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  “Very astute, Your Majesty.” A flicker of annoyance glittered in Orion’s dark eyes. He had underestimated Brisha, as her sister had done. Lauren was another testament to the fact that bookishness didn’t mean a person wasn’t fiercely strong. I pushed away thoughts of my friend, unable to bear the imagined vision of her dead body, out there somewhere.

  “As you have likely discovered, the Kryptonians on this planet are insufficient, on their own, as an ingredient for the elixir. I have also discovered this based on prior experiments,” she continued. “We have sought samples from other species, but nothing appears to work in the right combination. Vysanthean blood must be present, as must Kryptonian, but there needs to be something to stabilize the two. We thought we had found a solution, but it came to nothing in the end.”

  “Humans, Your Majesty,” Orion corrected her. “I have just been telling your sister, they are called humans, not Kryptonians. Evidently, someone has been toying with you. I have a feeling I know just who that trickster might have been.” In that moment, I was certain he was going to give me away with a look or a word, but he didn’t. Instead, he held the gaze of the two queens, though his lips turned up in an amused smile. He was clearly savoring the reveal.

  “Ah. My mistake.” Brisha looked thoughtful for a moment, though she showed no embarrassment, the way her sister had. She was not the kind of person who minded being corrected, as long as it meant she now had the right facts. “My observations on the elixir still stand. There is a missing element, and one of my alchemists was nearing a solution before this ridiculous war broke out.”

  Orion arched an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

  “Until I hear news of him, we must presume he is dead. And, until my soldiers can sift through the wreckage of my palace, we must presume that his work is lost, too. Obviously, I would not be here if I had the answers myself.”

  “Then, allow me to offer a suggestion that will please everyone,” Orion said, though I had a feeling it was going to do anything but. “The reason I asked you here is that I hope to negotiate a peace treaty between our three factions, with myself and my comrades receiving a region of Vysanthe to call our own, which I may govern as I see fit.”

  It seemed a little hypocritical, considering Orion’s original dream—the one that had led him down the road of rebellion. Now, it looked like he was just settling for more of the same, only he would be the one at the helm instead of Brisha or Gianne. It was exactly what I’d suspected: the only thing Orion was interested in was power that belonged to him. He didn’t want to change the status quo; he just wanted to change who was running it.

  “You vile wretch! Why should you think yourself worthy of a slice of our planet?” Gianne snapped.

  Brisha pulled a face. “We do not even wish to separate Vysanthe in half, so why would you assume we would be willing to split it into thirds? You’d be better off trying to usurp my sister’s throne, seeing as she is not fit to rule. Only then might I consider fighting you for Vysanthe.”

  “I am not fit to rule?” Gianne looked about ready to choke.

  “You have been dipping the heads of innocents in wax and sticking them ON PIKES!” Brisha retorted. “Everyone thinks you have lost control of your senses, and I happen to agree.”

  As they descended into another bickering session, Orion looked on. I could tell from the half-amused expression on his face that he had expected this reaction—he had to have, because otherwise he wouldn’t have suggested it. I wasn’t quite sure what he was up to, but I guessed he was trying to buy himself more leverage and time, to devise the elixir using Yorrek’s notebook. He had to know that the information Brisha was talking about was the same information kept within the pages of that notebook. All of this was a game to him, a way of gauging a reaction so he could manipulate accordingly. People didn’t become rebel leaders without some sort of charisma and persuasive skills, and I imagined Orion knew just how to wield his.

  Ezra seemed pretty pleased with himself, too. During the whole conversation between Orion and the queens, he had done nothing but smile strangely. I imagined he was in on whatever plan Orion was brewing, and this was just a small part of it. Somewhere down below us, the alchemists would be busy at work, sifting through the information Yorrek had given to try to complete the formula, while the queens were otherwise distracted. It was the perfect diversion.

