by Lili Zander
“That doesn’t matter right now. Are you going to take Raven to Starra?”
Saber shakes his head at once. “No, of course not. Raven is evidence that Klaus Zimmer was building a biological weapon. If Zimmer’s questioned, he’ll give up Levitan. As soon as we get Raven to Starra, the General will kill her. We can’t let that happen.”
“Ragnar is on his way here too,” Zeke warns.
Saber sighs. “Another complication.” He straightens his shoulders. “Okay, we’ll figure this out, one step at a time. Let’s go talk to Raven.”
We head outside. Raven’s standing where we left her, in the middle of the room. “You can sit down, you know,” I tell her.
She flushes. “Yes, my Lord.”
Saber grimaces. “I’m new to your world,” he says to her. “Will you explain how the next few days are supposed to work?”
Her eyes flash. “How it works? With all due respect, my Lord, I part my legs, and you fuck me. And then your friends fuck me, if you’d like. And then you do it all over again.”
My lips twitch. When she’s not being meek, Raven has fire. Good. Cringing subservience is very boring.
Saber’s expression turns exasperated. “That part didn’t need any explanation. You’re expected to live here for the next three days, right? Until the tournament starts?”
She nods.
“Do you need to tell your employers in the mines?” Saber continues. “Do you need anything from your home? Clothes? Anything else?”
A disconcerting thought strikes me. “Do you have a husband? Children? A loved one?”
“No.” Raven’s voice is once again flat and emotionless.
Relief floods through me. That’s a bullet dodged. When my mother was taken away, I had to grow up in a hurry. I wouldn’t wish my childhood on anyone else.
“I don’t need to tell Overseer Thrip,” she continues. “He will have heard I’ve been selected. He knows what to expect. But I would like some clothes, if you permit it, my Lord.”
She’s addressing me. “Will you cut that out?” I demand. “Stop bowing and scraping, you’re making me nervous.” I’m a slum rat from Merin. I’m not used to this extreme deference. It’s creepy. “We have names. I’m Nero. That’s Saber, and that’s Zeke.”
I’m about to say a lot more, but Saber cuts me off. “Take Raven to her home so that she can pack,” he orders.
“Does Nero need backup?” Zeke’s frowning in thought. “Just in case?”
“Shouldn’t be necessary,” Saber replies. “It’s too soon for Zimmer to make a move. He’ll wait until the tournament gets started.”
While I’m helping Raven pack, Saber is going to talk strategy with Zeke. Try to figure out a way to keep her alive and out of Levitan’s clutches. I don’t envy them the task.
We need a way to get off-world. The Overlord controls the ports, and matters have gotten even more complicated with the impending arrival of Ragnar.
Once we leave Boarus 4, we still need a place to hide Raven. On Starra, Levitan is waiting for the girl. The capital isn’t safe.
If it wasn’t for the scent of her, it would be easy enough to get Raven a fake identity and set her up on a different planet. But the way she smells… One scratch, one stray cut, and she’ll be compromised.
But hey, that’s Saber’s problem. That’s why he’s the boss. I offer Raven my hand. “Come on. Let’s go get your stuff.”
11
Raven
Boarus 4
A few hours past midnight, FifthDay of FourthMonth
Saber, Zeke, and Nero seem nice. Understanding. Kind, even.
I'm not buying it. I might not know any vampires personally, but every human has heard the whispers, the warnings. There’s a mine in the middle of Glacis that pays double what I make, yet no woman will work there of her own volition, because the owner enjoys watching women suffer, and will whip and cane them for the most minor of transgressions.
A neighbor of mine worked as a maid for one of the Overlord’s assistants. Two years ago, he made a pass at her, and she rebuffed him, so he accused her of theft. She’s still locked up in the re-education camps.
The vampires are our masters. We are their possessions. That’s just how it is. That’s what I’ve always believed.
But so far, Saber, Nero, and Zeke have upended every single one of my beliefs.
Saber didn’t have to intercede on behalf of the contestants, but he did. He stood up to the Overlord. He ordered him to ensure no one died.
