Page 10 of Into Orbit
‘You left without notice and returned with an unauthorised alien,’ the Captain snapped. ‘And no, you’re not a prisoner,Lady, but you’re onmyship and undermyprotection. Did you tell the Forest you were going? Did you tell thebees? No one’s been able to get in there for –’
‘Hi,’ I interrupted, using my brightest voice, which also happened to be noticeably fake. ‘I’m Maeve.’
The Captain’s eyes flicked to me, then she turned her glare to Willow. ‘You gave the alien a translator?’
It was Willow’s turn to wince. ‘I –’
‘I asked him to,’ Elswyth said fiercely. ‘This isn’t anything to do with Willow.’
The Captain raised her eyes to the roof. ‘Green gods grant me patience,’ she muttered. ‘Daughter –’
‘So now I’mdaughter, because it’s too much trouble to argue with the Hamadryad?’ Elswyth demanded. ‘Fine,mother. Listen to me. Yes, I did the wrong thing. I made an unauthorised trip to a Category-3 planet, and I disabled the Pod’s tracker to do so. Buta human was taken, Captain. From Earth.’
The Captain’s – Elswyth’smother’s– eyes flickered to me. Now that I knew to look, thereweresimilarities between them: the changeable forest-green of their eyes, the sharp planes of their face.
‘Notthisone,’ Elswyth added hurriedly. ‘She agreed to come.’
‘She did, did she?’ the Captain muttered. She studied me for a moment, then snapped: ‘Well? What have you got to say?’
I bit my lip to hide a smile. I liked her. ‘My friend Tessa has gone missing. She was last seen about a month ago at the bar I work at, in the company of a man with black hair. Elswyth showed me a photo –’
‘A still,’ Elswyth interjected.
‘– of my friend on a ship with some, um,aliens, apparently. And it seems their ship is on course for the place you’re headed, um –’
‘Natare,’ Elswyth supplied.
‘– yep,Natare, for a … apeace summit.’ I straightened my shoulders, ignoring my throbbing head. ‘I claim political asylum in order to attend the summit.’
‘Diplomatic immunity,’ Elswyth said hurriedly. ‘She claimsdiplomatic immunityin order to attend the cross-Sector Peace Summit, as a member of a species with a vested interest in the Summit’s outcome.’
The Captain snorted. ‘Does she now,’ she said dryly. ‘And exactlyhow, Elswyth, did a being from a Category-3 planetlearnabout the cross-Sector Peace Summit in the first place?’
Elswyth swallowed.
‘I thought so.’ The Captain studied me for a moment, tapping her fingers against her thigh. She wore the same outfit as Elswyth and Ashton, as did most of the Tirians in the hangar; I wondered if it was a uniform. ‘You said your friend was in the company of … aliens. Which species?’
‘A starling, a cyborg, and a cephalopod,’ Elswyth answered at once. ‘The starling was presenting as humanoid and male; I believe the cephalopod was Enterocti.’
The Captain blinked. ‘Isn’t it the Enterocti Prince who has a starling consort?’
‘That’s correct,’ Ashton said gruffly. I jumped at the sound of his voice; it was low, with a pleasant husky grate that sent a shiver over my skin.
The Captain pursed her lips. ‘Then this is far above my clearance level.’ Her eyes fell to Elswyth’s arm, still secure around my waist. ‘No.’
‘No?’ Elswyth echoed incredulously.
‘I am concerned about the human female and will report it to the Admiral immediately. I am also interested in the presence of a cyborg on that ship; they do not often leave their planet, and it’s possible they left unwillingly. The Tirian Grove will take appropriate action – or not – depending on the information they gather.’ She tilted her head, looking unnervingly like Elswyth when she did. ‘The human will be returned to Earth immediately, and you, daughter, will return to the Forest before you endanger the entire ship and the thousands of souls aboard it.’
Fuck. Disappointment churned in my stomach. This was my only lead to Tessa. What if the Tirian Grove – whatever the fuckthatwas – decided not to do anything?
Is this how I lose Tessa forever?
Elswyth exhaled slowly, then turned to me. ‘I didn’t want to do this,’ she said apologetically, lowering her voice until I could barely hear her. ‘Please believe that. But you want to find your friend, don’t you?’
‘Yes,’ I answered immediately.
She squeezed my waist. ‘Well, then. Play along.’ She turned back to her mother. ‘Maeve can’t go back to Earth, Captain,’ she said. ‘She offered me food and drink, then covered me in the warmth of her body.’
