by Rebecca Rode
“Apparently your leader has other ideas.” His mouth twisted in anger. “Many of the parents are calling for an immediate ship back to Arcadia. Others are refusing to enlist if it means being separated from their loved ones. But the uproar has only brought more guards and more weapons upon us. They’re rounding up the children as we speak.”
Ember needed a strong drink, and soon. The new recruits would be livid at the Daughter’s blatant disregard for Ember’s agreement. The Daughter had essentially undermined her authority completely.
“I will have a word with the Daughter, then,” Ember said before realizing what time it was. The woman would be going to bed about now, and she had no idea where Amai lived. Why were they doing this so late at night?
She knew why—for the same reason they hadn’t notified Ember. The most nefarious of deeds were often covered by darkness. They’d explain to everyone what had occurred in the morning, when the ship was safely gone.
Ember’s gaping hole of grief began to fill with a very different emotion—red-hot rage. The Daughter had betrayed her and these people. She was no better than the Empire, and Ember couldn’t believe she’d ever thought otherwise. Maybe Ruben was right about Ember not belonging here.
“Did they say where she’s sending them?” she asked, struggling to control her voice.
“A moon somewhere, supposedly to work the land under close supervision. They won’t even tell us what it’s called.” He rose from his chair. “I apologize for disturbing you, particularly . . .” He broke off, obviously struggling to find words to describe her appearance. “I didn’t know where else to turn.”
She leaped to her feet as well. “You will show me where the transport is docked. I will take care of this.”
A victorious smile crossed his face. “Gladly.”
Twenty minutes later, Ruben and Ember pulled up in his “borrowed” water transport to find chaos. The platform was filled with wailing children, toddlers, and desperate caregivers. Stunned bodies lay strewn across the platform, and guards dragged away weeping parents, men and women alike.
Ember leaped onto the platform before they’d even docked. She focused her energy on a guard aiming his stunner at a crying woman. “Stop! Who ordered you to do this?”
“I did,” General Pyne said, stepping out of the ship. “I had a feeling you would sweep in here with humanity on your shoulders, flare.”
“Ruben!” a woman shouted, looking past Ember. She shoved away from a guard who was escorting her from the ship. “Lady Flare. They just ripped my Samuel away. He’s too young to be without me! You need to tell them.”
Ruben stopped to comfort her as Ember stalked over to Pyne. He leaned heavily on a cane, and his face looked pale, but that could have been the dim light of the ship.
“I promised these people they could stay together,” she snapped.
“And the Daughter has promised to protect them. When our promises contradict one another, the Daughter’s word carries more weight. It’s far too dangerous here. And as I explained to you on the ship, we have very limited resources. I assure you they’ll be much safer and better cared for where they’re going.”
“This is slavery,” Ember shot back. “This owning and dividing and ordering about. This is not what they signed up for, and it’s definitely not what I agreed to when I joined this movement. If the Union wants my service, they will treat these people as equals. Give them a choice and then trust their judgment.”
“And if they ask to leave? They already know our location, our numbers, everything. Each person puts us in danger. They were subject to the Daughter’s discretion the moment they set foot on our ship.”
Ember looked him right in his pale eyes. “You said you disagree with her quite often. You can’t really think this is the best course of action.”
He paused for a long moment, watching the mayhem. “Truthfully, if I were in their position, I would act much as they are. But I warned you of our situation here, and you chose to ignore the facts. If we are to return the Union to its former glory and defeat the Empire, we need hardened soldiers. Not children. It’s no longer about the recruits but about the tens of thousands whose lives we hold in our hands. For the first time in months, I agree with the Daughter’s judgment in this matter.”
Ember felt her stomach sink as she watched the parents being taken away, one by one. “You made me a liar. They’ll never trust me to lead them now.”
“Then you must gain their trust back. Show them that serving the Union well is the only path to being reunited with those they love. You are the key to their freedom.”
Freedom. Ember looked behind her to where Ruben stood glowering at Pyne. He knew they’d lost as well. Like Ember, his people had left one prison for another.
“So they’re not slaves but hostages,” Ember said. “And loyal service is the ransom.”
“It’s all very black and white to you, isn’t it?” Pyne asked. “We’ve all sacrificed much for this cause, unlike yourself. And yet you lecture us. You don’t know what it’s like to fear for your life, to be surrounded by gods who can defeat you in a battle you cannot see. Your magic is the weapon that will save us all, and yet you hide in your quarters and judge us for the decisions we must make. Trust me, flare. This—what you see happening around you—is not your fight. You were brought here to help us take down the Empire, not injustice. So turn around, go back to your quarters, and let us save lives the only way we can.”
Her breathing came in short, angry gasps. Ember could stop this. She could knock out the soldiers, kill the pilots, and keep these families together. She could even hold the platform while Ruben gathered the rest of his people, and they could travel far away with the stolen ship.
But.
Ember would be an enemy to the Daughter, a traitor. Even if she escaped, she’d never find Stefan’s location, let alone be equipped to help him escape. She’d spend her remaining days on the run from both Empire and Union. In taking this position, she’d made a promise to the Union—that she would help them win. Was it worth breaking that promise to keep another? Could she betray Neraline all over again?
