CHAPTER SIXTEEN

KYRION

"B loody Erztonians," I muttered. "I can't believe they're going ahead with their event as though nothing happened. As though two defectors from their own House didn't breach their defenses, steal their resources, and waltz away without a scratch."

I stalked from one side of the bedroom to the other. "Siya, Rigel, and the other Hammers should be locking down the city and scouring the streets for Esmina and Pollux. Not worrying about security at a ball."

"So you've been saying for the last hour, ever since we returned to the suite." Vesper's voice drifted out from behind a wooden dressing screen in the corner.

I quickened my pacing. "The Colliers aren't using us as a distraction. We're the bait ."

"You think once the gossipcasters realize we're at the marriage mart, word will get back to Esmina and Pollux?" Vesper called out. "And Aldrich will set a trap hoping the mercenaries try to kidnap me again?"

"Yes," I growled. "Because that's exactly what I would do."

Vesper let out an agreeing murmur, and fabric rasped behind the dressing screen. I yanked at my shirt collar, which was choking me, then stomped over to a mirror on the wall.

As if using us as bait wasn't bad enough, our outfits for the marriage mart bordered on the ridiculous. I was dressed in a dark blue tailcoat over tight black leggings and black boots that stretched up to my knees. The front of the coat stopped at my waist, where my stormsword was belted, but the back dropped away in two long, wide pieces that plummeted to my ankles, making me feel like an oversize penguin with two flapping silk tails. Such tailcoats were common attire at Regal events, but the House Collier tailors had paired this one with a silver shirt with frills that spilled down my chest like an ocean of stiff, puffy silk.

I yanked at my shirt collar again. I despised frills, and my fingers itched with the urge to rip off the puffy pieces of fabric and toss them aside like I was molting feathers.

"Any word from Daichi yet?" Vesper asked.

"No," I said, spinning away from the mirror. "I sent him all the info we learned, but he hasn't come up with anything new, and he hasn't identified who Esmina and Pollux might be working for."

"Maybe they aren't working for someone," Vesper called out. "Maybe Esmina and Pollux want to destroy House Collier all on their own and think I can somehow help them."

"Perhaps. Daichi also doesn't know what the mercenaries wanted with the jewels they stole from the mineral exchange."

"Asterin promised to get me a list of everything the mercs targeted," Vesper replied. "Maybe seeing the full list will give us some more insights into their plans."

My gaze flicked over to the chunk of sapphsidian sitting on a table that Vesper had recovered from one of the mercenaries' backpacks. Perhaps Vesper was right, and Esmina and Pollux simply wanted to destroy House Collier, but I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling the mercenaries had a much bigger—and deadlier—goal.

Vesper stepped out from behind the dressing screen. "Well?" she asked, spreading her arms out wide. "How do I look?"

My breath froze in my throat, and my heart tumbled every which way inside my chest. I had seen Vesper in formal gowns before, but the Erzton garment was truly a work of art.

The gown was predominantly silver, the same silver as my frilly shirt, and the layers of gauzy fabric clung to Vesper's body, highlighting her strong curves. Each layer was covered with glittering black crystals, along with tiny pieces of sapphsidian nestled together in the shape of mammoth butterflies.

The shimmering mosaic pattern started at the top of the scalloped neckline, and tiny butterflies dotted the tight, sleeveless bodice before morphing into larger creatures that covered the long, flowing skirt. Vesper shifted from side to side on her silver heels, and the layers fluttered, making it look as though the butterflies were flitting all around her.

Vesper's dark brown hair had been set into loose waves that brushed her shoulders, and small silver butterfly pins glinted in her locks. She'd threaded a larger silver butterfly brooch studded with blue opals and sapphsidians onto a black velvet ribbon and was wearing it as a choker around her neck. Dark blue shadow and silver liner brought out those same colors in her eyes, while her lips were a pale, frosted, silvery blue.

"Does speechless mean I look good?" Vesper teased.

I stepped forward so that I was looming over her. "You are utterly breathtaking."

A pleased blush pinkened her cheeks, and the same emotion rippled along the velvety ribbon of her in my mind.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Vesper flicked one of the puffy frills on my chest. "Nice shirt."

"For a bloody penguin," I grumbled.

She laughed, and the sound warmed me from head to toe. I stepped even closer, captured her waist with my hands, and lowered my mouth to hers.

Even though I had kissed Vesper hundreds of times before, awareness coursed through me. The electric touch of her lips against mine. The quickening pulse in the hollow of her throat. The rise and fall of her chest. The sweet, soft scent of spearmint soap clinging to her smooth skin.

Vesper hummed with pleasure, stood up on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around my neck. She deepened the kiss, her tongue flicking out against mine. More electricity jolted through me, and I growled, every part of my body stiffening with desire.

Our tongues stroked together, fast and hard, then slow and soft, and I lost myself in the heady sensations of her.

