“Maybe you should stay in bed a while longer,” Ronad suggested. “We don’t know what other effects that serum might’ve had on you. I wouldn’t want you collapsing again and ending up in a worse state.”

I smiled. “I appreciate the concern, but I want to speak to him. Lauren, will you come with me? You know him better than I do.”

“He’ll be pleased to properly meet you without a million other things going on. I’ve spoken about you a lot,” she said shyly, helping me out of the bed. I took a deep breath, my body feeling unbearably weak, my legs shaking.

“He didn’t seem all that pleased to meet me the last time we saw each other,” I muttered.

“Those were unfortunate circumstances, but I swear he’s eager to get to know you better. All of you, in fact.”

Angie, Ronad, Xiphio, and I exchanged a dubious look, but Lauren wouldn’t be deterred. She offered her hands to help me stand. Angie and Ronad stepped back as I hauled myself out of bed, with Lauren propping me up. I would’ve gone to find Navan and asked him to join me, if he hadn’t locked himself in his room and banned me from seeing him. I tried not to let the thought bother me as I hobbled across the room. Lauren let me grip her shoulder as I shimmied into a pair of pants to cover my pajamas and pulled a sweater over my head. To be honest, I didn’t know how I’d ended up in my pajamas, but I imagined one of my two best friends had helped. Every movement sapped more of my remaining strength, but I wouldn’t be beaten.

Dressed and ready, I stepped out of the bedroom and headed up the corridor, moving through the main space, before continuing down the other hallway of the cruiser. Lauren was leading the way, since she knew where Stone was being kept. I’d expected Angie to follow us, but she hung back in my bedroom. I could hear the murmur of her voice, Xiphio’s, and Ronad’s as we left, but none of them sounded too happy.

As we walked, I took the opportunity to speak with Lauren one-on-one, knowing I might not get another chance if things escalated. It was so good to have her back after so long without her, but there was no denying that something had changed. She wasn’t the mousy girl she’d been before. Instead, a fierce woman had taken her place. Honestly, it was going to take some getting used to, but glimpses of the old her shone through every now and again.

“So, you were really just playing a part out there on the battlefield?” I asked. “We were worried when you wouldn’t even look at us. We thought something terrible had happened to you, like your memory had been wiped or something.”

Lauren smiled. “Life on board Stone’s ship was all about surviving, and that’s what I was doing. I couldn’t allow my feelings to get in the way of the exchange. I didn’t want Ezra putting two and two together, though I knew my humanness wouldn’t go unnoticed. I’d already told Stone I’d be more than happy to stay inside during the drop-off, but he insisted I come out with him. If I’d run to you or called out to you, Ezra might have used you as pawns to get what he wanted. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

“So, Stone really hasn’t brainwashed you?”

“He really hasn’t,” she replied. “I’m not going to pretend it was easy being his prisoner, but I’ve learned a lot.”

“Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head, a funny expression on her face. “He hates unnecessary violence, and I never gave him a reason to hurt me. Even after he snatched me, he didn’t raise his voice or his hand to me. He was firm but not unkind. I was convinced he was going to sell me off at the nearest flesh market, but he told me he didn’t agree with the trafficking of sentient beings.”

“Then why did he take you in the first place?” I wondered, my tone bitter.

“I think he wanted to punish us for messing with him, though once he’d taken me he didn’t really know what to do with me,” she explained. “Anyway, I made myself useful in those first days, once the initial shock had eased off, just in case he changed his mind about the trafficking thing. Plus, I didn’t feel like being abandoned on a random planet, either, which was the alternative I’d heard him discussing with Niniver. I had free rein of the ship, and spent hours familiarizing myself with all the listings on the darkstar market. Alfa and Dio kept an eye on me, but they weren’t cruel at all. They were more curious than anything else. Once I’d figured out which items were the most valuable, I demanded that Stone let me go on a scavenging expedition for him, to prove my worth. I knew what’d be the easiest and most worthwhile to steal, without getting us into trouble.”

I realized she’d said “us,” as though she’d really become part of Stone’s crew. I wasn’t sure if she knew she’d said it.

“What, and he just let you?”

She laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Not at first, no. It took a week or so for him to agree to it, but once he said yes, he never looked back. He realized that my suggestions made sense—the thefts would be low risk for high gain. It was a double win, and he was more than happy to reap the rewards. After all, he’d lost out on the money for that nasty suit of armor, so he had to make the credits up somewhere.”

“You helped him steal?”

“I told you, I had to do whatever I could to survive,” she replied bluntly. Somehow, our situations had managed to mirror one another’s during our time apart. While she’d been doing whatever she could to become part of the scavengers’ crew, I’d been doing whatever I could to try to get her back. I understood, in that moment, that we’d taken too long. The old Lauren was gone, though I wasn’t sure this new Lauren was any less wonderful.

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” I murmured, half to myself.

“They’re not bad guys; they’re really not. As soon as I proved myself to be a useful member of the team, they started treating me like one of their own. Stone gave me a room and made sure I was fed. It wasn’t bad at all,” she said. “I missed you guys. It was really difficult to forgive Stone for taking me away, but I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. I knew I had to get used to my new situation, in case it ended up being a permanent thing.”

“You must have known we’d do anything to find you!” I felt sad knowing that she’d had to endure that by herself, uncertain whether anyone would ever come for her. And yet, there was a fondness in the way she spoke about the crew, like they’d become friends.

“I hoped you might, but that’s something Stone and his crew have taught me: there are no certainties in life. You have to make your own path, or you’ll end up lost on someone else’s,” she said, casting me a sorrowful look.

I sighed heavily, unable to wrap my head around her affection for the scavenger crew. “But you wouldn’t have had to do all that if Stone hadn’t taken you in the first place!”

