a member of the Dissent. I will see you as a member of my military and treat you accordingly. There. Better now?”
Gemma fought the urge to tell her to go eat sand. She would never, ever forgive the Kaizen for torturing her. And it was obvious the apology and speech had been rehearsed—and probably written by Rami himself.
Gemma’s eyes burned as she waved her arm in the direction they were heading, desperate to end this conversation. “Yeah, fine. Can we go now?”
Without another word, the Kaizen spun on her heel and marched toward the stairwell. After swallowing the thick lump in her throat, Gemma followed.
They popped out on the floor where supplies and weaponry were housed. The Kaizen filled Gemma’s backsack to the brim with things she deemed essential, then she passed two daggers to Gemma, along with a handgun and rifle.
Out of the corner of her eye, Gemma spied the special black suits tailored for the harsh planetary surface of Reva. The last time she’d worn one, she’d returned to Zion a bloody mess, courtesy of Colton. The thought of having to put one on again shot a quiver down her spine. But if they were going to be on the planet’s surface, she’d have to fight the trepidation.
Gemma reached for one of the suits—
“Not necessary,” the Kaizen interrupted. “We’re taking a skimmer.”
Gemma’s brows narrowed. “What’s a skimmer?”
The Kaizen waved her hand in annoyance. “You’ll see. Let’s move. We’re already behind schedule.”
With the heavy bag on her back, Gemma barely kept up with the Kaizen as they descended the stairs to the main level of Zion. The closer they got to the bottom, the more precarious the staircase became, but Gemma’s body had grown stronger and more flexible over the last few weeks. Worrying about footing was the least of her concerns.
Instead, her mind swam with images of the battle against the Dissent, and when she and the Kaizen stepped through an opening that used to be the door to the main level, the room began to spin. Everywhere smelled like death.
Gemma’s hands and feet numbed; her pulse raced; her breaths grew more and more shallow. She’d killed so many people that day. So much of this blood stained the ground because of her—because she’d given in to the alien part that lived inside her.
She tipped sideways, sweat forming on the back of her neck, tears burning her eyes.
She grabbed at the collar of her shirt, gasping for breath.
Her vision dimmed.
So many bodies . . .
White-hot pain lashed across her face. Gemma toppled backward with a yelp, holding her palm to her throbbing cheek. She stared at the Kaizen with wide eyes.
“Snap out of it,” the Kaizen roared, lowering her hand and speeding toward the exit. “We don’t have time for this. The team is waiting for us in the temple.”
Mouth gaping, it took a second for Gemma to register what happened.She did not just. . .
The Kaizen had actually slapped her.
Jaw clenching, Gemma hurried to catch up and made sure to keep her eyes from wandering.
Outside Zion, a black vehicle hovered above the surface of Reva. It had zero wheels and almost looked like one of those fancy cars that had existed on Earth. A “skimmer,” the Kaizen had called it.
Gemma’s nostrils flared. She laced her voice with as much animosity as possible. “This would’ve been nice to have when you sent us halfway across the starsforsaken planet.”
The Kaizen just shrugged. “How’d we know the outpost would be empty? Couldn’t have you drawing attention to yourselves.”
Gemma clenched her jaw and sat inside the skimmer.
Reva was a blur of red as the Kaizen sped in the direction of the temple. Neither of them spoke, much to Gemma’s delight. Not only did sitting this close to the captain make Gemma’s hair stand on end, but the silence also gave her time to think.
She tried to piece together what had happened the last time she’d been in the temple, but so much of it was a blur. Something had drawn her to the orb; that was certain. But other than pain so cold that it burned and waking up on the floor of the temple, her mind was blank. She’d been tracing hieroglyphs with her fingers, mesmerized by the story they’d told, and then her whole life had changed.
What was in that orb? It acted like a virus, but it had also altered her DNA and given her inhuman abilities. There had to be more to it.
