Page 3 of Blinding Light

Bekn grinned. “Yes. And all you’ll be seeing on this floor.” He patted one of the cushions as they made their way through the rooms. “You're far too innocent to know what goes on up here. Now, come on, I'll show you the rest of this beauty.” He gestured for Cyprian to follow him, and Cyprian bit his lip to prevent his curiosity from spilling.

“First class is right here. Fancy, but notasfancy. Less cushions, more manners.” They walked down the stairs. “And we're back where we started. This is where most passengers will be anyway. Let me show you the canteen.”

By the time Bekn gave him the full tour, passengers were boarding the ship traveling to Helion. “Here.” Cyprian let Bekn pull him into the corner and shove a plastic cup of something in his hand. “Drink.”

He frowned at the dubious substance. “What is it?”

“I take it this is your first time going off Tulniri?” Bekn gave a small smile when Cyprian didn’t answer. “That's what I thought. Drink it. It’s Axe, and it will help you feel better once we’re traveling through the galaxy.”

Cyprian narrowed his gaze at the drink, his mind racing. He didn’t trust the young man who was assigned to teach him the ropes around the spaceship.

He didn’t trust anyone.

But he wasn’t going to tell Bekn that. Besides, he was freaking out a little thinking about the nearing departure.

Just a little.

Putting the cup to his lips, he drank its content down in one, cherry-flavoured gulp, before wiping his lips clean.

Bekn looked smug. “It's good, hey? I made it myself.”

“You make your ownnarcotics?”

Bekn chuckled, nudging him in the waist. “It pays the bills. So, if you ever need more, just come ask. I'm a known figure in the right places. Or if you ever need anything else—” He rolled his eyes at Cyprian’s shocked expression. “Notthat. I leave that to my little fuckboy brother. Although I'm all up for experimenting. Especially when it involves herbal and chemical substances.” He burst out laughing, the sound fading as more and more passengers made their way through the spaceship.

“This ship will depart in ten minutes to Helion.” An automatic announcement resonated through the crowd.

A fresh wave of nausea washed through Cyprian’s stomach, despite the Axe. Hopefully, whatever he just swallowed would take effect soon.

Helion was a planet located close to Tibera in the Crystal Sea, and this would be an eight-hour flight from Tulniri, the planet on which Cyprian had lived his entire life.

Almost.

The metallic voice continued its instructions that resonated through the tiny spots built into the aluminum ceiling and walls of the space shuttle. Even the floors were made of the same cool, silver material that created a concert of clicking sounds as the last passengers rushed to enter the ship and took their designated seats.

This was it. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. All the research of the past years, hours spent hidden in libraries flicking through countless pages that described uneventful experiments, hoping to find out something.

Anything to make him understand who he was.

They named him Cyprian Creighton. Until the age of eight, that had been a given. His name. His family. His home. Until one day, that reality had come crashing down. After that, like a house of cards that got blown away, truth by truth had been peeled off, as if reality had been wanting to hurt him. To punish him.

By the time everything had been stripped, a new reality had been presented. Bare. Cold.

He was a foster child. And those he lived with, those he’d considered his brothers and sisters, were only there because they were in the same situation as him.

Abandoned.

Unwanted.

As if swiping the depressing thoughts from his mind, Cyprian tucked a handful of his black bangs from his face behind his ear and kept his gaze straight ahead, staring quite literally into space. They were about to leave.

Hewas about to leave.

“So, Xander Devers,” Bekn broke the silence. “Spill the beans. You seem a little too young to work permanently for Starsight.” He gave him a curious glance. “You look like someone who's got a plan. I mean, why Helion? What's out there for such a young---”

“I'm twenty,” Cyprian clipped. “So notthatyoung. And why can't I work on the shuttle? They're always looking for new personnel.” That wasn't a lie and probably the main reason why Captain Delaine hadn’t bothered asking him any questions.

“Hmm…” Bekn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “My theory? You were banned from Tulniri. You got into trouble and had to leave on the first shuttle.” His gaze narrowed as he searched Cyprian’s face as if analyzing the lies Cyprian was about to spill. Too bad for Bekn, because he had rehearsed this topic thousands of times in his head.

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