Chapter 8

Time to Act

Devin released his sister, startled by her obvious joy. After learning from Riley that she was on Asylum, he’d wasted no time in finding the Tenebrarum shuttle that would take him there. The shuttle had been about to depart Travan Float, the seedy space habitat he’d gone to right after leaving Ibara, and he’d caught it in the nick of time. A good thing too, since they only opened the tunnel to Asylum once a day. That it had only taken him a few hours to reach the Rogue Planet was practically miraculous. Such journeys had been known to take days.

While in transit, he’d spent a fair amount of time wondering how he’d apologize to Jane. The few cursory words he’d given her on Streger’s ship could hardly have been enough explanation for all he’d done. Yet none of that appeared to be even a flicker of a thought in her mind. She beamed up at him with the same delighted eyes she’d greeted him with each time he returned home from a school trip back when they were kids.

She gave him a playful smack on the arm. “Took you long enough to find me.”

“I would’ve come sooner if I could.” Aware of their public setting, Devin kept his words vague.

“A few more days and I would’ve been gone.” Jane glanced at the old barkeep.

Mek waved a dismissive hand at her. “You’re done for the day, girlie.”

“Thanks.” Jane gave him a grateful smile.

Devin looked around to see if any of the bar patrons had noticed the sudden absence of a singer. A few flicked their eyes toward him and Jane, but none showed any real interest. The electronic music curled through the air, mellifluous even without the vocals. He nodded at the stage. “So you’re a singer now?”

“You could say that.” Jane lifted her chin. “What do you think of the music? I made it myself. Coded the synths and everything.”

“It’s brilliant.” He meant that. The flowing melody and tense harmonics had a way of burrowing into one’s soul, wrapping their fingers around one’s heart, and tugging, tugging, tugging, until one felt each note inside. How the other bar patrons managed to ignore such beauty was beyond him. Jane had real talent, and if it hadn’t been for him, she’d be on Kydera Major, nurturing the career she deserved. “Jane—”

“Stop.” She held up a hand. “I see that look in your eyes, Devin. You think me ending up here is your fault. You want to say sorry and then, even after I’ve told you it’s okay, keep feeling bad about it. But believe me, you don’t have to.” She put a hand on his arm and met his gaze. “I know why you did what you did, and I forgive you for everything.”

Devin didn’t know how to respond. He could never quite comprehend Jane’s capacity for forgiveness, which seemed at odds with her quick temper.

A slight breeze blew in behind Devin as someone opened the door to the bar. He turned back and found Adam standing before him. A metal mask covered almost half of Adam’s face, no doubt hiding the wound Streger had inflicted. Despite Adesina’s objections, Devin had watched the footage from the Pride of the Creator and seen what the bastard had done. The memory of Adam’s screams hounded his conscience. I sent him there. No apology could do justice to the burning guilt.

Adam’s startled gaze fixed on Devin. Their last encounter had been when Devin forced Adam onto the ISARK ship that had taken him to Streger. Devin didn’t know what he’d do if their roles were reversed—probably greet his former captor with a sound punch to the face. Well, he wouldn’t block the blow if Adam did just that.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. For several seconds, Adam appeared frozen in place, breathing but otherwise still. His expression of shock warmed, and he approached. “It’s good to see you, Devin. I just want to say thank you for saving my life. You’re the reason I’m alive, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

Surprised, Devin searched the kid’s face for any sign of sarcasm, but there wasn’t any. Despite Adam’s words, Devin couldn’t forget the horrors he’d seen Adam endure. “Listen, what I did to you…” He trailed off, uncertain of what he wanted to say.

Adam looked him in the eye. “What happened isn’t your fault. There’s nothing I blame you for, so please, don’t suffer any guilt on my account.”

Devin nodded, wondering how those he’d hurt could let go of what he couldn’t. He glanced at Jane then back at Adam. Not a hint of accusation shaded either of their expressions. They both perceived only the good he did and forgave his crimes, even when he could only see the latter. And they’d both risked their lives for his sake. So had Silver. Somehow, they all believed he was worth saving. Perhaps, if he could believe it too, he might finally escape the darkness of the past.

In any case, what he needed to discuss next couldn’t be spoken of in their present location. “Is there somewhere private we can go to catch up?”

“Yeah.” Jane tugged at her wide collar, which was sliding off her shoulder. “Give me two minutes to change.” She turned to Adam with an amused look. “Your timing’s awesome.” She gave him a peck on the cheek before speeding back toward the stage and vanishing through a narrow door beside it.

