Page 30 of Starborn Husbands

Lightning punctuates my sentence, cracking light across our face-off.

Zhang stiffens. “Treyu can’t know about my affliction.”

Love is an affliction, isn’t it? “Why?”

“He hates me. If he finds out, he’ll refuse the solution I’ve fought hard for even if it means his death. He’ll think I’m the one who concocted an elaborate plan to trap him.”

I’d like to accuse him of that—Treyu definitely would—but the wannabe angel isn’t capable. Plus, Treyu is that stubborn. I don’t care what keeps him alive. If he has to marry a Centaurus, so be it—there are worse things. I also have faith that Father will find a way out of this for him. I can help by helping Zhang.

“He won’t hear it from me.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Not doing it for you.” I breeze past him, not sure we’re going to find anything of use here. We both know this is a cold lead, but we’re that desperate. Digging through the remains of the building for hours confirms my assessment. There isn’t anything but debris and traces of the humans who have been here to investigate.

Wait a minute.

“What if we spent more time looking at what’s not here?” I ask Zhang. I’ve already jumped to doing just that.

His face scrunches. “What do you mean?”

“If a Guild member has been here to investigate, why can’t I feel a trace of them?”

Zhang’s body language says he’s tired of foolish Orion ideas. “Astral travel. Ever heard of it? I’ve already reached that conclusion. They don’t need to be here. Aside from that, the idea is absurd. Of course, they weren’t here. I know your uncle got a call while Treyu and I were still here so they had to be watching him. Not only was this planned, but it was also sloppily executed, not even bothering to wait enough time to hide that they were spying.”

“Then where’s the child’s body, Zhang?” Astral travel explains the rate at which the Guild discovered Treyu and Zhang’s actions, but not what came after that. Astral travel allows for travel without your physical body, but you can’t bring anything physical with you.

“A human took it,” he says, but he’s waiting for an answer, hoping I have one to combat all objections.

“No. They would have been forced to send someone from the Guild immediately if a body of a child was discovered under these conditions.”

Zhang nods. “A lot of good this does us. We would have to risk accusing the Guild of fraud, which I’m willing to do if it’s productive, but without strong evidence, all that will happen is my potential arrest, which won’t help Treyu in the end.”

It would be far less likely for him to be arrested than damn near anyone else, but he’s right. We’ll need stronger evidence than lack of tracks. “What if the body doesn’t exist either?”

He pauses, turning that idea over in his mind. “Would they be that foolish?”

I shrug. “You said so yourself. This was sloppily executed. It reeks of arrogance and so it’s possible.”

Zhang runs a hand through his long red hair in the same way Gemini does. It’s too much and too familiar. My heart hollows a little more. I clutch at it.Air. I need more air.

“Look, just ask for a requisition to see the body. I’m sure you can come up with some kind of royal bullshit as to why, especially with him being your fiancé and all. When there isn’t a body, that will open up the can of worms we need.”

The large mass of land smiles. “Okay. This is good. There’s hope. Gem will arrive any moment to take me home and there will be plenty of time before the marriage takes place for me to do this. At the least, it will force a hold until we get this resolved.”

Only one thing he’s said gets through. Gem’s coming now? Wh-What day is it?

“Whoa. Whoa, there, Elder Orion. Easy.”

His hand on my shoulder braces me. The trees are spinning … no, everything’s spinning. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

I can’t catch my breath. The thought of having to see him and say goodbye again is too much.

You didn’t say goodbye last time, asshole.

The voice telling me to breathe changes. The ground beneath me is wet. Mud seeps through my cotton pants. The scent of moonlavender flower fills my awareness. “Gem. Gem is that you?”

“Yes.” He sniffles and suddenly there’s warm wet dripping on my face, a stark contrast from the cold drops.