by Lili Zander
“I think I’m going to cry,” I whisper, staring at it.
“Please don’t,” he says, sounding alarmed. “You’re supposed to smile and tell me that’s a very pretty dress. Not cry.”
Nero comes up behind Zeke. He’s in his dress uniform too. “Fucking banquets,” he grumbles. “Waste of time. Raven, are you ready?” Then he sees my tears and his eyes widen in concern. “What’s the matter, kära?” he asks, wrapping me into his arms. “We’re going to be okay. Only a few more hours, and then this will all be behind us.”
Nero’s unshakable confidence feels rock solid. I wonder how he does it. I wonder if he ever gets scared. This situation is freaking me out, but if Nero’s bothered by it, he doesn’t let on.
I hug both of them. “I’ve never owned something as lovely as this before,” I murmur into Nero’s shoulder.
He brushes a kiss across my lips. “Can you hide a gun underneath that dress?”
Always practical, my vampires. “I’ll give her a thigh-strap,” Zeke replies. “Just in case.”
Do they think it’s going to come to a shootout? I don’t ask. I don’t really want to know the answer.
Only a few more hours.
Zeke must sense my fear. “Have faith in yourself, Raven,” he says, his expression serious. “You can do anything. Build ice boats and fly across Glacis. Find a way to decline Ragnar’s invitation without arousing suspicion. You’re strong and brilliant and clever. I have no doubt in my heart. We’re going to be fine.”
His pep talk works. Feeling a lot better, I get dressed, and we walk to the Overlord’s palace, which is just two buildings away.
It’s ornate and luxurious, but I barely take it in. My stomach is churning once again with nerves, and I feel sick. Any moment now, I’m expecting us all to get arrested. Or shot. Or taken away to be experimented on by the Empress’ scientists.
None of these are good options.
Vampire snobbery saves my butt.
To Overlord Zimmer, all humans are inferior. There are many bitten humans at the banquet, but like me, they’re seated in a dimly-lit corner of the room.
Typical.
When we arrive, Saber’s already seated at the head to Ragnar’s right. A smiling hostess bows to Nero and Zeke. “This way, please.”
Zeke frowns. Avoiding Ragnar is the priority, but I can tell he doesn’t like that I’m relegated to a corner of the room. His desire for fair play wars with his common sense, and common-sense wins. “Keep an eye on your comm,” he whispers. “I’ll message you when it’s time.”
I nod silently. The two vampires are shown to their seats at the head table. A maid comes up to show me to my own table. “Congratulations, Raven Unnuk,” she whispers. “I grew up in Sector 21. We’re all so proud of you.”
Even across the room, I can feel the weight of Ragnar’s gaze on me. He says something to Saber, who shakes his head. Thankfully, the Overlord chooses that moment to make some kind of joke. Everyone laughs, and the tension is broken.
At my table, the woman sitting next to me clears her throat. “I saw your ice boat,” she says. “Finding the flags must have been thrilling. Tell us all about it.”
They all lean forward with avid interest.
Great.
My table is filled with humans that live in the inner sectors. Tomas is conspicuous by his absence. I guess the Overlord’s not happy with him. They’re all wealthier than me, and most of their conversation goes above my head. By the third course, I’m ready for a break. I get to my feet. “Freshroom,” I mutter to the woman next to me, who smiles, nods and continues her conversation with the man sitting opposite her.
I step through an archway and find myself in a long corridor. There’s no one around. The last few days have been filled with frantic activity, and I could use a moment of peace and quiet. I lean against the wall and close my eyes. This time a month ago, if you’d told me I’d be crowned winner of the Night of the Shayde, I’d have laughed in disbelief. A ticket to Starra. A lifetime waiver from the blood tax. In my world, these were impossible dreams.
Now, everything is so much more complicated. I’m about to go on the run. Saber, Nero, and Zeke are sacrificing everything to protect me. They’re setting fire to their careers. Throwing themselves headlong into danger. All for me.
Am I worth it?
