Ryann felt himself being drawn inexorably through the smoke of the broken moon, the wreck rising up before him.
And there, standing high up on the very edge of a torn floor level, there she was. She seemed to glow with a faint blue luminescence, and he could hear her voice in his dream, pulling him closer.
He tried to stir, to force himself to wake up — he knew that he was asleep, but he couldn’t resist the pull of that voice. He was getting closer and closer — he could see her reaching out to him, a glowing figure devoid of all features, the glow of her skin intensifying as he approached.
Ryann felt a terrible fear at the sight of her, but he couldn’t resist.
And then the smoke clouds obscured her for a second. And when they parted, he was no longer upon the broken moon’s surface. He was back in the shadow of the entrance to Station City-7 off his homeworld of Islanotis.
The Luminal ship was whole once again. It hung in space before him, an obsidian monster, dwarfing everything around it.
A green glow began to form within its centre — a terribly familiar glow. That same awful scene had played out when Locke’s ship had destroyed Jean-Baptiste Grande and all his people. But now that rising power was aimed directly at Ryann. He tried to move, to turn away, but the glow grew and grew, until it filled his entire consciousness.
Ryann heard himself cry out and lay gasping in the darkness as the images slowly rolled away. He reached over to the audio controls upon the console behind his bunk, punching at them in disgust.
The recording from the Luminal vessel ceased abruptly, plunging the cabin into silence. With a shaking hand he reached for the lights, blinking in the sudden illumination. He was bathed in sweat. His clock read four-forty in the morning.
Pulling himself wearily from his bunk, he dragged on his flight-suit. He got to his feet and strode out of his cabin, heading purposefully for the shuttle bay.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JEALOUSIES
“No, I didn’t want him to know just yet.”
Ryann heard Angelique’s musical voice just as he turned the corner into the hangar. He pulled up short when he saw her leaning against a landing strut of the Marianne chatting with Mara Kobo. Ryann bristled to see the man leaning over her, his arm resting upon the hull of the Ghost-Runner ship.
At that moment he realised it was such a long time since he had seen her smile in that carefree manner. Her face was illuminated, and he found her more beautiful than ever. He longed to just go up there and hold her, to tell her what he felt for her. But every day of routine together had built an insurmountable wall between them. That awkward, unsaid friendship couldn’t be breached, and any chance of telling her the truth seemed to recede farther each day. He had always thought that things would just happen between them, but seeing Angelique with another man brought everything into sudden focus.
He felt as though his world were falling away.
He went to approach them and then stopped as he saw Mara lean in, his face up close to Angelique’s. He said something that Ryann couldn’t catch, and Angelique threw her head back in laughter.
“No!” she said, ducking out from under Mara’s arm, still smiling to herself. “We’ll tell him when the time’s right.”
At that moment she caught sight of Ryann and pulled up in surprise.
“Ryann!” she exclaimed, running over to him still beaming. “I didn’t expect to see you down here!” She stopped before him as she noticed the look of anger upon his face.
“No, obviously not,” he grunted, his eyes never leaving Mara Kobo. The young man nodded a greeting, then turned, heading towards the hangar exit.
“Remember, we’ve got a pilots’ briefing in five,” he called back to Angelique, and she waved back to him.
“What is it Ryann?” she asked quietly as Mara disappeared out of the hangar, leaving the open space still and silent. “Are you sure you’re recovered, you look —”
“It’s not me that’s the problem!” he heard himself say. The words came out harsher than he had meant, and a look of surprise flashed across Angelique’s face.
Ryann fought the compulsion to continue, but he couldn’t resist.
“So, you’re flying with them now are you?”
“Well, I hardly think the Raven’s up to the job at the moment do you?” she laughed. “But wasn’t it amazing to see her again? Even though she’s in such a sorry state. I was so glad that Grayell rescued her. Look Ryann, I’ve been meaning to say —”
“You don’t need to say anything,” he snapped defensively. “I understand what’s happening.”
Angelique stared at him in concern for a second and then stepped closer, talking quietly.
“We’re trying to help out Ryann. I’ve been working with Anders — fighting fires, towing refugee ships, ferrying survivors to the station. I’m trying to make a difference.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been up to see you, but we’ve been working flat out for the past three days — we’ve barely had time to —”
“I hear what you’re saying. If you haven’t got time, that’s fine — I’ll get going.”
Ryann turned to leave, feeling such a desolation rising up inside as his world fell away from him.
“Ryann, I didn’t say that. What’s wrong?”
“No, go on, I’m sure he needs you,” he cut in angrily. “Better get back to your new ship.”
“Who needs me? Anders?” asked Angelique in confusion. She glanced up as a shuttle came in to land upon the pad beside them. Pushing her hair from her face, she called out above the blast of the thrusters: “I think you just need to go and get some rest — you’re not making much sense. I’ve got to get to this briefing — I’ll see you soon Ryann!” She went to step forward, placing her hand on his arm, but he stepped away, too angry to even look
