Raven's Sphere

by Melissa Koberlein

“We will have three specials and three waters,” Emery says.

  Jude smiles even bigger, if that were possible, and turns to get our three specials and water. He hands me the tray.

  “How much?” I ask.

  “It’s complementary. You have already paid for the recharging.”

  We move back to our table, and I set the tray down. There are three tins of what I can only describe as cat food.

  I look up at Cole. “You first.”

  Cole shudders and opens his mouth as if he wants to tell me to go to hell, except nothing comes out. As he struggles to find his voice, his expression changes. Now he’s thoughtful and downright cheery.

  “Sure, I’d love to. It looks delicious.” He picks up a spoon and one of the tins.

  I smirk at him. This I have to see.

  Cole puts a bite in his mouth and cringes. He chews a few times followed by a long, difficult swallow. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  I’d laugh if I weren't terrified of being next. Pick up your spoon and eat. You will enjoy it, I hear in my head.

  My turn.

  I reach for my spoon, my hand shaking. I don’t want the snarp, but I can’t stop. It’s like my body has a will of its own, not controlled by my own mind, but by the Mahthe. I scoop up a spoonful of white meat-like substance surrounded by another gelatinous ingredient and place it in my mouth. I cough, the gag reflex is so intense. The acrid taste and smell are forcing my mouth and throat to act on their own volition. After I somehow manage to swallow the stuff, I feel my lips curl up into a smile. “Very tasty.”

  I look over at Emery. He doesn’t look nervous at all. His face is lit up as he bounces restlessly in his seat. “Is it my turn now?”

  Cole and I both shrug.

  Emery grabs a tin and a spoon. Before he puts the first spoonful in his mouth, he declares, “You don’t have to compel me to eat snarp. It’s my favorite!”

  Then he shovels it in like there’s no tomorrow and savoring every morsel.

  Laughter erupts around the room. It’s a high-pitched chortling that’s infectious among the Mahthe. I glance at Cole for his reaction. But he couldn’t care less. Instead, he’s sliding his tin of food over to Emery while the Mahthe are distracted. I take his lead and do the same.

  In between bites, Emery manages, “Oh, guys, are you sure you don’t mind? I’m starving, and this is so good.”

  “Absolutely. All yours,” I say, relieved to unload the disgusting tin of cat food.

  I guess we wait here until the ship is recharged and hope we can get the sphere out of the fuel cell. Considering this is an older fueling station, it should take a bit of time. Cole glances around, as the laughter slowly dies down. It’s almost like he’s casing the joint, but that would be unbelievably stupid. There are only three of us and no sphere. Plus, they have mind control. I kick him under the table and glare at him. What the hell are you doing?

  He responds with a nonchalant shrug.

  I stare into his eyes, my pursed lips commanding him to knock it off.

  Cole sighs in response, looking awfully casual and laid back.

  He’s up to something. It’s written all over his face. If he does anything to get us in trouble... Starfire! Why did I let him come with us? He’s going to get us killed or worse yet, enslaved on Verta Moon!

  Before I can figure out more, Leoni approaches our table. “Raven Nevar, your ship should be refueled in approximately ten minutes. I see that your Mythosian companion is enjoying our hospitality.”

  Emery, with a mouthful of snarp, says, “Yes, ma’am. It’s my favorite. Thank you.”

  All I can think is that Emery’s breath is going to be so rancid. I’ll have to make him brush his teeth about fifty times to remove the smell.

  “Yes, well, it’s a favorite among all our visitors,” Leoni says.

  Yeah, and I know that firsthand.

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” I say, hoping to sound as gracious as possible.

  “You’re most welcome. There are those who believe we are a malicious people, but this is simply not true. Look around you. Do the humans who live here seem pleasant and happy?”

  “They do,” I say, smiling sweetly. That’s because they are compelled to be content.

  “Perhaps in the time we have left, I could persuade you, Raven Nevar, to stay on for a while.”

  Uh-oh.

  Beads of sweat form on my upper lip. “I’m honored that you would ask me, but unfortunately, my life isn’t my own to give. I’m Emery’s guardian. I couldn’t leave him on his own.”

