Nick James - Crimson rising

I watch Theo sink to the ground in the distance. He’s on his knees now, smirking.

A shadow falls over him. I crane my neck to see a dark ship approaching. A round of detonations rings against what’s left of the dome, breaking the remaining glass. A Unified Party Cruiser flies into the city, so low that we’re forced to duck as it comes barreling overhead.

It loops around, just above the buildings of the city, and opens fire.

The Drifters shoot up from the ground one after another behind us, darts of green piercing the sky with staggering speed. In seconds, they’re out of sight, taking Sem and Talan with them. I wish I had time to tell them to stay, but they’re frightened. It’s instinctual.

We’re alone.

I pull energy from all around me-what’s left in the air, what’s left in the ship itself-and prepare for an attack. But the cruiser doesn’t fire on us. Instead, it lets loose a barrage of ammunition at the edge of the sinking ship, carving enormous craters in the pavement. Theo disappears in a cloud of smoke.

The cruiser makes a diagonal descent, aimed at the widest portion of open space available. Just when I think it’s going to set down, it makes a sharp turn and crawls toward us, inches from the ground.

I see the outline of Madame’s figure behind the glass of the cockpit. I watch her grab a device on the wall beside her and hold it to her lips. The front of the cruiser hisses as the outside speakers switch on.

“I’m opening the side hatch.” Her voice is amplified as it streams from the cruiser. “I strongly suggest you come inside. Altair is poised to hit the Surface in less than a minute. I’m afraid there’s no time for dawdling.”

I glance at Cassius. We stand together. Us. Avery. Skandar. Eva.

The dome collapses completely. Shards of fiberglass rain on the decimated city, joining the rubble from the explosions. Theo’s body is somewhere behind the cruiser, though it may have fallen into the ship when Madame’s firepower crumbled the ledge.

“We have to go,” Cassius whispers. “We have to.”

I nod, then meet eyes with the others to let them know it’s okay.

It’s really not, especially with Madame in the pilot’s seat, but it’s our only choice. Escape with her or die in Altair’s imminent explosion.

I lead the charge toward the cruiser, hands over my head to shield from falling rubble. Madame is dangerous. We shouldn’t be allying ourselves with her like this, but there isn’t time. This is survival.

The inside of the cruiser feels clean. We pile in, all six of us, before the hatch shuts. Immediately the ship gains altitude. We’re thrown to the back as Madame climbs into the air.

When I’m able to stand, I rush to the nearest window and peer outside, trying to spot Skyship Altair.

I catch sight of it just as the lower levels plunge into the ground. An intense, miles-long fireball ripples from the underbelly and spreads up, demolishing every piece of the structure. Buildings collapse on the top level, pulled toward the surface, folding in on themselves. There were evacuees-I saw them. But there’s no way that every single resident found their way off the ship in time. There wasn’t enough warning. Nobody knew what was going to happen.

If Theo hadn’t perished before, he’s surely dead now. That’s a small consolation, considering the rest of the casualties. But it’s not enough.

Avery comes to my side and throws her arm around my shoulders. She pulls me close. We collapse on the floor, together. I’m done. I can’t do anything. I can barely move.

This is it. This confirms it.

I’m no hero.

Cassius forced himself into the cockpit, breathing hard. Madame glanced briefly to acknowledge him.

“Have a seat.”

He strode to the co-pilot’s station and collapsed in the chair. He wanted to put up a fight, to curse her out or hijack the ship, but he didn’t have the energy. He was afraid that he’d never be able to get up from this position again.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

He turned his body so that he could stare at her without moving his head back and forth.

“Theo.”

She turned the cruiser southward, which was fine because Cassius didn’t want to look at the smoldering blaze that used to be Skyship Altair. The farther they went, the more relaxed he’d be.

“I always knew he was dangerous,” she continued. “Rough and unbalanced, but I sensed something in him. Something similar to what I sensed in you at that age. And when I found him, I knew I needed to keep an eye on him. Anything that connects back to you, Cassius, is important to me.”

"I’m nothing like him,” he countered.

“Apparently not.”

He met her eyes, only for a moment. It was hard to summon up any fear-or even much loathing-for her after what just happened. Somehow Madame paled in comparison to the Authority.

She stared forward, focused on the skies. “You know what they say about keeping your enemies close. I track all of my children, but Theo was different. He needed constant monitoring. He didn’t arrive with a message like you had. I didn’t know where he was from, but I always knew where he was going.”

“You tracked him?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “You didn’t think I’d let him roam free, did you?”

“Then why didn’t you do something sooner?”

“That Fringe ambush in Syracuse stole the wind from my sails. I was without an army, but they could never take my wits. I escaped, at the expense of my battalion.”

She glanced sideways at him. “But as you know, there are always more soldiers. They’re expendable. You and Fisher? You’re keepers.”

“Stop gloating.” He felt his fist begin to burn, eager to release a torrent of flame. He could do it if he wanted. He could drag her to the floor, knock her unconscious, and be done with it.

She pursed her lips. “You know I don’t approve of such things. The fact is, we’ve entered a new stage now.”

He scoffed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“I’m sure you’ll tell me in good time. You never were one to hide things.” She paused. “For now, what has come between us in the past must be regarded as history. I’m willing to-”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Her brows raised. “Would you rather I’d left you there to die? Do you think this is easy for me, Cassius?”

“You always meddle. Some things are bigger than you.”

“You’ve been through quite an ordeal,” she said. “I understand.”

“Stop it. Stop talking like that.”

“Like what?”

He grit his teeth. “Like you’re being filmed or something. Like you’re playing a different person. I don’t want you here. I hate you.”

She remained silent for a moment, eyes on the sky.

“You have nowhere else to go. Word of this will spread, and spread quickly. The Tribunal will blame an event like this on the Unified Party-”

He grabbed his hair, face shielded from her. “I don’t care.”

“True or not,” she continued. “That’s what they’ll do. This may trigger the war we’ve always feared. It will be traced back to you and Fisher. Maybe not immediately, but it will happen. You are not safe anywhere.”

He looked up at her, eyes watering. “And I’m safe with you?”

She sighed. “You are familiar with me. That will have to do.”

“I could kill you right now.” He shook his head. “All it takes is a thought.”

“You could.” Madame smiled, then let out a soft chuckle. “But you won’t. We both know that.”

Cassius turned away. He couldn’t look at her anymore. He couldn’t watch her smile as everything sunk around them. He glanced out his windshield.