by D. A. Hicks
“First-year,” Captain Weston called out to me.
Time to go home, but first I had to deal with the consequences of everything I’d done tonight—sneaking out of the Epoch, riding in a vehicle next to Ry, sailing across the bay with Tek, and saving Ari. No, I wasn’t sorry at all for any of it. I wasn’t sorry for wanting more. I pursed my lips to chase the grin off my face before I turned to face Captain Weston and Ry.
Mak had already left the bar, and all the commandos kept busy outside searching the marina. At least we were alone in here, and I wouldn’t be getting my ass chewed out in front of Ry’s entire unit. Thank the Titan for small favors.
The wide gash on Ry’s temple dripped with her silvery blood. It glittered and bubbled before it healed completely. The process was so fast it was as if I had imagined her wounds, though looking around the room, I knew that wasn’t the case.
Ry stood tall, oozing strength and confidence. Her shiny hair draped her shoulders, framing her pink cheeks as if her face were a work of art. After tumbling around the dirty floor of the bar fighting Mak, her skin should be covered in soot, yet it wasn’t. Captain Weston and my sister made quite a pair—flawless, impossibly beautiful, and lethal.
Captain Weston’s intense blue eyes under thick brows regarded me with the same disdain as the rest of Ry’s unit. He pressed his lips together, and his strong jaw flexed. For a beat, I imagined running my hands through his blond hair. It looked so soft and shiny, like strands of gold. Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad to be killed by someone as handsome as him.
Wait, what? What the hell?
I glanced at Ry. She gave me a one-shoulder shrug in a silent apology for messing with my emotions. Compulsion wasn’t going to get me out of this or make it better.
When I met Captain Weston’s murderous gaze, butterflies fluttered in my belly. But not the good kind. They flapped then dropped to the bottom of my stomach like pieces of lead. Shit. At this point, I’d be lucky if my punishment only consisted of several weeks in solitary confinement. With Ry’s influence gone, I had to use all the willpower I could muster to keep my feet planted on the wooden planks and not crawl under a table as he approached me.
“Eyes forward, first-year.”
“Sir.” I stood at attention when he rounded on me.
“Out of uniform. And out of place.” Captain Weston gripped my arm.
“Sir,” Ry said. Shattered glass crunched under her boots as she rushed to my side. We stood together surrounded by broken chairs and tables.
“Stay out of this, Lieutenant.” He tightened his hold on me. “Take a look outside, first-year.” Captain Weston pointed at the wide window behind him where the sunrays sparkled over the water near the docks. “You’re going to spend the remainder of your tour in solitary. I hope it was worth it.”
I kept my gaze forward, biting my tongue to keep from telling him the truth. Of course this entire night had been worth it. Tek and Ari showed me there was life outside of immortality. Being mortal didn’t make me weak. I didn’t have to be afraid of everything like Ry and Wela wanted me to be.
“Where were you from midnight until oh-six-hundred? Who helped you escape?”
Escape? I shot him a glance, then focused straight ahead. “Sir, after we downloaded, I came to this bar. Then borrowed a ship from the marina and sailed to the middle of the bay. I stayed there until sunrise, sir.”
“How did you get from the fields to here?” His breath brushed my cheek, and a cold spasm gripped my spine.
Why the interrogation tactics? Leaving the orbiter without authorization wasn’t exactly a crime of the highest order. “I never made it to the fields, sir.”
“Don’t lie. Who did you meet there? How did you get back after you set off the explosives?”
My throat swelled up and made it hard to breath. “I never made it to the fields, sir,” I repeated with as much conviction as I could.
“Who was with you?”
Tears brimmed my eyes as gory images of Tek covered in blood flipped through my mind. I opened my mouth to say no one, but in my mind a commando picked up Tek off the ground and dragged him toward the flames. This wasn’t real. Captain Weston was using influence to put fear in me. He knew my brain would fill in the rest.