As he watched her leave, Devin wondered how he could help. He wouldn’t be able to get her out of the hole she was in. Knowing that he’d basically dug it then shoved her in sent a twinge through him.

“She’s happy.” Adam’s voice beside him carried a bright, optimistic note.

Devin faced him, confused.

“She doesn’t mind being out here, instead of in Kydera.” Adam leaned back against the bar. “I carry the same burden as you, Devin. I keep thinking about the life she would have known if it weren’t for me. But she’s told me a hundred times that leaving everything behind doesn’t bother her, and she means it. So I’m trying to let go of the guilt. You should too.”

Devin tried to smile, but didn’t quite manage it. Though there was truth to Adam’s words, both he and Jane were hopelessly optimistic. How long would it be before the tough lives of fugitives wore them down? Devin wanted nothing more than to bring them home, but that would take a miracle.

Nevertheless, he swore to himself that he’d never stop searching for a way.

 

“Damn.” Jane leaned back against the wall by the bed. It was too cheap to have a headboard. Devin had just finished telling her about everything that had gone down at Sector 1708, including how whoever bombed the orphanage had probably been after Flame Dancer—or Silver, as he called her. “You’re sure about all this?”

“Yeah.” Devin, who was seated on the edge of the bed, placed his elbows on his knees. Since the apartment didn’t contain a chair, there was nowhere else to sit.

If he’d been anyone else, Jane might have been embarrassed by the sparse furnishings. But since it was just her brother, she didn’t mind. Actually, she kind of liked the set-up, since it reminded her of her childhood, except she would have been lounging around Devin’s room, instead of the other way around. She’d been a typical tagalong little sis.

Adam sat on the far end of the bed, but he’d fallen asleep shortly after settling down there, with his head resting against the wall and his legs stretched before him. That he managed to stay asleep with her and Devin’s not-so-quiet voices filling the room worried her. She hadn’t yet told Devin about what was going on with Adam. She’d bring it up soon, but at present, she had other things to say.

She crossed her ankles, mulling over everything Devin had revealed. So Anouk is Flame Dancer’s—or Silver’s—daughter. No wonder she seemed so panicky. “I know who’s after her.”

“What?” Devin’s brow furrowed.

Jane told him about the message she’d seen from the fake tracker, though she left out the details about what she’d been doing when she’d spotted it. “Flame Dancer—or Silver—seemed really spooked, and I couldn’t help wondering why.” She then relayed the info she’d gathered from talking to Mek and Riley.

When she finished, Devin nodded. “That confirms it then. Attacking Anouk was Roxas’s way of setting a trap for Silver.” He straightened. “I guess I’m going to Venovi.”

“Hang on.” Jane was alarmed by the urgency in Devin’s tone. And not just that—something about his expression told her that he cared a great deal about that Silver character. “You know who she is, right? She puts on personas for a living.”

He gave her a funny look. “Of course.”

“That means no one really knows her.” Jane felt weird, being the lecturing one. Not that she had anything against Silver. But she’d seen the merc slip in and out of differing personalities depending on the situation. Whichever Silver her brother was entranced by probably didn’t exist—just like the Sarah he’d fallen for didn’t exist. Both were impeccable illusions, created by nuances of movement and voice, no different from the wide-eyed ninny Jane was guilty of portraying from time to time. And she’d be damned if she watched her brother stumble into another romantic quagmire. The last one had left him practically suicidal. She still wanted to strangle Sarah for that, even though she knew it was really Pandora’s fault. “I know you, Devin. Even when you lie to me, I always find the truth in the end, and then it all clicks together and makes sense. So don’t try to hide the fact that you’re catching feelings for Silver.”

Devin let out a quick laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous, Pony.”

“Hey!” Jane sat up, leaning toward him. “Remember when I kept denying I was in love with Adam, even though, to the rest of the world, it was clear as starlight? It’s your turn, bro. Don’t pretend you broke ISARK’s rules for me. You had months to do that. She’s the reason you stuck your neck out. But she changes personalities like an actress changes costumes. The galaxy’s her stage, and she’ll put on whatever character she needs to get the job done.”

Her brother shook his head. “You’re worrying for nothing. Yeah, I care about her, but it’s because she’s a good person and doesn’t deserve to die.”

