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Iggy wished he never opened his eyes that next morning. Many nightmares plagued him the previous night—most of them revolving around Tenn's murder. Though, a few terrors regarding the fate of his parents made their way into his psyche. Yet, he'd rather be tortured by those images than face the day before him.

He dragged his aching body out of bed. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. As he trudged toward the bathroom to begin his morning routine, he couldn't help but notice how quiet the sleeping quarters were. All the other tributes—what was left of them, anyway—had gone off to the cantina for breakfast already. The morning alarm had likely gone off hours ago; he wouldn't have been surprised if he slept through it.

Eating was the last thing on his mind.

He stopped in front of the long mirror sitting above the row of faucets in the bathroom. The face staring back at him drooped with exhaustion and sorrow. Dark bags pulled down the skin beneath his eyes. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot and misty; a poorly timed joke could've caused him to break down at this point.

He stared at himself for what must've been ten minutes. Finally, he turned on the water and washed his face.

#

Iggy never made it to the cantina.

A white-haired android dressed in black and gold retrieved him from the sleeping quarters before he could make it there. He remembered it to be Opal, High Priestess Noia's servant.

He didn't mind the detour. Anything to get his mind off yesterday was fine with him. Every inch of the arena he'd explored so far reminded him of Tenn. So, when Opal led him to another sector of the stadium he hadn't been to, he welcomed the unfamiliarity.

The sparkling white halls fitted with holograms displaying newsfeeds and random videos reminded him of the route the guards from last night took to bring him to Voltai. His jaw clenched at the memory of that wretched man. As he sulked behind Opal, he kept his eyes on the floor.

He would kill that man. He didn't know how or when, but he would do it.

"We have arrived," Opal announced. The android gestured toward an open doorway. A quaint room overlooking the arena's north stand met his eye. Inside were several tables full of food, chairs, and a floating screen pushed toward one wall. One person sat inside.

Iggy refused to move.

High Priestess Noia Adani rose from her seat. A shimmering gold dress hugged her dark skin, further accentuating her astounding figure. A portion of her pink hair had been styled in a crown of braids around her head while the rest spilled down her back in silky waves. A tight smile rested on her painted lips.

"Iggorii," she said, her voice clipped. "Please, come in."

Iggy looked at Opal. The android's eyes never left their owner. Shaking his head, he trudged into the room. The smells of all the food mixing in the air around him made his stomach growl. He ignored the tables full of plates and cups, opting to keep his gaze fixated on the polished marble tile beneath his feet.

"Are you hungry?" the priestess asked him.

"No."

Clearing her throat, she smoothed out the wrinkles on the midsection of her gown. "I heard about what the emperor did last night. I'm...I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I truly am."

My loss?

He laughed. Noia blinked at him, her nose scrunching ever-so-slightly. Even Opal tilted her perfect head at him.

"You're sorry for my loss." He scoffed. "I didn't lose anything. Tenn was taken. He was murdered—executed like a stray dog when he did nothing wrong."

"I didn't know Voltai was going to—"

"Would you have stopped him?" When she didn't answer, he asked another question. "Could you have even if you wanted to?"

Noia pursed her lips. "I do not control him."

"I'm very aware."

The priestess blew air from her nose. She turned to Opal. "Leave us."

"But—"

Noia cleared her throat pointedly. That was enough to get the android to scuttle out of the room. They closed the door behind themselves, liking standing right outside of it as if keeping watch. Iggy and the priestess were alone now. His eyes flickered over to a knife set laying on one of the tables nearby.

She hadn't done anything to him.

But she belonged to the emperor.

Grimacing, he pushed the thought out of his head. He couldn't do that. Besides, he hadn't figured out why the woman brought him here yet.

"You weren't supposed to do that," Noia told him, practically whispering. She stared down at her tattooed hands. "You weren't supposed to antagonize him." He squinted at her. "The card...it was meant to encourage you for the games. Not to go on an anti-empire rant that would be broadcasted across the galaxy."

His eyes widened as he stepped away from her. "You left that note?" She nodded. "Why?"

"I...I was trying to be nice." She shook her head. "It was a mistake."

"Yeah. It was."

