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Fuck, I wish I had his confidence.
We follow, finding a canal glowing gold with firefern. Jokahn is waiting beside a creature that looks like something between a boat and a manta ray, its tail swishing in the water behind it. It makes this weird, clicking sound—like a crab—and is covered in the same bark-like skin as azephtan. There’s seating for at least ten along its back, a giant basket/saddle mounted on its back.
Taraven’s eyes go wide like a kid in a candy shop.
“By the Divine!” he says. “I didn’t know any survived…”
Jokahn smiles, realizing he has a shiny toy that’s interested someone in our group. “We’ve been breeding them here on Liatra for the past ten years—since we pulled one out of captivity,” he says. “They don’t always like the heat of Liatra compared to the rainforests of Zanpi, but they make do.”
“What is it?” I ask, finding myself swept up in Taraven’s excitement. I even follow him a step before remembering myself, recalling that we’re in danger.
“It’s called acaltan,” he says, grinning. “We used to take them everywhere when I was a child. Our capital city on Zanpi had canals like this that stretched for miles…”
“It was a beautiful planet…but we can reminisce once we’re somewhere safe,” Jokahn says. “If you wouldn’t mind?”
Taraven doesn’t so much as hesitate. Without a second thought, he practically skips onboard, vaulting over the small space and into the basket. He turns and holds out a hand, his eyes sparkling green.
I feel like Princess Jasmine…if Aladdin was blue and had a tail.
I take his hand and step gingerly across the rushing water, into the basket, followed shortly after by Malix. Jokahn takes up a seat toward the front of the creature, in a saddle over its back, then holds some reins in his hand.
“Stay quiet during the ride,” Jokahn says. “It won’t take us long, but I don’t want anyone spotting us. Mycaltanshould be quiet enough that we can pass undetected.”
“Is this truly the stealthiest way to move about the city?” Malix asks, arching an eyebrow.
Jokahn grins. “No—but it is the most stylish.”
And off we go.
Thecaltanswims with the current, coasting on top as if its propelled by something other than just its wings and tail. The canal zooms under arched bridges and busy streets, no one seeming to so much as notice we’re there. Other than the rushing water and the creature’s occasional clicking, I can barely hear a thing.
I settle in and close my eyes, letting the wind toss my hair around my head. If I imagine I’m somewhere else, I can pretend I’m coasting along the Gulf of Mexico on a speedboat, laughter all around me. I think about my mom and dad back on Earth, my little brother working on some engineering internship in D.C. They feel so far away.
But there’s someone else who feels close.
Gustavo Ortiz.
I don’t like to think about him, but I’ve been letting myself remember more and more. Meeting Gus in high school, going to boot camp together, joining ICO. Saying goodbye when he left for his assignment on Logos, agreeing that we would get engaged as soon as he came home.
Agent Ortiz was killed in the attack on the Terran Embassy, Agent Morales. I’m sorry.
“Frankie?”
My eyes snap open and I inhale sharply, finding Taraven looking into my eyes.
“We’re there,” he says. “Are you alright? You were making noises in your sleep.”
I shake my head, licking my lips as I right my clothes. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I say. “We’re…whoa.”
It takes me a second to process what I’m seeing, my jaw dropping at the sight. Jokahn has taken us into a cavern completely covered in firefern, the orange-gold light from the plants glimmering in the water below. Thecaltanclicks happily, and I look head to see that there’s a whole bunch of them swimming here. When I lean over the edge of the basket, I even see smaller ones swimming beneath us, coasting in v-shaped schools.
“I wish you could see this,” I whisper.
“Did you say something?” Malix asks.
“Nothing,” I say. “Nothing at all.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