The sound of footsteps interrupts my reverie. A human man emerges from the freshroom, his hair dyed silver and braided into an elaborate, three-tiered topknot.
Arnie Hento.
He sees me standing there, and nods stiffly. “Congratulations on your victory.”
I swallow hard. The vid Zeke showed me, the one where Birkin Hento betrayed my parents, runs before my eyes. I want to confront Arnie, but what’s the point? He was a child too when it had happened. He’s not responsible for what his father did. “Thank you.”
Arnie gives me a condescending smile. “I didn’t think you could pull it off. I bet on Tomas Cabal. To be honest, I agree with the Overlord. You should have been disqualified.” He sneers. “The prince wants to fuck you. That’s why he sided with you.”
My thread of self-control snaps. I grab him by the neck and shove him against the wall. Arnie’s bitten too, but I’m better trained, and I have rage on my side. “You fucking sycophant,” I growl. “Constantly kissing Zimmer’s ass. Just like your weak, pitiful, traitor of a father.”
His eyes go wide. Arnie’s never seen me fight back. “How dare you talk about my father,” he snarls. “You think that just because you won the tournament, you can say whatever you want? Act however you want?”
“That’s exactly what I think.” I tighten my grip on his neck, and his legs kick out, but he doesn’t call out for help. There’s a roomful of vampires on the other side of the wall, and every human on Boarus 4 knows better than to attract the attention of our masters. “You grew up in my sector, Arnie. We were neighbors, remember? Do you know how you got out?” The words pour from me like bullets. “Your father told the authorities that my parents were plotting against the Overlord. They were his friends, and he betrayed them for the promise of a better job.”
“No.” Arnie stops struggling. “You’re lying.”
Shock coats every syllable of his voice. He didn’t know. Uncle Birkin took his secret to his grave. “I saw the vid, Arnie.”
My rage drains away. I could choke Arnie Hento to death, but it won’t bring my parents back. Nothing will.
I let go of him, and he drops to the floor. The adrenaline drains away, and my shoulders slump. “Go,” I say tiredly, closing my eyes once again, trying to gather the torn shreds of my composure. I wish my vampires were here. I could really use a hug. “Just go.”
I hear him scamper away. I stay where I am, exhaustion filling my body. All my parents wanted was a safer working environment. For that, they were arrested and executed. Ma Kaila always said…
Great Spirit! In all the chaos of the last few days, I’ve totally forgotten about my history teacher, but she’s here. Locked up in the Overlord’s dungeons, underneath this very building.
A fresh burst of energy fills me. I’ve got to see her. Lula Kenner has already freed the residents of Glacis. If she succeeds in overthrowing Zimmer, it’ll only be a matter of time before Joanna persuades her to release our teacher. I was able to give Mical hope. I need to do the same thing for Ma Kaila.
Where is the entrance to the dungeons? It must be here somewhere.
Don’t sneak away without telling Saber, Nero, and Zeke, a voice whispers.
But if I tell them where I’m going, they’ll talk me out of it. They’ll tell me that the dungeons are the last place I need to be in.
They’ll be right.
I’ll keep an eye on my comm. I won’t miss Zeke’s message.
You’re making a mistake, the voice of reason inside me says bluntly. You’re being stupid and impulsive.
Maybe I am. But my parents are gone forever. Ma Kaila is the last surviving maternal figure in my life
. I don’t know if I’ll ever return to Boarus 4, and I don’t want to leave without seeing her. Without saying goodbye.
The maid who had shown me to my seat at the start of the banquet emerges from behind a closed door. She looks startled to see someone in the corridor, then she recognizes me, and her expression relaxes into a smile. “May I help you find something?”
Can I trust her? I make a split-second decision. “I need to get to the dungeons,” I whisper.
Fear whips across her face, and too late, I remember that there are likely to be cameras here, recording everyone’s move. Sure enough, she smiles brightly and shifts position. “The freshroom? Of course. It’s this door.” As she moves, she flashes me a hand signal. Three. Left.
Third door on the left. Got it.
