Immediately, the coldbloods released Navan.
“We were just discussing sleeping arrangements,” Kalvin said casually, brushing blood from his lip. “I made it clear that Navan and Riley couldn’t stay together in a pod, since they can’t be trusted.” He pouted, drawing backward like a wounded animal.
Lazar turned to where I stood, an apologetic expression on his face. “I will be the one to watch over them. The rest of you, I suggest you keep your distance,” he warned. “I’m the highest-ranking officer on this ship, and if there’s so much as a peep from any of you, Orion will be the first to hear about it.”
“Don’t blame me when the lovebirds escape,” Kalvin grumbled, with the other two coldbloods reluctantly agreeing with Lazar’s words.
“This way,” Lazar said, leading Navan and me away from the main room of the Asterope, and down a very narrow hallway to the left. Navan’s shoulders barely fit the width of it.
A second later, he stopped in front of one of the three doors that led off from the corridor. These were, presumably, the pods Kalvin had been speaking about. Pushing the door open, Lazar ushered us inside. Beyond was a tiny room with one bed and a makeshift cot pushed up against the curved wall. Aside from that, and two lamps, the room was bare.
“You should remain here as often as you can, during our journey,” Lazar suggested, his eyes darting out to the hallway. “They will do you no harm while there is breath in my body, but they can’t be trusted. I’m sorry you had to endure that,” he said, turning to me.
“It’s okay,” I lied, still shaken by the words they had spoken.
“Navan, I trust you will keep your temper in check, in the future,” Lazar continued, his gaze shifting to his nephew.
Navan’s eyes burned with angry fire. He still looked confused about the double life his uncle was leading, and how he had come to be here, on Earth, with a rebel band of coldbloods. Perhaps Navan didn’t believe his uncle to be any more trustworthy than the coldbloods out in the main room.
“Unless I’m provoked,” Navan muttered.
“Well, try not to be provoked then,” Lazar said. “Rest up. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us, and you are going to need your strength when we land,” he added, his tone softening.
Without another word, Lazar ducked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Immediately, Navan crossed the space and pressed a button that glowed against the wall. There was a soft beep, before silence fell, leaving only the gentle thrum of the ship’s engine to underscore the moment.
Uncertainly, I wandered over to the bed and sat down on the edge, my eyes looking up at Navan, waiting for him to join me. He did so a moment later, though I could feel the fury pouring off him in waves. His fangs were still half bared, glinting sharply. Curious, I lifted my fingers to touch them. His expression was surprised as my fingertips ran along the smooth edges of the elongated canines.
As I pulled away, I smiled nervously. “They’re pretty impressive,” I said, my heart still pounding from the fracas outside.
“That’s one word for them,” he muttered.
Wanting to make Navan feel better, I put my arms around him and pulled him down onto the bed, wrapping myself up in his arms, feeling the strong contours of his chest beneath my head, and the steady beat of his heart within. He nuzzled into me, kissing me gently on the lips, just once. It was long and lingering, and though I wanted to enjoy it, I held back, knowing it wasn’t the right moment.
Fear wasn’t exactly an aphrodisiac, and I didn’t like the thought of the coldbloods cackling outside, listening in. No, this was a moment for safety and security, and Navan had that in spades. Here, with him, I felt like nobody could get at me. We were in each other’s arms, heading for a nightmarish world—I needed him just to hold me, to make things start to feel better again.
Although, maybe even his arms weren’t capable of that.
* * *
The next three days went by in a blur. As much as I wished we could go after the pod containing my blood that was still drifting its way through space, Orion’s orders to Lazar were that capturing the pod was only to happen after our mission on Vysanthe—as some sick incentive to ensure we performed well and got out alive, no doubt.
And so, there was nothing to do but wait. Navan and I tried to stay in our pod as much as possible, as I didn’t want to face those pigs again and neither did Navan. Whenever I needed the bathroom, Navan would escort me, not wanting me to get caught in the corridor alone. During the brief periods we were out of our pod, Lazar made an attempt to talk to Navan if he was passing by, but for the most part, Navan was successful at avoiding him too.
