“Are you sure it’s safe to just let her walk about the ship?” Eos’ dark gaze was on Lala.
Zayn adjusted the controls of theInfinitas. “She’s fine.” He looked over his shoulder and spotted Lala with her hands pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the stars streaming past them at interstellar speed. Her ball robot, Fred, hovered near her left ear.
Dathan leaned back in the chair beside Zayn and propped his feet up. “If she blows the ship up, she blows herself up, and if there’s one thing I know about that girl, it’s that she has a killer survival instinct.”
“Well, I’m still not comfortable with the thought she could have explosives on her,” Eos said.
“She does.” BEll’s modulated voice came from the command console. “Plasma X, TNTN, and lastite. In her bags in her room. I’ll let you know if she starts any funny business.”
“Suva help us,” Eos murmured.
“I’m more worried about those inferior machines she’s brought on board,” BEll said.
Another set of near-silent footsteps echoed on the ship’s metal floor. Funny how Zayn could pick out Ria’s steps.
She’d showered, her damp hair shades darker than its usual gold. He felt a twinge of regret that he hadn’t been able to shower with her. Press her up against the plas walls of the tiny shower stall in his cabin. He huffed out a breath. Between getting Lala settled on the ship, racing back to Khan to pick up Dathan, Nik, and Eos, and then setting course for the Devil’s Nebula, there hadn’t been time for anything else.
Now all their attention had to be on the mission. On gaining Ria’s freedom.
He caught her gaze. “Four hours until we hit the Nebula.”
She nodded.
“It’s been sitting out near the lava world of Igna for the last two months. If the wormhole it’s attached to follows its usual pattern, it’ll shift soon, taking the nebula with it.” A beep sounded from the console. He adjusted a setting, almost without thinking.
Ria crossed her arms. “The smugglers and the slavers love when the Nebula moves. They’re always prepared to ambush any unsuspecting ships, stations, or planets.”
“We want to get in, and preferably get out, before the Nebula moves again,” Dathan said.
“So—” Lala sauntered up and sat on one of the cockpit chairs, backward. She folded her arms on the back of the seat. “Apart from dangling me under the nose of the Assassin’s Guild, what’s the plan?”
Niklas moved closer. “Girl’s got a point. Let’s get our plan pinned down.”
All of them moved toward the holo-table in the neighboring room. Zayn set the ship on autopilot and gripped Ria’s arm. “You healed that head wound?” He tucked her hair behind her ear and only saw smooth skin.
Her green eyes softened. “Yes. You?”
“Like new.” He fingered the damp strands of her hair. “I’m sorry I couldn’t wash your back.”
She gave him a small smile. “That would have been nice. Maybe we can find some time to ourselves later?”
He already felt the heavy, curious weight of his brothers’ gazes. “We’ll try. Mission is the first priority though.” He felt a desperate need to hold her one more time before they launched themselves into the heart of the Devil’s Nebula and a mission that could get them all killed. But her safety and her freedom came first.
They joined the others at the holo-table. Lala had boosted herself onto a corner and was swinging one leg. Her now-repaired insect robot skittered up her leg. She picked it up and stroked it like a cat.
Dathan leaned forward and tapped the screen. The image of a rocky planet appeared. “We’ll take the shuttle down to Lucifa. First order of business is reconnaissance.”
Lala yawned. “Boring.”
Dathan’s lips twitched. “Maybe, but we need to get the lay of the land before we go storming the castle, or in this case, the Assassin’s Guild.”
Zayn slapped Lala’s shoulder. “After that, the next step is to create a distraction.”
The girl grinned. “That sounds more exciting.”
“We want to empty the Guild of as many assassins as we can,” Ria said. “So Zayn and I can go in, locate the derringer, and get it out.”
“And that’s where I come in.” Lala tapped a finger against her lips.
