Chapter 28 #4
"Me too," I promised, and when I kissed him, I told myself it didn't feel like goodbye.
It felt like a solemn vow. And while I'm not one for oaths or fealty, I'm really not – I'm just a dancer who ran away from a space cult and accidentally ended up on broadcast – as I kissed him once more and tapped the panel to open the shuttle doors, it was like I had unlocked some new dimension to myself.
I wasn't sinnenthi, but at that moment, I felt like a knight, like I had found something like purpose.
It had always seemed so out of reach before as I drifted idly through my life, but here and now?
This, I thought, was why I was here. This was what I was for, and for the first time in my life, I felt – holy, maybe.
Radiant and certain, all the danger in me clarifying into righteous purpose.
The shuttle doors hissed open, and I dropped down to the docks with a thud and then, with one last look over my shoulder at Araxis, I turned and headed for the nearest entry to the inter-ward tunnels, and the moment I cleared the checkpoint, waved through with barely a second glance, I took off at a run.
* * *
I practically sprinted through the tunnels, threading through crowds with ease thanks to years of practice and hastened by the pounding of my heart that seemed to only echo, with each pulse, that I had to get to the suite. I had to find everyone. I had to make sure they were safe.
I was just passing through the checkpoint into Verdant Ward, gasping for breath and wiping sweat from my brow while the marn ward guard checked my credentials for the third time, when my wristband buzzed with a message from Araxis.
At the warehouse. There were several guards. Everyone was detained here in a shipping container except for Talvi, who will be at the suite. Rodil and Elethenn are there as well. There may be more. Wait for me.
I spilled out into the familiar polished streets of Verdant Ward and headed straight for home.
There had been guards, which meant that Araxis had dealt with them.
It meant that they'd expected us to come, and I had no doubt they were expecting us at the suite too.
My heart thundered in my chest as I forced my breathing to smooth out, even as it fought me, tasting of blood and fury.
My wristband buzzed again, and I glanced down. I didn't have time to step into a pristine alley to take a call, so I flashed it up as I jogged through the familiar park. I could see the windows of our bedroom from here.
Araxis's pale face hovered above my wrist; he was sliding into an inter-ward shuttle.
"Sashen," Araxis said, voice humming with worry, "Vivith has said that Rodil took Talvi to assure my compliance.
They will be waiting on another representative from Creche Naival to arrive in order to formalize negotiations.
I will receive a request, I'm certain, but –"
"What, they want to sit down after they kidnapped our creche-mates and tried to kill you?" I laughed, sharp. I took the steps leading up to our breezeway two at a time. "Cool, well. Did Vivith say if it's both of them? Rodil and Elethenn?"
"They were not certain. They were injured, in the altercation. And – Sashen, our Avelthe was killed." His voice cracked then, and I refused to let myself feel that. I couldn't. "I expect there will be other affiliates at the suite. Beloved, you must not go alone. I am on my way."
My hand itched to grab the lance from my thigh, click it out to its full gleaming length and fill our suite – our home – with arcs of violent light, like purifying starfire.
But I knew I couldn't, not with a child there, especially not when it was Talvi, who'd been so scared of being taken and whose biggest nightmare had finally come to life.
So I knew I had to use a different weapon this time, at least for now.
"I love you," I said, and it felt almost vicious in my mouth.
"And I'm going in there. I'll see you soon. I'm going to do my best, I promise."
"Please –" Araxis started, but I ended the call, ignoring the sharp, frantic sound of his distress.
I tapped a sub-menu on my wristband and pushed open the familiar door to our suite – the first place that had felt like home in a real way in as long as I could remember and that was now somehow enemy territory.
Standing just inside of the front door was a familiar abaya, leaning against one wall with her head tilted in curiosity.
"Yes, we had heard from the ward guards that you might be showing up," said Crozani of Creche Naival as she straightened.
Her stare flicked down to the holstered arc lance at my thigh, then drifted slowly back up to my stare as a pleased smile hooked her lips.
"Come now, virra. I'm sure you would like to speak with your so-called creche-mates.
" She tipped her chin back toward the meeting room and waited as I pushed past her to head into the familiar space where I would have to start a negotiation of my own.