March City: Land of the Gifted [Book 1 | Fantasy/Sci-fi | Complete]

Chapter 42: The Dancer's Scrutiny

"On the day of the grand exam," Mina said in a small but clear voice, "I think I got knocked out by that explosion. I'd finished my ability test and I was sitting with the others, watching the rest take their test, and the next I woke up in this bright room."

"You have no recollection of the events between the explosion and your wakening?" Lira's words were crisp and precise, sending chills to Mina's core.

"I..." Mina frowned, chewing her lip. Her eyes glazed over, running over the events in her mind. Everything happened so quickly. The flashing lights, the smoke, the choking scent of smoke and rubble. "One of the students was showing his ability." And he wasn't very good. Someone heckled him. "And there was a really blinding light, and a bang. I though the lights overhead exploded, at first. Then someone picked me up."

"Who?"

"I don't know. A boy. I never saw his face. There were at least two of them. They picked me up and gave me something, and I blacked out."

Mina twisted her fingers in her lap. One of the joints popped and she winced.

"When I woke up, I was strapped to a table. Someone took my blood. They left me there for hours until a girl came to see me and told me I wasn't a prisoner; I was there to help out."

"What girl?"

"Her name was Vexi."

Vexi's kindly features came into her mind's eye. Her gentle voice reassured Mina's fears; her eyes crinkled at the edges as she smiled. Waves of nausea washed over Mina. She sucked in several breaths, her eyes watering before squeezing shut.

"'Was'?" Lira gave her no time to recover.

"She's..." Mina cleared her throat, eyes flying open. "...probably dead. Ari knocked her out when we were running – she tried to stop us. She said I needed an ability transplant and Ari was a traitor, and she killed Plea."

"Plea of Class 1C?"

"Yes." Mina swallowed, her eyes shining with tears. Sweat Plea. "Plea didn't have to die. But Vexi wouldn't give up. She filled Plea with this venom and threw her at us like a bomb."

Plea was so small, so fragile. Mina couldn't do much, but at least they should have stuck together.

"I should have known." The words poured from Mina in a torrent. "Vexi said she killed her brother, Ziko, four years ago, because she was under-achieving. She stabbed him after he disowned her. She was so nice, though. I wouldn't have guessed. She was so good at hiding it, at pretending she was the good one. But there was so much hate. I couldn't... I don't understand."

"You're not here to understand. You're here to provide information," said Lira, her words razor sharp. "What was the aim of the group?"

"They kidnapped students who are high achievers and moved their abilities. That power gets transplanted to someone who's under-achieving like me. Kena said it was to balance out the inequality in the city."

Mina dared to glance up briefly. Lira's mouth snapped shut and her eyes widened ever so lightly. Even the infallible Lira seemed disturbed by Kena's actions.

"The creatures – what did Kena want to do with them?"

Mina blanched. Lira joined the two so quickly. "I—I don't know. I didn't even know they existed until she released them."

"And why did she do that?"

"'Cos Ari came and rescued me. She... she offered her life for mine. Kena wanted her – that's why I got taken there in the first place. I don't think Ari was supposed to refuse Kena."