“Do you think I care?”
He fought back his impatience, remembering a time when these races were strong, revered and respected. Now, they were simply a nuisance, as lost and clueless as all the others.
“Can you track her?”
Seela nodded. “Easily.” As though an afterthought, she added, “It’s not like there are many of us left to track.”
Dunkat looked down at her, but the wistful tones of her voice were not reflected in her cold eyes, and he knew she would betray even her own dwindling race for a pretty penny.
“I don’t care what you do with the Berganda, I just want the girl.” Dunkat remembered the deep blue eyes that refused to look away as he struck her. Another few days and he would have broken her, he knew it, and he was angry at the stolen chance.
“Dismissed,” he said, not meeting Aquilone’s eyes. Seela, unconcerned with military conduct, lazily followed her current partner out.
Whether they found them or not was of no concern. It would only shave off a few days from where he knew she would eventually go.
He had seen it reflected in her eyes: the great star of Mirial, Mother of all Ether.
CHAPTER 10
Are you sure those are the coordinates?” the captain asked, his face as unreadable as a blank page.
“Yes sir,” Ardin responded formally. Although Destiny answered to no one and the crew had spent the last twenty years together in this ship as family, Cailan still insisted that his crew remain professional and obedient. The only one who got away with some jesting was Avienne. She was the only woman on board and was like a daughter to the captain, so no one questioned it.
Cailan stroked his small, close-cut beard as he stared at the coordinates, and Ardin wondered what was wrong with them. They pointed to a small solar system three days’ tunnel ride from here: nothing irregular, some farmers and some industries. A bit like Collar, except that even smugglers weren’t drawn there.
Odd, really. He knew few places that didn’t benefit from — and welcome — the trades brought in by smugglers.
“Lang,” Cailan called to the navigator louder than necessary, and the man flinched. Ardin guessed that his head throbbed from his last binge, and it was satisfying to see that Cailan did not intend to make his day easy.
“Yes, sir?” Lang said as he walked to the captain’s side.
“Could you please confirm where these coordinates will bring us?”
Lang took the coordinates without argument and waddled off slowly to his station. In space, with the increasing failures of the tunnels combined with heightened space traffic — mostly of the unannounced, illegal kind — a good navigator was as necessary as oxygen to get the crew safely to port. Of course, that meant Ardin would have to continue getting Lang out of trouble. He wished Cailan would stop granting him leave, but suspected the captain liked the navigator and found Ardin’s rescue missions entertaining. He always demanded a full, excruciatingly detailed report.
“We’re talking about the small system of Longsley, with only one inhabited farming planet, named Lockor,” Lang reported. “About three days’ journey by the main tunnel artery. Hey, this one is actually maintained regularly by several local governments, too! I can have us cleared for access within minutes.”
Cailan didn’t nod, as if he already knew all that information.
Travan, the ship’s engineer, leaned by Cailan and whispered. The captain nodded.
“I don’t like it, but if this man will meet us there and pay up the other half, we’ll proceed.” Cailan paused and looked ahead. “Ardin, what can you tell me of him?”
“Tall, dark, somewhat mysterious, with a strong voice. Well-spoken, definitely middle to upper class, no discernable accent.”
Avienne walked up to the bridge, slightly winded by the long climb. “And dangerous,” she added to Ardin’s report. “No noticeable weapons, but from the way he stood you could see he was a seasoned warrior, and a dangerous one, at that.”
Ardin nodded in agreement. Avienne must have been tired from their adventure on Collar, not to make any crude comments about the man.
Cailan must have seen it, too. “Good work. You can both have the rest of the day off. Just make sure the girl knows where we’re taking her.”
“Girls,” Ardin replied, wincing a bit.
“Oh?” Cailan asked, his voice casual. He sat straighter in his seat, a gesture Ardin had long ago learned meant deep displeasure.
“A Berganda, sir,” Ardin continued. “She’s a friend of the girl, and would have perished had we not helped her.”
Not quite true, but close enough. Avienne did not add anything, and Ardin knew she wouldn’t unless it was to back him up. If he was certain of anything in life, it was that Avienne would always back him up.
“Just make sure they don’t wander about,” Cailan said wearily, dismissing them with a wave. Relieved, Ardin saluted and walked off, followed by Avienne.
“I just came up these bloody things,” his sister lamented as they entered the access tunnel and began the long descent.
“Lang,” Ardin heard Cailan say over Avienne’s soft swears below him. “Take us to Lockor.”
After a pause, Ardin swore he heard Cailan add quietly, “And pray we need not go any further.”
i
“Can’t you feel her?” Josmere asked impatiently as she paced the room, blankets trailing her. Josmere never did well during space travel, and cold, enclosed space travel was certainly no better. Her green eyes darted around like a caged animal’s.
Layela shook her head. “I haven’t been able to for a while. I just hadn’t really paid mind to it.” She met Josmere’s eyes. “It didn’t seem like a skill we’d need a lot, with our plans of not stealing for a living anymore.”
Josmere stopped pacing for a moment, about to say something, but apparently thought better of it and continued. Layela sighed. It was nice having a friend around, but it would be nicer if there were no secrets between them.
“Josmere, what do you know that you’re not telling me?”
Josmere slowed her pace but didn’t stop. She seemed hesitant, as if she was actually considering
