Page 201 of Star Bringer
“For me?” she repeats, sounding wary.
“For the Rebellion.” I fill her in on the details—the Wilds, theReformer, the raiders and human traffickers. And some other stuff, too—the heptosphere, theStarlight. Maybe more than I should, but it feels nice to talk to my mom. To see her nod. I finish with, “The people I’m with have money. We can pay for your help.”
“You’re talking about a chance to strike back at the bastards who tortured my daughter and more than likely murdered my son. I’d do it for free.” My brows go up—my mother doesn’t do anything for free.
Before I can even ask her about it, she gives me a rueful smile. “I’m glad I don’t have to, mind you, but I would.”
Now that sounds much more like my mother.
“We’re going to need weapons. And someone to cause a diversion so we can sneak in and find Milla and Jarved.”
“What kind of weapons are you thinking about?” she asks, all business now.
I pull up the list Merrick, Ian, and I put together this morning and rattle off what we need.
She whistles. “That’s a lot of firepower, baby girl.”
“Our information tells us there are a lot of guards. And a lot of security.”
She nods her understanding. “Are you sure you want to get yourself involved in this? It seems like there’s a lot of potential to get captured again—”
“He’s my brother,” I tell her. “I have to check.”
Her smile is sad but proud. “You wouldn’t be my daughter if you didn’t.” She glances down at the list she typed on her own console. “It’s going to take me a few days to get this together.”
“That’s okay. We’re several days away from Glacea.”
“How do you know I’m still there?” she asks. “I could be anywhere.”
“You could,” I agree. “But I recognize the wall behind you. It’s from the rebel base on Glacea.”
“You never did miss a trick,” she answers with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her sad eyes. “I’ll see you soon, my darling.”
“I’ll see you soon, Mom.”
“Before you go,” she says. “Who are these people you’re with? Just so I know what to expect.”
This is where it gets tricky. Do I tell her everything?
In the end, I settle for the truth that isn’t actually the whole truth. “Just some people from when theCaelestisexploded,” I say vaguely. “They were escaping the wreck and let me come along with them.”
“TheCaelestis?” Her eyes sharpen, lose the softness reserved for me and my brother, and become the cold, dead eyes of a woman who looks like she actually deserves the nickname Butcher of Narreth.
“The crown princess went missing from the space station,” she mentions in a pondering tone. “Along with the high priestess from Serati.”
“Seems like you know a lot about it,” I say.
“It’s my job to know about it.” She gives me a hard look through the screen. “Are you traveling with Princess Kalinda?”
And now I’m cornered. “I’m not sure she’s a princess anymore,” I hedge. “She and the Empress had a huge blowout.”
“Their types always do.” My mother waves a careless hand. “But when it comes down to it, they’re always loyal to each other. The Empire above all else—even human decency. We’ve seen it a million times.”
Normally, she’s right. But I still don’t think Kali will go back. I saw her face on that roof, when she was fleeing from her mother’s soldiers. And I’ve seen her since, when she’s trying not to think about all the terrible, terrible things her mother has done. But I’m not naive enough to say something as incendiary asKali’s different, Mom. Partly because I’m still getting used to the idea that she is and partly because my mother won’t care. She’s very clear about what her mission statement is, andDeath to the Empireis a big start.
Which is why I’m not even surprised when she gives me a speculative look. She says, “Kill the princess, and you can tell your friends that I’ll give them the weapons—and the aerial support—for free. Choose to keep her alive, and the deal will cost them. Probably more than they have to give.”
Of that, I have no doubt. My mother has a way of making people wish they’d never been born—including me, on occasion. It’s not the way I like to live, but I get that sometimes it’s a necessity.
