by Lili Zander
Just another day in what appears to be my brand-new life.
But Tomas Cabal will have his eye on the prize. My ice boat has been a topic of discussion on the holos, and by now, he knows how fast I can move. He won’t be wasting any time. I shouldn’t be taking a detour to the camps.
But do I want to watch the fall of a place that held me captive for ten years? Hell yes.
“I can keep the drones away from you,” Zeke replies. “It’ll buy you some time. As long as you’re back on the race route before ten, you won’t get caught.”
My decision is made. “I’m going then. Are you coming with me?”
Nero shakes his head. “Your ice boat is exposed. As soon as the sun rises, our skin will start to burn. We’ll follow on the skimmer.”
Once again, they’ll be fighting the slumber. Once again, they’ll be taking vigilene.
Zeke reads my thoughts. “Don’t fret,” he says with a crooked grin. “This will be over soon. Once Lula Kenner succeeds, the threat from Zimmer is low. He’ll have too many other fires to put out.”
I can’t hold back my smile of satisfaction. Good. Overlord Klaus Zimmer has much to pay for.
I arrive just in time to see a chopper land in front of the tall gates. I position myself behind a tall hump of ice, shielded but close enough to hear everything, and press the far-glass to my nose. Though I know Nero and Zeke are behind me, I can’t see them. They’re well-hidden.
Dawn’s a good time to attack. With any luck, the small handful of vampires that run the camp will be deep in slumber. The human guards will just be waking up. They’ll be sleepy and disoriented. Near useless.
Great Spirit, please let this go off without a hitch. Please let those poor people finally be free.
The prisoners will be rising too, awakened by the morning bell. They’ll be streaming to the breakfast hall, jockeying for a spot in line. Everyone learns not to be slow. There is no imported meat here, no rich and creamy soups, no steaming cups of off-world coffee. At the camps, we only eat what we can grow, catch, or forage. If you’re at the back of the queue, you’ll likely starve.
What will they make of the fighting? If they’re anything like me, they’ll huddle inside, afraid to move. The idea of a prison break wouldn’t even occur to them. It wouldn’t have occurred to me. Only people with hope dream of being rescued, and hope is the first thing they take from you in Glacis.
Alerted by the noise, guards pour out of the camp. A group of well-armed people jumps out of the chopper, ready for battle. I do a quick count. There’s just eight of them. How can that possibly be enough?
The enforcers form a wall. “Stop where you are,” the leader of the troop calls out, her voice loud, but with an undertone of fear. “Or we will be forced to shoot.”
Lula Kenner strides forward. Back in the Overlord’s chamber, she’d seemed timid to me. Weak. Not today. Today, her shoulders are straight, her manner, confident and commanding. She is wearing a thick layer of purple sunblock to prevent the sunlight from burning her skin, and she’s resisting the pull of deep slumber. She carries a gun in each hand, and she brings the weapons up, slow and sure. “You know the penalty for plotting to kill a vampire, Kati Anzel. Death to you, the re-education camps for your family.”
The leader stays where she is, her weapon held high. “You aren’t authorized to enter. Leave now.”
Lula Kenner’s fangs drop. “Oh, I intend to leave. Just not alone.”
Two people flank the vampire, also holding guns. The one on the left looks familiar, and I train the far-glass to her face. It’s Joanna Placzek, shielded and armed to the teeth. When did Joanna learn how to fire a weapon?
Then I take in the man at the vampire’s right, and a thrill of shock runs through me, because it’s someone that I don’t expect to see there. Not at all.
It’s the Overlord’s chosen champion. Tomas Cabal.
What the hell is going on?
Kati Anzel holds firm. The guards behind her, on the other hand, shuffle their feet, their guns wavering. These enforcers work for the Overlord and are tasked with protecting his re-education camps, but they still grew up on Boarus 4. No one wants to shoot a vampire. Even if it was in defense of the camps, no one trusts the Overlord to protect them.
In the end, our needs are simple. We all just want to live.
“You have one more minute,” Lula Kenner says, her voice clear and cold.
