Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel by Kate Mary (books to read to get smarter txt) 📕

get sugar, I couldn’t imagine. That was something the government wouldn’t waste on the visitors. Even most humans had a hard time getting their hands on the stuff. I actually hadn’t had sugar in more than fifteen years—unless you counted whatever sugar was in Veilorian rum.

Lena studied her surroundings while munching on a roll stuffed with chicken, but I declined the food, not wanting to take what little these people were given. My sister seemed to have a never-ending list of questions, all of them she threw at Ione, making Rye chuckle and shake his head.

“I’m going to see if I can wrangle us a few drinks,” he said before pushing through the crowd.

With everyone else occupied, I turned my attention to the crowd, barely even acknowledging to myself who I was looking for. I’d been expecting Finn to pop up shortly after Rye, but so far there was no sign of him. It was strange because they always seemed to be together these days. Equally odd was that I’d never met him until after Rye and Ione got married. Almost like it had been on purpose.

When Rye returned holding four cups and Finn still hadn’t shown up, it was on my lips to ask where he was, but something made me hold back. Either it was my own confusion and frustration at wanting to know, or possibly even a little embarrassment at my curiosity. Not because Finn was Veilorian, but because he detested humans so much.

Rye paused to inspect the cups as if checking their contents before passing the first to Ione, then one to me.

When he focused on Lena, he gave her a very pointed look. “Just one cup, okay?”

It wasn’t until he’d handed her the cup that I realized he was giving my sixteen-year-old sister alcohol.

“You can’t drink that!” I exclaimed.

Lena rolled her eyes. “Do you really think this is the first time I’ve had Veilorian rum?”

My protests died on my lips. “You said you’ve never been into the District before.”

“I haven’t.” She shrugged as she took a sip. “Doesn’t mean you can’t get it outside if you know the right people and have enough money. You can get anything if you have money.”

That was news to me, although it shouldn’t have been. It made sense humans would want to smuggle the drink out, and it also made sense that my sister would have found herself in a position to try it. She was always gone, always off with her rich friends. Just because I’d never had a social life didn’t mean she didn’t.

“Just take it slow,” I said even though I apparently didn’t need to warn her.

We drank in silence for a moment, Lena swaying with the music as she studied her surroundings with a curious yet guarded expression on her face that seemed to contradict the festive atmosphere. My cousin and her husband danced, lost in each other’s company as usual, but I was still surveying the crowd. Still looking for Finn.

Before long, the rum began to work its magic, giving me the courage to finally voice the question that had been nagging at me since Rye appeared. “Where’s Finn tonight?”

“Who knows.” Ione shrugged, barely looking at me.

Her husband, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. “Helping his mom with something. He’ll be along soon, I’m sure.”

His penetrating gaze made a flush move up my cheeks and I looked away, focusing on the crowd as I waited for the guy with the captivating citrine eyes to appear.

Lena’s cup was empty in no time, but when a Veilorian woman holding a pitcher came by, I gave my sister a warning look, stopping her from asking for a refill. My own cup was only half empty, and I downed it quickly before holding it out for the woman to refill.

Once she had, she turned to Ione.

My cousin put her free hand over the top of her cup. “It’s only water.”

“Water?” I said before I could really process her words.

Ione gave me a shy smile. “Yeah.”

In that moment, everything clicked into place. The nagging feeling I’d had since she greeted us, the glow about her, the subtle but exaggerated curves, the way Rye wouldn’t stop smiling at her, and now the water.

“Ione?”

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, gnawing on it as she gave a small nod.

Holy shit.

My gaze moved to Lena, who was in the middle of asking Rye about his markings—red and black lines that swirled up his arms. My sister hadn’t been paying attention to my conversation with Ione, which meant she didn’t know. And I didn’t want her to. I couldn’t say why, I just knew that by-the-rules Lena might be okay standing beside a Veilorian, but she wouldn’t love the idea of our cousin having a baby with one.

I grabbed Ione’s arm and pulled her a small distance away.

When I felt like we were safely out of earshot I said, “Tell me.”

“I’m pregnant,” Ione murmured.

Her voice was low and full of uncertainty, but her smile was genuine. She was happy about this, I could tell, but I wasn’t sure how to react. Things were so crazy right now, and Veronica Waters was on the verge of being elected. Once that happened, everything would change, and I had no idea what that would mean for my cousin or her half-human baby.

“Say something,” Ione pleaded.

“Congratulations,” I mumbled.

There was nothing celebratory about my tone.

She let out a long sigh. “I knew you wouldn’t be happy.”

“I’m scared, Ione. You have to understand that.”

“I know, I do. And I am, too. Trust me. But we waited so long, and I just didn’t want to wait any longer.”

I rolled her words over in my head but couldn’t make sense of them. “What do you mean you waited?”

My cousin flushed and focused on the ground. “You know.”

“You mean sex?”

Again, I couldn’t wrap my brain around what she was saying. She and Rye had dated for six months before they eloped, and she’d stayed in the District with him several