The name sparked a note of recognition in Lee. “Yes, Fortuna Freight. We use this company often on Agon. I never made the connection.”
Al leaned forward on his seat, settling in, “Yeah, they’ve been at it as long as I can remember. Keep’s them out of trouble, that’s for sure.”
They all nodded absently, Al knew that none of them actually cared about the conversation. Their minds were all on the same thing, even if they were too scared to say it.
“Are we really doing this?” Sara finally said after too long of a pause. “We’re just leaving?”
“We will be back soon enough. There is little to worry about. Zeph assured us that our credits will count-”
“That’s not what I’m talking about, Lee.” She leaned back in her chair and gave a glance towards Roland. “I’m talking about the fact that we’re…we’re running away.”
Lee’s straight back got even straighter, “Sara, please understand that this is far beyond anything we can handle on our own.”
Al was taken back slightly. “You have to realize the danger we’re all in. We don’t even know who, let alone what we are dealing with.”
“Yeah, I was there, remember?” She crossed her arms in a defensive manner. “Those guys were a bunch of freaks for sure – but that means we run away and hide?”
“They were trying to kidnap Al and are most likely working with the Man of Mist. That alone should be enough for us to be afraid, and now after what they did to Sky, there is no telling what they will do.” Lee kept his voice low, but urgent.
Sara stared blankly at him for a beat, “What?” It looked like she wanted to laugh it off, but the intensity behind Lee’s eyes kept her attitude in check, “What do you mean, ‘what they did to Sky’? He seemed fine when we left, and he seems fine now.”
Al couldn’t believe it, “Nobody told you?” No wonder it seemed like they were on completely different pages, but it was true, Sara never showed her face when all the commotion was going on, “Last night Soul grabbed Sky from his room and dropped him in the Snow where he got possessed by a Fury.”
Sara’s face went white. “What?”
“These guys aren’t joking around.” Al didn’t like the way her eyes drifted away and her face hardened into a mask of emotion he couldn’t place. “We’ll be safe on Haigon.” He couldn’t tell if she was scared, worried, or angry. “Sara?” He said softly, trying to call her back.
She stood quickly without a glace at either one of them and headed straight for the door.
**********
Sky hadn’t even had time to exhale as the door to the Common’s whooshed open and he found himself face to face with Sara.
“Fancy meeting you here.” He tried to joke, not quite as uncomfortable as he should have been just inches from her nose.
She pushed him farther back into the hallway and let the door shut behind her. He couldn’t read her expression; he didn’t know what to do.
“They told me what happened to you.” She locked her eyes onto his. “Sky…” she leaned towards him and he froze.
Her arms grabbed onto him and pulled him directly into her and she embraced him securely. He wanted to hug her back, but was afraid if he moved she would stop.
“I will protect you.” She whispered to him, holding onto him, making sure he heard every word, “Once your spirit has been opened to the Fury they will always call for you. My people were the guardians. We know how to fight the Fury and I will protect you.”
“Sara…” He choked on his words, feeling her start to pull away. She must really think I’m pathetic.
Yeah she does. Zar answered. But play it up, she’s a looker.
He saw it there in her eyes, the pity, and something new, something he had never seen in her face before.
“If you tell anyone about this, I will have to kill you though.” She smiled sweetly, trying to mask her fear.
He smiled back and nodded, still lost for actual words.
“I’m not joking. I’ll literally kill you.” She shrugged and walked back towards the commons.
With a long squeal cut short by a crackle, his dad’s voice was filled the air, “Strap in boys and girl. We’re talking off within the next few minutes.” He boomed over the loudspeaker.
“Come on, let’s go sit down.” Sara sighed.
He walked in to all eyes on him, which was an unwelcomed surprise. Pretending not to notice, he weaved through the tables towards Al and Lee and plopped down, leaving the seat next to the window open for Sara.
