Calibrated.

Optimized.

Stabilizing…

Unable to stabilize.

Warning: Seventy hours and forty-five minutes until maximum destabilization.

Rayne apologized to her friends for disappearing, yesterday. Still, they kept their distance. Even Sagan. The fear in their eyes stung when Rayne caught their gaze. She didn’t blame them and respected their boundaries. No matter how lonely it left her.

Maybe that’s why she imagined Nox spying on her at Xelan’s home. Despair carved a hole in her heart and found the history there inviting. So lost was she that the familiar craving for the monster’s company resurfaced. Haunted by desire. Rayne shuddered. Although the shifts in his heart rate matched her actions, surely it was coincidental timing with a tryst or some similar activity. If Nox really saw her there, he’d storm the stronghold by now.

“Rayne?” Tumu called her back to the gym in Iona-29.

The General shook her head and returned to the work at hand. Negotiating aid from the Vast Collective. Funny how her thoughts strayed even in the center of hundreds of people. Dolor, Tempest, Lucas, and Andrew represented The Brethren on her side. Shadow, Pride, and Ambush teams fanned in a semi-circle behind her with Tameka on her left and Sagan on her right.

Tumu stood in the center with Rayne. Pehton and three other Lyriks flanked him. The unofficial Vast Collective, those planets seeded by Enki, comprised Twelve Worlds including Earth and Cinder. Seven races yet identified filled the gym from there. One was missing. Thailea.

A man approached Rayne first. About her height, he stood on long thin, stretched legs meeting a triangular-shaped torso with thin arms to match. He measured her with filmy, gray eyes that rolled freely in his sockets. The three holes on either side of his face acted as his nose. Or so she guessed because they flared as he inhaled her scent. The three wires sprouting from his head might be antennae or hair. She wasn’t sure. No mouth.

When he “spoke,” his voice echoed inside her head. “I am Legir of Yu. We are not a warrior race, but we can offer advanced healing technology on the battlefield for any in need of aid.”

Thank goodness for nacre translation tech.

Tumu looked at her. Rayne asked, “What are you asking in return?”

“That you gut the King of Cinder slowly and with precision. He killed thirteen of my sons in conquest over the last five million years. I have none left.”

She swallowed hard and offered a grim nod. “I’ll send him your regards.”

The rest followed in much the same vein. It seemed the entire Collective tired of Nox’s brutality. Until Pehton. The Warden of Gait smiled as she approached. “I can guarantee you won’t like my request, but it is necessary.”

Tumu started, “Now, Pehton, we discussed this—”

“What are your terms?” Rayne didn’t have time for this.

The beautiful alien produced a small capsule resembling the one from Celindria’s memories. Rayne glanced over her shoulder at Kyle, who nodded with rapt attention.

Pehton explained, “This is a device that stores your pain.” Rayne narrowed her eyes as the Lyrik continued, “I ask for your contribution.”

“You want… my pain?”

“Over the last four months, yes.” Before Tumu interrupted, she held out a placating hand. “It doesn’t hurt you. You won’t lose any memories. It’s currency on Gait.”

Tumu’s lips tightened into a thin line as he peeked over at Rayne.

She clenched her fists, trying to grasp this. The words choked her before she swallowed through it. “People pay to experience pain?”

“The more agonizing, the better.”

Rayne looked away. Wretched.

Sagan whispered to Rayne, “You don’t have to do this.”

Tameka offered, “Yea. Just walk away. We don’t need them.”

Tumu muttered to Pehton, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Razor drives a hard bargain, Tumu, I have to—”

Rayne cut in, “Did you say Razor?” She glared at Tumu. Somehow this involved—

“You won’t survive without the wardens from Gait,” Pehton laid it all out.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

While glaring at Tumu, the General offered her arm. “It’s blood, right? It’s always blood.”

“That’s right. Hold still.” She pressed the capsule onto the back of Rayne’s hand and pricked a little blood on it. “Perfect.” She held the vial up and stared at it. “I think Razor will be pleased.”

Rayne balled another fist. She wished more than anything for a comforting gesture. A squeeze of her hand. A scratch on her back. Anything.

No tears allowed for the General. She straightened again, and Pehton returned to her place behind Tumu, who seethed at her.

Close enough to touch, Sagan whispered in Rayne’s ear, “I’ll cut them all down right now. Just say the word.”

It wasn’t physical contact, but it sure was comforting. Rayne spared her a smile. She mouthed, “We. Got. This.”

Tameka muttered, “Damn straight.”

“Thank you, people of the Vast Collective for your aid. We only hope to fulfill your terms as negotiated.” Rayne glared in Pehton’s direction. “I will kill Nox and liberate the Icari of Cinder. We will dawn light to this hellish night.” She flashed her eyes and fought not to grin when Pehton and Tumu took a step back. “I will see it done, personally.” She turned back to her people.

Kyle placed a fist to his chest first with a smile on his face. Andrew followed. Tameka and Sagan next. It spread in a wave behind her. The Brethren. Caedes beside John. Lynn and Pablo. Six and Cypher. Bones last.

Well, not exactly last. A ghost stood on the highest wall of the obstacle course. Beaming didn’t cut it. Xelan glowed like her. Bright and proud. He placed his fist to his nacre and grinned at her.

