Daaric put a hand to his lips. “I’ll have to ask your dad.”
Dad yelled,“No!”
Guests laughed.
“Well, then you’ll just have to ask yourotherdad,”Daaric added with a wink, and finally that made me laugh. I bumped my shoulder against his.
Dad shouted, “I hope everyone’s warmed up to sing a rousing birthday song to our favorite navigator?”
The guests cheered.
“Please don’t,” I begged.
He gasped, acting distraught. “You can’t mean that!”
“Weallmean that,” Maeve groused from her spot at the bar, eating a bowl of pipnuts. “I don’t have my singing voice on.”
Kotti shouted, “Just get to the good part, Captain!”
“Fine, fine,” Dad grumbled, and reached into his coat to pull out a box tied with a bow. It was barely larger than his palm and flat enough for me to wonder what could be inside. He walked across the bar, filling up people’s glasses with wine as he went, and crouched in front of me, holding out my gift. “For you,” he said tenderly. “It’s just a small thing. From your family, your crew, to you. Happy birthday, daughter.” He bent and kissed my forehead. His beard scratched my skin.
“You better not have bought me anything expensive,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too watery.
There were aws and coos.
Dad liked making a spectacle, though I would’ve preferred to receive this kind of gift in private. Any gift, really.
Telly said, “We would buy you a moon if we could.”
“What would she do with amoon?” Maeve asked.
Veebee gave a wistful sigh from her station by the buffet. “Never see civilization again.”
Entoo chastised her with a bloop from the DJ stand.
I fought off a smile as I peeled back the wrapping. It could be jewelry, but I didn’t really wear any. Some sort of holodrama? A chip of artwork? I really couldn’t imagine in the least what it might be.
I opened the box. Inside was a rectangular piece of metal with theStarfarer’s logo engraved on the front. On the back I knew would be my name—Ardent Quay.
It was a master key to the ship, one that opened every door, every locker, every database.
The only other people who had one were my dad and…Val. Before his was taken away.
My excitement disintegrated.
I stared down at the key for a long time.
Val clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Hey! Look at that. Congrats, snotface!”
I closed the box and held it tightly to my chest. I should have been thankful—honored. I needed to be, but I just felt rotten because I wasn’t. My bottom lip wobbled, and Dad took that as good emotion. He patted my head and rose to his feet again.
“And now let’s get this soiree started! Welcome to theCentury of Change tour!” he roared. Entoo spun a bombastic track, and the party twirled into motion again.
I let my eyes blur and told myself I loved the gift.
That I loved the thought behind the gift.
That, deep down, I wanted it. I had to want it. Iwantedto want it.
