We transferred the cargo for the next hour. The transport ship hovered above as we packed crates, sending them up and into the hold beneath the night’s dark expanse. The moon was a sliver of light high overhead, glowing orange. Whenever the fog lifted enough for light to escape.

  “That’s it. Let's wrap up.” Nox called out. I could park Lucy on our larger ship, bask in the glow of victory with my crew, but instead I headed off on my own. Worry was a knot in my gut and I simply didn’t want to be around anyone. I needed to send a message as soon as I was able, tomorrow. Should I tell Nia to run, or would that be too obvious? Could she still play it off, frame someone else?

  I steered Lucy alongside our ship at first, but soon I craved speed. Revving the engine and pushing her to the max, I followed the twists and turns of the crimson river, lit only by the miniscule moonlight.

  Our ship would catch up, but the illusion of freedom would have to suffice. At night, the ashy black dunes atop the cliffs resembled shadowy waves, but it all dropped away until it felt as if I was flying through space, dark above and below. I basked in the gentle thrum of the wind and ripples of the river. Gently, I eased my hands off the handles, spreading them to my sides, pretending I was floating in nothingness.

  I didn’t stray far from the river, of course; the dunes held more horrors than the mysterious river. A hundred years ago, our clan was thriving so much we built a vast city not far from here. But when we betrayed the Monstravi, the land itself shriveled and turned to ash as monstrous creatures took over the land and hunted high in the sky. We thought it was just a scary bedtime story that the Monstravi were the creators. We were wrong.

  “You worry about her.” Nox’s voice pierced the silence surrounding me.

  I jumped in shock and veered to the side as I put my hands back on the steering.

  “Bloody beasts, Nox!” I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t even hear him. Granted, our hover bikes were quiet to begin with, but still.

  He chuckled. “Sorry, Naomi. I wasn’t trying to sneak.”

  I shot him an unamused look.

  “Fine, maybe a little.” His smile dropped as he flew alongside me. “We’ll send an encrypted message tomorrow. She’ll be fine, you don’t give her enough credit.” He smirked then. “She would never have let me sneak up on her— Ow!” he said as I punched his arm.

  “Fine, I deserved that.” He grinned again, and a smile tugged at me at last.

  “You’re right. We’ll send the message. She’ll cover herself. Life goes on.” If I kept saying it, maybe I’d believe it. “Thank you. You had my back today.”

  He grunted. “I didn’t expect him. We knew it would be guarded but… maybe I got too cocky…”

  “Who did we lose?” I cut him off before he could blame himself.

  “Sampson and Peter.”

  I wasn’t close to them, but I had known them most of my life. They were the sons of my parents' friends, but we never quite got along growing up. It was strange they were gone now. We rode in silence for a while after that.

  Nox had a dark look on his face, his usual cheeriness long gone. Here I was worried about my sister while he was beating himself up over losing two men.

  “You did everything you could. You couldn’t have known they would have a Guardian, let alone a godtouched one.” He grunted, clearly not convinced. I didn’t know what else to say. Nia would know if she were here. I revved the engine. Distraction I could do.

  “Last one to the Rog Port has to buy drinks.” I shot off around a bend with Nox hot on my tail.

  We pulled up to the port after our ship. It had shot over us at some point, a dark shadow crossing our paths. It was twice the size of the ship we had seized earlier. By now, that ship was well on its way to Ozoma’s City. Normally we would claim it, but it very likely had a tracking device. The ship would arrive with the crew still locked below decks. How embarrassing for them.

  We pulled into a narrow turn before the river widened. We were in a portion that was off from the primary thoroughfare, hidden some ways back, but still wide enough that we weren’t too close to the dunes. The cliffs weren’t quite as tall here and for a moment it almost looked like an abandoned lake. It looked still except there were several strange things floating high above the water. A glimpse of a hull here, a piece of a sail there. No unsuspecting person would spot them in the dark.

  “Is that another hole?” I asked, pointing up to the right.

  Nox followed my arm and grunted. “Yeah, big enough for a hoverbike to fly through.”

  I shook my head and sighed. Our cloaking technology needed repair and higher power. It kept us hidden from predators, both human and otherwise, and prevented our technology and lifesigns from being detected.

  We slowed down and pulled even with the Hook, which was a creatively named rock formation shaped like a fishing hook. My shield was off, so I was able to pass through, the transition undetectable except that the port was suddenly visible. Nox and I parked our hoverbikes at the usual dock, on the south side of the hovering port.

  A hodgepodge of ships hovering at various heights were linked via ladders, planks, walkways, and stairs, coalescing into our mobile port. I loved the unplanned chaos of it all, but it used to drive Nia up the wall. It was named the Rog Port, ROG for short, for its location over the River of Gore. It started as our clan's refuge; as we branched into trade, it became a waystation for traders. This region was not tied to any city or government so it also tended to attract characters that valued privacy, hence the cloak.

  Some ships were dangerously low tonight, almost touching the river. We had had to release ships before. There was not even a skeleton visible where they sank. The depth was indeterminable and completely opaque. Thank the Monstravi we got more bloodchrome tonight.

