MIRA

 

Mira saw Cass first, heard the hoarse call and recognised the thin ragged shape running down to meet them. Her heart leapt in her chest and she let go of Josef’s hand to wade out of the water.

They met in the sand above the water line in a tight and emotional embrace. No words came immediately, just relief and heartfelt joy.

‘He said you’d run out on us. I knew it was a lie,’ whispered Cass after a moment.

Mira stiffened for an instant. ‘Trinder?’

Cass stepped back so she could look at her. ‘We need to talk, you and I, alone. But not now. Not in front of the rest.’

Mira nodded. ‘There’s not much time. I have to go soon. We’ll leave one of the biozoons for you.’

‘Go?’

‘Something important I have to do. Cass, the Post-Species are controlling the Saqr. And now they’re overrunning Orion.’

‘We feared something like that,’ said Cass. ‘Mira, if you have to leave, take Vito.’

Mira gripped her arm. ‘Vito’s alive?’

Cass nodded, tears beginning to fall without check. ‘I fed him what I could, but we’ve had little enough to eat.’

Mira faced the rest of the advancing survivors. She picked out Josefia Genarro among them, who carried a small thin ‘bino. ‘But Josef...’ Mira swung back to Josef, who had stopped behind her. ‘You said he’d died!’

He looked confused. ‘I saw a boy killed with a spear. Happened as we got here.’

Cass’s fist went to her lips. She ground her knuckles against her teeth before replying. ‘Not your ‘bino, Mira. Mine. Both gone now. Both of them.’

‘Chanee? And your ragazzo?’ Mira saw the pain on Cass’s face. She wasn’t just starved and exhausted, her spirit was in tatters.

Mira hugged her again, more fiercely this time, not knowing how else to give comfort.

They stood together as the survivors surrounded them. But at the sight of Josefia with Vito, Mira let her go of Cass and reached for her adopted child. She lifted him into her arms. To her distress, he didn’t feel much heavier than Nova. Nor did he seem to know her.

‘Vito.’

He blinked his solemn eyes at the sound of her voice.

She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead, aware of the tension in the little body.

He reached out for Cass Mulravey, who shook her head. ‘Mama, Vito. This is your mama.’

The survivors watched silently.

‘Vito.’ Mira said his name again and traced her finger down his bare legs. ‘Mira. It’s Mira.’

There was some jostling in the group and the korm pushed its way through. It whistled to her and bowed its tall frame, until its head was close to hers. ‘M’ra.’

‘Korm!’ The tears she had kept at bay while comforting Cass Mulravey sprang freely to her eyes. The alien ragazzo was a scarecrow, barely recognisable save for its size and fur.

She reached up and fondled its crest. It chittered softly.

Copying Mira’s action, Vito lifted his thin arm and put his fingers to Mira’s cheek.

She turned her head and kissed his fingers, hardly daring to breathe.

Suddenly Vito smiled and brought his other hand up to link around her neck. ‘M’ra.’

Mira hugged him to her. ‘He’s speaking,’ she said ecstatically.

‘A few words only. Not much for us to say to each other these last months,’ said Cass.

A ripple of emotion passed through the group.

Mira felt it keenly, just as she felt her own elation, and relief, and despair. She should have been quicker with help. They were barely alive. And where was Trin Pellegrini?

Before she could ask Cass about the young Principe, the silence broke.

‘What’s happening out there?’ asked someone.

‘Have you come for us?’ Another ‘esque.

Questions flew at her and voices rose to such a pitch that she could barely hear one from the other.

‘Quiet!’ Josef stepped in front of her, arms outstretched.

Surprisingly, they responded to his firm order.

‘Back up,’ he said to the first line of people.

They complied, creating room around Mira and Cass.

Though Josef was much thinner than Mira remembered him, he looked strong and capable alongside the starved survivors.

‘Yes, we’ve come for you. And yes, we’ll tell you everything we know. But it’s only a short time until daylight,’ he said. ‘We will need to take cover.’

‘It’s too far back to the caves,’ said Cass Mulravey. ‘We’ll rest in the bushes above the beach.’

Jo-Jo nodded and looked to the lightening night sky. ‘Then we should get there now.’

As the group began to move back up the beach, Mira noticed a slight figure standing off to one side under the waning moonlight. ‘Djes?’ she called softly. ‘Djes?’

The young girl she had rescued from the ruins of Villa Fedor came towards her hesitantly.

As she got closer, Mira held out her hand to her, and suddenly Djes was in her arms as Cass Mulravey had been, clinging to her with relief and disbelief.

‘Mira.’

Djes’s body felt muscular and lean and tense with emotion, and she smelt of the sea. As Josef hustled them along, she threaded her arm through Mira’s and they walked together behind the rest.

‘Why did you leave so suddenly? Trin said that you’d deserted us but I didn’t want to think that.’

‘Trinder bends the truth, Djes,’ said Mira bluntly. ‘He told me to leave. When I refused, his carabinere forced me.’

‘Forced you? I don’t understand? But perhaps his decision was for the best? You’ve come back for us now.’

‘His decision was selfish. Djes, I have birthed a ‘bino while I have been searching for help, a babe, born early, sired by Trin Pellegrini the night he sent me away. I was the last crown aristo alive. He feared that his bloodline would die out, so he raped me and forced me to leave. To protect his progeny.’

‘No!’ Djes pulled away from her. ‘That’s not true!’

Mira wished there was more time to explain gently, but she must leave again within a few hours. It was important that Djes knew the truth. ‘My baby is aboard Insignia, my biozoon. Her name is Nova.’

Djes stopped and took several steps away from Mira. Then she turned and ran down the beach.

Josef dropped back to speak with Mira. ‘Bad news?’

Mira sighed. ‘The truth. I’ve hurt her, but she must know what he is.’

‘Rast Randall told me some of it. I worked the rest out for myself. He’s Nova’s father.’

‘Her sire, not her father,’ Mira corrected.

Josef stopped her. ‘I will try speaking to Djes. I promised Bethany I would.’

Mira hesitated then nodded. She moved forward to catch up with the rest of the group.

As they reached the crest of the beach, the survivors halted and divided. In front of the stunted trees stood Rast Randall, her man Catchut and Trin Pellegrini.

The gratification Mira felt on seeing Randall alive diminished at the sight of the Principe. From his tense, wary expression, she knew he’d seen Djeserit leave.

Suddenly Mira wished that Josef had stayed with her. Wished she could reach for the comfort of his hand. But he was not. And this she had to face alone.

She stepped forward.