She said nothing.Not a word.
"I had to do it."Lucy unfolded slightly, wiping her face with the heel of her hand."You have to understand.My sister, she's...they've had her for weeks.They sent me pictures.They sent meaudio.She was begging and I couldn't..."
Emily started counting the rivets across the ceiling.
"What was I supposed to do?They said the only way to get Sarah back was to deliver something they wanted."
Lucy swallowed, the sound loud in the hold.
"Someone.Deliversomeone."Her voice cracked on the word."I tried to find another way.I looked for weeks.I went to station security, but they have people everywhere.I couldn't trust anyone.And every day they sent me another message, another picture, and Sarah was getting worse, and I just..."
She drew a shuddering breath.Started again, and this time the words came faster, tumbling over each other.
"I didn't want to hurt you.Ineverwanted to hurt you.You're my friend.The only real friend I've made since they brought us here.But they were going to kill her, Emily.She's nineteen.She's akid.I thought maybe I could negotiate with… get you and Sarah back at the same time..."
Excuses.Bullshit excuses.
Emily speared her with a hard look."You sold me."
Lucy flinched."That's not?—"
"You sold me," Emily's voice was flat."You gave me up in return for a bullshit promise.Crying doesn't change what it was."
Just like Miranda.Different wrapping, same fucking deal.At least her mother had had the decency to skip the friendship part.
"That's not fair," Lucy whispered."It's not the same thing.I didn't have achoice."
"You had a choice.You made it."
Turning her head, she looked at Lucy.
"'The Emperor's breeding stock really shouldn't be wandering the corridors alone,'" she said quietly."'It's dangerous.'"
The blood drained from Lucy's face.
"Those were his words.On the ramp, do you remember?While yourfriendwas being tackled to the ground ten feet from you."Emily held her gaze."That's who you delivered me to.A man who sees me as livestock.Did you stop to thinkwhythey wanted me?"
"You're in shock," Lucy whispered."You don't know what you're?—"
She snorted and dropped her head back to the wall."I'm not in shock.And you're a fucking idiot if you think this ends well for either of us."
Lucy's mouth opened.Closed.Her chin trembled."They promised they'd let Sarah?—"
The ship lurched as the engine pitch changed.
Emily slid sideways, the cuffs catching her full weight and wrenching both shoulders so hard she gasped.Her head bounced off the pipe behind her.Lucy tumbled across the deck, arms and legs flailing as she slid, hitting the far wall with a thud.
The vibration through the hull shifted from a sustained rumble to a series of deep, irregular shudders.It was a landing sequence.They'd just arrived… somewhere.
There was another jolt, harder this time, and the overhead lights flickered.She braced her feet wide against the deck, pressing her back flat to the wall and trying to keep herself in place as the ship bucked and groaned.Metal creaked around them.Lucy scrambled to grab onto something but didn't manage it, sliding back and forth with each pitch of the deck.
A final shudder ran through the bay, and the sound of the engines wound down to a whine, then silence.
Heavy, fast footsteps rang down the corridor outside the hold.The door ground open with a hiss that set her teeth on edge, and two warriors filled the frame.
"On your feet."The first one was looking at her.
"She can't," Lucy started as he walked past her like she wasn't even there."Her hands are?—"
