Sigrun exchanged glances with the others. Xin's expression was unreadable behind his glasses. Jabari's grin had vanished into a more serious smile, though he swallowed his mouthful. Marcus simply nodded, as if he'd been expecting this.

  "What's in it for us?" Sigrun asked.

  "Formal positions as Associates of the Prefect's Office. Monthly salary. Resources. Legitimacy." Dilinur's pearl-like eyes met hers. "A chance to take the fight to the Fenris Horde instead of waiting for them to come to us. I thought that might appeal to you, Third Princess."

  The title landed like a slap. Sigrun's jaw tightened. She took another bite of meat pie anyway—three days of starvation trumped wounded pride.

  "The Alliance has agreed to provide transport, but military escort is minimal." Dilinur continued, pretending not to notice. "Delegate Pompeo has some personal interests on Venus which align with our goals, though not enough to justify the cost of a major military op."

  "Those guys are always about cost and effect. Could teach my pa a few things about running business." Jabari chimed in, finally setting down his own food.

  "He's also requested that Doctor Chakraborty and Thomas Mendoza accompany the expedition. Mister Mendoza has extensive experience with off-planet operations from his time as a senior Alliance Vanguard. Both should be valuable."

  "From our side, we'll assign Sergeant Haylen Shih and Iron Roach to assist you." Kenji said from from side, his hologram holding the stylus to draw circles in the air.

  "Roach was an Imperium citizen. His insight and former connections on Venus might help you gain…leverage as you attempt diplomacy." Dilinur spoke carefully, one hand adjusting her hairpin. "Also gives him something to do while the Slumbering Mantis Inn goes under maintenance."

  "Additionally, you'll have access to the Genbu, now that at least one of you appear comfortable with its controls." Kenji added.

  "Big turtle?" H?kon looked towards Xin hopefully.

  "Yeah. Big turtle." Xin nodded back awkwardly at the little Radi-Mon.

  "You assume we'd all agree to this voyage, hey?" The Griot asked in mock challenge.

  Dilinur's expression didn't change. "I won't lie. Venus is highly populated, with Imperium, Alliance and Directorate territories vying for influence. That means dirty politics, performative protocols, and the constant possibility of everything going wrong in ways you can't predict."

  Marcus placed a hand to his chin. "I've nothing good to say about that planet. The eternal twilight. Foul local spices that make you hallucinate. The pleasure houses, more Leased Lilies than one'd care to count."

  "There's a sales pitch if I ever heard one." Jabari shook his head, chuckling.

  "I won't pretend this mission is safe. But I believe you're capable of it." Dilinur's hologram raised a hand.

  "What if we say no?" Xin asked. His meat pie sat cooling in his lap, still untouched.

  "Then you say no. The administration will need to find someone else for extracting this Ume individual." The Prefect's shoulders shifted slightly—not quite a shrug, but close. "But consider what you've already accomplished together. Four strangers who met in a bounty board inn. A Nordling bounty hunter, a Directorate Griot, a Covenant Stalwart, and a Rigger with a Diabolisk. You shouldn't have remained in contact after the Warren, or the Fenris assault. And yet here you are."

  "More ad-ven-chure? HAW-koon help!" the little Diabolisk interjected proudly, licking the last crumbs from his claws. His slice of food was already gone.

  Silence stretched through the hospital room. Machines beeped. Evening light continued its slow fade toward night.

  Sigrun finished the last bite of her pie, wiped her fingers on the blanket again, and spoke first. "I'm in. Skarn wants me anyway. Might as well go looking for whatever the fuck scares him."

  "As am I." Marcus straightened in his chair, wincing. "The Covenant teaches that evil must be confronted, not fled from."

  "You had me at 'pleasure houses and Leased Lilies.' And the spices." Jabari's grin was back. "Also, someone needs to keep you people from killing each other."

  That left Xin.

  Everyone looked at him. He'd been quiet through the whole exchange, one hand still close to Sigrun's on the bed, fingers not quite touching. His meat pie remained untouched, too anxious to eat.

  Sigrun nudged his arm. "Eat. It's getting cold."

  "Right! Yes." He lifted the pie awkwardly, took a small bite, chewing eagerly.

  "Pappa smart!" H?kon scrambled from the bed to crawl up, perching onto Xin's shoulder, tiny claws gripping the olive fabric of his new shirt. "Pappa make black turtle go boom-boom! Pappa help Sky Lady! Pappa best!"

  "Yes, we've read the reports. Mister Wu's reactivating and piloting Genbu—shows remarkable adaptability and efficiency under duress." Kenji added, one hand holding his stylus, looking at Dilinur.

