A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Cordova

Author:Zoraida Cordova
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2019-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

Izzy was almost grateful when Oga asked her to remain in her office. She couldn’t face Jules after everything they’d had to listen to. She couldn’t decide if it was better or worse coming from him.

“How did you find yourself here after all this time?” Oga asked in nearly perfect Basic.

After an entire conversation of forcing her features into a steely calm, Izzy finally reacted.

“You didn’t need Jules to translate,” she said.

“I find people like to feel useful.”

“What else can I do for you, Oga Garra?”

“Ixel was one of my favorites. Such a waste of talent.”

Izzy realized she never knew her mother at all. How could she have missed it? She was a fool. She couldn’t be upset at Oga for telling her a truth that had died with her parents.

“Is that all?”

“Not quite.” Her voice was reedy, nearly piercing Izzy’s eardrums. “I was once an orphan, too. You must always know your roots if you are to know how sturdy the tree will grow. If you are going to be here, you will have to know the rules.”

Izzy shook her head. Her thoughts about staying on Batuu untethered and began to drift away. “I’ve already stayed longer than I intended to.”

Oga grunted and dismissed her with a wave. “If you want to know who put out the contract on your mother, you know where to find me.”

“What’s the cost?”

“You’ll owe me a job. Consider it—an audition.”

Her insides felt fused together. She could hardly breathe, the too-sweet smoke wafting from the burning hookah irritating her nasal passages, her eyes. She turned to leave. But before she punched the door open, Izzy exhaled. Jules was Jules. He would want to talk to her about her feelings, and she didn’t want to. She wanted to fly. She wanted to fight. She wanted to use her hands. Instead of calm, she found herself worked into tighter knots.

When the door opened, there he was, leaning against the wall with worry in his eyes. He hefted the barrel onto one shoulder and offered a smile. She hated the way she reacted to the sight of him. How could she be certain that what she was feeling was real? What if it was because things with Damar had just ended? What if it was the sheer nostalgia?

None of those considerations stopped her from taking his hand and holding it tight all the way out of Oga’s. She’d been wrong. He didn’t want to talk, didn’t even press her.

“We’re walking,” he announced.

“You’re not worried someone might lift your speeder?”

He let go of her hand to better carry the barrel Oga had made him take. She wanted to reach for him again but shoved her hands in her pockets. “It still wouldn’t be the worst thing that’s happened to us.”

They laughed. It was a startling relief to the longest, worst day of her life. But as she walked onto the market road side by side with Jules, she considered it was also turning into the best day.

“If our stars are lucky, Volt will be there instead of Bina and we can get back to Dok’s.

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