Eventually, Atropos pulled her away, back the way they'd come. She tried briefly to resist, to stay with Erin, but she knew she wasn't strong enough. Atropos, impatient with the way she hung limp, forcing him to drag her, picked her up, his powerful arms undeniable. He carried her back to his room through the same passages she had used to get down here, when she'd been so full of delusions about her own heroism. She wasn't the hero of this story, just another victim. Actian's easy dismissal of her value had cut right through her.

Back in his balcony room, the curtains drawn, Atropos set her gently on her bed. She rolled over to face away from him, her arms around herself, feeling beaten and unsure what would happen to her now. Atropos had proven once again not to be the person she thought he was. She didn't know what she could trust from him anymore.

"I am sorry," he said quietly behind her. "I said cruel things. I allowed cruel things to be said to you. I promise that then, as before, I only wanted to keep you safe."

"How am I supposed to believe that?" Amber almost whispered, not moving to look at him. "I don't know who you are."

She felt his hand above her shoulder, almost touching for just a moment. Then it withdrew.

"I am not the human you knew on Earth," he admitted. "But I am not the cold brute my brother expects me to be either. With you, even on Earth, I was more myself than I have ever been allowed to be here. Even that was not entirely my true self. I needed to charm you and the others my brother wanted for the auction. But with you, for the first time, it did not feel so much like lying. I wanted you to like me, not for his sake, but for mine. I am so sorry, Amber. If I had known my feelings for you would have caused this, I would rather you had hated me."

Amber covered her face with her hands, her feelings too complicated to figure out.

"If you care about me," she said at last, her voice a rasp, choked by the tears she was trying to hold back, "If you ever did. Then you have to help me stop this. I have to save those people."

"You do not understand what you ask of me," Atropos said as gently as he could. "To betray my brother, to doom my species—"

"I know exactly what I'm asking." Amber sat up slowly, turning to look at him. "You heard your brother. He's going to make you use me as a host. He isn't going to give you a choice. I'm asking you not to force that on me. I'm asking you not to force that on anyone."

Atropos looked away, expression troubled, and Amber reached out for him, touched his cheek gently. She wanted to believe there was still something of the man she'd been falling in love with inside him. She wanted him to still be someone she could trust. She had no one else to turn to here. He reached up to touch her hand, holding it to his cheek.

"I will try," he said. "I can promise nothing but that. But we must find another solution. I cannot let my species die out."

"We'll figure something out," Amber said, jumping on even the slim chance. "There has to be a solution that doesn't trade the freedom of one of us for the survival of the other."

"I will try," he said again. "But you must try as well. To behave as though you have accepted your place. If you draw my brother's ire, we will have no chance at all."

Amber frowned, then pushed down her pride.

"I'll try," she agreed.

"Then come with me this evening," he said. "Word has spread of Actian's gift to me. There are many who want to meet you. There will be a party this evening and I would like to make it your debut."

"Is it safe?" Amber asked, worried.

"Of course," Atropos said at once. "And I will be there to protect you. I would never let any harm come to you."

He smiled at her so kindly that even with his strange dark eyes and alien features, it made her heart skip a beat. She wished she could really believe him.

"All right," she said warily, for Erin's sake. She would do whatever it took to make sure Erin made it out of this place.

"I will go and prepare," he said with a smile. "Please, rest. I know this morning was stressful for you. But things will get better, I promise."

He hurried away then, and she heard the rush of his wings as he took off from the balcony. She sat where he'd left her, fear and despair rolling in her chest. Part of her wanted to run down to the abandoned part of the ship again at once, to drag Erin out of that stasis beam and escape with her. But she knew it wasn't possible. And even if it was, she'd never forgive herself for leaving all the others behind.

She curled up, knees to her chest, her hands over her face. She slid them up into her hair with a groan. She needed rest, as Atropos had said. She found herself suddenly regretting not waiting for him to bring back food earlier. Her stomach grumbled unhappily.

She breathed in deeply, ready to ask the computer for more of the terrible fruit in syrup, when she caught a whiff of something familiar. Surprised, she hurried to the door between the little corner of the balcony room that she had walled off and the main room.

Atropos had summoned a small table, and a familiar paper bag was sitting on top of it, turning a little translucent from grease and smelling of delicious salt and fried food. Amber suddenly felt far more optimistic.

