Page 126 of Tempting Fate

“What? What does he have to do with this?”

“The Orithian envoy to Orkri. That was him at our old home, was it not?”

She gave me a long stare, the corner of her mouth twitching as it did when she was thinking. “He’s what?”

I spoke slowly. “Rokharu is the Orithian envoy. He’s on Orkri.”

A smile spread across her face, crinkling the corners of her eyes. “Little brother, you are a genius.”

“So I have been told,” I said dryly. “Have you means to contact him?”

“Yes. Leave it with me. Be safe.”

I put my datapad down and crossed to Kri’s shrine. Orbit cooed and fluttered her wings, nudging her cluster of growing eggs before plodding onto my hand. Imani joined us, putting her arm around my waist.

“This could work. If we have an Orithian ally on Orkri…” My bones strengthened. Yes, I felt this rightness in my soul. Tokki needed to know too. A deep excitement painted my senses, lit with gold and silver accents, as solid a purple as my headspines and as firm as the walls around me.

If Rokharu could get the information we needed to get the bounty cancelled, I might not have to leave. Then my only problem would be convincing Imani to stay.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Force Of Nature

Imani

RESTLESS ENERGY NEEDLED me as Reskavi flew us back to the valley. Beside me, Fenn and Kira chatted in low tones, but my attention was glued to the window and the small copse of trees growing larger and larger in my vision.

Reskavi drew the speeder to a stop. Tall, slender trees rose against a rock face, where cracked, jagged stripes of marble framed the cave mouth like so many sharp teeth.

A small herd of goat-like creatures off in the long grass raised their shaggy heads as we piled out of the speeder, regarding us with large, shimmering eyes. They never stopped chewing, just stared for slightly too long until, one by one, they put their heads to the grass again.

Reskavi pulled a plasma pistol from his belt. The light on top of the barrel shone a good distance into the cave, revealing nothing like the glimpse from the other day, only darkness, damp, and plain.

I pushed aside my disappointment. “Let’s go in.”

He held up one big hand. “There could be anything living in here. Wait.” He took a small, slim datapad from his vest, his fingers flicking over the screen until it pulsed with low flashes. “No life signs other than small things. Now we can go in.”

He picked his way through the wide cave entrance, which narrowed into a winding passageway. More marble, but this time shot through with green streaks.

Ahead, a golden glow illuminated the way, and I nearly walked into the solid wall of Reskavi’s back. I peered around him and, oh.

That’s why he stopped.

A cavern opened out in front of us, the vista more breathtaking than anything I could have imagined. Crystals of varying colours lined the ceilings, vivid green moss grew on nearly every surface, and streaming rivulets of water ran down the marble walls into numerous pools.

“Woah, this is incredible,” Fenn said.

It was, it really was, but more beautiful than the sight in front of me was the hope kindling in my chest.

“Are you going to tell us what this is about?” Kira asked.

I blew out a long breath, hoping she wouldn’t laugh. “If we have somewhere to hide, then he won’t have to leave.”

Reskavi leaned against the wall, regarding me. “We’d have come back sooner if you’d said.”

Of course they would, but it was a long shot. “I don’t even know if it’s feasible. And what if they’re not safe? What if I make the wrong choice?” Was I being selfish? But this cave would do. Totally habitable.

“It’s not wrong to look for options,” Fenn said.