The civilian, surprisingly, did not capitulate to the general. “I, for one, am grateful for the technology the Drexians have shared with us.” He laughed. “And having new allies beats being subjugated to the Kronock.”
“We don’t know what would have happened,” Bowman said in a near growl.
Admiral Zoran stepped in before the conversation could escalate further. “Perhaps we should focus on our joint successes rather than rehash policy disagreements.”
“Or maybe we should discuss Earth’s independence from alien interference,” Bowman said in a low voice that was mostly swallowed as he took a sip of his Noovian whiskey.
The civilian thumped the general on the back, making me think he was a person of some status. “I think interference is too harsh of a word, don’t you, Marcus?”
At least not all humans were as opposed to our alliance as Sasha and Ariana’s father seemed to be. I noticed more than one amiable conversation between the Earth officers and Drexians with genuine smiles and easy banter. If everyone had been so hostile, I would have been concerned about continuing relations with the planet.
I continued prowling the perimeter, wondering where my brother was and why he was missing this chance to get to know Sasha’s father. Not that I blamed him entirely. Not only was General Bowman a hard man to be around, his daughter had clearly captivated Deklyn. I knew firsthand that love had a way of scrambling even the most disciplined warrior’s priorities.
My mind flitted to Morgan, with whom I’d share a bed later that night. If things weren’t so settled and comfortable between us, I might not concentrate on gathering intelligence. But Morgan knew the truth about me and understood that being a Shadow was still a big part of my life. She didn’t know that I wascurrently gathering information for Sasha and Deklyn instead of the Shadows, but I knew she would understand.
Chancellor Morrison’s laugh boomed across the room again, and I drifted back toward his conversation with Kann.
“—told my military advisors that sometimes you have to make hard choices for the greater good.” He rocked back on the heels of his dress shoes, and I couldn’t help noticing that they were unusually high, giving him added height. They did not lift him enough to make him as tall as any of the Drexians, though. “Can’t let sentimentality cloud your judgment when you’re dealing with matters of planetary security.”
Something cold slithered down my spine. The casual way he dismissed “sentimentality” in matters of life and death and the obvious pride he took in making “hard choices” gave me pause. Someone who’d never risked his own life or had to make any kind of personal sacrifice was exactly the type who might not think twice about condemning a soldier to certain death to make a political point.
“The Drexians value individual lives highly,” Kann observed, his tone carefully neutral. “In Inferno Force we often say, you go, we go.”
“Inferno Force?” Morrison wrinkled his nose. “A bunch of space cowboys, if you ask me.”
Kann bristled noticeably, and I braced myself to rush in and save the human from being throttled. But Kann wrestled his temper and clenched his jaw. “I thought humans loved cowboys.”
The Earth chancellor laughed as if Kann had said something particularly funny. “We do, we do. But even cowboys know when to thin the herd.”
Kann took a long swig of his Cressidian gin. “I guess as chancellor, you have to be the one to make those calls.”
Morrison shifted from one foot to the other. “I have an advisory council, of course.” He winked at Kann, as if the two were sharing a secret, “but the buck stops with me.”
The words confirmed my growing suspicions. This man could easily be manipulated into believing that abandoning Sasha would serve some greater purpose. He might even convince himself that sacrificing her was noble rather than callous, especially if he was told it was for the greater good.
But was he shrewd enough to orchestrate such a plan himself, or was he simply a useful tool for others with more strategic minds?
As the reception continued, I watched the subtle power dynamics play out. The Earth military officers clearly had little respect for their civilian leader, but they never openly mocked him. General Bowman, in particular, seemed to work very hard to maintain a facade of support while his body language screamed derision.
The pieces of a larger picture were forming in my mind. A weak civilian leader who could be manipulated into making decisions others didn’t want to assume could be a very dangerous thing indeed. Especially in alliances. I saw that Earth might not be the trusted ally it once was. Not if its leader was so weak and foolish.
The question wasn’t whether Earth’s leadership had betrayed Sasha. I still didn’t know whether someone had acted out of cold calculation or tragic idiocy.
Chapter
Forty-Four
Deklyn
Iwoke to an empty bed and the gentle warmth of artificial sunlight streaming through the open balcony doors. The holographic sun was climbing over the lush mountains in the distance, painting everything in gold. I reached across the silk sheets, but the space where Sasha had been lying was cold.
I remembered rolling over in the night, wrapping my arm around her warm body and pulling her closer. She’d murmured something in her sleep and settled against me with the kind of trust that made my chest ache. But now she was gone.
Had Serge arrived early to drag her off for more wedding planning? The thought made me groan as I sat up, running my hands through my tousled hair. Today was the day before our fake wedding, which meant we had the ceremony rehearsal later. It also meant I didn’t have much longer to figure out who was behind leaving Sasha in Kronock captivity.
This last thought motivated me to jump out of bed and dress quickly in dark Drexian pants and a fitted tee from the well-stocked teakwood wardrobe. The fabric was soft against my skin, but I barely noticed as my mind raced through everything we still needed to accomplish. I’d been derailed the day before by both the Earth delegation and Sasha, but only one of those I didn’t regret.
I walked quickly from the fantasy suite and down the teakwood walkway toward the inclinator, the artificial morning breeze stirring the holographic greenery. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I’d been too distracted the night before to eat anything.
