The same spark of hope I felt when he and I spoke then—that fleeting instant when I thought I might not have to carry this pain alone—flickers in my chest again, threatening to melt my glacial shell of numbness. He’s going to tell me he knows Nishi’s location.
“Go on,” I say eagerly.
“Do you remember that Capricorn girl who walked past us at dinner last night?” he asks.
I nod as I recall the brown-suited girl, and his brow furrows deeper. “She’s a Luminary. I’ve confirmed her identity—she’s come to help us.”
I try to hide my disappointment by keeping completely still.
This isn’t about Nishi.
“Her name is Gamba,” he goes on, somehow oblivious to the light that just went out inside me. “And she’s helping us because of your mom. They were close.”
“What do you mean? That girl is our age.”
“I don’t know the full story. It sounds like Gamba joined the Luminaries as a child, and Kassandra instinctively started looking after her.”
“My mom doesn’t have a nurturing bone in her body.”
“Well I just want you to be ready . . . because Gamba calls her mother.”
I blink. “What?”
Hysan slides closer to me on the bed. “I didn’t want you to be taken by surprise again—”
“I don’t understand,” I say, my mind abruptly blank.
“She’s been cagey with the details—with any details, in fact. But I’m sure she’d be more willing to share them with you.” Hysan’s voice is soft and soothing, and even through my shock, I realize what he’s doing. “I think you should speak to her, Rho.”
And report back what I learn, I silently add.
Because Hysan and the other Guardians need to get whatever information they can from this Luminary, and I’m their best tool for extracting it. So is this Hysan my boyfriend or Hysan the diplomat advising me?
“Okay,” I say, not meeting his eyes. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I thought you’d say that,” he says, getting to his feet. “I’ll have both Gamba and breakfast brought to your tent.” He leaves quickly, like he’s just as eager as I am to avoid the awkward moment of deciding how to touch each other.
As soon as I’m alone, I sink back into bed and number my breaths. I can’t let myself think through what Hysan just revealed, or I’ll fall apart. Nishi’s counting on me to save her, and I can’t let my family drama distract me.
But if this girl’s story is true, then Mom didn’t just abandon me—
She replaced me.
• • •
When Hysan announces himself outside my tent, I’m already in my blue Lodestar suit, my curls pulled back in a ponytail. “Come in,” I say.
He enters with a couple of Majors carrying trays of food and silverware, and they lay out a thick blanket on the white feather floor before setting everything down for an indoor picnic. I fix my gaze on the tall, dark-skinned Capricorn girl with tourmaline eyes.
“Rho, this is Gamba,” says Hysan when it’s just the three of us. The girl keeps coming closer, until we’re face to face.
“We’d like to be alone,” I say, staring only at the Capricorn who calls my mother Mom. “I’ll let you know when we’re finished so we can meet with Eurek and the others.”
“As you wish.”
When Hysan disappears through the tent flap, Gamba immediately starts speaking.
“Sister—”
“Wandering Star.”
“Wandering Star,” she repeats, correcting herself without hesitation or emotion. “I’ve been longing to meet you for almost ten years, ever since the stars delivered me to our mother—”
“My mother.”
This time she doesn’t correct herself. She just stares at me in defiant silence—like she’s not going to cede on this one.
“Let’s get some air,” I suggest, striding past the picnic and slipping out through the tent flap. Like Fernanda, the Guardian of Taurus, I no longer trust rooms that aren’t my own.
Outside, a breeze brushes my face and cools my skin. We march across the grass to the cobalt water, and as we walk along the sea’s banks, I survey the golden trees that seem to have no end.
“You grew up on Tierre?” I ask, thinking of Ferez, the one adult in my life who’s yet to let me down.
“I was born on Tethys of House Virgo,” she says, her voice even and measured. “I became a Riser when I was eight—right around the time I saw a vision of the Last Prophecy, and the Luminaries came for me.”
She tells her life story like she’s reading it from a book, the words devoid of emotion. And I hate how much it reminds me of Mom.
“Why are you here?” I ask, planting my feet and facing her.
“To help rescue our mother.”
“She’s not your mother.”
Gamba doesn’t flinch. “That’s your perspective.”
“What?”
“There are no absolutes. Every truth is relative.”
I grit my teeth. “Thanks, but when I need wisdom, I’ll Wave Ferez.”
She tilts her head, scrutinizing me. “Hysan and the others want you to gain my trust. So why are you mistreating me?”
“I don’t really care what Hysan or anyone else wants. I don’t know who the hell you are, yet you feel completely comfortable calling me sister and claiming my mother as your own. So no, I’m not interested in gaining your trust—and if you want me to care, maybe you should start by gaining mine.”
She doesn’t speak immediately, and in her sharp silence I see traces of Mom’s discipline. “Fine,” she says, for the first time sounding like she’s losing her cool. “What do you want to know?”
“Where are the other Luminaries?”
“I can’t say.”
“So much for trusting you.”
I start marching back to my tent, but I stop when she says, “It’s not that I don’t want to—I don’t know. Once you enter the compound, you can never leave it again, and if you do, you can never find your way back. As a safety measure, none of us knows our geospacial location.”