She turned to face Ruben, who watched her intently. The expression on his face was one of resignation, like he knew she had lost. They had lost.
And yet it wasn’t his people who captured his attention in their hour of need. There was something in his gaze, a glint that told Ember this wasn’t about them—that it had really been about her all along. She reached out inwardly, trying to gauge his light, but the shield was as hard as ever, and still that strange round shape. No emotion weakened it today.
She came back to herself and turned back to the general. “These are our new brothers and sisters, not enemies. Treat them accordingly, or I will step in and take over.”
“No doubt,” Pyne said, likely recalling the moment on the ship when she’d done just that. “You may stay as long as you hang back and don’t interfere.” He barked an order at some troops trotting down the gangplank, then hobbled away.
Ember would do as the Daughter and General Pyne and Amai demanded. She’d unite the flickers and raise them to become a powerful force. They would become the soldiers the Daughter wanted them to be, deadly and cold.
But she couldn’t guarantee their wrath would be directed where the Daughter wanted it.
She met Ruben’s gaze again and saw only one emotion there. Disappointment. Whatever test this was, Ember had failed. He gave her a sorrowful nod, then walked away.
Chapter 15
Ember wasn’t surprised when she received a summons to the Daughter’s chamber early the next morning. She groggily dressed and ran a hand through her hair, which desperately needed to be washed, but she found it hard to care these days.
No less than four guards waited by her door to escort her. One look at her expression, and they stood back and let her set the pace. She took long, angry strides to the vessel and sat forward in her seat, ready to spring out the moment they arrived.
&nbs
p; They rushed her straight to the chamber door this time, which flung open as she approached. The guards walked in with her, flanking Ember on all sides. Two more joined them as she reached the Daughter’s throne.
Amusing. If Ember were a threat, it wasn’t a physical one.
The Daughter wore a gray tunic today, with tight leggings that sparkled. It would have reminded Ember of a girl playing dress-up if not for the collection of stunners on the woman’s belt. She took one now and played with it as if reminding Ember who was in charge.
“We need to talk about last night,” Ember snapped.
“Shut your mouth, flare,” a guard at her side hissed.
“Is this what I am to expect from you?” the Daughter asked quietly. “Abrasive sarcasm, speaking out of turn, disobeying orders, arguing with my general as he attempts to fulfill my commands?”
Ember drew a quick breath. “If you pull another stunt like that, yes. That is all you can expect from me.”
A series of gasps sounded at her sides as the Daughter’s face darkened. Ember kept her gaze on the woman, waiting expectantly.
“I could have left you there for the Empire to hunt down and destroy. I could have done the same for Kane’s flicker whores as well. Instead, I gave you all a second chance at life.”
“Call them whores again, and we’re done here. I owe you nothing.”
The Daughter jerked forward, making Ember blink. “You swore allegiance to me. Your actions, your words, everything you are belongs to me and our cause.”
An image of Commander Kane flashed into Ember’s mind. He’d said nearly the same thing once. Her voice went hard and flat. “Said like the daughter of the emperor.”
The chamber went silent. The guards at Ember’s side went rigid. One even took a step back, his expression wary.
“I was about to give you one last chance, flare,” the Daughter said slowly, still playing with the stunner in her hands. “Would you like to take those words back, or shall I have you escorted below?”
“A little water won’t stop me, and let me make one thing clear. I did not swear allegiance to you. I pledged myself to the cause of dismantling the Empire and putting a better system in its place. Where you fall in that plan is up to you.”
The Daughter waited, letting a full minute pass before she responded. Finally, she set the stunner on her lap and motioned to the guards. “Leave us.”
They seemed all too happy to do so this time, scrambling through the door seconds later. The chamber suddenly felt much larger.
“I was going to give you another opportunity to prove yourself,” the Daughter growled. “Don’t make me regret my benevolence.”
It took all of Ember’s strength not to send back a biting reply. Instead, she waited, wishing she had a strong drink about now.
“You’re rash, disobedient, and inexperienced. That means we have work to do before the emperor can be removed. The Arcadia mission went decently well, although you allowed Neraline’s death to affect you afterward. I believe I will risk investing in you once more.”
She glowered at the woman, who smiled back. So that was the official story, that her anger was a reaction to a friend’s death rather than righteous indignation.
“Our sources indicate that the Empire has relocated a few Union prisoners,” the Daughter said smoothly, as if she hadn’t spent five minutes insulting Ember. “I’m not concerned about them leaking information; they were stationed at a base that no longer exists, and none of them knew of this location. What intrigues me is the group of flickers being gathered for interrogation training. I’m told nearly their entire Empire flicker force will be present.”
Ember raised an eyebrow. The last time the Empire had gathered their flickers in one place, the Union had attacked and killed Stefan’s brother. The Empire had spread its resources out since then, only a few flicker teams per ship. Kane had put Stefan over theirs the day Ember made her escape.
The day Ember left him behind.
