“He’s still sleeping. Is something wrong?”
Baralt’s expression shifted, something that might have been amusement flickering in his dark eyes. “Nothing wrong. Good news, actually, for Tess.”
Her heart lifted. “You found transport?”
“A trade vessel leaving for Sherae in three days. The captain is known to me—she’s reliable, honest, and not likely to sell her to the first slaver who offers credits.” He paused. “I’ve arranged passage. She’ll have her own cabin, and I’ve sent a message to Athtar’s mate Faith to let her know she’ll be coming.”
The information landed in a strange way. Good news—wonderful news—and yet she felt the sudden vertigo of change rushing towards her. Tess had been her responsibility. What happened when that responsibility walked away?
“Three days,” she said. “That’s… that’s fast.”
“The vessel won’t return to this sector for months. It’s the best opportunity.”
“No, I know. I know.” She shook her head, pushing past the selfish flutter of panic. “That’s wonderful. Tess will be so relieved. I’ll tell her.”
Baralt nodded. “I’ll return later to discuss the details with Njkall.” He paused at the entrance, glancing back over hisshoulder. “It was well done, what you did for her. Isabel said to tell you.”
Before she could respond, he was gone.
She stood for a moment, collecting herself. Three days. Three days and Tess would be on a ship to Sherae—warm Sherae, with its wide oceans and its laws against slavery and its promise of a fresh start. It was everything Tess had wanted. Everything she’d been working toward.
So why does it feel like losing something?
She pushed the thought aside and went to find her friend.
Tess was in the healer’s cave, picking at a breakfast she clearly had no appetite for. She looked up when Polly entered, wariness flickering across her face—the constant, exhausting wariness that colored everything Tess did.
“You’re early,” Tess said.
“Baralt came by.” She settled onto the furs next to her, keeping her voice gentle. “He’s found you transport. A trade vessel to Sherae. It leaves in three days.”
Tess went very still.
For a long moment she didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Her hands had frozen around the cup she was holding, and Polly could see the whites of her knuckles.
“Three days,” Tess repeated.
“Baralt says the captain is trustworthy.” She reached out, hesitated, then touched Tess’s arm lightly. “It’s what you wanted. A warm place. A fresh start. No more snow.”
“No more snow.” Tess laughed, a thin and brittle sound. “I’ve been dreaming about it. Sitting in the sun. Not being able to see my own breath.” She looked down at her hands. “I thought I’d feel… I don’t know. Happier.”
“Leaving is always hard.”
Tess’s eyes flicked to her face. “You sound like you know.”
“I do.” She thought of Earth—distant Earth, blue and impossible and utterly lost to her. She’d never see it again. She’d made her peace with that, mostly, but the ache of it still surfaced at odd moments. “I used to dream about going home. Going back to before any of this happened. I’d wake up in the mines and think, today. Today I’ll find a way. It was the only thing that kept me moving.”
“What happened?”
“I realized there was no before anymore. Not for me.” She met Tess’s gaze. “So I had to find something else. Somewhere else.”
“And you found the giant furry alien.”
Despite everything, she smiled. “He found me, actually. He walked onto the ship that carried me away from the mines and something in me, just… settled.” She shrugged. “It’s been that way ever since.”
Tess studied her for a long moment. “You really love him.”
“Yes.”
