When I’m back on reality, Mathias’s hands are on my waist. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shocked you like that—”
“Mathias,” I whisper, the tears now freely streaming down my face, washing off the makeup and the nightmares and the days and nights of worrying. “Thank you.”
His indigo eyes grow so dark they’re almost violet. “Your brother wasn’t on Thebe. He was visiting your father, and they were both rescued at sea.”
Without thinking, I hug him. He hugs me back, and when I pull away, he’s smiling. I haven’t seen a smile on his face until now. It softens his features, making him look like the boy he used to be, the one I used to dream about finally being brave enough to talk to one day.
I just never imagined one day looking like this.
“Can I Wave them?” I ask.
“I doubt they still have their Waves, and even if they did, the grid isn’t up yet—but I’m trying to find a way.”
The door to the lecture hall opens, and Admiral Crius barks, “Get in!” Mathias and I scramble inside.
“Let’s consult the black opal,” says Agatha the moment we’ve joined them. Mathias hands it to me from his suit pocket, and I feel the ridges along its side, until I see the Bull forming in my mind. House Taurus.
The star map blooms out, filling the room with wispy, flickering lights. As soon as I step into its holographic glow, I lock my eyes on Cancer to reach my Center. The Ring makes it easier, thanks to the Abyssthe in its core, and soon music notes fill the solar system. Radiant gases, luminous dust, asteroids, quasars, ethereal clusters of fire. I look around, to the place beyond the Twelfth House. The Dark Matter is still there, pulsing.
“We received a message from House Pisces,” says Crius. “They’ve spotted a portent in the stars. An urgent warning for Cancer about more storms on the way. But it’s indistinct, and they’re asking us to confirm.”
“Of course, the message could be counterfeit,” Agatha points out. “The Psy is not always reliable.”
“Tell us what you see. We trust your skills have been improving, thanks to your Zodai training,” says Crius, though I don’t hear much trust in his tone.
I think back to my conversation with Nishi. I know what telling the truth will cost me—maybe even more now than I did a few hours ago—but I’ve taken an oath to place Cancer’s life ahead of my own. Staying silent would be cowardly. I need to find the truth: Our survival depends on it.
“Ophiuchus,” I say. “I see Dark Matter in the Thirteenth House, the constellation Ophiuchus.”
10
FOUR SETS OF EYES STARE at me like I’ve gone crazy.
Mathias speaks first. “It’s a myth. A story handed down for so many generations it became the source of the Cancrian children’s monster, Ochus.” He sounds like he’s repeating what someone’s whispering to him in the Psy. “The constellation was said to take the shape of a snake.”
“His other names are Ophius,” I say, “and Serpent, and 13 . . .”
“So you’re blaming the Zodiac’s boogeyman?” Dr. Eusta grunts impatiently and turns away. “Oh, good, and we just made her Guardian.”
“Look,” I say, raising my voice, “I swore an oath to protect Cancer, and that’s what I intend to do, no matter where it takes me. Right now, attackers from House Ophiuchus fit the clues. The Dark Matter is showing up exactly where the Thirteenth House used to be. If Leo and Taurus are part of a pattern, then whoever is behind this isn’t finished yet.”
They all stare back at me blankly.
Admiral Crius rubs his jaw. “I know the myths as well as anyone, but with all due respect, Holy Mother, I can’t see how this relates to our situation.”
He’s doing his best to show me proper reverence, but I think he’s reached his limit.
“Perhaps we should consult the astronomers,” says Dr. Eusta. “With their telescopes, they might see something we’ve missed. Begging your pardon, Holy Mother.”
“I’m not mad. Do everything you can think of. Even if I’m right, I don’t know how we stop the attacks. Consult everyone, and I’ll continue reading the Ephemeris to see if the threat from Pisces appears.”
Everyone sets off in a different direction to gather information, and I remain in the lecture hall, reading the Ephemeris. Here is where I feel I can do the most good for my House. Centered among the stars, my heart and mind open to calls from home, I feel most connected to Cancer and best able to lead us.
I’ll stay here as long as it takes to read the stars’ secrets.
? ? ?
An hour later, there’s still no sign of the threat seen by Pisces. I check messages on my Wave, hopeful to find a note from Dad or Stanton, even though I’ve been told the odds.