Chapter 11
The journey back to the prime realm took three weeks. Three weeks of sailing through the Gallery's darkness, navigating currents and avoiding storms. Kora sat on her bunk, braiding her hair. "What's the plan when we get back? Deliver the codex to Gideon, get the money for Marv's lawyer?"
I nodded, feeling a pit open in my stomach. "Cypher says once we hand over the codex and I get paid, the mission is officially complete and we're free to go. He wants to start looking for a suitable empty realm to terraform into a new Nytheris."
Kora fell silent for a moment, thinking hard about something. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next. I'd seen the way she and Jask had grown close over the last few weeks, the nights she didn't return to our quarters.
"Jask asked me to stay with the crew," Kora said finally. "Officially. As their air elemental specialist."
That weird pit in my stomach twisted even more. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it. But honestly?" She smiled. "I think I'm going to say yes. I fit here, Junie. I feel like I've found where I belong."
"Then you should stay. You deserve to be happy." I tried to give her my most convincing smile, but Kora knew me better than anyone, and could see right through me no doubt. Something in my chest was pulsing. Stinging. Aching. I was happy for Kora, but what would life look like without her?
"We both do." She finished her braid and climbed into bed. "Whatever happens, we'll figure it out. We always do."
We arrived back in the Prime Realm and docked. The familiar sights and sounds of the city felt strange after weeks in the Gallery. Everything was too bright, too loud, too crowded. Even the air tasted wrong, thick with smoke and spices instead of the void's clean emptiness.
Cypher moored The Night-Piercer at a private dock, one that didn't ask too many questions about cargo or passengers. Once the gangplank was down, he pulled me aside.
"I need to talk to you. Before we meet with Gideon."
"What's wrong?"
He led me to his cabin and closed the door. The codex sat on his desk. "I've been thinking about the handoff," he said. "About what happens when we give Gideon this book."
"We give it to him, I get paid, we get my father out of the Dredge. That's the plan."
"I know. But I need you to understand something." He took my hands. "The codex is useless without a rift. Gideon doesn't know that. He thinks anyone with enough elemental power can use it."
"So he'll pay me for a book he can't use?"
"Eventually he'll figure it out. I never bothered to correct him. When he does, he's going to be angry. Possibly dangerous. I need you to be prepared for that. You need to be ready to leave quickly if necessary."
I knew the other shoe would drop eventually. Nothing could ever go as planned. There always had to be a catch. "You think he'll come after me?"
"I think he's not going to like being played for a fool, and men like Gideon have long memories and longer reach. But by the time he fully understands the truth, we'll be gone. Deep in the Gallery, building our new realm where he can't touch us, but you and your family will still be here."
"But I didn't know any of that." I shook my head, taking a step back. "I was hired to retrieve the codex, not to understand it. That's what I did. What happens after the hand off isn't my problem, it's Gideon's. And yours apparently since you're the one who knew the truth."
"I suspected it, yes, but I didn't know for sure.
I couldn't be certain until I read the codex myself.
" He didn't look apologetic. "That codex belongs to me.
To my family, and once Gideon realizes it's useless to him, I'm taking it back.
You get paid, I get my family's legacy. We both get what we need. "
"By lying to Gideon."
"By allowing him to operate under a misconception. There's a difference."
"Is there?"
"In this case? Yes." His jaw tightened. "Gideon is using you, don't forget that. He sent you into one of the most dangerous realms in existence for a payday. He doesn't care if you live or die, as long as he gets his artifact. I'm not going to lose sleep over him getting something he can't use."
He had a point. Gideon had been perfectly willing to risk our lives for profit. But still, the deception sat heavy in my stomach.
"What if he figures it out before you can steal the codex and leave?" I asked. "What if he comes after us?"
"Then I'll protect you. The crew will protect you. We'll get you and your family to safety, and we'll disappear into the Gallery with the codex before he can retaliate. I won't let him hurt you."
I wanted to believe him. But I'd learned the hard way that promises were fragile things.
"When do we meet with him?"
"Tomorrow. That gives us tonight to prepare, to make sure we have an exit strategy if things go wrong." He cupped my face, and my whole body went utterly still. "Trust me. Please."