“Your sweet flicker boy is among them, if that’s what you’re wondering,” the Daughter said. “Our source confirmed he’s been seen walking the corridors with a guard.”
Relief flooded through Ember, bringing with it a wave of dizziness. Stefan was alive. Not only that, but he wasn’t even imprisoned. They must have been unsure of his role in her escape. He’d probably rejoined their flicker ranks, waiting for Ember to free him so they could be together. It’s actually possible. Her heart threatened to pound right out of her rib cage.
“So you want me to free the flickers?” Ember asked. That familiar feeling, the sense that something was wrong, crawled along Ember’s skin. She didn’t believe for a minute that the emperor would leave his flicker force so exposed. If that ship were destroyed or its occupants disabled, as Ember had proven she could do, he would lose them all. It was too easy.
“No. I want you to kidnap the flickers. And free the prisoners, too, if you can manage it.”
Of course. Another way the emperor and the Daughter were alike—flickers were too valuable to set free. They could easily be captured by the other side. The Empire saw flickers as unbranded cattle crossing an unfenced plain—free for the taking, resources to be used up. Tools, weapons.
Or game pieces in Commander Kane’s mind. He’d even called her the queen piece, a term that turned her stomach now. Flickers could win battles, he’d said, but a flare could win a war.
The woman was drumming her fingers now. Ember realized she’d gone quiet and forced herself to focus. “Let me get this straight. If the Empire is gathering nearly all their flickers, there must be several hundred, all trained for battle. Not to mention several hundred soldiers protecting them. What makes you think a flare and a few dozen barely trained flickers can take them on?”
“Unfortunately, since this is a stealth mission, you must choose your companions carefully. You may bring along five others.”
Ember was incredulous. “Six of us against hundreds? That’s suicide.”
“With your ability, you should be able to take them down even without help. Just get close enough to knock out the ship’s occupants, board, and allow the others to help you retrieve the flickers’ unconscious bodies.”
“It wouldn’t be that easy. They’ll be shielded.”
“You’ve done it before. Surely you can figure out how to do it again.”
She paused. The collar had allowed her to break through shields. She’d only managed to do it once since then, during Reina’s outburst yesterday. Could she do that on a larger scale? And what if she snapped again and lost control? Frustrated, Ember took a deep breath. If only Dai were here. There was so much she still didn’t know. “I’m not sure it will work this time.”
“You’ll have weapons. If your abilities fail you, convince the flickers to turn. If they refuse, kill them. But don’t leave a single one behind to hurt us later. Understood?”
Dread gripped Ember now. This is wrong, something deep inside screamed. Ember was no assassin. The emperor was one thing, but killing innocent flickers simply because they refused to leave home? This went too far.
“You have to know this is a trap,” Ember said.
“Our source indicated that wasn’t the case. This is a top-secret meeting known only to the highest officers. She was fortunate to gain knowledge of it. This is our chance, and I intend to take advantage of it. If you claim to serve the cause, you will accept the mission as it stands.” The Daughter leaned forward, looking intently into Ember’s eyes. “Believe me when I say this is your last chance to prove your worth, my lovely grain of sand. You must trust that the water knows where to direct you.”
Ember scowled. Those who demanded trust were usually the least worthy of it. She knew exactly what the Empire would do if they captured her. They’d slap that terrible collar on her again and force her to put an end to her friends. The Union would be completely destroyed in days. Her last link to home, Bianca, would be gone forever. Amai. All the grieving recruits, mourning the distance bet
ween them and their children. The very scope of this decision piled onto her shoulders, making her want to sink into the floor. This is wrong.
“What about General Pyne?”
“He’ll be staying behind. This is . . . beyond his scope.”
If the mission is unsuccessful, the failure won’t be upon your head. The thought seemed to come from somewhere else, deep inside of her. The Daughter will carry the consequences, and you’ll just be obeying orders like she wants.
Ember couldn’t believe she was actually considering this. She could never kill innocent flickers. She could knock them out so she could escape, however, and the Daughter would be none the wiser. And she’d have rescued all those flickers from Empire servitude.
Stefan.
It was a single word. Just one. But for Ember, the name contained the power of the brightest sun. In that moment, Ember knew she would go. If there was a chance she could find him, she had to try.
“You need to descend your pods while I’m gone,” Ember said. “Just in case. No ships coming or going, no trace that anyone ever lived here.”
“I’ve already given the order. Your ship is being fueled now; you have twenty minutes to prepare and choose your team. May the stars issue you a victory.”
Ember took a quick shower and threw her belongings—three spare changes of clothing, a brush, and her Empire-issued boots—into a bag. And her jacket, of course—the only item that meant anything to her. She was about to leave when she spotted the vial of sand on the counter. Earth sand, one last reminder of what was at stake. She swiped it into her pocket.
The driver was speaking to her guards when she went outside. Their whispered conversation continued as she walked past and stepped into the boat. She closed the hatch herself and sat, reaching for the harness.
“Lady Flare.”
She whirled around, one hand at her belt where a stunner should be. Harlow was crouched behind her seat.
