Litus and Mars stood from the group below him, waving to the crowd. Eri climbed down the rope ladder to join them. His heart tore to see her leave, but she had to take her place for the festivities. She wasn’t a member of his tribe.
Yet.
“We must welcome them.”
The music faded. People shifted uneasily, their expressions hard to read. Nervous anxiety jolted through Striver. Would they listen?
He raised his voice. “A new age is upon us, and we must embrace change. These visitors brought technology with them. I know we’ve shunned any advances for hundreds of years, believing technology to be the ultimate downfall of humankind on Old Earth. But technology can heal as well as destroy.”
He held up his arm, pointing to his mother. “My mother is proof. These visitors have lived peacefully, in harmony with technology, for hundreds of years. Their lives depended on it. I believe, with the visitors’ help, we can learn to accept their technology, integrate it into our society, and in turn, accept them.”
The crowd shifted restlessly, weighing his words. Striver kept a straight face.
Hopefully they’ll understand.
The alternative, to live in the jungle apart from this new colony, would only divide them more. He trusted Eri, and through that trust he’d build a whole new world.
No one argued with him, so he continued. “Lawless continue to multiply. We lose people to their ranks every year.” He pushed Weaver away from his thoughts.
Not now.
Members of the council stood with their arms crossed, frowns weighing down their faces. Striver knew he couldn’t convince them alone. He had to drive the issue home where they’d understand the full implications.
“I’m not asking you to decide tonight. I’m asking you to think about it. Speak with the council members at this celebration. Tell them how you feel. We can live in the dark while these colonizers descend and live in the light, or we can integrate both our societies, providing a united front against the Lawless.”
Silence rang out after the echo of his final words died away, clutching his throat until he could no longer breath. Striver hoped he was right. He needed to provide a secure front for his people, but doubts lingered in the back of his mind.
A single clap broke the spell. Striver scanned the crowd. Carven had dropped the spatula, and he brought his hands together faster and faster until a little girl beside him joined in. Soon, the entire village roared with applause. The music began again in a lively jig with a boy shaking a tambourine.
His mother put a hand on his shoulder. “Well done, Striver.”
He turned toward her and muttered under his breath, “We’ll see if it works.”
“They’ll follow you anywhere.” As his mother settled into a seat on the balcony, Striver searched for Eri. She talked with Litus behind a line of people waiting with empty plates for trotter. Others danced in the center square. He’d never liked dancing, but tonight his legs itched to move, and he had just the person in mind to ask.
He kissed his mother’s cheek. “I’ll bring you some trotter.”
She nodded, bobbing her head to the beat. Color had come back to her face, and her gaze shone bright and clear without pain. He hadn’t seen her so lively since she’d first gotten sick.
Striver descended the rope ladder two rungs at a time and leaped the remaining half a meter to the ground. With his mother healed, and the relations between the visitors strengthened, part of the weight on his shoulders had lifted, even with Weaver incarcerated.
At least he’s home.
He’d deal with his brother later, when Weaver had cooled off. Maybe reality would finally set in and he’d realize Jolt wouldn’t take him back.
Now to ask Eri to dance.
A hand grabbed his arm, snaking through it with surprising strength to pull him in the opposite direction. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Striver turned, meeting Riptide’s golden gaze. She pulled him under the balcony in the shadows, pressing her body against his. She was almost as tall as he was, and he found it hard to wiggle away without blatantly shoving her away. “You promised me a dance, remember?”
He glanced back, making sure Eri hadn’t seen Riptide steal him away. Eri still talked with Litus, her back to him. Seeing him standing in the shadows with her was one thing, but to dance out in the square in front of everyone? He couldn’t do it. Not when such strong feelings for Eri thrived inside him, wanting to break free.
“Riptide, I need to tell you something.”
Her eyes glowed in the darkness as if her dream had finally come true. “Yes?”
Striver ran a hand over his hair.
Holy Refuge, can I bring myself to tell her?
One look back at Eri cemented his decision. “We’ve been friends for a long time.”
