by Jack Archer
Shea slid off the counter and pulled Rystar close to him, grabbing one of her legs, letting it slip from the jeans, and hooking it under the crook of his arm. He swooped down to kiss her, and Kyran sank his teeth into her neck, pressing their bodies close together as Rystar stood on her toes for Kyran to get a better angle.
She let out a yelp against Shea’s lips as Kyran snapped his hips up, letting his fangs out the tiniest bit against her skin.
“More,” she moaned between kissing Shea and biting at his lip. Kyran let out a growl and let his fangs sink further into the place where her neck and shoulder met. The pain ripped through her, but the pleasure from Shea’s hands cupping her breasts and thumbing her nipples, the way Kyran slid so easily into her at this angle, canceled it out and made her entire body shake.
Shea slid his hand down between Rystar’s legs and circled her while Kyran continued thrusting. She came apart again, Shea whispering encouragement against her mouth and Kyran becoming erratic behind her. She pushed against him as he shook with her, placing his sweating forehead against her back and wrapping an arm around her waist.
They all stayed there for a moment, soaking in each other and catching their breath. Kyran pulled away carefully and crossed the kitchen for a clean towel, soaking it in warm water before handing it to Rystar.
“Since I know you’re not an entire animal,” he chuckled as Rystar swiped it from him and cleaned up. Shea pulled his pants back on, and Kyran did the same, rummaging around in the cabinets for a drink. “Can I pour you two a glass?”
Rystar and Shea nodded their heads, and Rystar sat at the table, pushing some hair from her face and thanking Kyran as he handed her a full glass of Charlom. “I thought just one of you was more than I could handle.”
“And now you have two,” Kyran said as he sat down next to her, taking a sip of his drink and watching Shea do the same.
Rystar’s chest tightened, and she bit her lip. At least Shea and Kyran had worked it out amongst themselves, but she had to tell them both about Na’gya. “Listen, there’s something I need to talk to you both about. Well, mainly you, Kyran.”
Kyran raised an eyebrow and set his drink down. Shea swirled his glass and stared into its depths, hopefully already aware of what Rystar wanted to talk about.
“I like you both,” she began, taking the rest of her glass in one go and sighing at the heat it left down her throat. “And I want to be honest and open with both of you. Even if it means pissing you both off.”
“I told you, we talked about this,” Shea said.
“I know you did, but talking about it and actually doing it are two separate things,” Rystar pointed out, and Shea pursed his lips. “Kyran, I know you’ve said the Sustri are fine with having multiple partners, but we humans haven’t evolved to that point. Shea, are you sure you can handle this?”
It took him a moment, but Shea took a deep breath and brought his head up to gaze at Rystar. “As long as you still want me, I think I’ll be alright.”
“I do,” she said with a smile, placing her hand over his. Rystar turned to Kyran, who smiled at both of them and downed his drink. “And you, too. But at some point, I’ll need to have a conversation with the rest of your crew.”
Shea rolled his eyes but chuckled. “I don’t know how you’re going to manage Kyran and me, much less more than that.”
“And I don’t know how the Ya’ados feel about multiple partnerships either,” Rystar groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. “This is all so confusing. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”
Kyran put a hand on Rystar’s shoulder and rubbed it. “Relax, darlin’. The worst he can do is say ‘no,’ and I don’t think Na’gya’s the kind of guy to hold a grudge.”
“Speak for yourself,” Shea grumbled. Rystar threw him a reassuring smile.
“Give him a little more time,” she said, pulling her hand away from his and rubbing her face. “I’d still be upset if I were him, too.”
“Yeah,” Shea agreed and finished his drink.
“Just go talk to him,” Kyran said. “Maybe not right now or in the next couple of days. Let things simmer down, then have a heart-to-heart. He might be more open than you think.”
“Hey, Na’gya, I’m already with two guys on the ship. How would you like to be lucky number three?” Rystar practiced, ending her opener with a snort and setting her hand under her chin.
