Starless Night

By Stephanie Flint and Isaac Flint

"This fight is about the allies you choose, Miss Nickleson. Not every battle can be won alone."

With a brain seed that craves power fighting for control of Jenna's mind, while a dangerous enemy forces an unlikely alliance between rival factions, Jenna must stop the seed from taking over before it murders her friends and family and traps her in her own mind.

Secure your copy of this thrilling continuation to the Distant Horizon series today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Infinitas Publishing
• Release date: Nov 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005997922

Stephanie Flint

Stephanie Flint (formerly Stephanie Bibb) graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction. Stephanie lives with her husband, Isaac. Together they plot stories in the form of tabletop role-play games, and they enjoy the occasional cosplay. Online, Stephanie often goes by the nickname of SBibb.

Book preview

I leaned my chin on my knuckles and glowered at the Camaraderie ambassador who droned his welcome speech at the podium. His crisp black dress shirt matched that of an ideal social leader from the Community, complete with the rising sun half-cog pinned to his lapel. But his wardrobe lost its effect with his snobbish nose that wouldn’t have seemed so snobbish if we hadn’t been looking up his nostrils for the past half hour.

Together, we will accomplish more than any other alliance. The ambassador projected his voice without a microphone, never mind that the tiny mic in front of him still sent its signal to the tinny speakers behind the rest of us. We will bring peace to the world, starting with the regions hit hardest by Legion’s most recent attacks.

I sighed—loudly—and rested back against the hard plastic of my chair.

World peace? Please… They had promised us that in the Community, and they had lied to us through their obnoxiously optimistic brass rays of their rising sun symbol.

World peace.

Ha. They had lied about powers. They had lied about the death of the rebellions. They had lied about our safety, our security…

Miss Nickleson… A firm but mostly encouraging female voice popped into my head. You’re dangerously close to projecting again.

I tensed, resisting the urge to plant my head in my arms on the conference table. Lily gave me a confused look, but didn’t ask. The telepathic voice had come from Ambassador Jordaan, a South African diplomat giving me an apologetic smile from across the table. I was starting to think Pops had asked her to sit there, specifically to keep me from acting out of turn. But my grandfather didn’t interject, except for a weary side-eye and a general sense of Please at least try to be polite? blooming at the top of his mind.

But seriously, the Camaraderie started this mess by creating the Legion Spore. They were responsible for the destructive spirit that currently wreaked havoc on everyone.

Technically, Jordaan interrupted, the Coalition is responsible for Legion having managed to ascend. Your missile?

I shot Jordaan a glare. She shrugged, as if to say she couldn’t dispute the facts. And, technically, Legion had tricked me into firing that missile, so it wasn’t entirely my fault, but—

I didn’t say it was your fault.

Would you stay out of my head? I snapped back. She flinched. I was tired of dealing with telepaths, even if she had generally proven to be a nice person, unlike some of the other ambassadors.

I glanced around me. Representatives surrounded the conference table—those from the Coalition of Freedom as well as government representatives from our hosts in South Africa—each person more bored and unimpressed than the person beside them, with the exception of the Camaraderie members who did exceptionally well keeping a blank face or holding a tactful, tiny smile of encouragement.

Really, I supposed the main people I didn’t like were their butler—whose uncanny gaze seemed to cut through everyone from the corner of the room—or the current speaker, who prattled on about details we already knew, such as how the Camaraderie needed a place to stay after Legion started attacking their bases.

Demolishing their bases, really, leaving no one alive except for contorted corpses with their souls drained from their bodies. Everyone else, Legion had burned alive, leaving their corpses misshapen and charred. I gritted my teeth, forcing my thoughts away from Kateel—with its burning temple and the legionnaires attacking Special Forces agents while we fled with the time stone—and the images I’d seen of the beastie plants Legion had targeted.

Jordaan gave me a worried frown, but I shook my head. I’d be fine. Point was, the Hall of Freedom was relatively safe and forgotten, so the Camaraderie joined forces with us rebels who had managed to evade capture for the past however many decades we’d been fighting.

Blah-blah-blah.

Another ten long minutes later, the ambassador finally took his seat and Lily leaned in close to me, her black braid flopping against my arm. A shiver shot up my elbow, and I wished she would lean in a little closer. At least she was talking to me again.

Jordaan smiled and pointedly looked away. She was considerate, even when glancing at my thoughts. But it was Lily who made this meeting bearable.

Good thing Jack and Lance aren’t here, Lily whispered. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore her hair tickling my arm. I don’t think they’d have let the guy speak.

