Read Online Maia and the Xifarian Conspiracy (The Lightbound Saga Book 1) by S. G. Basu - Free Book Online

protection device,” the man said, pointing at Bellator. “All supplies provided by the Xifarian Defense Academy.” He paused, dispassionately scanning the puzzled faces in front of him.
    “Continue,” he commanded, pointing an impatient finger at the Holding Pod.
    This is it. Maia took a slow breath, struggling to steady herself. Within moments she would be taken away from everything she knew and flung into a world she despised. One link still remained—the befuddled Herc, the friend who believed in her dreams more than she did herself. There was no cutting it short this time around, no pretending to be strong when she was tearing up inside. Maia threw her arms around Herc and clung to him for as long as she could. Then she bade the bleary-eyed man good-bye, walked cautiously up the stairs, and stepped into a brightly lit circular enclosure with white metallic walls.
     

 
    10: The Pod, the Tokii, and the Jjord
     
    Maia’s eyes lingered wistfully on the shrinking view of the lush green fields outside as the door closed. She stood staring at the gates even after they were shut, unable to turn away just yet. The soft sound of murmurs made her forget the anguish rushing through her heart, and she looked around with a little nervousness and a lot of curiosity.
    She was inside a spherical room with opaque white walls. The perimeter of the floor was paved in a grayish material to form a wide walkway around the shimmery white center. The room was bare—there were no seats—and not much else stood out except for the three rows of stout silver rails that ran along its belly.
    A tall girl and a boy with curly red hair stood directly across from the door. They had been busy chatting, and as Maia’s eyes fell on them, they stopped and flashed a quick, hurried smile at the new entrant. To their right, a dark-haired girl sat on the floor with her back to the wall. She looked Maia squarely in the eye before glancing away with telling disinterest. There was a flash of red and brown to Maia’s right followed by an enthusiastic shout.
    “Maia, there you are. I was worried about you.”
    “Kusha,” Maia exclaimed, grinning at the boy from the Solianese Circus. Memories of their previous disagreement lay forgotten for the moment; all Maia felt was immense relief at the familiarity of his face and the warmth of his voice. “You’re coming, too?”
    “Yes, I got through,” Kusha said, grinning from ear to ear. Then his eyes dimmed and he shuffled on his feet uncomfortably. “They came by that evening asking about you. I was not sure if I wanted to tell them where you lived. But the principal said that he intended to offer you an entry, and I thought maybe you would like that.”
    “So, it was you who told them. I wondered how they found my home,” Maia said. Her tone must have been more scathing than teasing because Kusha’s face darkened.
    “I’m so sorry, Maia. I didn’t want to tell them anything, but they said they would find you anyway, that it was just a matter of time. And if they couldn’t find you within two days, they would consider sending you to the mining camps instead. So, I told them about Appian.”
    “It’s all right, Kusha,” Maia replied, trying to get a grip on her emotions. In all earnestness, what happened that day was no one else’s responsibility but hers. She did not want to blame Kusha for her own slip-up. “It was my fault anyway. I should’ve never flown that day, should’ve known that it was too risky.”
    A brief crackle came from somewhere near the roof of the craft, causing them to promptly abandon their conversation. A hollow mechanical voice filled the air, “Hold on to railings at all times. Do not approach doorway unless instructed.” There was a vague sense of movement before everything was stable again.
    “I think we just left ground,” Kusha observed. “But really, Maia, I’m sorry about the other day.”
    “Don’t worry, Kusha. Isn’t it funny that they don’t