“Where are the rest of you?” I ask, crossing my arms. “Aren’t more coming to help us fight?”
“The Luminaries aren’t warriors—we’re seers. I’ve come on behalf of the others. I was dipatched to help the Zodai, and I was told to confide only in you.”
“Confide what exactly? I already know what the Last Prophecy is, and you can’t tell me where the Luminaries are, so what information could you possibly provide?”
She sucks in a deep breath and scans our surroundings before speaking. “We think we know what Aquarius needs to trigger the Last Prophecy.”
“What?” I ask, stepping closer to her.
“Not what,” she says, shaking her head. “Who.”
Her dark eyes drill into mine, and before she can say the name, I hear myself say it for her.
“Ophiuchus.”
11
MY BODY HUMS WITH EXCITEMENT now that Gamba’s information confirms what I began to suspect after questioning Corinthe. And it cements my commitment to the plan I started outlining last night.
“Do you know where General Eurek is?” I ask Gamba.
“I do.”
“Take me to him now, please.” I’d rather talk to the Ariean Guardian alone, without Hysan.
“Will you tell him that Ophiuchus would make a better ally than prisoner?” she asks, her dark eyes studying me.
“Will you?” I shoot back.
“Luminaries only collect information; we do not share it. Once a fact is free, it can never again be hidden. My orders are to speak only with you, and to trust your wisdom.”
“Good.” I enter the woods and cut in the direction of the looming mountain. I don’t know if Gamba is following until I hear her
voice at my side.
“So will you tell him?”
“That’s not your concern,” I say, and she doesn’t speak again.
The orange daylight makes everything glint—the blades of grass, the stone fortresses, the Rams’ antlers. I have no idea in which of the three Forts I’ll find Eurek, and I turn to see that Gamba has stopped walking a few feet behind me.
“What are you going to do about our mother?” she demands.
I roll my eyes. “I’ll just find someone else to take me to Eurek—”
“Don’t you care what happens to her?” Gamba’s dark face cracks with desperation, and it’s the first time I see a bit of myself in her. She reminds me of how protective I used to feel about my family.
Back when I still had a family to protect.
“Once I know the situation, I’ll figure out what to do about Mom,” I say to end our standoff. “Now take me to General Eurek and stop asking questions.”
Gamba doesn’t argue as she leads me up the hill into the first fortress, which isn’t at all what I expected. We enter a massive chamber with a holographic carousel of the cosmos, where people from every House are spaced out and Centered. It’s a massive communal reading room.
We edge around the silent crowd and descend a stone staircase into a meeting space. Weapons of every variety line the walls, like an art exhibit or a military museum, and there’s a massive rectangular table where half a dozen Majors are gathered. As soon as we enter, General Eurek’s strong voice greets me.
“Welcome to Phaet, Wandering Star.”
The Guardian of Aries is decked in bloodred military garb, and as he marches over, I can’t help admiring his towering stature and muscular frame. We trade the hand touch, and I say, “Thank you, General.”
The Majors all stand up and salute me.
“Wandering Star,” says the soldier with the most stripes on his sleeve. “We wanted to commend you for the bravery and sacrifice you showed on Pisces. When faced with the opportunity to take out the enemy’s General, even though guns were pointed at you, you took the shot. That takes guts of steel.”
“Indeed,” says Eurek good-naturedly. “By taking out the heart of their operation, you found their place of vulnerability and helped us hold on to Ophiuchus—a definite combat advantage.”
I’ve no idea what to say to any of this, so I just stick with, “Thank you.”
“I thought you would be coming by later with Hysan,” the Guardian goes on, “but I can summon the senior officers now if you’d—”
“I’d rather speak with you alone.”
He nods and jerks his chin toward the door, and all six Majors file out. I look to Gamba, and she follows them, shutting the door behind her.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m eager to know what’s been going on.”
“I would expect no less from you,” says Eurek, his orange-red eyes glowing like embers. “Aquarius and his Tomorrow Party have vanished. We’ve been unable to locate their base of operations, yet we do have Zodai who’ve infiltrated their ranks and have been reporting back to us when they can. Unfortunately, none have breached his inner circle yet, so we know nothing of value.”
“So we don’t know that he’s on House Leo?”
Eurek’s black skin pales as he’s caught off guard, and his voice drops several decibels.
“He—he is our primary target, Wandering Star,” he says apologetically. “I’m sorry for the subterfuge, but please understand that we can’t go there without a real plan, and at the moment we don’t have one. He can foresee anything we try, so we have to be very careful. We can’t risk the lives of our troops until we have a trained army that has a chance of defeating him—no matter how much his hostages may mean to us.”
I square my shoulders and make my voice as strong as I can. “General, I sacrificed my life to kill Aquarius. I’m the only one who’s come close to destroying him. Do you really think I would do anything to jeopardize the Zodiac’s survival?”
“No,” he says quickly, tipping his head down a fraction. “I apologize for making assumptions, but your friend Hysan—”
“The Libran has developed feelings for me, so his concern colors his logic.”