I met her dark brown gaze. A trickle of warmth seeped down my throat, but I held back my smile. I couldn’t trust that we were ready to be anything other than friends. Not after what Ivy Man had done in our heads.

Are you sure that’s a good thing? I asked. Everyone else might have appreciated the entertainment… and the break.

Lily smirked. Think they’d take bets on who would create the best insult?

Jack, obviously.

Years more experience. But I kept that thought to myself. I didn’t need to make it look like I still had any hard feelings for Lance. Besides, Jack and Lance weren’t here, so it didn’t matter. They had opted to go play that card game they loved—which I stunk at—but would have been infinitely more entertaining. About anything would have been more exciting than listening to uppity Camaraderie ambassadors drone on about the good we could do if we worked together—

Hang on a sec. I’ll be back. Lily slid from her chair while a South African attendant prepared the podium for the next speaker. Lily returned with a ceramic plate filled with carrots, broccoli tops, ranch dressing, and a pair of cookies sliding a little too close to the ranch. She sat it between us. Feel free to grab one.

I considered snagging a carrot, but a chiding pang shot through the back of my skull. I grimaced. It would have been nice if I could still eat raw carrots and broccoli. But that stupid brain seed wanted me to push my plant manipulation powers and, when I didn’t, it pushed them for me.

That included making sure that eating raw veggies was nothing short of painful. The remaining life inside the carrot, ready to grow flowering greens if planted and nurtured, would be turned against me. Not that it had nerves or anything. Powers were… weird like that. Some could be explained by radiological genetics. Others, not so much.

I took the cookie. Nothing in there the brain seed could sense with my powers.

Lily frowned, looked between me and the plate, and then winced. Right. Um, you want me to get you something else? They’ve got fancy little finger sandwiches. I think they’re ham?

I shook my head. If I truly wanted the carrot, I’d tuck my powers inside of me where I was less likely to feel the life still present. The brain seed would punish me later. Still, I appreciated the offer, and I pushed that thought toward her. I’m good. Thanks anyway.

Lily smiled. I was fairly certain she picked up on my intention. Kind of hard to miss when I had the flower charm.

Lady Black approached the podium, swaying gracefully in a simple, muted red dress with a brass, sequined half-cog along its bodice. The sequins glittered under the florescent light strips and they spit specks of light across the ceiling. She had pinned her long black hair away from her face, and it flowed around her shoulders like a smooth waterfall. Her green eyes glistened as she gave a deceptively shy smile. At once, the room’s attention went to her, collectively drawn in.

I know it must not be easy, having us join you in your new home before you’ve even had a chance to get comfortable. Her voice flowed with natural certainty. I’m sure we must feel like intruders, especially given the animosity between us. But I hope we can put that in the past and work together to build a future for all of us. Please allow us this chance to right our wrongs and give you adequate reason to forgive us for those mistakes.

I snorted. So pitiful, begging for forgiveness. Neither she, nor Val, showed much interest in efficiency. They preferred instead to dance around the others as they sought what they wanted. Unfortunately for the Camaraderie, they were the only council members left, and they didn’t even have the Elizabeth pendants to back their power.

The pendants had vanished, along with Spectator, after Legion’s formation.

Thank you for letting us stay, Lady Black continued. And thank you for giving us a chance to help you fight Legion." She clasped her hands in front of her waist, more diminutive than I would have expected.

That was the point, wasn’t it? To make us think the Camaraderie was no longer a threat? The way she had everyone eating out of her dainty hands.

Legion has already wrought untold damage on us and the world at large, she said. With the recent loss of Commander Rick and Master Zaytsev, we are looking for new leadership.

I grimaced—

Commander Rick screamed as Legion tore his spirit from his body…

Tim’s charred corpse, mangled almost beyond recognition—

It is my hope we can use this time to sift through the ashes and rebuild a better system, Lady Black said. A better time.

A better time? I raised an eyebrow, suspicion twining in my mind. Were her words coded? Was she referencing the time stones? I couldn’t let myself dwell on that too long in case anyone from the Camaraderie was reading my thoughts, so I peered around the table to where Val sat, her expression stiff. I couldn’t sense much from her since a Special Forces telepath protected her thoughts, but I was certain she was only present at the meeting because the Camaraderie needed to show she was still alive.

They might have been better off leaving her in her room. She stared at the wall behind Pops’ head, distracted, as if she wasn’t here. As if she only came because she was still one of the Camaraderie’s primary leaders, even after losing Tim.

My chest constricted. If my team had listened to me and hadn’t tried to keep me off the mission, we might have found Tim before Legion. Legion might not exist. We might not have run into Ivy Man.

