Page 135 of Star Bringer
He was still a boy when I saw him last. He’d be a man now, the same age as Rain.
So much rage.
If there’s even the smallest chance that he’s alive, I have to go look for him.
A pain stabs at the back of my skull, threatening a migraine, just to make my fucking day complete.
I stride onto the bridge, hoping for a little solitude before I have to face everyone else at lunch in the galley. And come to an immediate standstill, because everyone is here. Everyone. In my bridge at the time I most want to be alone.
Merrick and Rain are seated together along the right wall. She glances up and does a double take. Apparently she’s picked up on my black mood. Max is sitting in the captain’s chair while Gage stands behind him, leaning against the seat. And they’re all watching Ian and Kali, who are standing in the center of the space.
Uncontrollable rage surges through me as I stare at the princess. Sometimes I manage to forget who she is, that her family is responsible for every terrible thing that’s happened to me in my life, and in those moments I swear I could actually like her. But other times, like right now, on Jarved’s nineteenth birthday, I can’t.
Her mother’s forces had my father tortured and killed.
The same forces took my brother several years later and more than likely did the same to him.
Then those forces came back for me, taking me to theCaelestisto be tortured and experimented on before they tried to ship me off to the most terrifying place in the system.
And here she stands, smiling like she doesn’t have a care in the world. She’s looking up at Ian, teasing him about something, with a wide grin on her face. I have to fist my hands at my sides to stop myself from crossing the room and punching her in that smiling mouth.
It works for now, but I know it’s a quick, cheap fix. One that won’t last forever—or even for the next few minutes.
Chapter 52
Kali
I’m aware of Beckett as soon as she steps onto the bridge.
I’m pretty sure we all are, considering she looks like a black hole, just waiting to pull all of us into the overwhelming gravity of her fury. It’s strange to see her like this, all stone-faced and angry, when for the last week she’s seemed so different than usual. Softer. More relaxed, despite the fact that Ian has been hounding her nonstop.
Something’s definitely changed that today, considering she’s nearly incandescent with hostility. Her eyes are a cold and gleaming yellow, while the scar on her neck shows up in stark definition against her skin. And her lips are a tight line as she stares directly at me in a way I can’t ignore, no matter how much I want to.
Who pissed in her Moon Mallows this morning?
“Are you paying attention?” Ian demands, his voice sharp as he stares at me impatiently. He’s as impatient and combustible in his way as Beckett is in hers. Which should make today extra fun.
Lucky, lucky me.
I drag my gaze away from Beckett to focus on him, though part of me thinks I’d be better off keeping a close watch on her. She really does look ready to explode.
“Of course,” I answer. In between bugging Gage to teach me more about the inner workings of theStarlightand bugging Max to give me more cooking lessons so I can help out with meals, I’ve been trying to get Ian to give me another fighting lesson for days. He’s held out until this morning, saying that I need to let the bullet wound heal up. But it’s fine—I’ve always been a fast healer, though admittedly my childhood scrapes weren’t anywhere near this. It still twinges, obviously, but compared to where it was a week ago, I’m in great shape.
Now that everyone—including Beckett—is staring at us, I’m thinking that maybe we should have gone somewhere more private for this lesson. But this is the biggest space on the ship.
“To win a fight,” Ian is saying, “you have to recognize your opponent’s weakness. You’re tall but still thinner than most people, and so you’re unlikely to ever win on strength alone. And skill takes time to develop. So, you need to use your brain. Find their weak spot. Piss them off. Do whatever it is you need to give yourself an advantage.”
“Cheat, you mean?” Merrick says. Looks like he’s still smarting from their fight—and the dirty trick Ian pulled to end it.
“There’s no such thing as cheating in real fighting,” Ian answers. But he doesn’t sound put out by the accusation. “There’s just winning and losing. Living and dying. Doing what you have to do to survive.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Beckett slide into the chair next to Rain. As that should keep her occupied for a little while, I relax a little and give Ian my full attention.
He’s frowning again. “Are you sure you’re ready for this, Princess?”
“Of course.” I flex my leg, and it only hurts a little. “I think I’m even ready to get my stitches out.”
“Okay, then we’ll start with a few more basic defensive moves.”
