Starfall (Starflight #2)(26)
“My turn,” Kane said. “What are the symptoms?”
The loathing on Marius’s face was nearly tangible. Spittle frothed at the corners of his mouth, but he was incapable of remaining silent. “Skin sores and shortness of breath. Loss of consciousness. Your people would faint on the streets. It would make an invasion effortless. I’m going to use it on you the first chance I get.”
Cassia frowned. Those symptoms didn’t match. “What about your weapons supplier? Could he have launched something different without telling you?”
“Of course,” Marius spat. “It sounds like something he would do. My father said he was the most twisted man he’d ever met.” Marius tried to hold back his next words, clenching his jaw so tightly his eyes watered. Finally, he gasped and said, “There’s more.”
Kane chuckled and made a mock sympathetic face. “Go ahead, buddy. Get it all out.”
“I hate you!”
“Enough games.” Cassia landed an elbow in Kane’s ribs. “Tell me the rest.”
“A shipment arrived on our wedding day,” Marius grunted through his teeth.
“What kind?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t have time to inspect it.”
“But it might’ve been a biological weapon?”
“Maybe,” he howled with fury. “I had it delivered to the armory. One of my men might’ve deployed it after you took me.”
Cassia tapped the com-button at her collar and told the answering attendant, “Send a message to General Jordan at once. He should inspect the Durango armory for the presence of a biological weapon.”
“Yes, Highness.”
Marius smiled, forcing her to suppress a shiver. “Search all you want. If my supplier created a poison, he’s the only one with the cure.”
“What’s his name?” Kane asked.
“I don’t know.”
“But you must have a theory.”
“His operation is in the outer realm, isn’t it?” Marius hurled back. “Even someone as stupid and low-born as you should be able to figure out that he’s a fugitive. Beyond that I have no damned idea.”
Cassia asked one last question. “Is there anything else you’re not telling us?”
“Yes.” Marius’s lips curled into the same sick leer he used in her nightmares. Suddenly, the memories of her latest dream came rushing back and stole her breath. “I’ll see you dead, my dear Cassy. I promise you that.”
She turned on her heel and signaled for the guards to remove the electrodes, then strode briskly out of the cell block so no one would notice the cold sweat breaking out on her face. Even as her chest constricted, she reminded herself there was nothing to fear. Marius couldn’t hurt her.
“I’m in control now,” she chanted under her breath.
When Kane caught up, he settled a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at first, but then she relaxed into his touch and let him rub circles on her lower back. The contact felt better than she cared to admit.
“Want to talk about it?” he murmured.
She shook her head. The only thing she wanted to talk about was finding Marius’s supplier, which she had to do before the entire city fell ill and the other noble houses grew tired of her stalling. She hated to leave Eturia so soon after her parents’ defection, but without a cure, all the progress she’d made would unravel. There was too much at stake to delegate this task to anyone else.
“My tech team pinged Marius’s transmission code and tracked the signal to a moving satellite station in the fringe.” She turned to face Kane. “There’s not much money in my coffers right now, but if Renny won’t mind taking a partial payment, I’d like to hire the Banshee to take me there.”
“You and me both,” Kane said, and paused for a moment. “I don’t want to leave my mom, but the fastest way to help her is to find whoever made her sick. If money’s a problem, I’ll ask Gage for the signing bonus he promised me.”
The reminder of his job offer made her stomach clench. “Talk to Renny first. I’d like to handle the bill. While you do that, I’ll tie up loose ends and pack a bag.”
“Your clothes are still on board,” he reminded her.
“Oh. Right.” She had forgotten. “Then I’ll pack light. Meet you at the Banshee in an hour.”
Standing inside her former quarters for the first time in over a month gave Cassia an odd sense of déjà vu, almost as though she’d dreamed the two years she’d spent on board this ship instead of living them.
Looking around, she found cold steel panels surrounding her on all sides, quite the contrast to the artfully papered walls of her palace bedroom. Instead of royal silk, she wore canvas pants, a T-shirt, and the jacket she’d inherited from her old captain. There was even a sugar glider snoring inside her left breast pocket. But strangest of all was the sudden absence of activity she’d grown accustomed to as queen. On the Banshee, there were no advisory sessions, troop inspections, supply raids, or rallies for volunteers. Those tasks belonged to General Jordan now, and that left her with idle hands…and an idle mind.
A breeding ground for dark thoughts.
She needed something to do. Since boarding the ship, she’d double-checked the air-lock seals, swept and mopped the decks, flushed the garbage chutes, and logged the contents of the supply closet. She’d even stopped by the engine room to see if Solara needed help with repairs, but Doran was already on the job. That left Kane. He could probably use her help with dinner, but something awkward had hung between them all day and she didn’t know why. Maybe it was because she’d fallen out of step with her old routine. Or maybe it was the way he coddled her, offering extra servings at lunch and then suggesting she take a nap afterward. Either way, he was right when he’d said their dynamic had changed. They were out of sync now, so she tried to avoid him.