It’s amazing how easy it is to say the words—to betray Hysan. Now I understand how he’s been able to lie to me again and again and again. It’s really not that difficult, if you can just set aside your emotions.
“I had no idea,” says Eurek, frowning. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Furthermore,” I go on, my voice gaining gravity, “he is not a Guardian and does not outrank me.” If Hysan won’t own the title, then he doesn’t get the power that comes with it.
Eurek nods and says, “Affirmative.”
Hoping that his guard will have weakened now that he’s feeling sorry, I ask, “Could you tell me about the Everblaze?”
He seems relieved for the change of subject. “Of course. It’s existed since before Phaet was oxygenated because the flames aren’t fire but Psynergy—the purest concentration you’ll ever come across. It’s said that if you can find your Center within the Everblaze, you’ll be rewarded with a rare vision that most mortals couldn’t See. Few people through history have experienced it because the Psynergy is so powerful that when you try to channel it by Centering, it scorches like real fire. That’s why we burn our fallen warriors’ bodies there: to free their souls’ Psynergy and release it to Empyrean. It’s a festival called the Ascension, and the shell that remains is later burned to ashes.”
I nod as more pieces of my plan come together. “And the wall of Black Truth—does it really protect The Bellow?”
“We believe the stars would never allow anyone through who means us harm,” he says without hesitation.
Careful to keep my voice neutral so I don’t sound judgmental, I ask, “General, have you been on this planet the whole time you’ve been under house arrest?”
He nods. “Affirmative. Only the Zodai of our House know this planet is habitable. Our people have so thoroughly destroyed themselves on Phaetonis that the vast majority would never have the means to travel off-planet. The Bellow and the Zodai who guard it have a fierce reputation that people fear, so most won’t come near here. We always transport prisoners ourselves.”
The door suddenly swings open, and Hysan strides into the room with Pandora in tow. She bows to me in her aqua Elder uniform, her hair pulled away from her amethyst eyes.
“Wandering Star, General,” says Hysan by way of greeting, his green gaze locking on mine. “I thought you were going to send for me when you were ready to meet.”
“I decided a one-on-one meeting would be best.”
“Any word from Lord Neith?” the Ariean Guardian asks Hysan, his deep voice sharp. The question sounds almost like a challenge, and Hysan wrinkles his brow as he registers the tension in Eurek’s tone.
“He’s with a team of trained Knights investigating a potential Marad base off a tip we received. The plan is for him to check in when he’s at a safe communication point.”
“As soon as you hear from him, let him know I’d like a word,” says Eurek without offering additional details.
“I’ll pass it along,” says Hysan politely, and then he faces me again, and I quickly turn back to Eurek.
“General, I’d like to give my brother the proper passing rites.” Something lodges in my throat and I swallow twice, but the obstruction won’t budge. “I—I’d like to celebrate the Ascension,” I say thickly.
Dead silence meets my declaration.
I doubt anyone has ever been put to rest through the funeral rites of a different House, and Eurek and Hysan are staring at me like I’ve just declared myself a Riser.
“It’s the best honor I can offer him,” I add softly. “Under the circumstances.”
“Of course,” says Eurek, his strong voice dippin
g to a gentle tone. “The Ascension always takes place when Helios sets, so we can pick an evening when—”
“Tonight.”
Hysan’s hesitation is written all over his face, so I pull on my most pathetic-looking Cancrian expression and fend off his objections by saying, “I really need the closure.”
Pity replaces concern in his eyes, and then Eurek says, “I’ll have the arrangements made. And afterwards, the body—”
“Should be launched to Helios in the Cancrian tradition,” I say quickly before he can even suggest burning my brother’s body to ashes. My knees grow shaky, and I know I can’t discuss Stan another moment or the reality of his passing will settle over me and I’ll never make it to the Lion constellation.
“Would you like me to assemble the senior officers for a meeting now?” offers Hysan.
“No need,” I say without meeting his gaze. “I’m going to the weapons camp to train with Mathias.”
“We thought you’d want to stay here in the metaphysical camp,” counters Hysan, and I can’t tell if it’s a suggestion or a command. “Pandora will join you—”
“I’ve been told the astral plane has become inaccessible,” I cut in.
“Yes, but perhaps you—”
“I need to regain my strength first. I think I should do some physical training. And Yarrot.”
“Good strategy,” says Eurek, and he stares at Hysan like he’s daring him to disagree. But the Libran does no such thing.
“I’ll escort you over,” he offers instead.
My gut hardens. I don’t want to be alone with Hysan, but I also need to be doing a better job of pretending everything’s fine. Otherwise, he’ll be the first to suspect I’m up to something.
“Actually, I can walk her,” says a soft, dreamy voice, and we all turn to look at Pandora. “I’d like to talk to Rho about what’s been going on in the Psy. We can regroup for lunch.”
Hysan looks like he disagrees, but before he says so out loud, I jump in. “Pandora’s right. General, thank you for your time. Hysan, we’ll see you later.”
I don’t look his way as I stride past him, and the last thing I hear is his quiet murmur, “As you wish.”
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