by Maura Milan
“I see him,” she said finally. “Every time I close my eyes, Einn’s there. And he’s ready. So ready, Knives. How can I even fight him?”
“You’re the Blood Wolf of the Skies,” Knives said. “This is all mental. I hope you realize that.”
“The last two times I fought him, I nearly died. You can’t count on me for this fight,” she said. She’d been around the group’s conversations long enough to know what they thought. They’d made the decision for her. That she would be the one to fight her brother. But it wasn’t possible. She wasn’t going to win. She could feel it in her bones, in her dreams. It was as if Deus herself were warning her to stay away.
“It’s fine to doubt yourself,” Knives said. “But when the time comes, you have to move.”
Suddenly, his arm darted toward her. An attack to her right cheek. She dodged, then pushed herself to the side and swung her leg, stopping it right before her shin hit Knives in the face.
Knives grinned. “See, you still got it.”
Her heart was beating so hard she heard it in her ears. She could have torn him apart for what he just did. Pure rage flared up inside her. Rage, she noticed. Not fear. And that was something.
“Let’s go again,” she said finally.
She relaxed, her body collapsing to the floor in exhaustion after hours of sparring. She lay on her back, staring at the lights in the ceiling. She raised her hand, shielding the glare from her eyes.
She saw his profile come into view. Knives sat beside her, his eyes dark in the shadow. But even in the dim, she could see the expression on his face, one that had only gotten more dented and creased as the days went by. There was a wealth of things bothering him. She couldn’t decipher all of them, but at least she knew one.
“Vetty told me about the race,” she said.
A weak groan escaped the confines of his throat.
“He beat me. I flew the Harix Corridor in 31.92 seconds,” Knives said, looking at the floor. “Not even close to your time, or my sister’s.”
She sat up to face him, her eyes glowing with excitement from everything he’d told her. It seemed like centuries since she’d been in the pilot seat. It scared her, even. Especially now, since she wasn’t sure she could fly.
“But that feeling? Was it there?” she asked.
His eyes flicked up to hers in question, the light blue like frozen shards against the white.
He nodded. “Invincible.”
Ia grabbed his hand, letting her fingers intertwine with his. She remembered how she couldn’t feel him when she first woke up, but now it was there. That warmth. “Then I consider that a success.”
Ia didn’t know if she could fly, but she remembered what it felt like. She remembered the thrill, the speed. That was where the victories lay. And she felt sadness seep deep into her veins. Would they only be memories? Would her heart pulse like it used to?
The universe was overrated, in a way. There were things that didn’t matter. She didn’t care two mifs if she never saw the Jinoran skies again, or gushed over next year’s kitpup calendar filled with cuddly polka-dotted beasts. But there were other things that were worth holding on to. Yes, she remembered now. What was worth saving? It was deep inside. It was hope.
Her lips turned up in a smirk, an expression so rare to her now, but yes, Deus, it was there.
CHAPTER 37
KNIVES
KNIVES SAT ON THE WINGS of his Kaiken, looking up at the distant stars. The space station was set on a twenty-four-hour rotation, and at this hour of early morning, the sun was about to come into view.
He hadn’t been able to sleep. There was too much on his mind.
“You’re a Bug, aren’t you?” a voice called out.
Knives looked over his shoulder, down to the landing platform. Vetty Sinoblancas stood with his chin tilted up at Knives, that dimple very prominently in view.
“Why do you want to know?” he asked. He rolled to his heels and settled into a crouch so he could stare down at the runaway heir.
Vetty kept his face mask around his neck for easy access, Knives noticed. He didn’t want people to know who he was. At least they had that in common. One of the reasons he was worried about Vetty being there was that it’d bring the wrong type of attention back to Myth, and not the kind from the Dead Spacers or the Fringers who frequented the place. He didn’t want word to get back to Commonwealth. With the Sinoblancas family backing them, it’d be possible that a unit would be dispatched out there to investigate. The last thing Knives wanted was to be found by his father, not even when the Commonwealth needed him the most.
