Page 153 of Star Bringer
Her eyes widen as she catches sight of me, then narrow down to slits. At first, I don’t know what I’ve done to upset her, until I realize she’s staring at my silver jumpsuit. Apparently even with all the problems in the solar system, having her daughter not dressed in Imperial Regalia is high on her list of complaints.
Still, I force a neutral expression. “Hello, Mother.”
“Kalinda, I’m glad to see that you’re well. Now give me your coordinates,” she orders in the voice she uses for misbehaving children and recalcitrant councilors. “I’ll dispatch a force immediately to get you.”
“I can’t do that.”
Her fingers stop tapping—her anger has just ratcheted up another notch.
“I can’t come back yet, Mother. There’s something I need to do first.”
“Nonsense. You need to get home where you belong.”
“Not yet.”
Her eyes narrow, and I realize that I’ve never actually said no to my mother in my whole life. It feels good. Liberating.
“Kalinda, if you won’t come home because your mother asks you to, then come because it’s an order from your Empress.”
She’s bringing out the big guns. And I’m not impressed. “What are you going to do—lock me in a cell?”
“I will think of a suitable punishment.” Then her face softens. “Is this because of these people you’re with? I’ve heard they are outlaws, murderers…”
Friends, I think. They’re my friends, and I won’t let her take that from me just because she doesn’t understand.
“They saved my life on theCaelestis.”
“Sometimes people can attach inappropriate feelings to their captors. They can even fall in love with them. Is that what’s happening here, Kalinda?”
I can feel my cheeks heating, and I force myself not to look at Ian. “No one is a captor here, and I don’t love anyone.”
Beckett snorts while Max clutches a hand over his heart and pretends to be devastated. I ignore them both, my expression perfectly smooth.
My mother plows ahead. “We have strong reason to believe that the attack on theCaelestiswas a deliberate attempt by the Rebellion to assassinate you.”
Beckett snorts again. And this time I want to snort right along with her.
My mother has been using the Rebellion as a boogeyman against me since I was a child. She became even more adamant after my father was murdered, convincing me they were the ones responsible. But if that was a lie, why should I believe this is any more true?
“Our intel strongly suggests that they are still coming after you,” my mom says. “That they know you’re out there and vulnerable and they are not going to stop until they hunt you down and kill you.”
I don’t doubt that—someone is definitely trying to kill us, and it makes sense that I’m the target. But she’s not providing any new information, so if she wants to scare me, she’s doing a lousy job. We’ve survived five assassination attempts—three on theStarlightand two on Ian and me. Telling me someone is out to get us isn’t exactly news.
I glance sideways at Ian, where he’s leaning against the pilot’s console. A little frown has formed between his eyes, and he looks worried. I give him a tiny reassuring nod before turning back to my mother.
If she’s so concerned, I do have something she might be able to help with. “I’ve noticed there are bulletins all over the system declaring I’m an imposter and offering a reward for my capture. Have you seen them?”
Her lips pinch tight. “The intelligence service has made me aware of this, but we haven’t been able to get to the bottom of them yet. We will, I can assure you, and those responsible will be brought to justice. But Kali, my darling, that’s just one more indication that I can’t keep you safe out there.”
“Maybe I don’t need you to keep me safe,” I tell her.
“What about your new friends?” she asks. “Do you need me to keep them safe?”
“They’re fine,” I tell her.
“Are they?” She arches a brow. “You clearly care for them. Whether you want to believe me or not, someone is trying to kill you. Do you really want to put your friends at risk? Are you willing to let them die with you? Because that’s what will happen. Whoever is after you will find you, and you willalldie, and it will be your fault. Do you really want their blood on your hands?”
For the first time, her words get through to me. My stomach clenches, and I feel sick. We’ve been trying to figure out who’s trying to kill us for weeks—and who the intended target is. Now my mother is saying that she knows. That it’s me and that I’m putting everyone in danger by being here.
