by Cheree Alsop
“Get her down,” Tariq commanded.
Hands reached for the cuffs. The chains rattled dimly in Liora’s mind. As soon as they were released, she fell forward.
“I’ve got you,” her brother said. “Kosi, Reg, help Tariq. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“I can walk,” Tariq replied, his voice tight.
“Don’t be stubborn,” Brandis said. “They’re here to help and we don’t have time to waste. What did he do to her?”
The beat of Brandis’ footsteps drowned out anything else that was said. Liora’s head lolled back. Light flickered past her eyelids. Her breath escaped in a sigh.
“Liora, stay with me,” Brandis told her.
Her heart gave a massive throb and her thoughts slipped past without a chance for her to grasp them. She felt her body be set on the floor. Somebody pounded on her chest.
“Liora!”
She didn’t know if it was Tariq’s voice or Brandis. The panic in the tone ate at her heart, but she couldn’t will herself to respond. She felt as though she was in the thick water of Gliese again. Her torch fell from between her fingers and vanished into the darkness. Liora struggled to swim, but she couldn’t move. She fell deeper and deeper into the dark water until there was nothing left but the empty depths.
Chapter 3
“She doesn’t care about herself.”
Liora tried to force her mind to focus, but the haze in which she floated was loath to let her go.
“From what I’ve learned about Damaclans, she seems to be the exact opposite,” Brandis said quietly.
“She has a bloodthirsty streak,” Tariq told him.
A soft chuckle sounded.
“Yet she just about gave her life for yours. It doesn’t make sense, unless….”
“Don’t give me that look.”
“She’s fallen for you.” Brandis’ tone was accusing.
“She’s free to do whatever she wants,” Tariq replied. His voice was near as though he sat next to her.
Liora tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids refused to respond.
“How do you feel about her?”
Brandis’ question hung in the air.
Liora didn’t want to hear Tariq’s reply. When they had fallen asleep together aboard the Eos and Liora viewed Tariq’s dream, the sight of her as the one who had killed his wife and daughter had felt like a dagger to her heart. The fact that Obruo had really been the one to do it wasn’t much better. Liora knew not to base her feelings on a dream Tariq couldn’t control, but she had kept her distance since.
“I love her.”
Liora’s heartbeat slowed.
Tariq was quiet for a moment, then continued, “When I saw her there at Lefkin’s mercy, I wanted to tear him apart to save her; then she sacrificed herself for me. I’ve never known anyone that selfless. I couldn’t stop her. It almost killed her.” He paused, and his voice was thick with emotion when he said, “And that almost killed me.”
“How was it possible for her to take the electrocution from you? You were in the chair and she was chained to the wall. There should have been no way.”
“There are things about your sister you’re going to have to learn for yourself if she chooses to share them with you,” Tariq replied. “Liora has many walls, and for a good reason. You saw the scans. The abuse she took growing up with Obruo has damaged her much more than she lets on.” His voice quieted. “She’s so strong, yet she needs to be protected. She’s too willing to risk everything.”
Footsteps sounded and a door slid open.
“How is she?” Devren asked.
“The same,” Tariq replied.
“I’ve got some work to do. I’ll catch you later,” Brandis said. “Notify me if her condition changes.”
“I will,” Tariq promised.
They waited until his footsteps faded down the hallway before speaking again.
“Have you told him what it is?” Devren asked quietly.
“No. I figure the fewer people who know what the Omne Occasus can do, the better.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Devren said. “What do we do now?”
“We wait.” Tariq’s reply was firm.
“She might….” Devren paused, then said, “She might be asleep for a long time, Tariq. We need to track down Obruo and free my mother and Kiari. Also, the final orb is unstable. We risk everything if we don’t—”
“We wait for Liora to wake up,” Tariq repeated. “She did this to herself to protect the Omne Occasus. I’m not going to leave her on the Eos to wake up alone on an unfamiliar ship the size of a planet.”
“You’re right.”
“The last thing Liora needs is to be left behind and forgotten about while we go traipsing across the Macrocosm to— why are you smiling?”
Liora pictured Devren holding up a hand at Tariq’s angry tone. “Tariq.”
“Seriously, Dev. Do you think this is funny? Liora almost died for me! She would have, too, if Brandis hadn’t shown up and shot the colonel. I couldn’t get away from the pain, but she could have." His words were strained when he said, “It was the worst agony I have ever felt in my life, and she chose to take it. Who would do that?”
Devren’s words were quiet when he said, “You mean, who would do that for you?”
Silence filled the air.
Devren finally broke it. “I was smiling because I haven’t seen you care this much about someone in a very long time.”
“It scares me.”
“Of course it does. You already lost Dannan.”
“If I lose Liora, too, it’ll kill me, Dev. It really will.”
“She’s improving,” he pointed out.
“At this moment, yes,” Tariq replied. “But what about next time? What if your life is on the line, or Shathryn’s, or O’Tule’s? Liora is ready to throw herself away to save anyone she cares about, and given the lengths Obruo will go to see her hurt, it’s going to happen again.”