Back in their Sector 1 mansion, I’d expected them to take me, but they hadn’t. Instead, I’m walking with Nero to Sector 23.
I don’t understand what’s going on, but I’m not stupid enough to let down my guard.
To distract myself, I look around. I rarely venture into the inner sectors, none of the miners do. We just don’t belong. But it’s beautiful here. The streets are wide and well-lit. Groups of laughing people—vampire and human—pass by, on their way to eat the midnight meal. Restaurants display menus filled with off-world fruits and vegetables, each dish costing more than I make in a week. The bars are packed too, glasses of beer, blood, and slenti crowding the plasteel tables.
Every human in Sector 1 is bitten. These are the wealthy few, the ones who can mix and mingle with the vampires. Almost equal, but never quite one of them.
An icy wind knifes through the streets, cold enough to make me shiver, despite the protection of the bite. I huddle into Joanna’s cloak, and Nero shoves his hands into his coat pocket. “What a miserable place this is. Why the hell don’t they dome this city?”
If he thinks this is miserable, I wonder what he’ll make of my pod. “It’s too expensive.”
He snorts. “Boarus 4 isn’t poor. Zimmer only cares about his own comfort.”
If I said the same thing, it would be treason. Forget the re-education camps; those words would be a one-way ticket to a death sentence. Must be nice to be a vampire.
I don’t reply. We continue walking in silence, heading to the outer sectors. We pass through Sector 4, and then Sector 11, and Sector 16. The streets narrow as we head toward the outer sectors, and the lights get fewer and further apart. The restaurants here have grills across their windows, protecting the premises from looters. The dwellings are shabbier too.
Nero’s eyes take in everything. He looks relaxed, but there’s a soldier’s alertness in the way he holds himself. “Is it safe here?”
I don’t know how to address him. He told me to call him Nero, but I don’t want to take any chances. “Safe enough, my Lord, especially at night.”
He gives me a sidelong look. “I grew up on the streets. It’s Saber that is titled, not me, not that it matters. Call me Nero, please.”
Dare I take him at face value?
No, a voice of self-preservation replies immediately. There’s too much of a power imbalance between us. Nero is a vampire, and therefore holds all the power. I am a human. I live or die by his benevolence. I can’t allow myself to forget that.
Still, I’m curious about him. Information is tightly controlled on Boarus 4. We get a few holo-shows, but any news of significance—politics, history, current events—is withheld from us. Everything is carefully filtered through the InfoNet. If I stop to think about it, I guess it’s obvious that not all vampires are wealthy, but I’ve never really considered that one of the vampires would grow up dirt-poor. “You grew up on the streets?”
“Yes, on Merin.” He grimaces as a cold streak of air wraps around us. “It was a lot warmer than here.”
We’re in Sector 23 now, walking past Kaneth’s bar. I’ve cooked for Kaneth when I’ve been too broke to buy food. He always sends his workers home with a full belly. There’s not a lot of kindness in the outer sectors, but Jorge Kaneth is one of the good guys. “We’re almost there.”
I lead the way to the five-story building that I live in. There are two hundred and fifty pods in it, fifty on each floor. There’s plenty of space on Boarus 4, but we’
re crammed into tiny pods because it costs money to heat our homes.
It’s marginally warmer inside. A couple is making out in the lobby, the man’s hand under the woman’s outer suit, but the moment the two of them catch sight of Nero, they jump apart and bow low. “My Lord,” they murmur, their bodies stiff with fear.
Nero notices. “This planet creeps me out,” he says bleakly. “Let’s grab your stuff and get out of here.”
In my pod, Nero takes off his outer layers and sits on the edge of my bed—it’s the only place to sit—and watches me with too-green, too-alert eyes. “You don’t need to be afraid of us.”
If he says so.
He reads my expression. “To answer your earlier question, my mother was taken when I was young. There are homes in Merin for orphaned children, but most of them are glorified labor camps. So, I ran away and hid.”
“How old were you?” I ask before I can catch myself.
