by Lili Zander
Tomas’ fingers are already flying over his tablet. “The Chipwa sector is large. Let’s narrow it down. I want to know exactly where the boarium is.”
Five hours later, we have our answer. Raven’s asleep, and after the day she’s had, I don’t have the heart to wake her. I rouse Saber and Nero though—Merin doesn’t have a yellow sun, and we’re not badly affected by slumber—and brief them on our findings. Tomas places a call to Ragnar. “We’ve got news.”
The prince looks tired. His cheek is cut. He’s sporting a black eye, and when he lifts his hand to brush his hair back, I can see his knuckles are bleeding. “What happened to you?” Saber asks, raising an eyebrow. “Did we catch you at a bad time?”
“Just another set of assassins.” Ragnar’s eyes are dark. “This is getting annoying. Gerra and Patrik are trying my patience. As soon as we’re done in the Uncharted Reaches, I intend to make my displeasure clear.”
“You might not have to wait,” Tomas says. “Zeke found the boarium.”
“We both did,” I correct him. “Levitan has hidden it in the Chipwa Sector. Specifically, in Banrilia. We’ve narrowed the location down to three possible warehouses in the port city of Calder.”
Ragnar lets out a short burst of laughter. “Of course he did. Harek Levitan is a psychopath, but he’s also a fucking genius. If I attack Gerra, I’m in violation of the peace pact between Family Thorsson and Family Clay. He knows I avoid my dear cousin’s territory like the plague.” His eyes narrow. “Especially Banrilia.”
“You can’t send teams to Banrilia and still maintain the peace pact.”
“Fuck the pact,” Ragnar says succinctly. “For too long, Gerra has profited off my inability to attack her. She’s a monster. I made a promise to Raven that I would kill her, and I intend to keep it.” He lapses into thought and then looks at Saber. “Three simultaneous teams on the ground, do you think?”
Saber nods. “Yeah, that’s what I’d do. You’ll have two layers of security to get through. Clay’s defenses, of course, but Levitan won’t leave warehouses filled with boarium unguarded.”
“I’ll get the teams ready.” The corner of Ragnar’s mouth tilts up. “You want to come and watch?”
“I’m game,” Nero says promptly. I look at Saber, who nods as well. “I’ll double-check with Raven, but yes. I think that’s a good idea. Raven could use the distraction.”
Ragnar’s expression sobers. “Yes, Dr. Karling sent me a message. How is she doing?”
Saber sighs. “How do you think?”
“We’re going to solve this. I give you my word. I will not rest until we find a cure.”
During the course of the week, Raven has told each of us the full details of her conversation with Ragnar. “I heard you’re interested in Raven.”
He looks wary. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“No.” The prince didn’t once hesitate to help the children on the Ruby Rose. He sent Ivar Karling to oversee Raven’s blood transfusion, even though the scientist was probably most useful working on a cure. If Raven wants him, then Ragnar’s earned his place in our bô. “Not at all.”
He nods slightly. “Thank you. And thank you for finding the missing boarium. You’ve given us a real shot at thwarting Levitan.” He turns to Cabal. “Tomas, you can join this mission remotely. I need you to escort Dr. Karling back to Starra first. He tells me he has a dozen new ideas for a cure, and I cannot risk something happening to him.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll see the rest of you soon.” He reels off a string of coordinates. “Brace yourselves. We’re going to war.”
26
Ragnar
I call Astrid once I’m done talking with Zeke and Tomas. She’s all dressed up. Her hair is pulled up into some kind of complicated arrangement that undoubtedly took her maids hours to create, and she’s wearing the Amuna Tiara, gleaming with moonstones and star-rubies. It’s early evening in Starra. She must be on her way out, and judging from the way she’s dressed, a night of fun isn’t in store for her. “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?”
She sighs. “I’m about to spend five hours in the company of people I loathe. I could use some good news. Hit me with that first.”
“Zeke Ulrich, you know him?”
“The hacker in Saber’s company? Originally from Zola Prime, the only scion of Family Leyva? What? Stop looking so surprised. I read your reports.”
