Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

Orin nodded. “Who killed you?”

“Meteor Mo.” She glanced at his body. “Looks like Shona avenged me. Can you see my clothes anywhere in there?”

Orin walked around the wreckage and collected Casey’s gear. He turned his back as she got dressed and picked up his own clothing. As soon as he had changed, he retrieved Ellylle’s morning glory from his vest and placed it gently on Nathaniel’s chest. He closed the constable’s eyes and stood up. “Sorry I couldn’t save you.”

The bloom promptly sprouted a dozen tendrils. They coiled into the gaping wounds that marred Nathaniel’s chest. Silently, they burrowed through his ribs into his heart. Two of the vines emerged, wrapped around a tiny explosive device. Pushing into its casing, they ruptured it and quietly dropped its wreckage to the sidewalk. The rest of the tendrils filled the holes in his chest and stitched his skin back together, but he remained dead.

“This is the problem with speaking in riddles,” said Orin. “If she’d just told me how to use this stupid flower, he’d still be alive.” He sighed. “And Mackenzie wouldn’t have to be stranded.”

“I don’t know who Mackenzie is, but you don’t owe that man anything,” said Casey. “Imagine what we’d be dealing with if I’d been the one he put out of phase.”

“I guess everything happens for a reason,” said Orin.

She moved around to study Schurke’s device. “Hey, that’s Watchtower!” Casey cinched the last of her straps. “If he’s keeping Shona at bay with a datapad, it’s either a bomb or a dead-man’s switch.”

“It’s a dead-man’s switch,” said Orin. “He wants us to watch as Saxony destroys our ship.”

Casey looked anxious. “You can shield her, right?”

“Holding this moment is draining too much of my power to shield anything, but it’s okay—there’s no need,” said Orin. “On the call, my sister told me she actually waited a couple days to send her message. She suspected Saxony would be in the vicinity, and she wanted to line up her attack without tipping her hand, in case Schurke was listening to her transmission. That text I got just before Knox banished me was Eridani confirming she’s in position.”

“You didn’t feel like sharing this information beforehand?”

“There wasn’t any guarantee she would’ve gotten there in time, and I didn’t want to gum up your plan with maybes,” said Orin.

“You and I need to have a long talk about what counts as tactically relevant information.” She cast him a questioning smirk. “All right, time for you to let go.” She drew her sidearm and took aim at Schurke’s head. “Don’t worry, this is just so he takes me seriously.”

He walked over to April. “You ready?”

“I’m ready,” said Casey.

Orin let go of the moment and felt the weight of exhaustion crash into his body from all around.

◆◆◆

“So, just… wait. If any of you so much as lay a hand on me—Officer Cartwright! Where did you come from?” asked Schurke, and he took a step back.

Casey primed her plasma pistol. “I’ve been here the whole time. You saw exactly what I wanted you to see.”

April dropped her rifle. “Orin?”

“Hey April,” he said with a smile, and she threw her arms around him.

“I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered. “Thank God you’re alive.”

Orin returned the embrace, though his muscles quaked from the exertion. “Hey, I’ve got one more thing to do. I’ll be right back.” He retrieved his phone and approached Schurke from the side, placing a call with Eridani along the way. Orin tapped Schurke’s shoulder. “It’s for you,” said Orin.

Schurke spun around. “But… Constable Knox killed you! I saw it with my own eyes!”

“I don’t think Constable Knox had a complete understanding of his powers,” said Orin. “But that’s beside the point. You should take this call.”

Eridani appeared on screen. “Admiral Schurke,” she said. “My brother’s phone isn’t nearly as big as Imperium’s viewscreen, so much of the detail will be lost, but I’m sure you’ll understand the implications.” She switched the video to an external feed that captured the length and the breadth of the United Planets Star Navy’s flagship from directly overhead. Saxony was a titanic vessel with twin hulls, a colossal S-ring, and dozens of adjustable thruster blades. Several towers rose from her aft section, amidst her outrigger-mounted turrets and ahead of her missile batteries. “I want you to remember this moment.”

“But not before I destroy Watchtower!” said Schurke. He tried to release the button, but his thumb didn’t budge. “What… is going… on?” Desperately, he tried to toss the datapad away, but his hand held fast.

Orin shook his head, his hand glowing softly with blue fire. “Just watch.” Orin forced Schurke to stand up straight and swung the datapad in front of him.

Imperium unleashed her nuclear force destabilization cannons. Three scintillating blasts pumped into Saxony’s reactors, carbonizing them instantly, along with the hull, bulkheads, and passageways on either side of them. Essential power came online, and a fourth blast from the C-beam turned Saxony’s emergency generator into a crumbling pile of coal. The turrets drooped, and every deck went dark.

Schurke sputtered and snorted. “Impossible!”

“Keep watching,” said Eridani. “It’s almost done.” From every deck, tiny lifeboats launched from the flagship, swarming through the void. “Now, look up,” said Eridani.

Glancing overhead, Schurke saw a meteor shower of lifeboats descending through Trionides’ twilight skies. “Enough,” whispered Schurke. Orin release him, and the strength fled Schurke’s body. His datapad fell from his grip. “I surrender.”

“Captain,” said Krané over the commlink. “Please let Orin know that his sister is here.”

Casey laughed, grinning from ear to ear. “Yeah, I think he knows.” She retrieved her restraints and clamped them in place around Schurke’s wrists. “You’ll let me know if these are too tight, won’t you?”

Casey’s teammates hooted and cheered, joined by everyone on Imperium’s command deck.

◆◆◆

Casey and her team stood within the shelter of a starport hangar as April ran pre-flight and Cajun checked the shuttle for damage. Shona and Malmoradan guarded Admiral Schurke and Earth Star’s survivors as they lingered near