16. Chapter Sixteen - Wilder
Gianna and I wheel our bags across the scorching pavement outside the bustling Aurora train station, where people and stray cats vie for attention.
Cats sprawl across sidewalks, empty seats, and street corners.
The heat radiates through the soles of my shoes as I guide Gianna toward the cab station.
With the ongoing blackout, few trains are running, and the precinct is overwhelmed.
The Blades are all too busy to give us a ride.
“How far is the garrison?” Gianna huffs, shielding her face from the unrelenting sun.
“Not too far,” I lie.
The garrison is over the Charon Bridge, then another five miles north.
Leigh secured Gianna’s rooms at the Blade garrison without telling me why.
She’d be far more comfortable at the Najma Hotel, the favored haunt of celebrities and politicians in Aurora.
I suspect Leigh wants Gianna to keep an eye on me, which is fine.
She’ll only see she can trust me.
I doubt Gianna will appreciate sharing a coed bathroom with me and the rest of the Blades.
Something tells me she’s never had to share anything in her life.
But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Refineries and the imposing Bersa Power Station, Corona’s largest power plant, frame the cab stand.
This side of town—West Aurora—is a far cry from East Aurora with its rich history, diverse culture, and unique architecture.
To truly experience the city, one must explore the east, where most residents live in towering sandstone apartment buildings.
The outskirts feature a few sprawling estates, mostly owned by affluent Epsilon oil magnates.
I set down my duffel and peel off my sweat-soaked long-sleeve shirt.
Crouching, I retrieve a fresh shirt from my bag and my water bottle.
After taking a sip of the lukewarm liquid, I offer it to Gi, who turns up her nose.
“Can you hurry up?” Gianna groans, as if my shirtless state offends her.
I deliberately slow my movements.
“What’s the rush, country club?” I drawl, relishing her discomfort.
Gianna flashes her perfectly bleached teeth.
“People are staring.”
I pull the dry shirt over my head, rolling my eyes.
“Believe me, they’re not staring at me.”
Dressed as if she just stepped off a runway—designer everything, perfect hair, long polished nails that have never seen a day’s work—Gianna is counting every stare behind those oversized sunglasses.
Sure, people are watching her.
She’s a Nebula clinging to her Epsilon roots.
Sooner or later, she’ll realize she’s better off being herself.
“Whatever. When you are finished putting on a show, I’ll be waiting in the cab.” Gianna stalks to the cab stand, commanding the entire sidewalk, forcing pedestrians to bypass her.
I stand there, stunned, as a passerby chuckles.
“Your girlfriend’s quite something,” he comments.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I gripe, picking up the bags.
By the time I catch up, Gianna has already secured us a ride.
The driver—a man with a silver front tooth and wandering eye—helps me load our things into the trunk.
Gianna sits in the back, texting furiously.
I’m sure she’s complaining to Leigh about my insufferable behavior.
With a heavy sigh, I tell the cabbie, “We’re going to the Aurora Blade Garrison.”
The ride is uncomfortable, to say the least.
The driver leers at Gianna through the rearview mirror, his eyes roving over her body to the point where Gianna ends up calling him out for being a pervert.
Then, our luggage is unceremoniously dumped in front of the garrison, and some of Gianna’s nice things blow in the dusty wind.
“Fuck . . . that . . . guy,” she growls, tearing off a boot, and throwing it at the retreating vehicle.
I pick up her shoe.
“Put that on. There are scorpions here.”
Gianna grabs the boot.
“Is this the place?”
I follow her gaze and smile.
The desert has forged the Aurora Blade Garrison into a resilient relic.
This two-story fortress, with its number of rooms wrapping around an open-air courtyard, features columns that stand sentinel beneath the harsh sun.
Except today, an unsettling silence reigns.
No Blades train, and even the doorkeeper’s post is empty.
“Come on, everyone must be inside.”
As we step inside the garrison, Gianna lets out a soft gasp.
The interior is a masterpiece—exquisite patterns adorn carpets, metalwork, and vibrant stained glass that filters light into a rainbow of colors, casting a magical glow on everything it touches.