There’s more wavering. Muted conversations break out behind Kati Anzel. She senses their uncertainty. “Hold firm, soldiers,” she cries out. “The Overlord will reward us for our actions.”
Mentioning Zimmer is the wrong thing to do. Half the guards drop their guns. The other half hold, but only just.
Then Kati Anzel pulls the trigger of her gun, and the massacre begins.
Over and over, Lula Kenner fires with terrifying accuracy. At her left, Joanna picks off stray guards as if she’s been doing this all her life. Tomas Cabal strikes with the lethal precision of a trained assassin. Within minutes, almost before it began, the battle is over. The guards are all down, dead or wounded.
Joanna throws the gates open and sets off in a run. Tomas hangs back. He moves among the fallen soldiers, stripping each one of their weapons. When he’s done that, he pulls out his comm and types something into it. I swing my far-glass to the screen, but it’s shielded by his arm, and I can’t see who he’s talking to.
The camp residents come out, slow and disbelieving at first, and my focus shifts to them. I watch the realization sink in that they’re free. I watch their faces change as hope slowly wipes away despair. Lula Kenner embraces a tall, thin woman with curly gray hair. A human partner, Saber had said. He’d been right. The two of them kiss, and even from this distance, I can see the tears sparkle on their faces.
Joanna searches through the crowd for her brother. Then Mical runs out, still too-thin, too-skinny, but laughing, and he hugs her tight.
I watch for almost thirty minutes, tears pouring down my cheeks, as the residents laugh and cry and hug and dance for joy.
Then I get to my feet once again.
Olaf Vander is dead.
The camp residents have been freed.
Lula Kenner seems more than capable of bringing down the Overlord.
My colony is in good hands at last.
Time to get the remaining flags and win this thing.
I lift my tent sail and climb on my trusty plastic board. The wind picks up, and my sail fills quickly. I start to glide forward, skimming the surface of the ice. As I gather speed, I laugh aloud in sheer glee. The near-constant worry I’ve felt since FirstDay falls away from me.
I feel like I’m flying.
I get the third and the fourth flags in the first two hours. The fifth takes longer. The winds prove uncooperative, and I keep getting blown off course. It’s almost six in the evening by the time I retrieve the final flag.
Home stretch now.
For about an hour, the wind blows my way. I lose myself in my fantasies. A nice hot shower. Clean clothes. A soft bed to sleep in. Maybe Saber, Nero, and Zeke will join me in the bath. It’ll be a tight fit, but we’ll make it work.
Then, when I’m so close to the finish line that I can taste the victory, the wind dies down completely. Argh.
I pull out my map and check the distance I have to go. It’s not too bad. The finish line is a two-hour walk. I could wait for the wind to pick up again, but that might not happen before I run out of daylight.
Or I could walk.
I mutter a curse under my breath. It couldn’t be easy, could it? But I’m not too worried. Yes, it’s brutally cold, and yes, it’s going to suck to trudge through Glacis, but in the grand scheme of things, I’ll live.
I started this tournament in the dark. Looks like I’m going to finish the same way.
I leave the plastic board where it is, reasoning that I’m not going to need it. My tent, I fold and tuck into my backpack. Come on, Raven, I tell myself bracingly. You can do
this.
Losing myself in a daydream of the three vampires bathing with me, I don’t hear the person approach until they’re almost on me.
34
Raven
Boarus 4
Sundown, TwelfthDay of FourthMonth
My first reaction is panic. The Overlord’s sent more enforcers, I think, fear surging through my body. I reach for my stick—I’ve returned the gun to Zeke—but stupid me, I’ve put it away in my pack.
Taking a deep breath, I turn to face my attacker.
But it’s not one of the Overlord’s enforcers, sent to kill me. It’s Tomas Cabal.
“Hello, Raven.” The corners of his lips tilt up. “I figured I’d run into you before the finish line.”
He’s back in the race? But he was shooting up guards in the re-education camps only a few hours ago. How is he connected with everything?
