Page 77

A Drexian officer stood there, holding a sleek tablet. Not Tivek. The relief and disappointment hit simultaneously.

"Communication for you, cadet," he said formally, holding out the tablet.

I took it from him. “Thank you.”

After the door slid shut, I tapped the screen and it flickered to life, a chorus of familiar faces appearing and talking at once.

"Morgan!" "You're alive!" "What the hell happened?" "Are you okay?"

All thoughts of Tivek vanished as I flopped onto the plush bed, genuinely happy for the first time in hours.

"Hey guys," I said, taking in Fiona's concerned frown, Ariana's intense stare, Jess's relieved smile, and Britta's wide eyes. "Miss me?"

"Are you kidding?" Jess said. "We thought you were dead!"

I settled back against the pillows. "Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

"What happened?" Britta demanded. "All we know is that you were missing, and then suddenly you're at the tribute bride station!"

I told them about the Kronock firing at us as we jumped, the coordinates being corrupted, the destroyed systems, and drifting in space.

"You were actually floating in space?" Ariana leaned closer to the screen, her eyes wide. “With no clue where you were?”

"For days,” I said, deliberately leaving out the part where Tivek and I had sex in the med bay and then again in the cockpit.

"Were you scared?" Fiona asked.

I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. "The ration packs were the scariest part. They tasted like someone had crossed moldy kale with cardboard.”

They laughed, and the conversation shifted, allowing me to dodge potential questions about what Tivek and I had done during those long hours.

"What about you guys? Everyone okay?" I asked. "How's Sasha doing?"

Ariana's expression softened. "She's been sleeping a lot, but the doctors say she'll be fine. Physically, at least."

I’d barely laid eyes on the captured pilot before we’d been on the run from the Kronock and then separated from everyone. Thatdidn’t mean I didn’t feel a pang of worry for how she would adjust to life outside captivity again.

"And the fantasy suites?" Jess asked, skillfully changing the subject when we all went silent. "Are they as amazing as Reina always describes?"

"Better," I said, grateful for the shift. "You wouldn't believe this place."

I told them about the promenade and about Serge thinking I was an actual assassin, delighting in their peals of laughter. Then I stood, carrying the tablet with me to give them a tour of the suite.

"This is the main living area.” I spun slowly with the tablet held high to show the full panorama. “The bedroom turns into a sunken living room.”

"That's incredible," Britta said. "Much nicer than our quarters at the academy."

"The bathroom has a waterfall shower," I continued, stepping into the adjacent room to show them and then walking back out to the main room. "And the bed is big enough for about five people."

"Like you need that much space for just you," Fiona teased. “Now maybe if you found some strapping young Drexians at the station…”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the flush I could feel creeping up my neck. "And here's the balcony.” I pushed open the glass doors. The fabricated night air caressed my skin, the coolness welcome. "The moon isn't real, but it's?—"

A chorus of screams erupted from the tablet, so loud I nearly dropped it.

"There's someone behind you!" Jess shouted.

My heart leapt into my throat as I whirled around, my paranoid mind half-expecting to see a Kronock warrior with a blaster.