about I just hold you?”
“I think one of my tutors said that men would use that to get me into bed.”
“I’ve already got you in bed, so that kind of negates that.”
“Hmm, I suppose.” But she was content to lean into him, to let him close his arms around her and block out the world. “Whatever happens, I’m not sorry.” She didn’t just mean him holding her in this moment, she meant all of it and she wanted him to know.
“No, me either.”
She must’ve slept after that because it seemed like only a few seconds later when the pre-landing alarm sounded. They’d arrived at Lycaos Four.
Mercy quickly righted herself and met her mother in the main part of the ship, with Magnus not far behind.
“When next you see me, you may not recognize me. But I’ll be there,” Eir said.
“You’re not coming with us?” Mercy hated how weak and needy she sounded, but she’d only just found her mother and now she was leaving her again.
“Oh honey, I can’t. Eir is supposed to be dead, remember? I jeopardized not only my cover, but the mission as well. I have to get back to Rollo. But I’ve arranged transport and accommodations.”
“For how long?” Mercy asked quietly and Magnus’s warmth at her back bolstered her.
“For always.” Her mother touched her face.
“You know that’s not what I meant. When will you come back?”
“When I can.” Eir’s eyes were wide, tremulous, but her mouth was set in a grim line. “When I’ve done what I said I would do. I love you, Mercy.”
“Mama,” she whispered.
Eir pulled her into a fierce hug, and to Magnus she said, “You take care of her, do you hear me? And let her take care of you. Think about that before you leave this planet to go charging after revenge. There’s a reason the ancients said it was a dish best served cold.”
She was determined not to cry. Finding out that her mother was alive was a gift. Mercy was determined not to lament such a joyous thing, even if it meant saying goodbye again. She remembered what her mother had told her that last day at the reserve planet.
“Goodbye is not forever.” She hugged her tight.
“Until we meet again, Mercy.”
When the stairs deployed, Magnus took her hand and led her down toward the light.
The first thing she noticed was how bright everything was—even more so than she remembered. The red sun burned high in the sky, supporting all manner of blooming plant life. In fact, the hangar where they’d landed seemed so out of place. It was a harsh, sharp structure that cut through the landscape. It seemed like a terrible blight.
Whispers rustled through the crowd like crinkling of old, forbidden paper. “The Destroyer.”
Of course they knew who he was, but she supposed it was just as well the people didn’t know her.
She wondered if her father was even looking for them, and if he was, if he cared what happened to her or if he only wanted his assets back.
She wished for the first, but assumed the latter.
Mercy shook her head. She’d left that life behind. This was something new—these people before her were people her mother trusted. They wore simple clothes, the men in plain togas, the women in white dresses. Some wore silver jewelry, armlets that seemed to serve as both adornment and armor.
Magnus’s fingers tightened around hers and she felt the waves of emotion that crashed over him.
She realized they knew him because they were Acadians.
Mercy thought about what must be her mother’s grand plan and how meticulously all of the events had to have been orchestrated to get them to this moment. Or how many things had happened by sheer, dumb luck.
The people were bowing down to him.
“No, stop.” His voice broke and then it was Magnus the Destroyer who went down on one knee.
Mercy might have hated them in that moment—the Acadians. She knew without him telling her that this had made the choice for them. Vengeance above all else. She didn’t begrudge him justice, in fact,
“I think one of my tutors said that men would use that to get me into bed.”
“I’ve already got you in bed, so that kind of negates that.”
“Hmm, I suppose.” But she was content to lean into him, to let him close his arms around her and block out the world. “Whatever happens, I’m not sorry.” She didn’t just mean him holding her in this moment, she meant all of it and she wanted him to know.
“No, me either.”
She must’ve slept after that because it seemed like only a few seconds later when the pre-landing alarm sounded. They’d arrived at Lycaos Four.
Mercy quickly righted herself and met her mother in the main part of the ship, with Magnus not far behind.
“When next you see me, you may not recognize me. But I’ll be there,” Eir said.
“You’re not coming with us?” Mercy hated how weak and needy she sounded, but she’d only just found her mother and now she was leaving her again.
“Oh honey, I can’t. Eir is supposed to be dead, remember? I jeopardized not only my cover, but the mission as well. I have to get back to Rollo. But I’ve arranged transport and accommodations.”
“For how long?” Mercy asked quietly and Magnus’s warmth at her back bolstered her.
“For always.” Her mother touched her face.
“You know that’s not what I meant. When will you come back?”
“When I can.” Eir’s eyes were wide, tremulous, but her mouth was set in a grim line. “When I’ve done what I said I would do. I love you, Mercy.”
“Mama,” she whispered.
Eir pulled her into a fierce hug, and to Magnus she said, “You take care of her, do you hear me? And let her take care of you. Think about that before you leave this planet to go charging after revenge. There’s a reason the ancients said it was a dish best served cold.”
She was determined not to cry. Finding out that her mother was alive was a gift. Mercy was determined not to lament such a joyous thing, even if it meant saying goodbye again. She remembered what her mother had told her that last day at the reserve planet.
“Goodbye is not forever.” She hugged her tight.
“Until we meet again, Mercy.”
When the stairs deployed, Magnus took her hand and led her down toward the light.
The first thing she noticed was how bright everything was—even more so than she remembered. The red sun burned high in the sky, supporting all manner of blooming plant life. In fact, the hangar where they’d landed seemed so out of place. It was a harsh, sharp structure that cut through the landscape. It seemed like a terrible blight.
Whispers rustled through the crowd like crinkling of old, forbidden paper. “The Destroyer.”
Of course they knew who he was, but she supposed it was just as well the people didn’t know her.
She wondered if her father was even looking for them, and if he was, if he cared what happened to her or if he only wanted his assets back.
She wished for the first, but assumed the latter.
Mercy shook her head. She’d left that life behind. This was something new—these people before her were people her mother trusted. They wore simple clothes, the men in plain togas, the women in white dresses. Some wore silver jewelry, armlets that seemed to serve as both adornment and armor.
Magnus’s fingers tightened around hers and she felt the waves of emotion that crashed over him.
She realized they knew him because they were Acadians.
Mercy thought about what must be her mother’s grand plan and how meticulously all of the events had to have been orchestrated to get them to this moment. Or how many things had happened by sheer, dumb luck.
The people were bowing down to him.
“No, stop.” His voice broke and then it was Magnus the Destroyer who went down on one knee.
Mercy might have hated them in that moment—the Acadians. She knew without him telling her that this had made the choice for them. Vengeance above all else. She didn’t begrudge him justice, in fact,
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