She sat down and gorged herself on burgers and fries, crying into her half-melted milkshake at the wave of homesickness that washed over her the minute the first overly-salted fry touched her lips. When she could eat no more, feeling bloated and heavy, she dragged herself back to her bed and collapsed.

* * *

It was the first real sleep she'd had since she arrived on this ship, and she barely moved until Atropos returned, the sound of his wings as he landed in the room waking her. She sat up with a jolt, for a moment afraid that Actian was descending toward her again. Instead, Atropos stepped into her room as, groaning, she rubbed her eyes.

"I am glad you have rested," he said. "We have much to do. Please, get up."

She got to her feet, still too tired and out of it to question him.

"I saw you found the food I brought you," he said as he drew the dark brown cape around her again, fastening it at her throat.

"Yes, thank you," Amber muttered tiredly. "I really needed that."

He smiled a little as he adjusted the ruff of the cloak and her hair to hide her face better.

"Good," he said. "You will need your strength."

"Why?" she asked, yawning.

"Because I am taking you into the market," he explained. "We must find you something to wear for the party."

"Oh." Amber looked at him in surprise as he settled a strange, wide-brimmed hat on her head. "Can't we just ask for something from the computer?"

"Of course not," Atropos said with a frown. "I am clutch brother to the Flight leader, and you are a rare gift. You must be dressed by the finest designers of our Flight. Some rote patterned thing from the computer would never do."

Amber couldn't help being a little flustered by this, and she allowed him to urge her out to the edge of the balcony. She froze there, remembering nearly falling over it.

"The market is all those balconies down there, isn't it?" she said with a frown. "How am I supposed to get there? I can't fly, remember?"

"Our young cannot fly until their pupation either," Atropos replied. "And there are many reasons someone might not want or be able to fly. The ship is prepared for this."

He stepped up to the balcony with easy grace and offered her a hand up to stand beside him. Somewhat warily, she took it, wobbling a little as she tried to balance on the railing.

"Computer, walking transport," Atropos said and stepped forward, pulling Amber with him. She shrieked in surprise, afraid she was about to fall. But she stepped onto a solid surface, Atropos standing beside her with a smile. A glass disk had materialized beneath them, resonating like crystal under the heel of Amber's shoe. Clinging to Atropos's hand, she turned warily to examine it, unable to determine how it was being supported.

"Are you ready?" Atropos asked. "Just walk forward. Keep your eyes on your destination and you will be fine."

Holding Amber's hand delicately, he strode forward, and Amber scurried to keep up with him, afraid of the glass vanishing under her feet. With every step, a new circle of glass bloomed under their heels, ringing musically as they made their way down toward the market. Amber soon fell into stride with Atropos, her eyes wide at the magic of it as they looked down at the crowds of brightly colored wings flying past below them, fluttering from balcony to balcony.

Soon, they were passing among the cloud of people, the rustle of their brilliant wings overwhelming as the wind caught Amber's cloak. She grabbed for her hat with her free hand and stayed close to Atropos's side, not wanting to lose her disguise.

The Lepidopterix they passed stopped frequently, hovering in the air, to talk with one another or shout hello to a passing friend. But none said anything to Atropos or even made eye contact. They seemed to ignore him entirely or, when they did glance his way, they did so with an almost fearful wariness.

The balcony shops of the market were a wonder to behold, as full of riotous color as their patrons. Everywhere there were beautiful clothes, strange furniture, glittering jewelry, and accessories. Amber saw one balcony dedicated entirely to the delicate little silver tools used for cleaning and maintaining their wings.

Styled wigs sat in another, the Lepidopterix's filmy antennae and dramatic neck ruffs combed into strange and exciting styles, inviting the passing customers to try out a new look. There were trinkets and oddities whose purpose she couldn't even begin to determine, though she could take a guess when, as she lingered near a display of esoterically shaped wands, Atropos blushed and hurried her away.

They landed at last on the balcony of one of the more popular shops in the market. Atropos helped her down from the railing as everyone else in the shop seemed to suddenly realize that they'd concluded their business, hurrying out into the market just as soon as she and Atropos had stepped away from the edge.

The store itself was dimly lit, with brighter lights illuminating a handful of Lepidopterix mannequins staged throughout the open space, dressed in dramatic, brightly colored gowns. They sparkled in the spot lighting, covered in tiny shimmering sequins as small and delicate as the scales on Atropos's wings. Among the voluminous skirts, the fabric was gathered into sculpted roses.

