AUNT PETRA WAS GONE. She had gone off to one of her friend’s homes and wouldn’t be back for several hours. This was almost a daily ritual. She would meet her circle of friends, and there she would gossip over drinks. Lithia dreaded her return, but the hours she was gone were the best.

Lithia hadn’t been back down to the church since that day with Vijay. She didn’t want anyone to see the bruise that had taken over her cheek which, by now, had begun to heal and look less swollen.

“A little makeup, and no one would notice.” she thought to herself.

The bruise reminded her of how she needed to get out. Not just down to the church and the Magdalene Gardens but out out; off Earth, out and away from her aunt and everything else on this used-up rock of a planet, but she knew this was a fantasy. She couldn’t leave, not without Bobby. He would never survive here by himself. Aunt Petra had already driven Bobby into a very dark place and the medication bracelet he wore was a constant reminder to the people around him that something was wrong. If Lithia left, just took off one day, it might actually kill him.

She remembered how several months ago, she had applied to become Bobby’s official guardian. The case agent had taken one look at the application and strongly suggested she withdraw it. Since then Lithia had heard nothing more about it and had resigned herself to the idea that she would stay with her aunt and uncle until he came of age and could leave with her. Until then, she would work in the church garden and try and divert as much of her aunt’s ire as she could.

As much as she hated her aunt, in a strange way she hated her uncle even more. He was a kind and very sweet man but weak to Petra’s wrath and seemed to deal with it by always being a little emotionally disconnected. The result of which meant doing whatever Aunt Petra wanted and when she wanted it. He let her rule the house like a queen, whatever she said was gospel. Uncle Amir had come into Lithia’s room the day Aunt Petra smacked her, trying to smooth things over.

“What is it about the church and the Under City you like so much? Why would you even want to be a part of that world?” he asked. He legitimately wanted to know. Uncle Amir had lived in the Upper Terraces his whole life and had never been down there, as far as Lithia knew. He couldn’t identify with the people’s struggles.

“It’s not so much the Under City, Uncle. It’s more my obligation to the church. They were entrusted by Mom and Dad to hold the ship until I was old enough to have it. I feel like I owe them.”

“You don’t owe them anything. I’m sure they’ve done this before for other families.”

“See, that’s my point. The people down there are different. They’re just different. They do stuff like that. They help people. Up here, the people are so… I don’t know. Selfish?”

“Sounds like you have friends down there and don’t want to give them up.”

Something in her uncle’s voice made her want to cry. He at least understood her point of view, “Yeah… And they’re good people.”

“Well, why not make new friends up here? I’m sure there are just as good of people around the Terraces.”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t getting it, “Bobby’s a pariah up here, and I’m some enigmatic witch for all anyone cares.” It was a gross over exaggeration. Lithia did have a few friends, and Bobby chose not to have any. He stayed reclusive. But she said it hoping it would bridge the emotional chasm between her and Uncle Amir.

“Well, I’ll talk to your aunt. Maybe we can come to some agreement,” he said smiling and left the room. This was the reason she had built up so much resentment toward him. He said all the things she wanted to hear, then rarely would anything ever come from it. He always changed to agree with Aunt Petra.

Lithia had just finished watering the plants on the window seal in the kitchen when her earring began to vibrate with an incoming call so she snapped it in her ear.

The image of High Priestess Tarja was projected into her field of view as if she had been standing right there in the kitchen with her, “Good morning, Lithia,” she said, “I haven’t seen you around in the garden in a while. I was hoping everything’s all right.”

Lithia couldn’t tell her the truth, she’d have to think up a lie. She hated to do this and felt no better than her aunt. She loved Tarja but couldn’t suffer the embarrassment of the truth, “My aunt and uncle have had some friends from off world staying with us. I’ve been entertaining them. Is everything okay with the garden?”

“Yes, of course. It’s fine—Your friend has really taken too it, the other gardeners have sort of adopted him, in fact.” Tarja smiled.

Lithia felt a twinge of pain at the mention of Vijay, she was happy Vejay was doing ok, but hearing that he was still there and doing well seemed to cement for her that things really would never be the same again.