  Xin's expression softened. His hand came up to steady the little Diabolisk, the pie momentarily forgotten again.

  "Yeah," he said finally. "H?kon and I, we're going."

  Dilinur's hologram inclined its head. "Then it's settled. Kenji will send mission details soon. We leave for Venus in one week." A pause as she turned to regard Xin.

  "We?" Marcus caught that, raising an eyebrow.

  "I've delegated admin duties to Kenji, and will be joining you." Dilinur's lips curved upwards. "One such as myself can't afford to miss a mission to defeat Skarn."

  "Or a few weeks away from all that dreary sitting and talking in an office, am I right?" Jabari quipped from the side, grinning.

  Dilinur let it slide. "Per our new relation with the Alliance, you as my Associates may purchase advanced medicine and nutritional supplements at a 90% discount. Catalyst-U included."

  "That's splendid!" Xin visibly stood straighter, nearly dropping his half-eaten pie before catching it.

  Sigrun looked at H?kon perching on Xin's shoulder, feeling an odd relief. It meant that Xin could now afford the medication that kept H?kon's scales healthy at just the price of basic supplements.

  "Get some rest. A long journey lies ahead." Fading slowly, Dilinur's hologram flickered as the connection terminated.

  The Prefect and her Seneschal were gone, leaving them in the dim glow of the hospital room. For a long moment, no one spoke.

  Then Jabari made a real laugh, warm and full. "A vacation on Venus. Except we'll get paid, and might die."

  "Heretics say it's the Golden Paradise." Marcus shook his head. "We call it 'Lust and Rot' in the Covenant. Were it not for this mission, I'd never set foot on that planet,"

  Jabari rose from his chair, stretching muscles. "Come on, Stalwart. Let's find somewhere that serves something strong. I think we've earned a drink."

  "Alcohol clouds the mind."

  "One drink. To celebrate not being stuck on this rock." He was already moving toward the door. "You coming?"

  Marcus hesitated. His eyes found Sigrun's.

  "I only just learned about your lineage at the briefing yesterday. That, and the type of work you do in this city, after dark." he said.

  "What, it bothers you?" She replied, body tensing.

  "It does. Immensely." He nodded, expression grim. "But Zori demands that I reserve judgement. Someone who handles a blade properly is worthy of trust."

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Something like a smile crossed his face. Then he was following Jabari out, the door swinging shut behind them.

  The quiet that followed felt different than before.

  The entrance door hissed open as Nikki appeared in the doorway.

  "Doctor Lady come?" H?kon's scale shifted to confused beige.

  "I have. Time for the little guy's checkup." Nikki nodded toward H?kon.

  "Checkup?" Xin's hand moved protectively to H?kon's back. "What kind of checkup?"

  "Non-invasive. Mostly observation and biometrics." Nikki's voice softened slightly. "He's had a few Catalyst-U capsules by now. I'd like to see if he's growing better."

  H?kon's scales flickered uncertain blue. "HAW-koon no like tests..."

  "There'll be more stewed apple." Nikki produced a golden slice from her coat pocket. "And I'll let you play with the scanner. It makes funny lights."

  The Diabolisk perked up immediately. "Funny lights?"

  "Yes. Funny, cute little lights." Nikki held out her arms. "Come on. Twenty minutes. Your Pappa will be right here when we're done."

  H?kon looked at Xin. Then at Sigrun. His tiny face scrunched up in what passed for deep thought among three-year-old Radi-Mons.

  "Sky Lady be okay?"

  "I'll be fine." She reached out to brush his scales one more time. "Go get your checkup. Be good to Doctor Nikki."

  "Okay!" He scrambled from Xin's shoulder to Nikki's waiting arms, already chattering as she carried him out. "Funny lights apple-apple!"

  The door clicked shut.

  Sigrun and Xin were alone.

  "So." His voice came out slightly strangled. "We're going to Venus."

  "Apparently."

  He laughed nervously. "I have a three-point-seven rating on ZenFusion. The Prefect just recruited me for a mission to another planet. How does that—I mean, that doesn't—"

  "Xin."

  He stopped rambling. Looked at her.

  "Come here."

  He moved to the bedside. Close enough that she could smell soap and something faintly sweet.

  "Have you been…baking?" She asked.

  "Actually, there's food. Something I'd like to show you." he said. "In the clinic fridge. I made douhua. Silky tofu pudding with ginger syrup. My father's recipe. I thought maybe when you woke up, you might want something that wasn't..." He gestured vaguely. "…paste."

  "You made me tofu pudding."

