Chapter 3

“I’m an old Nero, I get it,” I say with annoyance. “What other questions do you have for me?” I’m getting a little tired of trying to analyze the expressions on their faces. Maybe I was too desperate. I don’t like being interrogated. “Does anyone outside these walls know you are a Nero?” Zara asks, leaving behind the speculation, almost as if she can read my thoughts. Great. One more person who does have access to my brain. “No,” I lie. Reena is the only person here who knows it’s a lie. Valen knows. He knows it better than I do. I’m still trying to grasp the word in relation to me, but Valen does. He’s been very clear about it. I shouldn’t trust Valen. Why should he keep my secret from Dominion? But I do trust him. I trust him far too much. “Then I have just one more question for you,” Zara says, folding her hands in her lap. I lean forward, ready for it. “Do you want to join us?” she asks, leaning in toward me, as well. “Do you want to learn how to use your abilities? Do you want to get them under control? Do you wish to be trained as a Nero?” She might as well have taken a swing at me, punching me square in the chest. Her direct questions knock the breath from my lungs. But where I was annoyed by all her questions just moments ago, this one makes me be honest with myself. I’m so tired of the confusion. The self-hatred. The uncertainty. I soften. With just a few words, Zara has broken through my rough exterior. “Yes,” I confess honestly. A soft smile begins to form on her face. Again, it’s confident, but never arrogant. It’s soft but knowledgeable. “Then what questions can I answer for you, Nova?” “How many Nero are on this planet?” “Can a non-Nero be trained to wield Neron?” “How long will the training take?” “Could you really blow up an asteroid with your mind?” The questions volley out of my crew with insane force. Zara and Tomas’ eyes widen and they both sit back just slightly. My eyes widen in embarrassment for just a moment, but it’s quickly followed by a chuckle and a shake of my head. To my surprise, a smile forms on Zara’s own face. “Your friends and family obviously care deeply about you.” I smile, giving an acknowledging nod as I reach over, taking my father’s hand. I give it a squeeze, and he squeezes right back. “We will go with their questions,” I say, shaking my head once more as I look from them, back to Zara. “How many Nero are on this planet?” “Seven,” she answers directly. “If we don’t include you.” “Seven?” I gape without thinking. I run a hand into my hair, pulling slightly. Seven? I had started to hope. I had started to imagine. An army of Nero. Rallying them, going against Dominion. But holy slag, if there are only seven of them, no wonder they haven’t risen against Dominion yet. “What they say is true,” Zara says. “As Dominion has taken over the Neron-rich planets, fewer and fewer Nero have been born. And we suspect Dominion is killing any Nero they have found in recent solars. So we count it as a miracle there are even seven of us who have been gathered from around the galaxy.” “You really think Dominion has been exterminating Neros?” Edan asks. His arms are folded on the table and he studies Tomas and Zara with those tired, intense eyes of his. “I think they have to be,” she says, meeting his gaze. “Because even once Dominion takes over a planet, there still has to be a population to support the mines. There are still families on those planets, children being born. With how many inhabitable planets there are in the Eon galaxy, the numbers are there that there has to be some Nero born. But where are they?” I hate it, all the words she just said, but she’s right. It’s a game of numbers, and there have to be others out there. Suddenly I don’t feel quite so alone. But I also want to find Cyrillius and tear him apart—one tiny chunk of skin at a time. He deserves to suffer for killing innocent children. “Why would Cyrillius kill the Nero children?” My father Torin pipes up. “Why wouldn’t he take them? Why wouldn’t he use them like he has Valen?” Zara meets his eyes and she shakes her head. “I cannot guess at the motives in his evil mind.” I don’t understand either. I would never want to understand why Cyrillius does what he does. “Next question,” Tomas says. “How many Bahiri are here?” I ask. It’s really not important, but it’s what comes out of my mouth while I’m still stuck on the last issue.