Katrina and Smyrna locked eyes above Emily’s head.

Smyrna’s look said, “Emily is taking this shit seriously. God is she ever.”

Persima wore a look of patience, indulging Emily.

Katrina smiled in agreement. And boy was she lucky, just that moment, Emily looked up from adjusting Katrina’s skirt and caught the smile, instead of the eye-rolling Katrina had given into, not more than a few seconds earlier.

“I was hoping you’d be excited about this as much as I am!” Emily beamed.

“Oh, I am.” And Katrina was. She was very excited about the handfasting to Rush. Better than Jabba the Hutt. But her excitement was somewhat dampened by the fact they hadn’t heard anything from Caayn regarding Razor having luck finding—and collecting—her family.

She heaved a sigh. “I am. I really am, Emily.”

Smyrna hugged Katrina, whispering in her ear, “It will be okay. I trust Razor with my life.”

“Don’t mess up her hair.” Emily wagged a finger at Smyrna. She’s spent almost two hours putting it up and curling it, making do with steam and metal rods because, heaven forbid, Janus have anything which resembled a curling iron or hot rollers.

Katrina didn’t want to be Debby Downer, but damn, she just wanted to know her mother and Misha were fine and on the way. Except the contact had not reached out to her, and she didn’t know how to find him. She had told Rush she wouldn’t tell him his name. She didn’t want any of them finding him and possibly jeopardizing the mission.

Rush had said he understood and didn’t press her.

“How much longer before the ceremony?”

“An hour.” Emily sighed. “Then you can have your Nights O’ Sweetness.”

Katrina gave Emily a look. Patience, she scolded herself. Clearly, Emily didn’t understand the urgency of the matter. She also didn’t understand Katrina had no faith her sister and mother would be rescued in time. She’d have to surrender the locket. And if there was something in it which would get her in trouble later, she’d deal with it then.

“I think I’ll take a bath and prepare for the ceremony.” Persima hugged Katrina, barely touching her so Emily wouldn’t lose it again. “I’ll be back soon. Just need to wash the day’s perspiration off.”

Katrina leaned over and reached for a glass of water then realized her hands were shaking so badly she couldn’t pick it up. Stricken, she looked up at Smyrna. “Can we take a walk?”

“What?” Emily shrieked. “What if…?”

Smyrna took Emily by the shoulders. “Let me take care of this. Can you double-check the arrangements in our section and at the altar where they’ll be performing the handfasting?”

Emily’s expression brightened, happy to have another assignment, a new way to contribute. “Absolutely.” She reached the doorway and whirled around. “I don’t understand why they had to do the ceremony right after twilight, though. It’s so dark.”

“The amphitheater has lots of lighting. It will be romantic,” Smyrna assured her.

Katrina was happy Smyrna was fielding Emily’s issues because she was afraid the stress would make her go off on their friend.

No sooner had Emily closed the door behind her than Smyrna gave her a wink. “She’s excited.”

Katrina plopped down into a plush chair, clothing be damned. She’d deal with the wrinkles. “I’m a mess.”

“No. You’ve got a lot going on. It’s understandable.”

“I was ready to wring her neck.”

Smyrna released a healthy belly laugh. “Been there.” She sobered. “But not to the degree you are.”

“I was serious about the walk. I want to get out of here for a bit. Get some fresh air.”

“There’s a breeze blowing.”

“So, I’ll be windblown. Oh, well.”

“I bet Rush is one of those types that likes the windblown look.”

“He’s seen me worse.”

“How are you and he?”

Katrina sighed. “He’s helping me out. We have an attraction.”

“I think you’re understating it.”

Katrina relented. “He said he loves me, okay? But, I’m trying not to get my hopes too high.”

“Are you kidding? Have you seen the way he looks at you?”

“Let’s go for that walk.”

Katrina and Smyrna walked along a waterway with a slow, lazy current. The stream was near the amphitheater, and Smyrna explained to Katrina that Caayn had told her Asmute’s city government had put the waterway in place, a structure that surrounded the city completely, as a type of moat. Sure, it was intended to look beautiful, and, aesthetically, it did, but it served a purpose.

The channel was deep, and at the bottom, large spikes lay hidden beneath the peaceful water coursing throughout. The purpose? To prevent another organized attack by former convicts. To keep out the criminals that wanted to unite and take over the city.

“They’ve done it before,” Smyrna said. “Caayn said this city used to be very dangerous. The worst of the former convicts live in the mountains and cross the desert to plunder small towns that sprout up.”

“Who’d have figured. Here I thought Marcomal was so much more dangerous and that Janus was civilized.”

“Deceptive, isn’t it.”

“I’ll say. What’s the deal with the deserts?”

“Beats me. It’s not like we don’t have them on Earth, though.”

Katrina shrugged. “True. I wonder—”

She froze midsentence when a man appeared in front of them suddenly. She couldn’t have explained what about the man made her freeze. The intensity in his eyes, perhaps. Or maybe she was just on high alert because of her situation.

“You have something I want.” He pointed to her neck.

The locket lay tucked under the jacket she’d worn to keep a slight chill away.

“I…”

“Who the hell are you?” Smyrna asked.

“That’s not your concern,” the man snapped, the whites of his eyes matching his yellow teeth, making him look jaundiced.

Smyrna stepped between them. “I’m making it my concern.”

Katrina found her voice. “Smyrna, let me handle this. He’s–”

Smyrna put her hand out, blocking Katrina from stepping in front of her. “No. This jerk’s answering to me.”

Katrina grabbed Smyrna’s shoulder. “Caayn will kill me if something happens to you.”

“Something is for certain going to happen to her if she doesn’t get the hell out of here.” Yellow Eyes pushed lanky, greasy, shoulder-length hair behind his ears. “And I mean now.”

“I don’t think so.” A tall, dark-skinned man stepped out from behind a tree.”

“Razor,” Smyrna hissed.

The man whirled around to face the muscular man with the face carved of granite. “Who the hell are you?”

“The guy who’s here to make sure you don’t get what you want.”

Yellow Eyes pulled a menacing looking blade from within his shirt.

Razor stepped forward.

“Don’t hurt him.” Katrina stepped between them. “Please. My family is at stake.” She looked at Yellow Eyes. “Are you…? What’s your name?”

“Ernansis V’dnen,” he said with a sneer. “Now let’s have it.”

Razor shook his head. “Don’t,” he warned Katrina.

“I have to. My family—”

Razor pointed to the left.

Katrina gasped. In front of theatre several yards away, right there, in the city of Asmute, stood her mother and her sister.

Relief flooded through her.

And then she felt like she’d been punched. A warm sensation began to travel downward. She looked at her side.

Blood? Where was that coming from? She glanced at Smyrna then at Yellow Eyes— No, she told herself. Ernansis V’dnen.

He smiled, and his knife had blood on it.

He reached out toward her neck for the locket.

Smyrna leapt forward, kicking out. V’dnen slashed at her, slicing her along the thigh.

In a second, before Katrina could process what had happened, V’dnen raised the blade and aimed for Smyrna’s chest. Razor moved so fast Katrina couldn’t have said what he did. But there was a flash of movement followed by a crunching sound, and then V’dnen lay on the ground.

And Katrina knew with a certainty he was dead.

In the near distance, she heard cries, and processed it was her mother and her sister, and they were running toward her.