  "It's supposed to be good for recovery. The ginger helps with circulation, and the protein content—"

  "Xin."

  "Right. I'll just—" He was already moving toward the small fridge in the corner of the room. "Let me get it."

  He returned with two small silver spoons and two small bowls, steam rising from the pale white surface, the sharp-sweet smell of ginger cutting through the clinical sterility. He handed her one set, kept the other, sat back down in his chair.

  Sigrun lifted her spoon of pudding and took a bite. The texture was impossibly smooth, almost dissolving on her tongue. The ginger taste mingling with sugar was comforting. Warmth spread through her chest.

  "It's good."

  "Really?" His face lit up. "I wasn't sure if the syrup was right."

  She raised her spoon. He stopped. "Take the compliment."

  "Yes. Thank you."

  They ate in silence for a moment. The evening light had faded entirely now, the room lit only by the soft glow of medical equipment and the distant amber of Xing Hong's night sky through the blinds.

  "You look nice," Sigrun said. "The shirt. Very put-together."

  "Thanks." He tugged at the collar self-consciously. "I figured I should probably own something that isn't a hoodie. For occasions. Important ones."

  "You look like you're about to sign a contract." A smile tugged at her lips. "Or meet a Leased Lily for the first time. Very nervous. Very formal."

  The color that flooded his face was visible even in the dim light.

  "The way you put it…" He set his bowl down on the bedside table, nearly spilling it. "I just wanted to look presentable. For when you woke up. Because you'd been asleep for three days, you know?"

  "Hey." The smile faded. She set her own bowl and spoon next to his. "I'm not making fun of you."

  "I know you're not. It's just..." He took a breath. "I don't really know how to do this."

  "Do what?"

  "This." He gestured between them. "Whatever this is. I've never had it. I mean, there was Teacher Meiya, but that was different. And you're..." He trailed off, seemingly unable to find the right word.

  "A Leased Lily." Sigrun said it flat. "That's what I am. What I've been for eleven years. Killer by day, whore by night. That's my life."

  "That's your past. I was aware even when we did it in the motel—"

  "I know." She cut him off, but gently. "And I'm not saying it to make you feel bad. I'm saying it because..." She paused, searching for words that her brain kept fumbling. "Because I don't know how to do this either. Every relationship I've had since Europa has been…"

  Xin met her eyes. "Just say what you think."

  "Money for sex. Favor for sex. Always something for sex. I know how to fuck someone for three thousand Atomic Dollars, how to make them feel special for exactly one hour, or let them cum on my boobs so I could buy a premium-class Thermal Axe at secondhand prices, I…"

  She stopped herself, unsure how to continue.

  "It's alright. Take your time." He replied, voice gentle but firm.

  "But this? Sitting here eating pudding with a guy, no strings attached?" She shook her head. "I've no idea what I'm doing. I might not love you that way…" She drifted off.

  "Umm. What way exactly?" He scratched his head.

  "Seriously? You don't know?"

  "No."

  "The way you said it in that motel room. I've no idea what I can give you if we had a relationship."

  "What if we both have no idea together?"

  She looked at him.

  "I know that sounds stupid." He pushed his glasses up nervously. "But after Teacher Meiya left, I'd visit those Comfort Birds on Earth every time I took a Rigger job. It was the only way I knew how to feel close to someone. Even if it wasn't real. Even if I was just paying."

  "You've paid for sex?" She asked, one hand lifting to her mouth.

  "A few times. For feeling good. For the illusion of connection, maybe. I told myself if every colleague around was doing it, what's the harm in trying it out?" He swallowed.

  The tightness in her chest eased. She'd wondered, that first night at the Slumbering Mantis Inn, whether this awkward man with the L:10 stat had ever touched a woman. Now she knew. And somehow, knowing he'd stumbled through the same transactional mess she had made him feel less like a stranger.

  "Then H?kon hatched." Xin's voice steadied. He sat straighter in his chair. "And I knew it was time to stop wasting money. To start spending on things that really matter. To start living with purpose, for him. For myself."

  Lowering her hand, Sigrun looked down at the bowl of tofu pudding on her lap. Still warm.

  "That's probably the smartest thing you've done." She said.

  "I don't know what a relationship without some fancy written contract looks like either. But with you, I want to find out where this leads. If you're willing to figure it out too."

  The words hung in the air.

  Sigrun thought about Skarn's terrible voice echoing through her skull. About Ivar. About the mission waiting on Venus and all the ways this could end badly.

  Then she thought about a man in an olive shirt who'd made this odd Imperial pudding in a clinic break room. Who'd stayed for three days without being asked.

