Page 149 of Interion

“And what did he say?”

“He said now isn’t the time to retreat—that he’d rather lose a few men than pull back just when an opportunity to attack has presented itself.”

“And is this a good time to attack?” I asked, surprised.

Then Zion updated me on the war. Apparently, the Drutes were retreating and there were no more breeding camps to liberate. A sense of peace flooded my chest at this—I’d been waiting for this news for years and had dreamed of the day my people would no longer be abused. However, I knew the end of the camps wasn’t exactly the end of the suffering. Many descendants were still being enslaved, and no one knew how things were inside Drutes, in the city of Valmar, since the army only operated in the forests.

“But if there are no camps, wouldn’t the right thing be to pull back and maintain order over the conquered territory?”

Since I’d arrived in Interion, this was the story I’d been told: once all the camps were liberated, the armies would stop attacking and maintain control of the forests around Drutes.

“At first, the king thought that way, but now he’s consumed by revenge. He doesn’t just want to liberate camps—he wants to destroy all of Drutes. And Serguei…” His voice faltered, trembling with hatred. “Serguei does nothing to stop him. He just sits there and watches while men die and the king grows crazier by the day. He won’t give me room to argue, doesn’t want me to argue, keeps me as Elitium’s faithful little dog. If I clash with the crown, Serguei won’t think twice about sending me away, so I’m trapped.”

I didn’t know what to say to him. I had no idea what kind of situation Zion found himself in.

“Away?” I was surprised to hear that. “What do you mean by away, Zion?”

He sighed beside me and closed his eyes for a moment.

“A place I once called home. But Serguei made me forget where it is and erased the location from his own mind to keep the information safe, in case Elitium ever questions him. It’s where we send all the refugees.”

“How do you take them there if you don’t know where it is?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity. Zion stared at me, seeming undecided about whether to tell me.

“I send them to a point in the northwest. There’s a meeting place where members of our people receive the refugees and guide them safely to the community that’s become our home.”

This was precious information. I’d wondered many times where they kept the women and refugees. It clarified things a bit, and an indescribable satisfaction filled my chest—that confession was proof that there was a place for all the displaced people like me.

“And your leave fell right at a delicate moment.”

This seemed like the worst possible time for Zion to be away from his squadron, which was vulnerable and being pushed into a war.

“Yes. I’m stuck here while the soldiers are out there, risking their lives against whatever’s attacking. And the king seems to enjoy this situation.”

He finished his thoughts by lifting his gaze to the night sky. The stars gleamed above our heads, shining as if putting on a private show just for us. In that region of Interion, far from the city lights, the night sky was incredibly beautiful, full of star clusters and even nebulae visible to the naked eye. The one above our heads was called Astérix—a purplish blue that commanded attention with its size.

I didn’t know how to console him with words—perhaps there were no words to relieve that kind of tension. So I moved closer and, delicately, as if touching an animal that might bolt in fright, I touched my pinky finger to his hand. He turned his gaze to me, as if unsurprised by the touch, and gathering my courage, I slid my fingers over his to press our skin together. Finally, Zion accepted my intrusion and squeezed my hand firmly in his, then raised our intertwined hands toward his face and pressed a kiss to my skin. He watched me, his eyes shining. The ocean began to stir in his chest again. I breathed in relief.

“All right, sweetheart. Let's start with a defense drill,” he said, breaking the moment.

I pulled my hand from his, blushing at the nickname, and headed to the far edge of the circular arena.

“We already went over defense moves this afternoon. Cauê covered all of them. Maybe you'd rather move on to something else.”

“I'm not going to teach you moves, Kyller. You spent four years learning those. Tonight, we're doing this: I attack, you defend—again and again until you can block the strikes.”

I stared at Zion as if he were speaking another language.

“You're going to attack me? We're going to fight hand-to-hand?” The lights from below bathed his face, and I watched a fierce smile spread across his lips.

“Yes! Just you and me.”

I swallowed hard. Fighting my classmates was already a nightmare, but fighting Zion? That was insane.

“I don't know if I can handle that many knockouts.”

“No knockouts. If I pin you, just say the safety word, and I'll let you go. Then we start over. That's not the point. To make it easier, I'll only use five types of attacks, and you'll block with five defensive moves.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe I could handle that. Still, Zion fought like a god, and I could never match him.