After the better part of a minute, we broke apart, both of us breathing hard. I leaned down and rested my forehead against hers. "I have a splendid idea. Why don't we skip the marriage mart and stay here? No enemies, no agendas, nothing but the two of us."

Heat shimmered in Vesper's eyes. "Oh, I think we would both have an agenda."

She sighed and drew back. "As much as I would love to stay here and peel that frilly shirt off you, the Colliers want us to attend the marriage mart. Our position here is precarious enough without pissing off our hosts."

Vesper bit her lower lip. "Besides, I feel like it's important we go to the marriage mart."

"Why? Are you seeing something with your power?"

The silver flecks in her eyes brightened like matches flaring in the dark. Then her gaze dimmed, and she shook her head. "No, I'm not seeing anything. It's more of a . . . feeling. It's hard to explain." Her face twisted into a bitter expression. "Maybe I could explain it, and maybe I could actually see something , if I was a precog like Esmina."

"You don't have to be a precog. You told me about your vision. How you saw what Esmina did to get her power. How she killed that boy, her friend, like it was nothing ."

Vesper shuddered. "It was awful. Truly. But with that kind of magic, with that much power . . ." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Well, it would keep us both safe. From Holloway, the Techwave, and everyone else who might be targeting us."

My fingers tightened around her waist. "We keep each other safe, and we don't need any power other than what we have together. Tried and true, remember?"

"Always." Vesper smiled at my echoing her words from last night, but her cheerful expression swiftly melted away.

She pressed a kiss to my lips, then stepped out of my arms, grabbed a small silver blaster off a table, and slid it into a hidden pocket in her skirt.

Not for the first time, I cursed Esmina for targeting Vesper—and all the doubts the other seer had created about our bond and psion powers and whether they would be enough to protect us from our many enemies.

V esper and I left our suite and went to the courtyard in front of the main castle. Just like me, Aldrich, Leland, and Rigel were dressed in formal tailcoats with frilly shirts, although their garments were the emerald green of House Collier. Verona and Siya were wearing lovely similarly colored gowns trimmed with gold thread and sequins, while Asterin was clad in a gray gown studded with bits of lunarium.

The Colliers climbed into a transport, along with Leland, Siya, and Rigel. I helped Vesper and Asterin into a second transport, while several guards armed with blasters boarded a third vehicle. Lord Aldrich might be using Vesper and me as bait, but he wasn't taking unnecessary chances.

The transports glided out of the courtyard, away from the estate, and down the mountain into the city. About twenty minutes later, the vehicles dropped us off in front of the antiques emporium. Strings of gold lights were draped over the emerald dome, and the structure gleamed even more brightly than the silvery Frozon moon in the night sky.

Throngs of people dressed in glittering gowns and sleek tailcoats were heading into the dome, but I didn't spot Esmina and Pollux. What I did spot were several squads of House Collier guards and Hammers. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if Esmina had already seen the extra security measures with her precog power and figured out a way to thwart the guards. Time would tell.

Lord Aldrich and Lady Verona walked along a green carpet that ran by an area filled with gossipcast reporters. The couple waved and smiled for the cameras that were clicking, flashing, and recording their every movement. Siya, Rigel, and Leland followed the Colliers, but Asterin held out her hand, stopping Vesper and me.

"I don't know about you, but I have no desire to preen for the cameras," she muttered. "This way."

Asterin skirted around the perimeter of the dome and led us to a side door that wasn't mobbed by reporters. The guards stationed there waved her on through, although they eyed Vesper and me with suspicion before letting us pass.

We walked along a corridor, then went through another door to enter the dome. Vesper stopped, her eyes widening in wonder. I stopped too, also awed by the transformation.

Yesterday the emporium had been filled with aisle after aisle of antiques, but those objects had been removed and replaced with topiaries similar to those on the Collier estate. But instead of evergreen trees or hedges, these sculptures were composed of smooth, polished, glittering crystals in every color imaginable—green, blue, red, purple, pink. Scores of gold lights dripped down from the ceiling, hitting the crystals and painting rainbows on the floor.

Even more impressive was the fact that part of the dome's wall had been removed, revealing a hidden topiary garden. Trees, hedges, and more crystal sculptures stretched out into the open air, although a warming shield kept the cold wind and flakes of snow from gusting into the dome itself.

My gaze roamed over the rest of the dome. Tables filled with food, musicians strumming instruments on a hoverdais, people whirling around the dance floor to the lively tune. It was eerily similar to a Regal ball and yet distinctly different, especially when it came to the decorations—or lack thereof.

Instead of flowers, fountains, or pretty streamers, one entire wall was filled with glass shelves lined with chunks of lunarium, sapphsidian, coal, wood, and more raw materials. Other shelves boasted miniature models shaped like castles, spaceships, production plants, and even Frozon moons.

