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Had he jumped to conclusions too quickly? Did he really believe she was capable of accomplishing something no other man or woman had managed in all the years of Phase Nine?
Shewasclever. Scheming. Manipulative. Deviously sexy. Even only knowing her a short while, he felt certain there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish if she set her mind to it. Even with that, a scheme as grand as stealing the commissioner’s maps was simply inconceivable.
Didn’t matter if he had it wrong. Her character was clear. And her sister Caryn was already grifting Lear.
As soon as the thought appeared, he noticed a nearby seller’s booth displaying necklaces and bracelets. Without even seeking it, Aidan spotted a bracelet nearly identical to Caryn’s. He checked the price, surprised to find it only cost a fraction of a credit.
He suddenly felt ill.
A true grifter wouldn’t have settled for something so paltry. And any grifter worth their water—who had unfettered access to a wealthy, infatuated prince—would have angled for one of the expensive pieces displayed behind glass only inches away. Yet Caryn had seemed delighted with the worthless trinket.
Didn’t change the fact that Onnika had just lied to his face with the art of a pro. So good was she that she didn’t even blink, didn’t flinch, didn’t even avert her gaze as liars unconsciously did. No, Onnika was too good for such amateurish tells.
Even if she wasn’t after a copy of the commissioner’s maps, no matter what her motives, she’d just proven he could never trust her. Better to part ways with them both now, as he’d initially intended—
A flurry of sirens blared. Every viewscreen went blank before flashing the words: WARNING. LEVEL TEN SANDSTORM APPROACHING. FIND COVER OR RETURN TO YOUR SHIPS AT ONCE.