  “Well, he seems to enjoy the food on Verta moon. Perhaps you could both stay?” Her eyes grow more intense.

  Okay, last resort. “That is kind of you to offer. There’s nothing more we would like than to find a sanctuary. However, I should mention that both Emery and I are wanted by the Cadmarian military. I wouldn’t want any harm to come to your people if they should track us here.”

  “You have come to Verta Moon as wanted criminals? Endangering my people?” Leoni grabs my arm and hoists me to my feet. “You will leave at once.”

  I hear the telltale whirling of their powerful engines before I feel their numbers as ships vibrate the building, zipping overhead.

  I look at Emery. Cadmarians.

  They found us.

  Leoni releases me, to cover her mouth with her long fingers.

  I grab Emery’s hand and nod to Cole. “How the hell did they find us so quickly?”

  “Get out!” Leoni says as she ducks under a table, her sinewy body folding up neatly.

  Not needing any compulsion from Leoni to leave, Cole, Emery, and I run to the door in a crouched position and arm our weapons. Cole takes one side of the door while Emery and I take the other.

  “We have to get back to the ship,” I say. “Cole, you cover Emery and me.”

  Cole looks up and out of a window on his side and then slinks back down against the wall. “Raven, there’s no way you will make it. I think we should turn ourselves over.”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “What has gotten into you? Give up? Why the hell would you suggest that? So help me, Cole Mason, whatever it is you’re up to, you better knock it off right now. We are going. Are you going to cover us or not?”

  He rolls his eyes and sighs. “Fine.” He opens the door.

  “Emery, stay close to me.” I squeeze his hand.

  The hovercraft that Leoni drove us in is parked right outside the communal station. The Cadmarian warships are just beginning to touch down all around us. This is our only shot to get back to the ship.

  “Run!” We dash to the hovercraft, and I shove Emery inside as I jump into the driver’s seat. “Stay down!”

  Cole dives into the back. I start the craft and put up the top shield. That should give us some cover, at least for a little while. I push the throttle to full speed, and we shoot forward back down the landing strip toward our ship. The Mahthe recharging team is pulling away from our ship.

  But, now there’s a problem. There’s a Cadmarian warship between us and salvation. Our only choice is to get to the sphere because there won’t be time to lift off and get away. I cringe, realizing how much I’m about to ask of Emery. There are dozens of Cadmarian soldiers on those ships. I swerve, missing some large pylons used to guide ships, throwing Cole up against the side of the craft.

  “Ouch! What the hell are you doing?” Cole asks.

  “Shut it! I’m getting us out of here.” I right the craft and pick up speed. The Cadmarians are grounded, and their doors are opening. In a minute, we will be surrounded by a massive amount of artillery. Just a little bit further and we’ll be there.

  My head jerks forward as something slams into our craft from behind. Time stands still as I lose control. The vehicle jerks every which way as we crash into the ground, finally skidding to a halt. Once stopped, I check myself for injury. My head and neck hurts, but nothing seems to be broken.

  I look over at Emery. “You okay?�
��

  He pats down his chest, arms and legs. “I think so.”

  I turn back to see about Cole, but he’s already scrambling out of the vehicle.

  Right, time to move. We’ve crashed only a few yards away from our ship. I grab Emery’s hand. “Come on.” I yell to Cole, “Cover us!”

  Shots ring out all around us as we bolt to the underside of our ship. A burning streak tears through the outside of my left shoulder. The shot jolts me forward, stinging like a wasp.

  Faintly, I hear Emery shout my name.

  I grasp the wound and sigh in pain and relief. It’s just a nick. “I’m okay. We have to get the sphere.” I right myself and unscrew the plug to the fuel system.

  Emery raises his bare hand up toward the opening, and a dim light shines from the tunnel into the fuel cell. The light grows brighter and brighter until at last, the sphere jettisons out and into his open palm. He nods up at me, his intent to use the sphere clear.

  But it’s too late. One of the Cadmarian soldiers is holding Cole in front of him with a gun to his head.

  “Give us the boy, or he dies,” the guard says, his finger on the trigger.