I fought the urge to say Tek’s name. If Captain Weston found out Tek helped me, he might go after him and Ari. I couldn’t do that to him. The flitting thoughts continued as Tek was shoved forward into the fire. The screams felt like someone had punched a hole through me.
“Answer now.”
Tek’s scream intensified. As if I were in a waking nightmare, I saw blood everywhere, I saw him dying. I saw him taking my hand in the storage room right before we took off together.
“Tek Dar. He’s a local.” I squeezed my eyes shut to ease the burn from my unshed tears.
“Is he the one who set the explosives?” The cries of burn victims played in my mind, so vivid and real I could smell the burned flesh. Had that happened?
“I don’t know, sir. He didn’t say.” I focused all my strength on that one truth. Tek never told me he had been involved with the fire. He never said it. I repeated the words over and over in my head.
Please make it stop.
“Eli, please. Let her go. She had nothing to do with the fire. Why would you even think that?” Ry laced her arm through mine, her irises glinted with the usual luminescent purple. “I’m sorry, Catita.” Her words felt as if someone had poured cool water over my sweaty body.
“How could I think that?” Captain Weston turned his deadly glare toward Ry. “She’s inexperienced. She doesn’t know how the townspeople operate. Anyone could have talked her into doing them a favor, carrying something for them, relaying a message. Use your head, Ry. Don’t let your relationship to her cloud your instincts.”
I stood very still. If Captain Weston asked me about our small mission to save Ari, I wouldn’t be able to bend the truth. No doubt the QEC would find a way to link Ari’s fishing trip to the incident out on the fields. Her entire family would be implicated.
“We’ll continue this conversation back on the Epoch,” Captain Weston said.
In the same breath, the tight hold on my spine released, as if a heavy weight had been lifted. I clung to Ry’s arm, welcoming the serenity she offered. I tasted salty ocean water and saw myself swimming next to Tek. Just as we’d done when we jumped into the water to go help Ari. I held on to that memory until my body relaxed and the pain from Captain Weston’s interrogation subsided.
“This was my idea. I talked her into coming down with me. I thought the experience might help with her training. When the explosion out in the fields happened, I sent her to this bar to stay out of trouble.” Ry met the captain’s gaze, not at all affected by the anger in his eyes.
After several seconds, her features soften, and she released a breath. Captain Weston shot a glance toward the window before he stepped toward Ry. “Do you realize what this looks like for her, you, and your entire family?”
“This isn’t the first time a cadet leaves the orbiter to have a drink at the local bar.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“The sneaking out alone doesn’t. But the timing is questionable. Don’t you think?”
“What? You’re seriously thinking my sister had anything to do with the assault? That’s insane.”
“Not really. Put yourself in Lady Sonja’s shoes. The incident at the fields wasn’t something the locals could’ve pulled off on their own. Lady Sonja believes this was an inside job. What do you think is gonna happen when she finds out you brought your sister here without authorization?” He raked a hand through his hair. “Of all the first-years, Ry, you bring her? She can’t be trusted. She shouldn’t even be here.”
I gritted my teeth. Captain Weston didn’t mean here as in Earth. He meant here, as in alive. I couldn’t be trusted because I was never supposed to have been born. “I had nothing to do with the fire. It had already started when we re
ached the outskirts of town.”
The Captain turned his attention to me. “It doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do. You of all people should not even be on this tour. You were allowed in because of your grandmother’s connection to the Forever Queen. Your presence on the Epoch is an insult to Lady Sonja. Do you understand? The General of the fucking army was ordered to let you in.”
Tears stung my eyes. I hadn’t realized that my request to Wela had become a political fiasco. No wonder Ry did everything she could to keep me either training or out of sight.
“I didn’t know.” My voice had a mousy quality to it. “Please don’t put this one on Ry.”
“It’s too late for that. If you’re found guilty, Ry will go down with you.” The blast of anger he shot my way made me shuffle back.
“What does this mean for us, Eli?” Ry stepped in front of me, shielding me, as she always did.
