{Enki}

In one of Enki’s glass-tech infirmaries, Para fell asleep leaning on Chris’ side. Her chain mingled with his. They shared in the exhaustion. Let her rest. Three days, they told him. He waited at Karter’s bedside for three days already. No sleep. No food. The idea of eating turned his stomach. The thought of closing his eyes longer than a blink terrified him. For what if in that one blink, her last breath left her and he wasn’t there for her?

No.

Chris straightened in his seat and squared his shoulders. Moistened his eyeballs. The small woman next to him trusted Chris not to leave Karter to die alone. And be damned if he wouldn’t keep her faith.

A resurrection casket. That’s what they called the thing they laid Karter in. The glass box emanated a soft red glow. It resembled a more-technical, less-decorative Martyr Complex. It knit her bones together using her own bio-organic materials fused with synthetic fibers crafted of nacre glass. Engineered specially by the Tritan scientists. They told him many times how they “eagerly looked forward to testing it on an Icarean specimen of such worth.”

He shivered. No. The place wasn’t cold, and in her mourning, Para transformed into a tiny furnace. The Valkyrie’s body produced more heat than Li. And the poor girl tried to climb in his pants three times since she sat down and started waiting with him. With Karter laid out in reconstruction, Chris couldn’t find it in him to comfort Para as needed.

He liked her. He did. But Karter was the glue that held their trio together.

Wow. Whoever thought it’d come to this. But his heart hurt. His lungs ached. Could breath bruise? Because that’s how he felt with every inhale.

Karter’s face would haunt him forever. He’d seen some shit overseas. Some shit working hospitals. Some more during Volcano Day. But… he never imagined seeing the woman he loved pulverized. Reduced to so much meat. Not without expecting to put her in the ground the day after. Waiting to see if she pulled through—in a Dyson’s Sphere—yea, that definitely never occurred to him. With all the crumbling, she still found time to use her chain.

The red glow on the casket softened and cooled into a blue light. Dare he hope? Chris let one hand hover over Para, to wake her in case this was it. In case—

A weak thud. Then another one. Stronger. “Para. Para, I think…” He shook her gently, not willing to risk death at the hands of a sleeping Valkyrie.

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She sat upright and stared at the vessel. Another thud pounded. They stood together and warily approached the casket. Through the glass top, Karter stared up at them with green and black eyes groggy from anesthesia. When Chris met her gaze, she stopped pounding and relaxed.

He explained, “You’re in Enki. Tumu and Tameka brought you for recovery. Para’s here.” Letting them take a moment together, he sucked in all his emotions when they broke down as the Valkyrie locked gazes. Let them have this moment.

After a few seconds of sniffling and sobbing, he continued, “You had a nacre infusion and reconstructive surgery. I’ll find a technician and see if you can get out.”

Karter nodded. With her beautiful face intact. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he choked them back to find the nearest tech. Two seconds, and a little rough handling later, a Tritan re-prioritized his to do list to open the casket. Good for him.

Chris took the slender fingers that reached for him. Para took her other hand. Karter’s dark gray skin glistened, unnaturally. She caught him looking and frowned at his concern. He kissed her hand. “Trying to catch myself from admiring you too much. You look amazing.”

Para let out a sniffly laugh. “You’re glowing—”

Karter’s face fell. The color drained from her skin. Her eyes went wide and searched them over frantically. Gripping their hands, she lurched them closer and whispered, “The bomb. It wasn’t meant for Jack or Tameka. It was meant for me.”

“What? How could you know? Calm down, they monitor your vitals.” Chris tried his best to mitigate the distress without delegitimizing her concerns.

Para looked less concerned. Hell, she looked placid. “Do you really believe that? It’s been so long—”

“I know. And I know who did it.” Karter was dead certain.

“Then it’s time you told us, Sparkles,” Tumu slipped through the doorway. He turned the lights off and disconnected all the monitors. Holding a finger to his lips, he leaned in with the rest of them. “Tell us about Thailea. Quietly.”

In pitch darkness, Karter sucked in a shaky breath and told a story too insane to believe. Calmly. Rationally. And the proud Valkyrie shared it as if she didn’t expect them to believe her. As if, her entire long life, people tried to convince her she was crazy. It broke Chris’ heart.

Tumu glanced at the smaller woman beside him.

Karter shook her head. “Para was out for three days. She never saw him.”

Chris gripped her hand. “I believe you.” The relief and surprise on her face choked him from further reassurance.

Para also nodded. “I never doubted you. You made sure we both survived the rings. I’ll never understand why Umbra and Amolot insisted…” She also choked.

“Because they knew the truth. I think I know what became of your baby, Sparkles. But I need you to trust me. It’s better you don’t know for now. Give me time to confirm my theory first, and I’ll tell you everything.”

The Valkyrie winced as she drew herself closer to him. “Vow on Elden. Vow on Cinder and Li. Don’t you let me go one more day than necessary living with this persecution and loss.”

Chris squeezed her hand while staring at Tumu. Para chafed her lover’s arm but refused to look up. She’d lived it with Karter. The smaller Valkyrie was probably the only person who came close to understanding her pain.

The Officer of the Third pounded a fist to his nacre. “On Elden, on Cinder, and on Li—I will discover what happened to your youngling.”

Hot. Damn.