On the evening of the third day, however, Lazar came to Navan in our pod. Navan let him in, eyeing him stonily while Lazar greeted him, then walked over to a small box in the far corner that I hadn’t paid much attention to, and pressed a button. The lid popped open, and Lazar took two cushions and a box from within. Setting them down on the floor, with the box in the center of the two cushions, he beckoned to Navan.
“I bet it has been a while since you’ve played Periculum,” he said, a tentative smile tugging his lips.
Navan frowned. “I haven’t played that since I was a kid… With you, actually—that was the last time.”
“Feel like a game? We’ll be arriving soon, so this might be our last chance.”
His words sent a shiver down my spine. Arriving soon. Although this journey was not exactly comfortable, a part of me wished it would last forever, so we never had to reach our destination. I was also surprised that it had gone so quickly. I hadn’t asked Navan exactly how long it took to travel between Earth and Vysanthe in his Soraya, but I hadn’t gotten the impression that it was this fast.
I watched Navan’s expression, which looked as tense as I felt. “Your rebel tech is more advanced than I gave you credit for,” he said after a moment.
Lazar shrugged. “Orion has quite a large pool of great minds at his disposal.” Then he paused, watching Navan and waiting for an answer to his question.
I watched Navan too, wondering what he was going to say. I had wanted them to have a moment in which they might repair the broken links in their relationship, but only Navan could decide when and where that might happen.
“I guess a game couldn’t hurt,” he muttered at last, taking the cushion opposite his uncle.
A look of secret delight flitted across Lazar’s face for the briefest moment, seen only by me. Perhaps there was hope yet of the two of them saving their relationship.
Intrigued by the game they were playing, I wandered over and sat on the edge of the bed, tucking my legs under me. I peered over Navan’s shoulder to watch what was going on. It looked something like a game Roger used to try to get me to play, though this one had different quadrants on a board shaped like a map, and various objects of different sizes stacked up in a smaller box to either side of each player. After watching them set up, each putting a team of small figures into position, I soon realized that the aim of the game was to dominate the board, taking over each quadrant, until it was entirely filled with your color.
Of course it is, I thought to myself bitterly. What else would Vysantheans play?
It was a game of intellect and skill. I watched intently as Navan moved the figures across the board, storming through sections that were colored in the light blue of Lazar’s pieces. He was good, his mind working in ways mine never would when it came to sneak attacks and sacrificing pieces in return for more space on the board. They were engrossed, the pair of them, and for once I could see the family resemblance, in the way their brows furrowed.
“By the way,” Lazar said after a few minutes, “have you thought about how you will explain my presence to the queen? I’m not sure if Orion briefed you on that.”
“I’ve thought about it,” Navan murmured, his eyes fixed on the board. “If she asks for details, I’ll tell her my own ship broke down—which is why I haven’t arrived back on it—and that I sent out a distress si
gnal. You answered it, given that you were in the vicinity, doing whatever weird research it is that you supposedly do for your alchemy projects…”
Lazar sighed, but smiled wanly. “I believe she’ll buy that.”
Feeling unsettled again at the reminder of our imminent arrival, I left them to the game. Seeking another distraction, I allowed my curiosity to lead me to the box Lazar had delved into to fish out the board game. There were other things inside. I sat down beside it, rummaging around for anything interesting. After plucking out a scroll that grabbed my attention, I unraveled it to find a map of space, etched across the wide piece of waxy material.
Only, it didn’t look like any map of space I’d ever seen. There were familiar planets, dotted across the surface, but there were some I had never seen either. In one section, there were clusters of curiously named planets, each with a species listed beside it. Aliens, everywhere. I almost felt like laughing—all this time, Earth had thought aliens a mere theory, but here they were, written down in black and white. My eyes lingered upon the sight of my solar system, noting the lines that had been drawn between it and Vysanthe. Put on paper like that, it didn’t seem all that far.
