The Stars Ablaze (The Gift of the Stars Book 3) by Lena Alison Knight

Author:Lena Alison Knight [Knight, Lena Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

***

Kerelle came back to herself, and found her hand shook almost as violently as Aureis’s. He was telling the truth. This was real.

“So.” She took a shaky breath to steady herself. Feel later. “What can you tell me about Oulemar?”

“It’s the most secure detention facility SysTech currently operates.” He took a step back as she lowered her hand, still radiating fear like a furnace. Kerelle had to hand it to him - he’d clearly had to sum up a lot of courage to let her into his mind. “It's under the surface of a moon orbiting one of their deep-space mining interests. Most people don't even know it exists.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why do you?”

Aureis gave a short laugh in spite of himself, and a smile that was somewhere between wry and bleak. “Accounting knows where the bodies are buried.”

This whole conversation was like some surreal dream. But she’d read his mind and sensed no deceit. Bizarre as it might seem, they really were standing in a SysTech office shortly after midnight, discussing secret moon prisons with a frightened accountant. It would be the kind of story to tell over drinks, if it weren’t centered around one of her closest friends in horrific peril.

Galhen spoke first. “I imagine we’ll need something more robust than borrowed cleaner uniforms to get in there.”

“Yes,” Aureis agreed. “The facility is designed to resist assault, and the only thing that goes in and out besides guards and prisoner transport is the periodic supply ships.”

“And how do they know if a supply ship is legitimate?”

Aureis met his gaze straight on. “I approve them.”

Not much later, they were in Aureis’s office, waiting tensely as he worked. The room was silent but for the light clacking of his keyboard. Nor was there much to see, besides the desk itself - none of the family photos or media stills she’d seen on other desks around the office. Apparently Aureis wasn’t much for personal touches at work.

Galhen leaned against the wall, mental tension belying his relaxed posture. Darling, you were the one in his head - on the spectrum of absolute fidelity to inevitable betrayal, how much do we trust this man? He’s been quite cooperative thus far, but I can’t help think of how simple it would be to summon security while we obligingly wait in one place.

That’s a concern, she acknowledged. On this though, I am inclined to trust him. He…watched how they were treating Ilyen, and what they planned to do to him, and his horror was genuine. As was his feeling of helplessness at not being able to stop it. I didn’t pick up any hint of intended deceit.

He was quiet for a moment, wordless dread flowing through the bond. And…how were they treating Ilyen?

As you’d expect. She didn’t want to share the image, didn’t want to even recall it. She didn’t need to - he understood. A brush through the bond like a squeezed hand, carrying reassurance that they would get through this and see their friend back unharmed.

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