Chapter 23 Shrouded In Isolation
Shrouded In Isolation
We have no choice but to sit back and watch as the Securitas IV docks.
As far as ships go, it’s pretty small, and the whole process is swift, efficient.
We gather in the cargo bay to meet the crew.
With Julian—despite protests—and Maximus shut away in Dominik’s panic room, and Vee tucked under my arm, there’s nothing more we can do.
Tanisira stands at the head of our group, body so taut it’s a miracle she hasn’t snapped a bone.
Dev’s by her side, and his lithe dancer’s body looks surprisingly menacing.
A kitchen knife is tucked up his sleeve, his every muscle tensed to pounce, leonine grace raising the hair on the back of my neck.
Beau stands on Tanisira’s other side, bouncing on the balls of their feet and looking ready to crack skulls, that usual carefree expression giving way to anger.
Khrys is at my back, with some suspicious looking vials in each hand, and an unforgiving glare on her face.
I feel safe, and I trust the crew to protect Vee. Although, with a certain illegal tech tucked into my pocket, I’m not defenceless here. This is probably all overkill, anyway—the hunters will surely depart once they determine the brothers aren’t here. They have a bounty to catch, after all.
Tanisira looks over her shoulder. “There’s still time to go back to your cabin.”
Her tone makes it clear I’m being stupid; she’d said the same thing earlier.
But the other ship has override codes, so what would be the point of hiding?
Out here, I’m surrounded by the crew, who have weapons and at least two people who can fight.
In my cabin, if the hunters stumble upon us when no one else is around, who knows what might happen?
“We’re staying right here, thank you,” I mumble into the top of Vee’s head.
His arms are a vice around my midriff, and I clutch him just as tightly.
Tanisira makes a noise of frustration. Before I can say anything else, the cargo bay starts to ring with the sounds of boots on metal.
My heartbeat soars, and Vee’s arms tighten around me.
Beau and Dev both sway forward as if they’re dying to launch themselves at whoever appears. Behind me, Khrys curses.
I dip a hand into my pocket and wrap it around the Pulse Guard.
Tanisira showed me how to use it, and I learned to blindly deactivate the safety.
Its last victim, along with the memory of cold metal pressed to my skin, tries to bubble up amidst the tension and fear.
Goosebumps spring up along my arms, and I press my fingers into the weapon hard enough to hurt.
The flashbacks dissipate—just in time for me to see a group of people come to a stop before us.
When the ISA boarded, it was only three or four officers—and that seemed like too many at the time.
The Securitas IV has either disgorged its entire crew or is bigger than we thought.
By my count, ten of them have deemed it necessary to board: a mixture of genders, all wearing dark colours and unreadable expressions.
The man at the front must be in charge. Tall and broad, he looks to be in his early forties and has dark hair liberally streaked with grey.
If it wasn’t for the shrewd steel in his gaze, he could pass for someone’s aging dad.
It speaks of authority, sweeping over us before coming to rest on Tanisira.
“Sekmith, I gather?” Tanisira’s hands twitch, and he notices, eyebrow quirking.
“What’s going on?” I don’t know how she manages to sound calm. I can hear my own pulse in my ears, and I think Vee’s currently holding me up.
“We have orders to escort you to Red Horizon.”
Beau cocks their head. “Orders?”
The man’s attention skims over Beau completely, settling instead on me. “On behalf of Dominik Gryphon, we’re commandeering this ship.”
“Dominik?” It’s my turn to blurt now. Dread stirs in my bones and Vee squirms.
“For what reason?” Tanisira demands.
“To ensure the safety of Harvey Rose-Gryphon.”
My own rage bubbles up. “Harvey Rose is perfectly safe.”
The man reminds me of an eagle before it swoops in to snatch its prey. “You shouldn’t even be here, Ms. Rose. You’re trespassing. And will you deny that the Midas is currently harbouring two men with a bounty on their heads?”
Sharp inhales echo around the bay, including my own.
A tall woman leans in, angling a NanoSlate towards him.
Her brown skin is freckled, her hair shaved low and shockingly white.
My attention snags on her left eye; milky and framed by an ornate tattoo.
The two confer for a moment. Suddenly, an image flashes across all the surrounding screens.
It’s Julian and Maximus stowed away in the panic room; Julian pacing back and forth, wearing a murderous expression, whilst Maximus sits calmly, hands on his knees.
