by K. T. Flores
“I look forward to working with you,” he said wryly.
“Piss off, Sparkles.”
Chapter Five
They sat in a strange silence with Bunny occasionally chiming overhead to report diagnostics and environmental changes. She was still reeling about the events from the day before, and she had to stop reading about the Oich-Rus before her head exploded. She had never met anyone with so much money and power. It made her uncomfortable, and a part of her wished that she hadn’t looked him up.
A few hours later, they finally landed in an overworld docking station, and Tauri squirmed off the seat. She made her way to the bedroom.
Her other clothes were folded neatly on the circular bed. She winced, tracing a finger across her ruined long-sleeved gray shirt. Her jacket was also destroyed. Her thermal tights were still intact.
She begrudgingly slipped on what was salvageable, but Cyril’s voice stopped her.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
She patted down her pockets and tightened her belt. “Getting dressed.”
He frowned and stood before her, tugging at one of her straps. “This won’t do. You’re in the overworld now.”
She glared at him, raising her boot to his bed. His gaze flickered to the dirt on the covers, but he made no comment. She quickly laced up.
“I’m wearing silk,” she said. “That should be enough.”
He rubbed the fabric along her shoulder between his fingers. “That’s not enough. You’ve never been to the overworld. Lose the overalls.”
“How do you know I’ve never been to the overworld?” she snapped, tying her other shoe. “I’m not changing.”
He nodded at her with a smirk, sliding visors over his eyes. “Alright. But when the guardians catch on to us, that’s on you.”
“There are plenty of underworlders and offworlders here!” she said. But worry settled in her gut.
“Sure. But they’re not wanted by the law for murdering an authority figure. Maybe you forgot that part.”
“Shut up,” she grumbled, stomping outside. He followed behind her. “Your sister is the reason I’m—”
She came up short, and he bumped into her.
The apology was automatic, but the snarky words that followed dropped away as she gazed upon the overworld. It was different from what she’d seen in holograms.
Buildings rose from the ground and high into the sky, tops hidden by clouds. Large glass windows made the buildings sparkle despite the overcast sky. Most buildings were lined with silver and gold polyiron. A standard, expensive metal for withstanding storms, which were more intense and frequent in the overworld. Oversized crafts flew by in organized droves.
She gaped in awe at a neon pink craft zooming, fine fin on its rear. That was an Anise, the fastest craft on the market. It had to cost hundreds of millions. Were people up here truly that rich?
She jerked back when the clouds parted, and blinding sunlight made her tear up. She dropped her head and scrunched her eyes to help ease the burning pain.
Cyril pressed something into her hands, and she blinked down in surprise.
His visors.
She put them on and turned to him.
He squinted. “The Navarian overworld can be blinding if you aren’t used to a lot of sunlight.”
“And you’re not used to it? I thought you were from Pythagora.” She shuffled from foot to foot uneasily.
“That’s my home world, yes. But I spend most of my time in space.”
Slowly, she asked, “And what is it exactly you do in space? I thought you worked from home.”
He chuckled, stepping onto the street. “I fly.”
She went to follow him. Her neck prickled, and she gazed around the overworld once more. The docked ships and the ones idly moving through the sky were costly and shiny. The air was free, and she found it easier to breathe. A soft breeze constantly threw her hair into her face. Everything was quiet, from the engines of crafts to people talking. Her parents would have hated it. Something about it was too reserved, too… perfect.
“The city is gorgeous. I want to appreciate it more, but seeing this only makes me angrier,” Tauri said distantly. She backed up into Bunny. “They’re all staring.”
He shrugged, tugging at one of her belt loops. “They’re staring at you.”
He was right. Their eyes skipped over his frame easily but lingered on her strange mix of clothing. It was easy to recognize her as an outsider, an underworlder. The material of her overalls looked different from the most casual pedestrians.
There was a difference even in the way they carried themselves.
“Looking like an offworlder is better than what you look like now.”
“And what do I look like?” she snapped, wrapping her arms around herself. She knew he was right, and she was going to begrudgingly change in a moment.
His gaze softened. “Like someone who got caught up in a crime they didn’t commit.”
She huffed in frustration and stomped back into the bedroom to remove her overalls. When she stepped back out, Cyril toyed with the hem of his shirt.
“Yellow silk suits you,” he said distractedly as he began to roll up her sleeves.
His fingers were quick and gentle, barely touching her skin. But where he had brushed against her, a novel warmth blossomed. It traveled up her arm, into her chest, and settled strangely low in her stomach.
“It feels nice, too,” she said dryly.
He barked a laugh, switching to her other sleeve.
She moved her arms around to see if the sleeves would roll back down, but they seemed snug around her elbow.
“Don’t forget to tuck in the front of the shirt. You still look out of place with it down to your thighs right now. Unless you lose the tights. But I doubt you’ll want to do that and show so much skin.”
She glared at him, muttering to herself while doing what he instructed. “Does this please you?”
His eyes had a strange glint. “Yes.”
They walked back out toward one of the high-rise buildings he’d pointed out earlier as the West Snowgate.
