Chapter 1

Six years ago, I was doing the math in my head, counting the days until I could find a way back to Earth. Today, I’m counting the days until we find and destroy yet another Sky Tribe starship.

Six years ago, my most dangerous missions involved flying across the Persian Gulf during times of political and diplomatic unrest. Today, my most dangerous missions have me facing death too often. I almost got myself blown up twice in the past month alone. I’m done counting the times I was nearly killed by the Sunnaites’ laser weapons.

I never imagined I’d still be here and that I’d make a home here on Sunna.

We were supposed to be slaves, nothing more, women for the Sunnaites to breed with so they might save their dying species. So much has happened since that fateful day. I can barely remember that night in Vancouver—what we did prior to being abducted by aliens, anyway. We were celebrating Amber’s breakup. We’d had plenty to drink. And look at us now. Warrior women, each and every one of us. Pushed way beyond our limits and forced to adjust to an environment that was anything but kind to humans.

Yet we pulled through. We found a place where we belonged. Three of us found love, the kind written about in books. They built homes and families with their mates. I’ve gotten used to the Sunnaite culture at this point. I understand the biological and emotional bond that happens between a female and her two males.

I think I feel it as well. But I’m not ready to live it. I’m scared one or more of us will die, and I don’t know if I could bear the loss of a true soulmate.

“That black mist is remarkably good at keeping people away,” Fadai says as we approach Opal City in our long-range buggy.

We’ve been traveling for a few days, but the trip is worth it. A couple of weeks ago, Alicia came back to Sapphire City after Solomon’s widows summoned her and her Tallas men for a show-and-tell. I can still see the stars in her warm, brown eyes as she described the military base that Sarin, Neya, and Leela built against Kaos Volcano, along with its exquisite weaponry.

I had to come to see for myself.

“We don’t know for how long, though,” I tell him and Yossul. “If our people figured out the labyrinth and the diversions, others will, too.”

“Not today,” Yossul replies, his eyes on the dusty road ahead.

It’s his turn to drive. I called shotgun earlier in the morning, so I get a nice view of his handsome profile for the remainder of this journey as Opal City rises in the distance with its cloak of black smoke and obsidian-plated walls.

No man in his right mind would dare approach it, especially since most people know this place was ground zero for the plague that practically destroyed the entire Sunnaite society.

“Besides, the traps and bands of Fire Tribe soldiers we’ve positioned along the way since Opal City was liberated from Solomon’s rule have helped keep the curious away.”

“Jewel is right,” Fadai says. “It’s only a matter of time.”

“Your optimism is infectious,” Yossul grumbles.

I chuckle. “I think we’re all just tired, Yos. It’s been a long month for everyone involved.”

We’re nowhere close to finding the sixth wretched starship, and rumor has it that the Sky Tribe is just about ready to launch it. Our intel is scrambled at best, and the enemy has gotten better at protecting their communications since I got involved.

After the truth about the plague’s origin was revealed, Cynthia worked overtime to reproduce Solomon’s cure for the virus. The last of his vials were destroyed while he tried to escape his own reckoning, but his widows gave us everything of his—every note and memo, every report and folder from each of his drawers—so that we might put an end to this nightmare.

Cynthia has developed an effective vaccine, and the Fire Tribe’s scarce but cherished female population has been inoculated. We still need a cure, though. The virus is still on the loose, and only a cure will stop it for good. The vaccine, in turn, will prevent future generations from becoming infected by the inevitable mutations.

Alicia has put considerable effort into studying Sunna’s culture and history, predicting their military and political models. That has also helped me and the Kreek pack, in particular. We’ve devised our strategies to stay one step ahead of the Sky Tribe. For the most part, it’s been working.

The Fire Tribe now has the upper hand—though not for long. The enemy still holds most of the cities, resources, and military equipment. But they’re spread thin because of our many small-scale but effective sabotage missions.

Much like the virus itself, however, they’ve learned how to adapt, which is why we’re still looking for the sixth starship, which is the bane of my existence.

