by Aileen Erin
“I can take care of myself, and you have plans. Just because a halfer fifteen hundred miles away is being brutally ripped apart by savage, diseased dogs doesn’t mean I will be. At least hopefully not tonight.” I tried to laugh, but Roan just stared at me.
“I know you’re capable of handling everything on your own, but we both know it’s better if I go with you. No one will bug you if we’re together.”
I didn’t want to mess up his night, but if he was offering, I couldn’t afford to refuse him. “You’re right. I hate it, but you’re right. Will you please walk with me?” I asked as I put my backpack on.
“That’s why I offered.” He pulled me toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get you home. I know how you like that beauty rest.”
I gave him a small smile. “Sleep is very important. Critical even.”
Roan opened the door, holding it for me. “I’m aware.” He might have heard it from me a time or two.
“Well, as long as you know.” I set the lock for the warehouse and then quickly undid my braid. I bent my head down, letting my long hair fall to shield my face as we stepped into the crowded streets. I tried to wear neutral colors that didn’t attract any attention. Since I hadn’t even broken a sweat tonight, I kept on my black active leggings and tank top. I pulled the hood of my thin gray hoodie up over my head. Patrol bots zoomed overhead, scanning everyone. I’d yet to be picked up by facial rec, and I was doing everything I could to make sure it stayed that way.
Someone bumped into my shoulder as they pushed through the crush of people, and Roan pulled me closer to his side.
A ship flew low over the mishmash of buildings in Albuquerque’s warehouse district. The engines were so loud I had to cover my ears. I watched it disappear from view but kept looking up for a second. Smog and light pollution hid any inkling of the night sky overhead, but I still tried to make out the stars. Hoping to see something to wish on. Hoping that something would change. But it never did.
A Tykson revved its engine down the street. The single-person, hovering motorcycle was on the wish list of every eighteen-year-old I knew, except me. I was saving every penny I had to buy my own ship so that I could safely get off this planet. It was my only chance at not getting caught. Another solid five years of saving, and I might be close to having enough.
The blast of air under the Tykson spat dirt along my leg as it zoomed past. “Asshole. SpaceTech isn’t even attempting to clean up the city anymore.”
Roan ignored me because I could go on forever once I started on the company. “Haden stopped by during your intermediate class.”
I winced. I’d seen my ex stop by, but thankfully I hadn’t talked to him. “What’d he want?”
We separated for a second to let someone pass between us. The side streets were way too crowded tonight. It was making me antsy.
“Jorge has a new recruit for you to train.”
“Oh. Really?” Jorge was the head of the ABQ Crew. He’d been the one that found me and my mom eleven years ago when we first got to New Mexico. He set us up with a safe place to live and papers to make us able to work and we were finally able to stop running. I owed him everything. In return, I trained his recruits so they could help patrol the streets. Someone had to make Albuquerque safe, and SpaceTech wasn’t doing shit. This city owed a lot to the Crew, even if SpaceTech viewed them as a vigilante gang.
“Guy a year older than us wants in. He’s got some medical training, so he’ll be an asset, but he has to learn how to handle himself in case shit ever goes bad.”
“I can do that. He’ll have to start in my beginner class, just like everyone else. No bitching about being in class with kids.”
“That’s fine. He’s already agreed and won’t be complaining. He’ll be there tomorrow.”
“Frosty.” Teaching was the only thing I actually liked doing on Earth. It made me feel like I was making a difference.
“And…”
Oh boy. Roan never hesitated to say anything unless he was about to piss me off. “What?”
“Haden wanted to talk to me about something more personal,” Roan said as he pulled me back to his side again.
“More personal? With you? You’re not even friends with him.”
“He uh… He wanted my opinion on how to get back together with you.” Roan blocked his face, as if I’d hit him.
I rolled my eyes, and Roan stood straight again.
God. Haden was a bad decision that apparently wasn’t going away. “No. He thinks he wants to get back together with me.”
Roan laughed. “How is him thinking he wants to be with you different than him actually wanting to be with you?”
“Because as soon as we’re together, he’ll start whining again. I’m not opening up. I’m not letting him in. Blah. Blah. Blah. He’s got this picture of what we’d be like in his mind, but when it’s not actually like that, all he does is complain. I couldn’t ever be myself around him.” And that had been the downfall of our relationship. “Honestly, I’m starting to think I’m not built to be with anyone. Haden was sweet, caring, has a good business. In his spare time, he cooks for the homeless with the Crew. On paper, he’s pretty perfect. Maybe even too perfect. But he kept calling and calling and calling. The more he called the more I wanted him to leave me the hell alone. He doesn’t deserve that. He should have a girl that actually wants to answer his calls.”
“Well, you’re the girl he wants. Haden showing up to talk to me? That takes balls.”
“I guess, but don’t you think it’s a sign that you’re my best friend and you’re not friends with him?”