Say what you will about Astrid, but she does her homework. She might look like a vapid socialite, and when she wants to, she can play that part to perfection, but my sister is whip-smart and not to be underestimated.
Doesn’t mean I can’t needle her. “Nice to see that in the middle of balls and parties, you can summon some time for work.”
“Fuck you, Ragnar,” she says, making a rude gesture that has me grinning. “Tell you what. We’ll trade places. You attend this party, and I’ll play spy games.”
“Touché. No thanks. Zeke Ulrich and Tomas Cabal have narrowed the location of the missing boarium to one world.”
“Yes!” She jumps up and down in unrestrained joy. The tiara wobbles dangerously. “Where is it? I’m assuming you’re planning a retrieval mission? When?”
“That brings me to the bad news. It’s in Banrilia. The instant my troops land, the peace pact between Family Thorsson and Family Clay gets shredded.” I give her an amused smile. “You are the titular head of Family Thorsson, Astrid. I’m formally requesting permission to break the pact.”
She doesn’t hesitate for a second. “Granted.”
“Thank you.”
She laughs. “No worries. Oh, and Ragnar? I really want to meet this woman for whom you’ll kill Gerra.”
My mouth falls open. “How in the name of…?”
A smile of pure pleasure spreads over my sister’s face. “You have your sources, I have mine. Raven sounds nice. Bring her to Starra soon. Or, even better, set up the meeting somewhere else. I’m sick to death of the capital.”
27
Raven
The Valiant needs to be refueled. We need warmer clothing for our destination. The next few hours are a chaotic scramble, and then we’re in the Valiant again, heading for Gao 69P.
Gao 69P isn’t a planet. It’s a frozen asteroid that is light years away from any other inhabited planet. “Why did Ragnar pick it?” I ask Zeke once we get underway. “Because it’s in the middle of nowhere?”
“Yes. It’s also a refueling stop on the route from Starra to the Chipwa Sector.” He pulls up a map of the galaxy on his tablet, and zooms in on the asteroid, and reads its key statistics. “Population less than a hundred people,” he says. “Ah, that’s why I’ve heard of it. It’s the site of Barnett’s Folly.”
“Huh?”
“Barnett’s Folly, was, at its opening, the largest amusement park in the galaxy. A vampire named Claude Barnett built it during the reign of Empress Chela. In those days, the route from Starra to Banaras, the Family Clay home planet, was a very busy one. Claude Barnett wanted the park to eventually cover the surface of the asteroid.”
“I’m going to guess that this story doesn’t have a happy ending.”
“It does not,” he agrees. “Ten years after its opening, an earthquake shook Gao 69P. Huge cracks opened up on the surface. Half the rides collapsed. Thankfully, there was a warning system in place, and people were able to evacuate. There were no casualties, but the park was condemned. It’s all still there, sealed off in a dome, slowly falling to bits.”
I can picture it. “That sounds magical. What happened to poor Claude?”
“He didn’t die alone and poor, if that’s what you’re asking. He became a war profiteer.”
“Ugh. My sympathy has evaporated.”
He grins at me, and I smile back. “We should celebrate,” I tell him. “You did something amazing, something pivotal to the battle. You found the missing boarium. That’s huge. You need to soak it in.”
“Not just
me,” he protests. “I couldn’t have done it without Tomas.”
I look at him fondly. Zeke is so incredibly good at what he does, but he’s so matter-of-fact and self-effacing about it. He should brag more. Strut around and appreciate the win. “I doubt that. Come on. Where’s the party?”
“Tell you what.” He taps his tablet screen. “Tonight, once we get all the preliminaries underway, let's go see Barnett’s Folly.”
Excitement trickles through me. I know it’s insane to be thinking of amusement parks on the eve of war, but I’m desperately clinging to normalcy in a swiftly changing world. “It's a date.”
With each passing hour, we near Gao 69P. And, by extension, Prince Ragnar.