Feeling fear begin to prickle through me once again, I placed the scroll back in the box, stood up and walked over to the door of the pod.
“Where are you going?” Navan asked, his head snapping up.
“Just the bathroom,” I said.
“I’ll come with you—” he began, but I cut him off.
“Navan, it’s okay. I’ll go on my own this time. Lazar did make it clear on the first day that no one should mess with us… I’ll scream if I need you.”
Navan glanced between me and the game board, then finally grunted and nodded reluctantly.
I found the narrow hallway empty, much to my relief, and hurried along to the bathroom at the far end. Catching my reflection in the mirror, I splashed my face with some water, hoping it might bring some life and color back to my tired, dull features. At least we’d been provided with fresh clothing—plain, dark outfits that were surprisingly warm—which must have been arranged by Orion. It would have looked too fishy arriving in Vysanthe in our old tattered clothes, not to mention they’d be stinky as hell.
After I’d finished my attempt at freshening myself up, I returned the way I’d come… only to pull up short just before reaching the doorway to Navan’s and my pod.
Kalvin was striding through the corridor, coming in the opposite direction. Knowing there was no place to run, I steeled myself against meeting him, and pressed on.
As I tried to pass him, however, I felt his hand grip my arm, pulling me back. Opening my mouth to scream, I jolted as no sound came out. Kalvin’s hand had clamped across my mouth, silencing me.
Chapter Fifteen
I tried to bite his hand but nearly broke my teeth in the process. A rookie error, I discovered; coldblood skin wasn’t like human flesh. It was shockingly tough.
“If you promise not to scream, I’ll let go,” Kalvin said, his tone surprisingly gentle. “I don’t mean you any harm. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night.”
Wary but curious, I relaxed my jaw, nodding slowly. A moment later, I felt the hand around my mouth slacken, before it moved away entirely. Kalvin stepped back, his brow furrowed, like he expected me to do exactly what he’d asked me not to. Instead, I remained quiet, knowing I could always shout out if I needed to now that his hand was gone.
“Why should I trust a word you say?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
He smiled. “Because I’m a nice guy, really.”
I didn’t believe him, but he’d caught my attention. I wanted to hear what he had to say for himself. The horrible things the trio of coldbloods had said still haunted me.
“I doubt that,” I remarked.
“I am, really. I just… I get carried away sometimes,” he said… almost sheepishly. His dark brown gaze dropped to the floor. “It’s bravado. You know, something to impress the other guys.”
Why was he telling me this? Surely, if any of those “guys” heard him speaking like this, he’d be mercilessly teased, if not worse. Admitting it to me seemed like a weird thing to do, but then, what did I know of the inner workings of Vysanthean minds? Nothing, that’s what.
“Say I did believe you. It changes nothing. I don’t trust any of you,” I said coldly, wanting to be back in the safety of my pod.
He nodded. “I can understand why. I just wanted to come by and see if you were okay. This mission is a crazy one, right? I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling about it. You’ve left your world behind, to head into the unknown—you’re a braver person than me.” He flashed me a grin.
Was he… flirting with me? It certainly felt like it. Perhaps this was a ruse to try to bring down my defenses. And yet… it appeared oddly genuine. There was a sincerity on Kalvin’s face that hadn’t been there the other day, and it was confusing the hell out of me.
“I’m a bit concerned, as anyone would be,” I replied, not wanting to give too much away. Besides, he didn’t know that I had to be here, thanks to Orion’s chip.
“I just figured you might want to talk about it, since we’re all in this together. I know it didn’t seem like it the other day, but we are. We know it’s going to be tough, and I wanted to make sure you were doing okay,” he continued.
I frowned. “You think we’re some sort of team?” I said, stifling a tight laugh.
