The scream echoed through every atom of Rhea’s being.
She’d felt wrong as soon as she’d stepped onto the planet. Dread had furled deep in her gut. Each step was like moving through sand, her entire body leaden and heavy. A ringing had filled her ears, as if she were plunged underwater.
Once they went into the mines, the buzzing grew worse—reverberating in her mind. It was the ichor in the walls—pulsing, pulsing, pulsing, like a heartbeat. It was different from how it’d been on Zelus. The rock there had been dampened, half asleep.
Here, on this planet, it felt alive.
Rhea was aware of Clo shouting her name. “What’s wrong with her? Eris, what the flames did you do?”
Clo reached for her, but Rhea twisted from her grip. It was too much, even with the thick material of the jumpsuit between them. She was nothing but an exposed nerve, vibrating with every one of their emotions.
Guilt. Fear. Anger. Dark, cloying. Thick enough to choke on.
Hold it, she told herself. Don’t let them see your face. Don’t let them see your face.
Rhea panted, her gloved hands digging into the floor. Gods, her hands burned—her whole body burned. The effort to keep herself hidden hurt.
“Rhea!” Clo’s desperate call came again.
Rhea looked up, and lost control. Her illusion dropped.
A release of pressure was like a coiled spring. She knew exactly what they saw; through the helmet, they could see her face or her neck: the shimmering skin, pale with dotted swirls like fractals. Glimmering in the low light, almost glowing.
Just like an Evoli.
“Oh, Rhea,” Ariadne breathed.
The girl had worked out Rhea’s secret and kept it to herself. Sweet Ariadne. Her aura tasted like spun sugar in the back of Rhea’s throat. All glittering bright colors to hide the darkness of her upbringing.
The others moved closer, but Rhea stumbled back. No, she couldn’t stand their stares, the way they all felt. She had never seen emotions in such vivid colors before landing on this infernal planet, and now they were all focused intently on her. On her skin, which burned as bright as someone from the Evoli Empire. Their feelings stabbed at her like blades to the gut: Cato’s purple wariness. Nyx’s startled orange. And Eris . . . no, she couldn’t sense Eris anymore. That made her pause. Damocles and the Archon had been the only ones she couldn’t read unless she was touching them.
“Rhea,” Clo whispered. Clo drew Rhea’s attention away from Eris. The other woman was staring at her, eyes wide. “Ariadne, what’s happening to her face?”
Clo was afraid. Her fear emanated in jagged lines, bright blue. Afraid for Rhea, or afraid of her? Rhea couldn’t tell. It doesn’t matter. It’s too late. The damage is done.
Rhea doubled over, wanting to be sick.
“Ariadne,” Clo snapped. “You have those files. Is Rhea sick like the others from the ichor?”
“Use your damn eyes, Clo,” Eris said impatiently. She gave Rhea a hard stare. “We have members of Evoli resistance back at Nova. She’s clearly Evoli.”
No, not that. You would be blessed if you were Evoli. You’re the opposite, a small inner voice told her.
Clo’s gaze felt heavy. Too much. All their emotions crawled across Rhea’s skin like insects. She kept pushing and pushing and pushing it all away—protecting herself from the jagged edges of their judgment—and everyone in the barracks physically backed away from her.
She was controlling them, offering no choice but to feel and to do as she commanded.
Rhea curled into a ball, covering her face with her hands.
“Rhea?” Ariadne. Her soft steps tiptoed closer.
Back! Rhea thought, as loud as she could. Before, she’d only been able to moderately influence emotions. Had they heard her thoughts or just the wild surge of fear, rage, and revulsion she felt for herself?
Ariadne retreated, stumbling in her haste. Dust rose from the floor of the barracks, glimmering gold in the shafts of sunlight. Everything seemed suspended: sound, movement, time. Rhea’s whole body was hyper alert, her skin tingling.
It was this place: this toxic planet filled with rock that felt alive. She wanted to go back to the ship, watch the stars with Clo, pretend everything was normal.
