{Enki | Cinder’s Shrine}
Anxiety buzzed through Ross, and people’s histories leaked into her.
First kiss.
First sex.
Sports win.
What they ate for breakfast before the battle.
A Monarch 3 tree colony in flames, millions of drones dying. Blistering. Melting—
Ugh, this was awful. Ross would start attending therapy sessions with Korac after this. If Jack was secure with it, of course. Aside from the resilience of sheer appreciation for the half-Aegis, half-Icarean male, Ross was over Korac. Apparently, so was Pehton. Mostly.
Why was Ross standing in Cinder’s shrine, wasting thoughts on this in the middle of an evacuation? Because if she didn’t, she’d freeze everyone while absorbing entire lifetimes. Maybe drinking Rayne’s chain was a bad idea.
Chris called attendance, “Jack. Karter. Para. Devis. Andrius. And Ross.”
“Here.”
For about twenty minutes, their team brought some order to the remnants of the Vast Collective’s forces and led them through Sagan’s conduits to Ishkur. The curtains of energy separating these spaces from the Seam had flared when she drank Rayne’s chain, but now they were diminishing.
Ross and Jack volunteered for the Mon3 troops. Considering the wide variety of drone warfare memories, maybe Ross should’ve gone with Yun’s army. Nevertheless, the last of them trickled through, and now the team reassembled for their own evacuation—
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Harder, toy. I’m so close.”
Ross’ knees buckled and her stomach lurched with the need to vomit—And it wasn’t her need to do so. She tried—oh, Elden did she try—but she couldn’t help glancing at Chris, who flocked to her side as soon as she went down.
Something must’ve shown on Ross’ face because Chris recoiled.
Karter caught on, saying, “It’s okay. We know you didn’t mean to Ross. Devis, can you help her?”
Ross was gasping from the reverberation of Chris’ worst memories and desperately wanted some kind of help.
Para encouraged, “Deep breaths.”
Andrius offered, “I can suggest her to sleep.”
Jack looked both pained and kind as he consoled Ross. “We’ll get you to Ishkur first. Razor said we didn’t have time.”
Devis reached a hand out for Ross to clasp. “Hold on to me. We’ll try some meditation that helps me, but Jack is right. It’s time to go.”
The lights flickered in the shrine, and everything got much lighter. As in no more gravity lighter.
Floating.
They were floating.
This both did and didn’t help with the anxiety. On the one hand, zero gravity was fun. On the other hand, the shrine was failing.
Chris recovered and started swimming toward the nearest conduit. “We’re out of time. Evac, now!”
Andrius and Devis imitated him.
Karter clutched Chris against her, using her wings to fly them in front of the conduit.
Para followed, calling back, “You got your girl, Callahan?”
On Ross’ nod, Jack gingerly wrapped his arms around her—
“Jack, I’m worried about those guys I saw you with yesterday.”
Jack stood in Rayne’s shadow. Even though she was shorter than him, she had this presence which loomed. Could she see through him to the drug deals, the gambling, and the lie about being a virgin? Would she judge him—Was she standing in judgment of him now?
Angered by his own shame, Jack snapped, “Mind your own business, big sis. It’s best you leave me alone.”
“Are you threatening me?” When someone says that, they usually sound mad. Rayne didn’t sound mad. There was disappointment in her eyes. When Jack didn’t respond, she backed off, saying, “If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you, lil bro.”
Fueled by stupid teenage hormones and an entitled sense of rightness, Jack shouted, “I wish I was an only child!”
Saddened, Rayne said, “One day you might get your wish.”
“Oh, Jack,” was Ross’ last thought before Andrius suggested her to sleep.