I’m sure Father would be apoplectic when he received that message, and I smiled in spite of myself. I would’ve preferred that Father didn’t know how easily I’d been caught, but Ian had probably already told him that he was on the way to pick me up.
The rest of the messages were innocuous, so I stopped focusing and let them become background noise. I was getting better at tuning them out, but I still had a long way to go, as my throbbing head demonstrated.
While we waited for the jump, I used my com to open an encrypted connection to a secure server. I had no doubt Ian was monitoring all of the traffic that passed through the ship. The secure tunnel would slow him down, but it wasn’t foolproof. I’d need a few more layers of protection that would take some additional time before I could safely connect to HIVE or check my digital drop boxes. I added it to the mental list of things to do before I slept.
I posted a message in our sibling channel, outlining in oblique terms what had happened in the last day and what I knew so far. Ada had reported that she and the others were still digging, but had not made any real progress. Hopefully, with a little more direction, they’d have better luck.
With that in mind, I sent a separate message to Ada, Rhys, and Veronica, asking them to look into the Syndicate party in Matavara, especially anyone who might have an inside line on an invitation. I hadn’t been entirely lying when I told Ian I could get an invite—I knew of a few possibilities. But I’d take a sure thing over possibilities any day.
We made it to the front of the gate queue and smoothly jumped to Andromeda Prime. The planet glowed a distinctive red and blue on the forward video screens—it definitely was not Earth. Still . . .
“Open the shutters, please,” I said.
Ian glanced at me in confusion, then his mouth tightened in anger. “The video isn’t doctored.”
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for me to see the planet for myself, should it?”
“Are you going to be this ridiculous the entire time?”
“Are you going to be a stubborn ass the entire time? In the time it’s taken you to argue, you could’ve already opened the shutters.”
He grumbled something under his breath, but he opened the shutters, revealing that the view of Andromeda Prime hadn’t been a video trick. The planet was even prettier through the windows than it had been on the vid screens.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome.” He retracted the shutters as Persistence prepared to land in Honorius.
Even the fastest von Hasenberg ships wouldn’t be able to jump again in less than six hours, and that’s if Ian hadn’t jumped the ship on the way to DTD Four, which he must’ve.
Therefore, I had at least six hours where I could sleep in relative safety without worrying that the ship would deliver me to Earth while I was out. I would take advantage of that while I could. I unclipped and stood. “I’m going to grab a bunk.”
“I collected some of your clothes from Aurora. I put the bag in the first bunk, but you’re welcome to choose whichever quarters you prefer.”
The thought of Ian going through my undergarments caused a little frisson of heat to lick through me, half embarrassment, half desire. I bit my tongue before I asked him if he saw anything he liked. “Thank you,” I said. My voice came out husky and I cleared my throat before continuing, “Wake me if anything changes. Otherwise, I’ll see you in six hours.”
“Sleep well.”
“You, too.” I left the flight deck, then skipped the stairs and slid down the ladder to the middle level. I grabbed a glass of water from the mess hall, then went in search of a bed.
Chapter 12
My purse and a large, unfamiliar pack sat in the middle of the bed of the first bunk on the left. There were a half dozen crew quarters on this level with a shared bath at the end of the hall. Ian would be in the captain’s suite upstairs, which meant I wouldn’t be tempted to find out how he looked without a shirt. He might be frustrating and infuriating, but damn if he didn’t cut a fine figure.
And desire could be a useful weapon, but one best wielded carefully.
I went through my bedtime routine, then sat cross-legged on the bed in my makeshift sleepwear. Ian hadn’t grabbed any loungewear, so I’d scrounged up an oversized shirt from the wardrobe that at least covered my underwear.
A scan for trackers and bugs in the room came back clean. Ian hadn’t picked this room because he’d bugged it. Huh. Trying to figure out his reasoning made my head ache worse, so I chalked it up to a fluke and moved on.
I carefully set up my most secure network connection. Once I verified it was secure and my traffic was being obfuscated, I logged in to my Fenix account in HIVE with my smart glasses. I had a message from Nadia. She said she had the information I requested and that it was extremely time sensitive. The message included a link to a secure repository that would only unlock once the fee had been paid.
She wanted twenty thousand credits. I laughed at her audacity. The woman knew how to drive a hard bargain, but her information had always been worth it.
I paid the fee.
The unlocked message confirmed that the Syndicate party was happening tonight in Matavara and that Riccardo Silva would be in attendance. He was one of the younger sons of the main branch of the Silva family. I had not dealt with him before, but rumors indicated he was hotheaded, impulsive, and cruel. He wasn’t the last Silva I’d want to deal with, but he was pretty far down the list.
The message also had a line on a contact in Matavara who might be able to procure an invitation with the right incentive. I copied down the info and sent a note of thanks to Nadia.
I had HIVE transport me to my safe house and went through the entry ritual. The cozy library living room appeared, now with a warm fire and darkness outside. The time here mirrored Universal.
