It had its desired effect, though. Jasper abandoned his casual pose, his mouth drawing into a tight line, his fists tightening. But his anger wasn’t directed toward her. “Yeah,” he said at last. “Yeah, I am. If anything’s happening to them, it’s my fault. I dragged them into this, and I can’t even call to check on them. You’re right. I should be sinking into a pit of nerves.” Suddenly he leaned forward, bracing both arms on his thighs and staring Imani right in the face. She recoiled, startled. “But I’m not,” he said. “And you want to know why? Because it doesn’t accomplish anything. All those feelings just get in the way of what needs to be done. They slow me down, and they might get me, or one of you, hurt. So I’m going to ignore them for now, and when I have time, then I’ll deal with my guilt and my fear and my anger.” He gave her a slight smile.

I closed my eyes, hearing my own thoughts so clearly echoed at me. Everything I struggled with—Mom’s death; my parents’ betrayal; Dad working with Omnistellar, the corporation I’d trusted above all, to lure in terrifying monsters out of my nightmares—none of it had a place right now.

I looked up to see Imani nodding, a hard edge in her eyes. “You’re right,” she said quietly. And then: “I’m sorry I said that. About your family.”

Jasper sank into his seat, once more the picture of a man at rest. “Don’t worry about it. We’re all on edge.”

“You can say that again,” Reed muttered, shifting from foot to foot as if expecting an alien to fall from the sky. Not that we hadn’t seen that before. I glanced at the ceiling nervously. Something else to worry about.

“For many reasons,” agreed Alexei, staring at his feet. “Not least because someone we thought was dead is alive.” He raised his head and pinned me with his cold gray gaze.

I winced, but before I could answer, Rune’s scream echoed through the room.

THIRTY-ONE

CAGE AND I STUMBLED OVER each other in our rush to reach her side. My heart jackhammered into my throat as images assaulted my mind: Rune bleeding, everyone torn to shreds on the floor, bounty hunters holding them at gunpoint . . .

But she was alone, on her knees, clutching her head. Cage dropped and caught her face in his hands, turning it, apparently searching for damage. “Are you hurt?” he demanded in Mandarin, the words stumbling over themselves. “What happened?”

Rune shook her head, although tears streaked her face. “I found . . .” She choked on the words, her entire body trembling. I exchanged mystified glances with Imani. I’d seen Rune panic before, but not like this. What had she found?