Stargazers

  “Yeah, but what about that Yorrek dude? He might have told them something,” Harko said.

  “He didn’t see any of you, right?” Nisha turned to me.

  I shook my head. “He didn’t see any of us enter the lab, and he didn’t see any of us leave. I told him we were with the rebels, so, even if he spills any beans, the queens will think that was who we were working for.”

  “I imagine that is possible,” Seraphina mused. “Thus far, thanks to that message the shifter sent, our sole threat appears to be the rebels. In terms of stealing the ships, we will have to consider the queens, but I don’t think they will be expecting an attack from us. To ensure nothing further can be revealed that may ruin our plans, we must push our mission—we must execute it sooner rather than later.”

  “Where have you been hiding? Always knew you had a sharp mind on your shoulders,” Garrik remarked.

  “Pregnancy seems to be slowing me down somewhat,” she replied, with a smile. “It has not dulled my ability to observe and absorb, however.”

  “Navan, Jareth, you’ll need to work as fast as you can to make a large batch of anti-elixir. Do you have what you need here?” I asked.

  “We can collect water from the lake,” Navan assured me. “The rest of the ingredients and equipment are on the ships outside.”

  Jareth stared blankly in my direction. “It will not take us long.” He’d been quiet ever since losing Lazar, clutching an old jar to his side. It was full to the brim of dark ashes. Despite their differences, he’d kept his brother close. The grief remained written on his face, ageing him in the space of a day.

  “We need to remember that, although we have escaped the cottage, we are by no means safe here,” Seraphina said, drawing the room’s attention back to her. “Once Ezra and his rebels arrive at the house to find us missing, they will come looking for us. We are running out of time. Speed and efficiency must be our priority.”

  Nisha grunted an agreement. “We have to get out and get to those ships, as soon as possible. This can only be a waystation for us, nothing more.”

  “We’ll have to avoid the wrath of the queens’ forces and the incoming rebels, but if we’re careful, we may achieve this without loss of life,” I added. “While the success of this mission is paramount, I don’t want another death on our conscience.”

  “Whatever you need, you have us on hand,” Garrik replied, dipping his head in unexpected reverence. The other brothers followed suit, offering their assistance and their allegiance.

  I smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Now, with the ships, we will have to steal the ones that are in the hangar for repair or are not due on the current dispersal schedule,” Navan added. “If we try to take the ones already in the sky, it will attract too much conflict.”

  “The queens said they were running out of sleeping mist,” Lauren interjected, “which means more of the ships may be grounded than we think. This might be the perfect opportunity for us to strike.”

  “Aye, they’ll not be anticipatin’ anyone tryin’ to nick their mist ships,” Stone agreed. “They’re watchin’ the borders and keepin’ tabs on the rebels. They’ll not notice a poxy group o’ nobodies stealin’ into their hangars. Small numbers’ll be best in this’un.”

  I frowned. “In that case, I say we go in two small groups. We can use the Fed ship and Kaido’s ship to reach the outer limits of the city and sneak in through the filtration ducts. Navan took me there once before. The entrance is outside the city walls, in the side of the border mountains.”

  “Me and the boys are happy to go,” Rethela declared.

  “Well then, you can form one team.” I glanced at Szayan. “Although, I’d prefer it if you stayed behind, in case anything happens to any of us. We’re going to need a medic, outside any potential battles, so we can retreat here and get patched up.”

  Szayan tilted his head. “Understood. I will organize my ship into a field hospital and keep it in the air with the comms on, should you require emergency attention.”

  “Good idea,” Navan agreed. “As for team two, I’d—”

  I cut him off, knowing he’d try to keep me out of it. “As for team two, I think it should be me, you, Bashrik, Ronad, and Nisha.”

  “You’re doing this to me again?” Angie muttered, crestfallen. “Lauren and I have field experience; we could be useful out there. And that one is a freaking demon with a staff.”