“She needs something to live for.”
Tariq fell quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, his words were soft. “How do I do that?”
His tone gripped Liora’s heart.
“You already have,” Devren told his friend. “I’ve seen it in the way she looks at you. Just don’t hurt her.”
“I’m not…I don’t….” Tariq took a breath and let it out. “I don’t have much left to love, you know that.”
“She seems to think otherwise,” Devren replied. He gave a small chuckle. “Though I have no idea what she sees in you.”
“Thanks,” Tariq said, his tone a bit lighter. “You’re a lot of help.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Devren paused, then said, “Want to catch a bite to eat? Jarston has apparently challenged the Eos kitchen staff to a cook-off. I volunteered to be a judge and threw your name in there as well.”
“No, but thanks for thinking of me,” Tariq replied. “I’ll stay here.”
“Get some rest. You look like you got fried to within an inch of your life.”
“Very perceptive of you,” Tariq said wryly.
“It’s good to be back on the Kratos,” Devren said, his voice further away.
“Even if we are piggybacking on a Golden Condor,” Tariq told him. “I’d consider it cheating if we didn’t need the chance to hide out.”
“Things will die down.”
“Not with the Coalition,” Tariq pointed out.
Devren’s voice was a little less certain when he said, “That’ll sort itself out.”
The door slid shut.
Liora heard Tariq sigh before the sound of a chair slid toward her. Tariq gently picked up her hand and put his fingers to her wrist.
“All the equipment I could ask for, and I still check for your heartbeat myself.” The sound of a smile was in Tariq’s voice when he said, “I may have some trust issues.”
He lowered her hand and fell silent.
It took every bit of focus Liora could muster to open
her eyes partway. She saw Tariq leaning against the bed. He had his head in his hands and his eyes were closed. The exhaustion she saw on his face filled her with empathy. She tried to lift her hand. At first, it wouldn’t respond. She took a silent breath, gathered her strength, and raised her hand high enough to set it on Tariq’s head.
He grew perfectly still. When he lifted his eyes to hers, it was with a hint of trepidation as though he was worried he was imagining things. When he saw that she was awake, he caught her hand and carefully pressed his lips to her palm. He looked as if he wanted to say something, then he closed his eyes and kissed her palm again.
“You have me, Liora.” His brow furrowed, but he didn’t open his eyes. He spoke with his head bowed. “You have every bit of me, whatever I am,” his voice lowered, “Whatever is left. You have my heart and soul, if I still have one.”
A tear slid from the corner of Liora’s eye into her hair. She tried to speak, but couldn’t. Whether it was from all she had gone through, or because of the knot in her throat, she didn’t know.
Tariq looked at her. His gaze strayed to the tear track and tears filled his own eyes.
“Don’t cry, Liora Day. You should never need to cry.”
He gently wiped the tear with the backs of his fingers.
“I hope this isn’t because you don’t want me,” he said with a half-smile.
Liora mustered the energy she had and pulled his face carefully to her. He closed his eyes as she kissed him. He returned the kiss so gently she barely felt it, yet the heat that rose to her skin and the way her heart thudded in her chest said otherwise.
He lifted his head and stared down at her. With soft fingers, he brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
“What can I do for you?”
“I need to sit up,” she whispered.
It felt as though after everything that had happened, she needed to regain her equilibrium and figure out where she was inside and out. Her nerves throbbed and the metallic taste in her mouth refused to go away.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his expression filled with concern.
She nodded and tried to push up, but her arms wouldn’t hold. Tariq slipped an arm behind her and helped her, which meant, given the state she was in, that he did all the work.
Liora rested against his strong chest for a moment.
“You should sleep more,” he said quietly.
“I feel like I’ve slept too long,” she replied. “How long was I out?”
“Two days,” he told her. “But considering what happened, you should rest longer.”
Liora shook her head. “We need to find Mrs. Metis and Kiari. Obruo won’t have the patience to keep them alive for long. Time is essential.”
She rose shakily to her feet.
“Whoa now. Slow down,” Tariq told her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“To talk to Brandis. If his network is as extensive as he says, we should be able to find a lead on Obruo. He can’t have escaped into thin air. If we look hard enough….”
Tariq caught her before she hit the ground. He picked her up as if she weighed nothing and set her back in the bed.
He gave her a serious look. “Liora, you’re not going anywhere. You need to give your body a chance to recover. Running off down the hallway isn’t going to help anybody if you fall and break something. And the last thing you need— why are you smiling? Why does everyone do that when I’m trying to lecture them?”
The exasperation in his voice made her smile bigger.
“Seriously, Liora. You need to take better care of yourself. Health isn’t something to laugh at.”
Liora put a hand on his arm. “I’m smiling because nobody’s ever talked to me like that before.” Her smile softened. “Tariq, I’m glad you care.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think you understand. Your heart could have given out back on Titus. Now you want to run all over the Eos trying to save other people. You need to take care of yourself before your body gives out completely. Nearly fainting like you just did is a sign that you’re pushing yourself too far.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the ground. “I’m not going to stand by and let you destroy yourself.”