Jane huffed. Idiot. “Dammit, Devin, that’s not the point! I agree with that part. Hell, I was considering going off myself to get her out of this predicament.” Recalling how utterly stupid guys could be, she decided to lay it out point blank. “You can laugh at me all you want, but I see it in the way you talk about her. The look you get. Last time you spoke about anyone that way, it was Sarah. Remember how that turned out? Do me a favor, and stop pretending Silver’s ‘just a friend’ or whatever excuse you’ve concocted in your head. I know I’m not gonna talk you out of it, but at least admit it to yourself. And arm yourself for the day she reveals she’s not who you thought she was.”

He kept shaking his head as if she were a little girl again, telling him her latest fantastical theory about the world. “I promise you, Jane, I only want to help her.”

“If you say so.” Crap, he’s in complete denial. Like I was with Adam. And look where we ended up. She couldn’t stop her brother from being an idiot. But at least she’d warned him. If Silver ended up crushing him like Sarah had, Jane would have one more bitch to add to her “to hate forever” list. She only hoped she’d be nearby to pick up the pieces.

Devin glanced at Adam, and concern crossed his face. “Is he all right?”

“He needs sunlight to live, and we’re in short supply around here.” Jane bit the inside of her cheek then explained how Adam was growing weaker every day. “Did you see how he froze when he walked into Mek’s bar? That was a blackout. If I don’t get him to a planet with a star soon… he’ll die. So we’re leaving in a few days. I’ll be sure to give you our forwarding address.” She tried to give Devin her usual smirk but, with her heart heavy with worry, didn’t quite succeed.

“Wherever you go, I’ll join you.” Devin leaned toward her. “Just give me some time to help Silver out and fulfill one last mission for Adesina.”

Jane tilted her head. “Aw, are you sure you wanna be a third wheel?”

He smiled. “Unlike your previous entanglements, I’m all right with this boyfriend.”

“Fiancé.” She grinned. “We’re engaged now.”

“Of course you are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you never do anything halfway, Pony. Not when you mean it.” He gave her a fond look. “We can keep in touch through Riley. When this is over, I’ll find you.”

She cocked her head. “What about your job?”

“To hell with ISARK.” Bitterness coated Devin’s tone. “You’re my sister, Jane. You matter more than the entire universe combined.”

Another smile crept onto Jane’s lips. She should have known he’d say that. Maybe everything would turn out all right. She didn’t need anything other than the basics for subsistence and the people she loved—her brother and Adam. Plus Riley, of course. Her demon pal was basically family. There were still the realities of survival, but between herself and Devin, she was sure they could figure it out.

Funny, they’d once had everything within their grasp, though it had never been handed to them. Mom and Dad had been adamant about them earning their privileges. She’d resented them when she was younger, but at present, she appreciated that their stern ways had taught her to survive on little more than doggedness and a prayer.

“Money and connections are external,” Mom had told her once. “I want you to be the kind of person who’d survive if someone stripped all that away.”

Look at me now, Mom. Internally, Jane laughed at herself. Mom had been an interesting combination of scrappy determination and elitist expectations. She’d always wanted Jane to end up a high-powered professional like herself—Senator Elizabeth Lin-Colt. If there were an afterlife, she’d probably shake her head observing Jane’s foolishness. Dad certainly would.

A question occurred to her. “Hey, Devin? What’s gonna happen to all of Dad’s stuff?”

Devin shifted his position, looking uncomfortable. “Legally speaking, it’s all mine. They stripped your inheritance rights after you were convicted.”

Jane raised her eyebrows. Though she’d once imagined what she could do with the vast Colt estate if it were at her disposal, she didn’t give a damn about it anymore. Well, a slice of it would have been nice—enough to help her and Adam get by. But it had never really been hers anyway. It had always been Dad’s, as her father had made abundantly clear. Even her mother, who’d risen to power from a middle-class family and signed a pre-nup before marrying Dad, had been on the periphery of the family fortune. The same went for Devin, who’d been disowned once. Dad had taken him back eventually, and Jane found it amusing that her black-sheep brother had ended up the sole Colt heir. “Joke’s on Dad, then, because I know you’re gonna sink it all into some charity. Though, if you can manage it, I wouldn’t mind if you threw me a cut.”

“You can have it all.” Devin stood. “I’ll take care of you, Pony. I promise.”

“C’mon, bro. You should know by now that you don’t have to.” Jane got up as well. “Lemme guess: you’ve gotta go. Silver’s in trouble and all that.”