“Seven.” His voice is matter-of-fact. “I got good at stealing. Joined a street gang. Got into a lot of trouble until Saber came along and straightened me out. I’d probably be dead had I not joined the army.”
I grab a pair of socks. Brown in color, coarse and itchy, but still warm. Re-education camp issue. When I was released, I shoved my gear in the bottom of a drawer that I haven’t opened in four years.
“We’re not that dissimilar, you and I,” he finishes, his voice ringing with sincerity.
He seems to believe it, but I know better. What Nero’s saying is total garbage. Though it’s unwise, I can’t hold back the words trembling on the tip of my tongue. “We are a world apart. I am your possession, my Lord. If you wanted to take me, I have no right to refuse.”
Fuck this shit. I need to get off Boarus 4 before the enforcers find me. That’s the only reason I’m entering the tournament. The only reason that I’ve become the vampires’ possession. Saber’s newest toy, as he so eloquently pointed out.
I might be forced to sleep with them, but I refuse to engage in the pretense that Nero and I are equals. We’re not.
Nero regards me silently for a long heartbeat. “I’m not going to lie to you, Raven. You’re a beautiful woman, and I’ve spent the last four weeks in a hellhole. Yes, I want you.” His expression hardens. “You, on the other hand, don’t want me. I’ve never bedded an unwilling woman, and I’m not about to start now.”
Dare I believe him? The vampire fills the space with his presence. Not for the first time, I notice how commanding he is. How utterly male. His shoulders are broad. His arms are tightly muscled. There’s not a spare ounce of fat on his body.
He looks nothing like the vampires I’m familiar with. He looks like a soldier, hard and strong.
What would he be like in bed? That thought strikes me out of nowhere, and I shake my head, angry at myself for even entertaining that thought. Damn it. If I don’t watch out, I’m going to flush and simper, the way Joanna did when she talked about Prince Ragnar.
Nero’s comm beeps before I have a chance to reply. “Saber and Zeke are on their way to a restaurant,” he says, getting to his feet and stretching lazily. His shirt rides up, exposing a patch of skin. My eyes seem to lock on him, and I have to force myself to look away. If he notices my reaction, he doesn’t let on. “You haven’t eaten all night, have you? Come on.”
He takes my pack from me and swings it on his shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he says when I protest. “You’re going to be on the ice in a few days. Preserve your strength for the tournament.”
A vampire carrying a human’s bag. I don’t know why, but it’s this gesture that tips the scales. I’m not going to rush into full-fledged trust, but maybe I don’t need to be on edge all the time.
Maybe I can let myself relax around this vampire. Maybe he’s not that bad after all.
12
Zeke
Boarus 4
A few hours past midnight, FifthDay of FourthMonth
General Harek Levitan has built a biological weapon.
Overlord Klaus Zimmer either actively worked with him or turned a blind eye to what was happening on his planet. Either way, he’s culpable.
Adam Masev sent Ottar Thistle to find out what was going on. Thistle must have got caught. He’d escaped just long enough to bite Raven. Then they caught up with him again, and they’d killed him.
Saber’s thoughts are running in the same direction. “Thistle must have known they were after him,” he says. “So he bites Raven to pass on the disease.”
“Why?”
“So that we can find a cure before Levitan threatens to unleash it on the galaxy.” He exhales. “It was a desperate move. We’re lucky she’s still alive. Lucky that the General didn’t trust Klaus Zimmer to find her.”
“You smelled the disease on her. Can Zimmer?”
“Not unless she’s bleeding. Still, we need to keep her close.”
Easier said than done. “What do we do now?” I stare at Saber. “The General is plotting against the Empress. Prince Ragnar is on his way to Boarus 4. Do we tell him about Raven?”
“If we do, we sign Raven’s death warrant,” he replies soberly. “I respect Ragnar. A long time ago, we used to be friends. But Ragnar’s first loyalty has always been to his sister. He will not allow Raven to walk free. The disease in her blood makes her a threat.”