Lifting her head, she scowled at him. "I understand that you are grieving. You have every right to do so. But I am not your enemy. I am trying to help you."

"Help me? The only way you could help me is if you help me escape this arena and lead me to your beloved fiancé. You want to help me? Do that."

"You know I can't."

He turned his back on her. His black hair hung in his face. "Then I guess we're done here."

"Iggorii..." She let out an exasperated breath. "Please, sit down. I had the arena workers bring you breakfast. You must be hungry."

His stomach grumbled again, louder this time. He ignored the hunger pains ravaging his midsection. A sneer pulled at the corner of his mouth. Turning, he threw a steely glare Noia's way.

"I don't need your handouts or your words of encouragement or whatever else it is you want to give me. Do you know what I need? I need my friend back. I need to know that my mother is safe." He stomped up to the taller woman. With his fists balled at his side, he glared up at her. "I don't need you."

She closed her eyes and turned her chin away from him.

Before she could get a word in, he let the barrage of words continue to flow from his mouth.

"Does your fiancé know you're a traitor?" he asked her, his tone deceivingly nonchalant. "Does he know you've been—"

She clamped a hand over his mouth faster than a predator striking down its prey. His words stopped in his mouth. He gawked at her, temporarily frozen.

"Do not," she hissed.

He said nothing. She released him.

Straightening herself up, she breezed past him and approached the closed doors ahead. As unlocked them with the handprint scanner built into the wall, she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"You don't want to eat? Fine." The doors slid open. "Come then." Opal stepped out of her master's way as the woman stormed down the hall.

"I believe she wants you to follow her," the android quipped.

Rolling his eyes, Iggy trotted after her.

#

Not a single guard in the arena's cargo bay batted an eye as Noia and Opal loaded Iggy into their transport vehicle—the same sleek, silver pod that once took them to the emperor's palace. However, they weren't headed to Sector One of Elysium Prime. They sped out of the arena's hangar and into Neon City. As Opal steered them down the bustling roads of the planet's eleventh sector, Iggy couldn't help but notice he'd seen some of the buildings passing them by before.

As they turned down a less populated road off the main highway, a realization hit him.

He had seen them before.

Under the rain in the dead of the night.

When Jaxon snuck him out of the arena.

Opal brought their pod to a stop and opened the passenger door. Iggy stepped into the alley they were parked in front of. Noia equipped a black-hooded cloak and exited the vehicle. Her android remained in the vehicle, its head on a constant swivel.

"I assume you know where we are," the priestess said. He nodded. "Good. Then I'll save the explanations for when we get inside." She turned to her android still sitting inside their vehicle. "Opal, alert me if I get any messages from the palace."

"Of course, priestess." With that, the android secured the pod before leaving them alone in the alleyway.

Before delving into the backstreet, the priestess pressed her hands together and closed her eyes. Light ignited within the tattoos on her skin. Iggy watched as wisps of white vapor poured from her manicured fingers.

He'd never witnessed Majaan magic before. He'd never witnessed any kind of magic.

Smoke gathered near the entrance of the alley, obscuring them from any passersby. To anyone else, it would've appeared to be hot steam rising from a grate in the ground. A perfect way to hide from anyone who might've been watching. The priestess said it herself; there were eyes everywhere.

Iggy lifted a brow at her.

Shrugging, Noia dropped her hands. The light faded from her skin. Her tattoos returned to their normal, rouge hue.

"Why don't you use your magic more often?" Iggy asked her.

"The empire has forbidden it throughout their worlds."

Iggy knew that, but he would've thought the empress-to-be received some special privileges. Not only was the woman a Majaan princess, she was also one of their High Priestesses—a massive honor in its own right. Magic existed in the very lifeblood of her people; while all couldn't harness it, they worshipped the power like a god. To not be able to use her abilities must've been torture.

The empire outlawed magic decades ago. Only a handful of species throughout the galaxy possessed the ability to harness it. The Elysians were not one of them. [Emperor Name]* banned it, fearing magic users would one day usurp his people from their position of power.

He glanced at the pendant hanging from his neck. According to Tenn, the Centuri Order also was banned for similar reasons. As he and Noia waited for someone to retrieve them, he lifted a brow at her.