“You know me too well.”

She sighed. “Well, when she breaks your heart, know that I’m there for you. And I’ll always love you.”

“Love you too, Pony.” He kissed her forehead.

With that, he was off again. Jane crossed her arms as she watched him walk out the door. She thought back to her few encounters with Silver. The woman had seemed frigid, but decent most of the time. Jane had also seen the merc turn into a ruthless thug, or a sultry temptress, or lighthearted acquaintance when the job called for it. Which one was her brother fixated on? Jane liked to think that the one she knew—cool and imperturbable, yet subtly vulnerable when she thought no one was watching—was the real one. But she had no way of knowing for sure.

Still, it wasn’t just anyone who would run into an exploding starship to save another person. Jane had considered lending a hand before her brother had shown up with his wistful expressions. She and Adam needed to leave Asylum anyway.

Maybe being the tagalong little sis wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

 

Travan Float never truly changed. Shops opened and closed, people arrived and left, bosses rose and fell, but the place’s core was always the same. Devin liked that about the space habitat. It was predictable. Which meant he could always find someone to sell him weapons and information without asking any questions.

Armed with new guns, an untraceable slate, and a list of possible locations Madara Roxas could have taken her victims to, he strode down the hatch-lined corridor in the sector where his ship, a dingy Angler he’d traded ISARK’s Barracuda for, was docked. The Angler wouldn’t have been his top choice, since it was less maneuverable than the Barracuda had been, but he couldn’t afford to be picky. He’d needed to make a quick trade to make sure ISARK wasn’t tracking him.

His conscience pricked him. Though he intended to tell Adesina anything he learned that might threaten Kydera as a whole, his first priority was the people he’d come for. Silver, yes, but also Jane and Adam. That meant he’d never be the obedient operative ISARK wanted. He hoped that whatever he found on Venovi would be worthwhile from Adesina’s point of view.

After finding the Angler, he opened the hatch and entered the vehicle. The old ship clunked as he revved up the engines. He would have expected nothing else, and funnily enough, he found its scrappiness endearing, probably because the vehicles that had made the firmest imprints in his memories—the beat-up Blue Tang he’d escaped in after the authorities accused him of shooting his father, the Stargazer he’d spent weeks in with Jane and Adam as they waited for the Kyderan authorities to figure out what Pandora had done, the Barracuda he’d taken from the dead Black Knight back when he’d been Adesina’s informant—had all been junkers. They weren’t the sleekest, but they’d get the job done if one knew how to handle them.

Devin steered the Angler out of Travan Float’s hangar. As soon as he was clear of any approaching vehicles, he engaged lightspeed, heading toward the tunnel a few light-hours out. There were only three in the present region, which was partly why it had become a remote den of criminals. Civilized places like the Kyderan system had at least a hundred. He’d have to bounce through a number of tunnels before he reached Venovi. His calculations told him it would take at least two days. That wasn’t bad, considering that some systems would have taken nearly a week, but it was still too long.

Madara Roxas, the Tempest Queen, had Silver. That was the only explanation for what he’d discovered between the attack on Indigo Hills and what his sister had revealed to him. There was a good chance that Silver was already dead. But he refused to believe that. She was a survivor. And Roxas liked to torture her victims before letting them die, though he hated thinking about that possibility.

After setting the ship’s autopilot, he pulled out his black-market slate and sent Adesina a message letting her know that he would be contacting her, since, on her end, the sender would appear as an unknown source.

Moments later, Adesina pinged him back, and her displeased face filled the screen. “Just what do you think you’re doing, going off the grid like this?”

“Preemptively erasing suspicions.” Devin placed the slate on a stand by the controls. “I know where the threats are coming from. I take it ISARK has figured it out too.”

Adesina nodded. “The Niran system. Looks like Madara Roxas has grown bold enough to reveal herself as the source.”

“From the looks of things, she has Zeger Vang’s support. I don’t know if she’s running the show or if she’s his proxy, but I plan to find out. She’s also behind the attack on the orphanage.” Devin paused. “One of my contacts witnessed Silver receiving a threat from Roxas targeting her daughter. From what I’ve gathered, Roxas is taking revenge on everyone she believes has ever wronged her. This includes the entire Republic of Kydera because of the attack on the Venovian city of Zallanar twenty years back.”

Adesina pursed her lips. “That’s what we figured too.”

“I’m heading to Venovi as we speak. I’ll let you know what I learn.”

