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a stupid thing to say. Nobody likes
blood and death.” She hurried after him, wondering as she did why
she felt she had to correct him, or explain anything. The other
kids dispersed, melting into the shadows of fire escapes and other
alleys. “We are not like that.”
    “But you are. You will be.” He gave her a
sidelong glance. He walked remarkably fast for a young boy. “When
you get older.”
    Hera shuddered. “How do you know all this?” About Regina maturing, overtaking me.
    The boy shrugged. “All adults like
blood.”
    Hera shook her head. So he did not really
know about Regina. Being paranoid again . He turned into a
wider street and she matched his pace.
    “How often do they raid?” she asked.
    “They?” He snorted. “You talk as if you
aren’t one of them, as if—Oh shit.” His face paled and he pressed
his back to a wall, waving at her to do the same. No sooner had she
hidden in the shadow of a rusty fire escape, than a Gultur patrol
marched by, visored and armed, shields held before them. A man
scuttled out of their path. One of the Gultur shoved him with her
shield and sent him smashing against a wall. He crumbled.
    Hera hissed and made as if to step out, gun
at the ready, but Mantis’ hand on her arm stopped her. She stood,
frozen in place, as the Gultur laughed and marched on.
    “Is he all right?” she whispered.
    “Well, he’s not dead. He’s a lucky bastard.”
Face grim, Mantis tugged her away and into an alley full of cats
and trash.
    “Wait.” Hera shook her arm free. “They would
not kill him just for standing in their way.”
    “Oh, wouldn’t they?” His emotionless voice
twisted Hera’s stomach. “Hurry up or you’ll miss all the fun.”
    Hera smelled the smoke long before they saw
the fire. She opened her mouth to ask where the fire brigade was
when Mantis muttered:
    “They’re using the flamethrowers and
‘splosive grenades again today.”
    “What are you talking about, these are
not...” Hera frowned.
    Gultur helicopters and aircars surrounded the
area on fire. Black smoke billowed out of the broken windows of the
burning buildings and hung heavy on the air; it stung Hera’s eyes
and throat with every breath.
    Then an explosion rocked the ground and thin
screams echoed. Where were the fire trucks? Hera squinted in the
smoky air, trying to discern what was happening, and a gasp left
her lips. She stared in shock, her knees weakening.
    Oh gods.
    Visored Gultur held flamethrowers aimed at
the buildings and the people inside. They were not helping, no,
they were killing, burning, destroying. Gultur were doing this,
delivering this. This raid. This death.
    Bile burned the back of her throat. ‘ You
must get off on blood and death, huh?’ She dropped to her
knees, her gun cluttering to the pavement, and she retched. Nunet’s snakes. Is this what we are? What we do? Is this what
Regina convinces us to do?
    “Hey, you okay?” Mantis’ pale face loomed
over her like a moon. “It’s like you’ve never seen this shit
before.”
    She shook her head, refused to take his
offered hand to stand. She made it on her own, stood on trembling
legs and holstered her gun. “I have to go back.”
    “Oh yeah?” He gestured at the raid unfolding
before them. “Won’t you join them?”
    “No.” Never . Dammit, now she had more
questions, needed more answers than before – but at least she knew
where she stood. Who she was. Who she would become if she did not
fight back. “Who leads the resistance?”
    “You’re asking too much. For all I know,
you’re only looking to kill me.” He scowled. “Besides, what makes
you think I know such things? I don’t work for the damned
resistance, do I?”
    “I need to contact them.”
    “You’re out of your pissing mind, fe.”
    He backed away then, and she knew he would
probably melt into the shadows and never return. Sweat dripped in
her eyes.
    “Wait, Mantis.”
    He hesitated. “What?”
    She had to convince him. If only she