"Then I'll pull you back," he whispered, eyes meeting mine. "However many times it takes."
The journeyback to the prime realm took three weeks. Three weeks of sailing through the Gallery's darkness, navigating currents and avoiding storms. Kora sat on her bunk, braiding her hair. "What's the plan when we get back? Deliver the codex to Gideon, get the money for Marv's lawyer?"
I nodded, feeling a pit open in my stomach. "Cypher says once we hand over the codex and I get paid, the mission is officially complete and we're free to go. He wants to start looking for a suitable empty realm to terraform into a new Nytheris."
Kora fell silent for a moment, thinking hard about something. I had a feeling I knew what was coming next. I'd seen the way she and Jask had grown close over the last few weeks, the nights she didn't return to our quarters.
"Jask asked me to stay with the crew," Kora said finally. "Officially. As their air elemental specialist."
That weird pit in my stomach twisted even more. "What did you say?"
"I said I'd think about it. But honestly?" She smiled. "I think I'm going to say yes. I fit here, Junie. I feel like I've found where I belong."
"Then you should stay. You deserve to be happy." I tried to give her my most convincing smile, but Kora knew me better than anyone, and could see right through me no doubt. Something in my chest was pulsing. Stinging. Aching. I was happy for Kora, but what would life look like without her?
"We both do." She finished her braid and climbed into bed. "Whatever happens, we'll figure it out. We always do."
We arrived backin the Prime Realm and docked. The familiar sights and sounds of the city felt strange after weeks in the Gallery. Everything was too bright, too loud, too crowded. Even the air tasted wrong, thick with smoke and spices instead of the void's clean emptiness.
Cypher moored The Night-Piercer at a private dock, one that didn't ask too many questions about cargo or passengers. Once the gangplank was down, he pulled me aside.
"I need to talk to you. Before we meet with Gideon."
"What's wrong?"
He led me to his cabin and closed the door. The codex sat on his desk. "I've been thinking about the handoff," he said. "About what happens when we give Gideon this book."
"We give it to him, I get paid, we get my father out of the Dredge. That's the plan."
"I know. But I need you to understand something." He took my hands. "The codex is useless without a rift. Gideon doesn't know that. He thinks anyone with enough elemental power can use it."
"So he'll pay me for a book he can't use?"
"Eventually he'll figure it out. I never bothered to correct him. When he does, he's going to be angry. Possibly dangerous. I need you to be prepared for that. You need to be ready to leave quickly if necessary."
I knew the other shoe would drop eventually. Nothing could ever go as planned. There always had to be a catch. "You think he'll come after me?"
"I think he's not going to like being played for a fool, and men like Gideon have long memories and longer reach. But by the time he fully understands the truth, we'll be gone. Deep in the Gallery, building our new realm where he can't touch us, but you and your family will still be here."
"But I didn't know any of that." I shook my head, taking a step back. "I was hired to retrieve the codex, not to understand it. That's what I did. What happens after the hand off isn't my problem, it's Gideon's. And yours apparently since you're the one who knew the truth."
"I suspected it, yes, but I didn't know for sure. I couldn't be certain until I read the codex myself." He didn't look apologetic. "That codex belongs to me. To my family, and once Gideon realizes it's useless to him, I'm taking it back. You get paid, I get my family's legacy. We both get what we need."
"By lying to Gideon."
"By allowing him to operate under a misconception. There's a difference."
"Is there?"
"In this case? Yes." His jaw tightened. "Gideon is using you, don't forget that. He sent you into one of the most dangerous realms in existence for a payday. He doesn't care if you live or die, as long as he gets his artifact. I'm not going to lose sleep over him getting something he can't use."
He had a point. Gideon had been perfectly willing to risk our lives for profit. But still, the deception sat heavy in my stomach.
"What if he figures it out before you can steal the codex and leave?" I asked. "What if he comes after us?"
"Then I'll protect you. The crew will protect you. We'll get you and your family to safety, and we'll disappear into the Gallery with the codex before he can retaliate. I won't let him hurt you."
I wanted to believe him. But I'd learned the hard way that promises were fragile things.