Devin ended the transmission then checked his navigation chart. It would take four hours to reach the interstellar tunnel. Deciding to get some rest while he could, he leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes.

Silver’s face appeared out of the darkness of his mind. Sculpted cheekbones. Eyes that pierced no matter what color they were. Lips always on the edge of a sneer. A work of art, as he’d once thought—one that glittered with strength and intelligence. And then there was the way she moved. The grace with which she wielded those double lasers when she’d taken down the bots guarding Streger’s ships. The subtle curve of her neck whenever she threw on an expression of skepticism. The sway of her hips, understated and elegant, when she walked.

His eyes snapped open. What the hell was he doing, thinking about her like that? You’re catching feelings, Devin. Jane’s words floated through his head. He smiled at her odd colloquialism. She was wrong, though. His interest in Silver began and ended with his debt to her and his inability to stand by while good people were harmed. If she haunted his memories, it was only because she was uniquely beautiful. And he was just a man enchanted by her charm.

A sound caught his attention: a barely perceptible thump from the back of the ship. Yet it was different from the noises the Angler’s engine made—softer, gentler, and lacking the machine’s signature hiss. Someone’s here.

Plenty of people had reason to follow him—or Black Knight, whom he continued to impersonate. He pulled a gun out of the holster on his belt. Holding the weapon out in front of him, he left the cockpit as quietly as he could. Other than the humming of the engine, the ship was silent.

Devin walked down the short corridor between the cockpit and the back of the ship. There were only a few possible places to go: the engine room, the sleeping quarters consisting of one room separated by an optional divider, the bathroom, and the storage closet. But a clever spy could have burrowed into any number of openings beneath the floorboards, or within the ceiling, or inside the walls.

Deciding the storage closet was the first place someone would hide, he approached. He aimed the gun at the door with one hand then pressed the button to open it.

He found himself staring into a familiar face. He lowered the weapon, irritated. “Adam, what the hell are you doing here?”

Adam tilted his brows in a sheepish expression. “I…”

Devin looked around. Adam would never have followed him from Asylum, then snuck aboard the Angler alone. The situation had Jane written all over it. “Pony? Aren’t you a little old for hide-and-seek?”

A scraping sound caught his ear. He whirled in time to see Jane drop out of the ceiling, right before the entrance to the cockpit.

She landed on both feet then straightened. “As I recall, you could never find me.”

Devin shook his head. “If you wanted a ride, you could have just asked.”

Jane marched up to Adam and smacked his arm. “You suck at hiding.”

Adam turned his guilty expression toward her. “Sorry.”

“I can drop you off on Pyrlae-Two.” Devin decided that the low-key Fringe world was among the safer places for the kids to go. Plus, it was on the other side of one of the Travan tunnels, which meant it wouldn’t delay him too long.

Jane spun toward him. “Oh, no you won’t. Before Adam”—she elbowed her fiancé—“gave us away, the plan was to keep quiet until you passed the point of no return, a few hours in.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going with you to Venovi. There’s plenty of sunlight there, and I aim to help you with whatever stupid-ass rescue plan you concoct. And don’t tell me it’s too dangerous. It’s no worse than anywhere else we would’ve ended up.”

That’s not true. The Niran system was an opaque warzone run by a mad AI. Then again, dangerous types lurked on every Fringe planet. Though he didn’t like the idea of his kid sister joining him on his ill-advised mission, he had to admit she’d proven herself capable. He reminded himself that she was twenty-three years old—a woman, not a little girl.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Just promise—”

“No.” Jane put her hands on her hips. “That might’ve worked on me a year ago, but things are different now. I’m different. I’ll only follow your lead if I think your plan’s the best one.” She whirled to face Adam. “You, on the other hand, had better listen to both of us. Don’t you dare go off and do something crazy.”

Adam held up his hands. “I wasn’t planning to.”

Devin knew better than to argue with Jane. Though he still felt uncomfortable about bringing her, he could use an extra hand. “Welcome aboard.” He returned to the cockpit and took a seat in the pilot’s chair.

Jane plopped down in the copilot’s seat beside him. “You’re gonna be glad I came, bro. The Tempest Queen is no joke.”

“So I’ve heard.” Devin leaned back. He tried to keep his mind on the present, but it wandered back to the reason he was heading to Venovi in the first place. He stared at the stars, brilliant against the blackness of space. They seemed dull next to the image in his head: Silver’s eyes, edged with unspoken secrets.