Joston
In order to stay as concealed as possible, we’ve had our comms off the whole flight. Since we’re on schedule and Ozker knows when to account for our entry so no one else will care, there’s no need to turn the comms back on.
Even if something might be eating at me, because something is eating at me.
We talk in whispers. The raft itself is nearly noiseless and no one’s looking for us, so we’re as though invisible. But we keep our voices down. Don’t want to accidentally call attention to our presence here.
“Chlo,” I say. “When was Lasson due back? Originally?”
“This afternoon,” she says. “But he did say it could be longer. Why?”
“Something’s bothering me,” I say. “I can’t quite place what exactly it is, but why would some simple negotiations take this long?”
“How do you know they’re simple?” Nik says. I’m letting him fly the raft for a while while I sit back and let whatever’s eating me work its way forward from the back of my skull.
Nik’s enjoying piloting almost as much as Aeryen would. Well, as much as anyone would. There’s nothing like flying. It’s incomparable. It’s my lifeblood.
“They’re supposed to be pretty straightforward,” Chlo says. “He’s offering to upgrade the entire Engra comm system for an obscenely low cost. His proposal is more like a gift than a business deal. I don’t understand exactly, but he told me that the market on Engra is ripe for expansion and that he wanted to start off by basically giving them something. That profits would follow. Inevitably. At least that’s what he said.”
“He told me that he’s negotiating to get your medical license reinstated,” I say, shocking both Chlo and Nik.
“He isn’t,” Chlo said. “He would have said something to me.”
“He wouldn’t have said something to you,” I say. “Because he didn’t want you to know about it. It was supposed to be a surprise. And, you know, if it didn’t work out . . .”
“I wouldn’t’ve gotten my hopes up,” Chlo says. “Even though I have no hopes in that direction. It’s been so long since I’ve been a doctor that . . .”
“That you’ve given up?” Nik says. “That doesn’t sound like you at all, Chlo.”
“I just don’t expect it to happen,” Chlo says.
“Lasson expects it to happen,” I say.
“That’s why he was talking to me about your getting reinstated,” Nik says to Chlo. “I thought he was just speculating about what would happen if it happened.”
“I should have realized when he told me how much the new comm system was going to cost Engra,” Chlo says. “But I didn’t connect the two. Even though he asked me a couple of times if I was sorry I wasn’t able to land on my home world.”
“What the fucking hell is that?” I say as I spot an area of the capital city that’s lit up like it’s the kind of holiday where you turn on all the lights and everyone parties until they collapse of boredom or extreme inebriation.
“That’s the palace,” Chlo says. “They do that sometimes. Must be a special occasion.”
“Are you sure about that?” Nik says as he puts down the visor on his helmet. Helps with night vision. It makes even my acute night vision better, so I do the same with my visor.
“There’re a helluva lot of military-looking formations down there,” I say, taking over the controls from Nik. “Is that the Engra idea of a celebration? Bring out the troops to give everyone a look at just how powerful the monarchy is?”
“They do do that sometimes,” Chlo says. “But—never at night.”
“Joston,” Nik says, pointing. “Did you see that?”
“Fucking right I saw that,” I say.
“What?” says Chlo.
I can feel her bristling nerve ends from here, even though I know for a fact that she’s got solid, unbreakable nerves. Hardly anyone else I know would’ve been so cool, hanging out of that aircar in the midst of a forest fire, with her lover’s life on the line.
“What?” Chlo says again.
“Cannon flare,” Nik says.
“There’s another one,” I say, lowering my voice.
“That can’t be a celebration,” Chlo says. We’re all careful now, whispering again.
“There’s a damned war going on down there,” Nik says while I swoop the raft outside the perimeter so we won’t be seen.
Chlo grabs hold of my upper arm.
“Lasson,” she says. “He’s supposed to be in the palace. He’s not just negotiating there, he’s staying there.”
“I’m a hundred steps ahead of you,” I say, happy I had that fifth drink. Because I’m about to forever solidify my reputation as the universe’s most reckless pilot.
“Chlo, what’s the palace roof like?” Nik says, catching on to my fast-evolving plan.
“It’s mostly flat,” Chlo says.
“Good enough,” I say.
“But they have guards up there. All the time,” Chlo says. “Ever since the supposed attacks. The ones I was exiled because of.”
“I didn’t know you were part of a rebellion,” I say, distracting myself from the likelihood of all of our imminent deaths. Because even if I can land this big thing on the roof of the palace, we hardly have enough firepower on the raft to defeat a group of armed guards. “Is that how you developed your steely courage?”
“I’m not part of a rebellion!” Chlo says in an angry whisper. “I never was. I took care of some of the attackers. That’s why I was exiled.”
“Good thing they didn’t find out about the Chengdry baby you delivered,” I say, thinking about Aeryen and understanding why Chlo and Niya are such good friends. Why Niya was so anxious to talk with Chlo. Why she trusted Chlo to take care of Aeryen. “Or they would’ve executed you—if the Engra justice system is anything like it is on Choryn.”
I start lowering the raft, careful to stay away from the most illuminated areas of the palace while Nik douses all our own lights, interior and exterior.
“It’s worse,” Chlo says.
“Then we’d better hope we don’t get caught,” I say, and I shut my mind off from everything except this landing.