“Oh, P.S.,” his dad’s voice reverberated around the circular room, “Make sure you like who you’re sitting next to, it will be a bit until we hit open space and interspace law requires you to stay buckled and seated until we do.”
Sky’s shoulders dropped when he noticed old four eyes in the corner across the room. He couldn’t just leave him there by himself.
“Don’t worry.” Al stood up and pushed Sky back down, “I’ve got this one.” Al shrugged as he addressed the rest of the table in a mock whisper, “I’m a lot less likely to get punched in the face.”
Al strode over and dropped down in the seat across from Roland. “Hi, I’m Al, I don’t know that we ever officially met.”
“No we haven’t, but be assured, I know who you are. I was thoroughly briefed on all of you.” Roland said briskly, without looking up from the book he had pulled from his bag.
“Wow, you read Thorton too?” Al nodded towards the book.
Roland looked complacently, his small spectacles rolling down his nose “You’ve read Thorton? I highly doubt that.”
Sky’s stomach dropped, knowing the reason Al loved stories and poetry.
Al closed his eyes and smiled sadly. “My mom liked to write and loved all sorts of poetry. Her favorite was sleep child, by Hugh Thorton, so I made sure to read all his poems.”
Roland looked slightly impressed. “Really?”
Al leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. “Yup. Pretty twisted stuff actually.”
Roland let a smile touch his lips and he looked back down to his book. “Indeed.”
Al let the moment hold and didn’t intrude. It was Roland who broke the silence. “Have you ever been to Haigon before?”
Al shrugged slightly, “Nope. Sky has though, but because it’s classified as a forbidden planet my dad wouldn’t let me go before.”
Roland seemed satisfied with that answer, and began to relax. “I haven’t been there either, but I’ve researched it immensely.”
“Ha. So you like researching eh? Seems like we’ve got a lot in common.”
Maybe Sky’s fear was all for naught. Al and Roland seemed to be hitting it off, which he had to admit, was a relief. In all honesty, Sky didn’t know if he could have handled making idle conversation with that guy at the moment anyway.
“Al is pretty adorable. You can’t help but like him, even Roland didn’t stand a chance.” Sara remarked, following Sky’s gaze.
Sky beamed like a proud parent, “He’s always been good with people, reading them and acting accordingly.”
Lee nodded, “Yes, he is a very agreeable person.”
Sara put her hand to her chin feigning deep contemplation, “I wonder why none of that rubbed off on you, Sky?”
Sky did his best to mimic her thoughtful expression, “I generally rely on my good looks to get me ahead in life, but I understand how some people must rely on other things, such as personality, to achieve the same results. What do you use, Sara?”
Sara smiled her devils grin, “If we weren’t required by law to remain in our seats right now I would be beating you senseless. Just so you know.”
“Oh, I know.” Sky laughed. He snuck a look over to Al who seemed to be keeping up the conversation with Roland just fine.
“Poor Sky misses his widdle Ally-Al.” Sara mocked, having noticed his wandering eyes.
Sky tried to turn on his most dramatic face, “Being without him is like trying to walk without gravity.”
“T
hat is such a nice thing to say.” Lee completely missed the joke.
“But really, I want to talk to him.” Sky slouched down into his chair. “I haven’t gotten a chance to really…” He trailed off.
“Don’t worry about it.” Sara leaned as far forward as she could in her restraints, “They’ll be lots of chances to talk to him when we land, right?” She said cheerfully.
“It’s just…Soul had said-” He started.
“We’re going far away where they can’t get to Al…or any of us.”
“No, that’s not it.” Sky clamped his mouth shut and hung on to his words as long as he could, but eventually they came out anyway, “I think we’ve got them all wrong. Con, and Soul. They aren’t with the Man of Mist.”
“Back up and then start over.” Sara crossed her arms and leaned back with a touch of annoyance, “Are you serious? Who care’s who they’re with – they tried to kidnap Al. That masked freak-show got you marked by a Fury! They aren’t the good guys; that’s for damn sure.”