As Opal City looms ahead, I take a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare for what I’m about to see. I’m sure Alicia’s description doesn’t really cover the magnitude and the importance of those long-range laser weapons.

“I still can’t believe how proactive Solomon’s widows have been,” I say to my friends.

“They felt cheated and lied to. What was it Alicia once said? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?” Yossul replies.

“Yeah, makes sense. It’s a good reminder not to mess with women in general, especially women who have authority over the engineering corps,” I chuckle dryly.

Fadai rests a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. “We’ve already learned our lesson of women scorned since the day you crash-landed on Sunna.”

His touch alone is enough to light my skin on fire, but I can’t bring myself to tell him. For years, I’ve been resisting this bond to the point where it hurts my very soul. But Yossul, Fadai, and I agreed a long time ago that we couldn’t risk getting involved, regardless of our feelings. We are the front line of the Fire Tribe. We are the warriors, the fighters, the trained killers, and we are responsible for winning this war. We cannot allow our feelings to get in the way, no matter how intense they may be. But the truth of it is… ironically, it’s been getting harder and harder to resist those feelings.

On the one hand, my friends poke fun at me, asking how much longer it is going to be before I rip the clothes off Yossul and Fadai and beg them to take me. On the other hand, I know that if I do surrender to the bond, it will cloud my judgment.

Sometimes, it”s all I can think about. I imagine them taking me, claiming me, filling me to the brim, and making me scream their names in pure, savage pleasure. I imagine a life together, children running around in times of peace and prosperity. But that’s the thing: These aren’t times of peace and prosperity, and the three of us are ready to sacrifice everything to bring peace and prosperity to the rest of Sunna.

We’re the sacrificers.

We’re an offering to the gods of war.

“They have every reason to support us,” Fadai says after a short while. “Becoming allies with the Fire Tribe could keep Opal City independent long after we win the war.”

“We’ve proven ourselves worthy of their support,” I reply. “We opened their eyes to the truth. I only wish we could do the same with the rest of Sunna.”

“Jewel, I’d love it if it were that easy. But the Sky Tribe is too stuck in its ways. They’re fanatics at this point. We cannot reason with them. The Mal, Hadana, and Tallas men have tried, mind you. And the only decent result we could get out of those meetings with Shaytan Hull was a promise of a temporary ceasefire against Sapphire City.”

Had we been present for any of those meetings, I probably would’ve just put a laser beam through Shaytan Hull’s head so I could be done with it. Of course, that would’ve simply given way for some other greedy warlord to take his place.

Besides, the Kreek pack is on their most-wanted list, and for good reason. We’ve made their lives miserable.

“The ceasefire isn’t a long-term solution,” Yossul chimes in. “It’s only a matter of time before they try to come for the city again. I think they’re simply too focused on protecting their remaining starships and defending what cities they still have. But once they launch their starship, they will definitely shift their attention back to Sapphire City.”

Because of this, the city is constantly on alert, and jets and drones fly overhead and over the surrounding regions to ensure the Sky Tribe doesn’t try something. We’re stretched just as thin as they are, and we have fewer resources at our disposal.

The best we can do is project sharp wit and unimaginable strength. Fake it till you make it. It’s a gimmick, and it comes with an expiration date.

“None of us will rest until this war is over,” Fadai sighs from the back seat.

I take out a flare from my backpack and load it into the pistol-like device I built for it. “I’ll fire the signal so they know to disable the labyrinth defenses,” I say. “The last thing I need is to play life or death before I’ve had my sweet plum tea.”

With a dull bang, the flare fires, and it’s bright enough for the city’s tower guards to see. They knew we were coming, so they had their eyes on the sky. Within minutes, we’re driving the buggy through the black maze. The defenses have been temporarily disabled, allowing us free and safe passage toward Opal City’s magnificent gates.

We’re greeted by a small group of palace guards who take us directly to the western gate. I’m getting increasingly nervous as we cross the city and take in everything. The place seems tranquil enough, but ever since they’ve been discovered by the Fire Tribe, the people here have lived in a state of silent uncertainty.