  It was late, but those still up smiled so broad their faces could crack when they realized we were successful. Some were partners, parents, and friends. My own parents were nowhere to be seen. They didn’t even bother anymore. Our fans stood out in their midriffs, tight skirts and bare burly chests. Nox had his own fan base, each crew leader typically did; the more dramatic the raid, the more they got fawned over. He was promptly dragged off to celebrate and get his next tattoo between drinks no doubt.

  I spied Don unloading at the dock, his muscles on display in a sleeveless top. He looked good. Burning off the excess adrenaline with him sounded tempting, but I didn’t want any company right now. I slipped away before anyone could spot me.

  I hopped from deck to deck, climbed a ladder, crossed a wobbly plank, over someone’s roof, and into my ship at last. Inside I passed through the small kitchen and living room to settle in my bedroom. I used to spend a lot of time in the living room or on the deck, but without Nia and Nox, the space felt hollow. My mind kept veering back to the last time a leak was caught. His body was hung at the entrance to their city for a month. I clenched my eyes shut. I couldn’t think about this, I couldn’t. I didn’t even bother with the lights, so I dove for the bed, praying sleep would smother my dark thoughts. I’d wash up in the morning.

  —

  Outside, the morning was in full swing, the sun already risen over the cliffs. I could barely hear the usual creaking of the ships shifting in the wind over the clambering of steps, talking, and people working as I made my way to the black cargo ship, where the haul was most likely already being divvied. I smelled a delicious aroma nearby and veered left, cutting across a stranger’s path. They shouted a curse, but I ignored them.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Morning, Benny,” I said as I leaned on the window of his tiny shop. He was standing at his stove, a mess of teapots, frying pans, and ovens.

  “Morning, Naomi,” he responded without looking up. “Perfect timing, the Jasmine tea is about ready.” Benny moved about with practiced ease in his closet-sized kitchen. I eyed the crowds filling up the walkway as I waited. It seemed a bit busier than usual, but that wasn’t unusual after a big haul.

  “Here ya go, love,” Benny announced as he plopped an enormous blue mug in front of me.

  I wrapped my hands around its warmth and took a cautious sip. “Mmmm. Thank you, Benny.” He smiled, his wrinkles increasing, and leaned his elbows on the counter. Benny was a bit shorter than me, with straight black hair and a scruffy gray beard. He had kind eyes and a sagging belly.

  “Did I miss anything exciting?” I asked.

  “Somehow I doubt anything going down here is more exciting than your job last night.” He laughed. “But I heard that the singer of the band you wanted to see was so drunk during the show last night, she forgot some lyrics.”

  My eyebrows rose. “No way. Did she really?”

  He grinned. “Yeah, supposedly her missus left her for messing around so she got sloshed before the set.”

  I snorted and took another soothing sip. “Musicians, so dramatic.” If I had stayed for the show, maybe Nia wouldn’t be at risk right now. I knew it was illogical to think my presence was the sole reason he got away, but I couldn’t help feeling like a failure.

  Benny peered around as if checking for eavesdroppers. “Is it true what I heard? Did you really get a vial of bloodchrome?”

  I tried to keep a straight face. “Where did you hear that?” Benny brewed tea during the day and mixed drinks at night. I suspected some drunk revelers let slip. He gave me a look and I knew that was exactly what happened. I wasn’t sure I should share. But it was only a matter of time before he figured it out anyway. The more I shared, the more discounts I got.

  “It’s true. But the Guardian laid a trap for us. He seemed more interested in how we knew to be there.”

  He stood taller at that, the humor leaving his face. “You went up against a Guardian? Bloody beasts, Naomi. Were you injured?” His concern felt genuine and I was reminded why I liked him so much.

  “Just a shallow cut, Nox had my back. We lost two though.”

  Benny frowned for a moment, then turned back to check on his kitchen. He stirred some gallo pinto which smelled divine. “Well, I’m glad you made it back in one piece.”

  I leaned forward. “Have you heard if we can send comms out yet?”

  “Yeah, I heard the carrier was due to arrive in about an hour.”

  “Thanks, Benny. What’ll you need?”

  “If you come across some new teas or spices, bring em my way,” he said with his back still turned.

  “Will do.”

  I finished the last of my tea, leaving the mug. He knew I’d pay after I got my share. We didn’t use tender; most of us preferred exchanging services or goods. I squared my shoulders and went straight to the cargo hold since the carrier wasn’t quite here yet. Sure enough, the deck was swamped with people haggling over long tables. I spied several crates of things that had not yet been released. Rosemary stood next to one of said crates.

  “Morning, Naomi, I set aside some clothes, boots, and tea just in case.” Rosemary was wearing a long red skirt with a loose yellow top today. Her long brown hair was loose in waves about her shoulders.

  “Thanks, Rose, you are the best.” I kissed her left cheek. Sure enough, in a bag right behind her were a pair of lovely new black boots, knee high with steel toes. There were a few pairs of pants and tops, practical sturdy ones, like I preferred, and some loose teas and a few spices.

