I woke well before dawn. For just a moment I let myself stay safe in Geir’s arms. What would it be like to go with him, to wake up like this every day?

The tremors of my arm reminded me that could never happen. He kept talking about me going with him to whatever the hell it was. I was half tempted to agree with him just to make him quit asking.

Every time I told him ‘no’ it hurt. The fraction of disappointment I put in his eyes before he covered it up with a grin.

Father, Stanton, the Companion, the whole damn lot of them had me trapped.

But for right now I was free.

I kissed the hard line of his collarbone, still pushing back against the terror of what I'd asked him for, what he'd agreed to do so easily. For me.

“Is it time?” No groggy blundering into wakefulness for him.

“Almost. I think we should get ready.”

I couldn't eat. For once he didn't press me to. Didn't take much other than water himself. Just ran his fingers up and down the hilt of the ever-present knife.

“It's funny,” I said. “When I first found you, you threatened me with that thing. Scared the wits out of me.”

Geir's eyes flew open wide. “I did what? Wouldn't have. You must be remembering wrong.”

“I don't think it was me you were fighting.” I laughed. It seemed ridiculous now, ancient history. “You weren't exactly in the best shape. Still, I was pretty scared of that blade for a while.” I met his eyes. “I'm glad you have it now, though.”

“So am I,” he said quietly.

We made our way down to the opening we'd turned into a workroom and waited. I checked the light outside. It wouldn't be long.

“So, tell me again,” Geir said. “How does this all go?”

“Everyone in the compound will be gathered.” I spoke slowly, letting the images build in my mind. That had been my life, my only life before this.

“Father's representative, that would be Stanton these days, will make a speech, usually about our great mission, the plan to take over the decadent Empire and bring righteous fury from the stars.”

Geir nodded. “That sounds like a cheerful time for everyone.”

“For most of the crowd, it is. Most of the people here are true believers in the mission, in the grand destiny that their parents or grandparents came here for. Just because there have been delays in the plan, it doesn’t mean they stopped trusting. It just seems to make their faith stronger.”

Geir stopped where he was re-checking the set of the winches. “You said most of them.”

“I'm sure some of the families who have lost someone to the Devourer's or the cadre feel differently.” I shook my head. “But it's not something anyone talks about. If you don't know who's likely to report you, what unguarded word will have your loved ones killed, you keep your thoughts to yourself.”

“Besides, not many people spoke to me. It was probably Abril’s first black mark against her.” I said, gazing off into the growing light, waiting for the hellish ritual to be over. “She talked to me. Thought I was a person.”

Geir wrapped his arms around me. “That's because you are.”

I leaned back into him. “Once the cage is released, everyone turns their backs on the prisoners. They’re cut off. No matter how hard they beg, they’re not part of the project anymore.”

A shudder ripped through me at the memory. “But you always heard them screaming, as you walked away.”

The first blast of the siren jolted me back to the present.

“We need to get ready.”

I listened for the whirr of the crane that would lift the cage holding the prisoners from the grassy turf and swing it out over the sea.

The second blast of the sirens came.

I strapped him into the harness. He'd fought about it, but on this, I wasn't planning to compromise.

He crushed me to his chest. “I'll be back, quit worrying.”

I forced my arms to stop shaking. “You'd better be.”

He grabbed the other two harnesses and stood poised at the edge of the opening.

The third blast.

The final summoning of the Devourers for their supper. A high-pitched scream and I knew the floor had been released from the cage that Abril and Caze had cowered in.

Their bodies plummeted past us and Geir leaped into the ocean after them.