  Based on the distance and amount of guards between them and him, the guard could fire before the sphere reached him. Or, even worse, what if the sphere detected Cole as a threat. It was possible. Starfire on a fucking sun! Why did Cole have to get caught?

  “Emery, don’t look. Put the sphere away,” I whisper.

  His eyes come in and out of focus, and I can tell he’s fighting the sphere as it dances up and down in his palm.

  “Emery, get control. They have Cole. Put the sphere back in the satchel.”

  Slowly, with his hand trembling, he slides the animated sphere back in the bag. He’s panting from mental exertion, and I exhale, feeling something similar—I may have saved Cole’s life.

  “We’re coming out!” I drop my pistol and raise my hands in the air. I nod for Emery to do the same.

  As soon as we do, Cadmarian military surround us and pull our arms behind our backs, securing us with prisoner ties.

  I lean over to Emery and whisper, “We’ll be okay.”

  14

  Cell Confessions

  We are led into one of the Cadmarian ships and later transferred to a large cruiser waiting in space above Verta Moon. Cole is taken first, and then Emery and I are escorted down a corridor to a small cell. All my weapons have been removed as well as my battle suit, stripping me down to my under armor.

  “You know it’s chilly in here,” I say coolly, hands on my hips, goosebumps forming on my bare arm.

  A female guard tosses me a fluorescent yellow jumpsuit. “Get dressed.”

  I pull the suit on aggressively, zipping it up at the center, glowering at the guards. Damn Cole and his inability to not get caught. I should have let Emery use the sphere and let the credits fall where they may. Cole wasn’t a threat to Emery, right?

  My thoughts are interrupted when another guard knocks Emery to the ground with the back of his hand, taking his satchel with the sphere.

  My nostrils flare as I put myself between Emery and the guard. “Leave him alone!”

  The guard laughs and backhands me too.

  You Cadmarian space wad! I press my palm to my stinging jaw, the momentum causing me double over. I wriggle my jaw back and forth, testing. Once I’m certain he didn’t break it, I turn back and laugh in his face. “Is that all you’ve got? Wow, are all Cadmarian guards this weak, or is it just you?”

  His eyes bulge as he pulls his arm back again.

  The female guard grabs him. “Let them go. We’ve got what we need. Come on.”

  She drags him out of the cell.

  “I’ll see you again, little lady,” he says. “You can bet on that.”

  I smile, my hands on my hips. “Looking forward to it, space douche.”

  Emery’s small body is limp.

  I crouch down next to him and roll him on his back. “Are you okay?”

  He’s got a nasty cut just above one eye. I growl, making a mental note to find that guard again. He won’t be so tough when I can punch back.

  “Yes, I think so,” he says, sitting up.

  I lift his arm over my back and help him over to the only metal bench situated against the back wall of the cell. There are no windows, sans the small peek hole in the door. No sink, toilet, nothing. So we won’t be kept here long.

  Emery grazes my cheek with his small fingertips. “Are you all right?”

  I pull his hand away and smile. “I’m fine. I’ve told you, I’ve been taking hits like that for a couple years. I’m used to it now.”

  He shakes his head angrily. “That’s the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard. No one should be used to being hit like that.”

  “It’s not all that. The rest of the galaxy doesn’t live as peacefully as you did on Mythos. Believe me, there are worse things than a bruised cheek or busted lip.”

  He grazes my arm. “Any injury to you is important to me. You’re my family now.”

  My heart clenches. I can’t be his family even if I wanted to. “Out of the question.”

  Emery frowns. “Why? You don’t like me?”

  “It’s just that I’m not a good person. I know you somehow ended up with me, but it’s not necessarily a good thing.”

  He crosses his arms. “You’re wrong.”

  I sigh. Once I get him somewhere safe, I’ll figure out how to hook him up with some decent people to look out for him. He can’t stay with me. People die around me. “I think it’s about time I tell you what I did on Zeta before I left.”

  Emery shakes his head. “But I’ve seen what happened already in your dreams.”

  “Yes, but those are only images. You saw what transpired, not why it was my fault. After you know what I did, you’ll see that I’m not fit to be anyone’s family.”

