I caught up with Pandora, determined not to fall behind, though by the time we reached Queen Brisha’s library I was out of breath, my lungs burning.

As we moved toward the huge carved doors to the library, Lauren emerged.

“I thought we were meeting for lunch,” she said, pushing her glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose and looking at me with surprise. “Wait, did I get the time wrong?” A flutter of panic settled across her features, making me smile. I knew how Lauren got when she was deep in study mode, losing hours, and sometimes days, to piles of books and essays.

“Queen Brisha has asked to see me. I think everyone else is still going to lunch, though,” I replied.

“Oh, thank God. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t even sure what day it was.” She laughed, then flashed an anxious look back into the room behind her and clutched my shoulder. “Be careful, Riley. I’ll see you later?”

I nodded. “Once I’m finished here, I’ll come find you all.”

Pandora beckoned at me to hurry, and I stepped through the door to the library, leaving Lauren to head in the direction of the others without me. I could feel her eyes on the back of my head, her worry palpable, until the very last moment before the door shut.

On the walk over, I’d been wondering what the queen might want to talk to me about. My first guess was that it would involve my blood sample and the immortality elixir, since that was all any of these Vysanthean leaders seemed interested in where I was concerned. They were obsessed. I just wished the queens could see how idiotic it made them look, squabbling for the prize of being first. Saying that, I had no idea how the research was coming along in terms of synthesizing the blood, especially since the alchemy lab had been razed to the ground.

I found Queen Brisha sitting by the roaring fire, her feet tucked up beneath her, a book open on the side of her armchair. It was an oddly normal sight, the kind of thing I might do with a Sunday afternoon to spare. I’d forgotten that, underneath everything, Queen Brisha was still a young woman, no doubt with passions and hobbies outside ruling queendoms.

She looked up as I took the seat opposite her. “Ah, you came! How wonderful,” she said.

I tried not to frown. Hadn’t she invited me? I looked to Pandora for confirmation, but the advisor merely shrugged, an amused expression on her face. “I did, Queen Brisha,” I replied uncertainly. “Did you… want to speak to me about our blood, or something?”

The queen shook her head, chuckling. “No, no, nothing so grim. For now, the blood you and your friends have given is ample. If I need more, I’ll ask. Honestly, you’d think this place was all doom and gloom, the way you talk,” she said with a coy smile. “I brought you here for far more pleasant reasons, if you can believe such a thing.” Her silver eyes glittered with playful irreverence. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen much of, and I didn’t know whether I liked it or not.

“Pleasant reasons, Your Highness?”

“Indeed,” she said warmly, folding up her book and sitting up in her chair. “The reason I’ve asked you here is to award you with a prize! I must say, it’s extremely unexpected that you should be its recipient, but I’m always happy for pleasant surprises.”

“A prize, Your Highness?” I asked, utterly baffled.

“You were the last soldier standing in the combat simulation, and such a feat of skill must be rewarded. By all accounts, you lasted far longer than any previous recruit has done in their first simulation. Very impressive, little Kryptonian. Perhaps I misjudged the strength of will your race possesses!”

My cheeks heated at the praise. “I, uh… I only lasted that long because Navan helped me out,” I muttered, wanting to rectify the situation. “Honestly, Navan deserves the prize, not me.”

Evidently mistaking my blushes and words for modesty, the queen chuckled. “Oh, nonsense! You continue to show a bravery that nobody anticipated, Riley, and from the report, you were doing just fine by yourself. Besides, my interest in you lies in more than your performance in the simulation.”

“Oh?” I wasn’t sure where this conversation was headed.

“Nobody made you sign up for the military. You did that yourself, even though your physical makeup is inferior to that of a Vysanthean. Nobody forced you to train alongside those who have been preparing for years, and yet you push through every trial and obstacle,” the queen gushed. “Nobody urged you to excel, but you are proving your capability with each day that passes. I must say that not even Pandora has seen knives thrown with such precision! That sort of bravery and tenacity must be rewarded.”

“There’s no need to—” I began.

“Indeed, I see much of myself in you, Riley,” Queen Brisha continued, as if I hadn’t interrupted. “You might not agree, but we are similar souls, you and I. And I have decided to make it my objective to help you become more than merely Kryptonian. I would see you stronger, faster, smarter, sharper…”

I frowned, letting her words sink in. Even with a body that felt like it was giving up, and training sessions in which I mostly ended up splayed on the ground, wishing someone would put me out of my misery, I had somehow managed to impress Queen Brisha.

“I don’t understand, Your Highness,” I admitted, not knowing what kind of prize Vysantheans even gave out. If it was blood or slaves, she could keep it.

With a smile, Queen Brisha leaned over the left side of her armchair and picked up a small wooden box inlaid with gold and jewels. An opaleine clasp shaped like a pair of coldblood wings held the lid closed. She opened the box with a flourish of her fingers and took out three medium-sized silver vials that were sealed with an emerald stopper.

“Here is your prize, Riley,” she said, handing over the vials, and I took them warily.

