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“Stop calling me that!” I replied. “And what does it matter what you have to offer? I’ve already beensold, remember?”
Saying the words myself made my heart waver. I bit my bottom lip, trying to steady it. Long silence passed between us. I could feel Jacques watching me, even though I wasn’t meeting his eyes.
“Is…is he kind?” I asked.
I heard his breath. “What?”
I looked up. “Your father. Is he kind?”
He held my gaze, no words coming through his lips. He looked away.
“You’re more pure than I anticipated,” he replied bitterly. “It makes you far more irritating.”
I laughed ironically. “Adrian said the same thing. I didn’t realize you two had so much in common.”
Jacques returned to face me, narrowing his eyes. It took him two full breaths to speak.
“You actually care about the crew on this ship, don’t you?” he asked.
I ignored him, leaning over to pick up the fallen key. Gripping it in my hand, I walked over to the door, and shut it behind me to lock Jacques back in his cell. When I turned to him, he only smiled, walking forward to lean against the bars.
“That’s a mistake, dear mother,” he said. “You should never fall for a sailor until he’s been rightly judged.”
I rolled my eyes. “I haven’t fallen for anyone.”
He laughed through his nose as I began to walk away.
“Be careful what you get attached to,” he called after me. “You never know when it will be taken from you.”
CHAPTER 22—SUGGESTIONS
We traveled for three more days, closing in on the source of the red light. Everyone on the ship was on edge, including myself. I didn’t know why, but I felt something in me vibrating. The tremors in my spirit seemed to increase the closer we became.
When night had fallen, I came up to the deck, looking out at the red star that was nearly touching us. We would reach it within the next day, according to Adrian. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
What would we find when we reached it? And how could everything change once we had it? The spiritual world had come alive again. Wouldn’t that mean that humanity would be judged?
What would happen when they came to judge me?
“You’re here.”
I turned to the sound of Henrik’s voice, met by his warm smile. He seemed hesitant while coming forward to meet me, even though I knew he was glad for my company. And I was sure that he knew I was always pleased to meet him.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
I nodded. “You too?”
He nodded, pointing to the star. “I didn’t think we’d really make it. But now that we have, I feel incredibly unprepared for it.”
He stood next to me by the rail. His fingers twitched as he leaned against it, looking up at the star.
“How difficult can it be?” I asked. “Is there more to it than stealing a rock and leaving?”
“The Eros is the cornerstone of the spiritual world,” he said. “I hardly doubt it’s sitting on a bed of flowers, unprotected.”
I nodded solemnly. “It’s a good thing you taught me how to fight then.”
He chuckled. “Are you ready for it?”