Lili Hu sat curled up in one of the overstuffed armchairs by the window. Petite, with straight dark hair, her avatar looked exactly like she did in real life. She had decided to stay in her position, now that she had a support network and the option to leave. It turned out that her husband wasn’t abusive, just neglectful. It was still painful, but not dangerous.
She smiled at me. “I was hoping to see you,” she said. “I left you a note, but wanted to chat in person, too.”
“Lili, how are you?”
“I am content,” she said. “But I am sure you are in a hurry, so we will skip the pleasantries. You need to know about Silva, correct?”
I moved and sat in the chair across from her. “Yes, specifically Riccardo, if you know anything.”
Her lip curled. “Do you have another option?”
“No.”
“Too bad.” She closed her eyes and gathered her thoughts. “Riccardo thinks he is the smartest person in the room, and the worst part is that he is often correct. It’s made him overconfident. He hates to be proven wrong.”
I didn’t ask her how she knew. Lili was part of a lower house that allied with us, but they had shady dealings just like everyone else in the ’verse.
“Do you have any specific information on him that I can use for leverage?”
“No. I’ve only met him once. He can be very charming, but watch him. He’s like a cat, waiting to pounce. And he likes to play with his prey.” She shivered at some remembered horror. “Be careful.” Her expression went distant. “I must go, but leave another note if you need more info.”
“Thank you, Lili. Stay safe.”
“You, too.” She faded from the room.
I checked the board while I pondered her words. She hadn’t told me much more than I already knew, but perhaps I could make it work. I had a few notes, but no one had any better information than I’d gotten from Lili.
I logged off, shut down all of my secure connections, and tossed my com on the nightstand. I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes. It felt like I’d been awake forever. A peek into my purse revealed Ian had left the silencer. For once, something was going my way.
&nb
sp; I double-checked that the manual lock on the door was set, then I climbed into bed and turned on the silencer. I would be able to hear physical noises from outside the silence field, but right now, blissful, perfect silence echoed in my mind. I sighed in relief. Six hours of silence sounded like the best thing ever.
I closed my eyes and dropped into an exhausted slumber.
A knock on my door dragged me from sleep. I fumbled for my com and checked the time. I’d been asleep for less than thirty minutes. I dropped the com back on the nightstand.
“This shit has got to stop,” I muttered to myself. I needed rest, dammit. Louder, I called, “What do you want, Ian?”
He knocked again and I remembered I was in a silence field—he couldn’t hear me. I rolled out of bed and crossed the room. “What do you want?” I asked through the door.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes?” It came out a question because why wouldn’t I be okay? “Is something wrong?”
There was a long pause.
I unlocked the manual lock and opened the door. “What?”
Two things occurred to me as Ian’s eyes slid down my body: he wasn’t wearing a shirt and I wasn’t wearing any pants. Ian Bishop was built—defined chest, six-pack abs, and sculpted arms. He was muscled more like an athlete than a bodybuilder and the effect was devastating. All of that exposed, slightly sweaty, tanned skin conspired to short-circuit my brain.
I wasn’t wearing heels and the top of my head just barely came up to his chin. I could step into his arms and curl up against his chest and have someone hold me for a second. The temptation was so strong that I swayed toward him before I got myself under control.
He smelled of sweat and warm skin, and I could feel the heat radiating off him. He had on a pair of workout shorts and running shoes. I blinked at his chest as I tried to figure out what was going on. “Ian,” I said slowly, “why are you knocking on my door half naked?”
My brain was all too happy to provide some suggested reasons and associated activities. I curled my fingers to stop myself from reaching out to see if his chest was as firm as it looked.
Ian’s eyes remained glued to my bare thighs. He shook his head, a barely there movement that made me smile. I wasn’t the only one affected. He dragged his gaze up to meet mine. “You didn’t see the news?”
I blanched, all thoughts of sexy time forgotten. “Ferdinand?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “No, sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I haven’t heard anything about Ferdinand.”
I left the door open, retrieved my com, and shut off the silencer. Once the com connected to the network, it rang with an emergency message from Benedict.
“Is Benedict okay?” I asked while the message loaded.
“Yes,” Ian said, but there was the slightest hesitation in his voice.
The message from Benedict was short and blunt: Father is sending me to NAD Seven to oversee building a forward base. I know you’ll blame yourself, but don’t. We all knew it was only a matter of time. I wanted to you to hear it from me first; I’ll post on the group channel tomorrow. I leave in three days. I will message you when I can. I hope you find Ferdinand.
Fury boiled through me and I clenched my fists to prevent myself from doing something cathartic but unwise. Nu Antliae Dwarf Seven was the sole von Hasenberg planet in the disputed Antlia sector. Father was sending Benedict to the front lines of the war with House Rockhurst.
I closed my eyes against the furious, helpless tears that threatened and inhaled deeply through my nose. Benedict would be fine. He would. He knew how to take care of himself, and he had a battle cruiser full of von Hasenberg soldiers who were fanatically loyal to him. As much as Father wanted to punish me, he wouldn’t risk Benedict’s ship unnecessarily. He would send a battle fleet with him.
