I swallow, the food suddenly tasteless, and push away the rest of my meal. “Home?”
Even just saying the word, I realize no place in the Zodiac offers real shelter from Ophiuchus. Whether he attacks today or tomorrow, there’s no doubt he’ll slaughter more of us soon. “As long as the Guardians are here,” I say, “I’m going to stay and keep trying to convince them.”
Mathias rounds on me. “Rho, you can’t be serious. Do you have a death wish?”
“I swore to protect Cancer,” I say, rising to my feet, too. “This is me upholding that oath, whether you understand it or not.”
He shakes his head. “You’ve done your best. You’ve given enough.”
“Thanks for your help, but making speeches is not my best.” I start pacing up and down the living room to work off my frustration with him. “My best is reading the Ephemeris, which I can’t do, because Ophiuchus will use it against me. So I’m blind, and I’m powerless, but I’m still the only one who knows the truth. I can’t turn away from that.”
“How will you convince them, Rho?” asks Mathias, planting himself in front of me to block my pacing. “You’ve already tried twice, and both times they’ve shut you down. There’s nothing more you can say or do because there’s no proof—”
“Then I have to go to the Thirteenth House.” The realization comes to me as I speak the words. Avoiding his eyes, I say, “I have to get proof that Ophiuchus is real.”
“No.” Mathias stares at me in alarmed disbelief. “Rho, you’re the Guardian of Cancer, your people need you.”
I turn away from him and face Hysan, who’s watching us from the couch. “I need another huge favor.” His attentive and still stance reminds me of the jurors downstairs. “Could you program ’Nox to fly me to the Thirteenth House?”
“There is no Thirteenth House,” interjects Mathias. “That’s only a legend.”
“Fine,” I say, still staring at Hysan and refusing to see Mathias. “Then Hysan, could you program your ship to take me to the Sufianic Clouds?”
He nods. “I’ll fly you myself.”
“Rho, you’re tired,” says Mathias, softening his tone and trying a new approach now that we’re two against one. “You need sleep. Tomorrow everything will—”
“Mathias, you have so little confidence in me.” I walk around him and start pacing again, too agitated to slow down. “Ochus is real, and he’s hiding somewhere, maybe in his House. I’ll find him, or I’ll find proof the Thirteenth House exists, or I’ll find something to corroborate my story and redeem Cancer’s reputation and rally the galaxy against him. Something people can touch.”
Hysan stands. “Rho’s right. It’s not just about Cancer anymore. Everyone in the Zodiac is a target as long as the Houses refuse to protect their people from Ophiuchus.”
Mathias reaches for me, but I dodge out of his way. “Rho, please,” he says, following me to the far end of the room, his midnight-blue eyes sparkling. “I’m just asking you to be reasonable about this.”
“I’m sick of reason,” I say, glaring at him. “Go to Gemini if you want. I’m going to find Ochus.”
Pain cracks Mathias’s face, and he whispers, “You know I’ll never leave you.”
Someone knocks loudly on the suite’s door.
Adrenaline drowns the guilt and anger twisting my gut, as Mathias motions me into a bedroom and draws his weapon. He follows Hysan to the workspace to see who’s here, and seconds later they return with Ambassador Sirna. “Where’s Mother Rho?”
I edge out of the bedroom, and as soon as she sees me, she says, “We’ve received a report that your brother is alive. Injured, but alive.”
Stanton’s okay. Blood rushes into my chest, and I reach for the doorjamb to steady myself, emotions crashing over me like ocean waves.
“The grid is down again, but I’ll let you know as soon as we can put you in touch,” she says, her dark face creased with concern.
My brother survived. I can barely let myself believe it. I’m so relieved, I might finally sleep tonight—except she didn’t mention Dad. Is that because there’s no update on him yet, or—
“I have other news. Charon was bribed to denounce you, and I can verify it.” She touches her brooch, and holographic screens of data begin to beam out. Hysan shuts the curtains, and the facts and figures flare brighter in the darkness.
“We analyzed Charon’s so-called scientific evidence,” she says, as more screens fill the living room. “We knew the explosion on Thebe originated in the quantum reactor, but the cosmic rays he alleges are complete fabrications.” The first few holograms are now spreading to other rooms of the suite.
“Then what caused the reactor to explode?” asks Mathias. He’s investigating an image taller than him that shows our four moons at the time of the attack.