“But he did, and that opened up a new path in my life. I had two choices. If all I’d done was look back and sit around, waiting for you guys to come for me, he’d have dumped me on a planet somewhere, where I might have been in even more danger. So, I looked forward instead, learning and listening, the way I’ve always done,” she reasoned. Her allegiance to Stone was really starting to worry me. It was like she wouldn’t hear any criticism of his actions. There seemed to be a strong feeling of respect in there, too, which just didn’t make sense to me.

“Do you like him or something?” I asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

She pulled a face, her cheeks reddening. “As a friend, yes. I like all of them as friends. They’re nonviolent and loyal, and they’ve taught me a lot, believe it or not. I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face, but they’re not bad people—they just do what they have to, to make a living.”

I resisted reiterating the point that they would have dumped her on a planet, all by herself, if she hadn’t proven herself to be a mastermind of thievery. Even if I had, I was pretty sure she would’ve had a comeback for me—a seemingly rational explanation for everything Stone and his crew did.

“So, how do we stop him from freezing us and escaping?” I said, as we arrived at the room where Stone was being kept. It was one of the storage closets, though it was still massive inside. There were boxes stacked opposite the door—presumably containing the valuables that had been cleared to make room for Stone.

“Ronad insisted on chaining a leather strap across his third eye and cuffing his wrists. He found some cuffs in one of the cruiser’s bedrooms,” Lauren replied, arching an amused eyebrow.

I shuddered, thinking of Killick. “Nice.”

“He won’t freeze me, anyway,” she assured me. “There’s honor amongst thieves, and I’m one of his crew members now. When a new person joins, he swears an oath never to use his power against them. So far, he hasn’t broken that promise.”

Doubtful that Stone would continue to keep his promise, I slid back the lock on the door and pushed it open, peering tentatively inside. Stone was lounging on a hammock he’d managed to make from a cut-up sack, which he’d somehow stretched between two towering shelving units. His hands were free, which didn’t really surprise me, but he was still wearing the leather strap across his third eye. He glanced up as we entered, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world, one leg dangling off the side of the hammock.

“Stone, you and I need to talk,” I said defiantly, moving closer.

He chuckled. “Nah, I don’t think we do.”

“It wasn’t really a request.”

“You forcin’ me to speak to you, now you’ve taken me freedom?” he asked thoughtfully. “An’ here was me, thinkin’ you’d be different. Lemme guess, that merevin Fed’s got you doing his dirty work?”

“No, I’m here for my own reasons.”

He cast a glance at Lauren. “What you doin’ with her, Ren? You decided to switch back now they’ve found ye? Can’t say I’d blame ye, though I’ll be fierce sorry to see you go.”

I looked at Lauren. “Ren?”

“New situation, new nickname.” Her cheeks flushed.

“Are you saying you won’t speak to us?” I pressed, annoyed by his casual attitude. “How’d you manage to get out of your cuffs, anyway?”

He grinned wolfishly. “Not the first time I’ve been caught in a pair of ‘em. There’s a knack to breaking ‘em. Easy, once ye know how.”

“Stone, stop being an idiot and help us out,” Lauren barked unexpectedly. “You aren’t going anywhere unless this ship takes you back to your crew, so you might as well start cooperating. There’s still a revenge bounty on your head, so if you go outside, you’re going to find it impossible to get a ship to take you out of the Junkyard. If you answer a few questions that my friends might have, I’m sure they’ll consider taking you wherever you need to go.”

I stared at her in shock, filled with a newfound respect. There was a startling authority in her voice that not even Stone could ignore. He was already sitting up straighter, looking at Lauren with a thoughtful expression.

“Ye make a fine argument, Ren. I’ll hear what they’ve got to say, if it pleases ye. I guess I owe you a favor or two,” he said, after a brief pause.

“Much appreciated,” she replied tersely, though a small smile was playing upon her lips.

“So, what’s it ye want to know?” Stone asked, his voice relentlessly calm.

“First, I want you to tell me what you know about Ezra and Orion,” I explained. “What are they up to? What have they asked you to scavenge for them? Have you noticed anything strange about them lately, or gotten any unusual requests?”

Stone shrugged. “Never had no dealings with the boss man, Orion. My deals are done with Ezra, and I keep it pure business. If I don’t ask no questions, I keep my heart beating.”

“That’s ridiculous. You must know something!” I said, exasperated. “What else has he asked you to get for him? The serrantium weapons must have been a nightmare to find, and he hasn’t given you the payment for them—you don’t need to protect him anymore. He’s not a good guy.”

“Never said he was, and never said I was protecting ‘im. He’s nowt to me but a business associate. Besides, I’d have had me money if you’d not stepped in, tryin’ to capture me,” he replied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand why ye had to do it—Ren’s a rare bird—but it’s plain fact that ye muddled things up.” He never once raised his voice, keeping infuriatingly cool.

I, however, was starting to lose my temper. “You’re telling me you’ve never been curious? If Ezra is trying to get his hands on unbreakable weapons, then you must want to know what he wants them for!”

“People’s business is people’s business,” he said simply.

“What, and you don’t care about the consequences? You don’t want to know who he’s going to use those weapons on?”

This seemed to interest him, his eyes narrowing in thought. I realized I’d hit upon a sore spot, especially after what I’d overheard Lauren saying—Stone’s entire race had been wiped out. Of course, deep down, he was going to care about the fights his shipments ended up playing a part in.

Even so, he stayed as cool as a cucumber, a minor flicker of the eyes the only thing showing his true feelings. “No concern of mine.”

It was time for me to change tactics.

“Look, you might not want to tell me anything about your business deals, but you can definitely do something to help us.” I took a deep breath. “I want to make a deal with you, in exchange for your freedom.”