Page 100 of The Garnet Daughter
“Come.” August takes my hand and weaves us through the frantic scene we folded into.
Immediately, 99 is walking toward us, striding without any worry of the people running past.
“August!” He wraps an armored forearm around to August’s back and slaps it in the Viathan style of embrace then awkwardly pats me on the shoulder. “Happy you both have returned.”
I smile shyly and greet him.
“You have been missed as well,” August says in his way that often makes heartwarming statements seem casual.
“Commander Sharpe,” 99 calls out to the commander he spoke with as we arrived and then gestures for us to follow as he walks toward the vessel. “August, I’d like you to take a look at this. Not long ago, a blip showed up on our sensors, then the chiming started.”
Lights connected to the tallest points of the building-high ship flash in ambient unison with the tolling alarm.
“Beacon?” August says, hunching over the data pad held out to him.
“Among many theories. We scanned for any survivors inside, but nothing came up,” 99 continues, his hands resting on his hips as he watches the group of commanders near what appears to be the entrance to the First Son ship.
“No signs of life?” August looks shocked. “That seems impossible.”
“You can’t get inside?” I ask.
99 shakes his head. “We have yet to breach the door. We need to disarm it.”
The commanders at the entry have weapons drawn, and for a brief moment, a reflection of green glows from the center they are surrounding. Ferren stands among them, her hand held out and splayed as vibrant tendrils test the seams and hinges around the frame.
August glances at me, expression flicking briefly to concern when he sees the worry likely written all over my face. He may think the cause for that worry is assuming Ferren will be cross with me for sneaking away to the birthlands, but in truth, he has no idea the tremor that will ripple through our group when I tell her the truth of what I’ve done. It was the right choice not to tell him. Knowing he has feelings for me, he may have tried to take my side and alienated himself needlessly. I have to do this on my own. I can’t have him losing loved ones because of my mistake.
99 watches Ferren from where we stand, and from the way she glances up at us, I can tell he is updating her that we have arrived through their tether.
“We saw similar ships in the birthlands, allies of First Son, the reason for our return,” August informs.
99’s attention snaps to him. “You saw their fleet?”
“At least twice your estimation including their allies. We saw Viathan ships as well.” August grits out the words like they are painful to tell his friend.
“Help us disarm this one and then you both will tell me exactly what you saw,” he commands, standing terrifyingly straight.
“You know we will,” August confirms, not only understanding the sudden change in tone but absorbing it, not taking the command personally.
I nod and avert my eyes, but when I do, they meet Ferren’s. She steps out of the ring of commanders who work on the door,closing the distance between us. My mouth goes dry and I am not able to break eye contact, her expression unreadable until she gets close enough for me to see the thin line between her brows is creased.
Before I can say hello, she pulls me into a stiff hug, her palms holding onto my biceps as if we were polite strangers.
I rest my chin on her shoulder and feel her relax slightly. “Hi, Ferren.”
She pulls away and smiles at me flatly. She is angry I left without telling her, that I schemed with 99 behind her back, even if it was to protect her. That sentiment seems so far away now that I have seen First Son’s fleet in all its horror and heard the truth of his desires from Omnesis.
There is sadness behind her eyes as she watches me and keeps the joy of our reunion at bay, even as August, who is less at fault, hugs her.
“You are both safe. That is what matters.” She glances at 99 as if the statement made aloud was for us and also to answer his question through their tether.
It’s cold and awkward between us, but our safety is not all that matters, not when I can feel my heart breaking and know that hers already has because of me.
August takes the data pad and immediately attaches it near the door seam of the ship. The other commanders make themselves scarce as we follow, 99 giving them orders to stay close.
“My light couldn’t find a way in. Even if it did, I don’t know what I could do,” Ferren admits, avoiding my eyeline completely.
“I might.” August taps away on the screen as if searching for something in the mess of shapes and letters. “If I can get into the ship’s system, I can bring up the interior controls.”
