Page 69 of Only Cold Depths
The dome was even more crowded than before, and I didn’t run so much as I shoved people out of my way, threading through the throngs of Erztonians who were talking, laughing, drinking, and dancing as though they didn’t have a care in the galaxy.
“Hey!”
“Watch where you’re going!”
“So rude!”
Annoyed shouts rose in my wake, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting to Vesper before Zane . . . did whatever he had come here to do. Given how mercurial Zane was, that could be anything from mocking Vesper, to demanding she leave his family alone, to gifting her a bottle of the Galactic Suds for Studs shampoo he was currently hawking on the gossipcasts. But given the fact that Zane had been publicly vowing to bring us to Imperium justice for weeks, I was betting he was here to capture Vesper—or worse.
I finally broke free of the crowd. I picked up my pace, still following the vibrating ribbon of Vesper in my mind. I ran right past a couple of Hammers. The warriors gripped their weapons and stared at me with open suspicion, but they didn’t follow me, probably because I was heading away from the guests.
I burst out of the back of the open dome and plunged into a large garden filled with those topiary trees and hedges the Colliers loved so much. I took the first path I came to, winding my way deeper and deeper into the shadowy landscape.
“Vesper!” I yelled. “Vesper!”
“Over here!”
I quickened my pace and rounded a bend. The trees and hedges fell away, revealing Vesper standing in an open space, a single peony clutched in her hand. My frantic heart slowed down a few beats. Perhaps Zane hadn’t found her yet—
“No! Kyr! Wait!” Vesper threw her hand up in warning.
I skidded to a halt . . . and a fist erupted out of the darkness and slammed into my face.
My nose broke with a loudcrunch. Pain exploded in my jaw and radiated out through my skull, and a warm gush of blood dripped over my lips and streaked down my chin. I staggered back, trying to blink the flashing white stars out of my eyes.
Fuck, that hurt.
I blinked a few more times, and a man came into view. Blond hair, tan skin, ice-blue eyes, insufferable smirk.
“By the stars, that was satisfying!” Zane crowed.
I growled, stretched out my arms, and lunged toward him, but he spun to the side and skipped away.
Zane spun back around, that smug smirk still on his face. “Aw, Kyr, let’s not fight. I would hate to get your blood all over my spiffy new tailcoat. Fergus, the House Zimmer tailor, worked extra hard on it, making sure it conformed to Erzton standards. It’s a thing of beauty, don’t you think?”
He planted his feet and held his arms out wide as though he was preening for the gossipcast cameras.
“I don’t care about your tailcoat,” I snarled. “I’m going to rip you apart with my bare hands.”
I moved forward, putting myself between Vesper and Zane. I also scanned the garden, expecting to see a squad of Arrows converging on this position, but no other warriors appeared. Had Zane come here alone? And why had he only punched me instead of slicing my guts open with his stormsword?
Zane looked over at Vesper. “I told you he wouldn’t listen to reason. That he wouldn’t believe I came here in peace. You’ve shackled yourself to quite the monstrous beast, little sister.”
Vesper stepped up beside me. The peony slipped through her fingers and fluttered to the ground. “Do notcall me that.”
Footsteps smacked on the tiles, and another voice rang through the air. “What in all the moons is going on?” Lord Aldrich demanded, striding into the garden.
Asterin hurried in after him, along with Leland, Siya, and Rigel. Verona followed them at a more sedate pace, as if she already knew exactly what was happening and wasn’t overly concerned about it.
Wendell and Beatrice also hurried into the garden and stopped beside Zane, who kept right on smirking at me. My hands clenched into fists, and my nose throbbed in time to my pounding heart.
Lord Aldrich glanced at me, Vesper, and the Zimmers all in turn. “What is going on here? Why are these people here?”
“I invited them,” Lady Verona said, coming to stand beside her husband.
Asterin gaped at her mother. “Youinvitedthe Zimmers here? After everything that happened at the summer solstice ball? You practically ordered me to return to Sygnustern because Corios was no longer safe from the Techwave!”
Verona gave a delicate shrug. “And I stand by my assessment. The Techwave has already launched an attack on Corios. It won’t be long before they do so again. But Lady Beatrice made several convincing arguments about why House Collier should continue to explore an alliance with House Zimmer.”