“Lithia, i’ve got a problem that I think you’d be able to solve.”

“Oh?”

“I need you to come down to the church as soon as possible. I wish I could tell you more, but it’s not something I feel comfortable talking about over the Helix. But I’m sure you’ll know what to do.”

This intrigued Lithia, what problem could she possibly solve?

“I’ll explain more as soon as you arrive,” concluded Tarja, ending the call. Lithia felt a rush of excitement wash over her. She was pretty sure she could get down to the church and back before her aunt got home. Or at least that was the plan as she slipped on her under city gear and headed out the door.

…

This early in the morning, no sunlight reached down to the Under City. The amber overhead lights were the only security she had as she made her way to California and Taylor Street. There was no beam of sunlight over the church when she arrived. One of the Ghiberti cathedral doors on the front of the church, at the top of the long staircase, was cracked open slightly. She looked up the doors that depicted a reproduction of a reproduction of The Gates of Paradise. A two-by-five grid pattern with reliefs illustrating stories from the Old Testament, a doctrine written almost three thousand years ago and now nearly forgotten by most people beyond the stories depicted here. She pushed on the panel depicting Moses leading his people to the Promised Land. The huge heavy door slowly yawned open, letting out a metalic and wooden groan that echoed through the entryway of the church.

This place was covered in biblical metaphor, and in a very real way, this place was Lithia’s Paradise. The stained-glass windows were dim and the only interior light was coming from a series of candles and chandeliers lit sparsely through the main church. She used the candlelight from a small standing chandelier as beacons as she made her way across the labyrinth pattern on the floor of the entryway and around the side of the church. There was nobody else here and the emptiness was somehow foreboding. Lithia had never been here this early and had no idea if services and classes were canceled or if it was always so ominous this time of day.

A woman in a robe stood at a door in one of the sanctuaries, “Morning, Priestess. I’m here to see Tarja.” Lithia said.

The woman silently ushered her through a door and down a hallway. Like the ones down to the garden, it was made of stone and lit from overhead. There was something much less welcoming about these halls. The air grew colder and colder as they descended down the old flight of stairs. A soft blue light lit the room at the bottom, and an unmistakable electrical humming noise filled the room. Lithia wondered if this could be the way down to the server rooms. Nobody but the utmost important people within the church ever came down here. This was the archive of all of the Magdalenes’ precious data. Why she was being led down here was anyone’s guess.

The priestess directed Lithia to a main room as they parted ways. There was a dry, electrical quality to the air. Lithia could see her breath with every exhale. The final door looked just as heavy as the Ghiberti at the entrance of the church. These doors were made of a thick wood lined with iron. There was a palm reader where the old handle used to be. She didn’t know what to do but place her hand on it. It scanned her, blinking green before the door unlocked and slowly fell open under its own weight. She had to push on the door to get through. It was even heavier than it appeared. Inside, she saw High Priestess Tarja standing in front of a main server bank. It was incredible. Its holographic projection screen was enormous. Cables ran into the room between bricks and small openings in the ceiling. These must be the same cables that plugged into the cross, the antenna, in the main cathedral. Tarja stood talking to a man in a battered trench coat. The guy looked like he had seen better days. His hair was messy, and there was an exhausted, smoky quality to his demeanor.

“And if she doesn’t go for it?” he said to Tarja, clearly unaware of Lithia’s presence.

“Then I don’t know… But we’ll find a way. We have to find a way to get this out to the ’verse,” Tarja replied.

“Someone’s here,” the man noted as both he and Tarja turned around. The high priestess’s face held the weight of concern for a moment before snapping back to the same warming smile she usually wore. “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Lithia.” She gestured to the man standing next to her. He was as ominous as the dark haze in the cathedral, showing no expression of any kind. The vibe he gave off was ice cold and mechanical, like an engine.

“I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Cade, Cadence Path.”

The man reached his hand out to greet Lithia. Lithia could feel something wrong with his grasp. His hand was cold, ice cold, and the way it moved was too precise. There was something about his eyes that made her uncomfortable. She couldn’t put her finger on it. Maybe it was how sharp his irises seemed or the way in which they moved back and forth. They looked like they were scanning her. “You must be Lithia Boson,” he said.

