Page 39 of Crave

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“DeepWandershuttle, last chance,”

“We’ll see about that,” Kinsley drawled. She reached out one hand past his for the comm. “May I?”

The ring on her thumb winked at him, and when he glanced up at her, she did the same. He lifted all four hands in an Earther gesture of surrender.

She toggled the comm switch to outgoing. “Pratorim, this is Kinsley, Dorn’s accomplice. I have the rock.”

Sil raised his gaze to hers again. She was watching him, her smoky gaze steady, and the silent acknowledgment passed between them that this was exactly what she’d been accused of before.

With solemn deliberation, he gave her an Earther nod and a flick of one of his many fingers at the comm.

The smile she gave him was as tremulous as the first moment when he’d tried to sing to stone.

But her voice was unwavering when she said, “Let’s make a deal.”

Chapter 13

The moment of stilted silence from thePratorimsent an uglier vibration through the tense atmosphere of the shuttle. “Where is Dorn?”

“Dead for all I know,” Kinsley said. She hoped her temporary translator fully rendered her sincere lack of caring. “I was trying to leave theDeepWanderwhen he sought my assistance. So here I am.”

“Our deal was with Dorn.”

“Don’t feel too bad about it; everybody makes mistakes. Now you can deal with me.”

Another long silence. “Why did it take you so long to respond?” The query was all suspicion.

“As you can tell, interference out here is bad,” she reminded them. “I wasn’t sure you weren’t theDeepWander, and they are mad at me.”

“But you have the rock?”

“As I said.”

“Pulse a signal so we can come to you and complete the deal.”

“In a second.” Kinsley rolled her eyes. “Do you think I missed the exploded ship on the way here? Your doing, I presume?”

“Dorn had apparently made several contacts. Though we agreed on an exchange between us, the other parties were still interested.”

She chuckled. “Double crossed by a thief. How unexpected.”

“Aren’t you relieved we took care of it for you?”

“So kind,” she drawled. “And I know you won’t do the same to me because…”

“Because you have the rock?”

She laughed again. “Well, maybe we can come to a deal after all. So here’s what we’ll do.” She toggled the comm control back and forth. “First, we… And then we…” She jiggled it some more while Sil frowned at her. “Got it?”

“Interference seems to be worsening, shuttle. Say again.”

She flicked the comms again. “What? You’re breaking up. Say agai—” She cut the signal and sat back.

Antennae stiff, Sil blinked at her. “What?”

“Ancient Earther trick.”

“That is not how spaceship comms work.”