I curled my fingers into fists. We saved Val, and we retrieved the time stone, but at what cost? How much did we have to lose before we finally won? How much—

My stomach rumbled. Damned human needs.

I sighed and snagged the other cookie. I should have grabbed dinner before the meeting started. But who knew that the Camaraderie—known for their efficient Community—had no sense of brevity with acceptance speeches?

…will not allow Legion to destroy everything we stand for. Lady Black’s voice rose to a passionate crescendo. Camaraderie, Coalition, South Africa, Oriental Alliance. If we all work together, we will find a way to stop them.

Stop Legion?

I snorted. Good luck with that. An annoyed smile pulled at the corners of my lips. Legion’s predecessor, the Legion Spore, had been state of the art. But Legion, a fully fledged spirit that was consuming more spirits each day and gaining their powers?

These simpletons didn’t stand a chance.

My mind drifted to the dark room where I had found the time stone, to the spirit with coals dripping from their ebony wings and a pulsing violet hue emanating from their body.

For all that the mission had gone poorly, I had seen the fruits of my labor: one hundred and sixteen souls, merged into one powerful being capable of making their self stronger by stripping the spirits from other beings, stealing those spirits’ powers for their own purpose, and shaping the chaos to their whim. The sheer power Legion had promised me the next time we met was enough to send a shiver down my arms to my fingers, allowing me to relax.

Jenna? Lily elbowed me in the ribs.

I blinked, confused. I was in the conference room. Lily stared at me, her cute eyebrows drawn together, perplexed. Across from me, Jordaan gave me a rather horrified stare.

I eyed both of them uneasily. Horror? What did I do this time? I dipped into their minds using my flower charm. My cheeks burned at the sight of myself grinning, a gleam in my eyes as Lady Black spoke about Legion’s power.

I’d been softly laughing.

Community…

I wished I could sink under the table and out of sight. Maybe use one of Lance’s portals to vanish. I hated Legion. But the brain seed? The brain seed loved power. Anyone who’d seen me grinning probably knew that, but it did nothing to ease the shame. And though Lady Black droned on, her butler observed me with a cutting blue gaze. Uneasiness flitted through me.

Something about that butler…

My thoughts strained to reach his surface thoughts. Why did he make me so nervous? Tell me who you are…

I slammed into a steel wall of nothing.

You may call me Stuart, Miss Nickleson, he responded, his mental voice chillingly precise. I am Lady Black’s butler. And you will find that I am not so generous as the ambassadors regarding who I allow into my head. If you have a question, you need only ask. I am quite forthcoming on a good many topics.

I swallowed hard, ducking my head so I didn’t have to see him watching me. I’d done it again—tried reading someone’ s mind without thinking about how I didn’t want them reading mine. It was like how the brain seed encouraged me to explore more about Legion.

Legion was terrible. I wanted nothing to do with them. Legion had killed Tim. Legion would destroy everything if given the chance.

But my brain seed? It found that power fascinating.

Perfect.

It coveted what Legion could do.

I scooted from the table and ignored the confused glances as I scurried behind the chairs of the other representatives. I raced from the conference room. My footsteps echoed with each strike to the tiled floor. Empty corridor. Long. Echoing. Faint voices trailed from the conference, indistinguishable, like the murmurs of beasts in a beastie plant. Goosebumps raced up my neck and sweat prickled on my forehead.

Thankfully, the overhead lights had been replaced with something a little more inviting than the fluorescents installed before our arrival. But the shadows grew long and short again with each light I passed, which reflected from the glossy floor. The shadows between the reflections hovered and danced at my feet, waiting to reach their lengthy fingers around my wrists to suck me into them, into the darkness that seethed at the edge of my mind ever since I met Legion.

Ever since they said they were waiting for my brain seed to grow and for me to accept their desires as my own.

I burst through the doors. My palms stung against the metal bar. The lukewarm night encased me as the noisy birds who roosted in the trees by the door squawked a loud protest at my sudden exit. The last vestiges of sunlight played across the expansive lawn. Grass fanned out from the sidewalk, as did what bushes I had groomed along the path before the Camaraderie arrived. The bushes offered straightforward comfort. They were real. They didn’t judge me for my brain seed’s actions.

I took a deep breath and leaned against the concrete side of the building, sorting the rough, pebbled crags under my fingertips.

If I couldn’t get rid of the brain seed, it would control me. It wouldn’t care if I found Legion and joined them in their quest for vengeance.

It wouldn’t care if I killed my friends and remaining family.

The brain seed only cared about itself and power.