  “I knew you would need to get a communication out, so I didn’t want you to be held up,” Rosemary said with a gentle smile.

  “Yeah. I’ll head that way next. Thank you again. See you at the pub tonight?”

  Rosemary shook her head. “I’m gonna hang back with the tiny monsters tonight. You have fun though.”

  I smiled, pulled the bag over my shoulder and cut through the crowd back to the main walkway. A few men and women eyed my bag greedily, but one peek at my tattooed neck and they backed off immediately.

  The communication array was at the top of the crusty old cruise ship. We could only send messages once per day as we didn’t want our signals picked up. I had an hour, but I wanted to be there early in case there was a line. Luckily, there were only three people standing outside the door. I stood behind them and leaned back against the peeling wall.

  We were on the top floor of the ship, standing outside what used to be the main steering deck. There was a large pool one deck below with a slew of kids screaming and playing. It was starting to get chilly this time of year, but that didn’t stop them. I doubted it was heated since we tended to preserve what power we had, but after last night, we were in a better place, so maybe they were splurging. I smiled softly, their laughter and glee contagious.

  After the longest twenty minutes of my life, the door swung open. Inside, the captain nodded up at me, then returned to whatever he was working on. Behind him, Alexa waved me over. “Hi Naomi, you know the drill. Write your message here and load it in.”

  I wrote a brief message warning Nia that her cover could be investigated soon. It was in our own sister code, but we kept the communications to a minimum to be safe. I wished I could call her, but that technology was forbidden in Xenalba. It was a godtouched city, and they swore off most technology. The letter was carried by an alarmingly large wasp-type creature, which would then fly it to her. Said wasp was perched on the back of a chair patiently waiting. It was black with shimmering green wings. Its triangular head and large black eyes were unnerving. I knew it wouldn’t attack though, because its abdomen was decorated in pearlescent filigree designs. Blood chrome infused, its magic compelled the creature to do my sister’s bidding. Technology was beneath the god touched. They had creative solutions to supplement their lavish lifestyles, using live creatures to send messages and tiny bugs as tracking devices. It made it difficult to scan for such things.

  Task complete. It would be days before I heard back. I should probably update Nox though. I made my way back home. It was close to lunchtime now, and I was starting to feel a bit peckish. Luckily, Nox had made grilled fish and left some out for me. I devoured it then lay back on my bed after. Thoughts of all the horrible things that could happen to Nia swirled in my head. I closed my eyes to rid them, trying to focus on the positive. Exhaustion weighed me down as I drifted to sleep.

  I woke up to a very familiar smell. Jasmine and brine. I must really miss her if I was imagining smells now. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion.

  “I forgot how adorable you are when you sleep,” Nia said from above me somewhere. My eyes snapped open. There she was. Towering over me. Here. At home.

  I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. She grinned at my confusion and leaned down to wrap me in a tight hug. “Hi Sis. I bet you missed me.”

  She felt like home. I squeezed her tight as a sense of content seemed to seep through me, leaving all my jumbled nerves and muscles relaxed. I took a deep breath with her soft hair under my cheek.

  She was safe.

  After a moment, we separated and I finally found my voice.

  “I missed you more than you know.” I cleared my throat, ignoring the sting in my eyes. “But how are you here?”

  Her smile was somehow tinged with sadness and tears prickled at her eyes but didn’t fall. I wasn’t sure if it was because she was so happy to see me or sad she had to leave. “I know you have a million questions. But first. Food.” She shoved a bowl of fresh fruit into my hands. Berries from the city, hard to get out here. “Then a shower.” With that, she got up and moved over to the tiny breakfast nook. She sat and cradled a mug in her hands, waiting for me to eat. I huffed and took a bite. Tangy juice exploded in my mouth, yum.

  “Explain,” I said before taking my next bite. “How are you here already?” She was evading. She would never be here unless she absolutely had to. Not that I was bitter or anything.

  “Don’t you want to know what I’ve been up to first? It’s been three years.” She handed me a canteen. “Water?”

  I drank gratefully. “I want to hear everything. But, how are you here? The message was sent only a few hours ago at most,” I peered at my clock. It was only late afternoon.

  “I left right after dropping the tip. I’m here on unrelated business.” She was twisting the end of her shirt around her finger, her eyes darting around the room. Either she was looking for any changes, or she was nervous about something. In fact, she had been stalling since I woke up. I frowned.

  “Nia, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Can’t I take a brief vacation and see my only sister?” She made big innocent eyes at me.

  I took her in. She was wearing nice clothing, a long black skirt with a soft garment wrapped around her top and held in place with gold clinches shaped like orb weavers. Typical Syndicate scholar attire. Her onyx braids were arranged in a crown, with tiny golden rings adorning them. She was even wearing some makeup to accentuate her chocolate brown eyes. She stood out as a target here; I was surprised she hadn’t changed. But something in her tense stance, in the way her eyes kept shifting, was concerning.

  I set the bowl and mug aside, sitting up straighter and waited.

  She only lasted four seconds.

  “Fine, you’re right.” She grumbled as she slumped in defeat. “I’m in trouble.”