Knives had been running most of his life, for different reasons. This time, he wanted to say it was for Ia. But there was another explanation. He was a coward. For deserting his squadron while they all perished. They were all better men than he was, yet he was the one who survived.
Looking at Sinoblancas’s face made him feel even worse. Because in addition to being a coward, he was also a failure.
Vetty squinted, his pupils darting back and forth as he studied Knives’s face. “There’s something strangely familiar about you.” Then his eyes widened. “You’re Marnie’s brother, aren’t you?”
Knives stood up at the mention of her name. “How do you know my sister?”
“She was older than me, but we shared the same tutor. Guess I was a smart one for my age,” Vetty said with a smug grin. “I was about to commend you on your flying skills, but now that I know you’re an Adams…”
“What are you trying to say? That I’m not that good?”
“Well, in comparison to everyone else in your family…”
“Oh my Deus.” Eve stood at the entryway of the landing dock, wrapped in a grungy sleeping robe. She held an icy cup of caffeine in her hands. “Just fight and get it over with.”
Knives jumped off the wing, shouldering past Vetty as he headed back to the main atrium.
“She’s still asleep if you’re going to visit her,” Vetty called after him.
Knives gritted his teeth, trying to fight the urge to swing at him.
“Careful, Romeo.” Eve stopped him, placing her cup of caffeine in his hands to distract him. But it didn’t work. He still wanted to punch that dimple right off Vetty’s chin.
“I still don’t understand why you brought him here,” Knives said to Eve.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re losing one big stink of a battle out there. We need allies, and good ones. Besides, I think you two could be friends,” Eve said, to which Knives promptly laughed.
“Friends? You’re kidding me, right?” Knives said as he walked away.
Eve called after him. “Maybe you haven’t realized it yet, but you and Vetty are more alike than you think.”
Sons of the Commonwealth who hated their fathers and were also possibly in love with the same woman.
Yeah, Knives thought, they were too alike. And that was the problem.
CHAPTER 38
IA
IA FOLLOWED THE SOUND of music, haunting and eerie as it echoed through the metal corridors. It was a traditional Solstice tune. Powerful yet joyous—a song that prevailed beyond borders. Most people, no matter what planet they hailed from, celebrated Solstice. If anything, it was reason to relax, to drink, to forget your worries.
So for her, Solstice came at the right time. She had been reconditioning her muscles and retraining her coordination nonstop for the past few months. But her soul was still weary, still drawn so tight from everything that was running through her mind at every minute, every second of the day. Solstice was a reason to pause, and she needed that right now.
The barroom was awash with strings of orange lights, to praise the sun’s generosity. Without the stars, they wouldn’t exist. But that was all the holiday decoration Eve had bothered to put up. Ia was surprised she had put up anything at all.
The large room was empty. Its ugly, cracked-leather couches sagged sadly from the lack of drunkards asleep on their cushions. Withou
t the thick of people, it was easy to see the wear and tear on the place. Minus the small handful of patrons drinking solemnly in the corner, Eve and Knives were the only two people in the bar. Vetty had gone on a supply run to the Raserie district.
Eve had positioned herself in front of the bar counter instead of behind it. Probably because there weren’t enough customers to justify working.
Beside her, Knives poured himself another drink.
“Easy with that,” Eve cautioned. “The fumes in the new batch haven’t completely dissipated yet.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said as he waved her away. “I could go blind.”
Ia stiffened at the sight of them together but quickly dismissed it all, blaming the uncomfortable tightness in her chest on her messed-up nerve endings.
She tapped a slender finger on the counter. “I’ll take one.”
Eve arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Archnol is never a good idea,” Ia said.
Knives reached over the bar and grabbed an empty glass, setting it down for Eve to pour. Eve tipped the large bottle of new brew. The liquid tumbled in. The drink was a beautiful amber with specks of black that settled at the bottom of the glass. Ia swallowed the shot of archnol in one gulp, allowing the thick liquid to burn the inside of her throat.