Niya
“Aymee,” I say as we break through into Engra’s atmosphere. “I don’t think I can land this thing on the palace roof.”
“You mean because of the giant army down there?” Aymee’s leaning forward, staring at something I can’t see.
“What are you looking at?”
“Down there,” Aymee says. “Looks like a battle formation.”
I can’t see it, but I don’t have the night vision that Aymee does. I flip down the visor but it doesn’t help. I still can’t see what she’s seeing.
“No,” I say as the fear rises in my belly. “That’s not why, but it’s another mark against trying it. I just think this thing is too big.”
“Let’s go to the airfield, then,” Aymee says. “Ozker’s there, right?”
“Yes,” I say. “He’s standing by. I flashed him a while ago.”
“We can make our way to the palace after we land. Let me try to get Lasson back on the comm.”
“Good,” I say, heading the transport raft toward the airfield, which is practically my second home. I feel much more comfortable trying out my first-ever landing in a familiar place, a place on the ground and not on top of a building.
“Nothing,” Aymee says. “I don’t even know if his comm is on. I couldn’t leave a message.”
“Tighten your restraints,” I say to Aymee. I’m more aware than ever that I’m responsible for not just her life but for her unborn baby’s. And for Lasson’s. And for my own life. And what would Aeryen do if neither Chlo nor I make it back to the Marinax?
“Chlo,” I say, terrified for my friend. “Where’s transport raft three?” I haven’t seen it once during the flight. Or heard from it.
“Nik,” Aymee says, putting her hand on her belly.
“Joston,” I say. I swallow hard, hold my breath, then let it out.
“Let’s not think about them yet,” Aymee says. “Just land this thing.”
“Ozker,” I say into the comm, my voice a breath only.
“Cleared for landing,” Ozker says. His voice is a hiss.
“Is Joston here?”
“Just you,” Ozker says.
I exhale and so does Aymee.
“Want to give me a couple of tips?” I say to Ozker as I make a wobbly approach.
“Nah, you’re doing just fine,” he says as I set the transport raft down in what is possibly the least elegant touchdown in the history of the airfield.
“Easy,” Ozker says. “Stay focused.”
I remember this part from Ozker’s training manuals. That sometimes a pilot can lose focus after touchdown, thinking it’s over and there’s no more need to pay attention. So I concentrate extra hard.
“Gotcha,” I say.
After we’re settled, we sit in the landing dock for a bit, our helmets off as we catch our breath. Then the lid opens and I see Ozker’s smiling face staring down at us.
“That was something else,” he says. “And here we all thought you and Joston were, uh, doing other things when he was really giving you flying lessons!”
“What do you mean we all thought?”
“The control room,” Ozker says, then looks at Aymee, who he helps out of her seat. “Are you planning to have your baby on Engra?”
“That’s a month away,” she says.
“I’ve got two kids of my own and I’d say your baby is more like an hour away,” he says.
“Nonsense,” I say. “Aymee’s fine.”
“A Chorynean baby born on Engra,” says Ozker. “Should be interesting.”
“Big World,” Aymee says, holding up her left wrist.
“Ah,” Ozker says when he spots her marriage band. “Doesn’t matter, then. You and the baby will be protected.”
“What’s going on at the palace?” I say as we make our way back to the control room. I’d better find out as much as I can before I rush over there to save Lasson Birtak, someone I’ve seen images of, but I’m not totally sure I’d recognize him. And he might not recognize me either.
“I think the rebellion’s finally taking hold,” Ozker says. “And about time too. It’s taken them forever to get any traction.”
“We have to get to the palace,” I say. “Can you lend me your s-car?”
“You have to stay away from the palace,” Ozker says. “Word is there are troops gathered there.”
“They are,” Aymee says. “But our friend is trapped there and we’re the only ones who can rescue him.”
“Damn,” says Ozker. “I can’t leave my post. My shift’s due to start in less than an hour and, well, Niya, you understand.”
I nod. I understand. Even though Ozker’s here as a special favor to me, he has to be here on his regular schedule. Not because of his job—although that’s important—but because he’s responsible for the lives of everyone on all the inbound and outbound traffic tonight.
“Here,” Ozker says, handing me the card for his s-car. “I shouldn’t be encouraging you, but it’s better than arguing with you about it.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I’ll be careful.”
“Just get your friend,” Ozker says. “Think like your pal Joston would and damn the rest.”
Ozker says pal like he means something else entirely, and he and Aymee exchange a conspiratorial glance.
“Let’s go,” I say to Aymee, who’s listening on her comm.
“I’ve got Lasson again! He says he can’t get to the roof—too many guards there. He’s going to try to get out through the delivery entrance.”
Wherever that is, I think. But we’ll find it. We have to. I have to. For my friend Chlo. She just can’t lose her life mate. Not now. Not so soon after they found each other.
As Aymee and I get into Ozker’s nondescript—thank goodness—s-car, even though we’re about to ride into a war zone and even though I have no idea how we’re going to get to Lasson or even where he is, all I can think about is one thing: Joston Lynar.
Because I can’t lose him. Not now. Not so soon after we met.
Taking Ozker’s advice, I think like Joston—Lynar, not Parst—and drive faster than I thought I could. Who knows how much time we have?
And after Aymee loses Lasson on the comm again, I drive faster still.