Spark: A Sky Chasers Novel (38 page)

When the bulkhead doors closed under them, Waverly went to the upper intercom switch and hailed Sarek. “We’ll meet you in the shuttle bay, Sarek, okay?”

There was no response.

“Sarek?” Waverly said.

When no answer came she turned to look at Seth. “He must be on his way.”

“I wish we could go to the habitation levels and get some stuff,” Seth said wistfully. There was a picture of his mother he wished he could have.

“I know,” Waverly said, the anger gone from her voice. The two looked at each other.

“Waverly,” he started.

She held up a hand. “Don’t.”

“I just … I’m sorry.”

“I said don’t,” she snapped, but she looked at him with remorseful eyes. “I should have listened to you.”

“That guy. He was a kid killer. He deserved it.”

“Maybe,” she said, but her eyes were still troubled. Because she knew, like he did, that’s not really the point, whether they deserve it or not. “I told myself I was doing it for information, but that’s not really why.”

“Why then?” he asked.

Her lips quivered, and she dropped her head, letting it hang on her spine like dead weight. Her voice was brittle. “Because it felt good at the time.”

He put a hand on her shoulder, a small gesture that wasn’t enough. But he couldn’t think what to say.

She said nothing, nor did she look at him, but he felt her soften under his hand as the hardest part of her gave way a little.

When they got to the shuttle bay, it was quiet. Two shuttles were gone, but there was one lined up at the air-lock doors, ready to go. That little spitfire Sarah Hodges stood at the base of the ramp, her arms folded over her chest, tapping her toe angrily. Waverly started toward it, and Seth followed, for the first time able to think about what came next.

“So I guess we’re all going to the New Horizon, then,” he said.

Waverly shrugged. “I’d almost rather kill myself, but I think this ship is finished.”

“Yeah,” Seth said. “But I guess from now on that lunatic Mather woman will be calling all the shots.”

“She’ll probably throw me in the brig.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Maybe I’ll see my mom there. Or Amanda.”

“Amanda?”

“She’s one of the people who helped me escape.”

“You think that’s what will happen, then? You and anyone dangerous will go in the brig, and everyone else will have to—”

“Act like good little puritans,” she said angrily. “You’ll last about five minutes.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you in the brig,” he said, but he slowed down. They were almost to the shuttle, but he was starting to get an idea. Waverly broke into a staggering jog, and he sped up to keep pace with her as she crossed the huge shuttle bay.

“I thought you weren’t going to wait,” Waverly said to Sarah, who shook her head furiously.

“I almost left about a dozen times,” Sarah said disapprovingly. To Seth she said, “I hope you’re happy. I almost died so she could come get you. Not that you deserve it.”

“It’s nice to see you alive, too,” Seth said.

Waverly started up the shuttle ramp, but Seth grabbed her by the elbow.

“What?” she said angrily.

“I’ve got something to say to you,” he said through his teeth.

“Say it on board, then!” Waverly tried to pull away from him, but he laid his hands on her shoulders. She felt solid, but small, and when he pulled her closer, she stumbled into him.

“Now is not the time!” she started.

“I’ve got something to say to you, and you’re going to listen.”

“What!” she shouted, looking at Sarah, at the staircase leading to the passenger area of the shuttle—everywhere but at him. “Seth, we have to go!”

“I don’t care anymore that I’m not good enough for you,” he said.

That got her attention, and her eyes finally landed on his. “What are you talking about?”

“I said”—he pulled her closer, until his breath rustled the fringe of hairs at her brow line—“I don’t care that I’m not good enough for you.”

She stared at him, openmouthed, speechless for once. So he kissed her.

It didn’t start out the way he’d imagined it. It wasn’t tender or loving or gentle. It was angry and needy and desperate. At first she stiffened, but then she gave in little by little, until she was leaning entirely into him, letting him breathe her in.

“For God’s sake,” Sarah said. “Let’s
go
!”

Waverly broke away from him, looking mussed and bewildered. Beautiful. She took two backward steps, and he backed away, too.

“I’m not coming,” Seth said as he stepped off the shuttle ramp.

“What?!” Waverly screamed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m not coming, Waverly,” he said.

“Suit yourself,” Sarah said, and pressed the button to close the ramp.

Waverly dropped to her knees as the ramp began to rise. “What the hell are you
doing
?”

“I don’t know yet,” Seth said. “You’re better off not knowing anyway.”

“This is crazy!” she screamed, and lunged toward the controls for the ramp, but Sarah wrapped her wiry arms around her and pulled her back from it. “Seth! What the hell is this?!”

“I’ll see you soon,” Seth called.

She dropped onto the floor of the ramp, which left only enough room for him to see her face, florid with rage. “You get yourself killed, Seth Ardvale, and I’ll never forgive you! You arrogant son of a
bitch
!”

If there was anything else to say to her, now was the time as the shuttle ramp edged closed between them. But he couldn’t make the words. So he held up a hand, and tried to smile at her. Her mouth dropped open, and she just looked at him, her eyes brimming, brow wrinkled with anger and hurt.

The ramp closed and the engines sputtered to life, lifting the shuttle off the floor and into the air lock. The doors sealed behind it with a ringing finality, and Waverly was gone.

Arrogant,
she’d said. He liked the sound of that.

Seth turned and, with one last look at his home—the empty OneMen hanging on the walls, the shuttles perched like prehistoric birds on the floor, the flickering lights overhead, and all that quiet—he headed for the nearest OneMan.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sincerest thanks to Victoria Hanley and Michael Ryan, who gave valuable feedback on the manuscript. Thanks to Kathleen Anderson for being such a terrific agent. Thanks to Jennifer Weis, Mollie Traver, Rachel Ekstrom, Sarah Goldstein, and the entire team of wizards at St. Martin’s Press.

Also by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow

Zen and Xander Undone

Vibes

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Kathleen Ryan earned an MA in English literature at the University of Vermont, and an MFA in creative writing from the New School Creative Writing for Children Program in New York City. She is also the author of two widely acclaimed young adult novels,
Zen and Xander Undone
and
Vibes
. Visit Amy online at
www.amykathleenryan.com
.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

SPARK.
Copyright © 2012 by Amy Kathleen Ryan. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover design by Michael Storrings

Cover photographs: running man © Ojo Images/Alamy; running girl © Alejandro Rivera/Getty Images; all other images © Shutterstock

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Ryan, Amy Kathleen.

   Spark : a Sky chasers novel / Amy Kathleen Ryan. — 1st ed.

         p. cm. — (Sky chasers ; no. 2)

   ISBN 978-0-312-62135-3 (hardback)

   ISBN 9781250014160 (e-book)

[1.  Science fiction.]   I.  Title.

   PZ7.R9476Sp 2012

   [Fic]—dc23

2012004631

First Edition: July 2012

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment in
The Sky Chasers!

Available Summer 2013