“That’s me,” she answered without hesitation. She was careful to not show fear although it was hard, standing in front of such a large, intimidating man.

“Cade is a very old friend of mine,” Tarja said. “He is in a very tight bind, and I think you could help him get out of it.”

If Tarja trusted this man, maybe she should. It wasn’t easy though, something about him made lithia instinctively cringe away from him.

“Anything, High Priestess.”

“Lithia please, call me by my first name. You are my finest student, but after all these years, you are also a friend, and what I am about to ask you I am asking as a friend not as High Priestess Tarja.”

Lithia felt honored. The subtle fear she held on the edges of her mind washed away with Tarja’s words.

“I’m going to cut to the chase. Cade needs to get to the Frontier quietly. He can’t use the Space Liners, and we no longer have any vessels of our own to lend. He’s willing to compensate you for safe passage through the Epsilon Gate.”

The request shocked Lithia. She had no idea what to say. She thought about it for a second. “I don’t know… I don’t know if my ship could even make it that far, and my aunt would never let me go.”

“I know you’re worried, Lithia, so if you say no, I’ll understand.”

Lithia didn’t want to let Tarja down. She had been like a second mother to her. “It would take us the better part of a month. I don’t know if I could leave my brother for that long.” Lithia hadn’t meant to say that last thing, Tarja knew something about Bobby’s situation, but not all. Besides that Lithia really didn’t feel comfortable having this strange man know anything about her and her family.

“I understand. Most Venusians by your age have already journeyed away from the system as part of their cross into adulthood.”

“You’re right, but my aunt doesn’t exactly let me act like a Venusian.”

“Yes I know… I’m sorry to hear that. Your people have some incredible traditions and it’s a shame she’s keeping you from taking part in them.”

There was a long disappointing silence. “Cade, we’ll have to find another way.”

“I’m sorry, Tarja, I’m so sorry,” Lithia relented.

“Your brother’s name is Bobby ,isn’t it?” This was the first time Cade spoke aside from his dubious introduction. His voice was raspy and arid.

“Yeah… Yeah, I do. How did you know?”

“You filed for custody of him not too long ago.”

“Yeah… Tarja, who is this guy?” Lithia asked, the mistrust that lithia had been trying to combat for Tarja’s sake coming back strong. she inquired.

“Like I said, he’s an old friend of mine. He has connections, literally, into all sorts of stuff. He still manages to bewilder me from time to time.” Tarja smiled.

She knew he was something more than a man the moment she met him. No one was saying it, but Lithia was pretty convinced he had something to do with Lambda. The rumors were everyone involved in their organization had been enhanced. Cade must be what it looks like.

“Lithia, what if I told you I could help you get custody of your brother and pay you enough so you two could fly away from this rock and never look back. You could start over wherever you want.”

She didn’t know how to respond. He was making her the offer of her lifetime.

“You could really do that?”

“Ms. Boson—Lithia. If you deliver me to the Frontier, it’s as good as done.”

“When would we need to leave?”

“Soon. Very soon.”

“Within the next day. We need to keep this quiet, and we need to get him away from Terra Luna fast,” Tarja interjected.

“You’re not wanted, are you?” Lithia inquired.

Cade avoided the question. “Go home. Pack your things. I promise you I’m not a bad shipmate.”

“So you’re wanted then…”

Tarja and Cade stood silent. It was all the confirmation Lithia needed.

“Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you by the day’s end.”

Lithia left, backtracking up through the dungeon and cathedral. She understood the situation was dire, and even though she didn’t trust this strange guy, she trusted Tarja. For an opportunity like this, she was compelled to see it through. It was like an angel had answered her prayers, but she couldn’t help but feel she was making a deal with the devil.

...

Tarja watched Lithia leave, and once she could no longer hear the girls footsteps on the stone she turned back to the server banks, “I wish I could have told her what she’s getting into.” Tarja said

Cade paused for a moment clearly considering his next words carefully. In the end all he said was, “I wish I could tell you what she’s getting into.

Next Chapter: Chapter 28: