The Constant Star (58)

THE STORY SO FAR

If I was a true Jupiter I would have killed you to save them, I know that is what I should have done. But it was too late. All I could do was watch and wait, knowing what would be necessary when the time came.”

“You wanted me to die?”

“I wanted you to live! You chose death when you chose selfishness! And you chose the deaths of every soul not only in that village, but also on the ship you betrayed. Those men, women and children fighting and dying because you gave a crazed rebellion leader access to Janus.”

“She isn’t crazed. She’s my friend. And where they live and how they’re treated is deplorable. I was there, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. They just wanted to talk and negotiate peace, but you attacked them! We sent your soldiers back unharmed, and you repaid us with violence! Of course they fought back!”

“Child, you are so naive. We received our security forces back, but they had all been executed on the elevator. Made to kneel and shot in the back of the head. Not a single person was spared. Your leader wanted a fight. Your friend lied to you.”

“No, that’s not true. She asked me and I said to spare them. We sent them back up alive—“

“Open your eyes, Siff! She used you! She never cared about you! She just wanted what you could give her! Skita, who do you think told us you were down here?!”

“No! No! She’s my friend!”

“She used you, and when she was done with you she tried to use us to execute you. She’s not your friend, Siff. You need to let that notion go right now. Your greatest concern needs to be self-preservation. If you give the Council enough evidence they may spare your life. Maybe. Think about your future, and where your selfish decisions have led you up ’til now. It’s about damn time you started caring about the lives of others. We need to stop this rebellion before it causes any more damage. And you may have the answers that are needed. If you give them voluntarily you may be spared. But if they have to take them from you…you will not survive. Now eat.” He tosses her a piece of venison and sits against a tree, “We need to be ready to move at a moments notice. As soon as I receive the signal that the Gate is ours, we have to run. If we go through and the Rebellion has claimed it, we will be shot on sight. Eat.”

Siff picks up the piece of meat and chews on it. Like everything else in this world, it tastes amazing. She is not sure who to trust. Macy has never lied to her, surely her father is trying to manipulate her. But who else could have known about her jump? Did word get leaked somehow? Could Macy have done it? No. Could she? I don’t know. Could she have killed those prisoners? I don’t know! Dammit!

Siff sits in silence and eats, doubts upon doubts reverberating in her mind. Can she trust Macy? Can she trust her father? Thrust into the middle of a war she didn’t see coming. She thought she had a side, and people died. She thought she had found a new home here, and that…that ended in death also. Maybe he’s right. Maybe every decision I make leads to people dying. Maybe I’m the cause of all this suffering. I mean, if I wasn’t here all my friends would still be alive. And Lucas! He didn’t deserve that, none of them did. This was supposed to be a secret. How did the Council find out?

Her father rests against the tree, dozing gently. Every now and then he glances to his helmet, checking for the signal that it is safe to cross over. He is not expecting the blade to come at his throat, stopping as it begins to cut the skin. His intake of breath alerts Siff to the danger and she watches as the hidden assailant moves slowly into sight. A burned cowl covers his face, but Siff knows who it is before he pushes the hood back. Lucas’ face is burnt on the right side, pieces of cloth stuck to his features from the heat and blood. She wonders how much of his body must be like that: looking at the cloak, possibly his whole right side. Even so, he holds the sword with his right hand against Jupiters’ throat, a spear in his left supports his weight, “Do not move any part of you. If you do, I will kill you. I get the feeling you are very mortal in this place, the blood on your neck is confirming it.” His voice is raspy, his throat must have been burned as he tried to breathe. Siff is so grateful he survived, but terrified of his wrath. His attention has not shifted from Jupiter, “You. You killed everyone I ever loved. Unlike you, I am merciful. Unlike the ones I loved, you have one chance to live. Convince me not to kill you.”

47

Jupiter sits between a tree and a blade, his blood slowly dripping into his armor. Lucas stands with pure furious energy, waiting for his god to speak. Siff sees the pain of faith and love betrayed, of grief that swallows reason. Her father is wise, but she has no idea how he is going to survive this. She tries to interject, “Lucas I—”

“I’ll get to you in a moment.” Lucas points at her with his spear, but his piercing gaze does not leave Jupiter, “Stay seated.” Siff shrinks back in fear and waits. Only her father can save them now.

“All my life I was taught of the wonder of the gods. Their beauty and holiness. The stories of how we came to be, the legends of those loving parents who raised us and protect us from afar. The dream of attaining enough purity in ourselves

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