Klaren’s droid clicked its claws into her armor, that robotic voice speaking loud. “I will not be surrendering today, but as I said, I am offering you Androma Racella in exchange for peace between us.”

“My entire reign is about peace,” Nor explained, holding her arms wide. “Everything I have done has been for the greater good.”

“Enslaving the minds of millions,” Klaren snapped, “is not something I would consider to be for the greater good.”

“And slaughtering hundreds in your petty attacks across Mirabel?” Nor raised a brow and tsked. “Some savior you are.”

“I did not come for an argument,” Klaren said. Dex could almost hear the woman’s frustration, even in the robotic voice of her droid. “I came to give you what you seek, and in return, my demand is that you stop any further trapping of minds. Anyone you discover to be Unaffected, you will refrain from enslaving to your cause. And you will allow any Unaffecteds currently in hiding to flee to a safe zone, where they can live out their lives freely.”

Nor threw back her head and laughed. “Is that all, Arachnid?”

“I also ask that you release the minds of these three prisoners,” Klaren said, lifting an armored hand toward Breck, Gilly and Lira, “and let them walk free. I will bring them onto my ship, and I will soar away from here. You will not stop me, and you will not send Rovers after me. Consider this a cease-fire.”

“A cease-fire,” Nor said, nodding as the wind blew and her cloak billowed out behind her again. “I do not honor cease-fires.”

Klaren froze. “You are alive because of a cease-fire, Nor Solis. There was once a Xen Pterran queen who gave herself over to the enemy in order to honor one.”

“Don’t speak of my mother,” Nor said. There was no change in her expression, but her tone was different. Tighter. “The dead are of no use to me, and neither are their failures.”

But Klaren barreled on without a hitch, without any visible reaction to hearing such words spoken about her. “Do you accept my terms?”

“On one condition,” Nor said, glancing only briefly toward her adviser, who had stepped closer to her, watching Arachnid with prying eyes. “You will personally come forward and make the exchange. And you will reveal your identity to me.”

An interesting offer.

Dex didn’t trust it one bit. There was no way Nor Solis would allow her enemy to walk free. They’d planned for this, considered that it would happen...yet his body still broke out in a cold sweat, that strange sensation of his heartbeat in his ears as Klaren took Andi by the arm.

“Free them first,” she said. “I will honor my deal with the girl.”

With a sigh, Nor lifted a hand. “Of course. Free them, Valen.”

Valen walked over to Andi’s crew, each step labored, as if he were in pain.