Page 17 of Rebels Rising

‘Then do you think that perhaps it would be better to get some rest to be at your best before you meet your lover’s family for the first time, let alone royalty?’

I inhaled sharply, the implications not having occurred to me before. ‘Oh.’

‘You can call them today if you really wish, I can’t stop you, but I think it would be wise to wait until you’re a little more… refreshed and rejuvenated before making that call.’

I physically deflated, like someone had poked a hole in my being and all the energy inside of me was being sucked out. My hand dropped from the console to rest against Baldr’s back again.

‘You’re right. I’ll do it first thing when I wake.’

She lent me a knowing smile. ‘That’s probably for the best. Now go get some sleep, Captain. You need it.’

I scoffed as I rose from my seat, but it was half-hearted and weak. ‘All right. Good night, Eloria.’

‘Sleep well, Artemis.’

It was as I was leaving that I realised I’d forgotten to include an important point in the meeting. Xander was still unaware of his ex-first lieutenants betrayal, or her head at my hand. I wasn’t sure how he would take the news, but I doubted he’d smile and thank me.

But that was a conversation for a different time. It was too late to call him back now, and he deserved some rest before I gave him more bad news. Or maybe Addy would do it for me and I could get away with avoiding that conversation entirely. Somehow, I doubted I’d be that lucky.

I sighed, the weight of this war draining me of the rest of my strength as I collapsed into bed, Baldr curling against my chest while Dave Junior snored happily away in his own bed. My luck may have been running out, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the little moments like this. This, right here, was enough for me to defy all the bullshit and fall into oblivion with a contented smile on my face.

CHAPTER 6

Cadmus

Ihadn’t spoken up.

I should have, I knew that, but there was so much fear and uncertainty around what had occurred that I was unsure how to proceed. I didn’t even really know what had happened, but I knew that it didn’t bode well for me.

And my lack of understanding over the matter only added an extra layer of mystery.

I ran over the words Artemis had used when describingthe web. It was exactly like what I had seen, and I just knew that I had been in there with her while she had been opening the airlock gates.

But something didn’t make sense. If she was in there with Bromm and they spoke with one another, why was I nothing more than a phantom? I had been ghostly presence as I was dragged along an unknown path, and there was no sign of anyone else in there with me despite knowing now that there was.

Nothing made sense anymore.

When we entered the room we’d claimed as our own, Henrik studied the unfamiliar space. This was his first time here, his efforts keeping him trapped in the infirmary up until now, and I knew he wouldn’t stick around for long. His place was back where others would need him, and he was only here for a quick nap until he was rested enough to get back to work.

He had fixed up most of the more serious injuries, leaving the less serious ones to be seen to after some rest. There were thankfully no injuries that were life-threatening among the turncoats. Was that even the correct terminology? I didn’t know. What I did know was that the Intergalactic Union was crumbling, the military was compromised, and these people were the only ones willing to stand up for what they believed in rather than following orders like mindless cattle.

‘Are you okay, Cad?’ Henrik asked from beside me and making me startle. I hadn’t noticed him approach.

‘Uh, yeah. I’m fine.’

‘You sure? You look a little… off.’

‘Positive,’ I lied. ‘I just need to sleep the past few days off, that’s all.’

My answer seemed to placate him, because he relaxed enough to step away from me towards on of the bunks. ‘Yeah, me too. I’m wiped.’

I scowled at the clear exhaustion lining his features and dragging his movements as he pulled off his blood-stained clothes. We were all still in our cadet uniforms, and I wanted out of mine as soon as possible. Thankfully, Artemis had pointed out where we could find more jumpsuits, and there was a handy little machine another one of the soldiers found in what we’d originally believed to be a closet that created more if we ran out. I had a feeling we would be using that sooner rather than later, especially since I couldn’t wait to burn anything related to the military at the earliest available time.

I wasn’t against the IU in theory, but after witnessing how easily it had been infiltrated all the way to the top I couldn’t stand the thought of being a part of it. I’d enlisted and enrolled at Nova Academy because I wanted my life to mean something more than money and entitlement. I knew I was well-off and kind of a brat, but none of it was reallymine, and I was bored. I wanted to pave my own path, do something I could be proud of, and learn from real experiences away from the gilded cage of my father’s home.

It hadn’t always been this way. When my mother was still alive we’d lived happily on Fernilum, our home high in the tall jungle trees where Father and I could stretch our wings and Mama would watch on in delighted contentment. But then she’d died and everything changed, Father most of all. He’d reclaimed his duties as the majority shareowner of the Entario Station, and we’d moved away from the simplicity of jungle life and into the metallic kingdom of the space station.

I was only a small child then and could barely remember life before, but sometimes I swore I could still hear my mother’s laughter ringing through the air, bright and happy, or smell the earthy scents of the jungle wilderness, thick with damp soil and fragrant foliage. But they were nothing more than shadows of a time that no longer existed, the true memories long forgotten as I’d grown older and settled into life amongst the metal, even when some small part of me would always crave that wild freedom of my long-lost childhood.

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