Page 38 of Storm Caller

“Oh, relax. You’re so uptight,” she replies, then turns to me. “Well? Do you like him as much as he likes you?”

“He doesn’t like me,” I say reflexively. “He had no choice but to bring me here.”

But I suppose that isn’t really true.

Navy scoffs, and even Justin exhales a wry snort. I glance at him, but he’s staring into the arena where several people are gathered, his hands on his knees, practically whistling an innocent tune.

“Poet,” she says. “I know Crusts have a reputation, but you aren’t that clueless.”

I frown at her. “What makes you so sure?”

She shrugs. “I just know. Plus, he was telling us about you last night.”

“Was he? What did he say?”

“Stuff about his time at school and what he learned. How you became friends.”

I want to ask her more. I desperately want to know where Rook’s truth lies.

“So, do you like him or not?” she asks, refusing to be deterred.

I sigh and watch Rook in the center of the arena. He’s been joined by Fisher and Calliope, along with his parents and some other people I haven’t met yet.

They’re all talking in low voices, and I can’t help but admire the way the bright lights bounce off the curves of Rook’s shoulders, highlighting the breadth of his muscles and that honed physique I admired so much during Storm Guard training. And every other minute, too.

“Okay, yes,” Navy says. She holds up a hand to her mouth as if she’s sharing a secret and leans over me to speak to Justin. “She likes him. She’s practically eye-fucking him across the entire room.”

“Language,” Justin admonishes as I say at the same time, “I am not.”

Navy pulls back and gives me a thumbs-up and a knowing wink. “Sure, sure. Okay. You totally weren’t.”

I groan and drop my face into my hands before glancing up at Rook. I totally was.

I should be keeping my guard up, but I’m finding it harder and harder to feel that way.

I remind myself that he was there the night Raine died, but I haven’t confronted him about it, and after everything I’ve seen here, there’s a very good chance he has a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe if I give him the chance to explain, I’ll have no reason to be angry, and I know I won’t be able to resist him.

Maybe what I’m really afraid of is taking the risk on something between us.

Something that probably has no future because his life is here and I’m not welcome in his world.

Finally, someone breaks off from the circle where Rook and the others are conferring to walk to the center of the arena. She’s tall and slender, her arms bulging with muscles, obvious even in her knee-length leather coat. Long platinum hair—almost the same shade as her skin—is tied into an intricate series of interconnected braids down her back. Icy blue eyes are offset by the black band painted across her face. She stops in the center of the arena and plants her hands on her hips.

It doesn’t take long for everyone to quiet down.

“Lieutenant General Rey,” Navy whispers to me. “A senior officer.”

“Welcome!” Rey says, her voice loud and clear, her posture straight. “As most of you know, we had a Whisper death a few days ago at Station Five.”

The room falls into silence, heads bowed as people murmur a soft word for the fallen man. Their reverence is so entirely at odds with everything I’ve ever known.

“Questioning by the high commander has determined that the death couldn’t be helped. The circumstances meant choosing between two innocent lives.” She pauses as if she doubts that claim, suggesting she doesn’t really believe I was all that innocent. “But a Whisper’s death is no small thing, no matter the circumstances. So today, Base Commander Fisher Sterling of Station Five and First Lieutenant Rook Athira—the man responsible for the death—are to be punished according to the laws of the Veil.”

The crowd begins buzzing in anticipation. “What’s about to happen?” I ask Navy and Justin, but they don’t respond as Rey resumes speaking.

“First up will be Base Commander Sterling.” She steps back and gestures to the corner, where Fisher separates from the crowd and jogs into the center of the arena. Several cheers erupt from the stands, and Fisher grins as he raises his arms. He doesn’t look like he’s walking to his death or anything, so maybe this won’t be so bad.

“Who do you challenge?” Rey asks, her strong voice carrying over the noise.