Men and women of all ages were walking past the shelves, peering at the contents, and snapping photos with their tablets. Every few feet, holoscreens flashed names, locations, and other pertinent facts, as though we were at a museum instead of a society event.

Lady Asterin Armas . . .

Off to the right, a holoscreen flashed her name, then scrolled through a list of items. Lights flickered on and off, highlighting the corresponding items on the nearby shelves. Lunarium on Frozon 3 . . . Sapphsidian on Tropics 29 . . . Coal mines on Temperate 13 . . .

The list of mineral rights and mines went on and on, but no one gave Asterin's holoscreen a second glance. All the Erztonians strolled past her station to peer at the screens of other lords and ladies to see what resources they had to offer. Some people even stopped and tapped in information on the screens, which let out soft chimes of confirmation.

"Isn't it charming?" Asterin said in a bitter voice. "How my net worth is on display for everyone to see, comment, and bid on?"

Two older women heard her words and clucked their tongues in reproach, even as they moved on to the next display.

"So people look at your . . . dowry?" Vesper asked in a puzzled voice. "And then bid on . . . what, exactly?"

Asterin's mouth twisted. "Whether they want the opportunity to court me."

Vesper's nose crinkled in disgust. "Ugh! That's awful."

I shrugged. "Similar practices are common among the Regal Houses, although such negotiations are not quite so . . . public."

Vesper's nose crinkled with more disgust. "But what about being attracted to someone? Or loving them? Or having a chance at happiness?"

Asterin let out a low, bitter laugh. "Attraction, love, and happiness don't last nearly as long as mineral rights and mines do."

Her words matched my own jaded views, especially since so many Regals had tried to engage me in relationships—romantic, business, and otherwise—in hopes of getting their hands on the Caldaren fortune.

Asterin's gaze landed on the holoscreen flashing her name, and her mouth twisted again. "I need a drink."

"I'll join you," Vesper said. "Kyr, you want anything?"

"No, thanks. I'm going to wander around."

Vesper gave me a knowing look. "You're going to double-check the security and see if Esmina and Pollux have managed so sneak into the ball."

I grinned. "You know me too well." My grin vanished. "Be careful."

"You too," she murmured.

While Vesper and Asterin headed over to the refreshment tables, I did a lap around the perimeter of the dome, studying all the people smiling, talking, laughing, drinking, and dancing. Lord Aldrich and Lady Verona might be using us as bait, but that didn't mean I couldn't go hunting on my own terms. If Esmina and Pollux showed up, then I wanted to spot them before they spotted Vesper.

More than one person eyed me as I stalked past, and whispers trailed along in my wake.

"That looks like Kyrion Caldaren . . ."

"Why would he be here . . ."

"House Collier must be offering him sanctuary from the Imperium . . ."

Many of the Erztonians recognized me, and some pulled out their tablets, their fingers flying over the screens, while a few of the bolder lords and ladies snapped photos. I grimaced. It wouldn't be long before news of my and Vesper's attendance hit the local gossipcasts, but everyone at the Collier estate already knew we were on Sygnustern, so there was no point in hiding.

Sooner or later, one of the Regal gossipcasts would pick up the story, which would eventually make its way to Callus Holloway. No doubt, the Imperium ruler would immediately start formulating a plan to wrest Vesper and me away from the Colliers' protection, but that was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight I needed to find Esmina and Pollux, figure out why they were targeting Vesper, and eliminate them.

I didn't spot the mercenaries among the gossiping crowd, and eventually, I ended up right back where I'd started, beside the holoscreen displaying Asterin's name. No one had entered their information on her screen, although several names had been typed in on the surrounding screens, even though those lords and ladies didn't have nearly as many mineral rights and mines. Curious. With her resources and connection to House Collier, Asterin should have been one of the shining stars of Erzton society, but instead, she was as unwanted as a lump of coal on winter solstice morning.

"My poor stepsister can't even bribe someone to court her," a familiar voice drawled.

Siya sashayed over to me. She scanned the other screens around Asterin's, and her nostrils flared with a mixture of anger and disgust, almost as if she was offended on Asterin's behalf.

"Asterin is a lovely person," I said, defending my friend. "Smart, strong, capable, kind, generous. Any lord, Regal, Erzton, or otherwise, would be lucky to court her."

Siya tilted her head, although I couldn't tell if she was agreeing or not. "Care for a drink?"

I eyed the clear crystal mugs in her hands. Each one was filled with a dark brown liquid topped with a thick layer of frothy white foam. "Is it poisoned?"

An amused chuckle erupted from her lips. "Sadly, no. You are under my father's protection, so I can't poison you. Besides, I would never stoop to such weak tactics. I would kill you myself, Arrow."

"Good to know, Hammer."

