There was a shadow near my bed.
“Lights!” I snapped.
The halogens popped on, washing the room in bright, blinding light. I squinted against it, balling my hands into fists—
“Val?”
He stood by my dresser, wide-eyed and frozen, as if he’d just gotten caught. Because hehadjust gotten caught.
Annoyance bolted through me. “What are you doing inmyroom?”
The surprise on his face flickered to confusion. “I’m looking for your master key.”
“…I’m sorry?”
He gave a hard sigh. “So, Maeve locks the supply closet at night and I don’t have shampoo. I was going to take ashower,” he added, stepping away from my dresser. My underwear drawer was slightly ajar. Had it been knocked open when I’d startled him, or had he been opening it to rifle through? Or had he looked inside already and found the lightsaber?
My heart pounded in my chest.
“This late at night?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
He gave a meandering shrug. “I can’t sleep.”
“Sure, but you could ask someone for shampoo.”
He narrowed his eyes. “C’mon, Ardent, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
“What do you mean?”
He pulled out a holopuck and showed me.wanted, it read, and showed the likes of Sian and then—regrettably—me.
My throat tightened. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I thought you were smarter than this, Ardent,” he snapped, and kept searching my room, tearing open the cabinets, looking through my jewelry chest. Then he glanced at the box from my birthday and opened it. Inside was the key. Incredulously, he snatched it. “You haven’t even taken it out of the box?”
I held up the holopuck. “Is this why you’re here?”
He scowled. “Why else do you think I’m here? You’re in trouble.”
“I don’t know, I thought maybe you’d come for mybirthday? Like you said you did?”
Correctly calling out his drydak crap always made his bad moods fouler. A muscle in his jaw feathered. “I know you’re hiding him,” he accused sharply, storming out of my room and down the hall to the galley—and straight for Sian’s makeshift bedroom.
“Hold on! Wait!” I cried, hurrying after him, but I wasn’t fast enough.
He swiped the master key and opened the pantry door. He pulled his shoulders back, triumphant.
But there was nothing in the pantry.
No hammock. No comforter. No pillows. No clothes.
Nothing.
In confusion, I glanced at Veebee, but she simply kept chopping up carrots for the morning’s breakfast. “While you’re in there, can you grab a bag of rice?” she asked dryly.
Ignoring her, he whirled back around to me and spat,“Where is he?”There was a venom in his voice that I didn’t recognize. I didn’t like it.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I replied levelly.