If we know about them, it’s only a matter of time before somebody else finds out. Specifically, the Sky Tribe. We’ve sworn ourselves to secrecy, of course, but Sunna is no different from any other inhabited planet when it comes to the nature of people. Sooner or later, someone will give away the secret to the wrong person, and then all hell will break loose.

It’s a matter of when, not if, and the citizens of Opal City are well aware of that. They’re grateful for our support, but they’re clearly worried about the repercussions later on.

“We really need to win this war,” I mutter as we approach the western gates. “These people are scared, and I can’t blame them. If the Sky Tribe—”

“Opal City will not fall,” Yossul assures me. “We’ve come too far to let anything happen to this place. We’re about to destroy the last of the enemy’s starships.”

Fadai can’t help but chuckle. “Well, we still intend to do that, of course. Once we find the fuckers.”

“That’s not the point,” I say. “Look around you. Look at their faces. Our mere presence here has everybody on edge.”

“We’re at war,” Yossul replies. “The only difference now is that Opal City is also aware of it. The violence was bound to reach their gates eventually. And Solomon would’ve kept them in the dark until then, the mad fool.”

“True. At least they know,” Fadai says. “It’s better to know than to live in the darkness.”

Finally, the western gates open wide before us. Ahead, I see the Kaos Volcano rising like a grumbling giant made of black limestone, obsidian ridges, and sinuous hiking trails along which are abandoned towns and blackwood trees. There’s a thin layer of silvery ash twinkling everywhere. The volcano must’ve erupted sometime in the past week. I can tell the temperature in the area has risen by a degree or two. We’re still in the safe zone, though. It’ll be a few more years before this old mountain splits open and destroys everything around it.

I only hope that when that day arrives, there will still be a city to evacuate and that enough people survive to rebuild it like their ancestors did.

The three widows of Solomon meet us as we pass through the gates. They smile at us.

“Welcome, people of the Kreek clan,” the eldest, Sarin, says. “It is an honor to have you here again.”

“It is an honor to be here,” I say, bowing politely before the women.

They’re taller than the average human woman by about a head, and they are beautiful creatures. Much like their male counterparts, the women of Sunna have crimson eyes and luscious black hair, smooth red skin, and devilish horns—the latter being more distinctive from one Sunnaite to another. Their spiked tails stay hidden beneath splendid black and gold silk dresses befitting the queens they are, and gold jewels jingle softly with each of their movements.

We all bow deeply. “We are most grateful you have chosen to accommodate us,” Yossul says as we straighten up. “And we’re terribly excited about your most recent project.”

“Oh, yes,” Sarin laughs lightly. “You made that quite clear from your last communication.”

“You’ve accomplished an incredible feat in a short time. If the weapons are as effective as your engineers claim, then we are most likely to actually win this war.”

Neya nods subtly as she takes a step forward. “That was our mission from the moment we set our engineers on the task. The war must end. Peace must be restored. Solomon destroyed this world, so it is our solemn duty to do whatever we can in order to rebuild it.”

“You don’t bear the responsibility for his crimes,” I reply.

“But we haven’t been carrying the repercussions, either. It isn’t fair,” Leela says. Alicia was right. If we are to get our dear Sunna back, we must work together—all of us, even the Sky Tribe, though they clearly need a firm hand to keep them in line.”

Fadai grins. “I believe you’ve got two laser weapons on your base that qualify as the much-needed firm hand required for this task. We’ve come to see them for ourselves.”

“Of course, please,” Sarin says, motioning for us to follow her and her sisters.

We’re escorted to a string of buggies prepared especially for this visit. The soldiers get behind the wheels while we and the queens occupy the back seats, and we quietly enjoy the quick ride up to the mountain’s sharp ridge beneath a deep red sky. There isn’t a single cloud in sight, and the air feels hotter as we approach the military base.

When Yossul catches sight of the base, he exclaims, “It’s incredible.” His red eyes glow in awe.

It is incredible. It’s the universe’s answer to our prayers.