  “Then you’d be best off here, helping Szayan with the field hospital,” I replied firmly. “And Lauren and her staff are precisely why I think she should stay here, protecting those left behind. If she’s here, then I’ll know we have a strong defense.”

  Stone sighed. “I guess I still ain’t much use with me eye all gammy. It’s on the mend, like, but I’ll not be freezin’ no one for a while to come. If Lauren and meself are here, we can hold the fort with a pair o’ staffs. No bother.”

  “Given the advancement of my pregnancy, it would also be best if I remained,” Seraphina added. “I can keep watch over the most vulnerable in our group—Nova and Sarrask—while Angie, Lauren, and Szayan take care of the medical facilities.”

  I flashed her a grateful smile. “I imagine Kaido will want to stay here, too, which adds to our defenses. He’s a skilled warrior; if anyone discovers you here, I’m positive that he’ll be able to hold the enemy back, alongside Lauren and Stone. Sarrask might also want to fight… but we’ll have to wait and see what his condition is like.”

  “There is still a great deal of improvement to be made with his memory retention,” Szayan confirmed. “I will keep an eye on him in our field hospital, to see what I can do in the interim.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “So, does everyone know what they’re doing?” Nisha cut in.

  Somber glances pinballed throughout the room, everyone subconsciously drifting into their groups. Only Jareth remained on the outskirts, clutching the jar of ashes to his chest. He looked hollowed out inside, his stare distant.

  “And what am I to do while the rest of you are gallivanting?” he asked coldly. “My brother has given his life for this anti-elixir. I will not be left here to rot while the rest of you take on the rebels. I wish to see my promises fulfilled.”

  Navan turned to his father. “You will join our group, Father. You probably know more secret tunnels and passageways within the walls of Regium than the rest of us combined.”

  A sad expression crossed his face. “Gratitude, my boy,” was all he said.

  “Right, then I suppose we should get to work.”

  “Do you need help making the batches of anti-elixir?” I asked.

  Navan nodded. “If I could steal a couple of my brothers, that’d be useful.”

  “Take whoever you need,” I replied, offering him an anxious smile. “We don’t have long to get this done.”

  Nisha clapped her hands together loudly, signaling everyone to disperse to their particular duties. The Fed ship and Kaido’s vessel needed to be checked over, to make sure they’d run smoothly; the latter required some adaptations to give it cloaking capabilities, which Lojak had already volunteered to make happen. The ingredients and equipment needed bringing in from the ships, including the sprayer guns, which would need filling. The batches needed to be made, with water brought from the nearby lake. Someone had to remain on guard duty at all times, to keep an eye out for rebel intruders. Kaido and Sarrask would have to be informed of what was going on. Plus, we needed to check what kind of weapons we had left—we still had most of the arsenal from the Fed ship, but nobody had checked through it yet. The field hospital could wait until the rest of us had gone toward the hangars, but Szayan still had to sort through his medical supplies.

  Yeah, there was a lot to do if this heist was going to go off without a hitch. As always, time was not on our side.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  It was close to midnight, the twin moons of Vysanthe glowing bright in the velvet-black sky. Stars glittered, bringing beauty to t
he darkness.

  With everyone striving to be ready by dawn and half the group working through most of the night to complete every task that needed doing, set to swap with the other half at around three in the morning, I retreated to the clearing to catch my breath. I’d stacked weapons in both ships and gone over the details of our journey to Regium, making sure everyone would be armed and protected. Although there was more to do, I was exhausted.

  Glancing at the dim lights of the cabin windows, I wandered toward the tree-line, wanting to put some distance between myself and the others. It was hard to grab a moment’s peace with so many people everywhere, and I felt like I might explode if I didn’t get out. Nova was fed and asleep, safely tucked up in the back bedroom of the cabin. Angie, Lauren, Bashrik, Stone, Kaido, and Sarrask had gone to bed, too, resting up before they had to take over from the others.

  “I was hoping I’d find you out here,” Navan’s voice murmured from the shadows.