  He opens his mouth to retort but instead leans back against the metal cell wall. “Okay, I’m listening.”

  I’ve never talked to anyone about what happened. Sure, people knew, but I’ve never spoken about it. I sit down next to him, my hands trembling. I rub them on my thighs, trying to make it stop. I locked these memories away for a reason. I glance at Emery. Once he knows the truth, he will understand why I’m not the savior he thinks I am. I take a deep breath, trying settle my pounding heart.

  “It’s okay,” he says. “You’ll feel better once you let it out.”

  I stare down at my hands. “I don’t think that’s how it’s going to go. Trust me, I blocked this part of my life out for a good reason.”

  Emery squeezes my hand tightly. “Hey—”

  I glance up, and my eyes fill with tears. Starfire, I haven’t even started yet.

  “There’s nothing you can tell me that would make me turn my back on you. You need to tell the story for you, not me.”

  My jaw drops. I don’t know how or why he was brought into my miserable life, but I believe him. I swallow hard and nod. Maybe I was meant to find him. Maybe he is my second chance.

  “Okay. Well, I’m not sure where to start, so I’ll start at the beginning. I had a family—a mom and dad and Bren. My mom was the kindest person I’ve ever known. You would have liked her.”

  I pause, thinking about all the times Bren I would show up at the back door covered in red earth from our adventures—Mom furious, Dad proud and laughing. Emotions I thought long gone come rushing back. My mom’s arms around me, her cheek atop my head. I miss you so much, Mom.

  “I loved her very much.” My voice cracks, and I’m sniffling, fighting the tidal wave of tears threatening to wipe me out. I inhale sharply. Pull yourself together. “My dad was a detective for the Rourke lawmen. He had an infamous reputation for finding and capturing criminals. No one ever eluded him.”

  I stop, as I remember all the times Dad forced Bren and me to exercise using our senses. I would practice my sensing skills every weekend while my friends were out doing fun stuff in the city. Not me. I wante
d more than ever to be the best detective Rourke had ever seen. I was supposed to work on the force with Dad—make him proud.

  Emery’s voice brings me back to the present. “They were good parents.”

  I glance up and nod. “Yeah, they were. I was a cadet at the law enforcement academy when my dad started working on the most difficult case of his career—a prostitution ring run by two brothers. I’d never seen fear on his face before. He was the bravest man I know. I wanted to help. So I went out on my own to help my dad catch them. I pretended to be a prostitute and got an introduction to one of the brothers. I hid a toxic syringe in the back of my pants. I planned to immobilize him for a few hours so I could bring him in. What I didn’t realize was that the brother was allergic to the toxin. He died almost instantly.”

  Emery reaches for my hand. “I’m sorry. Taking another’s life, no matter how awful the person, is traumatic.”

  I don’t deserve his sympathy. I pull my hand away. “I was stupid. Two days later, I found my mom on the floor in our living room in a pool of blood. Her throat had been sliced. Her eyes were open but so still, like she was frozen in time.”

  I cover my mouth to stifle a moan, the anguish overwhelming. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to think about my mom since it happened. Only in my dreams did she surface, and it was terrifying.

  Emery sighed. “Finish it.”

  I take a deep breath and nod. “The living brother had broken in to our house. He knew what I did.” I breath catches, and tears flow down my cheeks. “Oh my god, they killed him. They shot Bren.”

  Emery puts his arm around my trembling shoulders “That’s enough.”

  I shake my head and move away. “No. It’ll never be enough. I deserve this and so much more.” I swipe away the tears. “They killed my dad next. I’ll never forget his eyes right before he fell. It was like he was trying to tell me something. I assumed I was next, so I closed my eyes and welcomed death. But he wasn’t after my life. He simply said, You took my family. Now I’ve taken yours. I’ll let you live so that you remember that you alone are responsible for their deaths. But I’ll take one more thing. Something just for me.” A knife twists in my gut as I glance up at Emery and then down at my artificial arm. Tears are streaming down my cheeks again. “He says those words in my dreams, his greasy, sweaty hands on my throat.”