She shakes her head, hand rubbing at her throat. “Why would he do that? I don’t understand. He has no reason to lie to me.”
“That is why you do not belong in this room,” I growl. “You cannot comprehend the long and twisted history between the sons of Chanísh. You cannot fathom the blade’s edge that is the peace between Irra and Frath and all the lives that balance upon it. You think your desire to find your friend is of greater importance than maintaining peace. Why? Because you are terrakin and somehow rare? Look at the sky. Your star is just one star among billions. Your friend, just one being among even more. She is not special.Youare not special.”
Her face crumples, and I want to take back my words. She may not be special in the scheme of the universe, but she’s everything to me. I have to turn my back to her again or she will see it in my eyes.
“I want to look anyway,” she demands, only a tiny quaver in her voice. “I need to dosomething.”
“Fine.” I pull up a visual of R’Hiza on the leftmost comm screen and navigate to sector seventeen. What had been marginally visible on our journey here is now completely obscured by the planet’s rings. The screen shows only a band of milky-white space dust. I overlay an orange grid, then motion to the menu of options beneath the image. “You can zoom in using these controls. This symbol will display a topographic map. You can capture an image by pressing here. Record your searchin this grid. Touch once for ‘searched and cleared,’ twice for ‘searched and requires further investigation.’”
I chance a look at her and see her jaw set, but her chin wobbles and her eyes shine a little too bright. She clears her throat. “Are you making fun of me?” she asks.
“No. I am giving you what you requested.”
She stares at the screen like she’s waiting for it to clear. “He knew I couldn’t see blocks seventeen and eighteen from here.”
“Yes.”
“Could I have searched it from Olethia?”
“No. Not without Frathik assistance.”
“Irra?”
“No.”
She turns to me, expression bleak. “He lied.”
“Yes.” I hate to be the one to take this away from her, but executing unpleasant tasks is like breathing to me. My pigment tries to rise, but I push it down out of habit, even though it can’t move through my skin anymore. It saves me a little pain.
“But he showed me the ship there. He showed me a base. Isawit.”
“You saw what he wanted you to see so you would do what he wanted you to do. That is Lyro’s way. He is very like our father in that.”
Her neck bends like a defeated warrior. I expect her to cry or get angry, but when she lifts her head, she just says, “I’ll read transcripts, then.”
Victory is hollow. I can feel her disappointment like a physical ache in my chest. I want to wrap my arms around her, take her away somewhere, kiss the creases from her brow. Beg her forgiveness like I’m the one who wronged her. Frix, she affects me too much.
“I’ll route a batch of them to the comm in your quarters. I had it set to your language so it will translate them for you—as well asit is able, anyway.” Her language is new, so our systems are still learning its nuances.
“Thanks.” She nods absently, thoughts clearly elsewhere. I comm the pits to send Aqen to us. He appears soon after, feet still dusty from whatever fight I interrupted.
“Show Philadelphia to her quarters and get her anything she needs.”
Aqen bends his neck. “Yes, Jara.”
“Yes, Jara,” Delphie repeats, tone a little mocking. “Whatever you say, Jara. You’re the boss.”
Good. She’s not broken. Not yet. I hope we find her friend before she is. I don’t want to be the reason her spirit dies.
Chapter 5
Delphie
As Aqen and I head back to my room, Nik’s words buzz around in my head like a bees at a birthday party.
Yousawwhat he wanted you to see so you woulddowhat he wanted you to do.
Was he talking about Lyro...or himself? He claims Lyro lied to me, but Lyro says Nik is untrustworthy. I don’t know who to believe. They both had proof, so one of them is lying. Did Lyro show me a fake image of R’Hiza, or did Nik?
