“I’ve already taken care of accommodations, and shuttling back and forth is a waste of time. Bring Luna. I’ve dismissed most of my staff and alerted the rest. She will be safe.”
I took a deep breath and searched for calm. “Don’t you think you should’ve let me know about the accommodations before now? If you had, I would’ve packed.”
He looked genuinely confused for a moment before he inclined his head. “My apologies. I thought it was understood that I would provide rooms while you were on Valovia. Guests are always provided for.”
“But we’re not guests, we’re contractors.”
Torran shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. My team is staying with me, so you’ll have to share the guest wing with them, but you already know them. I do not have any other guests at this time.”
Guest wing? Kee had told me that he was rich, and he was paying us a veritable fortune to find a ring for him, but I was still envisioning a house, not some monstrosity that was large enough for a guest wing.
He continued, “It will also be safer if you aren’t shuttling back and forth every day.”
“Are we in danger?”
“Your bounty has been suspended, but that doesn’t guarantee safety. I can protect you when you’re with me, but my reach extends only so far.”
“I’m not exactly planning to run around announcing my presence.”
A brief smile touched Torran’s mouth. “I appreciate that, and I’ve done what I can to obscure the fact that you’re here, but it will eventually get out, especially once you start investigating. Staying close will ensure your safety.”
Was he really concerned about my safety or did he want to keep me away from an easy escape route? I rolled my shoulders, trying to unknot some of the tension. I couldn’t constantly second-guess all of his motives or I’d be an inferno of anxiety. I needed to be cautious and prepared without tipping over into paranoia.
“I’ll tell my team to pack for a week,” I said. “Will we have access to a kitchen? We have some food that’s going to spoil if we don’t eat it.”
Torran’s expression shifted as some of his tension also drained away. “You are welcome to use the main kitchen.”
I dipped my head in thanks and went to tell the team about the change in plans.
My team packed with quick efficiency. We were used to traveling light. Most of our weapons, gear, and tech supplies were already packed in the cargo bay, so we just had to load them into the shuttle that would take us to Torran’s house.
I left my bag with Eli, then went through the walk-in cooler and packed all of the food that would spoil in the next week. I’d have to make another trip later if we were going to remain on-planet longer than that.
Luna finished her lunch, then jumped up onto my shoulder guard when I patted it. “We’re going on an adventure,” I told her. “Don’t run off and give me a heart attack, okay?”
She shifted and peered down into the box of food I picked up. When I didn’t offer her any, she chirruped at me.
“You have a one-track mind, friend. No more food until we arrive.” I’d very carefully hidden her favorite treats in the bottom of the box. We’d never had trouble with her stealing food, but I didn’t want to tempt her, either.
By the time Luna and I arrived, everyone had gathered in the cargo bay. The ramp was lowered and the Valoffs had already transferred most of the supplies they’d brought. They all were wearing their armor. As usual, Torran neglected to wear a helmet.
I tried not to take the armor as a bad sign, but based on Lexi’s scowl, she didn’t share my optimism.
I pulled Kee aside. “Is the ship locked down?”
She nodded. “As tight as I can make it. And I left a few surprises for anyone who tries to access it, either physically or electronically.”
“You’ll know if they try?”
She didn’t quite roll her eyes, but I could tell the restraint cost her. “Yes.”
“Thank you.”
That earned me a bright smile. “Of course. Lexi and I found a few leads, too. We’ll chat later.”
From the side, the waiting shuttle looked like a sleek black rounded rectangle that was designed to hover rather than fly. It had an unfamiliar looping sapphire insignia on the side. Large cargo doors on either end had folded up, allowing the Valoffs to load their supplies.
With a nod, my team started loading our gear. Luna jumped down and inspected the new transport. I didn’t really worry about her running off because she’d stuck by my side through a literal war, but I kept an eye on her nonetheless. I was more worried about a Valoff spotting her and freaking out.
Once everything was loaded, Kee and I did the final lockdown on Starlight. The ship would keep the essential systems running while in standby, but it would take twenty minutes—ten if we rushed—to be ready to fly again.
The cargo door closed with a final thunk as the locks slid home.
Time to see what Valovia was all about.
This was the first time I’d set foot on a Valovian planet during peacetime. Bitter memories tried to swamp me, but I locked them down and focused on the present.
Gravity on Valovia was a little less than Earth standard, so moving was just a bit easier. It wasn’t enough to affect my balance, but it would take me a few days to readjust to Starlight’s gravity once we returned to the ship.
The air was crisp and dry, and the pale blue sky looked washed out against the large orange sun that rose higher every minute. I found it hard to believe that it would set in less than five hours.
I returned my attention to the ground and boarded the shuttle. Luna sat on the tallest stack of crates, observing her surroundings with a keen eye. A dozen seats hung from the ceiling in connected pairs. Each pair was anchored at a single point that looked like it would pivot.
Lexi had already claimed a seat and secured herself, but Havil and Chira were demonstrating the safety restraints to Eli and Anja. Kee poked the nearest pair of seats and they swung slightly.
She caught my glance and grinned at me. “Well, that’s fun.”
Varro drew closer, looking like someone trying to approach a wild animal without scaring it off. “Do you need help?”
If I was generous, I would say that he had asked both of us, but he kept sneaking sidelong glances at Kee while trying to pretend indifference. Kee, who was far from oblivious, beamed at him. “Please. I don’t want to end up on the ceiling.”
I waited until my team was secure before looking for a seat of my own. While I’d waited, Torran had closed the shuttle’s doors. Now he waved me to the last empty pair of seats, located in the back—he’d remembered my preference for being able to keep an eye on everyone.
He pointed at the shoulder harness. “Would you like me to show you how the clasps work?”