For the last week, I’ve done my best to put the prince out of my mind, but I can’t avoid thinking about him anymore, and I can’t hide from the truth.
I’m really nervous.
I’d been furious when we found the children on the Ruby Rose. I was shaking with rage. Then, when Ragnar kidnapped me, I impulsively told him that I’d sleep with him if he killed Gerra Clay.
Not even for a second had I thought he’d agree to my terms. How could I have predicted it? Powerful vampires don't kill other powerful vampires in order to have sex with a lowly human.
But Ragnar had called my bluff, and now, the Valiant heads inexorably toward him and my time of reckoning.
When it comes to the prince, my emotions are topsy-turvy. It's not that I’m not attracted to him. I am. But the prince is a perfect stranger to me.
We’ve met three times. The first time, it was at the start point of the Night of the Shayde tournament. He’d talked to Saber that day, but I can’t remember if he addressed me directly.
The second time had been at the Overlord’s banquet, and we’d sat at different tables. Ragnar sat at the head table with all the other important vampires, and I’d been relegated to a back table with the humans.
The third time, he kidnapped me.
It was different with Saber, Zeke, and Nero. I slept with them too soon too, but we’d at least had more than one conversation before I undid my braids. They had taught me how to defend myself before the Night of the Shayde. They had taken me out to dinner. Nero had helped me pack. Zeke had told me the truth about who killed my parents. Saber had comforted me through a nightmare. We'd had a chance to form a rudimentary relationship before I jumped into bed with them.
Ragnar is completely different. I’ve watched the tabloids; he has a reputation. He sleeps around. He doesn't commit. He goes through women like most vampires go through blood.
“Hey.” Saber enters the rec room and takes a seat at my side. “I want to talk to you.”
I give him a questioning look. “What about?”
“You’re nervous about Ragnar, aren’t you?”
“You can read my emotions a little too well. It's a little disconcerting.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is sexy,” he corrects. He puts his hand on my thigh. “Listen, I like Ragnar, but he’s not perfect. Neither am I. Before Boarus 4, we hadn’t talked in years. Partly because I jumped to conclusions when he told me to break up with Marya, but also because Ragnar is an arrogant fuck who doesn't explain himself. I shouldn’t have stalked away before asking him why he wanted me to end my relationship. And Ragnar should have found me and explained. Neither of us budged. It was easier to cling onto our pride and our hurt feelings.”
“I can relate to that.” Only too well.
“Ragnar is arrogant. Ragnar is used to getting his own way. Ragnar does not explain himself. It takes some getting used to.”
I open my eyes wide. “I wouldn’t know anything about that…”
His teeth flash in a grin. “Brat. I resent that. I’m not nearly as arrogant as Ragnar.”
They’re far more alike than they think they are. “No, of course not,” I say meekly.
He taps my nose and continues. “People dance to his bidding every day, and you cannot go through more than twenty years of people bowing and scraping to you all while plotting to kill you behind your back without becoming high-handed, cynical, and mistrustful.”
“Yet, he’s your friend.”
“Yes, he is,” Saber agrees. “I notice the things he keeps hidden. In the middle of planning a war, he went to the funeral of a soldier who died to defend him. He took on the task of returning the children Gratvar stole to their homes, no questions asked.”
“He sent Dr. Karling to cure me.”
“He did,” Saber agrees. “You know why he didn’t harm you?”
“Because it would have offended you.”
“No, that’s bullshit. Ragnar has no problems offending me. It’s not even because he’s attracted to you. I’ve spent a lot of time this past week thinking about it. The real reason, even though he will never admit it, is because he does not like harming innocents. He has to kill from time to time—you cannot be a prince of the Shayde Empire and avoid murder—but he doesn’t like it.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You’re wondering what you’ve got yourself into.” He takes my hand. “You’re wondering if you’ve made a mistake. I like Ragnar, but I want to be clear. My first loyalty is always to you. If you don't want him, say so. If you're not interested, we will turn the ship around. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do.”
“What if I have no idea what I want to do?”
