By the Empress's Command (Aeon 14: The Empire Book 3) by M. D. Cooper

Author:M. D. Cooper [Cooper, M. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Wooden Pen Press
Published: 2020-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

Piiryo’s light was fading when the squad finally reached the shore, the Impera Protego annoyingly energetic after what Diana found to be an exhausting forced march.

Knowing that they’d spend the night within earshot of the lapping waves made it all worthwhile—if for no other reason than the larger bugs seemed less interested in the cool, briny air.

“Not me,” she whispered to herself while walking across the narrow beach to the water, stopping when it reached her knees. “Give me the sea.”

“Technically, it’s already yours,” Petra said. “However, we don’t really know what’s in here, so it’s probably not a good idea to go too deep.”

The empress shot her a worried look. “I thought I was impervious?”

“Probably, yeah, but a crocodile could still pull you under and roll you on the bottom till you drowned.”

“Dammit,” Diana spat the word. “Don’t ruin the sea for me.”

The other woman had the good grace to look embarrassed for her misstep. “Sorry…that was poorly worded. I mean, I’d never let that happen—same for Merl and the rest. Just an example of why we should be careful.”

The empress nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Sorry I snapped. Just been a heck of a day.”

Petra reached for her hand. “That’s for sure.”

The two women stood next to one another, chests rising slowly as they let the pristine planet’s stillness wash over them.

After a few minutes—during which Priiyo’s light diminished to a ruddy smear on the western horizon—Petra pointed up. “Look.”

“Stars,” Diana whispered. “It’s all just stars.”

Petra nodded. “Not very often you see a night sky like this. Usually, there’s a thousand ship engines burning in the black.”

“Not to mention hundred-kilometer stations drifting overhead,” the empress added. “I can see why the ancients traced pictures in what they saw.”

“Yeah, I can too,” Petra said. “They’re beautiful. So full of promise.”

“Most of the stars around here are taken…by assholes, too, if I’m honest.”

“Hey, now who’s ruining whose peaceful musings?”

Diana pressed herself into Petra’s side. “Sorry.”

“Forgiven. We should go back, though. Merl and his crew will wonder what we’re up to.”

“They can see us, they’ve got those eyes.”

“Fair enough. Still, we should eat and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s another long march.”

The empress sighed. “No rest for the weary.”

“Psh, a full night’s rest! I’m not a monster.”

“Kinda look like one.”

Petra winked a black eye while sliding a hand down Diana’s side. “You like me like this.”

“Mmhmm,” the empress hummed in appreciation. “Do you think the others would mind if we did it here on the beach?”

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