Page 54 of When the Universe Sings

Someone shifted forward to put their forearms on the table and I was pretty sure it was Rhiaon. “I intercepted a few of the guards who loaded the stone onto the transport. According to them it was given to Senator Charlis and his wife for safekeeping.”

“I was able to confirm about an hour ago through a contact I have on his starship,” Rys cut across Greabes, who had started to speak. “Senator Cambray Charlis brought the stone to one of the high-security holding rooms on the lower levels of his satellite ship that orbits Kiv Q’lum. According to my contact it’s a temporary step.”

Kal huffed beside me. “I’m surprised Listra was willing to part with it that long.”

“Well…according to my contact there was a long discussion between Charlis and his team about whether to return the stoneat all. He discussed the option of staging a break-in and moving the stone to another location.”

Around the table, a few of them chuckled incredulously, but Asher didn’t join in. Heat bloomed across the side of my face and I dropped my gaze to my lap. After a long moment, the warmth faded and I allowed myself to look around the table, at anywhere but him.

“So how do we use that to our advantage?” Asher pressed.

Rys leaned onto the back two legs of his chair, scratching his chin. “I don’t know if we can. It’ll be an inside job and there’s no way he’ll hire an outside crew to stage something like that.”

Greabes cursed. “Better to do a smash and grab.”

There was a murmured agreement. Silence fell and lingered for so long I finally couldn’t help but look up. Asher stared at the table, leaning on his hands, eyes flicking back and forth like there was something scrawled across the top. His hair was free, falling around his shoulders and shrouding half his face, and I hated the way the sight of it made my chest ache. I could remember the softness of it slipping through my fingers…

“I was hoping we wouldn’t have to resort to something like that.”

“Well…” Hudzon started, both sets of arms crossed over their chest, attention falling to me. “I suppose it’s a good thing we have Juniper. She’s the only one who will be able to slip in undetected through their environmental systems.”

If I hadn’t been so deep, I might have groaned at the thought of shoving myself into another ventilation shaft. Instead, I nodded and let my gaze fall to my lap again.

Asher ended the meeting soon after with a promise of discussing the plan once they had a better read on the schematics of Charlis’ satellite ship. Until then, Rys would set a course for quadrant two where it was currently located. It was late enough no one lingered to eat and I pushed to my feet with asigh, the scrape of my chair swallowed by the sound of everyone leaving.

“Juniper.” Asher’s voice was softer than it had been during the meeting.

I circled the table farthest from him, following behind Kal, cringing that I was the last to leave. But when I made it to the door a gloved hand grabbed my elbow. “Juniper, please.”

My eyes closed and I took a deep breath. “Who are you today?”

“What?”

I didn’t turn. “Are you the ruthless mercenary leader of theKuxatana? Or are you smooth-talking Captain Ruciyah? Are you the male who knelt at my feet or the one who ran away from me?”

His hand tightened on my arm. “You’re the one who ran from me.”

Blowing out a breath, I shook my head. “I have good survival instincts. It’s how I’ve kept myself alive this long.”

“Juniper, listen to me?—”

“Which one are you?” I snapped, turning on my heel. I hated the helmet, hated the hurt in his eyes and how I couldn’t see if it was fake or real. I could hear his voice in my mind and was sure I would hear it in my dreams.

Mahsi, my mahsi.I didn’t even know what the word meant and yet it shivered deep inside of me like a chill I couldn’t shake.

Asher didn’t answer, as if he didn’t know the truth either. I made my way back to my quarters, ignoring whatever lie he would have had for me.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SEVEN

I burned.

The bark of my home tree scalded my palms and all around me my people fell in sheets of ash to the ground. But I couldn’t stop climbing even as fire roared and my skin bubbled. There, at the canopy, someone was waiting for me. Someone had their hand outstretched. Someone screamed my name. The fire raged on with no sign of rain, eating everything in its path. Everyone I had ever known was dead.

And the universe was screaming.

“Juniper.”