“Maybe practice your proposition a little more, there,” Kyran laughed and grabbed their glasses, getting up to rinse them out in the sink. Rystar and Shea stood up, stretched, and headed towards the elevators with Kyran.
“So who are you sleeping with tonight?” Kyran asked as the elevator doors closed. Rystar hit the button that would lead them to the bedroom wing and snorted.
“By my damn self,” she said. “You two wore me out.”
Kyran let out a bark of a laugh. “If that’s all it takes to wear you out, you might want to rethink this six-way relationship of yours.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, waving him off as the elevator doors opened, and she and Shea exited. “Good night.”
“Sleep well, you two,” Kyran said, and the doors slid shut again.
They stopped outside of Rystar’s room, and Shea took both of her hands in his, pulling her close. “You sure you don’t want me with you tonight?”
“I wasn’t lying,” Rystar chuckled, standing up on her toes to kiss him. “Let me have some time to myself.”
“Of course,” he replied, kissing her back and pushing a strand of hair from her face before pulling away and heading towards his own room. Rystar entered her room and flopped down on the bed, not even bothering to change.
The night’s events reeled around in her head, and she bounced back and forth between elation and nervousness. Her stomach was in knots, and she couldn’t tell if it was from the fantastic sex or the possibility of being rejected by another crew member. The wind howled in the dark outside. She stared out the window at the swirling snow, icing up the glass and turning her room into a refrigerator.
She bundled some blankets up around her and curled up in bed, falling into a fitful, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Four
Na’gya Vasilev: Sluirossi, Yimesotwa
Today was the day.
Today was the perfect day to tell Rystar how he felt. Nothing was planned, no excursions, no team meetings, nothing. Na’gya would waltz right out of his room and across the hall to Rystar’s, knock on her door, and tell her they should be together, the rest of the crew be damned.
Except Na’gya was stuck behind his own bedroom door, his hand hovering above the handle to open it. His mind was swimming with scenarios, ranging from Rystar declaring her undying love to him to Rystar laughing in his face and jettisoning him out of the airlock.
But Rystar wasn’t like that at all. She was kind and understanding. She could get shit done and have everyone follow her happily in the process. Still, it frightened him to even think about the conversation he was about to have with her.
Steeling himself, Na’gya opened the door to an empty hall and left his room, shutting the door and standing in front of it. Rystar’s room sat right across from his, and he took a deep breath, gripping the strap to the bag on his shoulder, his feet frozen to the floor. From down the hall, footsteps approached. He turned towards them, watching as Shea made his way down the hallway towards him. When he saw Na’gya, Shea stopped, his eyes going wide.
“Na’gya, how are you?” he asked, taking a careful step closer. Shea was the last person he wanted to speak with right now, much less think about what he was doing with Rystar this early. An icy stab ripped through him as he realized Shea and Rystar were most likely back together at this point, judging from Shea’s casual attire and the fact he was down here in the first place.
“I’m fine,” Na’gya replied, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away. “What are you doing down here?”
Shea flushed and scratched the back of
his head. “Just waking Rystar up for breakfast.”
“Is that what you’re calling it?” Na’gya said, raising an eyebrow. Shea said nothing but cast his gaze downwards, going silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Listen, I don’t think I got the chance to properly apologize,” Shea said, taking a big breath and looking back up at Na’gya. “What I did was wrong, and it got your friend killed, and I don’t think any apology will be enough to fix that, but I’m sorry anyway.”
Na’gya sighed, letting his head fall back a bit as he took in Shea’s apology, knowing he meant it, the kid with a heart of gold. It was difficult to process, however. Na’gya could still feel the bits of blood and brain on his skin from where Ju’sif was shot. He shuddered, glancing back at Shea. “I know you were just trying to help Rystar. I would have done the same.”
“Really?” Shea asked, his eyes lighting up the tiniest bit.
Na’gya huffed, hating that he could actually forgive the kid for what he did but realizing he meant what he said. “For one of my own, of course.”
Shea nodded, gazing back down at his shoes again. They stood there in silence until the door across the hall opened, and their heads whipped up to see Rystar exit her room, wet hair combed back and adorned in fresh clothes.
