“You want her alive, you get those bots back out there and her off this job,” Tyler said. “You’re high up enough. You can get it done.”

Ahiga turned back to me. “I’m trying, but her job came from someone much higher up than me.”

I nodded my understanding. His talk with the CO hadn’t gone well.

“Maité? Who are you?” Audrey stepped around Ahiga to come closer to the bed. “You’re a strong bloodline. I know that from your reaction to the nanos and the glow. And someone much higher up wants to torture you? Why would they care? Halfers are executed. Not toyed with. Not tortured. They’re executed.”

“She’s not just a halfer.” Ahiga’s gaze was still on me, as if he were asking me what I wanted to do next.

“It’s okay.” My voice was more a raspy whisper than anything else. “Tell them.” I was too tired to explain it, but I was okay with Ahiga telling them. I didn’t have that click. Not with Ahiga. Not with Tyler or Audrey. But that didn’t mean they weren’t good people. That didn’t mean I couldn’t trust them.

“She is Amihanna di Aetes.” Ahiga’s voice was a low, menacing rumble. “Daughter of Rysden di Aetes. The Hand of the Aunare High King. The Leader of the Aunare Military. And SpaceTech knows exactly who they’ve got here.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tyler muttered. He reached for Audrey’s hand, and she took it.

Audrey’s face paled, making her freckles stand out that much more.

“She’s a pawn in a game that the Murtaghs are playing with the Aunare. One that will most likely end in war. Especially if she dies. And that’s why I’m here. To make sure she doesn’t die. And now I’m trusting you to keep her secret and help me keep her alive.”

I whimpered as the pain flared again and Ahiga squeezed my arm. “You okay?”

“It’s getting better.” I stared up at the ceiling, willing the nanos to die.

Ahiga’s face came into view above me. He looked ready to kill someone only there was no one he could kill. There was nothing he could do to fix this.

“Right now it probably hurts less than when you got those tattoos all over your face, but let’s just say it’s been a long few hours and I’m so tired.” My voice broke on the last word, and my eyes burned with the few tears I had left.

“I bet.” He sat back down. “Took me a while to figure out what happened to you when you didn’t show in the mess hall. Longer to get away from Jason’s men. Otherwise, I would’ve been here.”