“Haven’t seen you here before,” the tallest guard said, regarding me sourly. The guard had a scar slashing across their face and an empty left eye socket, not even a cybernetic replacement. Like all the guards, they wore a badge with their family name on it. This particular badge also had a small symbol next to the name that let me know they should be addressed neutrally, as neither female nor male.

“No, Officer,” I said in my most respectful tone. “I live out in one of the steadings.” Giving even this much detail made me wince, but I couldn’t get away with saying nothing.

“Pretty well dressed for a steader,” Eunhee said. Her gaze settled on my hands.

My fingers twitched. The emerald rings that Charm had provided me were nicer than any jewelry my family owned. The rings wouldn’t last long once they were off my hands, but what choice did I have? Especially since I wanted to hang on to my money, which had the virtue of being real.

I slipped the largest ring off my finger and toyed with it, saying, “I’m afraid I’m going to get lost in here.” If I couldn’t escape the guards, maybe I could wrangle something out of them. Why not a personal escort? They might be useful for fending off thieves.

Eunhee’s eyes brightened with greed. “Something could be arranged.”

The tallest guard shook their head but didn’t do anything to interrupt the transaction. “Where are you headed, anyway?”

I thought quickly. I should be here to buy something. What wouldn’t cost too much but would prove handy once I got into space? To my mortification, my stomach rumbled before I could come up with an answer.

Eunhee laughed, then plucked the ring out of my grasp. A tickling sensation fizzed through my bones. The ring flickered like a malfunctioning hologram as Eunhee slipped it on her little finger. Had she noticed? No, she grinned down at it with a covetous smile. I knew the ring would quietly evaporate into a flutter of spent magic once I was safely out of sight, and I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for her.

“You’re clearly in need of a feeding,” the tallest guard said with a trace of malice. “We’ll show you a good place to fill your belly, and in return you can treat us to a few drinks?”

I bobbed a bow. “Of course!” I said. I was outnumbered, after all.

The four guards chivvied me along, joking about this merchant or that tourist, or recounting favorite bribes. Remembering the time someone had bought them off with prawns—real prawns, not vat-grown flavored protein—made them smack their lips. I couldn’t help resenting the things they took for granted.

My heart sank when we stopped in front of a lavish garden with arches covered in artfully arranged vines. Pink flowers drooped from the vines in curling sprays, and their fragrance dizzied me. I couldn’t imagine how much effort the gardeners must have put into maintaining the flowers outside of a hydroponics unit.

Eunhee shoved me forward into a courtyard full of bamboo tables and chairs. A few other customers were there, enjoying a midafternoon snack. “Go on,” she said, smirking. She pulled out a chair for me at the closest empty table. “This spot looks good. We’ll let you order first.”

I seated myself demurely and stared at the chopsticks in front of me. The guards dragged over more chairs. A graceful young man emerged from one of the archways, bearing a tray with cups of fragrant jasmine tea.

The cups were the first clue that I needed to get out of there fast. I recognized good celadon when I saw it. The porcelain’s translucent blue-green sheen was unmistakable. This place was definitely out of my budget range.

Still, I didn’t want to seem too eager to escape, especially when the officers were already suspicious. Besides, even if they were corrupt, they might have some information to offer me.

I smiled at Eunhee. “Any exciting news from off-world?” I asked. There was a rivalry between planet-bound security and the Space Forces. The guards might be all too willing to gossip.

“I haven’t heard anything special,” Eunhee said.

The tallest guard frowned. “An investigator came through recently. And not just any investigator, either. He came in on a special courier vessel. Even its port of origin was classified. Whatever he’s involved with, it’s big. He was tight-mouthed, though. Probably thinks he’s too important to deal with people like us.”

I felt a jolt of fear go through me, and I tried not to show it. The investigator’s special status implied that Jun was in serious trouble. More than ever, I wished we could have coaxed further information from the man. But the saucepan had brought an end to that, and I’d left it to my family to clean up the mess.

Eunhee interrupted my thoughts. “Well, a hotshot investigator isn’t going to linger in a dump like Hongok, so who cares about him?” She stared at my rings. “Those are the biggest emeralds I’ve ever seen.” She reached for my hand.

I wanted to nip her. The one-eyed guard might have revealed more if she’d let them keep talking.

I pulled off the rings and cast them on the table, where they spilled in a tumble of facets brighter than cat eyes. “What could be important enough to bring an investigator here, anyway?” I asked Eunhee, though her attention was clearly elsewhere now. “I thought all the action was on”—I picked a random planet I’d heard about on the news a couple days ago—“Maesil.”

“Oh, that’s old news,” Eunhee said dismissively as she tried on another ring.

A third guard, a man with orange highlights in his spiky hair, joined in. “The real action is in the Ghost Sector. According to a drunk spacer who was spilling secrets last night, a lot of ships—even Space Forces battle cruisers—are gathering there, despite its reputation.”

The Ghost Sector had earned its name from what had happened to a planet within it, the Fourth Colony, whose entire population had perished when they’d angered disease spirits a few centuries ago. The planet had remained uninhabited ever since, and it was thought to bring bad luck to anyone who tried to land there. Then what was drawing all the ships? I wondered, but I didn’t dare ask my question aloud.

“I guess even Space Forces Command can’t keep a lid on that much activity,” the one-eyed guard said with a snort.

“Maybe they’re doing a sweep of the pirates,” ventured the fourth guard. “ ’Bout time, if you ask me.”

“I’ve heard rumors that the tiger captain—you know, Hwan?—is involved,” said Spiky Hair. “I’ve never trusted supernaturals in positions of power.”

“I’ve never trusted supernaturals anywhere,” said the fourth guard, and they all laughed.

Uh-oh. That was my cue to leave, before they figured out what I was. “Uh, I need to wash my hands before we eat,” I said, standing up.

The one-eyed guard nodded. “Eunhee, go with her.”

Eunhee looked longingly at the rings I’d left on the table but got up as ordered. We asked the server to show the way, and he led us through the arches and into the restaurant proper. Eunhee walked closer to me than I found comfortable, which was undoubtedly the point. If I’d been an ordinary human, she would have been able to grab me easily.

We passed a doorway to a private dining room that stood empty. I made the most of the opportunity and snaked out my foot. Eunhee tripped and fell forward, knocking down the server.

While they were untangling themselves, I dashed into the private room, out of their line of sight. Quickly, I changed myself into the most innocuous thing I could think of: an extra chair.

“Where did she go?” I heard Eunhee demand.

The server wasn’t having any of it. “If you have some notion of sneaking your associate in to rob this establishment,” he said in a loud voice, “I assure you that I am not fooled.”

“What’s all the ruckus about?” The manager had emerged from the back.

“Your employee is falsely accusing me of being a thief,” Eunhee said. “I could write him up for that. And there could be consequences for your restaurant.”

By the time they’d taken the argument to the manager’s office, I was only too glad to shift into the form of a server, complete with a uniform and tray, and glide back out the way I’d come.

It wasn’t until I was several blocks away from the restaurant, when I paused to catch my breath and change into my sixteen-year-old disguise, that it occurred to me—I’d left my backpack behind.