Fuck. “What’s the plan, Saber? We’re not taking her to Levitan. We’re not taking her to Ragnar. Is she our prisoner?”
He answers my question with one of his own. “Do you think Raven knows what she carries in her blood?”
“I doubt it.” My mind flashes back to the way she’d trembled in my arms at the arena. “I think she’s terrified. Over her head. Thistle bit her, and ever since then, people have been hunting her.”
“I agree with you.” Saber fiddles absently with the tassel of a cushion. “She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She doesn’t deserve what’s happening to her.”
There’s a pause as he works out a plan. “First, we get off this planet. Then, we’ll need her blood for a cure. Once we have it, there are hospitals where she can receive a full-body transfusion. If she’s free of the disease, she’s no threat to anyone. We can set her up with a new identity. Some money. A chance at a different life.”
Saber loathes injustice. He might frame this as simply doing the right thing for Raven. But there’s something else at play. Saber will always blame himself for the death of our team members on Rothis. Raven Peace Unnuk is his opportunity for redemption.
I nod in agreement. “That’s as good a plan as any.”
He clears his throat. “There’s one other thing,” he says. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when Levitan finds out what I did, I will be dishonorably discharged from the Imperial Army. Or worse. This is my choice to make, and I’m making it freely. But you don’t have to. If you want to drop out of this mission, I won’t stop you.”
I roll my eyes. “Saber, I don’t particularly like the army. The only reason I’m a soldier is because of you. If they moved me to a different unit, I’d resign immediately.”
“Are you sure?”
If it weren’t for Saber’s intervention nine years ago, I’d still be rotting in a dungeon. I owe him a debt I can never repay. “Don’t be insulting, Colonel.”
A smile touches his lips. “Thank you,” he says. “We need to get off-world. Any ideas?”
I frown thoughtfully. “We can’t board a public shuttle; Levitan will find us.” I pull a screen toward me and access the local spaceport, looking for a spaceship we can borrow. It’s not a promising list. “There is only one private vessel capable of deep space travel.”
“Let me guess. It belongs to Overlord Klaus Zimmer.” Saber’s teeth bare into a humorless smile. “This sounds like one of Nero’s plans.”
Reckless and dangerous. “We need to get out of here,” I point out. “If Zimmer finds out who Raven is, he’ll take her from us by force, and there’s not a damn thing we’ll be able to do to s
top it.”
“He’s not a complete fool,” Saber points out. “The moment we take off, he’ll make the connection. But you’re right. We do need to get off-world. The question is when. Before or after the tournament?”
We not only need to get off-world; we’ll need to find a safe spot to hide from Levitan. That’s more complicated and will take a few days to arrange.
“It’ll be incredibly suspicious if we leave before the tournament, especially after you went head-to-head with the Overlord over the safety of the contestants.” I give Saber an inquiring glance. “Why did you agree to sponsor her?”
Saber grimaces. “I got irritated,” he admits. “I don’t like the Overlord. I thought I’d bring him down a peg.” He paces back and forth. “You’re right. As much as I’d like to break into Zimmer’s spaceport right now and blast out of here with Raven, it’s too risky.”
“That’s not our only problem,” I warn him. “We have a more immediate concern. Zimmer thinks Raven’s going to beat his champion, and he’s a desperate man. Even though he doesn’t know who she is, she’s still in danger.”
Saber’s eyes harden. “I know. Why do you think he moved the tournament onto the ice desert? No witnesses.”
We’ll have to watch Raven round the clock. I make a mental catalog of the equipment we’re carrying. “We don’t have enough juice to fight off slumber for five days.”
“Damn it.” Vigilene is a drug that helps us stay awake during the day on yellow-sun worlds. Dangerous and addictive, it’s only prescribed under extreme circumstances. Our med-kits contain small quantities, but only enough to buy a few hours past daybreak. “Any supplies we can steal?”
I do a quick search of the planet’s drug inventory. “None.”
Saber swears again. “We’ll have to train Raven to defend herself.”
Which brings me to another problem. “What are you going to tell her?”