She put her hand on his chest, her fingers twirling in the ties of his shirt. “Since childhood.”
They were practically destined to be together, almost like the lifemates on Eri’s ship. The thought made his stomach cringe. He cleared his throat. “You’ve grown into such a well-respected member of this village and a striking young woman.”
She hung on his every word, eyelashes fluttering. “Yes?”
He exhaled and shook his head. “I can’t keep you waiting for something that’s not going to happen.”
Her eyebrows creased. Behind them, the music took a melancholy turn. “What do you mean?”
Striver forced himself to meet her gaze. “At first, I kept my distance because I knew Weaver had feelings for you.”
Riptide scoffed and tapped her slender fingers on his chest. “Yes, but we both know I don’t like Weaver.” Her eyes grew wild and intense as her hands traveled up his arms. “I want you.”
He stiffened under her touch, resisting the urge to recoil. He’d always thought of her as a social climber, wanting him for who he embodied and not for who he really was. But how do you tell a person her shallowness turns you off?
“Now I have a real reason.” He took her hands and brought them down between them. “Riptide, I have feelings for someone else. Feelings I can’t ignore.”
Her flawless face cracked into a spiteful frown. Her hands turned to ice under his touch. He wished he could warm them and make everything okay, but she’d have to find someone else.
“I don’t understand.” A tear ran down her cheek.
“It’s not your fault. You did everything right. It’s just…this was unexpected.”
“Unexpected is right.” Her tone turned sour and she yanked her hands away, her stone ring scratching his skin.
“I’m sorry.” Striver felt helpless, guilty, but also free. Why had he waited so long to tell her? He had enough courage to hunt a boar, fly over the wall, battle the Lawless, but not enough to tell her the truth.
Because hurting Riptide would have angered Weaver
even more.
“Yeah, I am, too. Sorry I wasted so much time.” Riptide whirled away and disappeared into the crowd.
…
“I talked with the commander while you were healing Striver’s mother.” Litus pulled Eri aside as the crowd cheered around them. Eri’s heart thumped against her ribs, yearning to find Striver, but she couldn’t blow off this conversation. She followed him to the back of the celebration, far enough from eavesdroppers but close enough to avoid suspicion, even Carven’s.
“What did she say?”
Litus had an anxious twitch in the vein in his neck. He shifted like a snake was slithering over his shoulders. “She appointed me first lieutenant.”
“No way. That’s the direct position underneath her on the ship, right?”
A little boy burst from the crowd and shot between them, stumbling and laughing. Litus smiled at the boy and waited for him to scamper off before he acknowledged her question with a nod.
Eri shook her head, speechless until she realized saying nothing would disrespect him. “Congratulations, Litus. You just won the most coveted job on the
Heritage
.”
“Just because I’m in the right place at the right time. The commander wants more power down here on Haven 6, and it’s the only way to see her orders are carried out. I’m supposed to supervise everything that happens on the planet and report back to her.”
“That’s because I wasn’t doing my job. I haven’t been reporting anything, Litus. I can’t give her information that she could use against these people. But you have real power as a first lieutenant. You can make a difference, bring our peoples together.”
Litus shook his head. “I’m not as powerful as you may think. She still has the ultimate say.” Behind them, the music slowed to a minor waltz, the tune haunting her like a reference to the future.
“Did she mention any attack?”
“No, but the questions she asked lead me to believe she’s planning one soon.”
“Cyberhell.” Eri threw her hands up and turned away, watching the villagers celebrate their imminent doom like naive children. “How can we stop it?”
His blue eyes were cold as ice. “I don’t think we can.”
She pointed her finger into his chest, pushing him back despite his towering stature. “That’s not good enough.”
He held up both hands in an apology. “Eri, I did my best. I’ve steered her away from our current coordinates for now. If they’re going to attack, it will start in the Lawless’s lands.”
Eri crossed her arms and flicked her eyebrows up. “Yes, but for how long?”
“Depends on the success of the attack on the Lawless, I’d assume.”
“Can the Lawless fight them off?”
