“Secure yourself,” she ordered him again. “Unless you have a death wish.”
Yes, ma’am.
Shaking, Aidan crawled into the copilot’s position and pulled the straps over his shoulders. He took in the scenery and was lost for words. They were barely skimming the water, a trick he wouldn’t even try on his sky dodger.
His earlier panic was replaced with awe as the pilot eased up on the controls enough to slip over the embankment, clearing the high wall. Once they were over this last safety perimeter of the palace, the urban part of the kingdom came into view.
Most of the manors in this area were raised on massive stilts, creating whole new neighborhoods in the sky. He stared enviously as the ship glided over the sparkling buildings. The lush greenery of the gardens and decorative shrubs was a stark contrast to Aidan’s home.
He was more familiar with the Dark District below, and its dim streets. The housing units built side by side reached for the sky—but not high enough to escape the shadow of the larger, more expensive neighborhoods above them. The kingdom was one of varying heights, built on stilts when land ran out. The higher your home, the higher your rank in society. The twin suns always shone on those at the top.
Gazing at the magnificent homes, Aidan was reminded of the incredible risk he’d taken—a lowly chore boy for the palace had no place inside a Queen’s Guard ship. He snuck a peek at the pilot. Her visor was still down, but he could tell by her grip on the steering stick that she was comfortable in this machine. Still, he noticed the rise and fall of her chest, and saw she was breathing faster than him.
He cleared his throat and tried his hand at a casual tone. “My stop is coming up. Perhaps at the next clearing you can—”
An alarm sounded on the radar. The pilot cursed, something he couldn’t quite make out.
“Hold on!” she said, pulling the controls sharply to the left. The ship dipped into darkness, disappearing under the broad platforms of the stately homes. The pilot twisted side to side, sending them into a dizzying slalom around the steel risers. Aidan saw on the radar that two larger ships were closing in on them.
“Hit the auxiliary jets!” she yelled at him.
The control board was massive, and nothing looked familiar to him. “What? Which button?” he said, panicked.
“The blue one!”
There was a multitude of blue buttons on the control panel in front of him. “Which blue one?”
The radar alarm continued to sound. The ships behind them were within shooting range.
“The largest one, you lunk!”
“They’re all large!” Aidan made a split-second decision and slammed his fist on one of the buttons. The steel supports flew by in a rush of gray.
With a jubilant shout, she sent the ship even deeper into the shadows, closer to the land’s surface. They weren’t far from the Dark District. Aidan pictured them slamming into a row of greasy shacks with nothing left but a pile of smoking ash.
But the pilot adapted quickly and kept them in the air, barely missing the plasma train tracks that crisscrossed above the darkened neighborhoods. Aidan hung on to the safety straps over his shoulders. The radar became silent, proving the larger ships were unable to chase them in such a tight space. She altered the speed and soon they were gliding comfortably. The gentle hum of the cruising engines filled the space between them.
After a few heartbeats of silence she said, “Are you all right?”
“I’m not sure. Is it normal to have your stomach and heart occupying the same space in your throat?”
She made a sound of vague irritation behind her visor. Soon, the Dark District disappeared behind them. Aidan knew what came next: the tangled forest and then the canyon.
“So,” she began. “What are you doing on a ship if you don’t know how to fly?”
“That’s classified,” he said. “And I might ask why someone from the Queen’s Guard is being chased by other Queen’s Guards?”
She turned to him, and even though her visor was still down, he guessed she was trying to read his mind.
“I could tell by the radar,” he explained. “It identified both ships.” When she turned back to the window, he said, “Must be quite a scandal. I’m guessing you’re flying solo as a result of your need to die in a ball of flames. Is that why you have no copilot?” The tops of the thorny trees reached up from below.
She stayed quiet.
“Nice day for a flight through the country,” he said, taking in the view. “I love this ship, actually. I must look into getting one for myself.” With the adrenaline kick easing away, a calmness settled inside his chest. The forest began to give way to thatch shrubbery.
Aidan noticed the speed drop. The pilot wordlessly eased them down into a rare clearing, just at the edge of the tangled wood. She pressed a button and the back hatch lifted open.
“Are we picking someone up? Maybe a long-lost copilot of yours?” He wiggled his eyebrows for effect.
She nodded to the door and then looked back at him.
“Honestly, your communication skills are holding you back,” he said. “Also your need to remain anonymous is a bit troubling. Is that why you were thrown out of the Guard?” He snapped his fingers. “That’s it! You have an unmistakable rebellious air about you.” He dropped his voice and leaned closer. “I hope I’m right, because that makes you a whole lot more interesting.”
“You talk too much,” she said.
“Only when I’m right.” He leaned back, gesturing at the expanse in front of them. “I can see it now. You’re a flying ace who soared to the top of your class, but you can’t stand the constraints of working for the queen. I get it … truly, I do. Must be tough living in all the sunshine and opulence.”
She let out a long sigh as if weighing her next words. Finally she said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not a pilot, I’m a member of the court. And even though it’s none of your business, I’m hoping to avoid marriage.”
“By stealing a ship?” he asked. “Sounds like you’re running away.”
“Not exactly, but … yes, in a way, I suppose.”
Aidan blinked a few times, trying to digest this bombshell. The day was full of surprises. “This fellow you have to marry,” he began. “Is he another member of the court?”
“He is royalty, yes.”
“Is he cruel? Unbearably disgusting to look at or something?”
“No,” she said, although her voice was uncertain. “I don’t think so.”
He tried to study her body language. It always served him well when trying to gauge which pocket to pick, but this woman was impossible to read. “Hmm … forced to live in luxury with someone who is neither nasty nor lowly in appearance,” he said. “Yes, I can understand why you’d want to run away from that nightmare.”
Her helmet mimicked a thoughtful gesture by tilting to the side. “Who are you?” she asked. “I don’t recall seeing you before. How did you get access to the landing bay?”
“Sorry.” He shook his head apologetically. “That’s classified.”
“At least six new ships arrived at the palace last night.” Her posture straightened. “You were on one of them, weren’t you?” She pointed her finger at him. “You’re one of the princes competing for Princess Delia! How dare you carry on without telling me who you are!”