“Then let me see them,” Zara demanded. “Let me talk to Cleo.”
“No.”
The word hung in the air between us. I watched her face transform from hope to fury in a heartbeat.
“What do you mean,no?She’s my friend. She’s part of our crew. We need to take her home.”
“Her home is here now.” I locked eyes with her, willing her to understand what I couldn’t say. That Cleo was mine. That she was valued and adored and loved. That I would die before I let harm come to her. “With my clan. As it is with the two Destrans.”
“You can’t justkeepthem.” Zara’s voice rose with panic and fury. “They have lives. Mierva has a mate on one of theSolas. Baleck is a communications officer. They have work. Families. They have—”
“They have a place here. My seers say your people are a prophecy. I cannot let them go.” The words came out harder than I’d intended, but the council’s decision was still fresh in my mind. The weight of generations of prophecy pressed down on my shoulders. “Acceptance is not given lightly. They stay. Until we know all is safe.”
Even as I said it, part of me rebelled. But I couldn’t show weakness. Not now. Not with Vikkat watching, weighing, judging. Not with my own guards looking to me for leadership.
Zara stared at me. “They crash-landed. No prophecy can justify keeping them prisoner.”
“Ruin or renewal,” I murmured, repeating Zelana’s words. “I will not risk my people’s safety. Your companions are safe. Now, leave.”
“No.” She took a step forward, and immediately my guards moved to intercept. The Destran male’s hand curled around her arm, but she shook him off. “I’m not leaving without them. I’m not abandoning my best friend on this planet because some territorial warlord decided she belongs to him.”
Warlord. The insult stung, even though I understood her fury.
“Zara,” Vikkat warned quietly. “We cannot invade another D’tran territory. It would mean war between our peoples.”
“Then there will be war!” she ground out. “I don’t care. I’m not leaving Cleo here!”
I studied her for a long moment. This was the female Cleospoke of many times. The brilliant, stubborn, impossible friend who’d saved a planet. The one Cleo missed. And I was keeping them apart.
Every instinct screamed to send them away, to keep Cleo safe in the valley where I knew she was protected. But looking at Zara’s fury, at the desperation beneath it, I saw myself reflected back. This was how I would react if someone tried to keep Cleo from me.
“Such fire,” I said, moving closer despite the way the Destran male tensed beside her. “Zara.Yes. Your friend speaks of you often, with great affection. She said you have much to say about most everything.” I let my gaze meet hers, trying to convey something I couldn’t say aloud. “Listen well, Zara of the stars. Your companions are not prisoners. They move freely through the village, eat at my table, sleep in comfort. Cleo studies this world—something she seems to enjoy greatly. Mierva learns about history, culture. Baleck learns ancient warrior ways.”
“If they’re not prisoners, then let them come tell me that themselves.”
The reasonable request. The one I couldn’t grant.
“It is not safe. The prophecy must play out.” I studied her carefully, looking for any sign of deception. But all I saw was genuine fear for her friend. “They are clan now. That is final.”
“And the Destrans?” the male asked. “They chose this too?”
“They are adapting well to life in the valley. They are learning, growing stronger, becoming part of something larger than themselves.” The words came easier now. Because they were true. Baleck and Mierva had integrated into theclan in ways I hadn’t expected. “They are clan. I do not exile clan members to uncertain fates among the stars.”
Zara’s expression shifted through rage, desperation, and finally something that looked like calculation. “I’ll be back,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “I’ll return with an armada if I have to. I’ll bring every ship, every warrior, every resource I can muster. And I will get them back.”
Perfect.
The thought came unbidden, but I recognized its truth immediately. I couldn’t let them leave with Cleo based on their word alone. I couldn’t risk that they were imposters sent by enemies I didn’t even know existed. But if they came back, if they brought an armada…
That would give Cleo time to decide. Time to be certain. And it would prove beyond doubt that these people were who they claimed to be. No enemies would waste those resources on a rescue. I’d have a chance to meet with Vikkat to both verify Zara’s claims and learn exactly how the storms were stopped. If I could offer proof to the council that our three sky people had no connection to the storms, why force them to stay?
And when they came back, I could let Cleo choose. With full knowledge. With certainty.
Even if it destroyed me.
I laughed, surprising myself with the genuine sound. “I look forward to it. Perhaps by then, you will have learned that some bonds transcend duty and logic, and even wants.” I let my expression turn serious. “Your companions are not in danger. They are not unhappy. Trust in that, if you can trust in nothing else.”
“How can I trust anything you say when you won’t let me see them?”
