They’ll have a world all to themselves. One without the strife of our own. Without the history and waste. And they can make it beautiful and better than our own.

C. 1 hour from the forging of the Remnant

As Koruuksi went over to help Uuchantuu, Estingai committed the names he'd given her to memory. She would ask for them later.

Though she wanted to go back and talk with Koruuksi and Uuchantuu, Estingai turned back toward the cavern mouth and headed off at a trot. Meeting with Paiz and the others could wait, despite what she'd said, but Estingai needed to know if that was really Nevisi she'd seen among the people milling about the hangar between the dais and the new ships.

What in darkness is she doing here?

Estingai realized she'd clenched her fists and jaw, and had to forcibly loosen them.

Don't get emotional. You need to think around her.

That was much easier said than done. Estingai knew it must be Nevisi, but why? Why now?

Estingai pushed through the crowd still melting back into the tunnels, ignoring the murmurs and a few glances that ranged from awestruck to bemused. For a moment, as she came to one of the intersections, Estingai thought she'd lost the woman.

“Auroras,” she swore, slowing her pace as she walked a ways down one of the emptier tunnels.

Something hooked around her waist.

Estingai gasped only for something to cover her mouth, muffling the sound. She was yanked off her feet, but brightened her greynodes, allowing her a quick recovery when the darklight hook—that's what had grabbed her—released her within a shadowed alcove.

Estingai struck with lightning speed at her captor, then grunted as an arm like a steel bar forced her back into the stone wall.

"Quiet,” Nevisi said, voice calm, quiet, expression unreadable. "And don't try to hit me again."

Estingai took a few deep breaths. She tried to force herself to relax.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

It didn't work.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Estingai hissed, even as she found her heart racing. She couldn’t keep from staring at Nevisi—her eyes, her lips, her figure…

Starless nights… I forgot about that part.

She kept her voice down, at least. "Where were you when Svemakuu and the others died? When Matsanga disappeared? We needed you, and you abandoned us."

The woman hadn’t exactly been there for Estingai before all of that, even when they’d lived on the same floating fortress, and they didn’t like each other, but Estingai had thought the woman owed a Knight some help, at least.

Nevisi's face didn't change. "I had more important things to worry about."

Estingai's eyes bulged, nostrils flaring. Her blood boiled, overwhelming the strange attraction for a moment.

Nevisi frowned, then sighed.

"I'm sorry."

The words sounded forced, but they shocked Estingai's anger from her. Unfortunately, that made the pull return, and Estingai found herself staring again.

"You know I'm not good at—at dealing with people,” Nevisi said, sounding almost annoyed. "And you're not the only one under a lot of stress. I didn't mean to diminish the importance of your loss or this Remnant you've formed. Svemakuu was one of the few people I've known that I actually respected."

That hit Estingai harder than she's thought it would. Her heart suddenly felt made of lead, knees weak.

"I didn't get involved here for the same reasons I usually keep out of things if I can," Nevisi continued.

Estingai resisted frowning at that. Once, Estingai had thought of Nevisi's convergence theory as a bunch of bullshit to excuse her inaction. No different than the excuses of those wealthy who had refused to help Estingai and those like her when she'd lived on the streets, eating whatever scraps she could find. But then Matsanga had agreed with her, and considering the way things had escalated during the war…

Estingai shook the thought from her head.

Nevisi must have interpreted that the wrong way because she sighed and started to turn away. "Forget it."

"Wait."

Nevisi turned around and eyed her.

Estingai sighed.

"If you're apologizing—something I'm pretty sure hasn't happened in the last thousand years—it must be bad."

Nevisi glared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath. "She's weak. She's in danger, and she needs you."

Estingai narrowed her gaze, "Who—" She cut off, eyes wide. "Oh."

Nevisi nodded. "Can I trust you?"

Estingai frowned. “I’ve never given you a reason not to. You, on the other hand…”

Nevisi's eyes hardened, then she sighed. "I don’t mean it that way."

"Then what do you mean?”

Nevisi wet her lips—Estingai’s cheeks grew hot at what that did to her—then glanced toward the hall.

"I need to know if I can trust you to get them out of here. To be the person Kojatere, Matsanga, and I, and even Suulehep tried to be, but couldn’t."

Estingai swallowed, her stomach a pit of swirling emotions.

She'd promised to do exactly that minutes ago, but Nevisi had just raised the stakes. With just a few words, Estingai found herself far, far out of her depth.

Yet she straightened, steeling herself, and met Nevisi's gaze. "What exactly do you need me to do?”