Another realization runs through me, one with more immediate consequences. He’s made really good time with his skis, and I’m walking. The wind’s picking up again, but my piece of plastic is at least an hour’s walk behind me.
I’m going to lose the Night of the Shayde.
I’ve screwed up. So much for the hopes and dreams of all the miners. “Congratulations,” I tell him dully. “The skis were a clever idea.”
“Not as clever as an ice boat.” His smile widens, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “But your congratulations are premature. I’m not planning on winning this tournament, Raven. You are.”
“What?”
“You heard me.” His expression hardens. “Overlord Zimmer was so convinced I was going to win the tournament and free him from his mountain of debt, but alas, he’s wrong. I’m throwing the race, Raven. At a critical juncture, just when everyone’s watching, I’m going to fall and sprain my ankle. You’ll stop and offer to help me, but I’ll bravely wave you forward.” His lips curl into a cold smile. “You’ll win, and Overlord Zimmer will lose.”
I gape at him. The plan is diabolical. Nobody walks away from Oensi debt, not if they want to live. The Federation always collects. Cabal’s been plotting Zimmer’s destruction right from the start. “Who are you?”
“I’m Tomas Cabal. I live in Sector 1. My parents are bitten humans. That’s all you need to know, really.”
His smile turns warmer. “You deserve to win. You didn’t have to help us at the start, and yet you did. Everyone is rooting for you, Raven. Your victory would mean something to every single human on Boarus 4.”
The praise makes me uncomfortable. “I’m not anyone special.”
“You’re a symbol of endurance, Raven. That’s why people care. You survived Glacis. You survived the mines. They see themselves in you.” He nods pleasantly. “The drones are patrolling the final stretch. The enforcers will alert everyone as soon as someone gets close to the finish line. There should be quite a crowd waiting for us.” He lifts his hand in farewell. “Don’t forget to come over and ask me if I want help when I ‘sprain’ my ankle.”
He sets off, moving quickly and surely over the ice. I stare at his departing back, more confused than ever.
It’s dusk by the time I spot the finish line. Tomas Cabal was right. The bright lights of the holo networks illuminate the twilight, and crowds are gathered everywhere, humans and vampires. I can hear them cheer. The Overlord’s enforcers are shouting out Tomas’ name, spurring him on, but underneath, there’s a more subversive chant. Raven, Raven, Raven…
Matters are coming to a head. If everything goes well, in less than twelve hours, I’ll be in space. Safe for the first time in days.
If everything goes well… There’s a small and terrified part of me that’s expecting to be arrested the moment I cross that line.
I will my muscles to relax, will the tension to leave my body. Saber, Nero, and Zeke won’t let anything happen to you. Trust them.
True to his word, Tomas is less than twenty minutes away from crossing the line when his skis seem to slip out from under him. He goes down with an anguished yell. The waiting crowd sees him fall. Cries of shock echo in the stands. “Get up,” I hear people shout. “Cross the line. You can do it.”
I’m too far away to see the Overlord’s face. Too far away to see his reaction. He’s got to be on edge.
I start to run toward Tomas. “Are you okay?” I call out as I near him. “Let me help you up.”
“Excellent.” His voice is a whisper, barely audible in the crowd noise. “The running was a nice touch. Look anxious. Zimmer will have a far-glass trained on us.” His face contorts in pain, and I instinctively reach for him, before realizing that this is all an act for the Overlord’s benefit. Tomas Cabal is good. Scarily so.
“Let me help you up.”
I hoist him to his feet, trying to prop him up. He sways for an instant, leaning heavily against my shoulder, and then he crumples once again, his expression agonized. “I can’t walk,” he says, loud enough that the avidly attentive crowd can hear us. “You go ahead. Win the tournament.”
In the background, I hear the roars. The chapping. The chanting. Tomas, Tomas, Tomas…
Great Spirit, the crowds love this. They’re eating up Tomas’ performance. “I’ll help you. We can make it.”
“No, Raven. I can’t put any weight on my leg. My ankle is broken. I can’t walk.” He gives me a brave smile. “Without your help at the start, I would have never got this far.” There’s pathos in his tone and frail bravery. He should be in the holos. “This victory belongs to you. Take it.”
