by Rebecca Rode
She shook her head in frustration. He would soon see that her heart was already claimed. By this time tomorrow, Stefan would be returning with her. She’d make sure they were never apart again. Then they’d establish peace together before fleeing civilization once and for all.
Ember turned back to the window, fingering her unfamiliar trousers. Her civilian clothing hadn’t served to remove any of her nervousness, instead reminding her of what was to come.
Mar’s warning slipped into her mind again. If you had a choice between taking down the Empire and saving Stefan, which would you choose?
She’d just have to do both. She refused to consider any other option.
Ember felt the cluster of human souls long before the Empire ship was visible. Over six hundred, a quarter of them the flickers, who were gathered in a single room. The others were workers and soldiers going about their business. It was exactly what she’d expected.
But she’d also expected to sense dozens of officials and a few commanders. To her surprise, there wasn’t a single one on board.
She tried to stay calm, refusing to worry about it. In fact, maybe it was a good thing. It meant lower security.
Or a trap.
Reina, for all her nonchalance, was the first to spot the Empire ship as it came into view. Her voice was low and calm as she said, “It’s up ahead. We’re almost there.”
The cabin filled with the sound of clicks as everyone yanked their harnesses off and ran to the window. Ember and Ruben, seated across the aisle, were the only ones who remained seated.
“What a piece of junk,” Brennan said.
That caught her attention. Now she leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse out her own window. The ship was far larger than she’d expected for so few lives aboard. The usual Empire banner was painted across the hull, of course. But the white parts had aged to a dull yellow, the blue faded. The hull was plastered with shoddy patches. Too many jaunts through asteroid fields, it seemed.
“Looks like somebody stole a cargo ship and painted it themselves,” Reina said, glancing at Ember. “Please tell me that isn’t our destination.”
Ruben chuckled, turning to Ember with one leg propped over his knee as if ready for a good show.
“It does make sense,” Brennan said, making his way back to his duffel bag. Mateo and Tam rushed to take his place, whispering to each other as Brennan continued. “They wouldn’t gather all their flickers under heavy security on some huge vessel. That’s the first place we’d look.”
“With no superior officers, though?” Reina asked. Ember raised an eyebrow. So Reina had noticed too. “If I were setting a trap, I’d use the dumpiest ship I had in case my enemies tried to steal it.”
“They aren’t unguarded,” Brennan pointed out as he unzipped his bag. It was packed full of weapons. He retrieved an old pistol and shoved it into his belt holster. “There are tons of soldiers. Maybe they figured we flickers would spot any threat long before we arrived.”
Reina stubbornly folded her arms. “But there aren’t any other ships nearby, either. Doesn’t it feel odd to you that there’s this one rickety ship out in the middle of nowhere when the Empire keeps tight fleets? And this just happens to be the ship they use to have this ‘flicker training meeting?’ I say only an idiot would step foot onto that ship.”
“We came all this way,” Syd said as she found her seat again. She left her harness undone, hand unconsciously hovering over her stunner. “Besides, we have Ember. She’ll level every soldier on that ship before we even reach it.”
“It’s like she doesn’t even need us.” Ruben winked at Ember. “Of course, she’ll need to keep an eye on that approaching shuttle.”
Ember stared at him as the others turned to do the same. Ruben chose now to speak, when he’d so emphatically remained aloof from all discussion to this point? And Ember hadn’t sensed a single shuttle.
She reached out with her inner light again and immediately sensed those on the ship. She pushed on, stretching, searching for any other lights. She found it on the fringes of the galaxy. It was moving in their direction but not at an alarming pace. There were eighty-six people on board, all shielded. She pushed, trying to separate the individuals, to tell who they were, but it was simply too far.
Reina frowned, obviously irritated Ruben had sensed something she hadn’t. “What shuttle?”
A ship full of shielded individuals. Odd, but not enough to warrant a change. “We continue with the plan,” Ember finally said, sending a sideways look at Ruben. The man had so been careful to hide the extent of his abilities. Was it because he was stronger than he’d let her believe? Ember had a decent range, but Ruben had sensed lights far beyond what he should be able to detect. She’d have to keep a close eye on him, perhaps forbid him to leave the shuttle as they arrived. If only she could get behind that strangely shaped shield of his and take a brief look.
Ruben met her gaze with a knowing smile, and she realized she was staring. Her cheeks began to warm.
“I’m telling you, there’s something wrong here,” Reina was saying. “This isn’t what the Empire does.”
Brennan shook his head. “And questioning the Daughter isn’t what we do. If she’s willing to risk her best flickers and Ember, there must be more to this than we know.”
Soft voices came from the cockpit. The Empire ship had requested the passcode. It was time to initiate Ember’s part in the plan. If the ship so much as suspected there were Union soldiers on board, they’d call for backup. Then the team would really have a problem.
Ruben was still watching her, but Ember ignored him. She closed her eyes and drowned out the sounds of Reina and Brennan snapping at each other. Then she focused her attention on their destination. And slowly, softly, she started to hum. She worked quickly, starting with the pilots and security teams. One by one their lights dimmed as her victims fell to the ground. She left the flickers alone.
