by Cheree Alsop
“Show me.”
Liora glared at him, her eyes brimming with tears she wouldn’t let fall.
Tramareaus lowered his voice. “Liora, I need to know. Please.”
She pushed the memories at him. They were fast, brutal. She didn’t slow the pacing because she couldn’t stand to feel the emotions again. She showed him the moss, the explosion, the hearing. She shoved what had happened at Cree to him. She refused to feel the glass beneath her hand or the way it felt to suffocate in the water. She showed her fighting the Ketulans and saving the Council. She pushed the memory of her back getting burned just so she could give herself an outlet for the ache in her heart. She ended with the discussion with her father and his revelation about her mother.
When she was done, the silence in the room was complete. Tramareaus’ hands fell away from her. A glance up showed tears on Shathryn’s cheeks from where the woman stood near her husband’s shoulder.
“Liora,” she began, but her voice died away as if she didn’t know what else to say.
“I had no idea,” Hyrin whispered.
Liora realized what she had done. In her heightened emotional state, she had pushed at all of them instead of just Tramareaus.
“I’m sorry,” she said, ashamed at her lack of control. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
She looked at Devren. His jaw was locked and his gaze distant. He had just been forced to witness the death of his friend again. She had caused him pain without even considering it. She didn’t know why he still stood there.
It was Zran who broke the silence.
“I think we’ve established why Liora hates Ketulans.” His smile was forced, but he took the box Tramareaus held. “We probably shouldn’t give this to her.”
O’Tule fell in stride. “I agree. I say our mission is clear. We kill whoever is holding Liora’s mother hostage, save the Macrocosm, and return to living our peaceful, uneventful lives.”
That brought a wry smile to Devren’s face. “Since when have our lives been uneventful?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, Captain. You command a pretty boring ship.”
Zran nodded. “Do you think you could step it up a notch? We’re low on our quota of fighting pirates and scavengers. I was promised skirmishes and near-death experiences when I signed on.”
“That’s true,” Hyrin added. “We could definitely use a little excitement. Going after a cosmos-destroying Sadarin using a barely trustworthy Ketulan controlling device and in a ship that belongs in a museum on Jupiter sounds like just the thing. What do you think, Liora?”
All eyes turned to her. She was amazed they wanted to help her after all she had shown them. They had seen the darkest sides of her, the bloodbath that was the battle with the Vos and the Cherum, her wish to die on Cree, yet they waited for her answer without judgment in their eyes. Perhaps Devren was right. Maybe she did have a place in their strange, dysfunctional but fantastic family.
“I think it’s a horrible plan,” she said with a half-smile.
Hyrin nodded. “Then it’s agreed. Save Liora’s mother and destroy the Foundling assassin. Easy enough, right?”
“Sure,” Devren replied. “Why not?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to make it complicated,” O’Tule said.
Laughter filled the room.
“Alright.” Tramareaus held up a hand. “I’ll train Devren on how to use the box, but first thing’s first. Before you guys leave, I want you to sample some of the amazing foods of Bratres. My family happens to specialize in baking. If you don’t roll onto your ship tomorrow, we’re doing something wrong.”
He led the way from the room with Shathryn holding his hand and the others trailing behind. It was obvious the promise of Bratres delicacies didn’t reach deaf ears.
“You know I didn’t mean the Kratos was a relic,” Hyrin told Devren, his tone adamant. “I was caught up in the moment. It’s a wonderful ship and Liora’s father had some amazing new additions put on her.”
“It’s alright,” Devren replied. “You were on a roll. I understand.”
“I was,” Hyrin agreed. “It won’t happen again.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion,” Devren replied. “Feel free to say what you’d like. The worst I can do is throw you in the brig.”
Hyrin stared at him until Devren smiled.
“You’re joking,” the Talastan said in relief. “I should have known.” He glanced ahead and saw that the others were leaving them. “I’d better catch up.” He took off running after the crew members.
Devren’s steps slowed so he could walk beside Liora, but he didn’t look at her. She felt the tension coming from him.
“I’m really sorry,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t need to see it again.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t the second time for you,” he said, phrasing it as a statement instead of a question.
Liora’s voice was soft when she said, “I relive it every night. Sleep has turned to nightmares. I can’t stop seeing it over and over again.”
He glanced at her and concern showed in his expression. “Liora—”
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Hyrin’s enthusiastic voice.
“Liora, Captain, you need to try this fabulous choxin dish Shathryn’s new mother-in-law just created. It’s to die for!”
Devren gave Liora a smile and made his way toward Hyrin, leaving her to follow in his wake.
“I just can’t believe how beautiful your home is,” O’Tule raved. She motioned to Liora as soon as she drew near to the table. “Can you believe it?”
“It’s very lovely,” Liora replied. “I’m sure you’ll be very happy here.”
“Definitely,” O’Tule gushed. “I can just imagine little Tramareaus’ running around here. Although, that’s rather hard to say. Do you have a nickname for him so you don’t have to call ‘Tramareaus’ every time you need to get his attention? When your babies need tending, that name’s going to get quite long.”