A couple emerges from the banquet room, giggling and blushing. The woman wraps her arm around the man and tugs him closer. “Have I told you how good you look tonight?”
They’re blocking the camera. This is it. Now or never. I take another deep breath and make my decision. Moving quickly, I open the door and see a long flight of stairs stretching below me. Picking up my long skirt in my hands, I start climbing down.
37
Raven
Boarus 4
Past Midnight, TwelfthDay of FourthMonth
A couple of guards are having a conversation at the entrance to the cells. I freeze at the bottom of the stairs, just out of sight, and listen.
“Did you hear the news?”
That’s a familiar voice. Where have I heard it? I poke my head around the corner and recognize the speaker. It’s the enforcer who rescued Bailey, the one who had grown up in Sector 24. An ally, maybe?
“That the tournament is over?” The other enforcer sounds bored. “I had money on the Overlord’s champion, the one who twisted his ankle at the finish line. I lost five credits.”
“No, not that.” My buddy sounds urgent. “Somebody broke in the re-education camps. All the guards are dead, and the prisoners are loose.”
“You’re joking.”
“Something’s in the wind, Marcus, and until I know what’s going on, I’m going to play this one safe. If the Overlord is on his way out…”
“Shh. Do you want someone to hear?”
“Who?” He makes a scoffing sound in his throat. “Zimmer disabled these cameras a long time ago. You think he wants proof of what goes on down here?” The chair scrapes against the floor. “I have a sister who lives off-world. I think I’m going to visit her for a few weeks. I suggest you do the same thing.”
I’ve heard enough. I round the corner. Both guards recognize me. One of them—the stranger—reaches for his gun. “What are you doing here?” he snaps. “You’re lost. The banquet is upstairs.”
I lift my hands in the air. “You’re right,” I say quietly. “The camps are gone.”
“What do you want, Raven Unnuk?” This time, it’s my friend, the guard who grew up in Sector 24. He’s not exactly falling over himself in welcome, but he’s not pointing a gun either. I’ll take it.
I try for honesty. “I have a friend in the dungeons. An old woman. Ma Kaila. I just want to talk to her.” I look into their eyes. “Please.”
There’s a long pause. The two men exchange glances with each other, and then my Sector 24 friend nods slightly. “Five minutes.”
That’s all I need. “Thank you.”
I follow the other guard—Marcus—down a long, cold passage. He opens a thick metal door halfway down the corridor. “I want no part of this,” he says, sounding nervous. “I’m going to take a piss. When I return, I’m locking this door. Make sure you’re out of here by then. You understand?”
Loud and clear. I nod my agreement and wait for him to disappear down the long hallway before I enter Ma Kaila’s cell.
It’s cold in here, and unfurnished. There’s a small toilet in the corner, a dim light bulb overhead. A tray of half-eaten food lies near the door.
My history teacher is sitting in a corner, hunched into herself. “Ma Kaila?” I say tentatively, moving toward her. Great Spirit, have they tortured her? I will kill Zimmer if she’s been hurt.
She looks up, blinking in confusion. “Raven?” Her voice is thin with disbelief. “Is that you, child?”
“It’s me.” I crouch next to her on the cold stone floor. My brain knows that Joanna will get her out of prison as soon as Lula Kenner takes charge, but my heart hurts at the state my teacher is in. I wish I had a wrap, a coat, a hot drink, anything to warm her. “I can’t stay,” I whisper, squeezing her hand. “But things are going to be okay, Ma Kaila. Things are going to be better.”
She stares at me. “I’m going to be moved tomorrow,” she says flatly. “It’s been decided. Twenty years in Glacis.”
Twenty years at her age. It’s a death sentence. Or it would have been, had Lula Kenner not stormed the re-education camps.
“You’re going to be okay,” I tell her again, trying to put all the assurance I feel into my voice. “Trust me.” It’s so good to see a familiar face, even under these circumstances. My life has been upended in the last ten days, ever since the vampire bit me. Everything is changing. Some for the better, some for the worse.