The scent of leather and polished wood fills the air.
“Wow, color me impressed.” Gianna spins to take it all in.
“It is stunning here.”
“Wilder?” Commander Eddo’s familiar voice interrupts the moment.
Compact and muscular, with jet-black hair peppered with gray at the temples and a neatly trimmed goatee, Eddo has always been more than a commander to me during my tenure here—he’s been a mentor, a friend, and at times, a father figure.
But, right now, he’s approaching me as if I were a cobra poised to strike.
“It’s good to see you,” he says, pulling me into a stiff hug devoid of the genuine affection I remember.
Eddo saw right through my anger when I first arrived—all that resentment I’d built up against my dad.
He didn’t just train me to fight; he taught me how to let go of that chip on my shoulder.
“You want to belong here?” he’d say.
“Then you need to drop the attitude. We’re your team, not your personal punching bag.”
“I apologize for not meeting you at the station,” he says now.
“Aurora has been a hive of activity since the blackout. Lately, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once.”
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
“Either out on their beats or at Furies. It’s trivia night.”
Furies is a local bar run by three Nebula Sea Witch sisters, a staple in Eddo’s daughter Brigid’s social circle.
It is a popular spot for Blades to unwind.
Eddo’s gaze shifts from me to Gianna.
She pushes her sunglasses to rest atop her head, and his strained smile slips entirely.
“Hello,” Gianna greets.
“Miss di Siena, I heard you were coming.” His clipped words are as frigid as a winter’s night.
“Please, just Gianna or Gi. Can you point me to my room? I’d love to freshen up before dinner.”
Eddo’s eyes glint like shards of obsidian.
“Your room isn’t ready, and we have already eaten.”
Gianna stiffens, and I fight a wince.
I’ve never heard Eddo be so standoffish.
“Gi, you can use my room,” I say.
Eddo exhales a hot breath through his nose.
“Unless my room isn’t ready either?”
“Your room is exactly how you left it.”
I nod, facing Gianna.
“Upstairs, first door on the left, overlooking the street.”
Gi hikes one of her bags over her shoulder, staring between Eddo and me.
“Thank you,” she says to me.
To Eddo, she adds, “It’s nice to meet you.” Grabbing only one of her many suitcases, Gianna leaves the room.
The wheels rattle as she glances back once before disappearing up the stairs.
When she’s out of earshot, I turn on Eddo.
“Was that necessary?”
Eddo shrugs.
“That girl doesn’t belong here.”
I blink.
I had the same judgmental thoughts outside the train station, but hearing Eddo say it out loud reveals how wrong I was.
“Why do I get the sense that neither do I?”
Eddo looks at me, no longer like a son, but an enemy.
“Look, Wilder, it’s good to see you, but considering the circumstances, it’s probably best you return to the city. Aurora isn’t safe for Epsilon right now.”
What the actual fuck?
“Gianna isn’t an Epsilon, and neither am I.”
“I’m not trying to cause trouble,” Eddo replies.
I can’t help but laugh.
“You could have fooled me.”
“Wilder, we haven’t talked in nearly five months. You left here a wreck, and now you return a bloody commander, dating the queen, and mingling with Elio di Siena’s daughter. Have you forgotten he was one of the Council members who sentenced your dad to life in prison?”
The person across from me is a stranger wearing Eddo’s face.
“Eddo, my dad killed someone. Even if he thought it was for the right reasons, he still committed a crime.”
Eddo’s upper lip curls.
“Sounds like you’ve seen him.”
“You have no clue what my life has been like since I left.”
“I could say the same thing, especially about you acting as if you own the place.”
I scowl, and Eddo has the decency to look nervous.
“Eddo, respectfully, fuck off. I am here to help, not take your job.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I’m here to assist, and that girl upstairs is searching for her family—her Nebula family.”
“I don’t need your help. I have everything under control,” he says in a low, dangerous voice.
I raise my eyebrows.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“What about Stellan, the riots, and the fire at the power plant?” There’s more happening here than what meets the eye, which is why I am here instead of Borealis.