The base buildings are simple and minimalist by design, made of black limestone, steel, and heat-resistant glass panes. But the watch towers receive my full attention—they are sturdy giants with bases made entirely from steel and thick limestone, the kind that can take heavy fire and still remain standing.

At the very top of the towers, mounted on a lazy-Susan-type system and encased in more steel and heat-resistant glass, with only the elongated muzzles protruding, are the notorious long-range laser weapons we will use to destroy the starships once they are airborne.

As soon as the Sky Tribe launches their starship, wherever that may be, we’ll be able to take them down. Naturally, there are caveats to using these weapons, but the simple fact that we have this kind of firepower at our disposal means we have a competitive edge against the Sky Tribe.

“Oh, wow,” I mumble once the buggies pull up outside the base and we climb out.

My boots sink slowly into a thick layer of scarlet sand. From up close, I can see the same silvery ash I noticed before settled on the military base. Sparkling swirls of it roll out with every gust of dry wind while the twin suns of Sunna shine brightly overhead. Six years ago, this scorching heat would’ve made me sweat and pant, causing me to chug gallons of water to stay hydrated. Today, I’ve gotten so used to the climate that a day like this feels rather… breezy.

“It feels like a dream come true!” I say, laughing.

“Alicia said something similar when she first saw it,” Leela replies.

Two doors slide open at the front and Leela takes the lead, guiding us into the base. The entire ground level is a slab of black limestone. The entrance is well hidden and impenetrable unless the soldiers inside grant access. At first glance, it seems abandoned, much like everything else on this mountain. That will help if there are any Sky Tribe marauders bold and mad enough to make their way up here. They shouldn’t be able to get this far, though, since Opal City still stands between the base and the rest of the world, and Kaos volcano guards the back.

The entire region is shrouded in mystery. No one ventures here anymore, and that ominous black mist covering the city discourages anyone from even trying.

“We’ve been careful about testing these weapons,” Leela says during a tour of the base. I’m constantly amazed by how much they were able to accomplish here. Having the mountain by their side has helped on every level. “We didn’t want to risk detection by any of the Sky Tribe’s radar, so we focused most of our trial shots toward the west.”

“It’s a good thing most of Sunna’s survivors gathered along the Sun River and farther north rather than staying in the region,” Yossul agrees, his gaze constantly scanning the base.

I can tell he’s ecstatic. His pupils are dilated, and the corner of his mouth keeps tugging upward whenever he spots something he likes in the base’s internal setup.

Once we’re done fawning over the laser shooters and their outstanding long-range precision, Yossul, Fadai, and I are invited to join the queens back at the palace for refreshments.

When we arrive, we see that the table is laden with baked goodies, creamy butters, spiced preserves, platters of fresh fruit, and a range of local teas, each one smelling rich and flavorful—like a hot summer’s day or plums simmering in pine oil and cinnamon or the kiss of an orchard. Opal City’s tradition in the tea-making craft was thought to be dead when the place was bombed. Clearly, it’s alive and well.

“Fadai took one of the side roads,” I tell the queens while buttering my bread. “It kept us farther away from Diamond City,” I add, giving Fadai an appreciative smile. “We avoided any marauders in the area. We’ll do the same on the way back.”

“That is wise,” Neya says. “The less they see of you, the fewer the chances they’ll be tempted to follow you anywhere, including here.”

“Once the Sky Tribe gets wind of increased Fire Tribe activities in the region, they will certainly come snooping around,” Yossul agrees.

“I still think we need to keep them busy in the meantime,” I reply. It’s been on my mind for a while now. Having these long-range weapons is a godsend, but I don’t want us to rely on them. “We need to have more sabotaging operations in and around cities farthest away from here. And we have to get a line on those starships, dammit. It’s been too long.”

Leela sighs deeply. “I was hoping our weapons might resolve that issue.”

“We were tempted to hope as well. But those starships are fast. There’s always the risk they’ll leave Sunna’s atmosphere before we can get them in our crosshairs,” I say. Our best option remains the same: finding the last two starships and destroying both before they can take off.”

