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

though I couldn’t see how it was affecting the people inside, I heard all about it from my nightly conversations with Ione.

“It’s just awful, Ava,” my cousin was telling me four days after the bill passed.

“Are you okay?” I asked, holding the phone tighter against my ear and closing my eyes, wishing I could be there now to hug her.

I hadn’t been back into the District since the Landing Day disaster, and not being able to see Ione was driving me crazy. Especially when I knew so many new restrictions had been imposed on the people living inside the walls.

“I’m doing okay, but there isn’t enough to go around, not by a long shot. I don’t know what we’re going to do if something doesn’t change. I mean, you’ve been here, you’ve seen how it is. We grow what we can, but with how limited space is, there’s only so much we can do.”

“How is Rye’s family holding up?” It was an innocent question, but I couldn’t help thinking about Finn and wondering if this was fueling his bitterness toward humans or if he’d managed to cling to some of the softness I’d seen the last couple times we were together.

“They’re doing what they can to ration the things we’re given in case it gets worse,” Ione said, “but I can tell it’s wearing on them. Especially Finn’s mom and Rye’s dad.”

“What do they have to do with it?”

“They’re both on the council. You might have seen them on the news when the mayor visited.”

I hadn’t paid attention to any of the men, but right away my mind wandered to the tall Veilorian woman with snowy-blonde hair. Was that why she’d looked familiar? Had she reminded me of Finn? I compared the two in my mind but couldn’t find any real similarities.

“Was she the blonde woman?” I asked.

“No, that’s Anara, the council leader. Finn’s mom was the other woman,” Ione told me.

I thought back, trying to remember what the other woman had looked like, but drew a blank. At the time, I’d been too focused on my mom’s reaction to the Veilorian leader to pay attention to the people with her.

“I didn’t know she was on the council,” I said almost absently, once again wondering why my mom had reacted the way she did.

“She is, and she and the others have been doing everything they can to cooperate with Mayor Waters in hopes of proving they aren’t a threat, but this woman is unbendable.”

“I’m sure,” I muttered as disgust welled up inside me. It happened every time I thought about the new mayor and what she was doing to everyone inside the District. “What about you? Are you getting enough to eat?”

My concern over Ione’s condition had grown with each passing day, as had my determination to get food into the district if I even suspected she wasn’t getting enough. How I’d do it, I wasn’t sure—maybe Dean would take pity on me and help—but even if it meant I was hanged for it, I wouldn’t let my cousin starve.

“I’m good. Getting big already, but good.”

I rolled my eyes. She’d only been married for a little over a month, so I seriously doubted she was any bigger, but Ione had always been dramatic.

“Rye and everyone else in his family is determined to keep me nice and plump,” my cousin continued. “He’s always putting some of his food on my plate, and no matter how much I argue, he refuses to stop doing it.”

My appreciation for my cousin’s Veilorian husband doubled every time I talked to Ione. Rye was a rare type of person, kind and loving, and I knew he would do whatever he could to make sure she stayed healthy. I just hoped it wouldn’t come to anything drastic.

“They cut the electricity,” Ione said suddenly.

I sat up straighter. “How often does it happen now?”

The District going black was common since they’d always had to ration power, but now that Veronica Waters was mayor, they were given less than half the amount of electricity as before.

“We usually only get three hours of power a day now.” Ione exhaled. “I’m scared, Ava. I really think she’s going to try to starve us.”

“I won’t let that happen,” I said fiercely.

“You can’t do anything stupid, understand?” Ione’s tone was pleading. “You can’t even risk coming here right now. You’d be considered a traitor, and who knows what Mayor Waters would do to you.”

“It’s not illegal to go into the District,” I said. “Not yet, anyway.”

There was a noise in the background, and something rustled against the phone. I could hear Ione talking to someone, but it was low, and I couldn’t catch the words.

She was back a second later, saying, “I have to go, Ava. Rye and Finn just got here. Something’s going on.”

“What is it?” I asked even as my heart leapt at the thought of Finn being there, so close yet so far away. I knew it was stupid, but the attraction that had blossomed between us was uncontrollable now. It was like it had a mind of its own.

“I don’t know,” Ione said. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, though. Okay?”

“Okay,” I replied, and before she could end the call added, “Be careful, Ione. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said.

I moved to hang up, but at the last minute said, “Tell Rye and Finn I said hi.”

“I wi—”

The line went silent.

I held the phone in my hand for a moment, staring at it. The way it had ended so suddenly didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t like she’d hung up; it was more like the line had been cut. No. Like communication had been cut…

I tossed my phone on the bed and hurried from the room, not the least bit surprised to hear the news. Mom had never been a very active person, but now more than ever her favorite pastime was sitting on her ass in front of the viewing screen so she could soak up every detail