CHAPTER TWO

I raced along the sidewalk until everything blurred into fuzzy streaks. Through the golden darkness toward the deep orange horizon and its dark thunderclouds, through the giant expanse of grass outside of the Hall of Freedom—an unusual building designed to look like an F from the air—toward the tiny blip of pale blue and gray metal: the Coalition airship, my home for the past several months.

We had grounded the vessel as far from the Hall as feasibly possible. Technically, we should have docked it at one of South Africa’s military hangars, but Jack didn’t want to sleep in a military base, and we wanted the ship away from the Camaraderie. In hindsight, it would have been further from them if we’d put it in the military hangar. We housed the time stones on the airship, and that meant having someone always keeping a close eye on them.

We couldn’t let the Camaraderie steal our chance to fix their mistake.

I arrived at the door to the airship before the sun had fully sunk below the horizon. With a hefty tug, the off-kilter side door opened to a cool gust of air conditioning. Jack would lock up when he was ready to sleep, but he didn’t go to bed until early morning. Getting in wasn’t a problem.

Inside, with the door shut behind me, the airship stood in stark contrast to the Hall. Fingerprint streaks covered the confined, narrow corridors. Ambient yellow lights reflected from the scuffed bronze walls. A few bulbs flickered or didn’t light, leaving a pitted darkness in the ceiling. The floor once held a fancy carpet, but had long been worn to pieces and torn out as those pieces turned to shredded remnants.

I knocked on Jack’s door so he’d know I was entering, but I didn’t wait to push it open. Jack would complain if he had to get up when I was perfectly capable of opening the door myself.

Per usual, his quarters were a disaster—with an acidic stench of stale pizza and a mustiness that suggested we needed to hook up a dehumidifier. Pizza boxes littered the floor alongside empty soda cans. Piles of dirty t-shirts and grungy game cases entombed the broken couch. The only part of the couch remotely clear was where the springs hadn’t yet given up. Even so, I had to shove aside a TV remote and a game controller before I could plop into its ergonomically unfriendly embrace. It was very much not Community and, right now, exactly what I needed. I slouched into its cushions. Here no one expected me to be all stiff and formal.

Half-hidden among the pizza boxes and general garbage that would have prompted Mom to strangle Jack, were Jack and my sort-of best friend, Lance. Only sort-of, because Ivy Man had made things a mess between me, Lance, and Lily. For the most part, Gwen had helped us sort through the issues he’d created, but we still avoided everyone being in the same room at the same time.

Video games. That’d be a good distraction. Maybe I could get in a few rounds before Jack or Lance wanted the console back.

Jack peered up from the card game spread across the floor between him and Lance. His gnarled red hair fell over his shoulders in a tangle, and he had traded his usual green jacket for a tank top that left his scarred, pocked, and heavily freckled shoulders bare.

Despite the chill in the hall, the room was a tad warm. A fan blew air across us from the corner, high enough to avoid disturbing the cards while still offering vague circulation.

How’d it go? Jack asked, his voice gruff. Lance remained focused on his cards.

I nuzzled deeper into the couch. It sank, as if the cushions were trying to eat me—

I shot to the edge. I didn’t need a memory attack right now. Granted, I hadn’t had many memory attacks recently. Those had started leaning toward nightmares and strange dreams. But then, I wasn’t exactly winning against the brain seed. It had little reason to punish me, except when I tried to avoid my powers.

That bad, huh? Jack dug into a box and offered me a brown and tan can. I know you can’t drink the stronger stuff, given what that seed might do, but root beer makes a decent substitute.

I held up my hands, cupping them for the catch, and he pitched the can over the boxes. With a burst of speed, I caught the thing gracefully enough that it didn’t get shaken on the landing. At least something was going right. I popped the tab and the carbonation hissed. I took a sip. Sweet and sugary… way more of Lance’s thing than mine. But I was among friends, sharing something they offered. The taste didn’t matter.

Besides, I didn’t think Jack kept anything much stronger in the room. He didn’t have to worry about a brain seed taking advantage of him if his mind was incapacitated, but he was the sole guardian of the time stones on the ship. He couldn’t afford to be caught off guard.

Thanks. I gave him a weak smile. The meeting went okay, I guess. Bureaucratic stuff. The usual brain seed stuff, too.

He quirked his eyebrows in understanding, and then cursed as Lance rolled a six on his die—an automatic success for Lance. Jack groaned, fished around his hand, and dropped a sabotage card to foil Lance’s attack.

I powered on the TV and elbowed myself a bit more room from the empty pizza boxes on the couch before seeing what game Jack already had loaded. I’d get in a few quests before bed, and then maybe I could forget how happy the brain seed had been with its little pet project.

