The Celestial Code

Chapter Four

Turned out, a little bit for Celests turned into several hours.

Dessa's hands ached, her arms cramped and her back hurt from the awkward position of having her hands tied to the table. She could feel blood trickling down her leg through the bandage, sweat made her hair stick to her forehead and she really, really had to pee.

At least in her cell she had a toilet. Dessa didn't know how long they planned to leave her in there. Her stomach growled with hunger. She also had skipped dinner and breakfast and who knew how long she had been in there for.

Everything hurt.

She assumed hours had passed by the time a hand print appeared and the wall opened once more. Olvander strode in with his hands behind his back. Dessa's gaze focused on the black scar running through his eyebrow. She wondered how he got the scar. Had it been a Tarran? Was that why he hated them so much? Or did all Celests just instinctively hate them? Did they not need a reason? They had been the ones to start this whole war after all.

This time he didn't sit. No, another Celest - this one a woman with sleek silver hair pulled back into a high ponytails and heels that clicked against the metallic ground - walked in behind.

Dessa couldn't stop staring at his scar. In her peripheral vision she saw the woman in a silver lab coat set an assortment of tools on the table in front of her. Lots of needles and sharp objects.

"You get one last chance," Olvander said, pressing a hand against the table and leaning in close to her face. "I'll ask these questions only once and if you answer at least one of them you'll get to go back to your cell, understood?"

Dessa nodded, her eyes sliding down to meet his gaze. She said nothing.

"Where is General Vega planning to hit next? How many more H-bombs do you have? Is the emperor still in Ithaca City? What is Project Blue Clouds?"

Dessa frowned at that last one. She'd never heard of Project Blue Clouds. And the rest of the questions gave away more information than she planned to give. They didn't know how many H-bombs they had and they didn't even know if her father was still in the city. If she did ever get out of there, she would have something to tell the general. And from the way he asked the question it meant Vega was still alive.

"Is my unit still alive or did you slaughter everyone on the base?" she asked back.

Olvander's eyes narrowed. "You answer one of mine and I answer one of yours."

Dessa's lips pressed together. How badly did she want to know if everyone was alive? Vega would never forgive her if she gave up even an ounce of information in exchange for knowing if anyone was alive.

She wanted to know. She wanted to know so desperately if Elio was alive, if she would ever see him again, but she couldn't risk it. Answering any one of those questions would be detrimental, except for...

Dessa raised her chin. "I'm telling the gods honest truth when I say I've never heard of Project Blue Clouds before. I have no idea what it is."

He surveyed her calculatively. Then he glanced up at the woman who stood at attention with her hands behind her back. She had a slender, triangular face, pretty and lean in its own way. The woman gave a slight nod.

Olvander shrugged off the table and straightened. "You are the only prisoner taken alive. Several soldiers escaped on transit vessels including the general."

Dessa let out a breath of relief. So there was hope that Elio, Talia and Odetta were alive. Thank the gods.

"Now for the others, where is the general hitting next?"