Someone else tried to approach, but Rhea threw her hands up, palm out. Leave. Get out!
Unable to resist the influence of her abilities, the others wordlessly left the barracks—except Eris. Eris remained by the door, her expression shuttered. A part of Rhea wanted to touch the other woman, learn more of her secrets. How could she—
No. She wouldn’t try to force Eris out with the others. If she used her abilities at all, it was for comfort, to make things easier back in the Pleasure Garden. To smooth minor day-to-day interactions. But she had to be careful. Push too hard, and she had the power to influence their thoughts, decisions, movements. It made her no better than the Oracle—just someone else to control them. Steal their choices.
She’d just proven it.
“The ichor is enhancing your abilities?” Eris asked, her voice strangely flat.
Rhea nodded. “I can’t . . . I can’t control myself.” At Eris’s silence, Rhea asked, “How are you still in here?”
“Trained against Evoli mind techniques. I have more skill than most.” Eris let out a small breath and glanced out the window. “Get it together. They’re worried.”
Rhea sensed the others outside. Their fear battered her like phantom fists on the grimy windows. They would have so many questions—and they deserved her honesty. Rhea bit the inside of her cheek. She should put her illusion back first, make things easier. But when she tried, she lost control again. Did the ichor interfere? Was she still too afraid? Or did she, deep down, finally stop wanting to hide?
She squeezed her eyes shut. Think of calm, cool green. Think of lilies. Think of the open expanse of stars with Clo on the observation deck. You still have a whole universe to explore with her.
Rhea’s breath slowed. She bowed her head until her helmet pressed to the ground. She was too exhausted even to draw the illusion over her skin again. Too drained to force the others to stay outside while she tried.
The door to the barracks squeaked open.
Rhea cringed deeper into the shadows as the others entered.
“Rhea,” Clo said, her hands up as she approached. Her expression was soft, understanding. “You’re fine, Rhea. It’s okay.”
Clo gave her the courage to come out of those shadows. Rhea rose. Her hands remained by her side, gloved hands balled into fists, as she moved from the dim corner of the barracks into a patch of sunlight. She raised her head, until they all saw her face once more.
No one said a word. Rhea didn’t look away. She was aware of what they saw. Her features were the same. In every way, she appeared just as she had before, aside from her skin almost glowing from within and the telltale spiral freckles.
“So,” Clo said, voice low. “You’re Evoli? Were you a spy on Tholos?”
“No. Not exactly.” Rhea doubled over again. “I need air.”
Clo nodded and gently grasped Rhea’s arm. “Lean on me. You can barely stand.”
Everyone moved aside as Clo helped her out the door. She could taste their emotions on her tongue—especially Cato’s. His was like a blade sliced through her skin. Hatred. His or implanted? Nyx, as if sensing the pilot’s emotions, tightened her hold on him.
Rhea felt better outside the barracks. Losing the ability to hide her skin was terrifying. Her illusion had held up in sleep, during a fight, during sex—nothing had ever shaken it loose except for a conscious decision to show herself.
And now the others knew. If only the rumors about Evoli abilities weren’t lies, propaganda made up to sow fear in the Empire. Then she could make them forget what they had seen.
You have to face them. They deserve the truth.
Ariadne hurried out of the barracks after them and took Rhea’s other side. “Let me help.” Together, Clo and Ariadne helped her to the shuttlecraft. “The others will come around,” Ariadne murmured to Rhea. “You’ll see.”
Rhea thought of Clo. Would she be repulsed? And what about the others? Rhea understood a lifetime of suspicion and Tholosian programming was not so easy to unlearn, even if the Oracle was no longer active in the minds of anyone there. One left echoes. Nationalism cultivated prejudice. Everyone here was fighting against their own upbringing, Rhea included.
Eris was the first to leave the barracks, and the one who stopped closest to Rhea.