You going to hit the mech or are you meaning to miss? Jack’s gravelly voice cut through my restless sleep and I startled into half-waking consciousness. Cheesy red blood spots surrounded the screen’s edge. My unfortunate hero was well below half health and the boss—a blocky cartoon mech—had barely taken more than a few points of damage. I squinted. Everything was fuzzy, with a ring of sleep haze around the bright points. Jack pried the controller from my hands and saved the game. He switched off the TV and then tossed the remote next to the screen. Want me to clear the couch?

I eyed the boxes and dirty laundry towering on either side of me.

Eh…

I shook my head. Aside from the extra work clearing it and the slight ick factor of wondering how long those boxes had been there, the couch would leave me with a backache and a nightmare of being mangled inside the Legion Spore. Not conducive to a good night’s sleep. I pushed myself up, fought a momentary wave of vertigo, and then righted myself with my speed power. I’ll head back. Bed’s more comfortable.

He shrugged. Suit yourself.

I peered around him to where Lance sorted his cards into numerous stacks. Are you staying here for the night or do you want to head back with me?

Staying here, but I can walk you back. He checked his cards before setting them aside face down and pushing himself to his feet. He hadn’t slept in the Hall since the Camaraderie arrived. I couldn’t blame him. If I could sleep in my old room without nightmares, I would.

We headed into the cold hall. Goosebumps crawled up my arms and I shivered. So empty, even with Lance here. It didn’t help that he kept his distance, careful not to get too close.

It had been like that ever since Ivy Man.

Would it have been like that even without Ivy Man, after we realized we wouldn’t work as romantic partners?

Outside the airship, the evening had spread into a dark, empty night. Thick, looming thunderheads covered the sky. Warm spatters of a raindrop here and there pelted my bare shoulders. A low, distant growl of thunder promised an early autumn storm, heralded by a chill wind. I could almost taste the rain and the earthy grass in the humid air. I hurried into the field, though I only gently used my speed power since I knew Lance didn’t appreciate using his. Still, I didn’t want to be caught in the open once the lightning started.

We made it about halfway to the Hall when something else grabbed my attention. A tingle of apprehension shot through my spine. I stopped short and the world caught up with me. My fingers touched for my flower charm as I reached my mind through my surroundings, searching for anyone hidden in the grass. The vines around my arms bristled and sprouted tiny thorns.

Everything okay? Lance asked, hesitant. He looked me over, worried.

I shook my head. Who’s there? I shouted, staring into the darkening distance.

No one answered.

I narrowed my eyes and clamped my fingers across the warm metal of the charm. Show yourself, I commanded, urging my desire to see them into my message.

Only silence, and a faint sense of power trailing low to the ground—

Gone.

I blinked. Was I imagining things, given how tired I was? Was it because the thunderstorm was too close for comfort?

Or had something been out there?

Lance rested a tentative hand on my shoulder. Is it the brain seed again?

No. I shook my head. I thought I felt something in the grass. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves before withdrawing my vines. Then I let out my breath, reaching out one more time with my plant powers to see if I could feel anything hiding in the grass.

Aside from a few tiny critters darting near the grasses’ roots, nothing.

A long day, I reminded myself, and forced my pace steady as I returned to the hall. I wasn’t going to let a few hallucinations caused by lack of sleep scare me.

Not when there were worse things to fear.

By the time we reached the Hall, I wished we had used our speed powers to get back faster. A shockingly cold rain had come down all at once, leaving us dripping at the front entrance. The pair of Camaraderie agents standing at the doors gave us a pitying smile before staring outside again, eyeing the storm as if debating whether to brave the rain. Their surface thoughts suggested that they’d flown in from Canada this morning, and they were already missing the weather.

I shivered. I didn’t want to go back to Canada anytime soon. Not after fighting Ivy Man and seeing Legion’s creation.

One of the agents sighed and glanced at their partner. I don’t think this rain’s letting up, and we still have to clean up after the prank Carl pulled on the cargo hold. An image flashed through their thoughts, leaves and twigs everywhere. A dismayed agent realizing they’d be spending the rest of the evening cleaning. You’d think having gone through training he’d be less of a practical joker.

At least he’s on leave for a couple of weeks, the other agent muttered. Maybe the break will do him good. She held open the door and the two agents dove into the storm.

It didn’t take long for them to disappear into the haze of rain.

Still want to head back? I asked, looking Lance over. He resembled a wet dog, with his longish hair plastered to his face and shirt clinging to his muscular chest.

He glanced behind me to the empty hall. I don’t mind the rain.

Sure he didn’t. That had been cold. But I wouldn’t pressure him if he didn’t want to stay. See you in the morning? I asked.

