Chapter 13
Thirteen
It wasn’t often Dante dreamed of Maeve as of late. He thought of her so seldom, he could barely recall her face, but her eyes were forever etched into his memory. Those eyes, gray like milky starlight, moonglow, and space dust combined.
She shouldn’t have been in Universe 10 that day, but he was a fool. He never should’ve allowed her to accompany him, but he wanted to make her happy. It was his job to make her happy, after all.
She always got her way, one way or another.
Against his better judgment, he brought her on a mission at her request.
Her first and last.
It was the final mission he tried to convince himself he enjoyed, although he never truly had a choice.
His gut wrenched at the phantom silhouette of her broken body dying in his arms, drowning in her own blood. Her charred skin, brittle bones, and long winding tresses smoldered to dust. Her silver-gray eyes were red and listless.
How had she been caught in the crossfire? He was sure she was sleeping in her quarters. It was the last place he remembered seeing her.
She died not long after. How foolish he was. How very foolish.
And with Autumn missing... He removed his glove and subconsciously chewed a nail as the gem-hued buildings of Giarldinia raced by the windows of his destroyer. He’d picked up one of his wife’s bad habits. He cracked his knuckles before pulling his onyx glove back on.
Treble and her younger brother snapped him from his tortured thoughts, which had been punishing him more as of late. He could never forgive himself.
His mother spoke with Treble who hunched over slightly from the beating she endured at his command. Her brother leaned against the back of the control seat, excited for a trip to the palace.
The boy spoke a little too loudly and jumped up and down in a hyper sort of way. He was only a child. Little more than the age he was when he became a captive and was forced to conquer planets for monetary gain.
He sighed. If only he’d pardoned Treble like he’d planned and stood up to Valdez sooner, none of this would’ve happened, and Autumn would still be here. He’d proved himself to be just as cowardly and heartless as his late father. One of his worst fears.
The destroyer came upon Sanguis with its crystal obsidian exterior sparkling in the rising sunlight. Stars from the night before vanished into the clear blue cloudless sky.
“We’re here, we’re here, we’re here!” Kittlen cheered as he bounced around. Dante bit back a smile that quickly turned to a frown. “Does Kyo live here as well? Is that why he never came home?”
Treble’s eyes snapped to him, but she didn’t dare utter a word. Rage burned behind her blue pupils; rage she couldn’t contain. He knew that feeling all too well.
Dante opened his mouth to speak, but his mother interjected. “He’s away on holiday, dear.” For the first time after the disaster that’d taken place, he was thankful to have her with him for damage control.
“Oh.” Disappointment hummed through the boy’s voice. “I wish he invited us to come with him. It’s not fair.”
“Stop asking so many questions, Kittlen,” Treble hissed. “The emperor was kind enough to invite us to his home, and you’re being rude.”
“Sorry,” Kittlen’s eyes fell to his hands.
“It’s quite all right. No need to apologize.” Dante ran a hand through his hair, tousling the dark strands.
The ship hummed as the underbelly docked onto the roof of the palace. Pebbles sprayed and the vessel landed on X marks the spot.
Dante unbuckled his harness and rose from his seat. His crimson cape fluttered over his shoulders. He ushered the hybrid siblings to the door of the ship, and his mother followed, graceful like a shadow.
Dante transported Treble to the medical bay. As she was lowered into the rejuvenation tank, blue liquid consumed her body and seeped into her open wounds. She was placed in a coma-like state. A mask was affixed over her nose and mouth to ensure she received enough oxygen. Kittlen pressed his hands and face against the glass, fogging it with his breath.
“How long until she’s healed?” Kitten tilted his head to the side, blinking his large innocent eyes.
He watched for a moment, then glanced away. Guilt crept through his subconscious. “A few hours. You’re more than welcome to wait with her.”
“Thanks, I think I will,” Kittlen smiled, his cheeks shifting to pink. “And thanks again for bringing us here. You’re not as bad as they?—”
At that moment, Emblem and Allegoria ambled into the room. When their clear blue eyes fell upon Kittlen, Treble, and himself , their skin paled to the whitest shade imaginable. They quivered, staring at the floor, before smoothing their palms against their light-gray smocks.
He sighed. He’d grown accustomed to this reaction from everyone, and their encounter earlier didn’t help .
“Aunt Emblem, Aunt Allegoria, what are you doing here?” Kittlen ran over and hugged them.
Dante stared between them; his mouth twisted to the side. It figured they were somehow related; they all looked alike. “You know what, I don’t even want to know. And I don’t have time for this.” He threw his hands up in surrender.
He turned on his heel and left the bay. His mother continued to converse with the hybrid family. He was wasting time and had one more stop to make before embarking on a treacherous mission into deep space to find his wife.
Dante sprinted into Autumn’s chambers, cape fluttering in the warm afternoon breeze. He had to be around here somewhere. Heart pounding, he knelt on all fours and searched underneath her bed.
“Here kitty, kitty,” he moved his hand around.
A growl followed by a hiss splintered from the shadows. A pair of sapphire eyes blinked, glistening through the darkness with claws unsheathed, fangs bared, and a magenta and onyx tail puffed.
“There you are,” his mouth curved.
As he reached, a spiral of blue energy shot from beneath the bed.
With a wave of his hand, he deflected the rays and they disintegrated against the wall with a zap. “Mr. Hiss, I don’t have time for this. Do you want to help me find your mother or not?”
Dante splayed his fingers, and Mr. Hiss yowled as he scruffed him by the hot-pink striped fur of his neck. The ling twisted and bared his teeth in his grasp, shooting energy around the room, hitting the ceiling and walls. Stone crumbled and sprayed through the air.
For the life of him, Dante couldn’t figure out why this beast hated him so much, especially since he was only trying to help.
He scratched him behind his ear, and he stopped in his tracks. He purred and nuzzled him with his soft pink snout. His claws retracted and his defenses dropped. He was just a baby acting out.
Dante hated to admit it, but the creature was actually kind of sweet when he wasn’t trying to blast his head off.
“You’re coming with me. I’m sure your mother is worried sick about you. I’m going to find her, no matter the cost.”
Mr. Hiss watched him and blinked his large indigo eyes. For a moment, Dante was sure the baby ling could understand him. Maybe he wasn’t a dumb animal after all.
He meant every word of what he said. He was going to crack skulls, destroy planets, and break his enemies’ kneecaps until Autumn was safe and back home with him again. He knew precisely where to start his search.