Pink touched Shathryn’s cheeks, but she nodded with a pleased smile. “I call him Treaus, like his mother does. He says he likes it when I say it.”
“That’s cute,” O’Tule replied. “It’s like a pet name. You are just adorable! I’ve missed you so much!”
She gave her friend a hug.
Liora slid quietly around the table so she wouldn’t be required to join in. She spotted Devren standing near the far wall with Tramareaus. They appeared to be in deep discussion. Devren looked up once and caught Liora’s eye. She glanced away and focused her attention on the plate of choxin Hyrin had given her. The fluffy pastel-colored pieces melted on her tongue, leaving behind the taste of mint and swarthan honey.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
Liora met Devren’s gaze.
“I’d like to go for a walk,” Devren continued. He cracked a smile. “Unless, of course, you’re too sore from the beating I gave you.”
“You call that a beating?” Liora asked. “I’ve seen a haffot put up a better fight.”
Devren snorted and waited for her to rise. “Comparing me to an animal that does nothing but sit and eat all day should be insulting, but I admire them for their tenacity.”
“They do have that,” Liora conceded.
They reached the door and Devren lead the way through to the clearing. He was silent as they followed the cobblestone path. Liora wasn’t sure what he wanted, but kept silent to give him time to gather his thoughts.
When Devren finally spoke, his voice had a strange tone to it. “Liora, Tramareaus is right. You have changed.”
Her heart slowed. Liora wondered if she had reached the moment where he was going to take back telling her she was a part of the crew, the family. She couldn’t blame him after what she had done.
“All of these things, these battles, killing so many people and creatures, losing Tariq, all of these have changed you.”
Devren glanced at her. She couldn’t read his
expression.
“You’re no longer the girl I freed from the Kirkos.”
Liora didn’t know what he was getting at. She clenched and unclenched her hands, trying to remain patient. She felt on edge as if every word he spoke mattered. Why she had placed her fate in his hands confused her. She was strong, independent, but also broken. If he said she was too broken for hope, she would believe it.
He stopped. When she paused beside him, he finally met her eyes squarely. “Liora, I should have known from the beginning that you were different. You survived so many situations that would have killed a normal human, or a Damaclan for that matter. You shouldn’t be here talking to me. You’re scarred, shredded, as Tramareaus put it, and I know he wasn’t just talking about on the outside. Tramareaus knows things, things a person shouldn’t be able to know about another individual.”
His tone showed that it bothered him. He lowered his gaze to the floor for a moment, his hands behind his back and his expression indecipherable. When he finally let out a breath and raised his head, Liora saw the uncertainty on his face.
“Liora, I don’t know what to say or do. I loved you the moment I saw you on the Kirkos.”
Liora’s heart slowed and tightened as if it was gripped by a fist.
“Devren, I can’t—” she began.
He cut her off with a shake of his head, his gaze pleading. “Liora, please let me say what I need to, otherwise I might never get it out.”
He waited until she nodded before he continued.
“The only other person that went through as much as you have was Tariq. I was happy for you both to have each other, because you made each other more than what you were before you were together. You lifted each other up, helped the other through. You made Tariq smile.”
His voice choked off. He swallowed and ran a hand across his face.
“Liora, you are so much more than a human, a Damaclan, or a Foundling. You are a being with so much heart you don’t have enough soul to contain it. It spills out of your eyes when you see someone hurt, trapped, or in need of your help some other way. It fills everyone around you with the want to rise above the lot they have accepted for themselves in this life. You make people want to be better, want to push themselves, want to help those around them. My crew would fly to the ends of the Macrocosm for you.”
Liora didn’t know what he was getting at. There was a hesitancy to his words as though they weren’t coming out the way he wanted them to. He shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets, then took them out again. He let out a breath.
“I know you don’t have room for anyone else in your heart right now. Tramareaus told me not to tell you how I felt. He said it was too soon and it would only cause a rift between us.” He looked at her with a half-smile that only looked sad. “That’s the worst fear of my life.” He shook his head and corrected, “It’s actually the second worst fear of my life. The first is that something will happen and I will never have the chance to tell you how I feel about you. We’re going against the biggest threat we ever have and if Tramareaus is right, few of us will come home. I would never forgive myself if I let you think for the rest of your life, however long it’s going to be, that you lost the only person who loved you in this Macrocosm.”
She didn’t know what to say. Devren saved her from searching for a reply.
“You don’t need to say anything, ever. I just wanted you to understand.” He gave her a small smile. “I know Shathryn is waiting to give you a piece of the wedding cake. It’s apparently a Vickel family recipe. I won’t keep you any longer.”
He walked away, leaving Liora standing on the green cobbled pathway near the forest. She couldn’t say which direction he went because his words still occupied her thoughts in a whirlwind that forced away all else. She couldn’t move and couldn’t speak, even when the sound of footsteps came up behind her.
“Devren just told you, didn’t he?”
Tramareaus sounded pleased with himself.
Liora pushed through the turmoil in her mind enough to say, “He said you warned him not to.”
Tramareaus crossed two of his arms. The third held a purple and white slice of cake on a delicate plate.