  “Your Majesties, before you start on another tirade, I would ask that you let me finish,” Orion said sternly, bringing the queens’ bitter sniping to an abrupt halt. “If you do not agree to split the planet into three, then the alternative will be a continued war, with more death and bloodshed. None of us have the elixir at our disposal, and so we will all continue to kill one another needlessly. That responsibility will lie entirely on your shoulders, if you choose to go against me.”

  “You have no power over us, Orion,” Gianne remarked, though Brisha stayed oddly silent.

  “Perhaps not, but I am offering a solution to all of this. That, in itself, has power,” he replied.

  “How long do we have to think it over?” Brisha asked quietly.

  “For three days, there will be a ceasefire. The ceasefire will end at two o’clock, in this time zone, at the end of those three days,” Orion explained. “That should be sufficient time for you both to mull my offer over.”

  “Do not expect a favorable reply, Orion,” Gianne spat.

  “Indeed, these matters may not go the way you wish them to,” Brisha added bitterly. The two queens were fierce in their obvious dislike of Orion, which even appeared to outweigh their dislike of each other. I wondered if, by some miracle, that mutual hatred might be the one thing that finally brought them together against the rebels.

  As they turned to leave, everything appeared to move in sudden slow motion. There was nowhere left for us to hide, and now that their focus wasn’t on Orion, the queens seemed more aware of their surroundings. Two pairs of silver eyes stared right at Navan and me, and I wasn’t sure who was more shocked—them, or us.

  Chapter Nine

  “Well, if it isn’t Navan Idrax and his pet!” Gianne shouted. “I’d been wondering where you had disappeared to after my dear Aurelius’s impromptu wedding. Now that you’re both here, you may as well return to my ships with me.” Gianne moved toward us, only for Brisha to yank her back.

  “You will not lay a hand on them, Gianne. Your people stole Riley from me and kept Navan a prisoner in the South when he went to retrieve her,” she hissed. “They are not your property. Navan and Riley are both trained soldiers in my army, and both are honorary citizens of the North. You will not have them.”

  It was some relief to realize that they didn’t want to kill us both on sight. I’d been sure that Brisha would be pissed at us for abandoning the planet while she’d been unconscious during the Titan invasion, but she didn’t seem too perturbed. In fact, she seemed more bothered by Gianne’s theft of us than anything else. I’d thought the same would happen with Gianne—that she’d be angry about us leaving in such a hurry, not to mention the fact that we’d crept back across the border to try to warn the North of what Gianne was unleashing. Obviously, we’d been too late to do anything, but that had been our intention. I’d been sure Gianne would’ve pieced that together, but it didn’t look like she had.

  “I did not steal them from you, Brisha. You have such a vivid imagination. I wonder if anything you say is true,” Gianne fired back scornfully. “Navan Idrax is a citizen of the South, as is his pet.”

  Brisha shook her head in disbelief. “See, you do not even know her name! They are my people, not yours.”

  I considered telling them that, actually, we didn’t “belong” to either of them, but it didn’t seem like the kind of argument I wanted to get involved in. I might not have had the most functional upbringing, but I’d seen enough to know that it was never a good idea to interrupt a family dispute.

  “They lied to you, Brisha. That pet does not care about being your citizen. Why should you or
I trouble ourselves with her name?” Gianne remarked. “Just allow me to have them both, and we shall be done with it. They are very valuable to me, though they mean nothing to you.”

  “What absolute nonsense!” Brisha scowled. “She might have told me she was a Kryptonian, but now I understand why Riley lied to me: she was seeking to protect her planet from viperous scavengers like you, who would seek to eat up her entire species for the sake of your elixir. While it is true that I wish to make a viable elixir, I would not seek to destroy her species in order to do it. I value life a little more highly than you do, Sister.”

  Gianne scoffed. “Listen to your pious, self-righteous claptrap. You would wipe out every single one of these inferior creatures if it meant eternal life, and you know it. Do not pretend any different, for I shall not believe it.”

  “They are coming with me!” Brisha insisted icily.

  “No, Brisha, they are coming with me!”