“Do you have any idea where to get that information?” Sarin asks, her brow slightly furrowed. “Alicia and her mates said communications among Sky Tribe warriors have been tight recently.”

Fadai scoffs. “Yeah, they’ve been closing ranks. Their lines are silent. We suspect they’ve changed radio channels on their stations, and we’ve yet to pick up on the right one. I’m guessing they’re keeping their comms to a minimum to begin with, making it harder for our scanners to detect anything.” He pauses and gives me a long look. “Jewel, we do have to consider the possibility that we won’t get to those starships in time.”

“That’s out of the question,” I reply bluntly and shake my head. The stakes are too high. I cannot afford to leave anything to chance, not when my best friends have built new lives here. They’ve got families and children to protect. There’s no way in hell I’m backing down.”

“No one is asking you to back down,” Yossul chimes in.

“But we do need to be careful about how we proceed. You’re still at risk here, Jewel. I can’t let the Sky Tribe grab you while you’re busy trying to blow up their starships. We almost lost you during the last mission.”

“What mission?” Leela asks, giving me a curious look.

I groan and cross my arms, leaning back in my chair. My appetite is threatening to leave me, and it’s a pity. The peppered plum preserves are simply extraordinary. “We had a recon job near Ruby City a couple of weeks ago,” I say. “I got a little too close, that’s all.”

“No, you tried to get into their main base without any of us watching your back,” Fadai cuts in, a muscle ticking angrily in his jaw. “And you almost got yourself captured.”

“I got away.”

“Barely!” Yossul snaps. “And I’ll be damned if I’ll let you go off on your own like that again. We’re supposed to be a team!”

The truth is… I lost track of my objective during that mission. I was so eager to get a peek inside the enemy’s base that I didn’t care about anything else, not even my personal safety. Keeping my friends safe was paramount. Winning this war is my top prize. And while Fadai’s and Yossul’s arguments make all the sense in the world, my ego won’t allow me to keep quiet.

“We are a team,” I shoot back. “But I saw an opportunity, and I took it. You would’ve done the same,” I insist, my ego causing me to run my mouth like this while Solomon’s widows watch us like they’re at a tennis match at Wimbledon. “Don’t deny it.”

Yossul growls and bangs his fist against the table, startling everyone.

Silence fills the room. The servants freeze on the spot, trays and napkins in hand, as they stare at us, likely wondering whether they should get the hell out before any plates start flying around. The queens are quiet, their red eyes fixed on Yossul and Fadai.

Something tells me they’re just waiting for the storm to pass. They don’t seem worried; they”re just patient. I bet they’ve had plenty of hissy fits to deal with from Solomon so as not to be intimidated by the Kreek brothers.

I give Yossul and Fadai a heavy look.

“I would’ve never put myself in danger at the risk of never seeing you again,” Yossul says, his voice low, tension gathering in his shoulders. “You should’ve known better.”

We never really talked about that incident. I just pretended everything was okay, and I brushed off any of their attempts to address it. Clearly, I should’ve been open to talking about it, at least, because what’s happening now is a result of things they never got to tell me. I should’ve swallowed my pride.

“You’re not my mates,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “Don’t act like you are because you’re not. And while your concern is and always will be appreciated, I am only accountable to myself. I put myself in danger, and I got myself out. Period.”

Once again, my ego has gotten the better of me, and I’m already biting my tongue as I get up from the table and politely excuse myself.

“I’ll go to my room now,” I tell the queens with a curt nod. Then, I walk right out of the tearoom with my head held high. As soon as the doors close behind me, however, I realize I’m shaking.

Yossul and Fadai are right. I shouldn’t have gone off on my own. I should’ve owned my mistake, too. But my pride clouded my judgment, and it’s only because I was raised in a highly competitive environment. I’ve always had to work hard in order to prove myself as a woman in the military.

The stakes were always higher for me, and admitting to any mistake would have rendered me the most vulnerable one in the pack. I couldn’t risk it.

I keep forgetting this isn’t the US Air Force.

This is Sunna. This is the Fire Tribe.

And here, things are very different.