“And he was foolish enough to believe you, but he can feel your pain.”
He can…? That’s not supposed to be.
“Fuck,” my hoarse voice whispers. “Things are shit. I need to get out of here.”
Zhang moves closer to the bars and looks around. We’re not alone. “The trial is today, judgment happens tomorrow,” he says. “Father won’t let Gemini out of his room in case he does something drastic.”
“Why are you here?”
“To tell you that Father has come to an agreement with the Prince of Caimia for Gemini.”
“That bastard. He was the tip-off, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. Do you regret giving him your identity now?”
“The only thing I regret, is not turning him into sludge with my rifle.” Fuck, what have they done with my rifle? “Why does your father think sending him to a whole other galaxy is a good idea anyway? How’s that going to work?”
“He thinks that sending Gemini away is the path to helping him. Silva will take over his duties until he’s allowed to return.”
I should pound on the walls again for a little while. That’ll help. I’m going to find a way to make the Prince of Caimia eat his own dick.
My head drops against the stone behind me. I need a Godsdamn miracle. Would the Gods hear me if I pleaded with them?
Zhang leans closer to the bars. “Time for you to seize the fucking day.”
“Ya think?”
“Your head isn’t glowing right. You need someone to pull you out of your own way.”
Gods, with advice like his, I’m all set. “How does my brother stand you?”
His energy changes from serious to free as a summer’s day. I can’t make out his smile in the abject darkness, but I know it’s there. “Because he adores me, even though he may never admit it.”
Yeah, they’re way grosser than me and Gem. “Any other bits of useless wisdom?”
“Stay alert. That one’s from Trey.”
They’re rubbing off on each other. This whole conversation is pointless. What a waste of a visit. Unless … unless it’s meant to look pointless. If they’re up to something, they suck at it. “I’ll keep an eye out for starlight cockroaches.”
Zhang sighs and then his ogre-sized self, lumbers away from me, reeking of disappointment stronger than whatever’s stinking up this place.Bring me my rifle next time, jackass.Then I can seize the fucking day by its balls, before blowing it to smithereens.
* * *
Time is infinite and it doesn’t exist. After being alone in the dark for so long, I get how that works now. I also get why we like having the concept of time. Nothing to mark the hour blows. I feel how much I’ve been left to rot.
Crawly little legs skitter up my arm.Whap!Dead. Killing the persistent army of starlight roaches with my bare hands helps me think. I’m engaged in battle. When the next one comes, how far will I let it get before I end its miserable life? Will I let several find me before I strategically take each one out?
“You’ll become something far less disgusting in your next life,” I tell its corpse. “I’ve just done you a favor.”
If Gemini marries the Prince of Caimia, I hope someone does me the same favor.
Light burns my eyes from all the way down the hall, and I squint as it gets closer. A stampede of boots slosh in the murk and a sharp clang announces the opening of my cell. Hands grab me.
“You look like shit, Orion.”
It’s Gunther, a guy I trained. Ironic. Now that I’ve calmed down a little bit, I can reason that he’s doing what he’s been trained to do, and it’s not personal. I’ve been accused of a crime that I did. He has no choice but to cart me around like I’m the traitor I am. But if he or anyone else tries to stop me when I get my chance to run off with Gem, all bets are off.
“If you want to see shit, it’s in that bucket over there.”