Eve glanced over at the other patrons, her paranoia over Ia being discovered as blatant as ever.
“It’s Solstice Eve, and they’re all drunk off their spirits,” Ia reassured her. “They won’t remember my face even if they see me.”
Eve didn’t laugh. “If Einn finds out you’re alive, he’s going to come knocking down our doors. Do you know how long it’s taken me to get this place in shape? If only we had one of his weapons to turn the tide. And an army, that’d be nice,” Eve ruminated.
More importantly, they needed someone to lead. And she knew they wanted her. Ia thought about taking up the Blood Wolf’s feather yet again, and her jaw tightened. Her brother’s face seared into her vision, his demonic smile as he watched her fall to her death. Her stomach turned. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.
“Looks like you’re moving around better without the suit,” Knives noticed. She had changed outfits earlier that day, deciding to train without the added weight of the alloy frame at her joints. She wore baggy nylon training pants and a tattered white tank top. Her arms were bare, showing off the feather tattoos on both her forearms that she had gotten years ago on a trip to Eden. She would never forget the look on her brother’s face when he saw them—completely pissed off.
“Not for much longer, if I have another sip of this,” Ia said, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips.
Knives grinned. Perhaps because it had been awhile since Ia dropped a joke into conversation.
“Well then,” Knives said as he stood up. He looked at her and extended a hand. His cheeks were flushed a rosy red. “Care to dance? Before you take that second drink, that is.”
A rush of heat flooded her cheeks. She told herself it was from the drink and then slipped her hand gently into his, her fingertips resting against the hardened skin of his palm.
He led her to a little bit of open space between two tables, big enough to qualify as a dance floor. The music had changed from a festive carol to a more solemn tune. Knives wrapped an arm around her hip, and she rested a hand on his shoulder, and they swayed side to side, letting the music guide them. They’d spent a lot of time in close quarters together, but for some reason, seeing him in front of her so clearly like this was strange. As if she hadn’t seen him for quite some time. Those cold blue eyes, striking in the orange cast of the sun lights.
“I’m sorry Vetty isn’t here to dance with you,” Knives said.
She pulled away and looked at him, studying the expression on his face. What was that question in his eyes? Why couldn’t he just ask her directly?
“Vetty and I are just comrades, Knives,” she said.
“Oh,” he said sheepishly. “I just thought…I know he’s your ex.”
“He’s my ex for a reason.” She laughed. “It’s true that I’m happy that he’s here. I wouldn’t be standing if it weren’t for him and Eve.” Her gaze rested on his, and the mirth in her expression left, replaced by something a bit more precious. Her voice softened. “And I wouldn’t be dancing if it weren’t for you.”
Those icy-blue eyes warmed for a glimmer of a second, and her knees grew weak. She took a step forward in case she fell, and he held her closer, just a bit closer, so that her cheek was almost touching his. She thought back to when they were at Aphelion. To that kiss. There was something between them, that was certain. But did she have the courage to face that, especially now when she had to face everything in her life? Usually when the universe was at the brink of destruction, feelings changed. They disappeared. Or they grew stronger.
How did he feel about her now? she wondered. And how did she feel about him?
She felt like Tarver, overanalyzing everything when she shouldn’t be. She felt the corner of her lip lift up in a smile as she remembered her old friend, but then stopped herself. That was the thing about memories. They only existed in that one moment in time.
Ia took a deep breath. This was Solstice, Ia reminded herself. Relax, you munghead. She rested her head against his chest, letting him guide her. She heard his heart beating steadily, and his warmth surrounded her.
The music ended abruptly, barely in the middle of the song. She glanced over to Eve, who was standing at the bar, raising the volume of the holodisplays.
Ia was about to yell at her for ruining such a perfect moment when she heard Knives whisper. “It’s the Queens.”
