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“For now they are arresting people based on rumors,” Nova said. “They still don’t have any concrete proof.”
“They will if Mak goes through with his plan.”
“What plan?”
“He wants to blow them all up.”
Nova’s heart skipped a beat.
“Blow who up?”
“The Mudden military, Altair, even the council. He said we need to take drastic measures.”
“When does he plan to do that?”
“He didn’t tell me,” she said. “He kicked me out because I didn’t want to use violence.”
She dropped her head on Nova’s shoulder.
“I’m scared.”
“Me too,” Nova admitted.
Except she at least had an escape plan. Karen had nothing and no one. Even her husband, the one person she should be able to lean on, beat her. She was truly alone.
“I have to go home,” she said, “before my husband figures out that I’m gone.”
Nova nodded, feeling like she should be doing more to help her, but not knowing what.
Karen left and Nova climbed back in through the window. She heard a sound as she pushed her belly up over the ledge. A click like a door opening or closing. She looked up. Her door was still closed. Maybe she’d accidentally hit her foot on a rock while climbing.
She quietly landed in her room, closed the window, and returned to bed.
* * *
“Elizabeth wants to see you,” Mari said one morning when Nova went to the clinic to pick up her usual deliveries.
Nova was so excited to hear she’d come back—part of her hadn’t truly believed she would—that she smiled at Mari. Nova couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled.
She knocked on Elizabeth’s door.
“Come in,” came her voice from inside.
Nova entered and shut the door behind her.
“Where have you been?” She hadn’t meant to sound accusatory, but maybe she’d reached her limit of fear and anxiety. Elizabeth was the only person who could fix Nova’s problem, and she owed it to her.
“Mudden clan territory,” Elizabeth said. “Devon had been bugging Rex and I to come to the palace ever since we arrived here so we finally did as an excuse to snoop.”
“And?” Nova asked, wondering what their real connection to Devon was that he would invite them to the palace like friends.
“I think you’re right,” she said.
“If you mean about that statue being made of flintoid, IknowI’m right.”
“We told Devon we were bored in Baeddan and wanted to get back to space. He found some work for us. We leave in two weeks.”
Nova wanted to jump up and down with joy. She could feel the tears of relief prickling her eyes.