Everything is uncertain, and it makes me want to cling to Ma Kaila, the closest thing to a parent I have left. I want to confide in her, pour out my fears, and tell her everything. “I have to leave soon,” I whisper. “And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to return to Boarus 4.”
“Why?”
“I’m carrying a disease in my blood that can destroy every vampire in the galaxy. I’m going to have to go into hiding.”
Her eyes slowly bloom to life. “What did you just say?” Is it my imagination, or has her voice picked up strength?
“Olaf Vander tried to drink my blood.” A picture of his body flashes in front of my eyes, and I shake my head to dispel that horrible image. “He died. Badly.”
She grabs my shoulders, her fingers digging painfully into my flesh. “This is a miracle,” she says, a wild note in her voice. “You know what you have to do, don’t you, child? The colony’s reserve blood supply is here. In the Overlord’s palace. You need to break into it. Contaminate it.”
Shock jolts through me. I pull back, horrified at her suggestion. What have Zimmer’s enforcers done to her? What has she endured in the dungeons in the last few days? “They’ll all die.”
She nods eagerly. “Yes,” she says. “All the vampires will die. Or starve to death. It doesn’t matter either way.” She closes her eyes, as if in prayer. “This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for all my life. The moment where we rise up and overthrow our vampire masters.”
I shrink back, my entire body flooding with disillusionment. I looked up to this woman. I learned from her each week.
And she’s been shaping my attitude ever since I got out of Glacis. Filling me with her poison, convincing me to see every vampire as my enemy.
If I’d never met Saber, Zeke, and Nero, would I have done what she’s suggesting?
Would I have committed genocide?
Bile fills my mouth. “You want me to kill every single vampire on Boarus 4,” I say, staring at the old woman. “Every man, woman, and child. If I do that, I’ll become a monster.”
“It’s the cost of war, child. Nobody said it would be easy. Don’t you want to avenge your parents?”
My parents would have never wanted me to do this. They named me Raven Peace Unnuk. I no longer burn to avenge them. The Overlord’s father is dead. Birkin Hento is dead. Arnie knew nothing. Zeke showed me who had condemned my parents, and with that one gesture of kindness, he set me free.
“Not like this. Never like this.” I get to my feet and move toward the door. She’s broken something inside me, and I can’t look at her anymore. “I would trust Saber, Zeke, and Nero with my life, Ma Kaila. Not all vampires are bad. I hope one day that you can see that.”
I hear footsteps. It must be the guard. I step out of the door. “I
’m ready to leave,” I start to say, and then I freeze. Because it’s not the dungeon guard standing there.
It’s Overlord Zimmer.
38
Raven
Boarus 4
Past Midnight, TwelfthDay of FourthMonth
He’s smiling at me in a way that sets unease skittering down my spine. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, Raven,” he says. “That last, touching sentiment… You trust Saber, Zeke, and Nero?” He shakes his head, his expression pitying. “I’d call you foolish, but that seems like such an understatement.”
I back away from him. “Don’t worry,” he says. “I’m unarmed. I’m not planning on hurting you. The only people that are going to do that are the three men in whom you’ve put your trust. Saber and his associates.”
As if. “I don’t believe you.”
He chuckles. “No, you wouldn’t, would you? Saber Hafsson isn’t a fool. The moment he found out who you really were, he would have convinced you he’s on your side.” He cocks his head to one side. “Did he promise to keep you safe? Did he spin some tall story about how he’d abandoned his human team in Rothis, and tell you he’s consumed with regret?” He snorts. “And you believed him, of course.”
A slow tendril of doubt coils around me. Overlord Klaus Zimmer’s world is falling to pieces around him, but he doesn’t sound even the slightest bit nervous. What does he know that I don’t? What am I missing?
“They wouldn’t lie to me.”
“They’ve been lying to you from the first moment they met you,” he snaps. “Tell me, why are they really here?” Not waiting for me to answer, he inclines his head down the passage. “Shall we? I find the dungeons unpleasant.”
I can’t make a break for it. Zimmer is a vampire—strong and fast. If we fight… if we’re overheard by Ragnar… that would be a fatal mistake.