Ia’s gaze turned to the holoscreens floating in the center of the room. The majority were designated race streams for the gamblers in the crowd, with a few reality programs about redecorating vacation vessels sprinkled throughout. But one by one, they all switched to the same image. The two Queens of the Olympus Commonwealth stood in front of the cameras, neither in their usual regal attire of long, flowing gowns of silk and lace, but in golden flight suits. Judging from the bare furniture on their set and the lack of flashing text scrolling across the screen, this wasn’t the usual press conference. This was something different.
The Queens wore an emblem on their breastplates. It wasn’t the Olympus quartered shield but a new crest, one she had never seen before. Its backdrop was the golden sun of the royal family, with a simple copper swallow flying through the foreground.
Queen Lind’s dark-brown hair was swept to the sides of her face, soft waves trailing down her olive skin. Her expression was weary, but her hazel eyes were determined as ever.
Queen Juo was taller than Queen Lind. Her shoulders were broad and her black hair, thick and coiled, framed her wide eyes and sophisticated cheekbones. Her dark brown skin was a clean canvas, with no makeup, no lip stain or eye shadow.
There was no pedestal to hide behind, just the two Matriarchs standing shoulder to shoulder, hands clasped together in support.
Queen Lind took a deep breath and spoke. “I would like to greet you all. Not as Queens, but as equals.” Ia shuffled closer to the holoscreens. Equals? Ia pulled a lock of hair behind her ear so she could hear more clearly. For as long as she knew, the Queens have never addressed the people outright with a statement of equality. They were symbols of Commonwealth history with roots that reached back to the old worlds. Ancient Earth and Ancient Mars.
She looked at Knives. His eyes were filled with a mixture of surprise and hesitation.
Juo continued. “By now, you have heard of the unrest within the Commonwealth. Of the atrocities our government has let pass. The abolishment of the Sanctuary Act. The refusal to acknowledge hundreds of thousands of people who are not our enemies. They are families. They work side by side with us. These people are our peers, as we are yours.”
Juo looked to Lind and nodded for her to continue. A small smile passed between them, an intimate gesture only t
hose close to them had seen until now. Their expressions were entwined with strength, transferring courage from one woman to the next.
“That is why we are announcing our separation from the Commonwealth, an institution we no longer see fit to lead.” Lind stared into the camera, her eyes shining with glimmers of a brand-new future. “We are no longer your queens, but we are here to fight with you. Freedom is something that everyone deserves. Citizen or not.”
“Holy mif,” Eve said. “Is this seriously happening? What does this all mean?”
“It means,” Knives said slowly as if he couldn’t even fathom the news, “that there’s a civil war.”
Ia stared at the Queens. Queens no longer. A weight lifted from Ia’s shoulders. With the split in the Commonwealth, there was a chance that the refugees would find their freedom. But there was a pit forming at the bottom of her belly. Because none of this would help stop Einn.
“We are not alone. There are others who are brave enough to join us. Like us, they believe that there is a better way. And we promise you, there is,” Juo said, her eyes flashing with conviction. She was no longer Queen, but that didn’t matter. Good leaders didn’t need titles to stoke that dying spark. “There is still goodness in this universe. We cannot forget that. We cannot let it die.”
Lind brought a delicate hand to her heart. “We’d like to extend an offering of peace to Einn Galatin. Together, we can bring balance to the cosmos.”
The broadcast ended abruptly, cutting straight to a garbled image, pixels of multicolored noise. A drone of static flooded through the barroom.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Eve said.
“Do you think Einn will agree to meet?” Knives asked.
Ia stared at them, her head flooding with thoughts. Einn wasn’t interested in the Commonwealth or the refugees. She thought back to the look in his eyes when he forced her to make her first kill.
“My brother doesn’t care for peace,” she said. “He just wants to watch things burn.”
A storm was brewing in the horizon, and Einn was in the center of it.