“No. He’s in the Crew, just like us. Which means he’s already been vetted. And I’m not in the relationship. That’s just you and him. He really wants to try to see what’s between you two, and you say he’s perfect on paper, so maybe he’s worth another shot?”
Christ. Enough with this already. “Don’t make me feel bad about it. I didn’t feel a connection with him, and I tried. That’s it. It’s over.”
“But did you try? Did you open up to him?” Roan raised his voice over the sounds of the people around us as we moved through a crowded intersection. “Did you tell him about your dad?”
“Are you crazy? No. Of course I didn’t tell him about my dad.” The only people that knew exactly who and what I was were my mother, Roan, and Jorge. Telling Haden was too big of a risk. One I couldn’t afford to take.
“Maybe you should’ve.”
I shrugged off his suggestion. “I just didn’t get that feeling. That click. And I knew I couldn’t tell him the truth.”
“But you told me like five minutes after we met, and I’ve never said anything.”
I glanced at Roan for a second as we waited for the next crosswalk to light up. There were too many people around to really talk openly, but I knew what he meant. Roan could’ve turned me in and become one of the richest people on Earth. The bounty on an average halfer was big enough to set a person up for life. But the bounty on me and my mom? It was astronomical. But he hadn’t turned me in. I’d be shocked if he told me he’d even considered it.
Roan stared at me pointedly, giving me his best see, it’s okay to open up expression. But he was wrong. For me, opening up meant death.
“You’re different. I trust you.” I wasn’t sure what was different about him, but it was a gut feeling. I’d learned the hard way to trust my gut, and it said that hanging out with Haden was okay—he was damned pretty to look at—but nothing more.
“You could always just date me,” he said way too loud, and I laughed. He gave me one of his big, infectious grins.
The light changed, and we started making our way closer to the intersection. Some girl pushed me into Roan as she wove past us. “Aww! Give him a chance. He’s cute!”
I snorted. “Nope. Not happening.” The idea of being with Roan was icky. I didn’t have a sibling by blood, but Roan was more than my friend. He was my brother. He felt the same way, but we hung out so much everyone l
iked to think we were a couple. It’d turned into an inside joke with us.
Roan cupped his hands around his mouth. “Thanks for the support.” He climbed up the light pole to stand above the swarm of the people moving across the intersection in all directions. “Maybe you could meet me one night? I chill at Starlite every Thursday. It’s iced,” he shouted.
The girl laughed and waved as she disappeared from sight.
Roan looked down at me. “I might have scored a date!”
His grin was infectious. “Dude. You’re living in dreamville. She didn’t even turn to wave at you.”
“No way. I’m so in with her. Trust me.”
I laughed a real, gut-deep laugh for the first time in weeks.
He gasped, pretending to be hurt. “If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d be offended right now.”
“That’s why I love you. Now will you get down from there before we get into trouble.” He was attracting way too much attention.
“Don’t worry so much.” He hopped down. “I love you, too. I just wish you could be happy.”
“I’m as happy as I can be given my circumstances.” That had to be good enough.
He dragged me across the intersection as the light changed to yellow.
I jerked my hand from his. Roan knew I didn’t like to break any laws—even jaywalking—but it was already too late. We were the only people in the intersection now and that was bad. I hurried across, dragging Roan behind me.
“Chill out. It’s still yellow,” he said as the light turned to red.
Shit.
“Freeze!” A booming voice came from behind us. “IDs. Now.”
I froze as ordered and closed my eyes. The words echoed in my ears. IDs. Now. IDs. Now.
I couldn’t show him my ID. It would never pass an official inspection, but running now would be worse.
This so wasn’t happening. It was a bad dream. A nightmare.
I opened my eyes to find a SpaceTech police officer standing in front of us in his navy and gray uniform. He didn’t have any medals over his right pocket, so I knew he was a newbie, but that was almost worse. Newbies liked to find ways to prove themselves. The traffic and commotion around us had stopped as lookie Louies all stared, waiting to see what the officer was going to do to us.
“What’s the problem, officer?” I asked in what I hoped would be a calm voice, but the sound came out way too high-pitched.
Roan grabbed my hand, and I wove my fingers with his.
“After your buddy here climbed that light pole—which as you know is official SpaceTech property—you crossed the intersection on a yellow.”
“I’m sorry, officer. We didn’t notice it had turned yellow until we were already in the intersection. It won’t happen again,” I said a little too quickly.
The cop’s eyes narrowed as he spotted something behind me. “Halt! Right now!” He lunged past me.
Across the street, some kid took off running. People started yelling as the kid pushed into the crowd, holding a bag in his arms. The cop dashed across the street, missing a speeder by a fraction of an inch.
Roan dragged me to the curb so that traffic could start again, but I could barely move. I stood there frozen as people moved around us on their merry way. Meanwhile, my world had been seconds away from ending.