  I felt his arms slip around my waist, his lips kissing the curve of my neck. I sank back against him, relishing his touch. Somehow, regardless of the terror awaiting us, he made me feel safe again. His arms were my bolster, keeping me grounded. I turned around, pressing close to his body, lifting my gaze to his. His slate eyes twinkled in the gloomy light, two pools of sanctuary to slow my racing mind.

  “Navan,” I murmured, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss his lips.

  He held me tighter. “Are you okay?”

  “As okay as I can be,” I said wryly. His mouth caught mine, and we melted into one another. Kissing him was like coming home. My hands slid under his shirt, exploring his cool skin, enjoying the sensation.

  “I wish we could be alone,” he whispered, his kisses desperate. He grabbed my waist and pushed me against a nearby tree, sliding his hand along the length of my thigh. I was eager for him, longing for some privacy so we could reaffirm our love for one another. His touch made me shiver with ecstasy, my breath catching in my throat as his fingertips edged higher.

  “I wish we were back at the glass igloo by the lake,” I gasped. “I wish we were entwined together on that bed of furs, watching the stars, making love until the sun came up. I wish we could run away and forget all of this, even if it was just for a night.”

  He growled. “There’s a thought.”

  I looked at Kaido’s ship, parked in the tree-line. “Couldn’t we?” It was selfish, I knew it was, but I couldn’t help fantasizing. My daughter was asleep in the cabin, and all our friends and family were diligently toiling away to make sure everything was ready by the morning… but even that couldn’t push the hope from my heart. I wanted one last night, in case we never had the chance again.

  “We can’t go to the igloo, my love, but we can steal a few moments,” he promised, picking me up as though I weighed nothing. With my legs wrapped around his waist, he carried me toward the grounded ship, the pair of us stealing into the silence before anyone noticed we were missing. If we only had a moment, I wasn’t going to waste a second of it.

  “I hate to ruin the mood,” I said, his kisses tracing a line across my shoulder, “but did you and your father manage to finish the batches?”

  He chuckled throatily. “It’s a good thing alchemy talk turns me on,” he teased. “We found crates of canisters in the back of Ianthan’s store room, and a few more in Kaido’s boxes of equipment. The anti-elixir is good to go. It just needs pouring into the canisters and the sprayer guns. My brothers are helping with that. I told them I needed a few minutes’ break, but they seemed pretty pleased to see the back of me—I think they want to show off to my father, show him they’re better than me. To be fair, they probably are.”

  “Not to me, they’re not.” I grinned, giggling as he lay me down on the floor of the hold in Kaido’s ship. Leaving me there for a second, he gathered blankets from the shelves and arranged them in a kind of nest. Desperate to feel his touch again, I crawled over and curled up beside him. “Now, where were we?”

  “Oh, I think I was about… here.” He lifted my shirt and threw it to one side, before scooping me close. His mouth explored every inch of my body, his hands setting every cell on fire. We quickly removed the rest of our clothes, until our bodies were entwined on the floor. His eyes were the only thing I wanted to see, his skin the only thing I wanted to touch, his lips the only thing I wanted to feel. Pure bliss rippled through my nerves, not knowing where I stopped and he began. Anything could happen to us once we set off for the hangars. If this was going to be the last time, I was going to savor every moment.

  “I love you,” I whispered, basking in the adrenaline of the last half an hour.

  “I love you more,” he murmured, cradling me to his side, my head on his chest. His arm was wrapped around me protectively, his kisses peppering my forehead. We knew we had to face reality, but our hiding place was too damn cozy.

  I kissed his chest, gazing up into his eyes. “So, are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Harko? He doesn’t seem to be your biggest fan.”

  Navan snickered. “Great pillow talk, my love.”

  “I’m just interested in your family, that’s all.”

