“Celine Larchmont’s visit with you is tomorrow night,” Dravka said. “I told you that Valerie mentioned Celine hates Madame Allegria. That she doesn’t want this marriage to happen.”
That word…marriage.It felt like acid on his tongue.
“And what does that have to do with what I did on Jrika?” Ravu questioned softly.
He was protective of Celine Larchmont. A part of him cared for the older woman. They’d all had clients that they cared about—and though those feelings weren’t romantic, there were still clients that had shown them kindness.
Then again, there were always the clients that were the opposite. Clients whose visits left them feeling used and…lesser.
It wouldn’t be a feeling he would miss once they left.
“Are you able to get copies of the records downstairs? From the main Nu terminal in the basement?”
Copies of business records. Copies that Valerie had once tried to take to an Earth Council member and had gotten punished for it…her back whipped and raw.
Sometimes, Dravka swore he could still feel the warmth of her blood dripping across his hands as he lasered her skin closed. Sometimes, he could still feel that burning hatred and self-loathing for not saving her from this. Sometimes, he still felt that nausea churn in his belly whenever he thought of it.
“It will help incentivize Celine Larchmont,” Dravka said. “If she has blackmail over Madame Allegria, it would give her control back. She doesn’t want this marriage to happen. This would ensure that it doesn’t.”
“And what makes you think that Celine could do anything with that information? Look at what happened to Valerie,” Ravu argued, though his eyes were narrowed—as if he was already working through how he’d extract that information.
“Because unlike Valerie, she has money and power here on Everton,” Dravka said. “Valerie said the Larchmonts are one of the wealthiest families on the New Earth colonies. Richer than Madame Allegria by far…and thus, more powerful. She could do something with that information if she chose to, get it into the right hands, but you’d probably have to wipe her name from the records first.”
They all knew money meant power. It was why they’d been left powerless for so long.
Tavak said, “You’ll need a Nu device to access the terminal.”
He held the slim device out to his brother, who took it slowly.
“I would also need a Coms upload wire link of some kind,” Ravu said quietly. “And something to store the data on. A microchip would work but I’d need a processor. A Blue Light drive would be better.”
“We can check downstairs at Valerie’s desk and in the back office,” Tavak said. “There has to be something you can use.”
Ever since he’d learned of the firestones, Tavak had been more determined to leave Everton than he’d ever been before. Because now they all had tangible proof of a better life. Maybe for the first time, all the Keriv’is were imagining better ones.
They all looked at one another for a long moment, realizing that…this might work.
“What are we waiting for then?” Tavak asked, rising from his seat.
Chapter Nineteen
Though she knew she shouldn’t, Valerie took the staircase up to the Cluster that night.
It was a quiet night in the brothel since Valerie had cancelled all the clients once again. Tomorrow she was planning to inform all of them about the brothel’s closing.
The chandelier made the staircase glimmer as she slid her hand over the solid bannister. She was nervous, she found. Her belly was curling and fluttering with anticipation, just at the thought of seeing him again after last night.
Things were falling into place. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders after she was lucky enough to make contact with Eve on Dumera. The Keriv’is would have a home, a place to belong once they left Everton. They would have jobs. They would work with Khiva on these firestones she’d heard about. Eve had promised her that.
Even still, there was a profound sadness in her that night, mingling with the sweet anticipation and nerves and excitement she felt.
When Valerie reached the Cluster, the sitting room was dark and quiet. Tavak and Ravu were nowhere to be seen, but Dravka…
He was standing at the window in the Cluster, his strong, bare back to her. The scars that adorned his flesh there were light in color, slightly raised. When Valerie had first come to the brothel, her aunt had liked to take Dravka down to the basement level the most, as if she’d known even then that Valerie cared for him.
The thought sobered her and she approached him quietly.
He regarded her over his shoulder, those eyes tracking her in the dark. When she reached him, she leaned her forehead on his back. When her arms came around his front, he gripped her wrists.
