"When do we meet with him?"
"Tomorrow. That gives us tonight to prepare, to make sure we have an exit strategy if things go wrong." He cupped my face, and my whole body went utterly still. "Trust me. Please."
"I do. I just don't like the thought of two-timing someone to get what I want."
"Gideon doesn't deserve your guilt. He's a criminal who profits from people's desperation. This is justice, not betrayal."
Maybe he was right. Maybe I was overthinking this. Or maybe my instincts were trying to warn me that things were about to get complicated.
I slipped out of Cypher's cabin and made my way home. I needed to see my mom, needed to make sure she was alright before everything changed. The shop was quiet when I arrived, lit only by a single lamp in the sitting room. My mom sat in her chair by the window, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up when I entered, and her face lit up.
"Juno." Her voice was rough and strained as it usually was. "You're back."
"I'm back." I crossed to her and knelt beside the chair, taking her hands. They felt so fragile, all bones and papery skin. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better. The medicine helps, but..." She coughed, sounding wet and painful. "It's getting harder to breathe every day. The disease is progressing."
"I have money now. Enough for more medicine, enough to hire the best healers in the city."
There was no telling if healers could even help. Nobody had a clue what caused my mother's lungs to fail her like this. One day she was as healthy as ever, and the next she was collapsing and gasping for breath.
"Tell me about your journey first. Did you find what you were looking for?"
I told her about Nytheris, editing out the most dangerous parts. Told her about the codex and the crown, about Last Lights and floating islands. Told her about Cypher, though I kept some things private. She listened with bright eyes, asking questions, seeming genuinely fascinated.
"You've grown up so much, Junie. I'm so damn proud of you."
"I haven't done anything yet. Father's still in the Dredge."
"But you will get him out. I know you will." She squeezed my hands. "And then what? What happens after he's free?"
I'd been dreading this question. "Kora wants to join the crew of The Night-Piercer, and she wants me to join too, she just won't ask. I don't know if it's the right decision. If I go with them, it would be to help the Nytherians build a new realm for their people."
"Then you should go."
"But you need me. You're sick, and Father will need time to recover from the Dredge. I can't just abandon you."
"You're not abandoning us. You're living your life. That's what we've always wanted for you." She pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in her shoulder like I had as a child. "Don't sacrifice your happiness for us. We'll manage. We always do."
I pulled back, looking into her eyes and tried my hardest to keep the tears at bay. "Would you come with us if we managed to create that new world? You could start new lives in a new place. Somewhere the Assembly can't reach us."
She smiled, catching a stray tear on my cheek with her thumb. "I'll go wherever you need me to go, Junie. Always."
We sat together for a long time, and I tried to memorize the moment. The sound of her labored breathing, the warmth of her hands, the smell of her lavender soap. I didn't know when I'd see her again if I left with the crew. Months, years maybe. Or longer. Eventually, I helped her to bed and slipped out into the night. The streets were quiet, most honest people were already asleep. But in the shadows, I felt eyes watching. Following.
I walked faster, one hand on the dagger at my belt. The prickling sensation between my shoulder blades intensified. Someone was definitely following me. I turned down a side alley, then ducked into a recessed doorway and waited. Footsteps approached. A figure appeared at the alley entrance—tall, wearing a hooded cloak that concealed their features.
I pulled my dagger and stepped out. "Who are you?"
The figure stopped. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then a familiar voice spoke.
"Easy, Juno. It's just me." They pushed back their hood, and I found myself staring at Vic.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded. "Why are you following me?"
"Cypher was worried about you. Gideon might have spies watching, waiting for an opportunity." Vic spread his hands, showing he was unarmed. "I was trying to keep my distance, not spook you. Clearly I failed."
I lowered my dagger. "How long have you been following me?"