Unless he doesn’t want me here because he’s part of the problem?
“Since I have you here,” I say, “I need you to set up a meeting with Michael Bersa tomorrow at the plant. It’s urgent we get the power up and running.” I listen for the hum of the backup generator.
Eddo grumbles under his breath about me being an insolent little shit, and the words sting more than they should.
With every cutting remark, he reminds me less of the man I admired and more of my dad.
That comparison hurts worse than any insult.
“Michael Bersa hasn’t left his mansion since the fire,” Eddo says.
“Does that mean you won’t make the call?” I keep my voice level, diplomatic.
“He’d likely listen to you, a local authority, over a visiting one. Especially given our history.”
Eddo offers a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
My impatience nearly bubbles over.
Stellan Navis’s advocacy for Nebula rights has garnered respect from all corners of Aurora, including those who enforce its laws.
Eddo clearly sides with Stellan, assuming I am Team Epsilon just because I’m Team Leigh.
How loyal Eddo is to Stellan is to be seen.
“The plant lies in Brigid’s territory, and as you can see, she isn’t here to help,” Eddo says.
“And I am far too busy for pesky calls.”
I study my former boss.
“That’s all right, Ed. Never mind.” Eddo smiles as if he’s won.
But if he isn’t going to play fair, neither am I.
“Is Brigid at Furies?”
Eddo glares at me.
“You leave my daughter out of your scheme, Wilder.”
The corners of my mouth lift in a humorless smile.
“Last I checked, Brigid was the schemer.”
“Brigid has enough on her plate. And you know her history with the Bersa family. I want to keep her away from them.”
I sigh.
I’m not here to corrupt his daughter or endanger her.
Brigid only needs to talk to her dad.
Eddo can connect me with Michael Bersa.
She’s his little princess, after all.
One word from her, and Eddo will roll out the red carpet for me.
“Eddo, believe it or not, I’m not your enemy. I’m here to restore power and find Stellan Navis. Your help would make it easier, but I don’t need it. Now, excuse me, but I’ve had a long day.” I give Eddo one last disappointed look before gathering my duffel and as much of Gianna’s things I can carry upstairs.
“Let me know when Gianna’s room is ready.”
“And if I don’t?” Eddo threatens.
“Then she’ll stay with me.”
I march off, leaving Eddo fuming in the foyer.
I stumble up the stairs with full arms.
When I reach my room, I kick the door with my boot to alert Gianna who takes her sweet time answering.
Finally, she appears in a loose-fitting dress better suited for the climate, the fabric flowing around her like water.
She gazes up at me with a mournful expression that tugs at my heart, reminding me of Desiree coming home from school upset about the other kids.
Like then, I want to fight all of Gianna’s battles.
“I can find a hotel,” she says, her voice small with uncertainty.
I barrel into the room with our things.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re staying here.” After Eddo’s reaction, I’m afraid of what might happen if I let her out of my sight.
Gianna may have Nebula ancestry, but everyone still sees her as an Epsilon.
Elio had more enemies than friends, and Gianna feels the brunt of that now.
She needs to be careful, even if she isn’t his biological daughter.
I collapse on my bed, gazing around my old room; its familiarity tightens my chest.
It looks the same as I left it.
The drawings of Brigid, the Erinye sisters, and Orion—Ry for short—still decorate the walls, their charcoal lines as vivid as the day I drew them.
The books I left line the top of the desk, their spines worn and well-loved.
But the room isn’t dusty, the air smells fresh.
Someone’s been keeping it tidy, as if they expected me to return soon.
My lungs seize.
I need some air.
“Are you thirsty?” I ask Gianna.
“There’s this bar I’d like to go to. You’d like it. There’s trivia.”
She folds her arms.
“Why would I like that?”
“Because you can show off that Sussex prep education; you might even win a prize.”
She shakes her head, a small smile forming “Has anyone ever told you that you’re mean?”
“Ah, you wound me,” I reply, rising to my feet.