He nodded and smiled—one of those genuine smiles that were rare ever since the Ivy Man attack. Yeah. He tipped his fingers to his forehead in a mock salute before heading back outside into the downpour.

Like the two agents, it didn’t take long for him to vanish amidst the gloomy downpour, leaving me in the lonely hall.

But I would see him again in the morning, since he’d started having breakfast with me and my mom. His way of staying in touch with the Coalition. It gave Mom something to look forward to, too. She’d even started waiting to have breakfast until oh-eight hundred hours. Shocking, given that she used to get up between five and six.

I sighed and tried one more time to wring out my shirt before seeking the stairs on the ground floor of the Hall. Wetness combined with the air conditioner meant the air nipped me all the way to my room.

I entered as quietly as I could—I’d been saddled with Val as a suitemate despite us not getting along, and Gwen had reminded me under no uncertain terms that I was going to let Val get her rest—for the baby’s sake, if not hers. Hopefully she would get her own suite once the child was born. Though… it might be me leaving, depending on if we figured out how to get the time stones working.

I paused inside the suite door, coldness wrapping me from inside. I might be leaving this place. I might be leaving my mom and the world I’d grown up in to go back in time, to try again, to prevent all this from happening…

Such potential.

A gleam of delight whipped through me, pushing back the ridiculous fear that had worked its way through my throat. Going back in time and knowing what I knew… With more preparation, I could work my way in with the Camaraderie before they could ground themselves. I could make them create the Community I wanted. They would need me, because only then would they know what mistakes to avoid. We’d have a Legion Spore that would actually be perfect, not made from rebels with a self-destructive tendency.

I thrust open my bedroom door, closing it with less enthusiasm for silence than I’d had a moment ago. I shrugged off my dripping clothes, dried myself with a towel, and found myself a fresh pair of pajamas. I shoved my arms through the sleeves of a comfortable robe. There was quite a bit I could do if I put my mind to it; if I dug inside that brain seed to see what it could teach me.

I slid under the covers, listening to the steady hum of the air conditioner with the flower charm tucked into the palm of my hand.

Let the dreams come.

They could show me my full potential.

CHAPTER THREE

My lip curled as I watched my protégé flirt with some girl she’d brought to the lab. I was already in a sour mood from last night’s incident, and this had to end. Their relationship was… distracting. Friendships, romances, they had to have purpose. A way to elevate status or gain access to knowledge. This fling of hers was neither.

I pretended to study my book, waiting until my protégé’s lover left. I traced my fingers along the frail pages. The book detailed intricate jewelry and artifacts with abilities beyond anything I had ever made. Someday I would figure out how to make these things for myself. But right now, these words and inscriptions eluded me. They should have had meaning, but didn’t.

I brought you the apatite you asked for. My protégé fidgeted next to me with a small white jeweler’s box, examining me as if trying to figure out what I was thinking.

She would never get into my mind.

I grunted and popped off the lid with my fingernail. Inside, sitting on a piece of gray velveteen, were several small pieces of polished blue and yellow apatite. A little on the small side, but suitable enough. I gave her a curt nod, the only acknowledgement I’d offer her, and I placed the stones in my workspace.

A tiny smile pulled at her lips and she returned to her computer on the far wall. But with that nod, that minute nudge of approval, her defenses had dropped. I narrowed my eyes. She should have learned by now to protect her mind. She should have realized that her interest in that young woman hurt her potential.

I closed my eyes and slipped into her thoughts with the grace of a cat. My protégé never stopped working. Never noticed my mind in hers, making sure she saw every reason to hate that lover, to despise her with every neuron and whatever managed for a soul.

Less than half an hour later, disgust roiled in her thoughts, boiling like an untended pot of stew. Still she focused on her research, never noticing the difference. Eventually I’d teach her the trick to changing a person without them noticing—but not until she was completely on track with my goals.

After she completed her task, she offered me a tablet with the details from her latest research. This would be a fully functional, mobile hub. Her notes were clean. Precise. We were almost there.

Well done, Nickleson, I told her.

A surge of pride rushed through her, mingling with that newfound hatred.

A little push…

Let’s give your model a test. I’ll set up the equipment. You bring me the people. I tilted my head and eyed her from under the hood of my robe. Have any enemies?

I didn’t even have to give her a suggestion. The look in her eyes told me plenty.

Without delay, we stood in front of a table with a mess of wires and computers. A young woman had been strapped to the chair, her wrists and ankles bound tight enough that the bindings pinched her skin. She fought the binds, screaming curses at me that meant nothing.

"What did you do to her? Let me go! Please, Jenna! Whatever happened to you, we can fix!"

My protégé only stared at the woman with a hateful glare. How long do I have to listen to this?

