Silence hung heavy in the common room except for the hum of the ship as it coursed through the stream, skimming the boundary with regular space. Rebeka pressed her lips together, unnerved by the sudden quiet.
"We need to get him off this ship," Tink said. "He's dangerous."
"You've already expressed your opinion." Despite her rebuke, Rebeka couldn't disagree with her — whatever else he was, the boy was a threat. He'd proven that, flinging elite legionnaires across the cargo bay as if they were dolls. She shifted her gaze from Tink down to Ben. The boy sat in the cargo bay beside the crate he'd been suspended in and rocked back and forth. An echo of when he'd first awoken. At least he hadn't screamed when Ish and Kandi tried to coax him to join them. Instead, he'd acted like he hadn't heard and shied away as if their touch hurt. So Rebeka watched him from the common room window as he rocked. The blood from his nose was drying on his face, and red droplets marred his silver pyjamas.
"We should have taken him to safety right away." Ish gestured with his arm, knocking the snacking bowl he hadn't touched, sending a few deep-fried jumpers skittering across the table.
"You should be on the bridge," Tink said. "We are in the slipstream after all."
"Cass can manage for a bit." Ish drew circles on the tabletop with his finger.
"Didn't you hear what Severn said?" Rebeka turned around, nodding towards Severn as she crossed her arms over her chest. "There's some issue with Cass."
Ish shifted his gaze from his invisible drawing to her. "I don't care what Severn says." He glanced over his shoulder at the man. "Sorry." He returned his focus to her. "Cass is fine."
"No offense taken." Severn opened his mouth to say something more but was interrupted.
"Cass isn't the important issue right now." Alek stood in the door, his arm bandaged. Stepping into the room, he made way for Kandi, who followed close behind.
"Patient will live, despite dumb-ass heroics." She plopped herself into the chair next to Ish.
"Once again, as he says —" Tink nodded at Alek, "— not important."
"Thanks." He quirked an eyebrow at her before taking the empty seat on Ish's other side. "Whatever he did, he's just a boy."
"Actually, we don't know what he is," Severn said, getting up from the chesterfield to approach the table. "No boy can fling Legion marines around as if they're toys."
"Without so much as moving a muscle," Rebeka added, as she turned to look back out the common room window. "Definitely not your normal child."
Ben stopped rocking and glanced up at her, his aqua blue eyes wide and worried. After a few seconds of trying to match his gaze, Rebeka turned away and walked over to the coffee machine. Leaning against the counter, she prodded Ish. "You say we should take him to safety. But we have no idea where safe is."
A hush descended again as the members of the crew glanced at each other. Rebeka watched them — hoping one of them had a suggestion.
"The Sisters." Kandi dropped the words into the room without looking up from the dagger she was honing.
"What?" Severn asked, his tone sharp, though he wasn't the only one with questions.
"The Sisters of Elazir." Kandi stopped working on the weapon in front of her and looked up at them, her chin jutting out and her left eyebrow arched, before returning to her blade. Rebeka's mouth opened then snapped shut.
"I know who you mean." Severn's voice was quiet.
Silence crept around the room, filling the space with a heaviness. For a minute, the only sound was the soft burr-burr-burr of stone on metal.
Finally, Tink broke the oppressive quiet. "My initial suggestion of spacing him might be kinder."
"We're not spacing him." Rebeka glanced around the table, but five pairs of eyes looked past her. She turned to see Ben standing in the doorway, stiff except for a trembling lip. She sighed. "It wasn't a real suggestion. We would never do that." She stepped up to the boy, who flinched but let her put her hand on his shoulder. "But you are an enigma we need to puzzle out."
"I'm..." His watery blue eyes peered at her. "Ben."
"Well, Ben, I think you should get some sleep. You've had a rough day." She turned him around, gently nudging him. "Go on, back to the medbay."
With a glance over his shoulder, the boy did as he was told, followed shortly by a grey shadow as Grim emerged from behind the chesterfield and sauntered after him, nose up and tail flicking.
"If not the Sisters, then who?" Kandi lifted her knife to examine the edge.
"The rebels?" Severn crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow.
"We can't take him anywhere without breaking the contract," Rebeka said, more to herself than anyone else.
"I'd say the contract is already broken," Tink said, echoing the thought that crept into Rebeka's own head.