“Um, thank you. What is it, Your Highness?” I asked, shaking the first vial and hearing the swish of liquid inside.

“It is a serum that will enable you to grow wings,” she announced. “I thought three would suffice for now.”

I gaped at her, my jaw slackening.

“Only on a temporary basis, of course,” she added, smiling at my expression. “The effects tend to wear off after a few hours, though it varies from species to species, especially as it’s still fairly experimental. With this, you will no longer have to remain on the ground while your fellow recruits take to the skies. This will level the playing field and allow us to see if you truly have what it takes to be exceptional.”

I stared at the queen. “It… It grows wings,” I repeated. “How does that even work?”

Her dismissive laugh hardly eased my nerves. “You wouldn’t understand the science behind it. I hardly do. That’s what my alchemists are for. But rest assured, it works.”

“Though, you said it’s… fairly experimental, Your Highness?” I repeated, those words echoing in my head, sounding alarm bells.

She nodded. “It was invented as a means to repair and regrow broken wings that had been ripped or fully torn off during battle. So far, we have had an excellent success rate, though it’s still in the testing phase,” she explained animatedly. “We have tried it on several test subjects of differing species also, just to make note of certain outcomes, and we are happy with the progress. We don’t know all the side effects, but nobody has died yet, which is always an excellent sign!”

I wasn’t sure whether that made me feel better or worse, and yet, now that I’d gotten over the initial shock of the idea, I couldn’t help feeling intrigued by the thought of having my own set of wings.

My own set of freaking wings.

As a kid, I’d dreamed of being able to fly, and I remembered how it had felt to rush through the air in Navan’s arms, marveling at his ability to go where he wanted, when he wanted. Now, Queen Brisha was offering me that same opportunity. Who the hell was I to say no?

“Thank you, Your Highness. This is beyond kind,” I said, a broad smile spreading across my face.

“And that’s not all,” Queen Brisha noted, her tone still girlish and excitable. “I’ve got a few other surprises in store for you as a reward for your excellent work.”

“Really, Your Highness, you don’t need—” I began, but she cut me off again.

“I’ve had some special delicacies shipped in for you and your Kryptonian friends to enjoy. These have all been delivered to your apartments,” she said, clapping her hands.

“That’s incredibly generous of you, Your Highness.” My stomach rumbled at the thought of a new cuisine. I had a feeling it was probably pillaged from some poor planet at an unknown edge of the galaxy, but it would admittedly be great to eat something other than plain fruit and vegetables or powdered astronaut food. Pickings were slim here on Vysanthe, and I didn’t have the luxury of being fussy.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Brisha said, picking up another box from behind her armchair. With a shy smile, she handed it to me. “I… I have this for you to give to Bashrik, since I know you all enjoy meals together sometimes. I would have given it to him myself but… never mind.” Her eyes grew strangely wistful. “Hopefully, this will encourage him to continue all of his hard work on the new alchemy lab. I must say, I am enjoying the designs I’ve seen, and the swiftness with which he has managed to corral the best builders and masons in the region. I mean, I knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was that good.”

The queen’s voice had taken on a curious tone whenever she spoke of Bashrik lately, which both amused and disturbed me. It sounded almost like affection, but there was no way a woman of Brisha’s standing would be interested in an underling like Bashrik. He came from a high-class family, sure, but he was still far inferior to her. But Queen Brisha seemed to value superior skill, so it was probably just admiration for his talent. I’d seen the alchemy lab designs myself, and she was right: they were very impressive.

“Thank you again, Your Highness. I’m sure Bashrik will be pleased with whatever is in here, and I know the girls and I are definitely in need of a good meal,” I said, patting my stomach.

“Don’t mention it,” the queen said, brushing me away. “It is the least I can do after the opportunities you have offered me. You have renewed my sense of spirit and defiance! Indeed, in the days since my sister’s foolish assault upon my queendom, I have been carefully planning my counterattack, as payback for her ruination of my alchemy lab. She killed many of my soldiers and citizens, and I won’t stand for it. I shall prevail, if it is the last thing I do. Already, the tools of her destruction are being built.” A cold smile crept upon Brisha’s dark lips, her eyes glittering.

I shuddered, feeling uneasy at all this talk of vengeance. If Queen Brisha launched an attack on her sister, that meant Navan could be sent off to battle at any moment. Whether or not she would send me too remained to be seen, but I wasn’t looking forward to such a terrible event either way. In a game of war, there were no winners.

More than that, Queen Brisha’s hospitality made me feel unsettled. We were being treated far better than I had ever expected, with all these special gifts being thrown in for good measure. The apartments we were staying in were luxurious, with our every whim catered to at the push of a button. We wanted for nothing, the kitchens always stocked with vials and blood stews for Navan and his brother, and bowls of fruit and vegetables for me and my human friends. We were permitted somewhat free rein of her dominion, as long as we didn’t step outside the walls of Nessun. And here Brisha was, opening up to me, telling me of her battleplans.

My stomach turned at the realization that all of this would come crashing down around us, if—or when—she discovered our betrayal. There would be no coming back from that.