  Orion smiled. “Actually, Your Majesties, they are not going with either of you,” he said bluntly. “They are my prisoners, and I will not relinquish them for anything. I have unfinished business to attend to with the both of them, and you will not stand in my way. I suggest you leave this room and go to your ships, where you can mull over my offer of a treaty. You are wasting your breath trying to obtain them.”

  For a moment, the air bristled with palpable tension, to the point where I thought a fight might break out amongst all three. Gianne certainly looked ready to spring, and Orion’s hands were balled into fists. Only Brisha seemed to be somewhat in control of her emotions, though I knew she’d take action if she had to.

  “What do you wish to do with them, Orion?” Brisha asked.

  “They have betrayed me, and will be punished accordingly,” he replied solemnly, though there was an added note of bitterness in his voice. “Riley is responsible for a murder most foul, and Navan is her long-standing accomplice.”

  Brisha caught my gaze, holding it. “I suppose it is only fair that triple-crossing traitors should come to such a fate. Justice cannot be outrun forever,” she said wearily. I heard the sorrow in her voice, that sad note revealing how hurt she was by our constant deceit. Even if she claimed to understand my reasoning, I knew she was wounded by what we’d done, and continued to do.

  “You know something, Sister, I think you are right,” Gianne chimed in gleefully. “They do deserve a fitting end for all of their traitorous activities. Perhaps it is best left in the hands of Orion here, to play the part of executioner. It would appear he is the one who has been crossed most recently.”

  It’s not like you to pass up the opportunity to execute someone, Gianne, I thought to myself, wishing I had the guts to say it out loud, especially if this was the last chance I might have for a sharp comeback. Still, I kept my mouth shut.

  “I’m not certain of that,” Brisha muttered grimly, turning her gaze back to Orion. “I think the loss of Pandora came as a shock to both of us, am I correct? Although, I envy that you were able to think of her fondly, once she was gone. All I could think about was the betrayal, Orion. To my mind, she was the one who deserved what she got—you cannot deny that, considering the sentence for treason has always been death.”

  Orion looked as though he were about to lose control of his temper, his eyes glittering wildly, his wings unfurling. Brisha stood her ground, unfurling the majesty of her own wings, which were shot through with gold, like the onyxscye stone back on Vysanthe. I honestly didn’t know who would win in a fight between Orion and Brisha. The former was bigger and stronger, but the latter was wily and smart.

  “She did not deserve what that vile cretin did to her,” Orion growled.

  “And yet you think it is right that they be killed for their treason against all of us? Does that not seem somewhat hypocritical?”

  “They are inferior, Queen Brisha. Their deaths mean nothing.”

  “Still, where is my revenge for what Pandora did to me? Where is my retribution? Why should you get to put your demons to rest, when I cannot?” Brisha’s muscles were tensed, her arms rippling, the veins in her neck straining. “I ought to kill you for putting her in my confidence and making me believe she was a friend.”

  Orion narrowed his eyes. “As a queen, you should have learned not to trust anyone a long time ago.”

  “I agree these two should be punished, but they are coming with me,” Brisha insisted. “I will be the one to dole it out.”

  “No, you will not. You will leave them here, or you will die trying to take them.”

  I hadn’t expected things to take this sort of turn, but then, I’d forgotten how deeply Pandora’s betrayal had affected Brisha. Orion had Ezra, Gianne had Aurelius, but who did Brisha have now? I imagined she’d found it hard to trust anyone since we’d revealed the truth about Pandora, and the loneliness must have been eating away at her. It was the only explanation for a reaction like this, from someone who was usually the most rational person in the room.

  “Sister, there are things that must be discussed,” Gianne said, lowering her voice to barely a whisper. “Do not do anything you may regret. A defecting coldblood and a human pet are not worth dying over.”

  I hadn’t expected Gianne to be the one to calm Brisha down, but her words seemed to have a soothing effect on her sister. In a matter of moments, Brisha visibly relaxed, her breathing returning to normal, her claws retracting and her wings folding back beneath her shoulder blades.

