The Moon of Sorrows by PK Lentz

Author:PK Lentz [Lentz, PK]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: IronAge
Published: 2019-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

The interior of the Red Branch III was mostly blue—a bright aquamarine, in fact, which practically induced eye pain. But Arixa didn’t complain. A Shift-capable ship was a ship, and once the Branch was in the subverse, its floors and walls and ceilings would all take on the particular blue of the Blue, as well as ceasing to be floors and walls and ceilings in any meaningful way.

It wasn’t long after departing the concealed Sagaris that the Branch III Shifted. Arixa was used to living in the subverse by now, even if it had been nearly a moon now since she’d experienced it. Ships could only spend ninety hours or so in the subverse before the hull would begin to suffer decay, necessitating an hour’s exit into normal space for the buildup of corrosive molecules to dissipate. Their current trip would require only one such respite, a fraction of the length of the Sagaris’s initial journey from Earth

Arixa’s new pilot imprinting gave her a better understanding of such matters, even if it still wasn’t a particular interest. Machines and their functions were of less import to her than living things.

For the next hundred-plus hours, she was to occupy the machine called Red Branch III with seven living things. The most familiar of them, Vaspa, she shared a berth with. There were enough small living quarters on the Branch III for each to have their own, but Arixa didn’t particularly wish to be alone.

Simply because it gave her a moment’s amusement, she had paired Memnon with Shadow-man, the one who had killed two mutineers practically in front of the Hellene.

The two Eraínn Dearg and Morgana shared quarters, as they had on the Sagaris, for obvious reasons. Only Cinnea and Bowyn kept single berths.

Soon after Shifting, Arixa glided to the former’s small room. “Thank you for helping my people,” she said. “I know you didn’t have to.”

“True.”

“So why did you?”

Cinnea, whose fiery hair was currently as blue as the drinking flask in her hand, pondered before answering. “I have a past. Surely it’s not as interesting and... stabby as yours is, but I’ve done things. Some of them I regret. People have met bad ends because of me. When I have a chance, I try not to let bad things happen to people who don’t necessarily deserve it. Even if they aren’t exactly... friends.”

Arixa smiled. “Ivar?”

“All of them. If I just left them there, I’d regret it. What about you? What do you regret?”

“Not much. Bad things don’t only happen because we were wrong or could have done better.”

She frowned. “Yes. That fits what I’ve heard of you.”

“From Bowyn?”

“From Bowyn. Whatever my reasons for helping Ivar and the rest, you can be sure I’m not doing it for you. You’re a murderer. I liked Eoghan. He made me laugh.” Cinnea stared intensely through the Blue. “Your apology to Bowyn was self-serving. Might not matter to him, but it does to me.”

Hanging silently in the hatch, Arixa met Cinnea’s bitter stare. There were things she could say, arguments she could make.

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