“Fine,” Momma says, her eyes snapping back to the general. “As you wish.”

Altair nods briskly.

“And will the former sergeant be accompanying you?” he asks without looking at me.

I don’t miss the former jab. I press my lips into a grim line and look away from him, waiting for Momma’s answer.

“He will not. Unless you’d like to leave a group of off-worlders unsupervised in the city?”

I try to hide my shock. As much as I hoped for this, I didn’t expect it. She’s actually sparing me from this. She’s letting me stay.

“Fine,” Altair says. “He stays. You and I will leave immediately.”

I rise with them, and move over to Momma before she leaves.

“What should I tell the others?” I ask. She looks at me, her face unexpectedly soft, and raises a hand to touch my cheek. I stay completely still, discomfited by the affection.

“My boy,” she murmurs. “I really am so proud of you.” I stare at her, unsure what to say to that. After a moment, she lowers her hand, and her face hardens as if that moment of vulnerability never happened. “Tell them I’m attending to business and I’ll be back in the morning.” She grimaces. “And tell your sister I’ll deal with her when I get back.”

My mind races as we step into the hallway outside. So Scorpia did take the vial, as I suspected. But why? What is she planning? My sister must have known how much danger this put us in.

One of the soldiers stops to block my path as Momma and Altair head farther into the building. Momma looks back at me one last time, hesitating as if she wants to say something more. But instead, she nods silently and follows Altair. I watch until they disappear around the corner, trying to ignore the dread thickening in my stomach.

I’m being foolish. Momma will be back in the morning, and she can handle herself. She’s not the one I should be worrying about. But Scorpia, an unaccompanied off-worlder alone in Drev Dravaask, possibly with a weapon of mass destruction in her possession… now that’s a situation that could result in disaster.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A Risky Game

Scorpia

Fucking Corvus. I storm down the stairs of the building, seething and swearing under my breath. Less than twenty-four hours back with the family and he’s already reclaimed his spot as Momma’s favorite. Even after he abandoned the family, even when he’s so obviously changed, she still loves him the most. I hate how quickly Momma forgave him. How quickly she decided to choose him over me. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the family does the same.