"I do. I just don't like the thought of two-timing someone to get what I want."
"Gideon doesn't deserve your guilt. He's a criminal who profits from people's desperation. This is justice, not betrayal."
Maybe he was right. Maybe I was overthinking this. Or maybe my instincts were trying to warn me that things were about to get complicated.
I slipped out of Cypher's cabin and made my way home.
I needed to see my mom, needed to make sure she was alright before everything changed.
The shop was quiet when I arrived, lit only by a single lamp in the sitting room.
My mom sat in her chair by the window, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
She looked up when I entered, and her face lit up.
"Juno." Her voice was rough and strained as it usually was. "You're back."
"I'm back." I crossed to her and knelt beside the chair, taking her hands. They felt so fragile, all bones and papery skin. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better. The medicine helps, but..." She coughed, sounding wet and painful. "It's getting harder to breathe every day. The disease is progressing."
"I have money now. Enough for more medicine, enough to hire the best healers in the city."
There was no telling if healers could even help. Nobody had a clue what caused my mother's lungs to fail her like this. One day she was as healthy as ever, and the next she was collapsing and gasping for breath.
"Tell me about your journey first. Did you find what you were looking for?"
I told her about Nytheris, editing out the most dangerous parts. Told her about the codex and the crown, about Last Lights and floating islands. Told her about Cypher, though I kept some things private. She listened with bright eyes, asking questions, seeming genuinely fascinated.
"You've grown up so much, Junie. I'm so damn proud of you."
"I haven't done anything yet. Father's still in the Dredge."
"But you will get him out. I know you will." She squeezed my hands. "And then what? What happens after he's free?"
I'd been dreading this question. "Kora wants to join the crew of The Night-Piercer, and she wants me to join too, she just won't ask. I don't know if it's the right decision. If I go with them, it would be to help the Nytherians build a new realm for their people."
"Then you should go."
"But you need me. You're sick, and Father will need time to recover from the Dredge. I can't just abandon you."
"You're not abandoning us. You're living your life. That's what we've always wanted for you." She pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in her shoulder like I had as a child. "Don't sacrifice your happiness for us. We'll manage. We always do."
I pulled back, looking into her eyes and tried my hardest to keep the tears at bay. "Would you come with us if we managed to create that new world? You could start new lives in a new place. Somewhere the Assembly can't reach us."
She smiled, catching a stray tear on my cheek with her thumb. "I'll go wherever you need me to go, Junie. Always."
We sat together for a long time, and I tried to memorize the moment.
The sound of her labored breathing, the warmth of her hands, the smell of her lavender soap.
I didn't know when I'd see her again if I left with the crew.
Months, years maybe. Or longer. Eventually, I helped her to bed and slipped out into the night.
The streets were quiet, most honest people were already asleep.
But in the shadows, I felt eyes watching. Following.
I walked faster, one hand on the dagger at my belt.
The prickling sensation between my shoulder blades intensified.
Someone was definitely following me. I turned down a side alley, then ducked into a recessed doorway and waited.
Footsteps approached. A figure appeared at the alley entrance—tall, wearing a hooded cloak that concealed their features.
I pulled my dagger and stepped out. "Who are you?"
The figure stopped. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Easy, Juno. It's just me." They pushed back their hood, and I found myself staring at Vic.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "Why are you following me?"
"Cypher was worried about you. Gideon might have spies watching, waiting for an opportunity." Vic spread his hands, showing he was unarmed. "I was trying to keep my distance, not spook you. Clearly I failed."
I lowered my dagger. "How long have you been following me?"
"Since you left the ship. I saw you slip out, told Cypher I'd make sure you got home safe." He smiled slightly. "He worries about you. A lot."
"Yes, well, he could have just asked me if I was fine with having a chaperone."
"Would you have?"
"Probably not."
"Exactly." Vic gestured toward the main street. "Come on. I'll walk you to the ship properly this time. No more skulking in the shadows."
We walked in companionable silence for a while. Vic had a calming presence, I'd noticed. The sort of person who made you feel safe just by being near.
"Can I ask you something?" I said finally. "About Cypher."