Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

31: Truth

"Are you alright?"

He asks with a deep, tired voice.

"Yeah," I whisper, but my voice cracks and a tear escapes.

He immediately sits up a little more and runs a hand through his crazied up hair. His hazel eyes meet my own and he wipes away the salty little thing.

"Why are you crying? Tell me what's wrong,"

James asks with such concern.

I scoot away about 6 inches from him, and nod so I can face him.

"I had a dream about my family."

He gestures for me to go on.

"I was back at a Nation safe house," I hesitate before continuing,"where we moved after the plague began. When we first went there, I was about 14. 16. Almost 17 when I... Left."

I grit my teeth as the memories flowed back.

"My Mom, Claire, was so beautiful. There was not one thing wrong with her. She was loyal, loving, brave, charismatic... Amazing."

"Well, I can see the resemblance," James remarks with a small smile.

"My father, Thomas, had blonde hair and brown eyes. He wasn't around as much as Mom. He was always working. When I'd catch him during a long break, he was very intelligent and clever. Having conversations with him was like having a mix of a calculator, a dictionary, and a warm fuzzy teddy bear," I say, laughing a little bit as my eyes water a little bit at the memories of him.

"So- back to the dream... It was right before something terrible happened. My mother had just taken blood for the mandatory Immunity Test."

As I said "immunity test" James winces, and I nod to him. We both know what they are really for.

"She took my blood and went to go take my father's and her own. I went to the Cleansing room after hearing a brief conversation between them... And I got all ready for the day. Mom had hinted that there was going to be something special that day.

Just before I went out, I heard shouting. Lots of it. It sounded like grown men, and I heard their all-terrain air lock boots thumping on the floor as they marched in," I began counting my breaths," they said there was a "breach"... A break in the barrier, and they apologized for the "inconvenience".

I'm guessing it was my mom that they grabbed, which was a mistake. My father was not about to allow them to-to-" I choke as the tears came back.

James pulls me back to him and I finally get my sobbing under enough control to continue.

"Touch his pregnant wife. One of the men shot him. Straight through the chest. My Mom, ever loyal, tried to run to him and escape to man who was holding her back. Her elbow ended up smacking him up against the wall... and-and...
I think the soldier got mad... Because there was yet another blaster shot."

James' eyes closed and his nose was wrinkled with anger and disgust.

"After that, they left. I don't know why... When I finally got out there, I saw them splayed across the floor with their hands entangled; a little card in my Dad's hand that read: 'BIG SISTER!'.

I ran over to them, my Mother's chest was still heaving. I bent down and cradled her head against me... I still remember her watered eyes and the way she tried to smile at me and make the best of a horrible situation. The last words she said to me were 'I love you, know that when the truth comes out.'"

"I sat there for days, holding her, starving, hoping to become sick and plague ridden so that I could just be done, but it never happened.

And just when I thought I was all alone, broken, and giving up, here comes Lukas. I'm babbling like a crazy person about my mom and dad and friends...

Meanwhile he's hovering beside me, speaking in foreign languages, yelling, annoying me. And I guess he's the reason I finally left. He allowed me to live," I finish.

James sighs at the same time I do, and I met his eyes again. He pulls me back to him yet again in a long embrace before he releases me.

"Just one question," he says," If your parents were Susceptible... Why haven't you gotten the plague yet? Two Susceptibles make another Susceptible... But you aren't, Alexi..."

~~~~~~~~~~

There's your bonus chapter!!!!! Over 1200 words everyone :) I hope you enjoy the confusing cliffhanger.
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