I glanced at Jasper, but there was only an empty slot in his arm where his device should have gleamed. They must have taken it from him when he was arrested. I returned my attention to Liam. “Why? Why would you do that?” Realization dawned, slow and painful. “You’ve been working with Omnistellar all along,” I said. “That’s why I could open portals on the bounty hunter ship. You were there.”

“I was . . . nearby,” he replied reluctantly. “But I wasn’t working for Omnistellar. Your father contacted me directly, Kenzie.”

Dad didn’t even glance up from the console, but his voice was shaky when he answered. “I didn’t trust the bounty hunters not to kill you when they found you. Liam was . . . a backup. I had to make sure you were safe, and that you got off Obsidian. His job was to protect you, even if he went about it in a strange way.”

“I did what you asked,” Liam cut in, annoyance tingeing his voice. “Keep an eye on the hunt. Sabotage her comm device so you could make sure you were the only one to contact her if she escaped. All of that. I upheld my end of the bargain, so make sure you keep yours.”

“And what is that, exactly?” I demanded.

“Sanctuary from those things. Omnistellar is too powerful, Kenzie. The zemdyut were coming no matter what, and I didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.” He met my gaze, his face so pale he resembled a ghost in the shadows. “It’s not personal. I just . . . I couldn’t face them again.”

“Yeah well, Omnistellar isn’t so great at providing sanctuary,” I replied, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Their last one blew up. And now here you are, in the same spot.”

“Not quite.” Dad straightened up, turning from the console, his face heavy. “Liam’s coming with me. And so are you, Kenz. We’re getting off this ship.”

FORTY-TWO

I STARED AT DAD. IT didn’t take long to absorb what he hadn’t said. “We’re getting off this ship,” I repeated dully. “You, and me, and Liam. What about everyone else?”

“We won’t be able to take them.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know how that must seem. And I meant to save them, I really did. Criminals or not, they helped you off Sanctuary. But it’s too late now. We have to escape, and this is the only way left.”

“And us?” asked Hallam dryly.

Dad winced. “Criminals who let the corporations tamper with their bodies in exchange for amnesty,” he said at last, but he sounded tired, not accusatory. “Omnistellar handed you a lot of power. You’ve been abusing it.”

Hallam snorted and jerked the gun more solidly against his shoulder, targeting Dad. “Really.”