by Kait Gamble
“I was wondering…”
Or not. “Yes?” Aurelia’s stomach was clenching already.
“Will you tell me when it’s possible for me to try and call Father again? I’d like to keep him apprised of the situation.”
To message whoever she was contacting their location, more like. Even if their long-range communication was working, Auri wouldn’t give up their location with a call. “I’ll see what we can do.”
“Thank you, miss!”
Happy that Kateryn had run out of questions, Aurelia started toward the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I have things to attend to.”
“Can I help?”
“I don’t know—”
“I won’t be a bother.” Kateryn touched Aurelia’s arm. “I find you all so fascinating. I’ve never been on an adventure like this before.”
Auri didn’t like the idea of her tagging along behind her like a needy puppy, but it was better to keep her close. “Very well. Stay out of the way and if I give you an order, obey or I’m sending you back to your cabin.”
The cheery expression on Kateryn’s face encouraged her lips to curl a little as well. “Yes, miss!”
Aurelia started down the narrow passage. She had planned on checking on Meri but with Kateryn in tow, that was out of the question. Auri hesitated on going anywhere that would give her critical knowledge of the ship. That left the kitchen, cargo hold or the living area. Not exactly areas that needed tending to, like she said she was going to do.
Instead, she slowed her steps. She knew the crew would be on the bridge, with the exception of Meri. There wasn’t much chance of running into anyone at the moment.
“So, you and Mr. Alloway…you two are a couple now?”
Heat rose in Auri’s cheeks. “Um, no.”
“But you went off to be alone together!”
“There was just something we had to do.”
“Oh, so it’s like that!” Kateryn shrugged. “But you want something more than just a tryst here and there, right?”
“It’s not like that at all. He doesn’t see me as anything more than a little sister.” That was true. There were moments when she thought he might want something more, but he’d blink and be back to business once again.
Kateryn sped up to turn and stop before Auri. “Can I speak frankly?”
Wasn’t that what she was already doing? She took a slow breath. She would stay calm. “Feel free.”
“Maybe if you wore different clothing? Perhaps do something with your hair and makeup?”
Auri sighed and walked around the girl. The last thing she needed was fashion advice. “Thank you, but I’d rather not.”
The girl jogged a few steps to catch up. “I’ve offended you, haven’t I?”
Auri wasn’t offended as much as she was baffled by the conversation.
“I don’t mean to be awkward, but can I tell you that you’re amazing?”
It was too late for that. They were well past awkward and galloping at a fair clip toward incredibly annoying.
“Uh, thank you, Kateryn. If you’ll excuse me, I have to check on Meri. Why don’t you head to the galley and make yourself something to eat?”
“Could I make dinner for everyone? You know, as a thank you?”
The request reeked of an ulterior motive. Perhaps she was going to make her move now?
Auri knew Everhard and Meri never let anyone in the kitchen without watching them like a hawk. Besides, she got the feeling that making dinner wasn’t what the girl was planning. “Please do. Though I don’t think much cooking is needed. Check with Everhard to see if he packed up what he was going to serve for lunch.”
“Great!” Kateryn trilled gleefully and skipped away.
The smile on Auri’s face faded the moment Kateryn was out of sight. She was up to something; Aurelia was sure of it now.
Instead of finding Meri, as she’d told Kateryn, Aurelia wandered around the corridors. It served two purposes. She wanted to think and she wanted to determine if she was being followed. It wasn’t long before she noticed Kateryn trailing behind.
Auri went straight to the nearest coms panel and hit the button to communicate with the cockpit. At the same time she hailed Keys, she accessed the ship’s monitoring system. It took seconds to bring up the visual surveillance to find the girl hiding in an alcove not far behind her.
Auri had hit her limit. They were going to get to the bottom of this, once and for all. She made sure she spoke loud enough for Kateryn to hear. “Keys. Get the safe and meet me in the shuttle bay. Make sure no one sees you.”
“Be right there.”
By the time she got there, Keys was already waiting. Of course he was. Keys was as reliable as the sunrise.
“That was quick.”
He shrugged a broad shoulder. “What can I say? When my lady calls, I come running. And I had one of Meri’s handy levitation things within reach.” He nudged the floating safe in demonstration, causing it to drift a short ways. “What’s the matter?”
Auri tilted her head back a touch. “Kateryn.”
Keys angled himself, pretending to adjust the safe, to look behind her. He groaned the moment he spotted her. “You have proof that she’s up to something?”
She shook her head. “Just help me get this on the shuttle. I want everything of value on it.”
“Whatever you say. I’m sure you’ll explain it to me one day, right?”
Auri ignored him. “Once we’re done, we’ll go back and pretend that nothing’s going on. I’ll talk to the others.”
They shoved the vault up the ramp without mishap. Time to try her hand at acting. Auri winked at Keys and ran her trembling hands over her face as she took a shuddering breath.
Keys picked up on what she was up to and jumped straight in. He grasped her arms and yanked her toward him. “Calm down.” He drew back to look her in the eyes, dragging his hands over her arms. “Now, take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”
She pushed him aside so she could open up the shuttle’s meager cargo hold. “Kateryn’s been asking too many questions. I told her the truth about a lot of things to see how she would react. I think I might have made a mistake.”
