Page 13 of Alien Burn

“Not planning on inviting her to dinner or anything.”

Sereya touched her arm. “No. Seriously. Stay away from her. I don't know what it is, but she hates you. Like hates you.”

“The red hair. It brings it out of people.”

Adryel turned to join her group, and Sereya let her go. There wasn't time to make her understand. She wasn't sure she could have explained it if there had been.

Roemary insulted plenty of people. She enjoyed an audience for it.

When Adryel left a room, sometimes Roemary kept watching the door.

On the voyage, Roemary had wanted to know which bunk Adryel used, who sat with her, whether she ever spoke to the staff alone. Sereya had mistaken the questions for another grievance she was expected to help nurse. Now, with Adryel walking away, she wished she had asked why any of those answers mattered.

Sereya waited near the upper end of the ramp with group three. Below them, the second group crossed into open air. Adryel's hair lifted in the wind, bright enough to pick out among all the heads.

The Kantenans stood off to one side with Janae. Even from here, Sereya could see that Khalzin kept turning toward his new mate whenever she spoke.

What would it be like to have someone listening that closely?

The thought embarrassed her. She watched the other males instead.

One had horns that rose high above his head in two narrow crowns. Dhomhes, the Protector's son. She recognized the name from the briefings. He was saying something that made the broad-horned male beside him strike his arm.

He laughed.

Sereya could almost hear Roemary approving: that one. The money was in the refineries. She had said it often enough.

But when a guard passed behind the group, Dhomhes turned his head. Only briefly. His smile remained, and a moment later he was speaking to the others again.

Sereya found herself looking toward the guard too.

Then Dhomhes looked up the ramp, directly at her.

Sereya forgot to look away. His laughter had stopped. He drew a breath, and something lifted beneath the shoulders of his robes, changing their shape. He put a hand to the fastening at his throat without taking his eyes off her.

She glanced behind herself. There were other women waiting, but none of them seemed to have noticed him.

When she looked back, he was still watching. One foot had turned toward the ramp.

“There you are.”

Roemary's voice came from behind her.

Sereya stepped aside so the rest of her group could move down the ramp. Roemary had returned to the bay entrance despite the crew's efforts to send her back to the cabins. Two staff members followed, trying to keep their disagreement quiet.

“I am entitled to observe,” she told them. Then, to Sereya, “You saw what happened.”

“Yes.”

“A complaint needs witnesses.”

Sereya glanced below. The broad-horned male had left his friends and was walking toward Adryel's group.

“You are listening to me?”

“Yes, Roemary.”

The first explosion struck beneath the platform.