He shrugged. “It’s what we’ve been put here to do. We all behaved like idiots the first day, but you should know we’ve all got your back.” I could barely believe my ears. “Plus, I’ve heard what Navan’s like from his uncle—he never talks about anything. So I figured you might be in need of a shoulder to vent on.”
Of all the people in all the world, Kalvin was the last person I’d feel like pouring my heart out to, and yet there was something compelling about him when he was being serious like this. He was trying—I could see it in his face.
So I decided to humor him.
“Well, I’m worried. I’ve never so much as left my country, never mind the planet,” I said. “I don’t know what to expect. Everyone and everything sounds so cold and harsh on Vysanthe, so I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”
Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me sharply away from Kalvin. I jolted backward, almost losing my footing. Turning, I saw Navan’s face looming above me, his slate eyes glowering in the direction of the blond-haired coldblood.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he said, though I didn’t know if he was talking to me or Kalvin.
“We were just having a friendly chat,” Kalvin replied, his tone returning to the taunting lilt I’d heard a few nights ago. “Getting to know one another, before the big day.”
A low sound growled from the back of Navan’s throat, but I was standing between the two coldbloods, preventing Navan from lunging forward. There would be no more fighting while I was around to stop it.
“We really were just talking, Navan,” I said softly, and placed a hand on his arm. “Come on, why don’t we go and find something to eat?”
“Fine,” he muttered, his eyes still on Kalvin. I led him down the narrow hallway and out into the main space of the Asterope.
There were several boxes of supplies stacked up in the far corner, and I made a beeline for them. Inside, there were several containers filled with metallic vials, and a few plastic boxes filled with what I’d discovered over the past few days was astronaut food. I picked up a pouch, then gestured to Navan for him to pick up some vials.
“You can’t trust any other coldbloods, Riley,” he said as he bent down to the boxes, clearly still preoccupied with Kalvin. “I thought you knew that.”
I shrugged. “He wanted to apologize for the things he said the other night, so I was letting him. We’re in this together, after all—we may as well be a team,” I said, echoing Kalvin’s earlier words.
Navan turned and wi
dened his eyes at me. “It’s all a game to them, Riley!”
Before I could reply, a loud siren tore through the ship.
Immediately, the Asterope’s interior lighting dimmed down to a low, flashing red. Lazar came running out into the corridor, sprinting so fast he was almost a blur. He barreled through the main room, heading for the door at the far end which slid open, and he disappeared inside.
I looked at Navan, bewildered. “What is—?”
I didn’t get a chance to complete my question as a screen embedded into the ship’s wall flickered to life. After a few moments of white noise and crackling, an image appeared. Staring through the display was a woman with gleaming copper hair, shot through with bolts of brightest white. Her sharp, almost silver eyes pierced through to where I was standing, though I was pretty certain she couldn’t see me. She was beautiful—astonishingly so—with cut cheekbones, dark red lips, and effortlessly arched eyebrows that seemed perpetually scornful.
“This is Queen Gianne of the planet Vysanthe. You have entered the airspace of my queendom, without my permission. Your ship is not one my system recognizes as due for arrival.” Her silky voice boomed through the speakers. “I demand to know who you are, what you want, and why I shouldn’t blow you up right here and now. I have ammunition aimed at your ship as we speak, so do not try anything foolish.”
Blood pounded in my ears, and my gut clenched. We had reached Vysanthe.
I had known we would face Queen Gianne eventually, but I hadn’t imagined what she might look like—or how poorly our arrival might be received. On screen, her expression remained fierce and unforgiving. I glanced at Navan, who looked just as shocked to see her as I did, his jaw clenched.
He strode toward the cockpit, and I followed, careful to keep to the shadowed sides of the room as I entered. It was even tinier than the ship’s main space. A command module lay up ahead, where Lazar was frantically toying with various buttons and levers. Beyond that, Queen Gianne’s face loomed, stretched across the ship’s front.