Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1)(36)

“Ease off, Legionnaire,” I warn.

“De’sai!” he hisses, looking between me and Scar. “De’sai si alamm tiir’na!”

My jaw clenches as I recognize a few words. “Did he just say what I …”

“Shame,” Gilwraeth translates, trembling with anger. “Shame to your father’s house.”

And that’s it. The final straw. Losing my spot in the Draft. This nowhere mission. This nowhere squad. Being lied to by Command and the look in Auri’s eyes as they led her away and now this pixieboy sucker puncher talking about my dad.

That’s the spark that starts the inferno.

He blocks my first punch—turns out he’s way faster than me. But I lock him up and hook his leg and we go down in a tumble where his speed will count for less, and Maker help me, when my second punch splits his lip I find my own curling in a smile. All the frustration of the last couple of days boils up inside me as we wrestle and spit, as Cat shouts at me to stop, as Fin offers a small round of applause, as Zila begins typing into her uniglass as if bored to death. Kal’s fingers close around my throat, I reach for his— Cold water hits us, crashing over the back of my head. I sputter and gasp, pulling Kal’s hands away from my neck. Looking up, I see Scarlett standing over us, emptying the upturned water cooler tank onto our heads. She shakes the last few drops onto us for emphasis before tossing the tank aside.

“Grow up,” she says. “Sir.”

My sister marches back to the bench, sits down with her legs crossed and her arms folded. Finian speaks into the quiet, one eyebrow raised.

“They teach you that in diplomacy class?”

“I improvised.” Scarlett glowers.

Cat offers me her hand and I take it, standing with a grunt. Water puddles about my feet, soaking hair hanging in my eyes. My Ace looks up at me with a wry grin, shaking her head. Kal seems to glide back upright behind me, his uniform sodden, his eyes still full of fury, purple blood on his lip. He’d probably tear me to pieces now that I don’t have the element of surprise, and I wonder if he’s prepping for round two, when our uniglasses all ping simultaneously.

I look down at the device on my belt. A single line of text glows on the display.

Incoming message, squad chat. Sender: Zila M, Science Officer.

Scar and the rest of us tap our screens to open the message.

Zila M: I am assuming the TDF have not yet cracked our squad network’s encryption. They will certainly be trying to now. We should speak quickly.

Cat looks at Zila like she’s completely sideways.

“Um, something wrong with your tongue?”

Madran types some more, and moments later, my uniglass pings again.

Zila M: This room is doubtlessly under visual and audio surveillance. Speaking openly will only prompt them to murder us sooner. We must get out of this cell and rescue Aurora from her detainment. Or we are all going to die.

I frown, opening my mouth to speak. But Zila shakes her head in warning, setting her big, gold hoop earrings jangling, and something in her eyes sets me typing instead.

Tyler J: What in the Maker’s name are you talking about?

Zila M: I estimate we have only a few moments before the TDF arrive to take you away for “debriefing,” sir. At the end of your interrogation, you will be killed. And one by one, they will then interrogate and kill the rest of us.

Fin types quickly, eyes on Zila.

Finian dS: Did you forget to take your happy pills this morning?

Zila M: No. I am always like this.

Tyler J: Fin, put a lid on it. Zila, what are you saying?

Zila sighs, and begins typing in a flurry.

Zila M: The Bellerophon’s crew just liquidated one hundred innocent Syldrathi refugees. Presumably they also destroyed the Unbroken Wraith, Legionnaire Brannock?

Cat nods in reply.

Zila M: Ergo, we are the only witnesses left alive.

I type quickly, scowling in disbelief.

Tyler J: You’re saying they’re going to flatline us to cover up the fact that they violated Terran neutrality with the Unbroken? Not that I don’t value your input, Zila, but that makes no sense. Why save us only to kill us right afterward?

Zila M: They are not only covering up their violation of neutrality, sir. They are silencing anybody who may know Aurora O’Malley is in their custody.

Scarlett J: Wait, what’s Aurora got to do with this?

Zila M: Consider it logically. How is it that a TDF destroyer just happened to be within range when we sent our distress call?

Cat B: I told you Shamrock would bring us luck.

Finian dS: Didn’t you hear, Legionnaire Madran? spooky voice The Global Intelligence Agency has one thousand eyes donchewknow.

Zila M: They were pursuing us. It is the only explanation for their proximity. Aurora said she was told to stow aboard our Longbow by Battle Leader de Stoy. De Stoy wanted Aurora with us, away from the GIA.

Cat B: Bollocks. O’Malley’s spent WAY too much time in the Fold. She’s gone all the way sideways.

Zila M: Consider de Stoy’s words to us. “The cargo you carry is more precious than any of you can know.” The supply run to Sagan was not our mission. Our mission was to get Aurora O’Malley away from the academy before the GIA arrived to take her back to Terra.

Finian dS: They’ve got no faces.

Cat B : Maker’s breath, Finian, have you snapped, too?