Taryn looked at her differently. Not kindly, but less like cargo.
Audrey scooted closer and dropped her voice. “Is there a Silo here?”
Taryn nodded. “One is public. Others are illegal.”
“Can you get us to one?”
A long moment passed. “Yes,” she whispered. “I know one.”
Audrey should have heard only the usefulness in that answer. Instead, relief rushed through her so swiftly that it almost hurt. She wasn’t alone in wanting out.
“I think I can get us off Nepra,” Audrey whispered. But before she could say more, the truck squealed to a stop, and the doors were thrown open.
Basir’s grin gleamed like a knife. “Out, ladies.”
As they landed on a meager patch of grass, Audrey saw a village clustered in a valley in the distance. A pile of clothes landed at Taryn’s feet. “Change,” Basir demanded.
Taryn didn’t move. He pressed the muzzle of his gun to her head. She complied—stripping in the cold as if peeling away her last layer of dignity. Basir watched her like he was choosing a piece of meat, then turned his wolfish smile on Audrey. Tarynangled her shoulder just enough to put herself between Audrey and Basir’s line of sight. It lasted maybe a second.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “Ezebethian trash isn’t my type.” He twisted Taryn’s nipple; she hissed. “I like Voírían girls. Your coloring. Your bite.”
Audrey’s jaw tensed so hard it clicked.
Her hands grasped the comb and toothbrush hidden in her pocket, the pointed teeth digging into her skin. They were small, poor weapons. But she’d killed with less. She’d kill with anything. Soon, she would make Basir regret every look, every word.
Nikos nudged her with the icy touch of his gun. “Walk.”
Audrey walked ahead, putting distance between her and her captors. She probably couldn’t get far, but even this little slice of freedom felt nice. They walked until they came to the village. It was filled with concrete buildings, all with chimneys spewing smoke.
They wandered through the cobbled streets until they came to a market. It was bustling, and Audrey savored the smell of cooking meats, spices, and incense. Nikos and Basir wandered over to a stall and started arguing, leaving Taryn and Audrey to stand awkwardly in the crowd.
An old woman stepped out of the market, her eyes fixed on Audrey. It sent a shiver down her back, and she tried to move away, but there was nowhere to go. The woman emerged from the market’s bustle, clad in white, her eyes radiant with a strange, ancient knowledge. A warm hand grabbed Audrey’s arm with surprising strength.
Audrey tensed—but something in the woman’s black eyes froze her.
“You’re the missing one,” she whispered. Her nails dug into Audrey’s shirt. “We wondered if you were real.”
Her hands moved over Audrey in an almost reverent way.
“Golden aura,” she breathed. “Rare even among triads. Indeed, I have only seen that color once before...and that man changed the fate of the three moons.”
Her slender fingers ghosted across Audrey’s cheek. “He will try to protect you.” At that, her eyes teared with sadness. “But people like you are not meant to be protected.”
The woman snatched Audrey’s arm again, just enough to hurt. “Listen to me,” she said, turning urgent. “Once they see your aura clearly...” She trailed off, as if deep in her own head, then added, “People say that golden auras are touched by something old.Pnévmasso powerful that they resist breaking, and minds that cross boundaries others cannot. It is rare, and anytime one surfaces, it changes the rules.” She swallowed. “No one here will let you leave this moon untouched.”
Audrey was rooted to the ground, transfixed.
The old woman searched her face, as if trying to decide whether to continue. “When Ryker acts,” she murmured, finally, “history tends to move.”
Then she drifted away into the crowd as if blown by the wind. But Audrey caught her last words.
“This is the year the pieces fall into place,” she said in a sing-song way. “The year the old balance breaks.”
The woman disappeared entirely.
Audrey felt an aura push against hers. She looked up.
Nikos eyes locked onto her as a tremor rolled through her muscles. He’d seen the whole exchange.
