Kira balked when she saw where they were heading. "Do I have to meet the Imperials? You know they're going to want to talk about that again."

"Surely today they wouldn't—" Her mother made a face. "Who am I kidding? Since your first birthday they've been trying to get us to betroth you to a prince in the Imperial household. Of course they'll bring it up. Your Aunt Bev is over there. Why don't you go talk to her?"

"Thanks." Kira left her parents and walked quickly over to where Mechanic Bev was standing alone, as she often was, watching everyone else.

Bev smiled when Kira came up. "Hi, my favorite crazy honorary daughter. Not eager to talk to the Imperials today?"

"Was it that obvious?" Kira asked. "I've heard all about how advantageous it would be for me to become engaged to a prince of the Imperial court so that East and West could be bound together by ties of family and blood and blah, blah, blah. I know Mother and Father have never encouraged them to think I'd agree to be traded like some prize horse, but it's still so creepy."

"You'd probably work your way up to Empress," Bev observed with a wink.

"Yeah. Sure. Don't want."

"What's got you so tense?"

Kira bit her lip, looking around. "Something is supposed to happen."

"Foresight?" Bev's posture shifted, ready to protect Kira. "Some danger to you?"

"We don't know. But some Mages have been getting worrisome visions about the ship from Urth. Bev, a long time ago you told me there are no secrets between us. You didn't know about Father's vision before I was born? That something would happen involving me and Urth?"

"No. And right now I'm a little upset about that!"

Kira smiled with relief. "Ever since I was little you've been a bodyguard, and my self-defense teacher, and the sort of friend I couldn't find elsewhere because of being my mother's daughter. I would have hated it if you'd known and not told me."

"If I'd known," Bev said, a stormy look appearing on her face, "you wouldn't be within a million lances of this place."

That was why her parents hadn't told Bev, Kira realized. Bev had devoted her life to protecting kids from the sort of things that had been done to Bev when she was young, and she wouldn't have agreed with Kira running unknown risks. "Mother and Father will be keeping an eye on me."

"Just don't forget everything you've learned," Bev said, her gaze on Kira growing sharp. "Mages have had visions? What about you?"

"Me?" Kira asked, pretending that she didn't understand the question.

"Don't play dumb with me, girl. I'm one of the few who know you have minor Mage talents, remember?"

"I haven't—" Kira hesitated, uncomfortable. "I've never experienced foresight," she mumbled. "Why did this happen to me?"