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of my lip. I rested a hand on my protégé’s shoulder. She is beneath you, Nickleson. Hear the desperation in her pleas? Recognize that. Cherish it. If this test goes well, you will hear that desperation again.

It’s so… —she cocked her head and eyed her former lover with disinterest— pitiful.

Their pleas always were.

Shadowed figures stepped out from the edges of my vision, each holding a glinting pendant. Nickleson cradled the emerald pendant in her hand. I stepped back to let her take charge.

A blinding flash of light, a shrill scream…

She collapsed, terror wracking her mind and body. No. I couldn’t have her weakened. She ought to enjoy this. A tiny tweak, and she would be so much more efficient than if she cringed at the noise—

Something hit me hard, as if my whole body was being pinched between thousands of nails, and sent me flying across the room. The figures dissipated into darkness. I stared at that empty blackness, stunned. A blue glow flickered not more than two yards in front of me. I wasn’t in my lab anymore. I was in…

Where the hell was I?

"Snap out of it, Jenna."

I blinked, trying to place that voice. I knew it. Didn’t like it much. Liked the lightning playing across the palms of her hands even less. I sought her mind with my own. No one messed with me and lived to tell about—

A spike of electricity shot down my arm. I shrieked and released the flower charm I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. It fell back in place against my chest. Something clicked and light flooded the room. I threw my arm over my eyes, trying to block the blinding light. Damn it… I would make the insufferable idiot who had intruded on me pay. I threw off the covers and spread thorns over my vines. The figure at my door was barely visible, but anger poured from her thoughts. I dug into her mind, searching for the first thing I could use against her.

I hit remorse hard.

Guilt at the loss of my lover. Pain that he would never see his daughter born. Pain that I had hurt everyone around me, pain from the wrong choices I’d made… and a certain understanding that I’d been here before. That she needed to understand this wasn’t her.

I collapsed against my bed, gasping for breath.

Dear Community.

I couldn’t breathe, and my arm tingled from the electric shock.

I stared at Val, who stood firmly in my doorway with lightning crackling around her fingertips. Her frazzled hair framed her face in waves, her lips twisted into a determined grimace. The storm outside my window chose that moment to crack a flash of lightning with accompanying thunder. I shuddered, pushing harder against the edge of the mattress, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.

I’d tried to attack Val. Sure, we didn’t get along, but I didn’t want her dead. Especially given how much trouble we’d gone through to save Tim’s child. I glanced toward her stomach, where her pregnancy already showed.

Her child was developing faster than it should.

A hint of interest peaked in my brain, but I shoved it back. It didn’t belong in my mind. I hadn’t been me. That dream…

Nightmare. That had been a nightmare. I’d been Brainmaster, if she’d had a chance to train me and turn me against Lily.

Lily…

My stomach churned. I gagged, choking on a surge of nausea.

I’d watched myself force Lily into a hub. What if she’d seen my nightmare, the way Val had? Community, this was all so wrong.

You going to be okay? Val asked, her voice far more annoyed than her thoughts betrayed. My heart pounded overtime. I was trapped here, like being trapped in a beastie tank.

I… no. I’m not. I shoved past her, racing away from our suite before she questioned me further. I had to make sure Lily was okay. Lightning crackle-powed outside the window, illuminating the black night with blue shadows and highlighting the streaks of rain against the panes of glass. So many windows. So open. So different from the airship.

The hall blurred around me and I reached Lily’s room without more than a third breath. I grabbed the handle. What if it was locked? What if it wasn’t?

Would someone take advantage of that?

The knob turned easily. I swung it open. Quin was somewhere in the English Community, researching the stones with Jim, so I didn’t have to worry about waking him. I only had to worry about Lily. I had to be sure she was all right. I nearly slammed into her bedroom door in my haste to enter.

Her door was locked.

I blinked at it, stunned. A sense of alarm stirred on the other side. No… If I’d hurt her by not removing the charm while I was sleeping… I couldn’t handle that. Between speed powers and a hardened, long thorn from my vines, I picked the lock and thrust the door open—

I got a hefty splash of water to my face. I sputtered, stunned. Lily stood across from me, wearing an almost translucent shirt and a pair of loose shorts. She had one of her pistols aimed at me. She blinked. "Jenna? ¡Venga ya!" She lowered her gun and flipped the safety back on. What the hell are you doing?

Are you okay? I checked her mind for the source of the alarm and then grimaced when I realized that she’d only woken when she heard me run into the door. Hence the water to distract the intruder while she took time to aim her weapon.

