The Lonely Orphan (The Lost Planet 5)

“They wanted to kidnap us,” Zoe shouts when Stella is out of hearing distance. “That’s what you call safe?”

“They can’t kidnap us from behind bars,” I say calmly. “They aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’ve never seen tech like theirs before,” Willow says, finally taking a seat, though her leg still bounces up and down. “Its origin is unlike anything from Earth II.”

“That would make sense, considering they’re aliens.”

We both ignore Zoe. “What if they have a way to communicate with their people? We could confirm their story. Talk with your mother, my sister.”

Willow’s eyes light up and Zoe exclaims, “Are you insane? That could be a trap. They could have been watching us for months, bugged the place.”

“Heavens to Betsy, Zoe. You’re the most paranoid person I’ve ever met.” Willow shakes her head.

Zoe lifts a shoulder. “Not paranoid, prepared. I’d rather not have an ambush situation on our hands. We barely survived overtaking the guards. What if there are more of them headed right for us?”

I take a deep breath. “Willow, can you do a scan of the perimeter for unknown vessels? Make sure there isn’t an alien armada out there headed this way.”

Willow nods and spins around in her chair, clicking away at the monitors.

“What are you going to do?” Zoe asks.

“I’m going to have a chat with our monsters, see what they really want. If they can contact my sister, then I’ll be able to ask her questions only she knows the answer to.”

“They could be lying. You can’t trust them.”

“That’s possible,” I admit. “But we won’t know until we find out more about them and where they came from.”

“They could be telling the truth,” Willow says quietly, still working on the scan.

That’s what I’m afraid of, I think, but don’t say out loud.

* * *

Fear turns to anger as I stride to the cells where I’m keeping the monsters. I let it fuel my steps and clarify my thoughts. I need to find out exactly what they know, where they’re from, and what their purpose is with the prison and its inhabitants. Willow and Zoe offered to come with me, but I turned them away.

I want to do this alone.

A-Block, where we’re keeping them, was for the worst of the worst—before we overthrew the prison. The cells are small, only enough for a bed and toilet, and they’re bare of any softening touches or personal effects. Confinement, the guards had called it. I’d never been sent there, but I’d heard stories from women who had. Deprived of interaction or exercise, all the prisoners could do was pace around the small cell and “think about their transgressions.” The only food they received was a ration of bread and moldy dehydrated cheese with water. I wished the crappy food and isolation was the worst part about confinement, but I’d heard stories about atrocities committed against the prisoners here.

I flick the lights on and begin toward Hadrian’s cell. I’ve been awake for more than twenty-four hours at this point, but I know I won’t be able to sleep until I have answers.

“Hello?” comes a voice I already recognize as his. “Is that you, Lyric?”

The A-Block cells are kept in the farthest reaches of the prison, deep within the mountain. Moisture from the ocean above slicks the walls and pools on the floor, leaving the constant sound of dripping water all around like we’re in a cave rather than a manmade dwelling.

I approach his cell carefully, willing myself to maintain my composure. He’s reclined on the bed, his hands behind his head and one leg drawn up at an angle, seemingly relaxed.

“I knew you’d come back,” he says with his eyes still closed.

“What do you know about my sister?” I demand.

“I know everything about your sister.” There’s an inflection in his voice I don’t quite understand, and it makes me bristle.

“What do you know?” I repeat. “Why did she send you here?”

“To bring you back to her,” he answers, and I frown. There’s more to the story, but I can’t discern what I’m missing. Why would he travel so far, risk so much to bring me to her? It doesn’t make sense.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth? You came here to kidnap us. Don’t you realize how fucked up that sounds?”

“Do you think I care if you believe it’s the truth or not? We’re here to take you to Aria and Willow to her mother. That’s all that matters. You’ll be coming with us whether you want to or not.”

“That’s where I think you’re wrong.” Shaking my head, I open the door to his cell and close it behind me. “You’re going to tell me what I want to know whether you want to or not.”

“What makes you think that?” He finally cracks open his eyes and sits up.

I hold up the device in my hands. “You won’t have a choice.”