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And I’ll do whatever it takes.
?
Cut to six weeks later: today, September 15th, 2034.
I’m hurtling toward Aelydon at the speed of light, Layla's message open on my tablet. Twenty minutes until we hit atmo, then it’s a smooth ride into the capital city of Solis, where I’ll meet my handler. I’ve only spoken with the man—the Aelyd—once over long-range comms, and the connection was so staticky I don’t even know what he looks like.
I’m going in blind. Not my favorite thing to do. But it’s okay, because I’m prepared.
I’ve got a plasti-steel knife as long as my forearm in my high-heeled boot. The pen tucked into my bag is in fact a syringe full of sedative. Plus, I’m trained in jiu jitsu, krav maga, and about ten other forms of martial art. My hands are just as deadly as my blades, and I intend on using them.
Not for anything weird.
Well, forsomeweird stuff.
Because I’m not just here to kill a man; I’m here for an arranged marriage. First, I marry him. Then I kill him. I hope it doesn’t take long, since I need to make sure to get to Layla as soon as I can.
I’m so worried about her. I can do my job just fine, but a lot of this work is about patience. I don’t have patience. I don’t have time.
If my best friend is in danger, I need to help hernow.
We coast through the atmosphere, Aelyd grav technology making the passage from outer space to the planet as seamless as if we were floating through water. As soon as we cut through the layers of cloud, the city unravels underneath me, sprawling and bright. It’s like any city on Earth—if the buildings were shaped like spines, the planet below amassive, hulking porcupine. Neon lights flare from the belly of the beast, and as we get closer, I see hovercars gliding like manta rays through the criss-crossed streets.
There’s something organic about cities, which I’ve only learned from interstellar travel. Everywhere you go—no matter what species you are—your cities grow in the same way, networks of streets connecting like veins. Just like New York City or Los Angeles, Solis is a monstrous thing with its own personality…but its circulatory system will connect in the same kinds of branching paths.
With any luck, Layla is down there somewhere.
The spaceport is the tallest of the needles, the peak of it piercing all the way into space. It has the appearance of a beehive—which is why we in the First Wave cleverly call it The Hive—ships of every size and color landing and attaching their legs to its exterior. Aelyd ships fly upright, squid-shaped with numerous clamps along their sides for docking, alien as fuck.
We dock in one of the bays on the central hive, barely even a bump letting me know that we’ve arrived. This is my second time on Aelydon, but it’s the only time I’ve been here as the fiancé of one of the most powerful crime lords in the galaxy. That’s what the First Wave does, though; they take advantage of the fact that there are very few Aelyd females, and they train pretty young women like me to go in and kill the Aelyd males who cause the biggest problems. We call it “getting our dark veil.”
I’m about to get mine.
If I wasn’t so worried about rescuing Layla, I would be excited.
After I get my veil, I’m getting my friend back and we’re getting the hell off this planet.
I keep my black hoodie drawn, my hands shoved into my pockets. Apparently I’ve appeared in a couple stories about House Ganivet’s recent acquisition of a human bride, and I don’t want them to know that I’m on planet yet. Another flight will arrive from Earth later, and as far as my future husband, Atlas en’Ganivet, is concerned, I’ll be onthatflight. He can’t know that I’m here early to debrief with my handler, and the First Wave has done everything they can to make sure he doesn’t find out.
I disembark with the other passengers, keeping a low profile. All my fancy clothes will arrive on the next ship, glittering dresses and stiletto heels. As it is, I’m dressed in all black, and I keep my head bowed as I make my way into the spaceport. We’ll meet here, and my handler—a man who’s only given the name “Corvus”—will take me to a secure location where we can discuss the terms of our arrangement. The Widow gave me all the details she had, but there was only one key detail that I was clear on.
Kill Atlas en’Ganivet.
Ensure Keon en’Ganivet’s ascension to the throne of the Ganivet Family.
Escape.
But there are details I still don’t have. Not much is known about the Ganivets on Earth. We don’t have an alliance with them like we do with their rivals, the Diavolos, and I’m told they’re pretty damn vicious. If I’m being honest with myself, I may not have been the best or most qualified for the job; there are agents who have been training to come to Aelydon for years.
But the Widow knew that I would fight until my last breath to get my best friend back. And the possibility exists that I’m just…practice. I’m putting my life on the line to get Layla back. The Widow can take advantage of that if she needs to, but I would sacrifice everything to make sure my best friend is safe.
The spaceport is buzzing with activity, mostly full of Aelyd males and the odd Aelyd female. I only see a couple of humans, mostly men, milling around and sitting at various desks.
Humans don’t do a lot of business on Aelydon, and especially not in Solis. Given that the entire planet is ruled by rival gangs, and each gang has its own continent, the city where they all hold court can get pretty dangerous. Solis is rife with murder, drugs, and violence, and human trafficking is on the rise now that it’s gotten out that humans and Aelyds can interbreed.
That’s why I keep my eyes and ears open as I make my way to the rendezvous location on my phone.
There’s an inconspicuous man in black sitting at a table in the corner. He has iron grey, metallic skin, silver hair falling in waves around his face. He looks toward me when the comm on his wrist chimes, and our eyes meet. His irises immediately blaze a pale shade of gold, his lips parting as he cocks his head at me.