“My guess? You’ll be charged with treason. Lady Sonja would want to use this to get back at Wela. And you made it easier for her by smuggling a first-year out of the Epoch. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that my little sister needed a break. Does Lady Sonja know Catita is on the planet?”
“I don’t think so.” He rubbed his chest, surveying Ry’s face. “When Lady Sonja started talking of inside jobs and treason, Sierra pulled me aside and told me what you had done. She understood the aesthetics didn’t look great for you.”
“Lady Sonja and Wela rarely see eye to eye on anything. But treason? Lady Sonja wouldn’t take it that far.”
“Wanna bet?” Captain Weston braced his hands on his hips.
In the city of Phoenicis, treason was punishable by exile, which was the same as death. Not many could survive outside the city walls. Mom certainly hadn’t.
“Shit. How was I supposed to know a riot would break out exactly tonight?” Ry paced the length of the room.
“It’s a fucked-up coincidence that Lady Sonja will use to her advantage.” Captain Weston faced Ry.
“Can you help us get back to the Epoch?”
Their gazes locked. After an uncomfortable, long minute, Captain Weston released a breath. “Fine.” He reached for her cheek but pointed at me instead. “But she stays in solitary until we’re back on Mars. This was Wela’s bright idea. She can deal with it when you get back.”
“Of course.” Ry nodded and beamed at me as if she’d done me a great favor, which she had, it just didn’t feel like it.
“Wait here another half hour, then go straight to the mothership. Lady Sonja was called back to the fields, but then she’s due to return to the refinery plant on the other side of the bay. That’s when you should leave.”
“Got it. Thank you.” She smiled at him.
“You can’t keep doing this, Ry. Your sister will be the death of your career if you don’t watch out.” The tone of his voice softened, laced with pity for Ry. This time he brushed tresses off her cheek. “She’s not your fault.”
His words were like a kick to the gut. One, because he wasn’t wrong. And two, because now both Ry and Captain Weston were talking about me as if I wasn’t in the room. No doubt this was why her entire unit hated me. Day in and day out, they all had to live with Ry’s guilt and all the shit she did for me because of it.
I stood at attention, eyes forward, as they carried on their conversation. With slow breaths, I took in the room and all the smells—a memory to keep me company in solitary. My body jerked when the door shut with a loud thud.
“He’s gone. You can relax.” Ry picked up a barstool near the door and shoved it against the counter. “Sit.”
I sat and dropped my face in my hands. “I made a mess of things.”
“Technically, the locals made a mess of things. You just happened to be right smack in the middle of it.” She pulled on the beer tap, filled a glass, and slid it across toward me.
I drank from it with big gulps. Anything to numb my brain and chase away the lingering images Captain Weston’s compulsion left behind. “Thank you.”
“It’ll wear off soon.” She sipped from her glass. “Eli can be intense with his tactics, but he’s fair. I know it didn’t look like it, but he was trying to help. He needed to know the truth. I’m sure he didn’t give you the full-on QEC treatment. Trust me, I’ve seen big, bad commandos cry like babies during one of his interrogations.”
“Yeah, sure. I barely felt any of it.” I snorted. “Do you think he’s right? What he said about Lady Sonja using our little escapade to stick it to Wela?”
“I don’t know. Accusing a founder of treason is not something the Forever Queen would tolerate.”
“Yeah, but Lady Sonja is not accusing Wela. She’s accusing us.” I jumped to my feet.
“Stop that. Nothing has happened yet. She doesn’t even know you’re here. Things will blow over once we get to the Epoch and you’re out of sight. So let’s focus on that.” She took a long swig of beer. After several beats, she relaxed her stance and exhaled. “So how was it? Was the Old Planet everything you thought it would be?”
I smiled at the floor. “It was.”
“Who was the guy with you? Did you meet him at the bar? I saw you giving him all kinds of starry eyes.” Just like that, we were back to normal, talking as we did every night in her quarters. Why wasn’t she mad at me?
“You should hate me.”