“I’ve known Devren since long before I ever heard word of the Damaclan stirring up trouble in the Macrocosm. He’s got a heart of gold, that one, but also a stubborn streak.”
Liora glanced at him. “Devren does?”
Tramareaus nodded with a smile. “Most definitely. He got it from his father, the man who saved more galaxies than he knew the day he refused to bring the Omne Occasus back to the Coalition. The stubborn streak is the reason Devren freed you from the circus ship, and it’s the same streak that made him back off when he found out Tariq had feelings for you.”
“How did you know that?” Liora asked. “Did Devren tell you?”
Tramareaus shook his head. “Our young Captain keeps his emotions close. It takes a lot of strength to portray positivity all the time, but he does it for his crew and succeeds brilliantly. The thing they miss, because he hides it so carefully, is that Devren may be more captive than you or I ever were.”
The thought caught Liora’s attention. “Captive by whom?”
Tramareaus merely let a smile touch his lips before he handed her the cake he held and turned away. “Take care of yourself, Liora,” he said over his shoulder. “I look forward to seeing you again someday; hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Liora was left staring down at the plate in her hand feeling far more confused than she had ever been in her life.
Chapter 11
“I wish you would have asked Tramareaus’ mother for her recipe,” Jarston said. He picked up another choxin and took a bite. “This texture is so hard to manage. Whenever I try it, it falls flat and I have to turn it into taffy instead. I wonder if it has something to do with the abnormalities of the pressure in space. The cook on the SS Eos theorized that it was the reason his bread never rose.” He winked at Liora. “Though I told him it’s because his yeast was from Ganymede. Everyone knows a good yeast comes from Callisto. They just know how to brew on party moons.”
O’Tule laughed. “You see, Zran. That’s another reason we need to go to Callisto. It’d be a perfect reason to visit after our wedding.”
At her words, the talking in the Kratos’ cafeteria ceased.
“Did you say wedding?” Jarston repeated.
O’Tule’s smile deepened and she held up her hand. A ring with a blue stone in the middle glittered in the light.
“I asked her after Shathryn’s wedding,” Zran told everyone. “It felt like the right moment.”
Devren shook Zran’s hand. “Congratulations.”
“If you’re going to Callisto, where are you going to have your wedding?” Argyle, the head of the engine crew, asked.
O’Tule grinned at Zran. “Isonoe,” she said.
“I’ve always wanted to go there,” Hyrin replied. “I’ve heard the walls are made entirely of the moon’s stone. The whole thing is supposed to glow.”
Everyone looked at Hyrin.
He shrugged self-consciously. “What? I have fifteen sisters, remember? They’ve been planning my wedding since the day I was born.”
“Do you think they would help me?” O’Tule asked.
Hyrin nodded. “I’ll let you talk to them. If I even mention the word ‘wedding’, I won’t hear the last of it.”
O’Tule gave him a look of relief. “I don’t have sisters. Shathryn was my best friend, and now she’s gone, so I don’t even know where to start.” She turned to Liora. “Would you like to help?”
At Liora’s wide-eyed look, everyone laughed.
“Don’t worry,” O’Tule told her. “I was just kidding. I can’t imagine having a Damaclan plan a wedding.” She paused and caught herself. “I mean a Foundling, I guess. I don’t really know what that means. Do Foundlings plan weddings?”
There was worry in her voice as though she was concerned she had made a severe
error with the Damaclan remark. Given everything Liora had accidentally shown them, she couldn’t blame the woman.
Liora shook her head and kept her tone light. “I don’t think so. My sense of decorating is completely atrocious. You definitely don’t want me in charge.”
O’Tule gave a relieved smile and set a hand on Liora’s arm. “That’s okay. I’m sure Hyrin’s sisters can show both of us. I’d love for you to be there.”
The question hung in the air. Liora thought of everything in front of them, the huge task they were undertaking, and the risk the crew willingly accepted even after she showed them what they were up against. O’Tule’s hopeful expression held Liora. She was asking a member of her family for a favor, and Liora was that person.
“I would be honored to be a part of your wedding,” she replied.
O’Tule hugged her. The woman paused as if she realized it was something Liora didn’t like. She was about to pull away when Liora hugged her back.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said.
O’Tule smiled so big it amazed Liora. “Thank you!” she exclaimed.
The speaker overhead buzzed and Duncan’s voice sounded. “Captain, we have a problem.”
“Report,” Devren replied.
“We seem to have caught the attention of a Coalition ship.”
Tension filled the air.
“Can it be avoided?” Devren asked.
Hyrin’s voice came over the communicator. “The ship is a Platinum Eagle and we’re surrounded by Falcons.”
Devren swore under his breath.
“Be right there.”
Everyone rose at the same time.
“Have your crew ready in case we need to get out of here quickly,” Devren told Argyle.
“Yes, Captain,” the older man replied with a salute.
Devren ran out the door with the rest of the crew behind him. Liora took her place at the back of the control room as soon as they entered. The sight of the Falcons facing their ship was reflected on the secondary monitors. The central monitor showed the Platinum Eagle, the Coalition carrier ship that dwarfed the S.S. Kratos.
