Chapter 11: Full Circle | page 9

“So there’s nowhere for me to go?” Kessa asked dejectedly. “They’re everywhere?”

“Not necessarily,” Tiberius said, looking at Xia.

“He’s right,” she agreed. “They were here, but if what Anthem told us is true, the Nihilist church has run the Sisterhood off of Stray.”

“We cannot yet be assured that this new cult is any less dangerous,” Maeve pointed out. “We know even less of them than we do of the Sisterhood of Life. We cannot make a home for Kessa and her child on a world that may hold even more peril for her than Axis.”

“But this Church of Nihil shouldn’t have a reason to come after me,” Kessa said.

Maeve balanced her fork in her fingers, as if weighing the Dailon girl’s words on it. “If they have quarrel enough with the Sisterhood to drive them away, they may hunt you for past allegiances.”

“This church has somehow chased off any Sisters on Stray,” Gripper agreed. “They might do it to you, too, Blue.”

“Xia and Maeve missed the Nihilist’s sermon last night, but there will be another one soon, according to that Arcadian hawk. Some of you should go and have a listen. Maybe it will give us some idea why they hate Sisterhood and whether or not they’re a threat to Kessa. Maybe they’re just sticklers for the law and chased off the Sisterhood because they’re illegal. We could live with that,” Tiberius said. He pointed to Xia and Maeve. “You two were going to go before Coldhand bolted. Anandrou, will you be done with the repairs soon?”

“If it’ll get me a chance to go out into the city some, I can have the SL engine singing the Prian anthem by tonight,” Gripper said with a broad grin. “I’ve never been to Gharib!”

“A functional air recyc’ system will be fine,” Tiberius said. “Then you can go with them. Duaal, I want you here on the ship to help protect Kessa in case Stray isn’t as safe as we hope.”

“Now you want me protecting her?” Duaal asked. “Funny, you didn’t seem to think I was good for anything when Coldhand got away!”

“That’s enough, Duaal.”

“Yes, captain,” the mage replied sullenly.

Kessa seemed to be struggling to say something. Xia offered her an encouraging smile. She looked to Tiberius. “What about Vyron?” she asked. “We still need to get him, somehow.”

“I’d forgotten all about your man,” the old Prian confessed.

Kessa’s face fell and Xia patted her hand reassuringly, shooting Tiberius an admonishing look. “We’ll find him,” she told Kessa.

Maeve smiled suddenly, brightly. She had an idea, one that might serve her as well as it did Kessa. Maybe she could yet salvage this. “Tell me of those who took him back from the Sisterhood before, of his gang. I believe I know just how to bring Vyron to us,” said Maeve.

- End Chapter 11 -