by Chele Cooke
“You deceitful little bitch!” said Maarqyn.
Georgianna smiled back at him. “You will not control any Veniche ever again, Commander. Nor will the Cahlven be able to use us for their own gains.”
Despite the fury in his face, Naltahn’s voice was calm. “How did you know that housing both viruses would not kill you?”
“That was a risk I took. When it didn’t kill me, we administered to everyone else.”
“When you came to the ship to check on Veniche?” Olless said.
Naltahn barely moved, but the small inclination of his head was enough for Olless to jump back a step in submission.
Georgianna met her gaze. “Yes, Olless.”
She wanted to apologise for deceiving her. Olless was the only one she felt she should be apologising to; despite the cold words between them in the past, Olless had been doing as she’d been ordered. She hadn’t known what Naltahn would do to the Veniche under the shield. But she couldn’t apologise to her. Not here, and not in front of Naltahn, who would realise Olless might have helped her in some way.
“And you expect us to… what?” Maarqyn said.
Georgianna returned her gaze to the Volsonnar. She held out her hands and shrugged. “That is up to you. We will allow both Cahlven and Adveni to remain on Os-Veruh, should they wish. However, this land is to remain neutral, under no domain but that of the Veniche. Here, you will answer to us, and leaders we appoint. You will adhere to our laws, and dismantle any weaponry, or protections, you have installed here.”
“Stay here, subservient to you?” Naltahn said.
“Not subservient. But not with any power over our laws or our people. Your people will be treated with respect, should they choose to stay, and we will allow you land to create bases.”
She faced Maarqyn, her smile turning cold to meet the fury in his eyes. “Adveni, too, will be allowed to stay with the same offer, should you decide. But not in Adlai. The Veniche will take ownership of every building and technology installed here as payment for our years of servitude beneath the Adveni. No Adveni will be allowed to own a dreta while on Os-Veruh, whether they were born on this planet or any other.”
Maarqyn’s face was mottled pale as the full realisation hit him. He had agreed to this deal of theirs. He had taken ownership of poisonous fruit, and he could either abandon it, or risk his entire race. After learning so much about the Adveni from Edtroka, she highly doubted that Maarqyn Guinnyr would be remembered fondly in their history books. The Volsonnar who lost them their home planet.
Georgianna looked between them, smiled brightly, and bowed. “We will leave an envoy here.” She pointed to a building across the street. “Once you have made a decision on how you will proceed, you should send your own to let us know, and with meeting arrangements. We will come to discuss terms in more depth.” She gave another small bow. “Good day, Gentlemen.”
Without waiting for any further questions or complaints, or perhaps insults from Maarqyn, Georgianna turned away. She nodded to Beck, who turned with her, and they made their way down the street away from the stunned leaders of the Cahlven and Adveni.
With lethal viruses pumping through her body, and two races left to pick up the pieces behind her, Georgianna felt more powerful than she’d ever felt in her life.
The Cahlven were the first to recover from their wounded egos, sending an envoy to speak to Alec before the sun rose. Upon leaving his shift covering the building beside their meeting place—with Lacie taking over the wait for the Adveni decision—Alec passed along the news that the Cahlven would begin to release the Veniche they had been holding, and the shield would be gone by nightfall.
Georgianna tugged her hood tighter around her face, pulling up her scarf until it covered her nose and mouth. The freeze wind was bitter and burning, even in the shelter between houses outside of the shield. She wondered whether the shield would still be protecting those inside, or if the Cahlven were turfing the Veniche out of the ship as fast as possible.
The shield glittered in the bright morning sun, throwing rainbow light across the snow-covered ground. Deep paths had been carved in the regular thoroughfares, and the snow had compacted and hardened to solid white ice with waist-high walls on either side.