I took the mug, then toasted her with it. Siya returned the gesture, and we downed our drinks.

The frothy white foam misted down my throat like marshmallow-flavored frost, but it was quickly followed by a tide of intense dark chocolate, along with a hint of raspberries and a tang of blood orange.

"This is delicious. Are you certain it's not poisoned?"

Siya laughed at my dry humor. "It's Frozon hot chocolate, a specialty of the House Collier chefs."

I sipped the wonderful drink and ambled along the wall, looking at the minerals, models, and other objects. Siya sipped her own drink and matched my steps, and for once the silence between us was comfortable rather than hostile.

"You handled yourself well during the shipping yard attack," Siya said. "You cut through those mercenaries with your stormsword like they were plastipaper targets."

"And you did the same with your war hammer. I've never seen Hammers fight in person. Your squad is very impressive. Well trained and well disciplined."

She tipped her head, accepting the compliment, and we kept ambling along.

"Where is your holoscreen and list of resources?" I asked.

"I don't have one."

"Why not?"

"Because someday I will be the head of House Collier. All the assets of all the major Houses are public record and very well documented. Anyone who decides to court me will know exactly what they're getting." A rueful smile curved Siya's lips. "I'm in the rare position of being able to choose a match for love, unlike many of the Erzton nobles."

"In other words, you don't need anyone else's money, mineral rights, or mines since you have plenty of your own."

Siya's smile widened, and humor danced in her hazel eyes. "Something like that."

"Asterin doesn't have that same luxury?"

The humor snuffed out of Siya's eyes, and her smile vanished. "No. But Asterin has something far more valuable."

"What?"

"Freedom," Siya replied in a soft voice. "You're the head of a House. You know what an enormous responsibility it is to have so many people depending on you."

Uncomfortable memories floated through my mind, and the hot chocolate soured in my stomach. After my mother had died and my father had drowned in his grief and brandy, it had fallen to me to try to keep House Caldaren afloat, even though I was only thirteen at the time. I'd tried my best, but it hadn't been enough— I hadn't been enough.

Understanding flickered through me, along with a surprising amount of sympathy. The weight of others' expectations was yoked to Siya's shoulders just as it had been yoked to mine, and it was a hard, heavy burden to bear, no matter how great—or not—your House was.

"Asterin can cavort around the galaxy chasing ghosts all she wants," Siya said, envy creeping into her voice. "But I am bound to House Collier, and it is bound to me. Everything I do is supposed to serve, protect, and advance my House. Sometimes I think there is only my House and nothing else, nothing left of me ." Her voice sharpened on the last few words.

"Is that why you dislike Asterin so much? Because she can do as she pleases?"

"Asterin is . . . challenging," Siya replied, sidestepping my questions. "We were best friends—until her father died. My mother had passed away the year before, so I knew how much Asterin was hurting. I was hurting too, since my uncle Irzin was also killed in the mine explosion. For a time, Asterin and I grew closer. Verona even started working for House Collier as my father's chief of staff to try to pay down the massive debts relating to the lawsuits against House Armas."

"And then?"

"And then the truebond started forming between my father and her mother." Siya's mouth puckered as though she'd tasted something rotten. "Suddenly, Asterin and I were stepsisters and supposed to exist in the same space, to just accept what was happening, even though both of us were still mourning our relatives. We've never been able to get past it. Especially Asterin. She can't let go of her father's accident, and she'll never stop trying to prove Urston wasn't at fault."

Chasing ghosts. Siya's earlier words whispered through my mind. I knew what that was like all too well. After my parents had died, I'd spent countless hours wondering if I could have done something to save them. If I could have found a way to stop Holloway from taking too much of my mother's psion power or said the right words to rouse my father out of his grief and convince him just how much I needed him. Chasing those ghosts had brought me nothing but misery, and they still haunted me.

Siya fell silent. Whatever else she knew about Asterin's father, she wasn't going to share it. Perhaps Siya cared more about Asterin than she realized—or wanted to admit.

I had started to ask Siya another question when an odd emotion crashed over me—a strong, strange mix of anticipation and dread that slammed into my chest like a pair of spears. The emotion faded away as quickly as it had appeared, but my own unease roared up in response.

Something was wrong.

I spun away from Siya and scanned the crowd. Whose emotion was that? Were Esmina and Pollux here?

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a glimmer of light. I couldn't tell if it was from the bulbs above or the telltale flare of Vesper's seer power, but I turned in that direction. My gaze landed on two people standing about fifty feet away—a man and a woman scanning the crowd just as I was.

No. That couldn't be right. They shouldn't be here. Had Siya poisoned me after all? Was I hallucinating?

"Kyrion?" Siya frowned. "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

I blinked, wondering if I had just imagined the man and woman. The crowd parted, giving me an even better look at the pair, and the sight of their faces made my blood run cold.

Vesper was in danger.