This has bad idea written all over it, but I’m running out of options. Thankfully, the hallway is empty when I check. I pull Renner out behind me.
“Are you sure?”
“Quiet. Remember what I said?”
“I think it was something like, ‘Don’t say anything, do anything, or even think anything.’” He pitches his voice high, and I level a glare at him. “Hey, you asked.”
“I didn’t ask.” My words bite, but I regret them as we rush down the hall.
The stress of this whole situation is sinking in, and I reassess my choice. I don’t have final say on keeping this soldier on board, but I’m the one who will be asking for a favor. Anxiety twists my stomach, and I rub at my temples to quell the growing headache.
Should I have let the sec-unit take him off the ship? Wouldn’t it have been better if I’d just refused to help? His presence risks more than just his fate. There are things in motion—things he cannot know—that I’ve jeopardized by agreeing to help him.
Something my mother always told me comes to mind. Never turn away from doing good.
The memory causes an ache, searing and sharp, to pierce me.
Suppressing the emotion, I pull us into the trav-tube. The door of the narrow, cylindrical car retracts, and we enter the shiny metallic space. The sensor will scan my identity from my sec-bracelet and take me to any floor.
“Talie Zarna, recognized.” The melodic voice says. “Unknown party, please identify.”
Renner flashes a wide-eyed look at me.
“He’s my guest.”
“Guest, recognized. What floor, please?”
I lick my lips, too dry from the worn-off lipstick. “Stables.”
“What—”
I send him a sharp glance. He throws his hands in the air as if to say he gives up. So dramatic for someone who was just threatening my life minutes before.
As I explained to him, the ship monitors voice activity in top-level hallways as part of security protocols, and his voice is not registered. I could officially log him as a guest but that would cause even more questions. It won’t be a problem in lower security areas, but the top three floors are restricted.
“Level 29, confirmed.”
We travel in blessed silence, which allows me time to think through what I’ll say to Delmar. If I can convince Maxon and Gemma to take Renner on as a stable hand, then perhaps Delmar won’t care either way. But I know that’s wishful thinking. Delmar is not only the ringmaster of the circus—he’s also part of every aspect of Phenomena, even down to the hired help. I say he’s controlling, but he calls it “being involved.”
I cast a sideways look at Renner. We had to get creative with his armor since it’s the only thing he had with him when he dodged his patrol near the spaceport docking terminal. There was no way his tall form would fit anything I own. The thought makes me want to laugh, but I press my lips together.
The plated armor pieces come off when deactivated, and have left him in a thick, black plyweave top and pants with sturdy boots. The fabric is strong enough to repel several laser blasts but has no distinguishing markings on it. I can’t decide if the look screams military or just “extremely prepared.” I’m hoping the latter.
“What?”
He’s caught me looking at the way the material hugs every muscled surface of his flat stomach and bulging arms. I look away. “Nothing. Don’t talk.”
He makes an amused grunt, and I silence him with a sharp look. A few moments later, the trav-tube beeps and slows to a stop.
“Hold door.” The door stays closed, and I turn to Renner. “I’m going to try and get you hired on as a stable hand. Maxon and Gemma are good people, and if you so much as think of hurting them—”
“Whoa, hold on there.”
“What?” He’s promised not to hurt anyone on board, but I’ve known him a grand total of thirty minutes, and half the time he was trying to kidnap me, so I feel it’s a valid warning. I sigh in impatience.
“Oh, so now I can talk?”
I prop my hand on my hip. He’s going to push me to violence. “Yes. We’re past the secure levels now.”
“I’m not going to hurt anyone.” He doesn’t blink, doesn’t look away. “I promise you that, Talie.”
I straighten. I believe him. “Okay. Then I’ll need you to convince them you can do this job. That’ll just leave Delmar. Maybe I can put off the introduction until tomorrow.”
“Is that when we leave?”
“Um…we’re stationed at Drawx for three more planetary days.”
His jaw drops. “Three?”
“Our show attracts a large audience, and we have a limited capacity. We’ve extended our stay here to allow more people to enjoy the circus.”
“And you’re telling me this now?”
“Yes. Though, as a soldier, you should have had better intel.”
He opens his mouth to defend himself but then frowns, obviously offended. “Fine. As long as I’m below deck, it won’t matter.”
I turn to the door but hesitate. I’ve got to find a way to convince everyone to let him stay, though I know they’ll all be against it—and for good reason. I tried once before to help someone escape a bad situation. I believed Leva was being honest with me when she said her husband abused her, only to discover she was a thief, running from the law.
Delmar claims I’m too sheltered, and Freyda says my heart is too big, but is it so bad to believe the best of someone? To want to help? Would my mother have agreed with them or been proud of me?
I’d thought I was doing a noble service, but it ended in Delmar making bold promises to the galactic force sent to retrieve Leva. He also banned me from interacting with guests outside of my role as Starress.
I glance at Renner. Perhaps Delmar had been right to make that rule. Still, if I can devise a solid plan, they’ll have to go along with it. Maybe.
“Open door.”
The minute the door slides open, the overwhelming scent of animal manure hits us.
“What in the galaxy is that?”
“Your new job.” I manage not to smile too broadly.
“Talie?” Gemma comes out of a stall to the right of the trav-tube, carrying a bucket and brush. She wears a stained purple apron over her onesuit, and her black braids are pulled into four buns on top of her head. “What are—who are you?”