Clo edged in front of Rhea. A protective stance. “Keep that blaster in your holster, Eris.”
“It’s staying,” Eris said. “I’m not going to shoot someone for being Evoli, Clo.”
“You would have once,” Clo muttered.
As Nyx and Cato came outside, a wave of nausea hit Rhea. Cato’s emotions were sharp and curved as thorns. His hands were still bound in front of him.
Clo slid an arm around Rhea’s waist, pulling her close. “We need to get you on that shuttle,” Clo murmured.
“Not yet. Please. I need a moment for my stomach to settle.”
Rhea pressed her helmet to Clo’s shoulder as the other woman rocked her. She wished she could take the suit off, touch Clo’s skin. Press her lips to the other woman’s and forget everything. It was a strange reversal—usually Rhea was the one to offer comfort to others. To soothe their fears and worries so they could leave the Pleasure Garden and go back to their roles in the unyielding machine of the Empire.
“You’re not angry? Or afraid?” Rhea asked.
Rhea had held on to this secret for so long. So few had known about her abilities. The Archon. Damocles. Juno. The Oracle. Ariadne, only recently. Damocles had loved to use her skills as a tool for pleasure for himself. As a weapon against her. The Oracle couldn’t command or program Rhea, so Damocles had kept her hidden, locked deep in the Pleasure Garden.
His caged bird, unable to fly.
Clo’s arms tightened around her. “Angry? Gods, no. Surprised? Aye. But I’ll get over it. We have Evoli working with us back at Nova.”
“I’m not Evoli,” Rhea said, gently pulling away. “I’m not Evoli,” she repeated to the others, this time more strongly.
“You look like a fucking Evoli to me,” Cato muttered.
Nyx and Eris turned to glare at the same time, but it was Eris who said, “You’d do well to remember that Rhea is the one who begged for your life. I almost had Nyx put a Mors blast through your skull.”
“And I wanted to comply,” Nyx added.
Cato pressed his lips together and glanced at Rhea. His emotions faded slightly, uncertain.
Eris nodded to Rhea. “Go on. Tell us.”
Rhea took a deep breath, tried to form the words. There, in the bright sunshine, on a floating island above the rocky surface of Ismara, her secrets fell free. “I look Evoli, but I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve never left Tholos. I was engineered in a Tholosian lab—part of a very small, experimental cohort personally overseen by the Archon. His goal was to hack Evoli DNA, access their abilities, and use it to weaken them.” Rhea shifted away from Clo. “They made multiple attempts at mixing our DNA with the Evoli. The Archon’s engineers still don’t understand how I’m the only one who survived.”
“So, you’re a spy?” Cato asked with a dry laugh. “And I’m the one tied up.”
Nyx glared at him. “You’re about to be the one with a broken nose if you don’t shut up and let her finish.”
Rhea shifted uncomfortably. “He’s not exactly wrong. I was created for the purpose of one day infiltrating the palace of the Evoli Oversouls. The intel I could gather as someone perceptive to their empathic abilities would have been invaluable; the Archon hasn’t been able to get anyone into that palace because it’s too easy for them to detect a Tholosian mind.”
Cato stared at her in disbelief. “That goes against everything the Empire believes. I would have expected them to kill you on principle. They would never have allowed you to live.”
Nyx moved as if to hit him, but Cato held up his hands. Though the worst of the programming was gone, he still had a lifetime of being told the Evoli were evil, something to be destroyed for the good of the Empire.
Cato’s face contracted with some emotion, the sheen in his eyes breaking for an instant. He looked at Rhea like he actually saw her. Unfogged by the Oracle. His shoulders hunched as he pulled against his bonds.
Rhea shook off Clo’s comforting touch. “They let me live because I was engineered to help destroy the Evoli,” Rhea said to Cato. Her voice barely wavered. “That’s the only reason.”
