She gaped at his words. “What? Which one? Why?”
He laughed at her stupor. “Relax, sweet. I did it to save Kasen’s life so that I could go to jail for her.”
It was noble.
Foolish, but noble. “Why would you do that?”
“I told you. Stupidity.” He feigned a moment of innocence before he answered. “With her health and crappy personality, I knew she wouldn’t be able to survive jail. The inmates there would cut her head off three minutes after incarceration. I, on the other hand, am a little tougher and can take whatever they throw at me.”
Still… she couldn’t imagine having someone love her so much that they’d put their own life, their freedom, on the line to protect her. “That was a nice thing to do.”
He shrugged it off. “Where I come from, it’s what family does.”
Caillen checked his watch, then stood up. “You ready to get out of here?”
“You think we’ve passed enough time?”
“God, I hope so. Otherwise this will be a short trip.” He winked at her.
She made a “heh” sound at him before she pushed herself to her feet. “What’s the plan?”
“While I was out, I found the local bay. It was pretty bustling then, but I’m hoping it’s calmed down by now. If it is, we should be able to commandeer a ship.”
Commandeer… she adored his word choice. “You’re not suggesting we steal something, are you?”
His expression turned impish. “Stealing is such an ugly word.”
“Stealing is wrong.”
Still those eyes teased her. “Look, Princess, survival has no morals. You do what you have to or you die.”
Perhaps, but she’d been raised differently. “I disagree. The depth and strength of our character is defined by our moral code. People only reveal themselves when they’re thrown out of the usual conditions of their lives. That’s when the truth of who they are is revealed and I am not a thief.”
“Neither am I, but I see nothing wrong with borrowing something we need for a bit. If not for the fact they’d eat my head, I would ask. As it is, I’ll make sure they get it back once we’re safe.”
“Sure you will.” She didn’t mean to be such a bitch, but this really offended her.
He stiffened, his humor completely gone. “Now who’s judging whom? Fine. Stay here. Give my regards to the Andarions. I’d rather get back to my father and make sure he lives.”
Desideria watched as he headed for the trapdoor and removed his mirror devices. Part of her wanted to hold her morality close. But in the end, she knew he was right. She couldn’t stay here and let her mother be hurt.
Disgusted with herself and what they were about to do, she got up and followed after him.
He arched a taunting brow as she caught up to his side.
She glared at that smugness. “Not one word or I swear I’ll gut you where you stand. If my mother’s life wasn’t in danger, I would never agree to this.”
“Love is the greatest corruptor ever known and has been the number one downfall of mankind since the first creation.”
She didn’t comment as they kept to the shadows while navigating through the empty streets. Lifting her cowl into place around her head, she realized that he was moving a lot easier this time than he’d been when he left earlier. Even so, it was a miracle he could move at all given the severity of his injuries.
She was still sore from the crash, but nowhere near as badly hurt as he’d been.
They kept to the back alleyways, out of the sight of the people on the street or surveillance cameras. Caillen seemed to have an uncanny ability to see them and stay out of their range.
Desideria hesitated as she saw another camera on the street that was too close for comfort. “We’re being watched.”
“No. I’ve got a jammer. By the time they realize we were here, we’ll be gone. All they see is static.”
“Is that why you’re avoiding them?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
He was probably right about that. And as they drew closer to the bays, the amount of cameras and activity picked up exponentially. But at least it wasn’t people bustling about. The bay seemed to be fully automated. Machinery buzzed and whirred as they slipped inside the hangar.
Caillen froze instantly, causing her to run into his back.
She scowled up at him. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t speak for several heartbeats as he stared at a black ship in the rear corner. From the style, she knew it to be a fighter class—an older model. The paint was streaked by what appeared to be a blast mark. Other than that, it looked like all the other ones here.
Why would he stare at it?
Unless…
She swallowed as fear gripped her. “Is it the assassin?”
Again, he refused to answer as he skimmed around the wall toward it.
Frustrated, she trailed after him, dying to know what was going on and why he was acting so strangely.
Caillen ducked his head as he slid toward the cockpit entrance. Just as he reached the fighter’s ladder that deep, sinister voice she’d heard on his link spoke out of the darkness.
“Move and die.”