“I could never do that.” She regarded me with kindness in her eyes. “You’re too important. One day, my unit, Eli, they will all see that too.” She chugged the rest of her beer. “We have time to kill. Come on, tell me about him.”
“He’s actually Alexa’s friend.” I gave her a meaningful look. “What’s the deal with you and her? I’d like to know what happened there.”
Ry set her glass down and blew out air. “I probably should’ve had that talk with you before I sent you off into the wild.”
“What do you mean?”
“Catita, the people here don’t belong in our world. Our superiors don’t mind if we fraternize with them. They even encourage it. But you have to understand that they can never be more than a pastime. That goes for your pretty boy, Tek.”
“Is that what Alexa was?”
“She knew exactly what she was getting into. I was also young and stupid back then, dealing with shit. She got caught up in the middle of it.” She shrugged.
“She’s a little too old for you, isn’t she? I didn’t think she’d be your type.” I teased.
“Don’t be a brat.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Three years ago, she looked more my age.”
How different would Ry and I be three years from now? Or five or ten? The main difference between Ry and Alexa and even me wasn’t distance or social status. It was time. Ry had forever.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She poured herself another drink. “It’s not just about how we look on the outside. We have a duty to the Forever Queen. When the time comes, we all have to do what’s right for our people.” She stared at the foam spilling over her glass. “Locals like Alexa and Tek, they’re not part of that equation.”
When the time came, Ry and I were expected to pair off with someone who was genetically compatible. On Mars, procreation wasn’t something that was left to chance.
“I just met the guy. I wasn’t thinking about having his babies.” I waved my hand in dismissal, forcing thoughts of Tek’s sun-kissed chest and the raw energy I felt every time he touched me out of my mind. “I’m not about to make the same mistake as Mom.”
Because resources were limited, only the Forever Queen could grant permission to have a child. There was a test, a process, for it. Mom had failed it but got pregnant anyway. To add to her disgrace, she ended up conceiving twins. All our lives, Ry and I had had to live with the stigma of what Mom had done.
We were lucky Wela was one of the founders of Phoenicis. She used her influence with the Forever Queen to obtain a pardon for us after Mom conceived on her own without consent. The Forever Queen allowed
me, the spare, to live. After the trial, Mom was exiled from the city of Immortals and left to die outside the Queen’s Gate.
“These tours to the Old Planet, so far from what we’re used to, can be really trying.” She ambled around the bar and wrapped one arm around me. “It got me thinking about what you should do next. I know you want to be able to do more. Be a pilot, live your life like the rest of us. Wela insists on keeping you in the dark, but I don’t think that’s helping.” She puffed out her cheeks and exhaled loudly, looking around the room. “Just look at tonight’s mess. If you knew the truth, none of this would’ve happened.”
“What truth?”
“The truth about why Mom had to die. It just isn’t fair for you.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure where she was going with that. Mom had been exiled for a good reason. She broke the law. “Does that mean you’ll finally put in a good word for me and have Captain Weston transfer me to pilot detail?”
“Dear sister, you can be anything you want. That isn’t up to me.” She tapped on her wristband, and a hologram message popped up. “Looks like the coast is clear. Come on, let’s get you home. And then you and I are going to have a long conversation. I’m tired of Wela’s half truths.”
“I’m okay with that.” I followed her out of the bar. When our laughter died down, the quiet street made me pause. The way Tek talked about fishing, I would have guessed the fishermen’s work started early in the morning. But the marina was a ghost town. “Where’s everyone?”
“Not sure.” Ry shielded her eyes from the sun. “Usually, by now the vendors have their tents set up and the place is a crowded madhouse.”
“After what happened last night with the fields, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lady Sonja sent everyone home.” I fell in step next to her. “I bet they’re searching for whoever started the fire.”
My chest tightened. Even though he hadn’t said it, something told me Tek had been involved with the attack on the fields. I hoped he was smart enough to avoid getting caught. Lady Sonja would not have any kind of mercy on him or his family.
