Page 209 of Star Bringer
All the color drains from Beckett’s face, and somehow, I know that we are fucked. Again.
Chapter 89
Beckett
I knew that question was coming, and I’ve been dreading it. Because, no, of course I didn’t kill Kali. Maybe I could have weeks ago, when we were first on board together, but now that I know her? Now that we’re kind of a team? Now that Rain would never forgive me?
“No, I didn’t.”
Her mouth tightens. “You had one job. I said I would help you, but you needed to do that one thing for me.”
“What thing?” Max looks back and forth between us warily.
I don’t answer him. He doesn’t need to know.
“I know what I’m doing, Mom,” I tell her, even though that’s probably the biggest lie I’ve ever told. I haven’t known what I’m doing in a very long time. “You have to trust me.”
“I did trust you, and you’ve disappointed me.” She turns to Ian and Max. “The deal’s off.”
“What the fuck?” Ian leaps to his feet, which has Vix looming threateningly over him. He tends to not like any sudden movements around my mother. “You can’t just cancel—”
“I can do whatever I want. You’re in my town now.” She pushes back from the table.
Ian gives me a look that clearly says,Fix it.
I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try. “Why don’t you guys go outside? Let me talk to my mom alone for a few minutes.”
Skeptical looks from both of them.
“It’s fine,” I tell them.
The look my mother gives me—and them—says it’s definitely not fine.
But since everything rests on me being able to convince my mother, I don’t have much of a choice. And since Ian won’t take well to any discussion about murdering Kali, the only way this is going to work is if I get them out of the room.
“Go!” I tell them. “But leave the jewels.”
“Jewels?” my mother asks, brows raised. And in no time, she’s back in the game. It’s what I was hoping for.
Ian looks like he wants to argue, but I give him a just-do-it look. He does, reluctantly, dumping a handful of Kali’s necklaces on the table. Not all of them, I notice, but I figure if I was him, I’d hold something back, too. Especially since, in his mind, everything just went to shit for no reason.
After reuniting them with their weapons, Vix shows Ian and Max into the main bar area. And I’m one-on-one with my mother.
“You were alone on that ship with the crown princess, and you didn’t kill her?” my mother snarls. “Are you a traitor to the Rebellion or just a coward?”
“Neither. But killing her means nothing, Mom. The Empress has disowned her.”
“For now. I told you the other day: royal blood calls to royal blood, Beckett. You’ll do well to remember that.”
After what went down between Kali and her mother, I seriously doubt that. But maybe I’m wrong—my mother does have more experience with the Ruling Families than I do.
“That’s not the only thing, though.” I play the last card I’ve got. “I couldn’t kill Kali on theStarlight, Mom. Not if I wanted a snowball’s chance on Serai of making it back here to you.”
“You think some little princess could take you?” She sounds shocked now. “My daughter?”
“Not Kali. Ian. He’s in love with her.”
My mother’s head tilts in surprise. “That big, tough mercenary who was just in here with us is in love with the crown princess?”