“Fellas,” she greeted cautiously, closing her door with a quiet snap and stepping towards Shea. She stood on her toes to kiss Shea on his cheek, and Na’gya pointedly looked away. “Come on, let’s go grab some food before it’s gone.”
Shea nodded and beckoned for Na’gya to follow them. As Shea and Rystar walked to the elevator, they clasped their hands together, and Na’gya was torn in half.
The kitchen was alight with smells as they got off the elevator and saw the rest of the crew sitting at the table, swiping through their tablets and sipping on their drinks. Lupe cooked in their corner and nodded to the new arrivals.
“About time you joined us,” Kyran drawled from the table and put his tablet down, stretching his arms above his head. “You all get enough beauty sleep or what?”
“Hush,” Rystar shooshed, swatting at Kyran playfully and sitting down next to him. Na’gya chose the seat furthest away from the throuple and brooded, nodding as Lupe set a cup of some kind of coffee in front of him.
“Listen, antsuo, since everyone’s here, I need to talk to you about something,” Lupe said, taking their spot in the kitchen again, leaning against a counter.
“What’s up?” Kyran asked, eyes narrowing.
“Our cards are being declined,” Lupe said, raising their eyebrows.
“Impossible,” Kyran said, blowing a raspberry.
“I’m sure mine and Shea’s are,” Rystar mumbled.
“No doubt,” Lupe said with a chuckle. “Dead people don’t have credits.”
“Well, that doesn’t make sense,” Kyran said, turning to face Lupe. “I have more money than you can shake a stick at. Why the hell is my card being declined?”
Lupe shrugged and spread their hands. “Hell if I know. But I can’t buy food or gas, and without those things, we’re stuck here.”
A collective hush fell around the room as they pondered this new information.
“So what are we going to do?” Shea asked.
“I suppose we could get jobs,” Na’gya piped up from the corner.
“Here? In this sipnäw?” Kyran scoffed.
“It’s better than starving,” Rystar pointed out. “And I don’t mind earning my keep. I’m sure there’s a few bounties we can scrounge up around here. And speaking of dead people, when are going to find out who the hell blew up my ship?”
They all looked around at each other as if they had an answer until finally, Enzo spoke up. “The ship that hit yours wasn’t one we’ve ever seen before. It had brand new technology. I couldn’t break into it. Unless they attack again or we find out what it was so I can reverse engineer it, I’m afraid we’re at a dead end.”
“So that’s it?” Rystar said with a smile that did not reach her eyes. Enzo furrowed his brow and gazed down at the table. “Fine. Maybe they’ll realize they didn’t kill me and come back for more.”
Na’gya’s tablet dinged, and he pulled it from his bag. The screen lit up with a message from Ji’lan, and he opened it, scanning the words. His eyes widened with terror as he finished and looked up to the crew.
“There’s been another bombing,” he announced. The reactions ranged from disinterest to horror, and he focused on his tablet again. “They think the Sustris from the Chure Industrial Bubble did it.”
“What was bombed?” Rystar asked as Kyran’s eyes grew dark.
“The Jeraro Farms, on the north side of the continent,” Na’gya said with a gulp.
“They bombed farms?” Kyran piped up. “Why would the Sustris bomb their own farms? This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Unless they’re getting it from the Horoths in charge,” Rystar said darkly.
Kyran turned to face her, doubt etched in his face. Na’gya had to admit, on a planet controlled by the Horoths, it might be good to have them on their side. But he was here to liberate them from that, not to blend into the shadows again.
“I refuse to believe the Sustri are helping the Horoths,” Kyran said, standing up. “Come on, we’re going to speak with Ji’lan now.”
Na’gya slid his tablet back into his bag and sighed, throwing a last glance at Rystar before following Kyran out of the room.
Lupe and Cobalt had chosen to stay back on the ship as usual. Na’gya followed Kyran through the Sluirossi bubble towards the Underground. Rystar, Shea, and Enzo picked up the rear, and for the first time since his pilgrimage, indeed since the beginning of his adult life, Na’gya felt powerful striding down the walkways with his wings stretched out behind him.