“We’ve always run with your instincts, Auri. I’m just worried about what we might be running into if we do this.”
“Like we’re jumping from the frying pan into the fire?”
“Something like that.”
She pulled the amulet out again and ran her thumb over the gem. Keys gaped when she took it off and placed it in the box she held. She caught the look. “I told her what it was. I can’t risk letting it fall into the wrong hands.”
“Auri.” He groaned.
“I know.” She held it out to him. “Are you going to help me?”
“Of course.”
He took the box from her and carefully put it on top of the safe as he pushed it into the bowels of the ship. Keys lifted the false flooring panels and lowered everything into the resulting hole.
She took the short time they were out of earshot to her advantage and grabbed his arm. “I think my father sent her.” It only took a look to convey the gravity of her words.
Keys paused a moment, his expression incredulous. “What? He has no idea you’re alive.”
Auri voiced the thoughts that had been clouding her mind. “She’s been asking a lot of questions about my relationship with him and what I would do if I ever saw him again. It just seems too coincidental. First she shows up. Then he announces the new prison. Don’t you see how it all falls together?”
His head shook as his mind churned to catch up with hers. “Maybe I should talk to her, see what she knows? Feel her out a little?”
Auri didn’t like the idea but if Kateryn was working for her father, t
here was no way the girl was going to tell her anything more. “I guess it couldn’t hurt. Come on. She’s going to wonder what’s keeping us.”
He put the panels back with the ease of practice and looked at her for approval.
“Thank you.”
They stepped back out where Kateryn could see them. “And now you’ll tell me your grand plan?” His arms were crossed; she knew he wasn’t going to budge until he got an answer. At least, not without some serious persuasion.
“Keys.”
“Aurelia.”
She hated when he inflected his voice with that authoritative tone. It got her back up and she responded with more venom than she wanted. “Just trust me, okay? I need to talk to the others now.”
“Fine. I’m going to go see what our guest is up to.”
“She’s in the galley, making us dinner. Probably poisoning it as we speak.”
“How morbid.”
She put a hand on his arm stalling his retreat. “Be careful.”
Keys winked. “Aren’t I always?”
Her grip on him tightened. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.” Keys patted her hand and jogged off.
Chapter Six
Auri entered the galley to find a delicious-smelling meal and the others, with the exception of Keys, already waiting for her.
Where was the man? She went looking for him, hoping to find out what he’d learned from his conversation with the girl, but couldn’t find him anywhere. She gave up, expecting to find him ready to eat with the others.
Kateryn stood up from Keys’ seat with a wide smirk. “We were wondering where you’d gotten to.” She hurried Aurelia to a seat at the head of the table and helped her into it. “Everhard had already started on dinner but I helped with the finishing touches.” She smiled proudly as she continued. “Well, now we’re all together I just wanted to say a few things. I never thought in a million years that I’d be out here with such an incredible group of people. I wanted to thank you properly.”
A smile plastered to her face, Auri speared a forkful of chicken that was drenched in lumpy gravy. She sniffed it.
“You’re acting like you’re scared of the food.” Meri’s face creased as he smiled. “It’s not like it’s poisoned.”
If anyone knew his poisons, it was Meri. He’d undoubtedly played lookout and was telling her everything was safe to eat. She gave Kateryn an apologetic wave. “I was only trying to enjoy the aroma. Nothing more.” To prove it, she stuck the fork in her mouth. It wasn’t too bad. “Where’s Keys?”
“Oh, he said he needed to take care of something.” Kateryn smiled and motioned at her food. “Are you liking it? I made the gravy.”
No surprise there.
She’d like it more if she knew where Keys was. “It’s very nice.”
The meal was like any other. Stories were traded; good food and drink was shared. But Aurelia couldn’t enjoy it while studying Kateryn for behavior that was out of the ordinary.
And where the hell was Keys?
She was within seconds of getting up and searching for him herself when Kateryn stood and raised her glass. “A toast, to friends.”
Auri regarded her a moment and raised her glass. The others followed suit. “To friends.”
Kateryn took a few sips of her wine, standing all the while. “Aurelia asked me a little while ago to tell her a story from my life, and I thought of one I want to share.” Another sip. “There once was a little girl who loved her old brother. Whenever their parents were too busy with their duties, he would take care of her. There was nothing either sibling wouldn’t do for the other. He could do no wrong, not in her eyes. He was her knight in shining armor.” Her voice cracked and her smile quavered. “Then one night, that was shattered. He came home, frantic. Some woman had accused him of assaulting her, and this woman’s older brother made no bones about coming after him. The girl’s brother wanted to run away. To hide.”
Auri turned to the others, who were beginning to look a little uncomfortable. This wasn’t going in the direction she thought. She shifted uneasily in her seat as the girl continued to ramble.
