Page 92 of Courting Death & Desire
“Who am I to fight Fate, Lunelle? We signed no contracts, there are no hard feelings on my end. I assume Mirquios told you the truth of our deal? And it’s not the first broken engagement Mother has navigated. This is a good thing, my sister.”
Lunelle sighed. If only it were that simple—that easy to move forward.
“It’s a tad more complex, As.”
“Arcas,” Mirquios muttered. The name sent a lightning bolt through the Tether. “Your mother is determined to marry Lunelle off to him. She does not know anything transpired between us. I didn’t want to erode her trust in you. When the Tether happened, it caught us both off guard. We were so in shock, we didn’t speak for three days.”
So in shock, Lunelle thought,that I nearly considered flinging myself off the cliffs into the Plutonian sea just to escape it.
“Wait,” Astra turned toward the commander. “You said she knows why we’re here. How!” Astra wasn’t asking, she was exclaiming.
A soft grin broke over Lunelle’s pale face. “I know you think I am soft and perfectly groomed by Mother, but I have my secrets. The Plutonian rebels contacted me for a meeting when we arrived. I’d heard rumors of their rise in council sessions… I followed Mirquios to their base.”
“She forced me to bind her to the rebellion. When our palms touched…” Mirquios mirrored Lunelle’s expression. “Between running into one another at The Underground and the Tether, we were both overwhelmed. We decided to deal with it when we returned, but then we were there for so long. We became good friends, but nothing more. For your sake, Astra.”
“No need for details,” Astra insisted, a heat rising to her cheeks. Lunelle sighed, trying not to think of how badly she’d wanted to betray her sister in Pluto.
“Lu made me swear I’d tell you before getting you involved in any rebel activity, but when Lux informed me of your run-in with the Lunarian Novas, I may have skirted that rule.”
Lunelle scoffed. “I also made him promise not to let you into the Rift.”
“That wasn’t my doing,” Mirq laughed. “The commander insisted.”
Astra’s eyebrow curved. “You?”
Luxuros remained silent. Lunelle did not miss the curious glance Mirquios shot toward his second-in-command.
“He wanted you to see the Sun, in case you didn’t get the chance, depending on what happens next.”
Astra’s lips twisted. “Whatdoeshappen next?”
“I’m not sure,” Lunelle admitted. “I was hoping we could figure it out together.”
“I have another question,” Astra announced, drawing both Lunelle and Mirquios’s attention. “When did my prim-and-proper older sister get so interesting?”
Lunelle’s heart lurched, the admiration in her sister’s eyes so undeserved.
“I’ve always admired your spirit and ideas, Sister,” she insisted. “I’m just more willing to play the part than you ever were. I knew someday I’d sit on the throne and be able to enact the changes we hoped for, but patience has never been a virtue of the Fire Queen.”
Astra’s eyes scraped over the shelves of the basement.
“I think I need a second to get my head around all of this.”
“I’d actually like a word with the king, anyway,” Lunelle said, her heart beating faster at the thought of being alone with him, unbound to the honor they’d both previously clung to. “I met with Mother again last night before bed. We need to talk about my trial.”
Mirquios leaned toward Astra. “If you’d like to see the palace, Luxuros can give you a tour. We’ll meet you at the gate in an hour.”
“Of course.” A sadness slipped over Astra’s face.
“My heart broke, Astra. I was ready to conquer the world with you. Never doubt that,” Mirquios assured her.
Astra patted his shoulder lightly, her eyes staying on the commander.
“Do not mourn for me, Mirquios. It seems we’ll be conquering the world alongside one another, anyway. I’ll make sure of it.” She squeezed her sister’s hand, disappearing up the stairs.
Lunelle counted the heavy thuds of the commander’s boots as he followed Astra out of The Dune. A silence fell between them, though she swore she could hear the buzzing of the Tether as if it had sparked to life.
Mirquios did not seem sure what to do with his hands, an air of insecurity she nearly laughed at from such a confident leader.