"What do you know about this?" He held up his necklace to her face.

Noia bristled. "I know very little. But I remember when I was young, my mother once told me they were the guardians of every world. They fought with magic and honor and bravery."

They fought with magic...

Before he could ask anything else, the hidden door revealed itself. Mr. Mustache glared at the pair of outsiders with his beady eyes.

"Whaddya want?"

Noia dropped her hood. The man paled. "Relax," she urged. "I come to seek refuge from the rain."

Mr. Mustache shifted his feet. "We're not open right now."

"My compatriot is here. I believe you know who I'm talking about."

Grumbling under his breath, he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. Iggy walked behind Noia. Darkness grabbed at them from nearly every angle. The only source of light came from the far end of the hall. Iggy and Noia followed their host deeper into the underground establishment until they escaped the shadows.

The place looked different during the day. Much less shady and illegal. Though, it still possessed a bit of an edge through the glowing neon bulbs in the ceiling and the dark finishings of the furniture. There weren't any drunk patrons or naked dancers staring into his soul. Someone had even mopped the floors.

"What're we doing here?" Iggy said as they settled in the middle of the room.

Someone walked through a door behind the bar before she could answer.

Clad in dark pants, a blue jacket, and a white shirt bearing the insignia of the Axarian Alliance on the left pocket was Jaxon Gunn. He flashed them a grin as he approached them.

"That was quite the speech you gave yesterday, kid," Jaxon said. "That took guts." He smiled sheepishly at the boy. "How'd you find out about me and the empress." Noia rolled her eyes.

"I saw you two talking," Iggy replied dryly. "You guys weren't exactly being discrete."

Noia's nostrils flared. She jabbed a finger at the blue-eyed rebel. "I told you to close that door!"

Rubbing the back of his neck, he waved her claims off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. At least it was him who found us and not some guard." The smile fell from his lips. "I've got a lot of heat on my back as it is."

Did he know the emperor knew of his existence? Did he know Tenn died because of it?

Iggy fought the scowl emerging on his face. Voltai had to pay.

"The emperor has his goons from Sector Two coming after me," Jaxon explained. "The fucking Secret Police. I guess I should be honored, but it's hard to feel anything besides dread when those guys are on my tail."

"The Secret Police?"

He facepalmed. "Jeez, kid. I forget you're from Novr. Not sure if they even have regular police there. The Secret Police is a private sect of peacekeepers and investigators employed directly by the Noblus—including your gracious emperor." He wiggled his eyebrows at Noia as he said that last part. She scowled in reply. "Anyways, this means that I need to be even more careful. It also means that I need to expedite this plan to kidnap a Noblus."

"What am I doing here then?"

Jaxon scratched the back of his neck. "Ask her."

He turned to Noia. She sighed.

"I felt you deserved an explanation," she told him. "But we couldn't talk in the arena. I had to bring you here."

"Go on then."

She nodded begrudgingly. "You called me a traitor earlier today. You are wrong. My allegiance will always be to my people and my gods before any man or empire. When I was chosen to marry the emperor, it was not my intention to deceive him. This brewing conflict between the empire and the Axarian Alliance has little to do with the Majaans. But I received a dream from the gods months ago—a dream that told me I must help put a stop to the Elysian's tyranny throughout the galaxy.

A dream. That's what inspired her to betray her fiancé?

"I contact the alliance and offered them my services. I've been working with Jaxon for the past few weeks to help him with his plot to capture a Noblus," Noia added. "A plan I'm still against, mind you."

"Yeah, well, you didn't exactly supply any alternatives." Jaxon snorted. "Besides, we need to gain as much leverage over them as they can." He turned to Iggy. "You know, your speech last night has actually helped a bit."

Iggy kept his face slack but couldn't help but feel pride building in his chest. "I heard about the two riots on—."

"Two?! Try fourteen! I've gotten reports of dozens of revolts in various planetary systems. Look, I'll be honest with you here, kid. Never expected you of all people to become the voice of the people, but the universe is funny like that." He grinned at the high priestess. "Maybe he has what it takes after all?"

