Page 47 of Revenge of the Forgotten

Every loss stacked upon them was because she couldn’t defeat a sister she had almost no memories of. Every loss came back to Vega not being enough.

Not strong enough.

Not smart enough.

Not enough.

She didn’t need her memories to know that she had never succeeded at anything that mattered.

18

Vega devoured her first plate of fish and was offered a second. The pungent flavor was an afterthought to the rumbling in her stomach once she realized how starved she felt.

The only thing on Vega’s mind was finishing the second plate of food until the door opened and Arlet walked in.

Vega’s eyes fell to her outfit, which seemed to be a take on the training suits Vega saw the others in. The deep black contrasted against her golden skin. Arlet looked lethal—she was back where she belonged.

So far, it seemed like everyone was always dressed for battle in Castra—besides Khort, who she’d learned was working on the machine that kept their drinking water clear of salt, which would explain the oil stain.

Vega jumped from her seat and met Arlet halfway to wrap her in a hug that made the chill in Vega’s bones melt away. “How? How did you get us here?” Vega breathed in, the smell of Arlet that of a summer’s day. Sweet, warm, a scent of happiness.

Vega pulled back from their hug, eager to hear all about what happened. She had no idea what she’d done in any of her lives to deserve a friend like her.

Khort had taken Vega into a private room to eat, saving her from the prying eyes of the people of Castra. He promised it wouldn’t always be like this, that people would get used to seeing her around again soon.

The large room was filled with more screens than a sports bar, and though there were still people in here, they were too preoccupied with their jobs to sit and stare for long.

This was the headquarters of Castra—where they kept an eye on the happenings of Tolevarre through hacked cameras, and only those with enough clearance were allowed inside.

Arlet looked over her shoulder, catching the gazes of a few people who looked away when they were caught staring at the pair’s reunion.

“You done eating?” Arlet asked.

Vega hadn’t finished her second helping, but the urgency in Arlet’s tone made the last few bites on the plate seem insipid. “I am now.”

“Let’s go for a walk.” Arlet motioned for the door.

She turned to see if Khort would be joining them, happy to see he was already striding over to her and Arlet. Even without her memories, the pull she felt towards Khort was strong.

Having the two of them close made whatever anxieties she felt about the unknown of her future settle. In this life she’d only known Khort for a couple hours, but it felt like a lifetime.

He felt like home.

And Arlet had proven herself as such long before Vega realized it.

Maybe home wasn’t a place after all.

Vega followed Arlet through the winding halls, her ears popping as they descended further into the depths of Castra.

Vega hugged herself, the chill back in her bones. Khort grabbed her shoulders, squeezing lightly to remind her that he was right behind her.

Just like her hug with Arlet, Khort’s touch sent tendrils of warmth through her body.

They arrived at a room shaped like a dome—glass walls rounding the ceiling in a way that made Vega feel like she was in a large reverse-fishbowl. Seats started at the bottom level and extended up against a thick glass wall like a large college lecture hall. A whiteboard on the opposite side of the room was clean, save for a small map of Tolevarre hanging to the right. Looking beyond the glass revived every fear Vega had about what the bottom of the ocean looked like and what monsters might be lurking in the depths.

Vega ogled for a few more moments, forcing herself to let go of the fears that would do her no good. “Why the secrecy?”

Khort and Arlet leaned against a long desk at the front of the room. Vega bit her lip, nibbling at the skin in anticipation.

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