“They’re not staring anymore,” she said in surprise.
He leaned down and murmured, “I told you so.”
She elbowed him, but he made no notion that it hurt. He straightened and pulled her into a nearby alcove.
“We never figured out what room Helden was in, did we?”
He shook his head, glancing at his holowatch. “No, but I managed to decipher the first three numbers. That narrows it down to a floor and one of the wings. I rented out the entire section above the C wing so we can drop down and look through the windows.”
“You rented out an entire section of a floor”—she rubbed her forehead—“to look? Or to break-in if no one is home?”
“It’s all semantics. I would’ve rented out the entire building if needed.” He waved a hand airily. “They should still have the crime scene set up. If we don’t see anything, we move on. I want to make sure you got all that.”
“We’re going to be checking the rooms by ourselves, aren’t we?” she said. She didn’t like the idea of breaking into ritzy Navarian overworld apartments alone.
Cyril had nothing to lose like she did. He could probably wave a unit holder at the guardians or possibly toss his name around. Then he would be free to go without even a slap on his wrist. The few times she had seen guardians, she couldn’t help but stare. It always ended with her being tossed into the back of a cruiser for looking suspicious. The guardians didn’t care about her name.
“We’ll go the same direction, so we’ll always be a room apart. Before we go in—”
She tapped a hand on his chest to stop him.
“Don’t interrupt me.”
“Shut up,” she hissed, tapping against him more urgently. “The three guardians that tried to kill me are behind you, walking into Snowgate.”
He began to turn around, but she shook her head and held him in place. “Don�
�t be obvious about it! Are you and Kira”—she struggled to find the right word—“well-known?"
His jaw ticked. “Maybe.”
She crossed her arms and huffed. “So, if they see a Dagrian that looks suspiciously like Kira’s brother, they’ll know it’s you.”
“Maybe.” He turned slightly, raising a brow. “I know those guys. Fili, Pai, and Ramu are the executive Vice guardians. They worked directly under Helden.”
“We should follow them,” she said excitedly, beginning to trail after them.
But Cyril grabbed her forearm. “They’re looking for you, and my presence on Navar makes my sister look guiltier. We can’t follow them.”
She shook her head. “You’re right. We can’t follow them.” A large crowd trailed slightly behind the three guardians, looking like they were headed to a meeting. “But I can. And I’m not about to spend my night breaking into apartments.” She shot past him, waving as she settled in the back of the group.
He stalked after her, but she wagged a finger at him. When he didn't stop, she rubbed her arm pointedly. She could easily be overlooked in a crowd, but his glimmering lavender skin was eye-catching, even if the guardians weren’t specifically looking for Dagrians.
She couldn’t help her wicked smile as he squinted after her.
Tauri allowed herself to be pushed along into the building, finding a nice spot behind a plant in the lobby where they offered refreshments.
It was an awful place to put the food counter because it was so close to the reception desk. But she wasn’t going to complain. It was exactly what she needed.
Fili, the one that had threatened her at her shop, leaned into the counter. “Anyone else been poking around Helden’s room?”
She couldn’t see the concierge, but their voice floated over. “No. I made sure the maintenance crew skipped his suite.”
“And you’re sure they didn’t go in?”
They scoffed. “It’s hard to confuse the largest room on the floor with the other ones, and the tape over the double doors wasn’t broken. Are you going up?”
“No, just making sure. We’ll be back later though. Leave the tape up there so we can redo it when we’re done.”
“Of course, Fili. Ysla will be here for the night shift, so just ask for him."
The guardians stalked off, and Tauri quickly ducked her head, sipping from the complimentary cups. She waited for a few minutes after they disappeared around a corner before going outside.
Cyril was still standing at the alcove.
“Are you pouting?” Tauri asked with a laugh.
“I hope you found something,” he said sharply, looking at the hovercars flying above them.
“Of course I did. This isn’t even my mess to clean, and I’m already doing a better job than you.”
“You speak as if it’s my mess.”
“She’s your sister! It is your mess, if only by association."
She fiddled with her collar, annoyed that it kept sticking up.
He pushed her hands aside as he fixed it. “You’re doing it wrong.”
“I was doing it just fine,” she snapped as his warm fingers ghosted along her neck and shoulders. She swatted his hands away. "I found the room. It’s the only one with double doors on the floor’s wing.”
He rubbed a hand across his jaw in thought. “So, we’ll go to the C wing on the 308th floor, through the biggest room, climb down the balcony, and look around Helden’s apartment. No point in waiting around outside. Let's go in and wait until nighttime.”
She made a face, walking towards Snowgate once more. “That is the stupidest plan I’ve heard.”
“I’m open to suggestions if you have a better one.”
Considering his words, it took her a moment to respond. “If you gave me more time, I would.”
“Time is not a luxury we have. I hope you’re ready.” He pushed forward, and she dragged her feet.
“No, but let’s get going.”
Chapter Six
Tauri and Cyril stared into the foreboding darkness. The overworld had long since fallen asleep, and the bits of light from below were blocked by thick clouds.
