Page 55 of 80% Beef 20%
We flew caravan style back to the Starry Volcano. All the while, I muddled over the spiritual guidance my ancestors had provided. My meditation in the rocky outcrop’s hot pools had only confused me more. Not surprised that their convoluted images wove a tangled tale. Images of Rock Dwellers with iridescent skin, banded wrists and mates had sifted through my mind. No matter how I focused my thoughts to seek help defeating the hellsna, their guidance remained singular. But Rock Dwellers didn’t have iridescent skin or banded wrists. Were these images of the past or the future?
My team chattered behind me, loaded with supplies to restock the temporary base. The blue snow had melted, and Tern’s pink soil turned to mud with every step. I knocked the slop off my boots before moving into the lift tube.
Sisip caught my attention as the doors opened. She must have been tracking us on the map. “JayJay, a word, if you please.” Sisip’s tawny Tig ears twitched from the top of her head, and she scowled.
I passed my bin to D’unter, who carried on down the tunnel while the rest of my team dispersed. Enforcers on standby sipped containers of thick javae as they leaned on the rail overlooking the map’s projection.
Sisip pulled me into a quiet alcove. “Mayor Yurst has informed me he will not issue replacement parts for our hoverbikes if you don’t step down from your position.”
I straightened my shoulders, fighting the tension knotted there. Yurst was an even bigger idiot than I’d thought, defying the Heir to Lorne, and I wanted to pluck every whisker from his conniving face. If I pursued it, I knew Bonic would stand by his order to keep me as the advance team lead. But there were too many other demands on my time, and dealing with the mayor had proven to be a painful time suck.
“He’s tied my hands in this matter. Yurst had no desire to hear my opinion and even less patience for learning how your leadership has kept Yurstille safe from hellsna.” Her ears stilled. “Now, who will you have as your replacement?”
The longer I thought about it, the more this maneuver reeked of Devile. A phantom pain roiled in my gut where the blaster beam had grazed me three annums ago. A familiar hole stretched open in my mind, its loose dirt crumbling as the walls caved in. I’d been buried alive in lies before.
I swallowed hard, my composure a short breath away from collapsing. Brittle black volcanic rock crumbled to the groundwhen my elbow jerked against the wall. After loosening my clenched jaw, I said, “Hill.”
Sisip nodded at my choice, her bitter words full of sympathy. “All this to maintain a political alliance we’ve yet to reap any rewards from.”
At least she had the decency to ask my opinion about my replacement. A political alliance spearheaded by Devile was the last thing Tern needed. That backstabbing, manipulative Rock Dweller went against everything I held true. Swallowing a spiny eru plant would go down easier.
Sisip called Hill over from where he studied the Starry Volcano’s terrain on the projection. “Hill, you are officially promoted. JayJay is stepping down.” She cleared her throat. “He has personal matters requiring his attention.”
Hill’s face paled, highlighting the freckles on his deep brown skin. I hadn’t narrowed down his mix of species besides Boola. “No way. Protector JayJay, I can’t lead,” Hill spluttered, his gaze darted between me and Sisip.
Blant! I’d rather have drunk acid than explain, but my hand had been forced. I respected these people, considered them my friends. I couldn’t let them think I was abandoning them. My hands turned to fists at my sides.
“Hill, go get the rest of the team, and I’ll explain. Send someone to Makir’s hoverbay to get him and Geo.” I turned my attention back to Sisip as Hill rushed away. It would be hard to give up my command. “Please meet us in the alcove off command central in half a sun. I’ll be brief.”
Sisip took a step toward the domed map but turned back. One side of her split-lip mouth lifted as if she’d eaten something spoiled. “JayJay, you aren’t required to divulge your secrets.” Her com pinged, and she rushed back to the rail to stand by her second-in-command, D’irk, as she read incoming messages.
I nodded to Sisip before marching down the tunnel on a mission to find Ginger. Hot, humid air worked its way into my chapped hands, providing the moisture my skin craved. Someone had placed light disks along the tunnel. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Especially after seeing Ginger fumbling in the dark passageway. I didn’t deserve to lead a team.
My room loomed before me, and I inhaled before knocking. This time, I’d be respectful.
When the door rolled open on its rail, her eyes snapped to mine and lit up with…happiness?
Ginger broke eye contact and toed the soft blue moss. She looked beautiful in a matching jacket and top, her shiny hair hanging loose down her back.
“I wanted to apologize,” she blurted.
What?
“No.” Why would she need to apologize? “The blame is mine. I behaved in a manner so shameful you would be right to choose another male.” My knees locked up as I held myself back from embracing her. The last thing I wanted was another male touching her.
She looked tiny and miserable, even though the shadows were gone from under her eyes.
“Do you have time to come to command central? I have an explanation and only want to say it once.” Frustrated by my harsh delivery underscoring the difficulty of the task ahead, I dropped my gaze.
Her body jerked. I would’ve been confused, too. A backward apology followed by an unrelated request with no time to process. But she nodded and slipped on her boots, then sucked in a breath when I placed my hands on her waist to lower her from the raised entrance, ignoring the step Geo had built.
Ginger and I walked through the quiet, well-lit tunnel side by side. Our footsteps echoed off the glossy black volcanic rock. Shereached up and flicked an elephant on my bracelet. The heavy air filled with its soft chime.
“You okay?” she asked.
No, I’m not okay. “Yes. I will explain everything.”
“About that apology—” Her soft lips turned up at the corners. “—I really wanted to thank you for volunteering to assist me…I mean, with my treatments. I should’ve thanked you the first day. It’s a huge sacrifice. You may have noticed I’m a little independent, and this disease is forcing me to rely on people. Honestly, relying on people drives me bananas.” She laughed. Her hazel eyes sparkled like my favorite spicy whiskey.