The Cahlven soldiers still stood guard where the path crossed through the shield. A fire had been lit on each side, and shining copper pots hung from black poles over the flames. One of the soldiers scooped up large, double fistfuls of snow and dumped them into the pots, causing new coils of steam to rise from inside. Georgianna wished she could do the same, but she doubted the soldiers would hand over any of their fire stores, and any wood scavenged from the local area would be too wet to burn. Instead, she wrapped her arms tighter around her stomach, and watched.
The bodies moving about beneath the shield were blurry, but she could see the buzz of activity as people passed back and forth, some hurrying and others ambling with large bags and crates. Despite the lack of any formal meetings, the intentions were clear: the Cahlven were packing up. They were wasting no time in their arrangements, and Georgianna wondered how many of them knew what they had done. Were they all aware that the Veniche within their ship were now deadly to them?
At the base of the shield, behind the soldiers, the blue shimmer began to ripple more prominently, and a shadow from the other side solidified and became a head and shoulders, breaking free. The Cahlven pulled himself clear of the static and reached up to rub his hand over his dark hair. He turned to one of the soldiers, and after a brief conversation, looked directly at Georgianna, as the soldier pointed in her direction.
Georgianna straightened up, surprised, as the Cahlven strode over to her, his face splitting into a wide grin. Georgianna smiled in recognition behind her scarf. Tohma looked oddly thrilled as he was blown off course by the wind, tripping as he made the last few steps over to her.
“Georgianna,” he said, ducking into the sheltered space between the houses. He gave her a happy little bow. “It has been too long since we have seen each other.”
Georgianna tugged her scarf down to reveal the rest of her face. She met his beaming smile. “It has, Tohma. How have you been?”
“Most fascinated by the progression of things here.”
Georgianna wasn’t sure whether to laugh or apologise, and yet Tohma appeared almost delighted at the turn of events.
He glanced back at the soldiers outside the shield. “I am assuming you are waiting here to see that we are releasing your kin.”
She shifted and followed his gaze; anything to stop her from having to look at his confusing enthusiasm. She liked Tohma. If things had gone differently, she would still have been working with him. She wondered whether Keiran had remained close to Tohma within the shield, or if it had been too difficult after Wrench’s death. Tohma had been closer to Wrench than any of them.
When she didn’t say anything, Tohma bounced on the balls of his feet. It was hard to tell if it was excitement, or if he was just keeping himself warm. “They are in the process,” he said. “But the weather has changed much since we arrived. It was thought best that our stores be given to your people.”
“Stores?”
“Clothing, and other necessities. Many came to the ship with so little, and the months have destroyed so much.”
Georgianna couldn’t help herself; she smiled. “That’s very kind of you, Tohma.”
“Not my decision, by any means. But I certainly agree with it. Especially if we intend to make good relationship.”
In the months since he had arrived on Os-Veruh, Tohma’s grasp of Veuriq had come along in leaps and bounds. He still held a heavy Cahlven accent, which Georgianna doubted would ever truly leave, and he was formal in his speech. But he didn’t pause between every few words any more, searching for the one he wanted.
“You’re not going, then?” she said. “We weren’t really given an answer on what the Colvohan intends.”
“The Colvohan is leaving. As will most of our number
. However, some will stay.” He grinned as if he’d just been given a large and exciting present. “I am one who will stay.”
Georgianna reached out to clap him on the arm, but then pulled back. They would need to keep their distance for a while, at least until they knew the limits of the virus. “I’m glad, Tohma. I know the others will be pleased to hear you’re staying.”
Tohma nodded. “Olless, as well. She was first to volunteer to remain with the envoy.”
“She was?”
“Oh, yes. I was not present, but I hear there was quite the argument.”
“Argument? Why?”
There was something about Tohma that reminded Georgianna of a bounding animal, thrilled with everything it saw, as the freeze melted away to reveal new growth. Or a small child, trying to soak up all knowledge and experience available. As he leaned closer—apparently not as concerned about the virus as she was—his smile turned mischievous.
“The Colvohan wanted to leave immediately, but Olless fought hard. She insisted they bring other Colvohans in to debate.”
“How many are there?”