The crowd starts to chant again. Raven, Raven, Raven…
For the benefit of the watching people, I embrace Tomas. Then I start walking forward, my steps keeping time to the claps and cheers. As I get closer, I see Saber standing next to Prince Ragnar, Nero and Zeke a half-step away. They’re smiling encouragingly at me, willing me forward.
This is it.
I take a deep breath and cross the finish line.
I’ve won.
Now what?
35
Nero
Boarus 4
Sundown, TwelfthDay of FourthMonth
Merin’s a go.
Zeke’s obtained the access codes to Zimmer’s ship. We’re ready to steal it.
We just need to find the right moment. The moment when all eyes aren’t on Raven. A few seconds of inattention and we can slip away.
That moment isn’t now. Klaus Zimmer is working himself into a towering rage. He’s undoubtedly heard about the events at the re-education camps, but they’ve hushed it up. The Overlord’s pretending that everything’s normal and doing his best to keep Ragnar from discovering what’s going on. Little does he know that Ragnar’s in contact with Lula Kenner.
“You cheated,” he hurls at Raven. “Your ice boat broke the rules. You’re disqualified.”
Raven’s face turns pale. Saber steps forward, intervening on her behalf. “Think very carefully before you accuse my human, Overlord Zimmer,” he says icily, moving next to her. “Your words have consequences here.”
Ragnar raises an eyebrow. “Cheating, Klaus? Come on now, don’t be a sore loser. I was here when you announced the rules. You were quite clear. No skimmers.”
“She broke the spirit of the rules,” Zimmer insists.
“Your champion is using skis,” Saber points out. “I suppose that’s okay?”
Ragnar bites back a smile. “A valid point.” He nods decisively. “Congratulations, Raven Unnuk,” he says, raising his voice so everyone around him can hear. “The newest champion of the Night of the Shayde.”
The crowd has been muttering restively, but at his announcement, they start cheering again. Ragnar lets them celebrate for a few minutes and then looks around. Silence falls instantly. “There’s going to be a banquet in Zimmer’s palace in honor of your victory,” he says, looking at Raven. “I’d be delighted if you allowed me to accompany you there.” He gives Saber a sidelong look. “I’m quite looking forward to getting to know you.”
Fuck.
> Raven isn’t wounded. There’s no way Ragnar can smell the taint on her, but I’d still prefer to keep them separated. If the prince finds out the truth, everything will come crashing down.
Ragnar is giving Raven an expectant look.
Saber’s fingers are clenched into fists. Zeke is frowning. But there’s nothing we can do without making the prince suspicious.
Or so I think.
Raven drops to her knees, keeping her head lowered. “I’m honored, my Prince,” she whispers. “But…”
“But what?” Ragnar quirks an eyebrow.
“It embarrasses me to approach you as I am, my Lord. I’ve spent three days in the ice deserts. I humbly beg permission to shower and refresh myself before the banquet.”
I hold my breath, waiting for Ragnar’s reaction. To my intense relief, he smiles indulgently. “Of course. By all means.” He turns to Saber. “Let’s walk together,” he suggests. “We can have a shot of slenti before Raven joins us.”
I guess we’re heading to the banquet, whether we like it or not. Surely, when everyone’s distracted by food and drink, we can make our escape.
So many moving parts. So many points of failure. It would take a miracle for us to be able to pull this off.
36
Raven
Boarus 4
Past Midnight, TwelfthDay of FourthMonth
There’s a gown laid out on the bed in my room. It’s red in color, as red as blood, sweeping to the floor, made of the softest fabric I’ve ever felt in my life. It’s the most beautiful dress in the galaxy.
“Do you like it?” Zeke’s standing in the doorway, looking at me. He’s dressed in his formal uniform, dark navy blazer, navy woolen pants with two red stripes down the sides, and a red, peaked hat. He looks official. Different. But his smile is the same, warm and friendly and kind. Zeke is always kind.
