by Aileen Erin
“Yes. Of course. I had everything ready before the meeting. I had a feeling…”
Good. I’d had the same feeling. “How long until all Aunare territory is protected?”
“Five days. Probably less, but I don’t want to overpromise.”
I huffed. “Ten days did seem like a long time.” But that’s what he’d said in the meeting. I’d almost argued with him, but doing that with those people overhearing wasn’t a good idea.
Rysden gave me a look. “And you wanted me to tell the ex-council the truth? Not a chance. There’s a leak among them, but I’m not sure which one or if it’s all of them.”
“Doesn’t matter now. Amihanna fixed it.” Thank the Goddess. I was so thankful not to have to deal with them ever again.
Rysden gave a proud-father grin. “Indeed she did. And if they leak the ten days, so be it. Better that we surprise SpaceTech. It might scare them enough to send them running.” He turned to watch her fight. “What is she doing?”
“I’m not sure.” She should’ve been pulling her power by now, but—
Something flew through the air at her. A melon.
Amihanna crossed her faksano in front of her, her skin brightened in a flash, she screamed, and she slashed them down to her sides.
Power ripped through the air, and the melon exploded.
Amihanna’s skin stayed bright now like any other Aunare fighter.
I guessed this was something they’d worked out to get her to use her power, but was that really helpful? Amihanna needed to learn to use it slowly, steadily, to keep her going throughout a longer battle. She shouldn’t need the melon to prompt her.
And then the fight started over again with all of her guards.
Click, clack, clack.
Click, clack, clack.
Click, clack, clack.
This time Amihanna’s power built until she was flickering dangerously. I caught Rysden’s gaze and saw the same fear in his eyes.
No. This wasn’t good. This was dangerous. She was dangerous.
Eshrin tossed another melon toward Amihanna.
Her scream cut through the air as the melon exploded, but the flickering didn’t stop.
He tossed another.
Another.
Another.
And then something changed. Her guards all fell back, moving to the far side of the room.
Eshrin reached into a bag and pulled out a fist-size tinka fruit.
Rysden was quiet at my side. I leaned forward in my seat.
Eshrin nodded at her, and she nodded back, crossing the faksano in front of her.
I didn’t know that she’d been practicing with smaller targets, and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea for her to try.
My ability was precision-based. I could destroy small things because my ability exploded the object in its entirety. All I had to do was focus on the target, and it would explode just that bit—nothing more, nothing less. The bigger the target, the more power it used. I worked my way up from smaller things to bigger. I spent my life practicing, and now I could hit something within one of her melons without destroying the melon itself.
But where my ability was precision, Amihanna’s was sheer destruction and might. She was better at hitting bigger things because her power struck the center of an object with an incredible amount of force and destroyed everything on its path out. That’s why it made sense for her to be the one to blow up a ship. Not only did it take more power than I had to hit something that large and dense, but defensive systems didn’t protect from within. They only protected the exterior of the ship. To be quick and effective, the explosion needed to come from within the ship, rather than outside.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t blow up a ship. I could, but it would take more power and energy than I should use in one go. Just trying would exhaust me. And it didn’t mean that she couldn’t hit something with precision. She’d done it before with the bomb that was thrown into her room. It was either blow it up or let it kill Roan. It was the same when my psychotic, scheming ex tried to kill Amihanna while they were locked in a room together, but Amihanna had destroyed Seri’s watch—another bomb. When she had the right motivation, she could do it. It just wasn’t as easy for her to do. She had to use her power, and yet hold back the full extent of it. That kind of control would take years consistent practice to master.
We were better suited for different things, but I loved that. It gave us a balance that was unique and amazing.
Eshrin tossed the piece of tinka fruit, and she screamed, letting her power fly free.
The fruit exploded and fine bits of tinka flew through the air. She’d hit it a little too fast, with a little too much power. When blasting something from the inside out, it shouldn’t have obliterated it quite so thoroughly, but it was impressive. She’d never been able to hit something smaller than a melon when she was younger.
She tried it a few more times, and then Eshrin reached into his bag and came up with something else.
I squinted, trying to see what it was, and then I shook my head. Ba’na. The tiny square was going to be impossible for her to hit.
Rysden gripped my arm. “This is a bad idea. If she misses or misjudges how much might to put in the hit, she could hurt him. She has too much power.”
“Maybe she can control it.” It wasn’t likely, but it was possible.
Eshrin took a noticeable breath before giving her the nod. Amihanna answered by crossing her faksano.
Eshrin tossed it, and I didn’t even have a moment to yell before he threw himself to the floor.
The boom echoed in the gym, and the air suddenly smelled sweet.
I licked my lips and tasted the ba’na.
“Well, that’s one way to go about it,” Rysden muttered as he released my arm. “Just shy of deadly. This is stupid and reckless, but at least she’s trying to push herself. We should see about programming something else to shoot the ba’na at her so she’s not risking her guards. Maybe some sort of forcefield to contain her power. Something…”
“But is this the right method?” I’d trained slowly to master my ability. She was pushing herself too far, too fast.