“It’s a good look on you,” Rystar said, ducking under one of his wings to walk next to him.
“What is?” Na’gya asked, leaning into her without thinking.
“The confidence,” she said. “Usually, you have your wings pinned down or something. I can tell you’re proud of what you’re doing here.”
Na’gya smiled, raising his eyes to the ceiling where the blizzard swirled. The sun’s light was so weak, it barely penetrated the clouds and turned them into a uniform grey blur against the backdrop of the sky. Snow piled up in the corners of the window panes, and Na’gya shivered, pulling his faded jacket tighter around him.
“I know it’s only been a couple of weeks since I was captured,” he began, following Kyran into the elevator that would take them to the Underground, “but it seems like a lifetime ago. I can barely remember their faces.”
Rystar lapsed into silence as the elevator doors closed and it shuddered around them, descending to their destination. “I think you have more support here and now. We won’t let you fail.”
Na’gya looked down at her and smiled, watching her green eyes light up with hope, hope that he would be able to accomplish his mission, no matter how hard it became. Taking a deep breath instead of telling her how he felt, Na’gya stepped off the elevator after Kyran and followed him down to the 6B92 building. The old woman showed them to the back again, and they made their way to Ji’lan’s quarters.
Na’gya knocked on his door. After a moment, it opened, Ji’lan’s face peering through the crack with suspicion. “I was wondering when you all would show up.”
He opened the door fully to let them through, and they filed in, standing around in a circle while Ji’lan shut the door and sat back down in his chair.
“These are the new arrivals?” a voice said from the couch. They turned to see another Ya’ados with pale skin and dark hair and wings sitting forward, arms on his knees and surveying them with narrow, blue eyes.
“Yes, Lo’varth,” Ji’lan replied.
“And they are Sustri?” Lo’varth continued, standing up and squaring off with Kyran. Na’gya, upset as he was with Kyran, took a step towards him in solidarity.
“Those two are,�
�� Ji’lan said, waving a hand at Kyran and Enzo. They didn’t seem bothered by the sudden mistrust, but Enzo brought out his tablet and began pulling up documents all the same, while Kyran puffed out his chest at Lo’varth, despite being the shortest crew member.
“Will you tell us what the hell is going on?” Rystar asked, pulling Kyran back to the center of the group and facing Ji’lan. “You said tensions are high with the Sustri, but you’re still working with them.”
“Do you know when the Nukki Tset’ark, the Wings of Vengeance, was formed?” Ji’lan asked, standing up and crossing the room to place a hand on Lo’varth’s shoulder. He settled and Ji’lan continued as Rystar shook her head.
“Two years ago, after the Patros Community Center bombing,” Na’gya answered, making Ji’lan turn his head to him with wide eyes. Na’gya returned the glance and shrugged. “I heard about it in the vids. It was one of the main reasons I went on my pilgrimage to Bufefu.”
“I’m impressed,” Ji’lan said, turning back to Rystar. “Before the Wings were formed, there were scattered factions of Ya’ados and Sustri all over Yimesotwa, staging coups and little rebellions against the Horoth Government. You see, the Sustri were just as angry at the Horoths as we were.”
“Why’s that?” Rystar asked.
“Because this was their planet, until about 20 years ago,” Ji’lan explained, pushing Lo’varth back onto the couch and sitting back down in his chair. “The Horoths came and, with some fancy government magic, were able to have the planet completely under their rule. Since then, there has been an increase in brutality against the Ya’ados here on Yimesotwa.”
“But why would the Sustri’s bomb their own cities?” Kyran asked, still glaring at Lo’varth. “Why would they bomb their food supply? It doesn’t make sense. The Sustri have always been a friend of the Ya’ados.”
“Do not ask me why the Sustri would change sides and begin bombing our community centers, our farms, our manufacturing,” Ji’lan said, his voice not raised but dangerous all the same. “Money, power, more food, you name it. There are thousands of reasons to join the dark side.”