Alien floral patterns mixed with vibrant geometrics. Amber noticed a marked departure from human fashion trends. There was little that was body hugging or restrictive. Everything was made with ease of motion in mind. These were fliers, after all. They needed to be able to move in three dimensions at the drop of a hat.

While there were dresses with swallow-tail trains that were double the length of the dress itself, there was no hint of corsetry or stiff collars or tight sleeves. Almost everything had plunging backs to accommodate wings more easily.

Atropos led her toward the back of the store, where a tall, heavyset Lepidopterix with short, dramatic red and scarlet wings stood. She was bent over a workbench, running a small handheld device over the hem of a gown. Amber realized that the thing in her hand, no larger than a bar of soap, was some kind of sewing machine, leaving a flawless row of stitches behind it.

"Madame Melpomene," Atropos said quietly. Melpomene jumped at the sound of his voice, but her hand on the little sewing machine never wavered.

"Lord Atropos," she said, turning with wide, dark eyes. "I forgot you were visiting!"

"You were meant to have emptied the store before I arrived," Atropos said. There was a cold authority to his voice Amber was not used to.

"Yes, I am afraid I was caught up in my latest project and it slipped my mind," Melpomene said evasively.

"Nothing slips your mind," Atropos said in a tone that invited no argument.

"Regardless, you seem to have emptied the store quite effectively yourself," Melpomene pointed out, and she spoke to the computer quickly, which drew a heavy curtain around the balcony, isolating them. "How may I serve you?"

"My companion requires a gown for this evening's gathering," Atropos replied.

"That is very last-minute," Melpomene said with a frown. "I can do it for you, of course, but it will not be my best work."

"I am confident whatever you can create in a few hours will still outshine what any other might make with a month of forewarning." Atropos inclined his head respectfully, and Melpomene's wings fluttered, somewhere between unease and flattered delight.

"Very well, let me see them," Melpomene said, reaching for Amber. Atropos held out a hand to stop her.

"First, you are sworn to confidentiality," he said.

Melpomene looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"Is this it, then?" she asked, peering at Amber curiously. "The human our flight leader has given to you? Oh, how fascinating! I have never seen a human in person! I mean, no one has, who isn't part of the expeditionary team. Let me see!"

She reached for Amber, and Atropos stepped between them, which brought her up short.

"Are you sworn, Melpomene?" he demanded. The Lepidopterix's ebony skin went gray as she looked into Atropos's eyes.

"Yes, of course, I swear," she said, taking a step back and smoothing out her wings with a nervous, fussy gesture. "My reputation is what I live by. Your confidentiality is assured."

At last, Atropos stepped back, giving Amber a small, encouraging push. Nervously, she removed her hat.

"Oh!" Melpomene moved closer and looked Amber over as the human slowly shrugged off the cloak. She looked amazed at first. Then she frowned, a long-fingered hand at her lips. "Hm. Her coloration is . . . less vibrant than I would have expected."

"She is no birdwing," Atropos said guardedly. "But then neither am I. We suit one another."

"Well," Melpomene said, circling Amber. "Your colors may be a bit dull, but still there is a dramatic flair to them. They certainly suit our glorious flight leader's purpose. But this?"

She lifted a strand of Amber's dark brown hair with a disappointed click of her tongue. "Perhaps if we dyed it."

"I do not think that is necessary," Atropos said, seeing Amber's worried look. "I thought, perhaps, something in blue."

Melpomene considered this, cocking her head curiously to the side.

"You know, you may have something there," she murmured, "And with no wings, there is so much opportunity to experiment with shape!"

"Then you can do it?" Atropos asked.

"Of course," Melpomene scoffed. She made an adjustment to the sewing machine in her hand and began using it to take Amber's measurements. "I can do anything. I'll clear my schedule. Come back in a few hours for the fitting."

She turned away at once, hurrying back to her workbench, which she swept clean with a single gesture of her arm.

Atropos took Amber's arm and led her back toward the front of the shop. Amber resettled her cloak around her and put her hat back on.

"I guess being the flight leader's brother has its perks," she said as they stepped past the curtain, back out into the market.

"A few," he admitted. "But less than you would think. This way.”