“Arguably not. I’ll talk to her team.”
I grunted my agreement. That would probably be wise. I wasn’t sure how much more grief Amihanna could take. Accidentally killing one of her guards might just be too much for her, especially if it were Eshrin.
Her glow returned to a more normal level without any flickering, and Eshrin tossed his bag of target-practice items toward the wall. One of her other guards brought him a pair of faksano and then they approached her, returning to a normal practice.
I saw Rysden take a breath and his shoulders loosened. I felt the same relief.
Goddess, did I feel that same relief. They were done, and I was thankful for it.
They started training again—normal sparring with faksano.
I glanced over at her team. Eshrin was leading them, but they were all focused on her, knowing exactly when she was about to turn the corner and become dangerous.
They went back to the melons a couple of times, and once to the tinka fruit, but no one brought out the ba’na. Apparently one close call was enough for the day.
Thank the Goddess.
I could feel her frequencies rise as she grew tired. Just when I felt her near the end of her power, they stopped fighting, stopped throwing the melons, and finally took a break.
Her skin wasn’t doing the quick strobing that would tell me she was empty, spent, done, but one more melon and I’d bet good money she would be.
I kept a close watch on her as she caught her breath. She started to stretch, and then she did what she shouldn’t have been able to do. She took a breath and the glow of her skin dulled until not even a hint of shimmer came from her skin.
All the air rushed from my body.
How…? She’d taken all that power she’d called up and shoved it back down. I didn’t understand how she could do that.
&
nbsp; I didn’t understand. It was impossible, and yet, she’d done it.
When did she learn how to do that? And if she could do that, why did she still need the melons?
When she was done stretching, she rose and looked at Eshrin, giving him a hand signal. Next exercise.
All her guards backed to the edges of the room.
“Did you know she could do that?” Rysden muttered the words softly.
I wasn’t sure what he meant—I was too curious to know what the next exercise would be—and then I realized Rysden meant how she’d shut down her power so quickly. “No.” I wasn’t even sure what she’d done exactly and why.
“Hmm.” Rysden watched his daughter. “She’s gotten better in some ways, but…”
“A lot better, but…” I echoed his sentiment.
She shouldn’t have been turning off her power in that way. She shouldn’t be risking her team by trying to hit targets that small. And I was nervous about whatever this next might be.
Amihanna was talking to Eshrin softly. I couldn’t hear what she was saying from where I was standing, but I could see that it was a casual conversation. She wasn’t just giving orders. Eshrin was pushing back about whatever she wanted to do next. That level of trust with her team was something she’d been working on ever since the attack on the estate.
“Her team feels solid,” Rysden said.
“It does.” I was happy that it did. This was a very good thing. “I…” Wait. I didn’t like the look on her face. She was up to something.
She nodded at Roan. “Start it.”
Wait. Start what?
Roan nodded. “You got it.”
The room darkened and a city slowly grew from the ground. Towering high rises, covered with graffiti. Hovering cars and speeders zoomed down busy streets. Giant surveillance cameras floated above the people milling through the streets.
It was all holographic, but smart holo. There would be ways to grip parts of the city to simulate really moving through it.
What was this? A real city? It was too filthy and noisy and horribly ugly. “What is this?”
“Albuquerque,” Rysden said. “You don’t recognize it?”
I heard the shock in his tone, but I couldn’t look away from the images in front of me. “No.” I’d been there before. I’d lived there off and on when I was a child, but it was unrecognizable. “It looks nothing like I remember.”
Rysden grunted.
I watched as she and her team started an invasion into SpaceTech’s headquarters, and it felt as if there was no air left in the room.
I had been trying to find a way to avoid going back to Earth, and the whole time I’d been working my ass off day and night to make sure that didn’t happen, she’d been planning an invasion?
No. No. This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t let her go back to Earth without me. She was running this mission like I wouldn’t be with her. If she was caught, there was nothing I wouldn’t do to get her back. Nothing.
That should pour enough fear into anyone thinking about taking her from me, but SpaceTech didn’t understand the Aunare. They didn’t understand what I was or what I could do. They didn’t fear me. Not yet. They should.
They would fear me before this war was over.
I would keep Amihanna safe.
Not matter what. I wouldn’t let her suffer again.
Never again.
Chapter Seven
AMIHANNA
When I was done with training, I saw Roan sitting in the stands with my father and Lorne. From the look of them, they wanted an explanation.
I wasn’t sure what they were thinking. I hadn’t told either of them about the invasion-simulation training I’d been running with my guards. It wasn’t like I was about to go off on my own and invade Albuquerque, but I wanted to be prepared. Because no matter what the ex-council had said, I truly believed the war would end with us on Earth.
The guards that had been training with me went to shower—including Eshrin—and since shift change just happened, the next group of five guards were here, led by Ginu, who had arrived early and sat in the stands while we trained.
Now that we were done, I was sitting on the floor of the gym, doing extra stretches, but really just stalling for a little more time. I could feel a pulse coming from Lorne, and I wasn’t sure what it meant.
