Page 55 of Cage of Starlight
“Did Ihear.” Hollow, mocking, darkly amused. Kirlov’s footsteps keep time on the floor, lending extra weight to his words when he speaks again. “I heard you damaged both property and valuable tools with your ill-thought-out experiment. I heard you drew Lieutenant Vantaras—whom I oversee—into your un-
authorized test. Iheardthat due to your recklessness, yet another of the Arlunian weapons our men have died by the hundreds to procure for STAR-7 has been destroyed. I’ve heard more than enough today, Doctor. If we were capable of preventing you from removing it on your own, I’d have recommended you for a NOVA long ago.”
Helner extends her fingers, graceful, and pushes them against her opposite hand until her Seed allows them to slip through it. Of course: NOVA or Core, she’d just remove anything they tried to saddle her with. She turns her cutting smile on Sena. “Lucky me, to get the carrot instead of the stick.”
The corners of Kirlov’s mouth tick downward, a monumental shift in expression, in Tory’s experience. “I have no patience for your antics. Leave.”
“And go where?” Helner spits. “The Grand General summoned me, too.”
*
The Grand General, ruler over all Westrice, turns slowly when they enter an over-bright, too-empty room. The only thing inside is a short table with a chair and a closed silver briefcase.
Michal Vantaras, a pale, compact man with a thick head of graying hair, examines the group as they settle. If the unchanging tightness of his lips is any indication, he’s not impressed. Everything about him is square, from his big-boned hands to the muscled torso that strains the buttons on his uniform and the thick, black vest over the top of them. He bears little resemblance to his son.
Kirlov and Sena—his son; hissonis saluting him—snap to attention to greet him, and Michal Vantaras accepts it as his due.
This is the man who made Tory’s mother’s sentence lifelong. He’s the one who made conscription of Seeds mandatory. This man builteverywall that has ever caged Tory.
Reflexively, he reaches for energies he can grab and throw at the man, but he can’t sense even one. The world is muffled and silent. Tory’s fists clench. The room is empty aside from the briefcase, which might work as a bludgeon if he can get to it. If not, he has teeth, at least.
“At ease,” Michal Vantaras says, blessedly unaware of what Tory is considering. He skims over Helner and his son like they’re not there. To Kirlov, he says, “I assume you’ve been brought up to date?”
“Yes, General.”
“And the others?”
“I prioritized speed in bringing them to you.”
“I see. I’ll make it brief, then. We’ve been losing supplies along the routes,” he says. “Medical supplies. Rations. They were intercepted farther inland than we’ve ever encountered Arlunian infiltrators, which is . . . concerning.”
Tory’s ears perk up.
Could it be the rebels? When Tory was with Ariana Belmin, Riese mentioned some of his allies intercepting supplies. Tory keeps his face blank while joy sparks a fire in his belly.
“We shifted some of our forces toward guarding the supply routes, but that proved unwise. Our most recently deployed unit was massacred en route to the Arou Cliffs outpost before the Fielders could lay down shields. A Porter managed to bring sixteen wounded back here to our Healers. Only two survived. We’ve lost several smaller scouting units, as well. We think the increase in aggression is due to the nearness of Arlune’s Dedication Day and the Arou Cliffs’ historical significance in past celebrations of the event. They are likely attempting to reclaim the cliffs. We can’t allow that.”
Tory doesn’t like where this is leading.
“We must send out the new recruits.”
“General!” Helner says. Michal Vantaras twitches like a big cat might, to dislodge a fly, but Helner keeps going. “OurChanneleris a new recruit. He’s not completed his training.”
“He’s close enough.”
“There’s so much more he could be doing! Today’s experiment—”
“Was a failure.”
“But he elicited a meaningful response from one of the Legion units. He made it move! No one else has been able to do anything like that.”
“Then let him do it again on the battlefield, where it will be useful.”
“You’re notlistening!”
“Doctor. Your wife sends her regards from STAR-1.”
Helner pales, teeth clenching. “Sir,” she grits out.
