Head bowed, Jenna cast a careful glance about her. As expected, there were a number of grey-clad guards around.
Her skin prickled. She didn’t want one of the Aura Garrison to recognize her. She couldn’t be caught up in days of questions now—or risk Tian catching up with her—not while her brother’s life hung in the balance.
Up ahead, two guards stood back from where security-droids were scanning IDs. Their visored gazes watched the line inch past.
Jenna started to sweat under her heavy cloak.
This isn’t going to work.
Suddenly, it felt as if she were standing there naked. Her disguise seemed flimsy, ridiculous. Any moment now, someone was going to point at them and start whispering.
Swallowing hard, she shifted nervously.
An instant later, Malik’s hand fastened around her arm, squeezing firmly. It was a warning, to keep her nerve. But at the same time, his touch grounded her.
It had every time they’d come in contact.
Not like Tian.
From the first time her husband had ever touched her, Jenna’s instincts screamed ‘danger’. By the time she heeded them, she was already married to him. She recalled that night, the eve before their wedding, when they’d stood on the balcony outside her quarters. He’d taken hold of her chin, forcing her to raise her gaze to meet his. The gesture had been dominant, controlling.
Sweat now slid between her shoulder blades.
This wasn’t the time to relive her mistakes or to think about the man who’d sent assassins after her. Instead, she had to think about her family—the ones who were depending on her.
Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, Jenna tried to master her nerves.
Malik must think I’ve lost my mind … last night, I announce I’m off to rescue my brother, and this morning, I can barely keep it together.
The thought was a sobering one—and useful. For some reason, it mattered what Malik Mir-Draven thought of her. Jenna’s anxiety drew back, and she focused on the looming security gate.
Just three more passengers and it would be their turn.
Minutes later, they moved in front of the security-droid and passed over their IDs. To Jenna’s relief, her hand was steady. The shaking that had assailed her in the transpod, while traveling to the spaceport, had calmed.
Breathing slowly and deeply, Jenna waited for the droid to scan their identifications. She hoped Malik had bought them from a reputable source.
“Cleared,” the metallic voice announced after a pause. It had only been a few seconds, yet it felt like a lot longer to Jenna. “Have a good journey.” With that, the metal claw handed back their IDs.
Giddy with relief, Jenna clutched her ID tightly and followed Malik through the gate and into the clear tunnel leading into the passenger liner. Her bodyguard was doing an admirable job of mimicking a loping Daksari walk, and she did her best to imitate him. Even now, they had to be careful.
Her instincts told her they were still being watched—all the passengers were.
Inside the safety of their berth, Jenna sank down onto the narrow bed and pushed back her hood. “Thank the Gods,” she gasped. “That droid seemed to be taking an age to scan our IDs.”
“Jidea be praised,” her bodyguard replied, before reaching up to touch the amulet around his neck. “I’ll admit I got a little nervous.” He lowered himself down onto the bed opposite, viewing her with his topaz eyes. “But I paid good money for those IDs … well, actually, you did.”
He fell silent then, the only noise in the cramped berth the whirr of the life support. Beneath Jenna’s feet, the floor started to vibrate. “They’ve started the engines,” she murmured.
Her belly lurched then, in anticipation of the space sickness that always assailed her during launch.
“We were some of the last to board,” Malik replied. “We should be away soon.”
Jenna let out a long, slow exhale. Her limbs felt weak in the aftermath of boarding. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to show her companion just how anxious she’d been.
Malik already thought she was making a mistake. She didn’t want to prove him right.The Passagehad been built for exactly this purpose—to be used in times of emergency. Once they hired mercenaries, theycouldretrieve her brother and his family safely.
Jenna’s stomach tensed then. She wished she didn’t need Malik’s help, that once they reached Morith they could go their separate ways. But she wasn’t a complete fool.