“You’re so naive, Brennan,” Reina snapped in the background, breaking Ember’s concentration for a moment.
“I’m naive? You think I don’t know what we’re up against? But we swore allegiance, Reina. Both of us. This is why we’re here—to face the Empire head-on. If you intended to run when things got scary, you shouldn’t have agreed to come.”
It was done. Everyone on the ship was down except for the flickers, who remained gathered in one room. She reached out carefully now, trying to determine identities without allowing them to feel her touch. They seemed to be watching a screen.
Stefan wasn’t among them.
The disappointment was so sharp it stole her breath away. She forced her lungs to work and focused on their situation.
She’d come to save Stefan. The Daughter said he’d be here. She’d trusted it was the truth. Foolish, naive Ember. Of course the Daughter would tell her anything she wanted to hear, anything to make the flare agree to what felt like a suicide mission. She’d been manipulated like a piece of clay, forced about and acted upon without her knowledge.
Ember had no choice now but to continue on. Even though they wouldn’t be challenged by soldiers, the Empire would soon notice that one ship’s communications had gone suspiciously dark. And the flickers would have noticed the unconscious door guards. They had only minutes before every Empire ship in the sector headed their way.
Just as she was about to pull out, one last light caught her attention.
Frowning, Ember focused on it. It was shielded so tightly she couldn’t identify the individual. But the light appeared too faint to be an alert soldier. It was almost like the person wasn’t truly there, a reflection of light rather than the light itself.
Whoever it was, they slept like the rest. She released her internal arm and opened her eyes, focusing on her team again. She’d worry about the reflection later.
The twins still faced each other, tense and alert. The siblings looked similar, but it was obvious the two couldn’t be more different when it came to conflict. Reina breathed hard, her glare s
harp enough to slice skin. Brennan looked more collected than even Ember felt, determination filling his expression. He waited for his sister’s reply.
“This is stupid,” Reina finally said. But she whipped out her stunner before finding her seat again.
Ruben nodded approvingly as Ember sat back in her chair. “Fascinating. Do you always hum?”
“What?”
“When you attack people. That song you were humming—so soft and gentle for such a violent act.”
Irritation rose in her throat, and she turned away, scowling. Not only would she miss seeing Stefan, she was stuck with Ruben’s invasive presence. The sooner she gathered the flickers, the sooner they’d get back. Then she could tell the so-called Daughter what she really thought of her lies.
The cabin quieted as they watched the ship loom larger with each passing minute. They slowed to a crawl before passing into the bay and crossing the shield line. Ember scanned the floor. It was covered with dozens of sleeping bodies. Even the bay master, the man in charge of the loading docks, was down. It appeared their plan was working so far.
The pilots docked the ship and immediately opened the hatch. They had orders to wait for them as long as possible. If an alarm sounded and the pilots were forced to leave, it was up to Ember to steal an Empire ship and get home.
She felt sick. As run-down as the outside looked, this was clearly a tightly run Empire vessel. The cargo bay boasted clean white walls, and the stacks of unloaded cargo were neat and organized.
Her inner light gave off an almost physical heat now, her heart pumping a warning with each beat. Reina was right. This was far too easy. But it was too late to turn back. It had probably been too late an hour ago. If their ship turned and fled now, the Empire would definitely notice.
Ember cleared her throat. This was nothing she hadn’t done before. It was facing the flickers that would be difficult, and she would worry about that when she came to it.
Stefan, please be nearby.
“Let’s go,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt.
Chapter 18
They made good time, unsure how long the ship-wide unconsciousness would last. Pausing at each corner, the team was careful to step over the bodies strewn through the corridors. Ember was taken back to weeks before, when she’d walked hallways much like these with Stefan. She found herself searching the sleeping forms for his face, hoping she’d been wrong about his presence here. None looked familiar.
It seemed a lifetime before they arrived at the meeting room. All eight door guards lay on the ground. One even drooled heavily onto the white floor. Reina scowled at the sight. Ember reached out again, confirming that the flickers were indeed inside alone. Could this really be so easy?
Brennan leaned over to whisper in Ember’s ear as Reina groaned. “Ruben’s gone.”
He was. Their small group was tightly packed, and Ember had been too distracted the past few minutes to notice.
“When?” she asked her group, who looked at her wide-eyed.
“He was on the lift with us,” Mateo, the largest of the flicker bodyguards said. “I didn’t pay attention to whether he got off with us, though.”
Wonderful. That inner warning inside her had proven right. Was he betraying them, rushing to the bridge to notify the Empire they were here? She reached out internally and sensed him on the floor above them, walking quickly. She couldn’t tell where he was headed, but it was the opposite of the bridge.
“How could you not notice whether he stepped out of the lift?” Reina snapped.
“You didn’t either.”
“He knows where our base is. If he’s captured, he’ll get us all killed!”
“He’s probably running away.”