I don’t think they even know there’s a camera.
This isn’t footage that the other ship should have access to.
The man shrugs nonchalantly, stepping away from his crewmate. “You might as well get them to join us.”
“Who are you?” Beau demands.
“I’m Eduard, this is Mae.” He nods to the woman. “If you require confirmation, a comms should be coming through from Mr Gryphon right about now.”
His words are punctuated by the sharp jolt that goes through Tanisira’s shoulders. She glances down at her patch and fails to suppress her reaction. As her lips tighten, my stomach drops. Dominik knows I’m on the ship. My fear is matched by suspicion about these strangers.
Eduard scans our group with detachment. “We’ll set up on the bridge.”
Tanisira doesn’t comment, not even when the Securitas crew follows Eduard’s confident path towards the heart of the ship. Silence bites at the air as we stand, unsettled. Even Vee hasn’t moved an inch.
It’s Khrys who breaks the deadlock. “I’ll... go and let Julian and Maximus know it’s safe, I guess.”
Why would Dominik send Securitas after us?
Dev and Beau eye Tanisira, waiting for orders, but she glares at the floor, gaze distant. I can practically hear her thinking, cogs whirring as she parses the situation. But she doesn’t know Dominik; there’s more to come.
“It’s a little over twenty-four hours. How bad could it be?” Beau murmurs.
They’re careful not to let the captain hear them say that, but we still glance over our shoulders. Tanisira, understandably, is not in a good mood. No one is at the prospect of walking on eggshells around Securitas.
It’d been shaping up to be a bittersweet goodbye—now it’ll just be bitter.
I think of Vee’s words to me earlier: Dad doesn’t even like me. No child should feel like that, and it breaks my heart. I had tried not to intervene too much whenever Vee spent time with Dominik, but maybe I was overzealous. This whole time, Vee thought he couldn’t tell me.
He’s curled up now under Dev’s arm, both subdued and watchful in the galley. One by one, we’d all simply gravitated here. Julian stands guard at the door, jaw clenched so hard it looks painful—but Securitas have free range of the ship, and there’s nowhere they can’t get into if they wish.
Maximus and Khrys whisper furtively between themselves whilst Tanisira leans against the counter, a statue shrouded in isolation. I keep catching glances of her out of the corner of my eye, trying to decipher her expression, but it’s as unreadable as stone.
The door slides open and reveals Mae, slate in hand, eyebrow cocked. She lets her eyes roam over us all before coming to rest on Julian. The smile she gives him is patronising at best.
“Cute,” she says, in a voice like sandpaper.
Julian looks ready to tear her head off, but Tanisira shoulders him aside. I hadn’t even noticed her cross the room, and now she takes his place. Maximus takes hold of his brother and corrals him away, but Julian’s face is still thunderous.
“What do you want?” Tanisira asks, carefully emotionless.
Mae’s eyebrow still hasn’t dropped. She wears black from head to toe, nondescript and practical, but glaring against the white of her hair.
In boots, she’s about the same height as Tanisira, if not a little taller.
The two look well matched—if they were to come to blows—but that doesn’t make me feel better.
Mae turns her head a fraction before her eyes follow and pin me in place.
“Mr Gryphon wants to talk to you.”
“Fine.”
I assume she means on the bridge, but Tanisira doesn’t move out of the way.
Instead, she pulls me to the side and makes eye contact with me for the first time since the cargo bay.
I hate myself for the way my breath catches in my throat.
Even now, I wish it could all be different.
I want her hand at my elbow to migrate to my waist, want her to pull me in and promise me we can work something out.
It’s ridiculous, stupid, especially because I’m the one who pushed her away last.
Tanisira gives no hint that she knows what’s racing through my mind. She’s all business right now: creased brow, piercing stare.
“Do you want me to come? I don’t like the idea of you alone with them.”
I peer at Mae over Tanisira’s shoulder and then back, shaking my head.
Whatever Dominik wants, I doubt it bodes well for the captain; maybe I can minimise the damage by speaking to him alone.
Tanisira looks like she’s going to argue, but I skirt around her and leave before she can declare this is a bad idea.
And I know it is—know what men can do when they feel all-powerful and invincible—but the sad truth is that I’m the only person who ever knew Dominik. I just need to try and talk to him.