“Been digging into the forbidden archives again?” he asks.
“Why do you think they’re forbidden?” I glance askance at him. By the acknowledgment in his eyes, Blaize picks up my hint.
They’re trying to keep us in line, hide the truth.Centuries on ships make it easy for many to forget we were once equal.We built ships then. We made it to the stars because we worked together.
“Did you hear me?” Eluni asks.
Blaize and I turn together. “Yes!”
Her eyebrows lift. “Fine, whatever. I’ll just give myself a tour.”
“Good.” Blaize looks pissed. He values our old ways as much as I do, though he doesn’t know much about them. He doesn’t have the Royal access to records that I do. His respect for tradition is the main reason Allele permits him to pilot her. It’s the same with Fieri.
Only he and Fieri have had my back all these years in service. Other than them, I have to look outside of our species to the last Lazariot, Elix, or General Vitus of Nytheralia. I’ve made a recent friend with General Viriden of Isonia that Allele approves of as well. But it saddens me how few of my kind she trusts. We have traveled far from our ancient ways, ones that once made us great innovators and the first into space—at least in this corner of the universe.
Once Eluni is gone, I can speak my mind again. “We are losing our natural affinities in order to stay ahead of other species in advancing our starship capabilities when we have to accept that another species, like the Isonians and Vinym, might outpace us because they simply adapt better.
“Our kings regard their intellect as more powerful than our nature. But until we are beings of mind only, we must cater to the needs of the vessels that carry us.
“You think we’re not adapting?” Blaize asks.
“I fear we aremaladapting. We need a balance,” I admit. “We need to remember what it means to be Amphiran.”
He hums a low note in distaste. “Your father must’ve tried to match you again?”
“When does he not?”
Blaize shifts to lean sideways in his seat. “He’s afraid of losing the throne.”
He should lose it.“There are others who would guide us better.”
Like you,Allele says in my mind.
Stop it,I tell her.I do not want those thoughts in my head.The more I think about what she’s suggested, the more my skin tingles and sparks from growing anger.Never suggest that again.
Understood, Aura. But you are special in the eyes of your people, whether you like it or not.
Allele, keep it up, and I’ll rip you out of my head.
Blaize reaches over and taps the siphon on my armrest. A draining feeling swallows me until I feel calm and balanced again.
“It’s getting worse,” he says. “Ican feelmyhair standing on end when you get charged up. You need release.”
I rest my chin in a palm and stare out at the underside of our colony. Our ships are cloaked, but I can see them without Allele’s scanners. Descendants of Torchbearers can, or so Allele has told me.
But neither of my parents are. Not my father or Queen Avarylis.Which means, one of them isn’t my biological parent, or someone lied to them about their genetics when they were mapped before their bond was confirmed.
The genealogists refused to map me on every ship and always acted scared when I arrived.
“Ow!” Eluni grunts down a passageway toward my room.
I open the camera feeds and see her stepping back from the door to my quarters. “I’m sorry. I failed to mention that Allele isalive.”
She looks wildly up and around until she finds the camera. “Alive?What the fuck are you talking about? AI is notalive.”
“Allelehas a Storm. Try to enter a room you’re not permitted into, and she’ll zap you.” I grin and sit back. “Must’ve got you good. We heard you up front.”
Eluni growls and holds her hand.