Ginu handed a carton of water down to me without actually looking at me. His eyes stayed focused on the doors, just in case any hostile people came through them.
I appreciated his dedication to his job—especially since it was my life he was protecting—but I also wanted him to be comfortable enough to chat with me. “Thanks, Ginu.” I took the water from him and ripped off the top. “Did you have a nice night off?” He’d been off the schedule, and I always wondered where he went when that happened.
Ginu kept scanning the room and grunted. I guessed that meant his night off had been good? He was a mystery to me, but for some reason, I trusted him.
The rest of my guards stood by the doors of the two entrances to the gym, leaving me alone with Ginu on the gym floor.
I glanced back at the stands. Judging from the way my father was gesturing, he was giving Roan hell. It was a pretty safe bet that he had some disapproving thoughts about my training exercises.
But Lorne sat quietly, watching me.
Had I messed us up? Something was wrong with him lately—with us. We hadn’t been communicating very well. He’d completely surprised me today when he said I could get rid of the High Council. Why hadn’t he told me? I’d been plotting to do just what he wanted, but hesitated because I didn’t know that he wanted me to act. I’d thought we weren’t on the same page, but we were. Now I was questioning why we’d been completely disagreeing about how to deal with SpaceTech the last few weeks. Maybe our plans weren’t that far off. Maybe we just needed time to talk.
I needed to know what he was really thinking and why he wasn’t telling me.
I poured a little water on my hands, tried to find a cleanish spot on my shirt to wipe them, and then unzipped the pocket in my pants, pulling out my engagement ring and slipping it on my finger. Just having it on made me feel like everything would be okay, even if I wasn’t sure how.
I finished the water and set the empty carton on the floor. My heart was still racing from the adrenaline of the fight, and I needed it to calm before I went over there. I tugged my knees to my chest, resting my forehead on them, forcing my breaths to slow and even out.
Everything would be okay. I’d been in worse spots before. If I’d truly messed up with Lorne somehow, I’d fix it.
I could fix this.
A door slammed and I lifted my head. A maid I recognized as one of Plarsha’s helpers was striding through the gym to me.
She wore her dark hair pulled back in a tight bun. Her kitchen uniform had my father’s blue raven embroidered over a small pocket on her shirt. She did a quick pause and bow to Lorne and my father, before stopping in front of me. She held out a cup of lightly blue-tinted liquid and a towel. “From Plarsha. She said to tell you that she’d send food to your rooms. Just message her when you’re ready. And she would like to know if you’d like her to include a smoothie with the meal?”
Plarsha shouldn’t be coordinating my meals. It was below her pay grade, but ever since my engagement to Lorne, her staff didn’t like me wandering into the kitchens and getting anything for myself. Apparently that was beneath me now, but she knew I felt more comfortable going hungry than asking them for a meal during odd hours. So, she always made sure I had food.
I took both the towel and the cup from the maid. I was hungry, and Plarsha was making it easier for me to ask. “Thank you, Datha. And, yes. Please tell her a smoothie would be amazing and appreciated.” I’d worked out hard, and whatever mystery ingredients Plarsha put in it would recharge me.
The maid pressed her fist to her heart and did a small bow before quickly turning on her heel and hurrying out the door.
I took a
sip of the drink. Its sugary flavor surprised me. I wasn’t sure what I was drinking but it was tasty and refreshing and—if I knew Plarsha at all—most likely chock-full of vitamins.
I finished off the drink, and then took my time wiping off the sticky melon sweat with the damp towel. I could feel Lorne’s eyes watching me.
“Amihanna.” My father’s voice held a warning. A warning that told me I had exactly ten seconds to get up and talk to him or there would be consequences.
Ten seconds?
How did I even know that when I had no memories of him from before Liberation Week?
“Amihanna. You have ten seconds or I’m coming over there.”
I would’ve laughed at being right if a memory hadn’t been pushing its way toward me, but as soon as I tried to reach for it, the fragments slipped away.
Ice it. I didn’t need it anyway.
I went to stand on the gym side of the half-wall, facing the three most important men in my life. “How’d I do?”
“We’re worried about your powers. You’re waiting too long to pull, and then pulling much too fast,” Rysden said.
I knew I was, but I couldn’t seem to fix it. “I know. I really am trying, but I’m just not used to relying on any special abilities when I’m fighting. And then I remember it, and I take it too far.”
“Why do you feel the need to hit smaller targets?” Lorne asked, but he seemed more confused than upset that I’d tried.
I thought that might’ve worried them. “I need to be able to hit anything—big or small. You never know what’s going to happen in a fight, and if we’re separated—”
“We won’t be separated.” Lorne’s tone was firm and clear.
“You don’t know that.” He couldn’t know that. No one could. Except God. And possibly Jesmesha.
Rysden and Lorne shared a look, as if they knew arguing with me would be pointless. Because it was. I needed to be able to defend myself and protect everyone else from everything. Big or small.
“How did you turn your power off so quickly?” Lorne sounded concerned. “I don’t understand how that was possible.”