"Ella estaba en modo de semilla cerebral." I spun around at Val’s voice. She stood a few meters behind me, lightning crackling at her fingertips where she held up her hand protectively. Her attention was on Lily, but she flicked her gaze to me, as if making sure I wasn’t about to attack her again. "Pesadilla realmente siniestra."

Lily’s eyes narrowed. She grabbed my upper arm, pulling me closer. ¿Qué estás haciendo aquí?

Val shrugged. Asegurándose de que ella no te mate.

" Encantada de que te preocupa," Lily mumbled.

Val grunted before glancing at me. You good? Not still going all evil?

Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Ish. I glanced between the two of them. I don’t understand Spanish…

Lily tugged me into her room. Don’t worry about it. She glared at Val over her shoulder. Yo puedo apañarmelas solo.

If you say so. Just… let me know if you need anything. Val looked me over one more time before nodding curtly and leaving us in peace.

Lily shut the door behind us. Are you okay?

My shoulders slumped. I’m sorry. I just… I had a bad dream. That was a terrible excuse for waking her up like that. How about you, though? Are you okay?

Lily cocked her head, her glossy black hair falling across her shoulders. She must have taken it out of its braid for the night. I’m fine. But, uh… She looked me over and frowned. The water that had soaked me withdrew from my clothes, leaving me dry as it floated in droplets back into her water glass. She slid the gun into the dresser beside her bed and sat in the fluff of covers. She patted the spot beside her. Want to talk about it?

I swallowed hard, my nose crinkling. I don’t think you’d want to know.

Lily patted the bed again. Well, it’s going to take me a little while before I can fall back asleep. She glanced out the window to the pelting raindrops. We might as well enjoy the storm.

A teensy flash of lightning in the distant clouds highlighted her point and reminded me of the tingle in my left hand where Val had shocked me into waking consciousness. I sucked in a breath.

Jen… Lily pleaded.

I plopped down beside her and rubbed my aching hand. A nervous jolt tingled through my leg where it brushed against hers. My heart pounded. That dream still felt far too real, and it hadn’t even been the usual memory attack. Part of me still remembered the uncomfortable glee of watching myself loathe her, of tying her into that hub—

Lily wrapped her arm around my shoulders and I flinched. But she was warm, and close…

My brain seed wanted her gone.

Will talking about it help? She tilted her head, her warm brown eyes examining me. Her other hand moved to the edge of mine, and the light touch of her fingertips overwhelmed the tingling shock Val had left behind. I swallowed hard. How could I have wanted to hurt her, even in a dream?

A nightmare, I said. I wasn’t me.

She squeezed my shoulder tighter and waited for me to continue.

I was watching myself as if the other me was a student, but I was Brainmaster. I hated the fact that I cared about you. So I—

Brainmaster hated that you cared about me, Lily corrected softly. You’re not her.

Every day I was getting a little bit closer to becoming that terrible woman. Some days faster than others. But I humored Lily’s suggestion. Maybe it would help.

Brainmaster hated that I cared about you, I echoed. "So I… so she waited until I was distracted to root around in my brain and make me disgusted by you. She rewarded me for making progress on a mobile hub. It was new in the dream. She asked if I had anyone I wanted rid of, and she wanted me to choose you. The dream switched, and then you were trapped in a hub while I tied you into it." Sickness weaseled down my throat. Saying it now… it felt cold and distant. It used to be that even talking about something like a hub or the Legion Spore would cause a memory attack.

Now the whole thing seemed so matter-of-fact.

What happened next? Lily whispered, her voice gentle.

I shrugged and scooted closer. Val woke me. I guess I was projecting my dreams, and she didn’t like that.

Lily snorted, amusement playing across her face. Can’t say I’d blame her.

No, I agreed, though I didn’t mention that I’d woken up as Brainmaster.

She yawned. Well, don’t worry too much. I’m fine.

Except for sleep?

She nodded in the middle of a bigger yawn.

I sighed. Why don’t you go back to sleep, then? I’ll head back to—

She flopped back into the bed without letting go of my shoulder, effectively pulling me down with her. I squeaked, too disoriented from waking up so fast to catch myself. I landed in a heap of messy covers. Uh, Lily?

She grunted. Can you grab the blanket? It’s cold.

I blinked. Did she actually expect me to sleep in here? I hadn’t slept in the same bed as anyone else since I was tiny and still slept with my parents. Then again, she was warm, she was comfortable, and she was alive…

I reached for the edge of the cover with my vine and pulled the blanket over us.

Necklace off, she muttered, waving sleepy circles toward the dresser with her index finger.

Hesitant, I unclasped the ball chain of my flower charm. Unease curled through me and I swallowed back bile. I’d be fine without it for