I tried to calm down, but all I could hear was my heartbeat thundering in my ears, as if it was urging me to run-run, run-run, run-run, yet my feet stayed firmly in place.
“Maité?”
I swallowed, but I couldn’t speak. Not yet. I wasn’t even sure how to process the fear that still coursed through my veins. I felt Roan’s arms wrap around me and I crumpled against him, my forehead resting on his sternum.
“Just breathe.”
Roan was quiet for a second and a moment later, the sound of a pod stopping to hover in front of us made me jerk away from him.
I blinked a few times at the bright yellow, double-capacity pod. I almost didn’t believe it was there. “You called a cab?” They travelled on tracks above the human-driven vehicles and had a sharp fee.
“I think we’ve had enough excitement for one night. My treat.”
As we sat down in the cab that smelled way too much of body odor and cheap booze, I wondered how long I could actually keep hiding. My heart-shaped face made me look all too much like a female Aunare. I wasn’t as tall as their women—they were six feet at a minimum and I was five feet, seven inches. But if the shape of my face didn’t give me away, the size of my eyes might. They were a little too big. Thankfully, I had my mother’s light brown eye color instead of the brighter shades of Aunare blues and greens. Still, if anyone looked too closely, they’d know I was a halfer.
Roan took out a small case from his pocket. He carefully opened it, pulled out the fingernail-sized device inside, and flipped it on. The tiny piece of tech would disrupt all video and sound recording that SpaceTech mandated for every public transportation vehicle. Which meant that now we could safely talk. “Are you okay?” Roan said, breaking the silence.
My breath shook as I released the air I’d been holding in. “That was too close.”
Roan pulled me into his chest, squeezing me tight. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have rushed through the light. And I really shouldn’t have climbed the light pole. My flirting almost got us killed and I’m so fucking sorry. I just… That was so iced. Seriously, Maité. STPF never does that. They never stop people on the street. They have bigger problems and they—”
“I know.” That wasn’t the point. That wasn’t why I was freaking out. “How much longer do you think I can keep hiding? Really. I mean, let’s be honest here. It’s only a matter of time before I do something wrong or someone notices. I can’t change what I am. I’m terrified that—”
Roan pulled away and grabbed my face. “You won’t get caught.”
“You don’t know that.” There was every chance that sooner or later, someone would catch me. Every couple months SpaceTech would remind the world who my mother and I were. My mother had altered her appearance some and the aging they’d done on my toddler picture wasn’t totally accurate. It was the only reason no one had turned us in yet. But someday someone would look at me and they wouldn’t see Maité Martinez. No. They’d see Amihanna di Aetes. Daughter of Rysden di Aetes, head of the Aunare military and second to the King.
And when that happened, there would be no more running from my fate.
* * *
Chapter Three
* * *
I’d never been happier to be home as I was that night. Roan had paid the exorbitant cab fare and then left on foot to Starlite as soon as I’d entered the apartment building. He’d asked me to join him, but the close call with the cop had me on edge. All I wanted to do was hide in my darkened room for the next day or ten. But as I approached my front door, voices seeped into the cement-lined hallway.
For a second, I dismissed them, but Mom’s sing-songy voice rose above a deeper one and I stopped walking.
We rarely had anyone over at all and never at this hour. Something was going on, and it couldn’t be good.
I tip-toed the rest of the way, pressing my ear to the door.
“I tried to get ahold of you. I really did.” Mom’s voice was muffled, but I could make out her words. “But how could I know if he’d come for Maité after all these years?”
It felt like a noose slithered around my chest and tightened. Someone had come for me. But who?
In between the next three heartbeats, a few scenarios ran through my mind.
One. The cop from earlier had sent another officer to bring me in, but SpaceTech Police Force didn’t move that fast, especially for an idiotic ticket.
Two. SpaceTech had found us. Two of Earth’s Most Wanted. But if that were true, then there would be fighting and screaming and the sounds of my mother begging for them to leave me alone.
And then the third idea came and I took a big breath. There was only one other possibility. They we
re here. The Aunare were here. I’d stopped dreaming my father or the Aunare would show up to rescue us years ago. I wasn’t sure what this meant except that my life was about to change in a huge way.
The fluttering in my stomach started small and crescendoed into thousands of flying butterflies. I wasn’t sure if it was excitement or nerves, but specifics didn’t matter.
Better face this now.
I slid my backpack off my shoulders and unlocked the door.
Want to read more?
Off Planet, Book One of the Aunare Chronicles.
Releases March 19, 2019!
Click here to preorder!
Also from Ink Monster, for fans of Hex Hall, The Magicians, Practical Magic, and Food Wars!
Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge
Book One in the Spellwork Syndicate.
Click here to order!
Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad no one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.
* * *
Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.
* * *
The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.
* * *
