Page 42 of Rebels Rising

Artemis didn’t give me the chance to recover from the last blow before continuing. ‘He told you to blame it on Reece, didn’t he?’

Katira was shaking like a leaf in gale-force winds, hiding behind her brother like he was the only thing keeping her safe in this world. I came to the heart-wrenching realisation that to her, he was.

‘We had to,’ he snapped defensively, continuing to block his sister from our sight to the best of his ability. ‘He threatened to- ‘

‘You don’t need to tell me,’ Artemis cut him off, her tone gentle and compassionate. How she managed to find those emotions and direct them to the people responsible for Reece’s imprisonment I didn’t think I’d ever know. ‘I don’t need you to drag it all up to the surface. I just needed confirmation, and you’ve given it.’

‘What are you going to do with us?’ he asked guardedly.

She shrugged. ‘Nothing. You’re free do whatever you want. You can leave when we land on Burnos, run from The Program and the IU. Or you can stay and fight. I’ll leave it up to you.’

‘You’re going to let them stay?’ Addy asked, surprise lifting her tone.

‘I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing in their position if it were Libby,’ she confessed. ‘I can’t hold them to standards I won’t even hold for myself.’

‘But Reece…’

‘They’ll have to figure that one out between them.’

‘You’re not… mad?’ Tarren asked, confused.

Artemis levelled him with a deadpan look, a fierceness in her eyes that made even me flinch. ‘I’m not impressed with your actions, nor have I forgotten your attempt to extort us on Nova Station. But – and this is abigbut – I can understand why you did it. You were protecting your sister, and I can respect that.’

‘She’s right though,’ Katira spoke up from behind Tarren, her voice small and timid in a way I wasn’t used to hearing from her before she’d been attacked. ‘Reece won’t want us here.’

‘Like I said, that’s between the three of you to sort out. He at least deserves an explanation, but don’t be surprised if he puts you in Henrik’s care,’ she said pointedly.

‘That’s it?’ asked Tarren, his entire body deflating like she’d popped him like a balloon.

She shrugged again. ‘I don’t really know what you want me to say,’ she admitted. ‘Do youwantme to be mad?’

‘No, I just… I don’t understand.’

She sighed, shifting in her seat in preparation for what she was about to say. ‘I masqueraded as a boy in an all-male military academy to find information that could lead me back to save my best friend. She’s the only family I have and I left her behind once before. I was willing to doanythingto get back to her. To save her. What the two of you have endured is horrible, and I don’t blame you one bit for doing what was necessary to keep yourselves safe. It just so happened that in doing so you hurt someone I care about. If you do it again, I won’t be so lenient. My understanding only goes so far, but it’s not me you need to apologise to. I would suggest you find some time to grovel.’

She turned her back on them in a clear dismissal, reaching out to pull Baldr down from where he’d been trying to climb up onto the holo-table. Katira backed out of the room slowly, her eyes taking in Artemis with a glint of life in them I hadn’t seen in over a solar. Tarren was also eyeing her with interest, though the root of that interest eluded me. I was far too focused on my internal battle. A part of me still wanted to believe that Markus was my friend; that he wasn’t responsible for such a heinous crime or that he hadn’t betrayed us.

The larger part, however, understood that I’d been duped. I’d allowed such an evil man into my life, invited him close to the people I’d cared about, and trusted him to be a part of my inner circle. He hadn’t just betrayed the Intergalactic Union, he’d betrayedme. He’d betrayed our friendship. He’d betrayed my trust on levels I hadn’t even realised existed until this moment.

Ithurt.

‘Baby?’ Addy asked from where she knelt in front of me. I didn’t know when she’d moved, too lost in my own head to pay attention to my surroundings, but she placed her hands on my knees as she gave herself to me for however I needed her.

I lifted my eyes to hers, the sting of tears biting at them, but I refused to let them fall. I’d allowed that man to remain close, not just to me but toher. I’d ignored all the signs, all her warnings, and even allowed him to walk free after he’d brutally raped and assaulted a member of my crew while an innocent man took the blame. I’d been blind, and I’d endangered everyone because of it.

‘I should have trusted you,’ I told her, my voice cracking with the emotion as it got stuck in my throat. ‘I should have believed you when you told me…’

‘Let’s not go there, Xan. I never saw this coming either. You’re not to blame here.’

I was shaking my head before she’d even finished speaking. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t deserve her compassion or kind words. I’d failed her. I’d failed Katira, and Tarren.Reece.

‘No…’ I whispered, then stormed from the cockpit before my heart could completely tear in two in front of them all.

CHAPTER 13

Tormik

Mother still wasn’t speaking.

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