Her family.

General Callahan beamed with pride despite the ache in her chest. “In three days’ time…” She pounded her fist onto her nacre. “We end this!”

The Collective representatives startled when her entire family grunted in acknowledgment. Rayne smirked. “In the meantime, please make yourselves at home.”

The group dispersed. Their Sovereign Ambassador and Pablo offered to give Legir a tour of the facilities. Sagan hung out with Lynn and Pehton. Andrew and Lucas snuck off somewhere while everyone else pretended not to notice. Good for them. Caedes and John took up a game of basketball. Kyle sat alone on the bleachers.

Rayne walked over to him. “It’ll take some time.”

He peered up at her and shared, “I don’t expect them to talk to me again, let alone trust me.”

“It’s not easy since it’s tangled up with so much that happened—”

“Rayne, can I please speak with you alone?” The sound of Tumu’s voice set her on edge.

“I’m a little busy, Tumu.”

“It’s about Enki’s terms.”

Stilted, haltingly, she turned to him. “What. Did. You. Just. Say?”

Kyle gaped around her at him and snarled, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Tumu’s deep voice wavered a bit, “No. I’m not. Let’s talk about it in private.” He shot Kyle a confused look. Almost as if he couldn’t fathom why the Progeny male was even there.

Rayne locked them in one of the staff offices and jumped down his throat, “What the fuck, Tumu?”

“They want Nox alive.”

She laughed in his face. “You can’t be serious.”

Gravely, he assured her, “They are quite serious.”

As she scoffed some more, he held out a vial filled with purple liquid. Her gaze narrowed at the familiar canister.

“Officially, you are not permitted to kill Nox. Administer this to him. It will render him all but brain dead. This way you can bring him in alive.”

“This is insane. You cared about Xelan. I know you did. How can you allow his murderer—”

“Unofficially, I will say that should you lose control of your abilities and Nox succumb to damage sustained during the fight, I will testify in support of you before the Tribunal.” Tumu stared into her eyes longer than he ever looked at her before today. “Suffering is encouraged.”

A most welcome whistle interrupted the tense moment.

The smile spread so wide across Rayne’s face it hurt as she whispered, “Hope.”

Tumu called after her as she ran faster than he could see, “That is definitely a Xelan name.”

It sure was. Tameka did good.

Outside in the sunlight, Rayne grinned at the sight. The train with its gray, black, and white cars pulled along the tracks. “Iron Hope” was freshly spray-painted across the locomotive. Grief hurt in strange ways. It tugged at Rayne’s heart in a beautiful pain that both reminded her of her favorite Icarus’ smile and his absence.

A sharp gasp from behind made her turn. Tameka’s sad smile let Rayne know they shared in the same sweet sorrow. They nodded to one another as the others poured out of the installation. The train arrived with some friends. Buses, cars, RVs, and, not far behind, another train bearing passenger cars sounded a horn. Hundreds—no—thousands of people hauled into Iona’s front drive.

Colton stepped off the train. “General Callahan, we bring reinforcements and the arsenal to arm them.”

The crowd cheered.

Smith hopped off the forge car and smiled at her.

Rayne wanted to share in their happiness, but Frullop’s betrayal still stung. And although CoN suffered a substantial amount of casualties in the last week, they still proved formidable in their infiltration skills.

Sagan popped up behind her as if sensing her unease. “Are we thinking the same thing?”

“Trust issues?”

“I might have a solution to our problem.” She turned and gazed into the crowd.

Rayne followed her sight to Andrew standing beside Kyle. Understanding, she muttered, “You have your mission, Lt. General.”

Sagan looked Rayne up and down with a sly smirk. “Sir. Yes, sir.”

Was that watermelon?

The blond woman broke away to enlist the boys into her mission. They possessed such amazing abilities, and now the Shadow Progeny could test the intentions and memories of people volunteering for their fighting force. “Perfect.”

“Did you say something, General?” Smith asked.

Rayne stared at the man, almost one hundred percent certain of his crime. Unsure how she felt about it, she listened to his heartbeat as she said, “Anthrax guy.”

Fuck. Heart rate from 55BPM to 120BPM. She shook her head and tried to look anywhere but at him.

His voice carried a weight to it as he said, “I was following orders. Wingmaster understood that.”

“You killed people.”

“So have you, and you’re not done yet, are you? We’re not done.”

She met his eyes again, hopeful. “Were they bad people, at least?”

Smith shrugged. “That’s subjective. But…” He glanced at the crowd of recruits stretching their legs after the long haul. “I don’t think Wingmaster would risk the lives of people he cared about to someone he considered a cold-blooded murderer.”

The truth in his words stilled her nerves. Xelan was methodical in his recruitment of the hand-picked hires in the Iona facilities. They all presented with a murky history in the military and various other security agencies. He understood gray areas existed, and some people deserved second chances.

When Rayne next looked at the man who worked by their side for months with respect and kindness, she made sure the acceptance showed on her face. “Let’s make him proud, Smith. I wanna see what you’ve done with our forge.”

He beamed and stood at attention. “Sir.”

“But first, I gotta make an announcement.”