Her smile faded at the intensity of his expression. She didn’t know how to respond. For the first time in her life, she felt like a child being scolded. It was a unique experience for one whose childhood was spent learning how to kill and failing meant death instead of a lecture. She pulled her knees up under her chin and realized she was dressed in a medical gown instead of her Ventican clothing.
“Where are my clothes?”
“O’Tule took them to be washed,” Tariq said without meeting her gaze. “They should be done. I’ll go check if you promise to stay in your bed.”
“I promise,” Liora replied quietly. She watched him cross the room to the door. When he put a hand on it, she said, “Thank you.”
Tariq stood there silently for a moment. He let out a breath and turned to face her.
“You just saved my life. What is there to thank me for?”
“For giving me something to live for.”
The look that filled Tariq’s face held Liora’s heart tight. He crossed the room silently back to her side. Without a word, he slipped his hand through her hair and leaned his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and let out a breath.
“You deserve so much better.”
Liora shook her head. “You do.”
He leaned back and looked at her. “So we’re together under a mutual understanding that we both feel the other deserves better?”
Liora fought back a smile and nodded.
Tariq cracked a smile of his own. “We may be doomed to fail.”
Liora couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face. “Or doomed to succeed.”
Tariq laughed. “That’s a thought.”
Liora settled back on the bed.
“Get some sleep, okay?” Tariq said. He hesitated, then leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You’re too brave for your own good.”
Liora watched him leave. There was something about the way he walked that made her smile. His steps were lighter and his shoulders back as if he wasn’t so weighed down. The thought that she might have something to do with that made her so happy it scared her. What if Obruo found him? If the Damaclan chief hurt Tariq….
Liora shoved the thought away. She couldn’t live in fear of the future. She would accept the present and fight to keep the joy in her heart that felt foreign but wonderful.
Liora closed her eyes, then opened them again at the realization that the joy she felt was actually love. The feeling was so strange, yet Tariq occupied every thought she had; even falling asleep, she wondered where he was. She had never cared about anyone in that way. Tariq had said it to Brandis. He loved her. Liora knew at that moment she felt the same way. She loved Tariq so much she could barely keep still.
The urge to tell him was too great. Liora couldn’t rest any longer. She pushed carefully to her feet. Whether it was adrenaline from admitting something so difficult to herself or the slight rest, she felt stronger than she had before.
She realized Tariq hadn’t brought back her clothes. The thought of walking through the Kratos in the hospital gown was unnerving. Her quarters were on the way to the bridge; there had been clothes and a Coalition uniform in there when Devren gave her the room.
Hoping she wouldn’t run into anyone on the way, Liora slowly walked to her quarters. She stepped inside with the feeling of having climbed the Rheasilvia Central Peak of Vesta. She collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The picture of Ralian O’Tule had painted above her bed caught the corner of her eye. Liora studied the sandy slopes.
It took her a minute to realize how differently she felt about them. Before, they had symbolized home, or at least a distant place of belonging she had once had; now, she saw them as though she was a spectator. Her heart no longer hurt at the thought of the empty village. Sh
e felt different, changed.
Liora pushed up from the bed. Her hand brushed something. She glanced back and saw the Ventican outfit given to her by the kind Zamarian on the Gaulded. She pulled the clothes to her. There were small stitches in the armored fabric where the various stabs and slices had been repaired by a careful hand. The clothing was worn, but still looked to be in perfect condition.
When she picked the outfit up, she found her knives underneath. The mixed Zamarian steel blade sat in its sheath waiting to be wrapped around her thigh where it had stayed since Branson had given it to her from the Kratos armory. Her attention lingered on the other blade.
The purple stone in the middle of the intricately worked silver hilt caught the light. Liora drew the knife and studied the sunrise etched into the blade. She had killed with both knives. When danger arose, they became an extension of her. With the Damaclan training that had occupied her youth, nobody stood a chance in the face of her merciless fury. The number of lives she had taken both in defense of the Kratos crew and of herself haunted the blades like ghosts unable to rest.
She knew what she was responsible for. She was a killing machine as she had been raised to be. Liora ran a finger crosswise along the blade, testing the sharpness though she already knew either knife would slice through bone with barely an effort. It was a sensation she had felt so many times she had lost count, and one she preferred to never know again.
Liora debated whether to leave the blades on the bed. They symbolized the side of her that people feared. She pulled on the Ventican clothes and, amazed that she was already winded, sat on the bed again. She could leave the knives. It wouldn’t change her ability to defend herself. She was deadly bare-handed; the knives represented something else. They were a warning to those around her that she was prepared to fight, that she was dangerous, that she was lethal. Without them, perhaps she would find acceptance on the Eos.
Liora rose with a wry smile she had learned from Tariq. She strapped one knife to her thigh and fastened the one Tariq had given her around her waist. She didn’t care about acceptance; what she cared about was stopping Obruo and protecting those she loved. The knives would stay.
