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She badly wanted to ask Vahn what the hell was going on but decided to keep her mouth shut. See what kind of game he was playing.

He looked good, she had to admit. He was dressed in silks and leather, his shirt open at the chest and a cloak about his shoulders. A slim gold band on his brow denoted his position. The throne looked uncomfortable but he sat on it as if he’d been doing it all his life.

“Guards, you can go.”

Vahn dismissed the escort and they marched in unison out of the room. In the silence that followed, Kara was aware of all eyes glued to her with varying degrees of hostility.

It didn’t help that she was still dressed in oversized prison clothes and was a good deal smaller than everyone else. She squared her shoulders, trying to compensate. Vahn narrowed his eyes as he took in her disheveled appearance.

“General, I thought I told you she was to be unharmed,” he said tightly.

“It’s not the guards’ fault,” Ela said smoothly. “The prison transfer pods are sometimes a little rough. I’ll have their navigation programs reset.”

Kara was careful not to react. The bitch didn’t sound sorry at all.

“So this is the vermin you were marooned with.” The older one studied her, contempt lacing his words. “It doesn’t look like much. I’m surprised it survived.”

“Kara is not an ‘it’, nor is she vermin,” Vahn said. “Be civil, Baelon.”

Baelon. Kara recognized the name. On one of those long, hot nights on Minerva-6, Vahn had explained the workings of the Empire to her.

Only families hailing from the ancientshintuclans had the right to rule Vraxos. For the last few decades it had been Vahn’s family, the Castellian dynasty. But over the millennia the throne had passed back and forth among all three. Baelon was from anothershintuclan.

He examined her scornfully and she noticed his yellow irises were far paler than most of his kind. It made his black slitted pupils look even more reptilian.

“Are all Terrans so pitiful in appearance? So small and helpless. Their skin is too smooth and their heads are naked. It is unnatural.” He touched his own ridges, as if to reassure himself they were still there.

“I think she’s fascinating.” Kara glanced at the younger Vraxian in surprise. He smiled at her and she found herself wanting to smile back. “And she can’t be that helpless if she survived crashing on an empty planet. From what Vahn has told us, it held more dangers than the pit of Xesh.”

She’d bet her bottom dollar this was Rhyn. He was from the third of theshintuclans. Vahn had described him as charming and loyal, and it was clear from the way he’d spoken that he liked him.

“And do you know what I think?” Ela stalked towards Kara, pinning her with her gaze. “I think she can understand us.”

Kara fought to look blank but Ela leaned forward and spoke directly to her.

“I think you understand perfectly when I say you stink like adankarand if I had my way you would be strung up in the main square as a warning to our enemies.”

“And if I hadmyway I’d kick your uptight butt all over this room and smack that expression right off your bony face.”

The words were out before she could stop them. Rhyn straightened in surprise and Baelon’s eyebrows shot up. On the throne, Vahn palmed his face. He’d forgotten Kara’s temper.

Ela nodded in satisfaction.

“I thought so. I saw your reaction when I told the Zhaal of his father’s passing.” She whirled round to look accusingly at Vahn. “You gave her the microbes.”

He didn’t bother denying it.

“It was the logical thing to do. We were trapped together. There was nothing to be gained by flailing around in misunderstanding.”

“You should have ended her life, not engaged in cozy little chats.” The general’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your use of human terminology.”

“Our survival depended on communication,” Vahn said shortly. “I believe the human terminology forthatis ‘no-brainer’.”

Ela opened her mouth to argue further but Baelon beat her to it.

“Your Majesty, let me understand this properly. You gave one of our most advanced engineering creations to the enemy?” His face was thunderous. “You shared our technology with ahuman?”

“This is getting us nowhere,” Rhyn interjected. “Let’s just calm down. What’s done is done. So, Kara. Now that I know you can understand me, may I ask if you know who we are?”