Noah shook his head and took her hands, squeezing tenderly. She felt as if she might pass out. “If all things went according to plan, he is more alive than he’s ever been.”
Rae caught her tears with the arch of her nose, smiling and laughing as the emotional pain turned into sweet relief. “What tricks do you play?” she asked. “Do you not tell me nice things to get me to help your cause?”
Noah turned the music off, allowing for the sounds of violence from the outside world to pour in. “The world isn’t nice,” he said. “If you don’t help us, most of us will surely die, including you.”
“At least my children will survive,” she said.
“Well, your husbands won’t,” he said. “And the ones who raise your children will surely turn them into monsters.”
Rae felt her chest cave in. Facing the stairs, she looked up at the tall bookcases. The urge to climb and hide away in the stories within those books was strong, but as soon as she took another step forward, a woman appeared in a hooded cloak similar to the one Virgil had given her just days ago. In silence, the woman walked down the staircase and stopped before Rae.
“What is this? You brought people to force me to help your cause?” Rae asked.
“We don’t use force to get people to do things,” Noah said. “You will do what your heart thinks is right. My job is to help show you the truth. Plain and simple, another storm is coming, and you can choose to lead or choose to watch the world burn. In the end of days, it will be up to you.”
“The end of days,” Rae scoffed and allowed for a ridiculous smile. “I was told the end of days would leave with Cassian.”
The woman on the stairs removed her hood and knelt. Rae saw the vacant look in her eyes and nearly leapt back. “Some men strive to keep their families fed and hearts full. Other men seem to be willing to give up anything and everything to play the leading role of Devil. Cassian was just the beginning.”
“You’re a clone. How is that possible? My sister ordered the shutdown of every known facility. You were all killed,” Rae said.
“It’s hard to believe a lie when the truth is staring you in the face. So why do you insist on believing in yours? There are more of us than you know.”
“All of you live here freely?” Rae asked, grabbing her hands. She once thought of the clones as failures of science, stupid beings whose only destiny was to die. However, as she gazed into the eyes of her clone, she saw a learned woman, someone who was exactly the same as her.
“Most of us are here. Some work for the New Republic,” she said.
“They are the seeds,” Rae whispered.
“Severin foolishly allowed for holes in his plans, holes that we could crawl through and wait until more appeared. Virgil went to work faster than ever,” Noah said. “When the coup happens, they will be surrounded. No one will survive, except your sister.”
Soon, more women appeared above her, looking down from the banisters. There were hundreds. Rae felt unbalanced and braced to fall against the banister. The clone caught her.
“I know the news is hard, but—”
“Why would you want my sister alive? She is just as much of an accomplice to my suffering as Severin,” Rae said.
“Your sister was bought and sold into violence. Like so many others, she was used purely for Cassian’s gain, as he knew she would bring you to him, thus taking down any and all connections to Cassian. She cannot bear children either, and this allows him even more power. He wants to rid the government of everything new and good. She is not without blame, but we feel for her,” the clone answered.
“I know all of what my sister has been through,” Rae sneered. “And I know what she has done to me. She is as awful as they come.”
“Can you blame her for wanting to destroy everything in sight?” the clone asked. “You left us to die, and we are one and the same. What does that say about you? Shouldn’t we ask for your head?”
Rae knew she was right. And, again, she remembered the small patch of land with enough green to satisfy her for decades. She envisioned a world covered in the same vibrant green, a world that allowed for growth rather than expansionary destruction. Maybe what these people were asking for was a Utopia, but she’d rather fight for a better future than allow the world to fall into further ruin.
Rae fell into uncomfortable silence. Instead of arguing, she realized how important it was to stand with the ones without the same privileges as her. She stood before her likeness and hugged her, deeply inhaling her womanly scent. Even if their situation wasn’t entirely her fault, the guilt ran through her. Finally able to recognize the uncanny similarities, she decided to be their equal instead of Severin’s plaything.
“I’m sorry for abandoning you,” she said. “I’ll take you to the marble towers.”
“No,” her clone commanded. “I know exactly where to go. We’ll take the underground walkways.”
Noah took her by the arm. “Before we leave, I have to ask—are you ready for what’s next?”
Was she fucking ready? Rae le
t out a hearty laugh. “I was born ready.
Chapter Fourteen