catching his hand on the rail. He winced as flecks of chipped paint and rust dug into the skin of his palm.
"So get a fucking move on before I take you up on that offer of yours."
Ren's hand trembled on the rail. He thought maybe the ramp was shaking, and realized with a hint of embarrassment that the only things shaking were his legs. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned back towards the bottom of the ramp. Probably a better move to not push his luck right now, so he kept his mouth shut and started back down the ramp, his hand burning.
Kevin guided him past the squat building a short distance to the west. He called out to the man standing guard on the roof, a thick-set man with an even thicker beard. The guard tipped his ball cap, and watched as Kevin and Ren strode by. Ren could feel the itch of the man's eyes on his back, the hairs on his neck standing on end.
They walked on, Kevin leading them towards the massive bulk of the dome, sunlight glittering off the sharply angled surface.
What we lost? Except Kevin hadn't meant what , had he?
The question lingered, burning in Ren's mind until he had no choice but to blurt it out. He winced, wondering if it might set Kevin off again, but he had to know.
"You meant who you lost, didn't you?"
Kevin nodded and kept walking, his face a stony mask.
Ren sighed and rifled his fingers through his hair. He followed a step behind, the thought running through his head, like someone had asked him a question in a foreign language. Someone had died for him, had died for Em.
The idea that he would be worth anyone's sacrifice stunned him, let alone a complete stranger. He didn't feel worth it. But then it was too late to say no, wasn't it?
Kevin stopped and rubbed his nose.
"His name was Jackson. He was a good man. A good...soldier."
"Look, I'm...I'm sorry." Ren's gaze fell to the sand at his feet. "I didn't—"
"Barely a man," Kevin continued, cutting Ren off. He stared ahead at the dome, his jaw set. "Kid was only seventeen. Only so many of us left, and we lose a young kid, a Blessed, like that."
Kevin glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes had gone soft. "Was it worth it?" He sniffed and turned back towards the dome without waiting for an answer, his boots kicking up dirt.
Ren no longer had much doubt as to why Kevin had been so hard on him earlier. Not much blame, either.
The closer they got to the dome, the more massive it became. The sun shone over Ren's back, the angled sections of the dome gleaming under the midday sun like sparks, jumping and dancing across the broken surface. Even with its low profile, the structure dominated the compound, easily two- or three-hundred feet across, and several stories high at its peak. Railed pipe ran from an opening on the upper half of the dome, stretching away overhead until it ended at the guard building near Ren's temporary home.
Large dump trucks lined one side of the dome, rust and dirt overpowering the yellow paint. One had been tipped over on its side, the undercarriage pitted and torn apart.
"Not so sure I'm ready for this," Ren whispered, his nerves jumping as he peered up at the enormous face of the dome.
Kevin flashed the ghost of a smile.
"Little word to the wise, Ren. Ithuriel, he can read you, can read all of us, like an open book," Kevin said as they neared a large door inset at the base of the structure. "He'll find out what he needs to know, and it won't matter if you try and hide it or not. So don't."
Kevin grunted and swung the door open, his arms straining. He held the latch and motioned for Ren to head inside.
Ren bit down on the urge to take off, his fingers twitching into a fist. He blew out a low breath and strode towards the door before his courage failed him, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"Remember what I said," Kevin said, nodding as Ren ducked past him. "For your own good."
"I will." Ren cringed at the meek, halting sound of his voice. He told himself it wasn't his fault. How
"So get a fucking move on before I take you up on that offer of yours."
Ren's hand trembled on the rail. He thought maybe the ramp was shaking, and realized with a hint of embarrassment that the only things shaking were his legs. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned back towards the bottom of the ramp. Probably a better move to not push his luck right now, so he kept his mouth shut and started back down the ramp, his hand burning.
Kevin guided him past the squat building a short distance to the west. He called out to the man standing guard on the roof, a thick-set man with an even thicker beard. The guard tipped his ball cap, and watched as Kevin and Ren strode by. Ren could feel the itch of the man's eyes on his back, the hairs on his neck standing on end.
They walked on, Kevin leading them towards the massive bulk of the dome, sunlight glittering off the sharply angled surface.
What we lost? Except Kevin hadn't meant what , had he?
The question lingered, burning in Ren's mind until he had no choice but to blurt it out. He winced, wondering if it might set Kevin off again, but he had to know.
"You meant who you lost, didn't you?"
Kevin nodded and kept walking, his face a stony mask.
Ren sighed and rifled his fingers through his hair. He followed a step behind, the thought running through his head, like someone had asked him a question in a foreign language. Someone had died for him, had died for Em.
The idea that he would be worth anyone's sacrifice stunned him, let alone a complete stranger. He didn't feel worth it. But then it was too late to say no, wasn't it?
Kevin stopped and rubbed his nose.
"His name was Jackson. He was a good man. A good...soldier."
"Look, I'm...I'm sorry." Ren's gaze fell to the sand at his feet. "I didn't—"
"Barely a man," Kevin continued, cutting Ren off. He stared ahead at the dome, his jaw set. "Kid was only seventeen. Only so many of us left, and we lose a young kid, a Blessed, like that."
Kevin glanced back over his shoulder. His eyes had gone soft. "Was it worth it?" He sniffed and turned back towards the dome without waiting for an answer, his boots kicking up dirt.
Ren no longer had much doubt as to why Kevin had been so hard on him earlier. Not much blame, either.
The closer they got to the dome, the more massive it became. The sun shone over Ren's back, the angled sections of the dome gleaming under the midday sun like sparks, jumping and dancing across the broken surface. Even with its low profile, the structure dominated the compound, easily two- or three-hundred feet across, and several stories high at its peak. Railed pipe ran from an opening on the upper half of the dome, stretching away overhead until it ended at the guard building near Ren's temporary home.
Large dump trucks lined one side of the dome, rust and dirt overpowering the yellow paint. One had been tipped over on its side, the undercarriage pitted and torn apart.
"Not so sure I'm ready for this," Ren whispered, his nerves jumping as he peered up at the enormous face of the dome.
Kevin flashed the ghost of a smile.
"Little word to the wise, Ren. Ithuriel, he can read you, can read all of us, like an open book," Kevin said as they neared a large door inset at the base of the structure. "He'll find out what he needs to know, and it won't matter if you try and hide it or not. So don't."
Kevin grunted and swung the door open, his arms straining. He held the latch and motioned for Ren to head inside.
Ren bit down on the urge to take off, his fingers twitching into a fist. He blew out a low breath and strode towards the door before his courage failed him, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"Remember what I said," Kevin said, nodding as Ren ducked past him. "For your own good."
"I will." Ren cringed at the meek, halting sound of his voice. He told himself it wasn't his fault. How
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