Lunelle sighed. “It’s a tad more complex.”
“Arcas,” Mirquios muttered. Ah, the Plutonian Prince. “Your mother is determined to marry Lunelle off to him. She does not know anything transpired between us. I didn’t want to erode her trust in you. When the Tether happened, it caught us both off guard. We were so in shock we didn’t speak for three days.”
His mouth tilted into that smooth smile, the one that until five minutes ago promised her a kind, if not unremarkable, future.
“Wait,” she turned to him. “You said she knows why we’re here.” Astra turned back to Lunelle. “How!” It wasn’t a question so much as a shocked exclamation.
Lunelle grinned. “I know you think me soft and perfectly groomed by Mother, but I have my secrets. The Plutonian Rebels contacted me for a meeting when we arrived. I’d heard rumors of their rise in council sessions. I followed Mirquios to their base.”
Mirquios added, “She forced me to bind her into the rebellion. When our palms touched…”
He couldn’t fight the grin that spread over his lips. An emerald thread of jealousy tugged at Astra’s lungs, and for once, she was grateful to have such an isolating ability.
“Between running into one other at The Underground and the Tether, we were both overwhelmed. We decided to deal with it when we returned, but then we were there for so long. We became good friends. But nothing more for your sake.”
Lunelle and Mirquios exchanged a heated glance, unable to stop the maroon shades within their chests.
“No need for details,” Astra insisted, shoving down the dreams that sent a rush of blood to her cheeks.
“Lu made me swear I’d tell you before getting you involved in any Rebel activity, but when Lux informed me of your run-in with the Lunarian Novas, I may have skirted that rule.”
“I also made him promise not to let you into the Rift.” Lunelle rolled her eyes.
“That wasn’t my doing,” Mirquios chuckled. “The commander insisted.”
She turned to Lux. “You?”
He did not respond.
Mirquios glanced between them. Astra wondered what he thought he knew—what Lux had told him. “He wanted you to see the Sun, in case you didn’t get the chance depending on what happens next.”
Astra fought tears that burned at the back of her throat and the urge to throw herself across the low table between them and embrace him. Instead, she drew in a shaky breath and forced out the question, “What does happen next?”
“I’m not sure,” Lunelle sighed. “I was hoping we could figure it out together.”
“I have another question,” she said, drawing both Lunelle and Mirquios’s attention. “When did my prim and proper older sister get so interesting?”
Lunelle threw her head back in laughter. “I’ve always admired your spirit and ideas, sister,” she insisted. “I’m just more willing to play the part than you ever were. I knew someday I’d sit on the throne and be able to enact the changes we hoped for, but patience has never been a virtue of the Fire Queen.”
Astra considered this. Lunelle was never not on her side, that was true. She just had so little freedom compared to Astra, and she was on a short leash as it was.
“I think I need a second to get my head around all of this,” she admitted.
“I’d actually like a word with the king here, anyway,” Lunelle said. “I met with Mother again last night before bed. We need to talk about my trial.”
Her eyes softened as Mirquios pressed his lips into a tight line, the pain there evident to anyone, not just Astra. As she brushed past them, Mirquios caught her arm.
“If you’d like to see the palace, Luxuros can give you a tour. We’ll meet you at the gate in an hour.”
“Of course.” She tried to hide the disappointment on her face, all too aware that Lux wouldn’t make the trip back with them.
“My heart broke.” He lowered his head, hanging before her. “I was ready to conquer the world with you. Never doubt that.”
Astra patted his shoulder. “Do not mourn for me. It seems we’ll be conquering the world alongside each other, anyway. I’ll make sure of it.” She squeezed Lunelle’s hand, putting on her bravest face as she strode beyond the table and through the door, taking the stairs two at a time, focused only on getting back to the Sun.
She needed to feel that warmth on her skin again, one more time, for fear that it might be her last chance.
“You haven’t said a word in thirty minutes.”