“Don’t people get scared? I’d hate to be in the clouds as it thundered.” She stepped forward to the sliding door, and the electronic latch easily gave way when she cut through an exposed wire.
Orn had shown her how to get around different types of security. He changed his locks often but tended to forget his keys or passcode.
What would he say now if he knew she was using her skills for this? She nearly snorted at the thought. He was never one to shy away from excitement.
A little trouble never hurt anyone, he was fond of saying.
She looked at the door with mild interest, noting it was missing a secondary insulation panel at the bottom. “If all the balcony sensors are like this, there’s no way this building is up to date with safety guidelines.”
“That would be your first thought,” he mumbled, giving her a strange look. “I guess we’re lucky.”
She pushed the door open and slipped off her boots. “Yes, actually. We’ve been incredibly lucky for all our sleuthing thus far. It’s only a matter of time before it runs out.” He went to step into the apartment, but she pushed him back. “Take your shoes off. The last thing we need is for them to track us because of shoe prints.”
He grumbled, undoing his laces jerkily.
She turned away quickly to hide her smile. It gave her a strange shot of satisfaction every time she gave him instructions. Cyril always looked moments away from protesting, but they both knew she was right.
As her sock hit the tile, a hologram lit up the room, casting awkward shadows. She gasped and jerked back into Cyril. There were projected blood trails and pieces of glass. She swallowed, then tugged him forward until they got to a large study.
A hologram of Helden’s body was slumped over his desk, a thin gold chain clutched in his hand. Different trajectory paths were traced with dashed lines. A variety of blunt objects were cycled through the paths, and she realized the guardians hadn’t found the murder weapon.
Various scenarios played throughout the room with different murder suspects. Some were pushing Helden, others were drinking. Profiles of each suspect appeared where she was standing every time a new scene was played.
Tauri held her breath as a holographic Kira appeared. She joined her glass to Helden’s, then stood up and walked to the window behind his desk and gazed out at the night. She spun around, breaking her crystal glass against his head. Then she yanked some sort of sculpture from a bookshelf and bashed at Helden’s skull again and again, her face twisted and dripping blood.
Tauri shook her head. That wasn’t the panicked and confused Kira who had stumbled into her shop.
She turned to Cyril and hesitated. His face was blank, but his jaw tightened slightly. He stood eerily still with shoulders tensed. His clenched fists were nearly shaking, and his knuckles had lost their color. His glowing blue eyes glared at the ever-changing holograms.
She placed a careful hand on his upper arm, trying not to marvel at how firm he was. “We don’t know when the guardians are coming back. We need to hurry.”
But he didn’t move, eyes trained on the silent roar painted on Kira’s face.
“Let’s keep moving,” she tried again, tightening her grip.
He made a noncommittal sound.
“Cyril,” she hissed.
He turned to her in surprise as if he hadn’t realized she was there. His eyes scanned across her face intensely. Looking for judgement? Accusations? No, that wasn’t right. She knew that type of look. Rage and worry intertwined and warped the smooth planes of his face. He had no control over the situation despite his status and money.
She knew he cared about Kira, but she hadn’t realized how much. He had put everything aside to find his sister. She was struck by how pained—how human—he looked. He wasn’t Cyril Oich-Ru, the aristocrat and taminite prince. He was a concerned and
panicked older brother, doing his best to keep his feelings from overwhelming him.
She swallowed thickly and took a step back. It was easier to deal with him when she thought he was a one-dimensional snob.
“We don’t have to find the killer. We're here to find Kira.”
And then I’m getting the hell out of here.
“Someone wants both Kira and Helden out of the picture. But I can’t begin to fathom why.”
“I don’t care about that, and you shouldn’t either. Let’s find her, and then get far away from this place. You can figure it out when everyone is safe,” Tauri dropped her hand from him and began to poke around the room.
“Why couldn’t you just… use your authority to keep her from jail? You’ve done it before, haven’t you?” She didn’t like talking about money, especially with him. But it seemed like an easy solution to her. Pay off the government and be done.
“You mean pay for her freedom,” he interpreted dryly.
She cringed, gloved finger scanning across documents on his desk. It looked as though the guardians hadn’t collected much from the scene yet.
That wasn’t normal, was it?
She glanced over, noticing a decommissioned droid. She strode forward, admiring how well-kept it was. It was an old model, one normally seen in junkyards. Maybe Helden had a soft spot for the thing. A companion throughout childhood? She fiddled with the control panels at the back, surprised by the hollow sound.
She tilted her head, popping off the covering. All the normal wiring within the center cavity was glued down into the sides. That was strange. She'd never seen anything like that before. The wiring didn't look faulty, so there was still a chance the robot would power on. However, no matter how much she messed with it, the robot stayed off. It must’ve been drained.
Cyril continued, “Barry Helden is—was too important to Navar. And Navar is too important to our trading routes. Even if I did pay for her innocence, there’s a chance the Navarian government would withhold our access to the ports and their markets.”
It made sense, but Tauri pursed her lips. “You have enough units to ensure that doesn’t happen, don’t you?”