Even though I never would have believed it possible, I’m smiling, too. “I owe you.”
“No, Rho. I owe you.” His expression grows uncharacteristically serious, but his eyes retain all their warmth. “Ambassador Frey told me a mass of Psynergy probed four of our flying cities late last night. If you hadn’t warned me, I wouldn’t have known to shield them.”
It takes me a moment to digest what he just said. “Then . . . we did do some good,” I sputter. “This—all of this hasn’t been for nothing.”
Before I can clear my head, he muddles everything even more by leaning into me and laying two slow kisses on either of my cheeks. The brush of his lips against my skin makes my brain buzz.
“Those cities are home to twelve million people,” he whispers, his mouth now near my ear. “I’m going to tell the whole world what you did. You’ll always have House Libra’s deepest gratitude.”
“Rho!”
I hear Mathias’s voice calling out close by, but he hasn’t found us yet.
“She’s here!” shouts Hysan, leading me to Mathias, while my mind races at the speed of my pulse. Just as the three of us meet, a little girl approaches and pinches my arm. I turn to look and am struck by her otherworldly, childish beauty.
She has skin as pale as the inside of a cantaloupe and curly copper hair, and she looks exactly like her thieving twin brother. “Rubidum?”
“What have you done to Caasy?” she asks, her tunnel-like eyes expanding. “He’s so obsessed with that black opal of yours, he won’t even come out to play.”
“Where is he?” I snap. “I need it back!”
“Then the stars must have put you in my way.” She pulls out the stone from her pocket.
I gasp, unsure if I should reach for it or toss it away. Ochus could use it.
Hysan sees what’s happening, and he swipes it from her hand. “I brought something with me,” he says, pulling out a velvet pouch. “It’s veiled from the Psy,” he explains to me before slipping the stone inside.
“Thanks,” I say, amazed, as he hands me the pouch. Then I look at Rubidum. “Why did he take it?”
“He thought you were on a suicide mission,” she says, shrugging as though that were the most normal kind of mission to be on. “He knew what the stone was, and he was worried you didn’t, so he took it. To protect Cancer. And to play with it himself, of course.” She smiles brightly. “But mostly so it wouldn’t get lost with your bodies.”
I’m not sure if I believe that’s what really happened, but either way, I’m happy Rubidum had the sense to bring the stone back to me. “Where is he?” I growl.
She tilts her head and pouts. “Caasy wouldn’t come with me. I had to answer the summons on my own.”
I blink. “Summons?”
“Yes. Very inconvenient. I’ve been traveling for days. This carnival had better be worth it.” She nudges against me with a wry smile. “Your song has quite the following on Gemini. I didn’t know you were a drummer! We should start an intergalactic band—I hear Lord Neith has perfect pitch!”
Sirna takes my elbow and hustles me forward. “It’s time.” Mathias falls in line behind us.
As we pass the ambassadors’ throne-like seats, I see Morscerta whispering with his aides, and again I wonder if he’s a hologram. So I seize the moment to brush against his sleeve.
The touch gives me a slight static shock, and he must feel it, too, because he turns with a scowl of indignation, which quickly transforms into a gracious smile. “My lady Rhoma.”
“Sorry, sir. This place is quite crowded,” I say, hurrying on.
He’s no hologram. His dark aura must be some sort of energy field. For personal protection or to mask his appearance, I don’t know.
I glance around the audience, wondering how many other visitors are really who they seem.
Again, I climb the short run of stairs and stand alone on the half-moon stage, facing my inquisitors. Only this time, the arena is filled to capacity. My heart’s beating shakes my whole frame, like it’s the hiccups.
I bat the flying cameras away and try to clear my throat. Others have joined the ambassadors on the main floor, and more gilded seats have been added. One newcomer is radiant little Rubidum. Another new arrival leaves me thunderstruck: Lord Neith.
Even sitting, his regal figure towers over everyone. He wears a golden court suit, and perched on his short white hair is a high-church miter bearing the Libran glyph, the Scales of Justice. His quartz-white eyes are sharp and amazingly human. Hysan sits directly behind him, and when I give him a questioning look, he merely quirks his eyebrows and shakes his head.