“Quiet,” Ember hissed, hearing voices from the other side of the door. “This changes nothing. We’ll retrieve the flickers, take them to the ship, and then go back for Ruben. Syd and Brennan, come with me. Everyone else stay here and guard the door. I’m going in to speak with the flickers.”
“I don’t think so,” a mechanized voice said from behind them. Dread slammed into Ember’s stomach as someone gasped.
She turned to find a contingent of robots surrounding them, all heavily armed and aiming their stunners at Ember’s group. Mechs.
The corridor quickly filled with dozens upon dozens of them. Ember had heard of mechs before, but she’d never seen them in person. They were supposedly used in engineering, but these had obviously been adapted for combat. It was brilliant. Ember’s stunner was out, pointed at the one directly in front of her, but all a stunner shot would do to a machine was knock it backward. And they had no inner light, which left Ember essentially defenseless.
She’d been right. It was a clear, unquestionable trap.
The lead mech spoke again, its voice rising and falling with the inflection of a human. “Drop your weapons or we will shoot.”
And they would. Ember knew it without a doubt. She lowered her stunner and set it on the ground, then kicked it away. The others did the same behind her, and several stunners slid along the floor. Ember also carried a knife in her boot, but that would do little good against mechs. Her mind raced. Were these mechs manually controlled? If so, who controlled them? Was this why Ruben had run off? She gritted her teeth, furious at herself for letting this happen.
Stefan sacrificed so much to get her out the first time. Now she’d walked unchallenged into their hands again, handing over her team in the process. And the only thing standing between her and freedom was a bunch of metal and wire with stunners. How she hated AI.
“Now, go inside,” the mech said.
Ember blinked at the order. They weren’t arresting them?
She turned slowly to face the others, who watched her with solemn expressions.
“Go inside now,” the mech said again. The door slid open, and the mech moved forward, pressing Ember into the doorway.
As she’d determined earlier, the room was filled with people. They all wore black flicker jackets and were lounging as if at a party. All eyes turned to Ember as she walked in, and a silence fell. Dozens more mechs dotted the room, all strategically placed to receive the entering prisoners, obviously expecting them. And a giant screen filled an entire wall.
The woman on the screen examined her. “There we are. That was easier than expected.” She turned to someone out of sight. “Confirm that the cargo bay is secure, and notify the shuttle we’re ready.”
“Who are you?” Ember asked. She’d never seen the woman before, her uniform unadorned and unfamiliar. A low groan sounded from the flicker crowd, as if Ember’s question were inappropriate. Then the whispering began again.
The woman seemed amused by the question. “Call me Harpen. I’m your prison guard; that’s all you need to know. Mechs, secure the traitors in the center of the room. We want their view unhampered when the officers arrive.”
Ember reached out again, desperately hoping Ruben was headed their way. He was on the opposite end of the ship now, running in the direction of that sleeping light, the one that had been so faint earlier. Had he sensed it too?
Ember stretched her internal arm, gathering what light leaked from the corners of the shield. The moment she made contact, she jerked her arm away with a yelp.
The sleeping man was the emperor.
Chapter 19
Stefan sat in his seat, watching their destination grow larger in the window. There was no denying it. They’d taken him in a big circle before returning to their point of origin.
They’d ordered all the candidates onto the shuttle late last night. It seemed to be a mass exodus, with ships being filled with soldiers, tight-lipped officers overseeing the preparations. It was as if some kind of battle were about to occur—except they were doing the opposite of what felt logical. They were emptying the ship, not protecting it.
That could mean only one thing. Some idiot had chosen their own ship for the flicker rendezvous. Ember was on her way. Maybe she was here already.
A mixture of excitement and dread filled him as the pilot asked them to remain seated until the shuttle landed. The officers around him straightened in their seats. Few of them appeared to know what was occurring. He’d tried asking them already. Confused looks were his only answer. The high commanders likely knew, but they were situated in a separate hangar. Stefan had only caught a glimpse of them during boarding.
They landed on a different level than usual, a private dock that was more secluded than the cargo bay. The pilot asked them to remain seated until the ship had been secured. It was like telling Stefan to cut off his own leg. If Ember were here, he had to find her before the Empire shuttled her away. Assuming it wasn’t already too late.
But he needn’t have worried. Two officers from the front motioned for him to stand and exit first. Surprised, he obliged, and they descended the gangplank together, the eyes of a dozen intrigued officers on their backs.
“Where are we—” Stefan began before stopping in his tracks. A body lay at his feet, a woman on her stomach with her arms sprawled out. Her back rose and fell gently. Not dead.
The officers stepped right over her and turned, eyeing him with suspicion. He was supposed to be a candidate for high commander. In theory, he was far above them in rank. But the looks they gave him told a very different story. Were they escorting him to join Ember in prison? His heart soared at the thought. She’d be out of that dreadful Daughter’s hands and somewhere Stefan could help her. No more pretending and secret research and verbal sparring with Karyl—it was time to get Ember out and escape for good.
Several minutes later, the escorts led him to a conference room. He stepped inside, noting the flickers lining the edges, all watching the doors expectantly. Mechs stood between them and a group of prisoners in the center.