Where’s he going with this?
If the Cindifin director is thrown by Danek’s objection, she doesn’t show any sign of it. She leans back in her chair. “You’re a newly bonded man, Danek,” she murmurs. “I see from your files that after this job, you want to settle down in Maarish. Your bondmate has a job waiting at the House of Degha, isn’t that right?” She surveys him with eyes that reveal nothing. “Have I mentioned that the House of Degha does a lot of business with Cindifin?”
I don’t have to be from the High Empire to recognize the threat.
Lashi’vi’s voice softens. “Maarish is expensive. Credits don’t go as far there as they do in the Uncharted Reaches.”
Ah. First the stick. Now, the carrot. If I’m not mistaken, she’s trying to bribe him. Evidently, humans and Zorahns have more than a few things in common. And what would a safety inspector do when asked by a high-ranking House member to do something that is not quite on the up-and-up? Register his objections so he can pretend to be honest, and still take the bribe.
That’s exactly what happens.
“Indeed,” Danek agrees levelly. “Maarish is expensive, and my bondmate has expressed a desire to live in the capital. I’d do anything to make Naomi happy, but I can’t figure out how I’m going to be able to afford that.”
For the next little bit, the two of them haggle. That’s really the only word to describe it. Their sentences are obliquely phrased, and they beat about the bush, but basically, they’re negotiating the payment. Finally, after about ten minutes of back-and-forth, Lashi’vi nods decisively. “Done,” she announces. “Half the credits have been transferred from my private account. Check your device.”
Danek verifies the transaction. “If there is a problem with the dome, I will have to note it,” he warns. “I cannot falsify safety data.”
“I’m not asking you to.” She leans forward. “Quite the opposite. I’m sending you out there for the express purpose of making sure the dome is safe.”
I don’t understand her concern. Actually, I don’t understand any of this. Lashi’vi knows full well that Noturn has adverse effects on the Zorahn. Hell, she probably even knows about the effects it has on Draekons—after all, Kenia works for her. She’s condemning the prisoners to certain madness. Why pretend that she gives a damn about the safety inspection? What is she playing at?
“Good.” Danek consults his tablet. “I have to install new atmospheric regulators in the domes. The ones in there are due for a replacement. That’s scheduled to take four days. I can look at your new dome after that.”
“No,” she blurts out. She takes a deep breath. “That’s too late. You need to go first thing tomorrow morning. I must receive your all-clear by the end of the day. Rearrange your schedule, Safety Inspector. This cannot be delayed. There will be a bonus in it for you.”
“As you wish.”
Oh, clever Danek. Clever, clever Danek. We now know when the prison ship is landing. The day after tomorrow.
I’m positively rubbing my hands together with glee when a sobering realization strikes me.
This is the end of the mission. My time with Danek is almost over.
We should continue our conversation, but by unspoken agreement, we shelve it. We instead head to bed.
And we make love.
This time, unlike the other times, there is no conversation, no banter, no laughter. He undresses me slowly, and I rip his clothes off, desperate to feel his skin against mine. There’s a low rumble deep in his chest as he moves over me and slides inside. My inner walls squeeze down on him, as if even my insides want to hold him tight. I cling to him, and when I find my release, my eyes are wet with tears, and I have to blink them away before Danek notices.
Danek falls asleep shortly afterward, but though I shut my eyes and count sheep after sheep, sleep remains elusive. You know when you burst into tears, cry for hours, and then the aftermath hits? When you’re just flat, all emotions washed away in a storm? That’s how I feel.
I’m normally asleep when he leaves in the morning. Not this time. Uneasy dreams plague my sleep, and at first light, I give up sleep as a lost cause and get out of bed. I head to the kitchen, which smells vaguely like cake, of all the things, and start to make breakfast. No eggs—I still haven’t found an egg-substitute here that works, but I fry up some meat, chop up some potato-like tubers for alien hash browns, and slice up bread for toast.
Danek walks in when the meal is almost ready. “You’re up early,” he says, sounding surprised. He comes up to me and brushes a kiss across my forehead.
“I couldn’t sleep,” I admit, leaning against his chest. “I made breakfast. More human food for you to try.”
“What’s the occasion?”
I pull back. “Seriously?”
He flashes me a reassuring smile. “You’re looking worried,” he murmurs. “Don’t be. All I have to do today is head to the dome, verify there’s a prison, check the dome’s safety, and then come back. The real excitement will happen tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?”
His voice turns grim. “I thought I had a good read on Director Lashi’vi, but she surprised me. Pack your belongings, Naomi. One way or the other, we’ll be evacuating tomorrow.”
When he leaves, I walk around the house. I’ll miss this place. I’ll miss the garden in the back and the park in the front. I’ve only been here for a few short days, and already, it’s felt like home.
It’s not the house. It’s Danek.
Once I’m packed, I make my way to the backyard. I have a book to read—another cozy mystery, another inexplicable murder in Hallowtown—but though it’s as entertaining as it always is, I can’t get into the book. I’m about to give it up as a lost cause when my comm chimes.
My heart speeds up
