The Skyseekers (The Echelon Book 3) by Ramona Finn

Author:Ramona Finn [Finn, Ramona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

Katja took the floor first, raising her hands for silence. I was surprised at how tired she looked, gray head to toe from the dust of the road. She must’ve just got here—she still had her mask on, perched atop her head.

“I’ll keep this brief,” she said. “Lazrad’s on a snake hunt, digging for spies. My network’s stretched thin, but what I can tell you is this: There’s unrest in the Dirt. So far, it’s isolated incidents—street fights, escape attempts. A mother on strike to protest her son’s draft. None of it’s come to much, but the people are pissed. They’re tired of losing their children, of losing their lives. They’re not at their breaking point, but from what I’ve heard, they’re close.”

“And then what, they’ll march? Scream for justice?” A tall man got up, all brows and cheekbones. His teeth were black and rotten, his skin coarse as leather. “I’ll tell you what they’ll do—a whole lot of nothing. Our boys defied orders, but at least they did something. They sent a real message, one Lazrad can’t ignore.”

“They sent the wrong message.” Jetha stood, fuming. “The Dirt needs to see hope in us. Not a new set of oppressors. If they’re to join our cause—”

“You give them too much credit.” The Plainsman spat between his boots. “If they had the guts to revolt, they’d have done it long ago. They’re sheep—no, they’re worse than sheep. They’re complicit. They know they’re for the slaughter, and they build the abattoirs.”

I bit my tongue till my eyes watered, and somehow held my peace. My moment would come, but this wasn’t it.

“They’d fight if they could,” said Jetha. “But Lazrad keeps them hungry, living meal to meal. That’s their priority, keeping food on the table. But if we show them another way—if we arm them, if we fight with them—” She gestured at me. “Look at Myla. She’s from the Dirt, and she’s a wolf. She’s ferocious.”

“Then she’ll see it our way. Bodies send a message where words go unheard.”

I bristled at his audacity, presuming to speak for me. Lock did the same, stiffening at my side. He gripped my hand hard, and I squeezed back, jaw clenched. Even Jetha looked angry, but her tone stayed calm and firm.

“Tell me, then, Marius, what was your message?” Her voice dropped an octave. “That we’ve forgotten our shared history? Forgotten who we are? We have cousins in the Dirt—the descendants of our forebears, who married into the Dome. And how many of us count exiles in our bloodlines? Are we to betray them? To tell them they don’t matter?”

“This is wartime. We can’t cling to old ties.”

“Can’t we?” Jetha stood straight-backed, proud and defiant. “Those old ties could save us, if the Dirt joined our cause. If—”

“If, if, if.” Marius snorted. “If wishes were horses—”

“He’s right,” came another voice. “The Dirt’s had their chance. We need to strike now, bring the fight home to Lazrad, no matter who’s in the way.”

Somebody whooped, and a great clamor rose, voices in discord, boots stomping the dirt.

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