  “You’re right, Gianne,” she conceded, turning a furious glare toward Orion. “I will take my leave of you now, but your day will come, Orion. I will see you on the battlefield. It will be my knife that puts an end to your pathetic existence. You will never see your third of our planet. Vysanthe does not belong to you. You decided that when you abandoned her.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned and stormed out of the room, her guards following close behind her.

  “We shall see you in the fray, rebel scum,” Gianne added. “Only one of us can be the victor of this fight and become the conqueror of this planet. May the worthiest coldblood win.”

  With that, Gianne turned on her heel and left the windowless room to the rebel faction. Aurelius trailed behind her, though not before casting one look back at us. The twisted smile on his face sent chills down my spine—what did he have to be so happy about? Perhaps he and Gianne had another plan up their sleeves? I wouldn’t be surprised; coldbloods always seemed to be crossing each other.

  As soon as the queens were gone, all hell broke loose. The calmer demeanor that Orion had been putting on fell away, revealing his true fury. In a fit of rage, he picked up a green glass vase that was just about the only decoration in the stark room and hurled it in our direction. Navan and I ducked, and the vase smashed into the wall behind us in an explosion of green shards. A few of them bit into my skin, and I knew I’d find trickles of blood when I checked later… if there was a later.

  “How DARE they speak to me like that!” he roared, slamming his fists on the desk. “How dare they come in here and think of ME as inferior to THEM? Those mewling throat-tearers think they’re so superior—well, they’ll soon find out just how subservient they’re going to be, when I am the one in charge!”

  “Chief Orion, I really think you ought to calm down. They might agree to the treaty,” Ezra suggested, though there wasn’t a hint of sincerity in his voice.

  “Do not tell me what to do, Ezra, or I shall see you executed as well,” he snapped. “Lazar, escort these two down to the autopsy room. There are some tools there I wish to utilize. Indeed, I plan to have some fun with them before I kill them. That is sure to calm me down.”

  Ezra shot his boss a hard look, though he didn’t say a word about Orion’s threat. “And what am I supposed to do while you’re doing that?”

  “Take the energy elixir up to the ambaka and pour it down his throat. You are to ensure that he stays alive, so he can keep the dome functioning. Let’s not forget that it is all that’s standing between us and the Fed who a
re waiting to decimate us,” Orion replied curtly. “Lazar, give the energy elixir to Ezra.”

  With a nervous nod, Lazar reached into his pocket and took out a medium-sized bottle. However, before he could hand it to Ezra, he hesitated. “Chief Orion… I hate to say this at such a vitally important moment, but if you give the ambaka too much of the elixir, you risk him overdosing. If that happens, there will be undesirable side effects… including death.”

  “Do not test my patience, Lazar,” Orion warned. “We need to keep that dome up as long as possible, and that means pumping the ambaka full of elixir. If he dies after we have the queens on our side, I don’t care. We might not be able to use him anymore, but they won’t be able to use him either. It is your job and Ezra’s job to keep him alive until then.”

  “Isn’t there some other solution?” Ezra suggested blankly.

  Lazar shook his head. “That would take time, and we don’t have time.”

  A growl of impatience sounded from Orion’s throat. “See, this is precisely why I never wanted the humans or the Vysantheans to know of our existence here. Secrecy was the key to our ability to operate undisturbed! Rask’s sake!” He slammed his fists down on the desk once more, startling me.

  I shot Navan a look, catching a similarly confused expression on his face. Once again, I found myself wondering who the hell could’ve gained from destroying the nudus shield. It was of no benefit to the rebels, Earth’s leaders, or the Fed. The only people it might have benefited were the queens, but they couldn’t have known of our plans… not unless they’d snuck another spy on board our ships. Even that seemed unlikely, considering we’d asked Alfa to continuously check the ship for any sign of stowaways, Rexombra or otherwise. We’d arrived in Earth’s solar system without any followers, and I was pretty sure we hadn’t picked up any between the Lunar HQ and here.