“He’s actually Alexa’s friend.” I gave her a meaningful look. “What’s the deal with you and her? I’d like to know what happened there.”
Ry set her glass down and blew out air. “I probably should’ve had that talk with you before I sent you off into the wild.”
“What do you mean?”
“Catita, the people here don’t belong in our world. Our superiors don’t mind if we fraternize with them. They even encourage it. But you have to understand that they can never be more than a pastime. That goes for your pretty boy, Tek.”
“Is that what Alexa was?”
“She knew exactly what she was getting into. I was also young and stupid back then, dealing with shit. She got caught up in the middle of it.” She shrugged.
“She’s a little too old for you, isn’t she? I didn’t think she’d be your type.” I teased.
“Don’t be a brat.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Three years ago, she looked more my age.”
How different would Ry and I be three years from now? Or five or ten? The main difference between Ry and Alexa and even me wasn’t distance or social status. It was time. Ry had forever.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She poured herself another drink. “It’s not just about how we look on the outside. We have a duty to the Forever Queen. When the time comes, we all have to do what’s right for our people.” She stared at the foam spilling over her glass. “Locals like Alexa and Tek, they’re not part of that equation.”
When the time came, Ry and I were expected to pair off with someone who was genetically compatible. On Mars, procreation wasn’t something that was left to chance.
“I just met the guy. I wasn’t thinking about having his babies.” I waved my hand in dismissal, forcing thoughts of Tek’s sun-kissed chest and the raw energy I felt every time he touched me out of my mind. “I’m not about to make the same mistake as Mom.”
Because resources were limited, only the Forever Queen could grant permission to have a child. There was a test, a process, for it. Mom had failed it but got pregnant anyway. To add to her disgrace, she ended up conceiving twins. All our lives, Ry and I had had to live with the stigma of what Mom had done.
We were lucky Wela was one of the founders of Phoenicis. She used her influence with the Forever Queen to obtain a pardon for us after Mom conceived on her own without consent. The Forever Queen allowed me, the spare, to live. After the trial, Mom was exiled from the city of Immortals and left to die outside the Queen’s Gate.
“These tours to the Old Planet, so far from what we’re used to, can be really trying.” She ambled around the bar and wrapped one arm around me. “It got me thinking about what you should do next. I know you want to be able to do more. Be a pilot, live your life like the rest of us. Wela insists on keeping you in the dark, but I don’t think that’s helping.” She puffed out her cheeks and exhaled loudly, looking around the room. “Just look at tonight’s mess. If you knew the truth, none of this would’ve happened.”
“What truth?”
“The truth about why Mom had to die. It just isn’t fair for you.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure where she was going with that. Mom had been exiled for a good reason. She broke the law. “Does that mean you’ll finally put in a good word for me and have Captain Weston transfer me to pilot detail?”
“Dear sister, you can be anything you want. That isn’t up to me.” She tapped on her wristband, and a hologram message popped up. “Looks like the coast is clear. Come on, let’s get you home. And then you and I are going to have a long conversation. I’m tired of Wela’s half truths.”
“I’m okay with that.” I followed her out of the bar. When our laughter died down, the quiet street made me pause. The way Tek talked about fishing, I would have guessed the fishermen’s work started early in the morning. But the marina was a ghost town. “Where’s everyone?”
“Not sure.” Ry shielded her eyes from the sun. “Usually, by now the vendors have their tents set up and the place is a crowded madhouse.”
“After what happened last night with the fields, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lady Sonja sent everyone home.” I fell in step next to her. “I bet they’re searching for whoever started the fire.”
My chest tightened. Even though he hadn’t said it, something told me Tek had been involved with the attack on the fields. I hoped he was smart enough to avoid getting caught. Lady Sonja would not have any kind of mercy on him or his family.
“You may be right.” She pulled me closer to her. “Come on, the utility vehicle is a few blocks from here.”
“You sure are a looker.” An old man at the end of the street slurred, blocking our way. He waved a gun over his head, then used it to point at Ry. “They said I could have anyone I wanted. I feel like killing something pretty today.”
I glanced at Ry as she shuffled back to shield me. “Drunk and stupid.” She shook her head at him in disapproval. “I don’t have time for this. Step aside, or you’ll regret it.”
“Not much to regret these days. I’ve nothing left. You people. You come and take. Now I’m thinkin’ it’s my turn to do some takin’ of my own. Earn me some creds.”
She focused her luminescent gaze on him, channeling her influence. The guy doubled over in pain, mumbling something like “not her.” After a few seconds, he recovered from Ry’s compulsion. Mouth open, he touched his stomach, then glared at his free hand.
“Not real.” His throaty laugh echoed in the empty alley.
“Enough of you have
