by Rebecca Rode
Light flooded the room. At twelve paces square, it was larger than her bedroom on Earth, although it felt more cramped because of the furniture. The metal cot in the corner was the folding kind, just like on the ship. At least the mattress looked thick enough. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since her kidnapping.
It felt like ages since she’d sat in her future-telling booth, saving every single credit for Dai’s medicine and missing her mother. Talpa, her clan chief, had done more than sell Ember as homage to the Empire—he’d betrayed their entire village. So many lives lost.
She should have prevented every single one.
The floor beneath her lurched with an unusually large wave. Tethered or not, she’d have to get used to sleeping on the ocean. She wasn’t sure her stomach would ever feel right again.
A tiny closet jutted out in the far corner. No, not a closet. A bathroom barely large enough to contain a toilet. A showerhead extended from the ceiling, and a lip rose from the floor to keep the water in, the drain dead center.
“They should be bringing your next meal shortly, and then you can rest,” Amai said. “Be ready to begin training first thing in the morning. Your team has already been assigned.” Amai headed for the door.
“Where’s Mar?” Ember asked.
“She’s been placed elsewhere,” Amai said curtly. Then she was gone.
They’d put Mar with the other flickers, then. She felt a pang of disappointment, but she couldn’t blame the Daughter for wanting to separate the dangerous Lady Flare from everyone else. Amai said it was for her own protection, but Ember knew better. The Union always protected their own first. That was exactly as it should be.
Ember was too tired to think. What she needed was a shower and some sleep. She could think it through in the morning. She pulled the vial of sand out of her pocket and set it down on the bathroom counter. She would have tossed the stuff into the ocean had it not reminded her so much of the home she’d never see again.
“Now to finally smell like a woman,” she said with a sigh. She turned on the shower water, frowning when it came down in a trickle. Even surrounded by ocean, it seemed the Union was tight-fisted with its resources. Hopefully the water was warm.
She touched it with the tip of her finger and waited a moment, testing it. Nothing happened. The water was indeed filtered, then.
Of course it is. She scoffed at herself for crossing the line into irrational paranoia. Why would they bring her all the way here just to kill her with a poisonous shower? As untrusting and distasteful as the Daughter was, at least the woman had the decency to tell Ember what she expected of her. It was more than Commander Kane had ever done.
Dai’s words floated back into her thoughts. If you choose to serve her, be very careful. I have yet to discover whether this Union is the antithesis of the Empire or an extension of it.
She was being careful, truly. But didn’t she need to trust the woman at some point? She was offering Ember everything she wanted—Stefan, a purpose. Revenge. More than anything, Ember wanted to make the Emperor pay for what he had taken from her. And when he’d suffered enough, she wanted him to suffer all over again. Didn’t that mean exactly what the Daughter was proposing? Wasn’t removing the emperor a logical way to gain her revenge?
Ember had just begun to peel off her clothing when a knock sounded at the door. She’d forgotten about dinner. She groaned and slipped her shirt back on, leaving the shower on as she stalked to the pod door.
She yanked the door open to reveal a man in his late twenties, heavy stubble lining his strong jaw. He held no tray of food. Beneath his thick eyebrows, his intense, angry eyes latched onto Ember like a predator’s.
There was something familiar about him. It took her a second to place the man. She’d last seen him on a ship, next to his wife—who had died at Ember’s hand. Lillya. Ember had relived the moment a hundred times in her dreams—Lillya slumped to the ground, her husband’s expression as he realized what he’d lost.
Ember had been ordered to kill him, too. Instead, she’d knocked him unconscious. That moment had saved countless lives later, enabling her to fool Commander Kane until the Union could fight back.
“You’re alive,” she said softly, a grin spreading across her face. The slightest weight lifted from her shoulders. Just one life of so many—but, still, a life that haunted her. “You survived!”
He hesitated, a slight pause, a moment of reconsideration. Then his face hardened again. “I’ve been waiting for this.”
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Ember’s story continues in Flare: Ember in Space Book 2.
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Acknowledgments
It’s always scary to switch genres, but I had some seriously amazing helpers to get me through. Thanks to Gwynn White and the other Dominion Rising authors for the amazing ride. I learned things I never thought possible and made some great friends along the way.
Special thanks to my critique partners, Lindzee Armstrong, LaChelle Hansen, Darren Hansen, Nichole Eck, Adrienne Monson, Karen Pellett, Ruth Craddock, Roxy Haynie, Angela Brimhall, Mary King, Jen Greyson, and Karyn Patterson. You guys took my rough materials and helped me shape a cohesive story, and I appreciate it. I also have to thank Janci Patterson, Megan Walker, and Emily Christensen for joining us at the cabin for a writing retreat. You ladies helped me keep my sanity and get this thing done. Someday I want to be more like you.
Thanks to Clarissa Yeo with Yocla Designs for the amazing cover design, as always, and to Michele Preisendorf from Eschler Editing for her spectacular and speedy line editing. Michele not only squeezed me in before her family vacation, but she went above and beyond with her feedback—and I love her for it!
And I appreciate beta readers Adrienne Monson, Roxy Haynie, Karen Pellett, Angela Brimhall, and Jen Greyson for getting through Flicker in the five days I allotted them (in the middle of summer, no less) and still giving me amazing feedback. They’re still talking to me, so hopefully they weren’t too traumatized.
I have to acknowledge my fantastic proofreading team as well, including Deshanna Harrison, Johanna Halbrooks, Lisa Carstens, Robyn Rudd, Nicole Davis, and Mary King (who caught the typos everyone else missed). These ladies had two days to scour Flicker for mistakes, and they rose to the occasion beautifully.
And finally, to my readers. Thanks for your patience, your unfailing support, and your help in spreading the word. This would all be pointless without you. Thanks for everything.
About the Author
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REBECCA RODE is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Numbers Game series, the Ember in Space series, and numerous novellas. She also dabbles in freelance journalism, producing articles for Deseret News, KSL.com, and the Provo Daily Herald. She has four children, two cats, one husband, and a ridiculous number of books. Visit her at www.AuthorRebeccaRode.com.
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Visit her at www.AuthorRebeccaRode.com or join her VIP Clan to get two free books: http://smarturl.it/ClanVIP
Also by Rebecca Rode
Numbers Game
Numbers Ignite
Numbers Raging
Chan’s Story
Ruby’s Story
Richard’s Story
Love Right: A Sweet Romance Novella
Rebecca Rode, Flicker: Ember in Space Book One