“They aren’t after the Book of Nine.” Sky cut in. “They were there to protect Al. They were there to protect all of us.”
“Seriously? You were there right?” Her words dripped with sarcasm, “That guy was willing to kill an Iko to get to Al, and you say he was there to protect us!”
“I do agree. They did not act as if they were protecting anything Skyden.” Lee placed a calm hand on the table.
“Soul said it was just an act, so that Marcus would agree to let Al leave.”
“Well it was quite a convincing show.” Sara snorted. “Did Soul say this before or after he tossed you into the Snow?”
Sky stole another glance in Al’s direction. He was still in conversation with Roland, but Sky could tell by the way he was tilting his head that he was listening to every word they were saying. “I still trust him.”
“Are you insane?” Sara looked over to Al and then between Sky and Lee. “I’m not having this discussion anymore.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back in her chair. “You may be stupid and gullible, but I’m not. Those guys betrayed us Sky and that’s all there is to it. I know you want to believe they were your friends, but they’re not, they never were.”
Sky stared at the one black speck that blemished the shiny gloss of the white table. “Soul is my brother.” His voice came out like venom. “He’s my family.”
“Do you understand what he did to you?” She spat. “You don’t do that to family.”
It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that they would hate Soul when all he was doing was trying to save them. “Whatever.” He sulked. This was going to be a long couple of hours.
Sara gave a loud shout as the ship lurched and grinded, “Look!!” She shouted, “We’re moving!”
Sky could tell she wanted to rip her restraints off to get a better look, but honestly, aside from the bridge, she had the best seat in the house.
“Have you never been to space before?” Lee questioned with a mild amusement.
“Are you kidding, I had hardly been on a transport before the start of the school year!” She laughed, her wonder filled eyes glued to the show beyond the glass as the greens and brown of the ground retreated as they made there quick assent towards the black of space.
They kept silent, out of respect for Sara, as she saw their planet for the first time just like the stars saw it. As Archaios became smaller and smaller out the window the look on her face was not just awe, but relief. She had finally gotten away.
His mind drifted as they cruised on towards the jump gate, but kept going back to what Soul had said. He was the son of a Fury. It explained so many things. Like why he always felt like such an outsider, and why his mother had killed herself. It might even explain why Sara detested him - her people’s natural enemies were the Fury.
A laugh from Sara brought him out of his musings. He rubbed at his eyes, not sure if he had been dozing. But, when his eyes had opened, he was sure he had seen Lee’s hand withdraw from Sara’s. The thought of them holding hands briefly while he was spacing out sent a firestorm of rage through his belly. A flash of Lee in agony with a knife in his back assured Sky that his anger wasn’t his own. These weren’t his thoughts. He had to relax. He had to center himself.
Stop it. He told Zar.
You think these living beings are your friends, prince? This ginger giant is trying to pry into your thoughts, you are lucky I am here to stop him. All he can see and hear are your pitiful feelings.
“Sky.” Lee’s calm voice called to him. “You have become troubled.”
That girl, she is afraid of you. Terrified, actually. Zar laughed in a guttural growl. Oh how I would love to see how brightly the Blue Star can burn.
A new rush of resentment swept through him. “I’m trying to focus, just give me a second man.” Sky breathed deep and pushed the thoughts away. Shut up! He opened his eyes to see Sara and Lee staring at him in a fearful wonderment. “I’m fine. Really.”
“You broke the table.” Sara nodded towards the section of table directly in front of him. A large chunk of the thick stone was missing and had somehow ended up in his hand.
“A little glue should fix that right up.” He didn’t remember doing that.
“That was solid stone.” Sara’s eyes darted between him and his hand.
“It wasn’t that solid.” He set down the piece in his hand slowly, “It’s old, probably fragile.”
“This might be more serious then we anticipated.” Lee was genuinely concerned with his eyes trained on Sky.
Sky stared back. He didn’t like the way Lee was looking at him. As if all of a sudden, he didn’t trust him. “It’s no big deal. I’ve just got a lot of pent up…anticipation.”