“Many. Perhaps I will be able to explain it to you, some day. But for now, you know that there was much fighting through the night. Olless won with small margin, but our Colvohan refuses to remain.”
“Okay. That’s good, right? I mean, the Colvohan is kind of a vtensu.”
Tohma tried to hide a smile behind a stern, flat expression. “But envoy cannot stay without leadership. Olless is Colvohan now.”
“Olless is a Colvohan?”
“Third, uh, Reduced. It is a lower rank, but one that will allow her to remain as leader here, able to make decisions and grow our relationship.”
Georgianna didn’t try to stop her smile. So, maybe she had betrayed Olless with her plan, but now Olless had been promoted. She could only hope that the Emissary—no, Colvohan—wouldn’t be quite as angry about it. “That’s wonderful. Perhaps we should insist on your promotion, too, Tohma.”
He chuckled, and beneath the pink of the cold, she thought she saw a darker flush of warmth in his cheeks. He looked down at his boots.
“That would be nice,” he said. “But perhaps for another day.”
She agreed with him there. After all, now they knew the Cahlven—or at least some of them—were sticking around, they would have a lot to do.
“Well, they weren’t exactly in it for a long haul, were they,” Dhiren said, perching in the tunnel car doorway and letting Braedon crawl up into his lap. He brushed the boy’s hair back from his forehead like he’d been made for the job. “Easy to pack up and go when you haven’t set roots. I imagine it will take the Adveni a lot longer.”
Alec scoffed. “Trying to strip out everything useful, no doubt.”
Georgianna might have rolled her eyes, or chastised Alec for his lack of trust in their negotiations, but she had to admit that he was probably right. Despite their terms, she doubted Maarqyn would want to leave them with one bit of technology they could rip out and take with them. The fact that the Adveni had yet to send anyone to tell them of their decision backed up their distrust. Either the Adveni would leave, giving them as little notice as possible, or they would make the transition as difficult as they possibly could, squabbling over every little thing. Maarqyn would probably send subordinates for that part; Georgianna highly doubted that Maarqyn would be willing to lower himself to make deals with them personally again.
“Do you think they’ll stay?” Halden said. He appeared out of the tunnel car and took a seat beside Dhiren, thigh to thigh. Leaning across him, Halden wrapped his arms around Braedon’s body and lifted his sleepy son into his own lap.
Dhiren watched, impassive, as the child was lifted away from him. But when his gaze moved to Halden’s face, he twisted and was quick to look away.
“No way to know,” Beck said. “I bet they’re engaged in the same arguments over there as the Cahlven were having. Some want to stay, some intend to leave. Either way, it means packing up for them, since we said they can’t stay in Adlai.”
“And they won’t fight?” Halden said.
Beck shook his head. “They would have to be stupid to do that, knowing what they know.”
“Great, so we’re relying on the Adveni being clear-headed?” Keiran said.
Georgianna nudged an elbow into his side, but didn’t disagree with him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tighter in against him. He was warm from the fire, but his skin still smelled of the fresh freeze snow. She turned her face towards him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes for a moment.
“Forget the Adveni and Cahlven for a minute. What are we going to do?”
Georgianna didn’t need to open her eyes; her father’s voice was as clear as ever. She realised then that, had the viruses taken her sight, she wouldn’t have had any problem telling the people around her apart. She was thankful. They were all so different from each other, giving her a rounded view of any topic. She wished everyone could be as lucky as she was to have such a group.
“No matter what the Adveni decide, Adlai will be different,” Alec said. “I doubt many will want to stay.”
Keiran nodded. “Not to mention the great crater to walk around every day.”
“So we head South?”
Georgianna took a slow, calming breath, as she stared at the warm black behind her eyelids. “North.”
“Girl, you must be kidding,” her father said. “In the freeze?”
Lifting her head away from Keiran’s shoulder, she opened her eyes. “Nyvalau was destroyed, too.”
“George is right,” Beck said. “There is nothing waiting for us there. And by the time we got far enough south to begin building, it would be time to head north again.”