Kateryn was pacing now, footsteps loud and quick. “Their father did everything he could to help his son, sure that he was being persecuted for something he never did. For weeks, they lived in terror of the man but they were sure they could outwait his wrath while they worked to prove the son’s innocence. Then one night, the girl heard the news she was dreading. Her brother was gone. Murdered by the woman’s brother in revenge for a crime he never committed.”
She slammed her glass on the table. Kateryn was shouting now as if she wanted every single syllable she uttered to reverberate in their bones. “And what did the man get? Life in prison. He still had his life, while the innocent man had his taken from him. Not fair, was it? The girl swore to avenge her brother. That she’d do anything necessary to get that man and take his life, just like he’d taken her brother’s.”
Auri felt as though she’d swallowed a mini asteroid. The story was disturbingly close to Keys’ rendition of how he ended up in prison. Though, she never once considered the possibility that he might have killed an innocent man.
Had he lied to her about everything? Auri choked back the bile. She refused to believe it. Keys had always been straight with her.
Her blood thrummed through her ears as she stared at Kateryn with new eyes. It was all so clear now. Kateryn didn’t give a damn about her. It was Keys she was after. Keys…
Oh, God. How could she have gotten it so wrong? Auri got to her feet, and pulling herself up to her full height, stared down the girl. “What have you done to Keys?” If the bitch hurt him, she would return the favor a thousand fold.
The entire room was focused on Kateryn now.
“I’ve been waiting to do this.” Kateryn slammed the controls for the cold store. A dangerously blue-hued Keys tumbled onto the floor before them.
“Keys!” Aurelia dropped next to him, rubbing at any bit of exposed skin she could. She glared at the others. “Help me warm him!”
“I wouldn’t advise that. You see, he’s only lasted this long because of the cold.”
The others backed off.
“Once his temperature climbs, the drug will move faster through his system.”
Auri loosened her grip a bit but couldn’t bring herself to release him completely. “What did you do to him?”
Kateryn’s sneer never wavered as she gave the oldest crewmember a sidelong glance. “I think he knows.”
Meri’s face paled even more. “My missing drugs.”
Auri’s arms convulsed around Keys’ shaking form. If the girl had dosed him with more than a vial, Keys didn’t have a chance. “How much did you have left?”
“Three quarters of a vial.”
That was still more than enough to take down a man twice the size of Keys.
“Bam, help Meri to the lab—”
“Not a chance.” Kateryn stepped in front of the door.
“You think a slip of a girl is going to stop us?” Everhard took a step forward, ready to move her if he had to.
“I don’t think so.” Kateryn took half a step back as she reached into her blouse and pulled out a familiar chain. The amulet attached winked into view.
Auri’s lips twitched. She knew Kateryn wouldn’t be able to resist it. If only she’d shown her true colors a little earlier.
The men’s faces went blank as they turned to look at Aurelia. She held their gazes for a moment before looking directly at Bam.
“What the hell is she doin’ with that?” Bam’s mechanical eye gleamed dangerously as he looked at Auri.
“I took it off to hide it from her!”
“Not very well!”
“Obviously.” She laid Keys back do
wn, making him as comfortable as she could. His temperature was climbing far too fast for her peace of mind. They had to do something soon if they were going to save his life. Auri took a shuddering breath. “I was trying to protect us all.”
“Didn’t your idiot of a leader tell you she told me what this little trinket does?” Kateryn sneered at Auri, taking the necklace off and held it mockingly in her face. She snatched it away when Auri reached for it. “She thought she was being so smart, picking and choosing what she was going to tell me. Who would have thought that the brilliant Aurelia Popkiss was such a moron?”
A groan from Keys dragged Auri’s attention back to him. They didn’t have time for this.
“So, I’m an idiot. Thanks for pointing that out. Are you going to make your move now? Maybe threaten us a little and leave? We’re on kind of a deadline.”
Kateryn snorted. “You think I care about your deadlines?”Auri lunged for her but Kateryn deftly sidestepped. “Looking for more ways to prove your stupidity? As long as I’ve got this, there isn’t a thing you can do.” The girl snaked the chain between her fingers so that the necklace was secure and the gem dangled between her thumb and index finger. She made sure they saw how easy it would be for her to destroy them all.
All the eyes in the room turned to Auri; she ignored Kateryn and turned to the men one by one. The trust was still there, mixed in with a good dose of fear and alarm. All of which was totally warranted. The first time a plan had to go totally awry, and it had to be in the worst possible way. Auri dropped her head for a moment before blinking at Everhard.
He looked at her for a blank instant then swooped. “You swore you’d never take that off! That you’d never let anyone else get a hold of it!” Everhard shook his head at Auri. “We trusted you!”
Kateryn’s glee was growing by the second, as was the crazed glint in her eyes. “This has turned out better than I could have ever hoped! Not only do I get revenge on the bastard who killed my brother, I also get to tell your father where you are! I wonder if there’s a big fat bounty on your head.” She hopped from foot to foot in a happy little jig, no doubt imagining the reward. “And now, your own finally realize just how useless you are as a leader.” She turned to Everhard. “Want a share, handsome? Miss Popkiss there says you’re always looking for the next best thing. I can tell you, you won’t find any better right now.”