“What were you thinking about?” Sara looked at him quizzically.
“Why?” He didn’t mean for it to sound so defensive.
A look of offence overtook her look of concern, “Furies find triggers in your subconscious. Thing’s that make you uncomfortable or angry, and they feed off it to control you. But, since you’re so positive you’ve got it under control you probably don’t need my advice.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Sky.” Lee reached across the table and grabbed firmly onto his shaking hand. “A lot has happened to you.” His glanced sternly towards Sara, “We need to be sympathetic towards that. This all must be very hard on you - it is a lot to take in all at once.”
“Thank you, Lee.” He hoped it sounded sincere, because in his heart it was. But in his mind all he could picture was the disgusting things that Lee and Sara probably did when he wasn’t around, intermingled with all the awful and torturous things he could do to Lee to make him pay for it.
Lee pulled his hand slowly away, trying to smile politely.
“I’m sorry,” Sky whispered, horrified at his thoughts, “it’s not me.”
“I know.” He nodded, but Sky could tell he was now thoroughly uncomfortable.
“Don’t.” Sky grabbed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He bent over and let his head hit the cold of the table. “Don’t talk anymore.” He had to clear his head and being strapped in a chair next to what was apparently his ‘trigger’, wasn’t helping.
Sara leaned forward, “Sky, look at me. You’re mind is being played with right now. You need to push that thing out of there.”
“I’m trying.” He pressed his forehead harder into the table, gritting his teeth. He needed happy thoughts. A distraction. He needed to get out of the damn room. Zar, you jerk, knock it off!
He heard a sharp inhale of breath from across the room.
“From far away, across the sea,
I saw an old man looking back at me,
and he told me son you’re far from home,
come tell me why you drift alone,”
Al sang out loudly, the acoustics in the commons bounced the lyrics merrily around the room, “and I said,”
Sky forced himself to
lift his head, mouthing out the first few words before his voice caught up.
“I’m searching, searching for my love,
I lost it to the sky above,
but it crashed back down and I saw it fall,
into the sea in a fire ball.”
It was an old folk song his dad had taught them and had always been their battle cry when things got bad – but usually it was Al who was the one in need of a good chantey.
He and Al belted out the next few verses as loud as they could as Lee and Sara drummed their hand’s to the beat. When the last words of the song faded into a melody of laughter Sky stole a look of thanks to Al.
“What a wretched song.” Roland shook his head with a look of horror.
“Watch your mouth; this isn’t your classroom anymore.” Sara hissed.
“Did you listen to the words? It’s about a man slowly going insane after his wife dies when her ship crashed.” Roland looked between them, “I don’t see how that should cheer anyone up.”
“Because,” Al shrugged, “It makes us glad we’re not him.”
“That’s demented.”
Sky heard the ding of the intercom and his excitement rose – they were out of interspace.
“All right kiddos,” The Captains voice came over the speakers, “Your belts have been unlocked, and you’re free to move about the ship. And by move about the ship, I mean, stay in the Commons until we say otherwise.”
Sky bolted up from his seat and headed across the room towards Al.
“Not so fast, slacker,” Zero stepped into the room and pointed to Sky, “You’re with me. Come on.”
“Seriously?” Sky spun around. It was if fate itself was trying to prevent him from talking to Al.
As he slumped out the door after Zero, he couldn’t help but notice the lingering concern that was hidden behind Lee’s mild expression.
“We’ve got a special mission for you.” Zero growled with a bit more cheerfulness then usual.
“You know, whenever I hear that from you I always end up cleaning something.” He hadn’t been on the ship in almost a year, just the thought of what kind of mess awaited him made his heart sink.
Zero led him to the lift, passed the living quarters, and down to one of the lower levels near the cargo bays. It was a part of the ship he was rarely let into, but that only strengthened to his suspicion that he was about to receive the worst assignment in history.
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