Ria was already walking off. She hadn’t looked at him or said a word during their journey back to the shuttle. He glanced at Nik.
“She okay?” his brother asked.
“No.” With a heavy sigh, Zayn followed her.
Dathan came striding down the hall. “How’d it go? We were starting to get worried because you guys took so long.” As Ria strode past him, Dathan pressed back against the wall and raised his eyebrows. Then he looked at Zayn, his brow creased. “Shit. You’re hit.”
Zayn pressed a hand to his shoulder. He’d completely forgotten about the injury. Now that he focused on it, he wondered how he’d missed the dull throb. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
He was more worried about Ria.
Dathan shoved the medscope at Zayn. “It went well?”
“We got the derringer.” Zayn flicked on the scope and waved it over his wounds. “I wouldn’t say it went well, though.”
His shoulder wound knitted and he hurried into the main area. Ria had set the bag down on the holo-table. The others crowded close. Lala hitched herself up on the corner of the table.
“What have I said about sitting on the holo-table?” BEll’s voice was loud and exasperated.
Lala rolled her eyes. “Chill your circuits, Bella. What are you going to do about it anyway?”
There was a zapping sound, and Lala leaped off the table with a squeak, rubbing her butt.
“Behave, you two,” Dath said. “Refereeing these kids is doing my head in.”
Eos and Nik were oblivious to the drama. They were focused on the bag.
Eos raised a hand. “May I?”
Ria gestured. “Go ahead.”
The astro-archeologist opened the bag carefully and let the sides fall away. The pistol sat on the folds.
“It’s a beauty,” Nik said.
“Yes.” Eos picked the weapon up, turning it over, looking at it from all angles. “A .44-caliber pocket cannon. Very old. Definitely matches the Lincoln Derringer.”
“An important piece of Terran history.” Niklas held out his hand, and Eos set it on his palm. He tested the weight. “It ended a presidency.”
Eos nodded. “Lincoln abolished slavery and set what was then known as the United States of America on a course for greatness. He was known as a champion of human liberty. He became a symbol of freedom during the future wars.”
Ria crossed her arms over her chest. “I need to contact the Guild.” Her voice was toneless.
Lala snapped her gum. “Shouldn’t we get out of here first? I mean, we are right in the Guild’s backyard after giving them a really big finger.”
“That’s what they’ll expect,” Zayn answered. “Best we stay here in orbit with the hundreds of other ships.”
“Hidden in plain sight.” The girl nodded. “I like that. Ballsy.”
Zayn moved closer to Ria. “When you make the transmission, I can ensure it’s scrambled. They’ll have no idea where you’re calling from.”
A nod. “I’m going to clean up first.” She disappeared in the direction of the cabins.
She was so distant. Zayn felt a pain under his heart. She was moving away from him, freezing him out, and he didn’t know what the hell to do about it.
“Something wrong?” Dathan asked.
Zayn dropped into the cockpit chair and hung his head in his hands. “I always knew the Assassin’s Guild was bad, but they are far worse than we thought.”
