Page 65 of The Queen

It was time to go.

The Imperatrix’s ship was an aurinium behemoth. All flash but also substance. Fast, well armed, big enough for a full crew, housing for dignitaries, a company of soldiers, and a shuttle bay that could fit a pair of military starfighters with a little effort.

When it pulled out of the hangar into the clearing, dappled sun sparked like embers along its sleek golden exterior. It gave a wobble, then lifted clear of the treeline. Gradually, it made its way across the wide valley. We held our breaths, waiting for the vanguard to make its move.

It felt like a long time. So long, I started to doubt that they were coming at all, when out of the clouds a company of black and gold ships burst through the white cover in pursuit. The Imperatrix’s engines glowed and the next second, they were gone. Ripping across the sky, trailing the sleek starfighters behind them.

The plan worked.

Early this morning, Fenix and Arkyn had boarded our stolen ship in secret. We joined them later, ensuring there were witnesses to our arrival, and then snuck off when the hangar was clear. Albion and the rest of Fenix’s team covered our tracks on the camera feeds.

If we’d been overly cautious, and the Imperatrix’s forces were not sent here for us, Fenix and Arkyn would’ve gone straight to Pyraxis to find Lyrah. But, We’d been right. She’d sent a company after us. Which meant that the two alphas would lead her fighters on a merry chase around the system, picking them off before eventually sneaking away to the mining colony to get Lyrah. Whatever happened, my friend was coming home.

My mates and I, on the other hand, were mounted on a handful of horses that were kept in the underground city and were moving quickly through the trees, watching the drama unfold above us. The horses would cover our heat signatures if anyone was looking and could travel faster than we could on foot. We couldn’t risk taking a ship or shuttle. Those would have been too easy to pick out in the forest.

When Lex had given me a leg up onto the stocky bay gelding, it reminded me of when we were children. He’d sometimes help me up on my first pony. She was a sweet little mare that Titus had gifted me for my fifth birthday. As soon as I landed in the saddle, all those fond memories fluttered to life. I couldn’t imagine that man conspiring with an enemy empire to kill my family. But did I really know him anymore?

Undergrowth crunched beneath the hooves of our mounts, and moisture dripped from the canopy. As we moved closer to the coast, fingers of fog reached out to blanket us.

“Do you really think there’s a chance we’ll find something in the ruins?” I asked no one in particular.

Leather creaked as the men shifted in their saddles.

Ghost twisted to look at me over his shoulder. “There’s no way to know until we get there, but I know the shield condenser is there. So now we gotta try. Even if that’s all it is.”

I worried my lower lip between my teeth. The shield was the most important part right now. I hoped the data pad from my memory was still there, too. It felt too important not to look for.

Lex’s hand shot up, signaling a halt. My heart sped, and my horse danced sideways. I murmured soft reassurances until he quieted. The other fidgeted at the unexpected stop.

Sounds were warped and muffled through the fog, but in the distance, I heard it. The whistle of a fast approaching starfighter. It didn’t take long for a low-flying ship to buzz the treetops. Looking for us? Looking for our decoy? It was hard to know, but I hoped they’d follow the others on the wild goose chase we’d arranged.

I breathed out a sigh once the noise of the engine faded into the distance, and we were moving again. The tree cover lessened and meadows sprung up. The sun peeked through the overcast clouds, burning them away as the day went on. Through gaps in the canopy, the land opened up below us in a sweeping expanse of gold and green.

We hugged the edges of fields and open spaces, keeping out of sight, but the sky was empty of ships. Ever intensifying cascades of rainbows flickered through the blue, showing the vitality of the planetary shield breathing its way back to life. It would need more than its natural presence to keep out an armada of ships, but if its strength was returning, the condenser could mold it into the protection we needed.

Night fell. The firmament was alight with dancing colors and the air was filled with the bite of salty sea. We were only a few hours from our destination.

At dawn we’d know if we’d come this far for nothing or for everything.

Chapter Forty-Three

Saphyra

“Do you recognize this place?” Lex asked as he pulled the saddle from his horse.

I looked around, studying the details. Shadows stretched between the oak trees and across a shallow creek. A bank of damp fog crept over the tops of the rolling hills and down into the hollows.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

It felt familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember why. Some internal compass told me there was a vast ocean beyond rocky headlands, hours from here. It might have been a memory, but it was more like I could feel the surge of waves against the shore, rather than knowing the exact location. The old capital was closer, but in a different direction. I remembered the mellow stone castle sitting beside a river surrounded by farmlands where the cliffs tapered off at the mouth of a sheltered bay.

Our horses settled near the stream to graze on a sparse patch of grass while we scouted the campsite. My other mates had gone off hunting for dinner. It was just Lex and me in the golden light of sunset and shadows.

He took my hand. “When we were young, our parents would bring us here. I didn’t know if you’d remember. It’s a good place to stay the night.”

With my fingers tucked in his, he guided me across the rocky brook and up the opposite bank. Sheltered under the overhanging oaks were stone terraces catching water in natural depressions. Steam rose from their still surfaces, and the overflow trickled down to the creek below.

“Wait.” I stopped, staring at the tiered pools, and turned to look over the scenery. “I remember this.”

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