  "Yeah." Her voice came out rough. "We could find out."

  Xin's breath caught. "Really?"

  "Hey. Don't make me say it twice."

  "Right. Yes. Of course." But he was smiling now. "So what do we do?"

  "Now?" Sigrun shifted on the bed, making space. "Now you stop sitting in that chair. My neck hurts looking at you!"

  He hesitated. "The bed?"

  "There's room."

  Carefully, like he was approaching something that might bite, Xin moved from the chair to the edge of the bed. Kicking off his shoes, he sat stiffly, not quite touching her.

  "Relax. I'm not going to break."

  "Well, you almost died three days ago."

  "And now I'm eating pudding. Life goes on." She reached out and took his hand, fingers interlacing. "See? I'm good as new."

  His hand was broader than she'd expected, warm and steady around her trembling fingers. But she didn't pull away.

  The door hissed open. Doctor Nikki stepped through, H?kon cradled gently against her white clinic coat.

  "Green-green lights!" The little Diabolisk was chirping with joy as Nikki stepped into the room.

  Her eyes moved from Sigrun to Xin, to their fingers still intertwined on the sheets. Something across her face—not surprise or judgment, just acknowledgment.

  "He's in excellent health. The Catalyst-U is working." Nikki said, kneeling to set H?kon carefully on the floor. She straightened, adjusting her wire-rimmed glasses. "I'll check back in an hour or two."

  Then she was gone, the door clicking softly behind her.

  "Pappa! Pappa! Sky Lady!" H?kon scrambled across the floor at full speed, scales blazing excited bright blue. "Doctor Lady say HAW-koon healthy-healthy! Funny machine make green lights! Green!"

  He launched himself onto the bed, landing between them with a triumphant chirp.

  "Green lights, huh?" Xin's free hand came up to steady him. "That does sound pretty good."

  "Best lights!" H?kon settled into Xin's lap, tail curling contentedly. Then he looked between them, at their joined hands, at the way they were sitting close together on the bed. His little head tilted.

  "Pappa and Sky Lady holding hands?"

  "Yes." Sigrun's voice was firm.

  "Like family?"

  The word hung in the air. She felt Xin tense beside her.

  "Yeah," she said. "Something like that."

  H?kon's scales cycled through several colors—confusion beige, consideration azure, and finally settling on a warm, sunset gold that seemed to glow from within.

  "Good!" He curled tighter in Xin's lap. "H?kon like family."

  A minute after, a yawn split his tiny face, jaw stretching wide enough to show rows of needle-teeth that might someday be terrifying but now just looked endearing. His scales began their slow fade from gold to drowsy gray, the color of contentment giving way to exhaustion.

  "H?kon tired," he mumbled, nuzzling deeper into Xin's lap. One small claw found Xin's finger and wrapped around it loosely. "Good day. Best day. Pappa here. Sky Lady here. Family here..."

  His voice trailed off. His breathing slowed.

  "Rest easy, boy." Xin gently patted the Diabolisk as the gray of his scales softened further, settling into peaceful silver as sleep claimed him.

  "You've been good." Sigrun added softly.

  They sat like that for a while. Not speaking. Not needing to. Just the small rhythm of H?kon's breathing and the distant hum of the clinic's equipment.

  "If you want," Xin said softly, "I can take him back to my apartment. Let you rest."

  Sigrun's hand tightened on his.

  "No." The word came out firmer than she expected. "Don't leave."

  He turned to look at her. Their faces were now close enough that she could see the tired lines around his eyes.

  "Okay." His voice was barely a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere."

  She leaned forward. Felt him lean too. Their foreheads touched, resting against each other, and something in her chest unclenched.

  Below them, H?kon chirped softly in his sleep, silver scales shimmering.

  Outside, Xing Hong sprawled beneath the stars. Somewhere out there, Skarn was planning his next move. Ivar was out there somewhere, alive or dead or beyond recognition. Venus waited with all its secrets.

  But here, in this moment, there was a man who stayed. A little Diabolisk who called her family. A future that, for once, didn't look like running.

  "Hey, Xin?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Thanks for the pudding."

  His laugh was soft against her skin. "I'm glad."

  On the bedside table, her Nucleus Watch displayed on its dial:

  [Mars Time: 22:22, February 22, 2295]

  And for the first time in longer than she could remember, Sigrun Fjeld fell asleep without dreaming of Europa.

  ? END OF VOLUME I ?

  ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

  Thanks for reading. I hope you've enjoyed the journey through the Seven Realms.

  Volume 2 details arriving later this week.

  // STAY TUNED