It was a pretty lie, but the front lines were lethal, and a House son was a very tempting target, battle fleet or no. Nothing broke morale faster than killing off a leader. I’d already missed so many years thanks to Gregory, and now Benedict might be lost to me forever.
A sob lodged in my throat at the thought of never seeing my twin again.
Benedict and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but we always had each other’s backs. Father had tried to break our twin bond when we were young. He had failed, in part thanks to Ferdinand’s subtle interference.
And now I missed both of my brothers. Grief cut like a knife, slicing through my armor to pierce my heart. I tried to hold myself together, but the heartbreak was too big, the anguish too strong.
My brother, my twin, could die and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it except stand here and try not to bawl like a child.
“Are you okay?” Ian asked again.
“No,” I said because I’d promised him honesty. And because he’d known the news would upset me and he’d come to check on me. Warmth sparked, a tiny flame in a sea of sorrow.
“Can I do anything?”
I barked out a bitter, watery laugh. “Do you know how to stop a war between High Houses?”
“No,” he said after a short pause.
“Then there’s nothing you can do.” I sighed. I felt like I’d aged five years in the last five minutes. “I knew one of us was going to have to go, and Benedict makes the most sense tactically, now that Father banished Ada. I’m just glad it’s not Catarina, though she’s probably next on the list.”
We were all on the list when it came down to it. Ferdinand was the safest, as the heir, and while he was missing, Hannah would be relatively safe, despite her resolve not to inherit the role. But Father would fling the rest of us at the front until we won or no one was left to send.
I sent Benedict a quick reply, letting him know that I expected him to stay in one piece. There was so much more that I wanted to say, so many things we needed to talk about, but I sent him only the most important: I love you, baby brother.
The fragile grip I had on my emotions wavered. My breath hitched. I was approximately thirty seconds from a meltdown. “Thank you for letting me know,” I said to Ian. I backed into the room and gripped the door.
“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”
I desperately wanted to ask him to come in, to find comfort in touch, but our relationship wasn’t like that and I still had to work with him in the morning. It would cause more problems than it would solve, so I shook my head and gently closed the door.
The tears came and a sob worked its way past my control. I muffled it with my hand and retreated to the bed. I curled up facing away from the door and buried my head in a pillow. Only then did I let the sorrow spill out.
The door opened.
I held my breath and pretended I was invisible.
Footsteps approached. If he sniped at me right now, I would kill him dead. Sorrow could flash into fury at the slightest provocation and I would welcome the fight.
“I know you don’t like me,” Ian said quietly, “but I’m the only one available and I don’t think you should be alone. Tell me to go and I will.”
I didn’t trust my voice, and now that he was here, I didn’t want him to leave. I said nothing.
Ian moved quietly as he sat on the floor and leaned back against the bed. The room was pitch-dark, so I could track him only via sound. Once he stopped moving, he disappeared from my mental map. Having my back to a threat made me twitchy, so I rolled over onto my right side, facing him. I trusted the darkness to hide my tears.
I had learned long ago how to cry silently, but it had been over a year since I’d needed to and I was out of practice. I sucked in a quiet breath through my mouth and let the tears stream down my face into the pillow.
“When I was a boy, I lived in a group home,” Ian murmured. His voice was unexpectedly close, but facing away from the bed.
“I was a scrawny kid,” he continued. “Smaller than the other boys my age and underfed. I was picked on by the bigger, meaner boys, so I learned to fight well enough that they stopped bothering me.”
Cocooned in darkness, with Ian telling me a story from his childhood, I could almost believe this was a dream. That Benedict wasn’t really being sent to the front lines and that Ferdinand wasn’t really missing.
“One day, I came across three older boys who had cornered a younger girl. I would’ve left them to it,” he said, shame coloring his voice, “but she looked at me with these huge brown eyes full of terror and I just couldn’t walk away. I could fight, but I was badly outnumbered and outmuscled. The three of them kicked my ass. I was laid up in bed for two weeks. The girl escaped.
“Every day for those two weeks, she would sneak into medical and sleep curled up next to me. I think it made both of us feel better.”
“What happened to her?” I whispered.
“I don’t know. She disappeared after I was released from medical. I looked for her, but she had vanished.”
I reached out, intending to touch his shoulder, but I found the back of his head first, resting against the bed. The smooth strands of his hair slid through my fingers like water, a temptation I didn’t need. I shifted until my fingers just brushed his shoulder. His skin was warm and solid and real.
“When I was eight, Father decided it was time I learned to fight compromised,” I said. My voice was thick with tears and I stopped to clear my throat. “My self-defense tutor recommended against it, but Father was not swayed. Ferdinand and Hannah had learned at eight and so would I. He had the doctors inject me with a weaponized virus designed to defeat the nanobots in my blood. It worked far better than anyone expected. I could barely move.”
I’d never been sick before and it had been terrifying. I swallowed the remembered horror and continued, “Benedict was injected at the same time, but he responded normally with a relatively mild illness. He sailed through his trials while I struggled to barely finish. He helped me where he could, but tests were individual except for the final one.
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