"Since you left the ship. I saw you slip out, told Cypher I'd make sure you got home safe." He smiled slightly. "He worries about you. A lot."
"Yes, well, he could have just asked me if I was fine with having a chaperone."
"Would you have?"
"Probably not."
"Exactly." Vic gestured toward the main street. "Come on. I'll walk you to the ship properly this time. No more skulking in the shadows."
We walked in companionable silence for a while. Vic had a calming presence, I'd noticed. The sort of person who made you feel safe just by being near.
"Can I ask you something?" I said finally. "About Cypher."
"You can ask. Whether I answer depends on the question."
We turned onto the street leading to the docks. Ahead, I could see The Night-Piercer's masts silhouetted against the night sky.
"He's planning something," I said quietly. "With the codex. Something he's not telling me."
“I’m afraid that’s not a question.” I cut him a look, and he was quiet for a moment, a half smile the only sign that he understood my meaning clearly. "Cypher always has plans within plans. It's how he's survived this long. But I don't think he'd do anything to hurt you deliberately."
"That's not the same as saying he won't hurt me accidentally."
"No. It's not." Vic stopped walking and turned to face me. "Look, I don't know what he's planning beyond the basics. Give Gideon the codex, you get paid, steal the codex back, and we all disappear into the Gallery. But I do know if he's keeping secrets, it's probably because he thinks he's protecting you."
"Or because he doesn't trust me enough to handle the truth."
"Maybe. Or maybe he's scared that if you knew everything, you'd stay in the Prime Realm and we'd never see you again." Vic's smile was sympathetic. "Talk to him. Tell him your concerns. He listens to you more than he listens to me, that's for sure."
We reached the ship, and Vic escorted me aboard. Cypher stood on deck, clearly waiting. When he saw me, relief washed across his face. "Thank you, Vic."
"Anytime, Cap." He disappeared below deck, leaving us alone.
"You were worried?" I said, arching a single brow.
"In a city where Gideon Pike has eyes everywhere, yes, I was worried."
"I needed to see my mom."
"I understand. But next time I'll go with you."
I studied him, silhouetted against the moonlight. It was cold and dark on the top deck, and the wind was picking up. I'd almost forgotten what the stars looked like during our time in the Gallery. "Vic says you have plans within plans."
"Vic talks too much."
"Do you? Have plans you're not telling me about?"
He sighed. "Juno??—"
"I need honesty, Cypher. Complete honesty. No more half-truths or convenient omissions. Kora is staying with your crew, and that means I have a decision to make. She's my family, and I'd follow her anywhere. If I'm going to leave my parents and my life to build something with you all, I need to know you trust me enough to tell me the truth."
For a long moment, he just looked at me. Then he took my hand and led me below deck to his cabin. He closed the door, checked that it was locked, and turned to face me.
He sat on the edge of his bed and ran his hands through his hair. "The codex is just one part of what I need. The crown givesme authority and signals to my people that their leader still lives. The Last Lights give me more power. But to actually create a new realm, to terraform a dead world into something livable, I need one more thing."
"What?" I knew what he was about to say. I could see the answer in his eyes. But I wanted to hear him say it. To tell me the truth.
His voice dropped to a whisper, as if anyone could be listening. "A rift who can tear through the void's very fabric, who can harness the Genesis Engine to forge a realm from nothingness. Ineedyou. Not just because I—" The words died in his throat as his jaw clenched. "Without your power, everything I've sacrificed, everything I've stolen and killed for... worthless."