“Hi, I’m—”
“This is Renner,” I interject. “A friend.”
Gemma puts the bucket and brush down and comes toward us. Her dark gray slitted eyes travel from Renner’s to mine, and I see the question there.
“I know this will be a terrible inconvenience, but is there any way you could use another stable hand?” I swallow. “He needs passage to the next port.”
“Gemma?” Maxon pops his head out of a stall twenty meters down. The rest of his large frame follows when he sees us. He brushes his hands on the apron covering his onesuit as he approaches. “Who’s this?”
“Renner.” Renner accepts the shake, and I’m impressed he doesn’t wince, as Maxon is famous for testing weakness through simple forms of greeting.
“Maxon,” Gemma reprimands. “He’s Talie’s…friend.”
“Yeah?” Maxon stares back, his pupils thin slits in the brightness of the overhead lights.
“Please.” I turn back to Gemma as I know she’ll be the one to make the final decision. “Can he stay and help until the next port?”
A squeal erupts from the stall behind us. The puox housed there is known for being antsy and temperamental when the ship is docked, preferring the perpetual motion of space travel. No one but Maxon usually goes near him.
Renner moves to the stall door. “Hey, boy.”
Three choruses of “no” follow him, but he ignores us.
“It’s all right,” he whispers, slipping into the stall.
“That one’s daft.” Maxon grunts, running a hand through his unruly light brown hair.
“Go help him,” Gemma insists.
“He got himself in. He can get himself out.”
I inch closer, worried we’ll hear the sounds of attack from the large animal. Instead, I see Renner scratching the puox’s furry brown forehead. It stands half a meter taller than him, the six powerful legs reaching to Renner’s hip, but it slowly moves its head up and down as if to encourage more petting.
“He’s a sweet one,” Renner calls back.
I share an incredulous look with Gemma. No one has ever called Scar sweet. “Does he get much chance to run? I know they hate being caged up.”
“All the animals are exercised daily in the holo chamber,” Maxon says, defensively.
“What he means,” Gemma says, “is that we care for them as if they were part of our family.”
“Because they are,” Maxon adds.
Renner appears from the stall with a confident air. “I can tell. The stalls are clean, and the animals are healthy. I’d be grateful if you’d have me on.”
I tense, looking between Gemma and Maxon, but when I catch her slight nod, I know Renner has a place to stay. For now.
“I’ll show you your berth, but mind you,” Maxon leans forward. “You’ll be working for your food and board.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Then, surprising us all, Renner bows to both me and Gemma before he follows Maxon down the length of the stables observing the various breeds and oddities they’ve collected over our travels through the Xerus Galaxy.
“He seems nice.” I feel Gemma’s focus on me. “But who is he really?”
And here is the part I wasn’t looking forward to. Defending my intuition.
Renner approached me in the worst way possible—with a blaster aimed at my face—but if I omit that and only share that he’s a boy in need of help, will they believe me? Would I believe me? It’s difficult to explain the agony I saw when he spoke of leaving his family, but it was there, and it was real.
“He needs to get off Drawx. And before you can remind me of Leva, this is different.” Or I hope it is.
“I didn’t say anything about her.” Gemma smooths my hair, her touch soft like my mother’s once was. She and Maxon aren’t that much older than me, but they’ve always been there for me. “I’m just worried you haven’t considered what a risk you’re taking.”
“I have. He’s not…I don’t think he’s taking advantage of me. Of us.” I lift up a silent prayer to the stars it’s true.
“Have you talked to Delmar?”
If I lie and say I have, she’ll check up on that. If I say I’m going to and don’t, she’ll do the same.
I choose the truth. “Not yet.”
“You should, Talie-girl. You know he has final say.” Gemma rests a cool palm against my cheek so I’ll meet her gaze. She has a peaceful presence the animals love, and I sense her calm washing over me as well. “If this is important to you, he’ll listen because he cares about you. We all do.”
My stomach twists. He may listen, but if I don’t have a good enough plan in place, it’s not going to matter.
“I will,” I say.
“You should do it now.” Her words are gentle, but I don’t want the push.
“I was thinking tomorrow.”
“You know Maxon can’t keep that boy a secret until tomorrow. And I think you’ll want to be there when Delmar interviews him.”
Interviews. That’s a kind word for it.
I release a quiet sigh. She’s right—again. Delmar won’t bother to make sure I’m there. He’ll just have Renner detained, interrogated, and thrown off the ship. We don’t take on new crew often, and when we do, they are vetted from one end of the galaxy to the other.
It’s Delmar’s job, and a big part of keeping us all safe, but it makes this impossible.
“I’ll comm him.”
Her head tilts to the side, listening. “No need. He’s on his way down.”
My hope plummets. He must have been alerted about my guest access in the trav-tube. I have less than three minutes to think of a better plan than begging. The soldier certainly doesn’t deserve that level of devotion from me, but his family also doesn’t deserve to have him shipped off to Polis and be left to starve without his support.
If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s oppression. Our galaxy is big enough to support all, and yet poverty still exists. It was something my mother always said.
I squeeze my eyes shut and lock down the thoughts. They come more frequently after news of the High Queen’s death, but I can’t afford to be distracted when Delmar arrives.
My mind races for a solution when I hear Gemma call out to Maxon.
“Come here, my love.” Her words are infused with affection for her mate. “I need help with the feed tube again.”
And it hits me. The solution to our problems.