  “He always idolized my father,” he explained, stroking my bare skin. “When Naya died and I took Ronad’s side, I called my father a murdering son of a frostfang, straight to his face. Harko leapt to my father’s defense, and the two of us got into a bit of a fight over it. Our brothers tried to break us up, but we were too angry… at each other, at the situation, I’m still not sure. Anyway, I broke Harko’s nose. I didn’t mean to. He got too close, and I punched him harder than I’d intended. It knocked him out for a couple of seconds, and, when he came around, his nose was bleeding. He hated me for calling Jareth a murderer, he hated me for making him bleed, and he hated me for embarrassing him in front of our brothers. I don’t think he’s ever gotten over it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “What for? We were young. It was bound to happen with one of my brothers. It just happened to be Harko who lunged for me first.”

  “Still, I can’t imagine how that felt, to know what Jareth had done and have no support.”

  Navan shrugged. “They were sad about Naya, too—everyone was. Harko cried for weeks.” He paused, sighing heavily. “Now, I understand that they were dealing with their grief in a different way, that was all. I don’t think it helped that I shattered this heroic image of Jareth, making them doubt him for the first time in their lives. Harko lashed out at me to protect that image. I can’t blame him for that.”

  “I guess it must be hard to accept.”

  Navan lifted my chin and kissed me fiercely. “Anyway, let’s not talk about all that now. At dawn, we head out for the most dangerous mission of our lives. It sounds awful, but I don’t want to waste a moment of my time with you on other people… Nova being the only exception.”

  “Then kiss me again,” I urged, gripping him tight. “I’d say we’ve got another few minutes before they send out a search party.”

  He chuckled, running his hands through my hair. “Kaido is going to be so mad.”

  All around, stacked on the shelves, his luminescent blooms cast their warm glow across us. As our bodies entwined for the second time that night, the two of us connecting in perfect harmony, the mystical fruits and petals seemed to pulse brighter, feeding off our energy.

  Nobody said a word upon our return to the cottage. The Idrax brothers nudged each other and flashed a few winks in Navan’s direction, but there was no animosity toward us for sneaking out. Those who were asleep hadn’t even noticed we’d gone, which I was somewhat glad about. Angie and Bashrik, Stone and Lauren—they deserved that time together, too. Even so, I had a feeling they’d have understood, and that Nisha and the Idrax boys understood. Despite their response, I couldn’t help feeling a little bit guilty. After all, some of the boys had girlfriends back home—partners they might never see again, either.

  “You have fun?” Ronad asked, clapping Navan on the back. r />
  He flushed. “We were just… saying farewell, in case anything happens tomorrow.”

  “Navan, I get it. Believe me, I get it. If Naya were here now, you wouldn’t see me again until the sun came up.”

  Navan frowned. “Ro, that’s still my sister you’re talking about.”

  “Not over it yet?”

  “I don’t think I ever will be,” he replied. They were laughing, but there was a hint of sadness in the sound, like they both knew they were talking about two things at once.

  “Well, you’ll be pleased to know that, while the two of you were out there ‘saying farewell’—as the kids are calling it these days—your brothers and I managed to fill every canister and every sprayer gun. We even filled a few refill containers for good measure.”

  Navan sighed. “So, that’s it… we’re good to go?”

  “Once they’re loaded and we’re in the air, there’s only one thing left to do.”

  At dawn, the rebels’ reign of tyranny would end.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  With a dusky sky above us, we gathered in the clearing. The Idrax brothers said their farewells to those staying behind, and those going on my vessel—myself, Navan, Jareth, Bashrik, Ronad, and Nisha. Not the kind of men for soppy goodbyes, they quickly hurried onto their ship, leaving the rest of us to linger awkwardly.

  “We’ll see you on the other side, dudes,” Harko said, giving me a brief hug before hurrying after his siblings. At the bottom of the gangway, he turned around and sprinted back to our group, pausing in front of Navan. “If we don’t make it out of this, blood… well, you know.”

  Navan smiled and pulled his brother into a tight embrace. “We’ll both make it out of this. When we do, you and I are going to make things right, okay?”