Unfeeling

Thirty | Never Be Those Kids | pt. Two

Amberley

Clandestine was compete and utter chaos. Five hundred Altrus were rummaging around in anything able to hide a Sterling Valentino, coming to me with bits and pieces of information.

While they scattered, I pondered and calculated. All I remember about Sterling was that he was my only friend and I had liked one of his features so much I was obsessed with it. I just couldn't remember.

Sterling was spunky and rambunctious, a light in his families darkness. I had been heartbroken when he had left me all alone and to my surprise, even after all these years I was hurt he wanted to kill me.

But know I know how his life ended up without me and where his loyalties. I had to remember that we weren't those toddlers who threw mud at each other before balls and pulled each others hair. We were both adults and in the front lines of the same upcoming war. He was my enemy.

That didn't explain how he had gotten here. He wasn't an Altru when I had known him and if you weren't an Altru in Clandestine, they would know.

Then my memory comes back to Evan and how the note was found in his room. Why was it there? Had Sterling known we were close and planted it there to drive us apart?

But why would he do that? If he wanted to kill me, he would know better than to taunt me, he would just do it.

"Quite the search," a voice calls.

I frowned as my eyes fell upon Derrick Rose. "One you should be taking apart of."

He smiled and leaned against the wall besides me. "Whatever happens, I will follow you. I may have not have shown that very well but in a world of tyrants, I wanted you to prove that you were a queen worth saving."

"I don't need you're saving, or you're following."

Derrick sighs and pushes himself off the wall, striding away and stopping once to look at me over his shoulder.

"I have a feeling that after today, you're going to need every ally you can get."

With that he strode away. I sighed as a loud group of Altrus came excited rushing up to me.

"Amberley, you'll want to see this."

~

The group led me into a secluded hallway that the rest of the Altrus seemed to have deigned to ignore. They glanced at me before digging their fingers into stone and pulling out the rock, revealing a small compartment.

"What the hell is that?" I gasped, reaching forward. In my hands was a small device, barely the size of my palm. I turned it over and was not shocked to see the Iniquitous emblem printed on the back.

"We think that it can send messages to the Iniquitous. It was probably the way Sterling had sent reports and plans."

I nodded and flipped it back over. There was a small indentation that I hadn't noticed before. A switch.

"Maybe we should give them a report."

I pressed the button and was instantly was disappointed at the static that responded. I almost gave up but a grainy voice came on the device.

"Sterling, news?" A voice calls.

I grin and move on my feet. "Sterling is busy right now. May I ask who this is?"