“The Cahlven are giving supplies to those leaving the ship,” Keiran said, pulling Georgianna back in against his side. “And there would be better hunting up there. Maybe heading north isn’t such a bad idea. Start building before the heat.”
Her father didn’t look too pleased about being dismissed, but he held his tongue, turning his old carving knife in his hands. He picked up the sharpening stone from his side and scraped the blade along it, making them all cringe at the sound; his own little revenge.
“So back to Nyquonat?” Alec said.
Her father continued to work on the knife, though he now moved it fast enough that the grating was low and bearable.
Beck watched, nodding to himself. “We will need most to remain here. At least for the moment. There is not enough shelter at Nyquonat, and I wouldn’t suggest leaving the Adveni or Cahlven alone down here.”
“Send builders and hunters,” her father said. “People who can build up stores for the Heat.”
They all nodded.
Dhiren set his gaze on Braedon, already fast asleep in his father’s arms, and would not turn away. Georgianna felt a deep sinking in her heart as she remembered his plans to leave. She couldn’t ask him now, not in front of all these people who might try to convince him otherwise. It was his decision to make, and she would not sway him from it, though her heart ached at the idea of him alone again. Her breath quickened at the idea of being without him.
“And any dreta who want to go,” Jacob said, pulling her from her thoughts.
For all his strides forwards, Jacob still shrank back when all eyes turned on him. He stared down at his knees, drawing them tighter to his chest as he wrapped his arms around his legs.
“Jacob is right,” Beck said before anyone could question him further. “Any who want to go should be able. We will not force anyone to remain here with Adveni who harmed them.”
Georgianna met her father’s gaze across the small fire. Even where he sat still, his expression danced in the coiling heat and smoke. She knew that he was wondering whether she would go, or remain. It wasn’t an answer she was ready to give him.
As she leaned against him, Georgianna could feel Keiran twitching, almost wrestling with himself. She turne
d to him, her eyes narrowing in confusion. He, like Jacob, stared at his knees.
“Alec, would you lead a hunt with me?” he said, finally. “Maybe to Kulinah? Without the supplies from the Adveni and Cahlven, we’ll need stores here, too.”
Georgianna folded herself further in against Keiran, wrapping her arms tight around his waist. The others might not have realised how difficult it would be for Keiran to ask this of Alec, but she did. Though the mark was now gone, thanks to Ehnisque’s bullet, Keiran had claimed he would never truly forgive Alec for being the one to give it to him. Maybe he’d decided that he trusted him, but forgiveness did not always follow.
“That would be good,” Alec said. “Between us, I think we’d be able to get a good party together, maybe even a wagon to bring it back?”
Keiran nodded, but said no more on the subject. He’d taken that step, and it was enough for now. Stretching up, Georgianna placed a gentle kiss against his jaw.
“You are a good, kind man,” she whispered. “I love you.”
His small smile told her he felt the same. Despite all the decisions that needed to be made within the coming days, it was a relief to know that she could be truly certain of one thing.
The shield was thinning in patches, disintegrating before their eyes as they returned to the camps. It felt odd to be out of the tunnels, knowing they wouldn’t return at nightfall. They had packed up as much as they could, but they would need more trips to collect their supplies. Luckily, Halden and Dhiren had volunteered for the job, since Alec and Keiran would be trying to search out hunters for their trip. They weren’t planning to leave for a while, but the sooner they organised, the better. At least that was what Alec said.
Despite the fading shield, the Cahlven soldiers still stood guard at the main road. They didn’t look too happy about the arrangement, and their faces were bright with the cold, but they greeted the group cordially enough, waving for them to continue.
Stepping through the shield was easier than ever; nothing but a tickle that ran down both Georgianna’s arms underneath her coat. She adjusted the pack on her shoulders and let her father take the lead, following close behind as they headed back to their old home. She had tried to tell him that everything inside was destroyed or gone, but he wouldn’t go back on his decision.