Folding her arms, she turned away.

Iggy squinted at her. "Why are you so against me joining this fight?"

"Because you do not belong in it."

"How do you know that? I can help—and I've been stuck in the arena this whole time. Imagine what I could do if I wasn't in there."

Jaxon tilted his head. "What're you getting at?"

Iggy wrung his hands together. Since he woke up, his brain had been fashioning new ways to murder Voltai. He imagined drawing a knife across the man's throat and watching the blood spill down in sheets. He imagined pushing him off the edge of a floating city in Asbel and watching him plummet through the clouds.

Those weren't realistic ideas, though. But he had one that was.

"I can help with your plan," he told Jaxon.

"I highly doubt that, kid."

"Seconded," Noia quipped with an air of annoyance coating her voice.

Iggy shook his head at them both. "Just...hear me out." The pair exchanged reluctant glances before motioning for him to explain. He thanked them. "You're going to be kidnapping Voltai."

Jaxon burst out laughing. Noia sported the most petrified look he'd ever seen.

"I'm serious," he grumbled. "You want leverage? You want to throw the empire into disarray? Kidnapping some random Noblus won't cut it. But kidnapping the emperor himself? That will."

"And how do you suppose we do that, kid? That man is the most protected individual in the galaxy. Not only will he have normal guards around him around the clock, but now his Secret Police will be snooping around. Even if I thought your idea was a good one, which it isn't, we wouldn't be able to get it done."

Iggy stole a glance at Noia. "One of us can get close to him—closer than anyone else can."

"No." She swiped a hand through the air. "This discussion ends now."

Iggy's shoulders deflated. Across from him, Jaxon gestured for her to settle down.

"Now, hold on. The kid might be on to something." The rebel stroked his chin. "Go on, Iggy. We're listening."

He nodded gratefully at Jaxon before explaining the plan that had been brewing in his head.

It involved all three of them, each having their own unique, equally important role. Jaxon's side of things centered around extracting the emperor and getting them off-world. Noia would be tasked with subduing the emperor—preferably rendering him unconscious—and allowing him to be taken by Jaxon. As for himself, he'd be providing the distraction that would allow Jaxon and Noia to complete their jobs.

All he had to do first was win the final game.

"Not only is this insane," Noia began, "but it also rests on you being able to win the last challenge."

"I can do it."

Jaxon beamed at the boy. He grabbed him by the shoulders and stared deep into his eyes. Had he not known any better, it appeared as if they were about kiss. Recoiling under the rebel's touch, he waited for him to say something.

"You think this could work? Like really work?"

"Jaxon, you can't be serious—"

"I was asking him, Noia."

Gulping, he nodded at Jaxon. "I do."

The man nodded back. "Alright then." He released the boy. "I'll get to work on my end then. I can have a crew and a ship here before the last game."

Noia stared incredulously at them. "We're not doing this."

"It's a good plan," Jaxon said. "And the kid's right. We gotta do something big. Something they won't expect."

The priestess gnawed on her bottom lip as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her dress. Iggy peered at her, his body tense with expectation. The plan only worked if they all bought into it. Without Noia, they couldn't get to the emperor. He needed her to agree to it.

He gripped the pendant around his neck and let the memory of his father and Tenn flood his head. Before the empire intervened, they dreamt of restoring the Order to the galaxy. They failed. But now Iggy had a chance to carry on the torch they left behind. And it started with his plan to kidnap the emperor.

"You want to save the galaxy from them, right?" he asked after a period of silence. "This is how we do it."

Noia's mouth twitched. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed. "Okay."

His face lit up. "Okay?"

"We'll do it," she said through gritted teeth. "But if things go south, and I'm certain they will, I won't hesitate to abandon the both of you."

Spoken like an Elysian.

He kept that thought to himself. Better to not press his luck with the priestess. Iggy and Jaxon exchanged a look before shrugging in unison.

"Fine with us," they both chirped enthusiastically.

Noia rolled her eyes at the boys. Moments later, the white bracelet on her wrist beeped with an incoming message from Opal. Her entire demeanor shifted. Clearing her throat, she faced the exit of the room. "Jaxon,

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