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face before she slipped into an unconscious state. Nattie.
When she woke, her head pounded so hard it made her nauseous. She rolled onto her side, wincing
as cold, unyielding stone pressed into her flesh, and pushed up onto her hands and knees. The urge to
vomit was too strong to deny. She retched pitifully onto the dirty stone floor. So much for her last
meal&
Here, pet. Nattie s familiar voice filtered through her dry-heaving. Drink this.
Still groggy and unsteady, Naya crawled away from the mess she d made and tried to adjust her
hazy vision. She was in a dank cell. Her brother crouched on the other side of the bars and wiggled a
bottle of water at her. Nattie?
I think I hit you with too much of the sleepy juice, he said with an apologetic smile. You ll be
fine though.
Limbs trembling, she made her way across the cell to the bars and flopped down on her butt. Her
nose burned so badly. She rubbed her forehead. Why did you do that to me?
He pressed the water into her hands. Why did you come back?
She fought with the lid and finally managed to twist it open. You know why.
He sighed heavily. It won t change anything.
Naya swished a mouthful of water and spit it into the corner. She gulped a few swallows of the
expensive purified water and eased the pain in her throat. Her vision started to clear and she got her
first good look at her brother. He looked even worse than the photograph she d seen. Something had
happened to his right eye. The iris was milky-gray. Red streaks marred the sclera. The pockmarks on
his face were even deeper and harsher. His teeth were brown nubs in spots.
Hell, Nattie. She reached through the bars and gripped his hand. When did you start using
Impulse?
He glanced away from her. After Sindee died.
Sindee is dead? How?
A new strain of the cough got her in Safe Harbor, he said. It came off one of the sky warrior
ships. They took too long giving the treatment to the hospitals in the colonies.
She stroked his hand. I m so sorry, Nattie.
He shrugged, the movement twitchy and jerky. It was a long time ago.
That doesn t mean it hurts any less, she countered.
Is that how you feel about me taking your money?
Her belly lurched as the pain of his betrayal became fresh again. Sometimes, she admitted.
It was wrong of me to do that. I know what you risked and how hard you worked to get that money
together. I should have taken you with me.
She sighed. It was a long time ago, Nattie. We can t change what happened.
He didn t say anything. Instead he pointed to the ceiling. They told me you got taken by one of the
sky warriors.
She nodded. His name is Menace.
Menace? he repeated with a laugh. Not exactly warm and fuzzy.
No, she agreed with a smile.
Do you love him?
It s complicated, she answered honestly. And what I feel doesn t matter. We re not together
anymore.
But you re doing his bidding, Nattie said and scratched at a phantom bug on his neck.
I m not doing his bidding. It s another man who sent me here. A very, very dangerous man, she
insisted. You don t want to be here when he comes.
Regret and sadness flashed across his good eye. I don t have anywhere else to go, pet.
Even though Nattie had hurt her so much, she couldn t shake the need to gather him close. He d
always been so weak and so easily manipulated. It was no wonder he d ended up in this position.
You could come with me.
He seemed to be considering her offer. Eventually he shook his head. Where you re going, I m not
keen to follow. Come on. He rose slowly, using the bars for support. Mama wants to see you.
Not exactly thrilled by the thought of her impending family reunion, Naya took her sweet time
climbing to her feet. She took another drink of water. Shivering with cold, she finally realized they d
taken her coat and pistol. A flex of her ankle told her the knife was gone too.
Defenseless, she stood back as Nattie opened the door to her cell. He touched the gun holstered on
his hip. Don t make me use this, Naya.
I won t. With his twitchiness, she didn t make any sudden movements. Being shot by Nattie
wasn t on her bucket list. Side by side with her brother, Naya walked through a maze of hallways.
The pungent scent of fuel and chemicals filled her nose. Is this an old manufacturing plant?
Nattie glanced at her. They used to make batteries here before they got that newfangled solar
power plant set up across town. The size and location makes it perfect for our needs. Besides, with
all the toxic fumes and the dump site out back, no one wants to come here to nose around.
Naya tried not to dwell on the effect all those toxic fumes were having on her right now. She could
almost feel her brain cells melting.
They passed through a set of double doors and entered the main manufacturing space of the
warehouse. Most of the equipment had been cleared. A living space had been set up in one section
and small mess hall in another. Dozens of hard-looking men and women stopped what they were
doing to watch her.
One entire side of the room was taken up by stacks of crates. They bore the stamp of the central
government and were labeled as perishables. Her brain pieced together the information. There
weren t any food shortages and the Harcos treaties weren t demanding too high quotas. No, some
corrupt bastard in the government was selling food supplies to the Sixers.
It s a good deal, Nattie said, his gaze moving over the floor-to-ceiling stacks of food. We get a
wholesale price. Mama sells it to the Splinter guys for three or four times as much as we paid. They
need supplies so badly they ll pay anything. They ll even do food-for-gun deals. You should see the
shit they hijacked last night and traded us this morning!
So you get your hands on weapons and cash while the Splinter cell gets to agitate the people of
Calyx, Naya murmured.
You always were the smart one.
Naya s gut clenched at the sound of her mother s husky voice. The memories of her childhood, most
of them painful and tear-ridden, flooded back. She turned slowly to face the woman who had
abandoned her. Decked out like a low-rent general, her mother commanded the attention of every eye
in the place.
Hello, Mama.
She didn t reply. Instead she walked a slow circle around Naya. You turned out prettier than I d
imagined. With your daddy s genes, I was sure you d look like someone beat you with the ugly stick
by now.
Naya let the insult roll right off her back. Unable to help herself, she gestured to her own cheek.
The scar s a nice look for you. Makes you look powerful.
Keep it up, her mother warned. I haven t forgotten how easy it was to make you cry. I ve still
got my strap.
Naya s jaw tightened. You don t scare me anymore.
I should. Who do you think controls this city? It sure as hell ain t the government. It s me. She
touched her chest. Me and my crew and my guns.
You and your crew and your guns are in big trouble. The Harcos forces know you re working with
the Splinter cell here on Calyx. They don t care if they get their hands on you or the Splinters. They
just want their weapons.
Her mother laughed. Honey baby, they ve been trying to pin me down for years. They haven t
succeeded yet.
I found you in half a day, Naya snapped. You have no idea what kind of pain these people are
willing to inflict to get their answers. All it takes is one set of loose lips and your operation is toast.
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