She snorted, rolling her eyes.
Christian let go of the hand he’d been holding to touch her cheek, but before he could say anything, the Kaizen, the lieutenant commander, Ivan Mehnkof, and their game master, Rami, entered the ostentatious room. The music silenced, and all stopped dancing to face them.
Gemma’s heart leapt into her throat. She’d been enjoying her time so much with her friends and Christian that she’d almost forgotten what tonight was really about.
Nadine’s murderer stood mere feet away from her now, unaware of what Gemma wore on her hand.
Gemma had been dreaming of this day—literally—for almost three years. Earlier, when she was preparing for the evening, she’d been so ready, so full of fury and energy. But now, her legs barely kept her upright.
Can I still do this?Her eyes briefly flitted to Christian, who watched their leaders with the rest of the room.Do I stillwantto do this?
“You all look wonderful!” Rami exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “And I must say, I am thrilled that I will soon get to introduce all of you to the Planetary Systems as my winners of this year’s Oranos Trials! This has been one of my most difficult Trials to date, yet you all did fabulously. I am so proud of each of you. Enjoy your evening!”
The music started, upbeat once again, and Gemma’s heartbeat matched its pace. She clenched onto Christian’s hand without realizing it.
“You okay?” Christian stared at her, his head tipped and eyes bright with worry.
Her eyes burned.What do I do?
She’d begun to enjoy this life, against her better judgment. But Nadine’s murderer deserved to be brought to justice, and Gemma had to deliver it.
Her stomach churned. Her sister had never faltered for her. She couldn’t hesitate for Nadine, either.
Pushing down the bile that settled in her throat, Gemma nodded once at Christian. “Yeah, I, uh, just need to talk to Rami for a second. About my sister and what happened. I’ll be right back.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Her knees almost gave out. She shook her head. “No, I’ll be okay.”
Christian gave her hand a soft squeeze but nodded and let her go.
As Gemma headed for the bar where Rami spoke with Ivan, it grew harder to breathe with each step, her palms sweating.
This was it. This was what she had been working so hard to accomplish for over three years.
“Excuse me—Rami?”
He twisted toward Gemma and grinned. “Yes, Miss Proctor. How are you?”
He was so friendly that she almost backed away. But this was the man who killed her sister. Her Nadine.
She had to see this through.
Ivan stepped away, leaving Gemma and Rami to speak privately.
“I, uh, wanted to thank you for the challenge of this year’s Trials,” she said. “It was really difficult, but I definitely feel more ready to be in the military.”
Rami put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s great! You and your team did an excellent job. One of the best, in my opinion.”
Gemma smiled then pointed to the drink he held. “What is it that you’re drinking? That looks delicious.”
“It’s called an Electromagnetic Stratosphere. Here, you should try it.” Rami held out the drink to her.
There’s no way he’s making it this easy. “I’d love to.”
As she’d practiced, Gemma slipped the ring off her finger while taking a sip with her other hand. She feigned a cough, covering her mouth with the fist that held the poison ring.
“Oh, that’s so strong,” she said, coughing again.
