Page 90 of Star Bringer
Which, in turn, makes me lash out more. Because what the fuck does she have to be hurt about?
“What? You control the food and, through the Corporation, the technology. Where people live. What they do. How they die—which is miserably, by the way. The whole system is built around your time zones, your orbits, your years. Is it any wonder they hate you?”
She opens her mouth to argue, then shuts it again.
“Hey, the fact that the sun is failing isn’t Kali’s fault,” Max defends her. “Everyone is suffering.”
“You saw that dress she was wearing.” I turn to Kali. “You ever know what it’s like to think about drinking your own urine because you’re so desperate for water? Except you’ve got nothing to pee because it’s been so long since you drank anything.”
She looks away. Yeah, as much as I am coming to not full-on despise Kali, I hit a chord there. And it feels good. If she’s not all bad yet, I’m sure the Empress will guarantee that happens soon.
“So, you think it could have been the rebels?” Gage asks.
I shrug. “Who knows?”
Ian snorts. “Come on, Beckett. It’s not as though you wouldn’t have a good idea.Fly Freeand all that.”
So, he knows. I did wonder. “How?”
“You talk in your sleep. Or yell, more like it.”
“Wait. You’re a rebel?” Kali demands. She’s got her hands clenched into fists now, and her face is suffused with rage. Or as much rage as a little princess like her can manage.
I narrow my eyes. Take off the mask I wear that hides my own rage. Which could bury her little candle of anger in one fell swoop, if I ever let it loose.
“You murdered my father,” she snarls.
“I didn’t, no. But I wish I had.” It’s a shit thing to say, but I don’t care. I’m sick of this little fuck always playing the victim.
Kali lets out a screech of anger and lunges for me. “We should have left you on theCaelestisto burn.”
Oh, goody, a fight. Even injured and recovering from who knows what, I’m more than up for kicking her candy ass.
I brace myself for a hit that never lands. Ian grabs her before she can get to me and holds her back.
“Spoilsport,” I tell him.
He rolls his eyes.
“The rebels blew my father up,” Kali cries out. “They killed him for their own selfish reasons—”
“And the Empress’s forces killed my father, just because they could,” I shoot back, getting in her face the way I’ve been dying to since the very first day. “Even though he wasn’t a rebel. Even though he had neverbeena rebel. They came for him in the middle of the night, tortured him to death right in front of me and my baby brother. And a few years later, they came back for Jarved. They kidnapped and killed him, too.” Or at least I’ve always believed they did. Now that I’ve been on theCaelestis, I can’t help wondering if he’s out there somewhere, locked up with Ian and Max’s Milla.
All I know is that I have to find out, so yeah, I’m down with following Ian’s lead here. If he finds Milla, maybe I’ll find Jarved.
“Okay, can we all just take a deep breath—” Max starts.
“I’m not done,” I snap at him before turning back to Kali. “You may want to keep living in your little fantasy land, but I’m sick as fuck of indulging you. Take a look around, Princess, at the people you’re traveling with. The people who have saved your life more than once in the last few days. Every single one of them, except maybe Rain over there, has suffered—badly—at the hands of your family. You think because we don’t whine about it all the time, it doesn’t count. That we haven’t been hurt just as badly or worse than you. But you’re wrong. The only difference between us and you is that we chose to save you anyway.
“You think I didn’t have the spaceship ready to go before you and Ian returned from your little adventure the other night? I could have left you to burn.” I deliberately use the same word she did a couple of minutes ago. “But I didn’t do it, and neither did they. Outlaw, murderer, thief, rebel. Looks like we’re all better than you and yours.”
Even though I know I should stop, even though part of me wants to, in this moment, I can’t.
“So fuck you, Princess, and fuck your whole evil little Empire.”
Chapter 33
Beckett
