“You want to cast off now,” Keeda says to him, a flash of light following her hypnotic command. “You want to take us to Milsons Point Wharf.”

The man doesn’t respond verbally, but he fiddles with the panel until the idling engine noise grows louder, his hands moving to the large steering wheel as the yacht pulls away from the jetty and into open water.

I think about Keeda’s power and wonder if I can mimic it with my own ability, but my stomach roils at the idea of violating someone’s will like that. I know without even trying that I’d be unable to do it, unable to summon the intent and hold on to it long enough to make it work.

“I’m guessing the Remnants don’t own this boat?” I say as we start gliding through the harbor toward the heart of Sydney.

Keeda snorts. “Are you kidding? I’m not even sure we have our own car.”

“So, what? You just steal what you need, when you need it?” Cami asks, a furrow of disapproval between her brows.

“‘Steal’ is a strong word,” Keeda says, and I can’t help thinking of what she said to me earlier today—It’s not stealing if they’re happy to give it to me.

Kael’s midnight eyes are trained on the captain, as if to make sure Keeda’s grip on the man holds. But he must sense Cami’s and my discomfort since he says, “We’re only borrowing it. And we’re not hurting anyone in the process.”

Indeed, the captain seems perfectly content to deliver us to our destination. But then again, Keeda’s Speaking ability hasn’t given him much choice.

“Kael, can I have a word?”

Arryn is standing in the doorway to the cabin, her face stony. It doesn’t take a genius to know what she wants to speak with him about, and I hear a quiet sigh leave him as he avoids my eyes and heads toward her, then outside.

Cami, too, is watching them disappear into the darkness, and only when they’re out of sight—and hearing range—does she voice my own question. “What’s her problem?”

“Arryn?” Keeda asks. There’s a slight smile tipping up the corners of her lips. “Don’t mind her. She’s harmless.”

“She hates us,” Cami argues. “For no good reason.”

“She hates everyone until she gets to know them,” Keeda says. “It’s basically her job requirement.” At our questioning looks, she explains, “She heads up our security. It’s her responsibility to keep the Remnants safe, to keep the catacombs from being discovered and infiltrated. To keep out anyone who might want to cause us harm—Speakers and otherwise.” Her smile turns wry. “She hates you because she doesn’t trust you, and because you caused a lot of problems for us when we broke you out of Lengard. But don’t worry, it’ll pass—presuming you don’t give her reason to think you’re spies.”

Spies? Does Keeda not remember the events that led to our escape? Surely no one is questioning our loyalty, not when we nearly lost our lives while fleeing Vanik and Manning.