“With their current weapons along with the lasers they seized? No. I don’t think so. Although the Lawless have sheer numbers, the
Heritage
has far more advanced weaponry. And with my advice, they’ll be better prepared this time.”
Eri stared at him open mouthed. “How could you?”
Wiping sweat from his forehead, Litus glanced at the ship in the sky. “Eri, those are our people up there. You don’t want more of them to die, do you?”
Eri glanced down, unable to bring her gaze to where the commander’s brain floated in the control room. “No. I don’t want anyone to die. That’s what I’m trying to prevent.”
He jerked his thumb back to the shadows in the forest beside them. “It’s better them than us. You saw for yourself how savage those Lawless can be.”
“But after the commander conquers the Lawless, what then? Will she continue her conquest to this village?”
“I don’t know. All I can do is inform her of their value, of how they can help us with their knowledge of Haven 6. Only she can decide.”
Litus’s loyalty to the commander made ire boil in Eri’s stomach. She tried to calm her anger before she spit out something she’d regret. She had to give him credit for swaying the commander to attack the other side—at least he was trying to think for himself. Was it enough to grab Aquaria’s attention? Probably not. Her sister would never agree with this plan. If only Litus had consulted Aquaria about it…
“Have you heard from Aquaria? The commander blocked all my communication through my locater, except to her.”
“I’m waiting to hear—” Litus’s gaze moved above her head to the crowd behind them as his words trailed off. Eri turned, ready to glare at whoever spied on their conversation.
Striver broke through the last row of twirling dancers. The urgency in his steps piqued her interest. His lips broke into an eager smile as his eyes met hers. Firelight danced across his chest, making his skin shine like gold. Her heart jumped to her throat and she gulped it down.
Brushing back a few strands of dark hair tied to a white feather, he offered her his hand. “May I have the next dance?”
It took Eri a moment to realize what Striver was asking. All the talk of war filled her head with clutter and weighed down her heart. She almost felt guilty indulging during such a dire time. “I don’t know.”
He brushed back a curl, placing it gently behind her ear. “Please?”
Eri needed this more than anything. She glanced at Litus and he waved her away as if they had been discussing the weather and nothing more. “Go.” Litus grinned. “Have fun.”
What is the harm in one dance?
She’d danced numerous times at lifemate pairing ceremonies. How different could this be? Eri slid her hand into his. “As long as you don’t make me dizzy.”
After saying it, she knew it was already too late. Her head swam with his proximity as he pulled her against his hard chest and they broke into the dancing ring. Low drums beat in her stomach, eliciting a primal need for release. The bone flute trilled and sailed on a high note and she burst into uncontrollable laughter as Striver twirled her around.
He brought her back to him and his arms wrapped around her until she could feel every muscle in his chest. They didn’t dance like this on the
Heritage
.
Holy
mother of a black hole, we’ve been missing out.
Eri’s hands moved up his shoulder blades to his neck. His ponytail tickled the back of her palms. She threaded her fingers through his silky hair and pulled his head down close to hers. Between the laughter, the shouts, and the music, it was impossible to tell him how she felt. Instead, she pressed her lips against his. He tasted wild and sweet, like everything in the jungle she wanted but couldn’t have. She closed her eyes as he reacted to her kiss, his hands cupping her chin to prolong their embrace.
Blood pounded in her ears as heat rushed from her lips to her toes. Her whole life on the ship seemed only a dream, and for the first time, she awoke, her body energized. In all the lifemate ceremonies, she’d never seen a couple kiss with such passion.
This is real. Is it love?
It flowed through her veins until all she cared about was melting into him. Becoming one.
Only after her hands had explored his chest and his hands roamed through her hair did she realize they’d stopped dancing. The crowd blurred around them. They were the only two pillars of constancy in a changing world. Gazing into his eyes was like peering into a forest only meant for her steps. His strength, his intensity persuaded her that together they could conquer both worlds.
“My sister isn’t good enough for you, but this space girl is?” Riley broke through the crowd reeking of sickly sweet sweat. His shirt was pulled half out of his pants and his hair stood up on one side.