Hundreds are dead just today because the Talhuskins, who traded with the Denarso for Novark stolen tech, have come at us with more advanced weapon designs than we took when we fled the Talhuskin homeworld and our servitude to them.
“Take what is left of my Inferno.” Osiris begs me. “Don’t let the brothers think I died without purpose.”
I crouch over his body, consider what he is asking for, and pretend I accept. I cross my forearms, then take his wrists in my hands. He thinks I’m going to let him give me his power. But I don’t need it.
He needs mine.
And I have plenty to give.
I push back against the heat his veins carry through his hands into my arms, close my eyes, and send a prayer to Magmium, the source of our power and the realm we will all descend to one day.Brothers in fire, brothers in flight, let my injured brother rise again. He is worthy of this gift.
The roiling scourge inside me surges through my chest in vibrant red crags, down my arms, and into Osiris’ body. He arches as my power crawls up his neck and finds his eyes, filling them with vibrant bloody light. A cry of agony leaves him.
It is rare for an Inferno to overheat a Drathious, but I could do it to a lower power class like a half-breed. I break my hold and back up.
Osiris smokes and scrambles away from me with a speed that seems to surprise him. He pants and holds his side while he lifts a hand between us as if to ask me to wait. “What… The fuck…”
He gasps for breath. Light burns in his chest.
Osiris should be dead. He was so far gone.
I hunker back, afraid of what he thinks of me. His reaction is not quite what I anticipated.
His wings are riddled with holes and oozing dark liquid, trying to heal. They flop around at his back, uncoordinated and twitchy, as he steadies himself. “You’re…”
“Nothing special.”
“Bullshit. You’re a fuckingDragonclass Drath!”
I glare at him. “They did not classify me that way when I swore in. Mother Cinuska said nothing.”
Osiris looks down at the fire in his veins. “You can’t deny this! What thefuckdid you do to me?”
“Who cares? You’re alive,” I yell over the increasing roar of hail, disappointed that he’s in denial.
All hatchlings are born a class one Drath with just enough power to keep themselves warm. Sprites are class two, able to share small amounts of power and ignite things they touch. Class three, Ifrits, can manipulate fire, like Osiris. Class four Demon can launch tephric blasts of debris and fire with their hands, which is what most of us are. But for Osiris to say I amDragonclass, capable of everything, including controlling my Inferno, he’s wrong. Mine doesn’t listen when I let it out.
But it’s mostly the attention that I don’t want. I am right where I am supposed to be, helping the ones who get forgotten in the shadows between the firelight.
I didn’t ask to be born a monster.
I hear someone climbing through the structure and free a handgun from the thigh of my suit. Vryskas, another soldier from our usual team, slides down a sheet of heavy metal and to the ground beside us. “Thought you were with Sidius.”
“I was. They’re moving east. Osiris went down. I wasn’t going to leave him there.”
“You’re insane.” Rykarn glances at Osiris. “I would have.”
Vryskas scoffs and punches him in the shoulder. “Guess I’ll leave your ass out there when the time comes.”
“You’ll definitely die first.” Rykarn smirks and rolls his shoulder like he’s shaking off the hit, swings his hard shell bore backpack around in front of him, and sets it on the ground, switching it on. Red rings of light blink on and climb the towering pack. Every squad now has one. “You only try to keep up.”
I spare a glance at Osiris, who seems to be holding himself together for the moment. He catches my attention on him and shrugs, then shakes his head.
Vryskas snorts. “But I burn hotter than you. Poison will take longer to turn me. You’ll be meat soup long before I am.”
“Can we focus, please?” Osiris asks. He’s on his feet again and pressing his bandage against his side. It will take another hour, maybe more, for his recharged Inferno to cauterize the wound.
“Jorusk…” He glances at me, and I tense in anticipation of my secret coming out. “Patched me up. Can we try tonotdie?”