“It makes sense from a military standpoint,” Eris said. Her voice was soft, but the expression on her face was tight. Rhea wished she could touch her again to catch a glimpse of her feelings. “Create someone loyal from birth, who can’t be compromised. But you were never programmed by the Oracle.”
“I couldn’t be. They learned from an earlier testing group that Evoli abilities are incompatible with programming.”
“Unless they’ve had a brain injury,” Eris said softly, her expression inscrutable. “But for the most part, yes.”
Rhea frowned. Now, more than ever, she wondered about who Eris was before she became a member of the resistance. How did she know so much about the Evoli? How did she withstand Rhea’s abilities?
“But you affect emotions,” Nyx said, drawing Rhea from her thoughts. “It’s how you helped Ariadne deprogram me.” Nyx’s face was implacable, but Rhea felt the other woman’s unease. “And you can control people. Why didn’t you just escape Tholos on your own? Why did you need us?”
“The Archon and Damocles are mostly immune to me.” Rhea bit her lip. She decided not to bring up Eris, despite her questions. “And influencing more than one person at a time takes too much concentration. I usually have to be touching them. The amount of ichor here seems to be making the difference—I’m not usually so . . .”
Out of control, she almost said.
Rhea kept her walls up, trying to keep their emotions separate from hers. Her heart hammered. Keeping the illusion was like having a layer of dried paint on at all times. She felt strangely free.
“I guessed who you were,” Ariadne admitted. “When you knocked Cato out with your abilities. The Oracle had files on the Evoli DNA experiments and mentioned one living child, but she was always referred to as TBDAM-43425.”
“Wait a minute, when she knocked me out with what?” Cato asked.
“You were going to kill Ariadne,” Rhea said. “There are still bruises on her neck, Cato.”
Cato quieted, his expression flickering with shame. But his unease remained. Rhea couldn’t read thoughts, not exactly, but she’d guess he was wondering if there was much difference between Rhea and the Oracle. If Rhea wanted, she could make Cato throttle someone against his will, too. But only one at a time. There was an Empire of difference between her and the machine, she wanted to say.
Rhea kept looking out at the hills, away from the others’ scrutiny. The view was so peaceful, marred by the ichor threading through the floating island beneath her feet. Wind rustled through the trees as it swept down onto the floating island. Rhea wished she didn’t have her helmet on; it would make breathing so much easier. She was still nauseated, and her body trembled.
Nyx frowned. “What does TBDAM stand for? That’s not the usual cohort naming system.”
“No, it’s not,” Rhea said quietly. “It means—” She bit her lip.
Ariadne finished for her: “It means To Be Destroyed After Mission.”
They all fell quiet.
Clo hissed in a breath and pulled Rhea close. “Salt,” she swore. “I hate them. I hate them.”
“We should go,” Eris said, businesslike once more. “Sher’s supply ship will be here within the hour. Commander Talley”—she paused, cleared her throat—“he said the Tholosians would return for the rest of the ichor. We need to leave this quadrant before that happens.”
“Oh!” Ariadne brought a hand to her mouth. “Oh, oh, oh, oh, damn.”
“Nyx,” Eris said, “you speak fluent Ariadne, right?”
“Yep. Means she’s just thought of something shitty. What is it, kid?”
Ariadne’s hands started moving as fast as her mouth. “It’s just that the ichor made the miners sick, and was used to kill a bunch of people in experiments on other planets, and Rhea being around it also made her drop her illusion. So . . .”
Rhea went cold. “The truce,” she said. “Thousands of people will be attending to celebrate the supposed end of the war. Evoli spies would be exposed if the ichor works on them like it did on me. The Oversouls will be there. The Ascendant will be there.”
“The truce is a godsdamned lie,” Clo confirmed. “The rock isn’t just a projectile; it’s going to spread the disease and kill everyone in the palace.”
“Not just the palace, Clo.” Eris’s fingers curled into fists. “Think bigger. If Damocles starts a pandemic, it’ll be everyone on Laguna. And we just gave him the weapon to do it.”