His shoulder touches mine. “Then take all the time you need to figure it out.”
I’m still nervous. I think I’m a little afraid of Ragnar. He’s terrifyingly competent. He managed to figure out that we were headed to Antaras Seven, and he beat us there. He shut down the drone network of the Jowth. Now, he’s calmly planning an invasion of the Chipwa Sector.
Nero, Zeke, Saber, and I are a team. We’ve fought for it. We’ve worked through our problems. We’ve earned it. Ragnar is an unknown, and this could go one of two ways. He could slot harmoniously into place, or he could be a wrecking ball that destroys everything we’ve built.
28
Raven
Most of Gao 69P is frozen ice. We enter the thin atmosphere and skim the surface of the asteroid until we reach the domed city. As we near, a panel slides open, and we enter, touching down on a landing pad.
Ragnar is waiting for us when we descend the ramp. “You made it,” he says, a smile of welcome on his face. “And the Valiant doesn’t have any new dents. Congratulations.” His eyes land on Zeke. “Thank you again,” he says. “You have no idea how much we needed to find that boarium. Astrid sends her gratitude as well.”
Jealousy claws my insides. Of course, she does.
Ragnar shakes Saber’s hand, and then Nero’s, and then he turns to me. “It’s good to see you, Raven.” I brace myself for his touch, but he lets my hand go after a cursory shake. “Shall we go inside? There’s food and drink, and then my soldiers want to talk strategy.”
Huh. That’s unexpected. There’s a part of me that’s relieved that he’s not making a pass and another part that’s a little piqued.
You’re crazy, I lecture myself as I follow the vampires to a waiting skimmer. You spent all this time being nervous about what’s going to happen, and now that nothing has, you’re offended? Stop being ridiculous, Raven.
I get into the back of the skimmer. Zeke and Nero squeeze on either side of me. Ragnar pilots the craft, and Saber settles himself into the front passenger seat. “We think the best strategy is to sneak in and steal the boarium,” Ragnar says to Saber as we start to move. “We could land in a show of force on Banrilia, but I’m afraid that Harek will order the fuel destroyed rather than let me have it. Three teams, twelve soldiers each. Tomas is on standby to provide infosec support, and Zeke, I could use you as well.”
“Sure.”
“Perfect. In a happy coincidence, my beloved cousin Gerra is on her way to Banrilia. As soon as we have the boarium, I thought I’d make my way to her location with a small strike team.”
>
“You looking for volunteers on this mission?” Nero’s voice is very hard. “She paid Gratvar for a cargo of children. I’d like a shot at her myself.”
“I’d be happy to have you,” Ragnar says.
“Count me in as well.” Saber’s expression is grim and determined.
“Avenging your grandfather, are you?”
“Fuck, no. I don’t care about my family’s imaginary woes. So they lost a council seat. Big fucking deal. I’m gunning for Gerra.”
Ragnar smiles at him. “Good. Zeke, I know you want to volunteer too, but I really do need infosec support.”
Zeke sighs. “Fair enough.”
We pass a set of barracks. “I didn’t think anyone except the refueling staff lived here,” Nero says curiously.
“They don’t. We set up the barracks yesterday.” He pulls up at a low structure that hugs the inside of the dome wall and jumps out. “We’re here.”
Here is a veritable palace.
On the outside, the building Ragnar takes us to looks similar to the barracks. Prefab construction, hastily erected plasteel walls, one story high. Function over form.
Inside is a different story. We walk into a large living area. Right opposite us, stretching from floor to ceiling, is the glass dome wall, offering us views of the outside. It’s daytime, but this far from the sun, the light is weak and hazy. Unlike the ice deserts I’m used to, there’s no snow here. According to Zeke, it’s because there’s not as much moisture in the air. Large rocks dot the landscape, covered in a thin sheen of ice. The effect is strange and surreal and captivating.
A thickly piled red and blue carpet covers the floor. The table in the center of the room has a vase of flowers. Flowers. In the middle of an iced hunk of rock. Ragnar must have brought them with him.