the sound of a w

and welcoming. This was different. This was the slow, deep inhale-exhale of something massive and

e first surprise. She had exp

as not

ey-brown surface of Obsidian Moon far below. The bed she was in was too big, the sheets black, absurdly soft. Someone had taken off he

was draped o

ching the sheet to her ches

her palm was a perfect black circle, the size of a coin, with faint gold veins moving inside it l

touch

dows by the viewport. Lyra

eeves pushed up to his elbows, showing forearms corded with muscle and covered in faint, silver Astral m

en standing there

e was hoarse. "Wher

e is on the table. You are aboard the Imperial Dreadnough

eyes darted to the door. "Is this

atly. He walked over and set a tray down on the bedside table. Water. Actual

t, then at him.

nt shock. Your nervous system was overloadin

s reporting engine di

oat was raw, but she never took her eyes off him. Building rule

your room and

rt changed. It now showed an internal camera feed of the brig. The brig's door - solid Im

on water.

l said. "You were dreaming about

shi

. It is sentient. Semi-sentient. And it a

the room dimmed slightly, then br

. He glared at the c

immed again,

, despite herself.

supposed t

Kael's pale violet e

es

- said it was an or

es

y didn

He set the data-slate down. Whe

t, greedy, and they built a weapon that destroyed Earth. He showed me archive

Lyra instinctively pulled back

has been in my family for four generations and has never disobeyed a direct order,

! I found it an hour ago! I thought it was a power core I could

Kael said. "It's not a power core.

rp pain lanced through her ches

t same second, his hand

that?" L

t his own hand, which was now showing faint b

for the first time, he looked

s a bio

en a Sovereign is in danger, the Protector genome activa

die,

than one hundred meters apart for more than a few minut

telling me I am biologically handcuffed

handcuffed to a sarcastic human who

open before sh

n walk

el's but long and braided with black wires, wearing the white and silver armor of the Royal Gu

yra in the bed, wearing Kael's un

ression

re is a human in your bed, wearing your clothes, and why Father's ent

straighter.

etely at first, and picked up Kael's data-slate fro

Sovereign confirmatio

truth,"

to your private quarters and gave her fruit," Seraphine snapped. She finally looked at Lyra, and her li

silent, threw a pie

Seraphine's p

oor, then at Lyra, in utter disbelief.

said after a beat, but her h

between the

y serious. "He's been calling for twenty min

rained from

chest again, but this time it was fe

will order this ship des

o we do?" Se

looked at Kael. The black

suddenly crackled to life, but not in he

-class warship. Exiting hyperspace in 3 minutes. It

ine we

whispered. "He sent his perso

at, threw it at Lyr

hy

if you die, I die. And I am not ready to die for a g

ched hers, the glowing lines on both their arms flare

w it. Her ey

. "Oh, gods. Y

ip shuddered. Re

than the Revenant, tearing out of hyperspace. A warship sha

he Revenant, a voice Lyra recognized from

Lucien

UR ENGINES AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED. PRESENT THE HUMAN CORPSE

t Lyra. Lyra

ip run?" Lyr

It was not a nice smile. It was

than run," he said. He pre

ht shooting through it, all the

mmanded. "Forbidden

sitated for half a second - and then looke

aced her own palm with the

she wh

venant

in the galaxy tore a hole in reality where no hole should exist - a jump

Lucien screaming