I thought I’d grown immune to looks and charm, but Rhys was putting that theory to the test. I wouldn’t want him for myself, but he certainly was easy on the eyes.
“The whipped cream comes first,” I agreed with a smile.
“How long are you staying?” Ada asked.
“I jumped twice on the way here, so the FTL drive cooldown will take almost twelve hours,” I said. “I want to be ready to go by then, but you don’t have to stay that long because I’m also going to need to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you all up so early.”
Surprisingly, it was Loch who waved off my words. “What happened?” he asked.
I brought them up to speed while Rhys finished the whipped cream and started slicing fruit. By the time I was finished, brunch was ready. We carried the food out to the table on the balcony and sat in the gentle afternoon sun. A light breeze carried the briny scent of the sea and kept the temperature pleasant.
I ate lightly, my stomach queasy thanks to the headache. Rhys hadn’t been joking—Veronica was an excellent chef and everything tasted amazing. After eating what I could, I sipped coffee, lost in my thoughts.
Rhys broke the silence. “I haven’t heard anything about your brother’s disappearance other than what’s been reported on the news, but I’ve got a few people asking questions. If it really is the Syndicate then I might get a lead or two. I’ve worked with them before.”
“Have you heard anything about their upcoming party?” I asked.
Ada turned to me with a dark look. “Don’t even think about it,” she warned. “They already have Ferdinand. Are you going to serve yourself up on a platter, too?”
“That wasn’t my intention, no. I’ve been on a Silva ship before.” Ada blanched, but I kept going. “I know how they operate. They are driven far more by money than politics, and I have no problem buying Ferdinand back if that’s what it takes. I just need to track one of them down. Assuming it’s soon, the party is the best option.”
“It will be a tricky deal to pull off,” Veronica said.
“I know, but if I don’t try, Ferdinand suffers.”
“Marcus and I will come with you,” Ada declared.
“No,” I disagreed gently. “This is not a case where more people mean more safety. And if things really do go south, I’ll need someone who can bail me out. You can’t do that if you’re locked up with me.”
Ada opened her mouth to argue, but Loch beat her to it. “Bianca is right,” he said. “One or two people can slip in quietly, but take a team and it looks like an invasion.”
They shared a look before Ada sighed in defeat. “Very well. We won’t go with you, but we’ll be close. And at the first sign of trouble, we’ll bring the invasion.” Her smile was sharp and just a little bit scary. My little sister had changed in the two years she’d been gone.
“Thank you,” I said.
We discussed plans and options until I could barely keep my eyes open, but it all boiled down to one hard truth: if I couldn’t find Silva, I wouldn’t find Ferdinand. We talked about contacting them electronically, but in the end, we agreed that tipping them off early would be a good way for Ferdinand to get dead and dumped in an unused corner of the universe.
When I yawned for the third time in as many minutes, Ada said, “Go to bed. It’s late in Universal and you need sleep. We’ll go down to the beach for a while. It’s been ages since I was last on GCD One and I want to enjoy the water while I’m here.”
“There are plenty of guest rooms, so make yourselves at home. You already found the kitchen and you’re welcome to whatever is in it. There’s also a synthesizer if you need something I don’t have.”
“Bianca, we’ll be fine. We are all adults. Go to bed.”
“Fine, fine,” I said with a wave. She might be an adult, but she’d always be my little sister. “Wake me up if any news comes in. Otherwise, I’ll see you in six hours.”
“Make it seven,” Ada demanded.
“Watch it. I have a whole host of baby Ada stories that I’ve been dying to tell someone. Remember the time when you ate—”
Ada clamped her hand over my mouth. “If you tell that story, I will shave your head bald while you sleep.”
“Well now I have to hear the story,” Rhys said.
Ada glared at him before switching her glare back to me. Bald, she mouthed succinctly as she removed her hand.
“What did she eat?” Rhys asked.
“If you want to hear the rest of the story, you’ll have to ask her. I like my hair as it is.” I stood and gathered up my dirty dishes. “Oh, that reminds me. Ask her about her time as a self-barber, too.” I dodged away from her playful smack with a laugh.
“So you decided to cut your own hair?” Loch asked, his deep voice rumbling with amusement. “How did that go?”
My work finished, I beat a hasty retreat before Ada could threaten me again. I was glad we got a moment to play, because the crushing worry for Ferdinand was never far away.
I dropped my dishes in the kitchen, then retired to my bedroom. The rest of the suite was open and available to anyone who visited, but my room was kept locked. I swiped my identity chip over the reader and the door clicked open.
The sea-green room was dominated by a large bed with crisp white bedding. The closet and en suite bathroom were off to the left. On the right, a wall of sliding glass panels led out onto a private balcony and offered an uninterrupted view of the water.
I admired the view for a second before I lowered the blackout curtains. I switched on a lamp as the room descended into darkness. Because the days were longer than usual on GCD One, most residences invested in quality blackout shades—it was hard to sleep with the sun shining in your eyes.
The room was a little more shielded than the rest of the penthouse and that, plus the minimal number of signals in this part of Atlantia, meant I could rest in silence. By the time I finally flopped into the bed, it was well after midnight Universal. I was asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.
I awoke to furious pounding on my bedroom door. “Bianca! Bianca, wake up, dammit! Wake uuupp!”
It took me a second to recognize Ada’s voice. “What’s going on?” I asked groggily.
Ada apparently hadn’t heard me over her own shouting, so the auditory assault continued.
I switched on a lamp and checked my com. It was just after four in the morning Universal Time and midevening local time. I stumbled to the door and wrenched it open. “What?” I demanded.
“Ian is here,” Ada said. “Grab your stuff.”
I blinked at her and the words bounced off my tired brain. “What do you mean he’s here?”
Ada swept past me into the room and began gathering up my clothes and accessories. “He’s here, in the building. Loch spotted him entering the main part of the hotel. He must’ve tracked your ship.” She paused. “Or ours. You never know with that sneaky bastard. Here.” She thrust yesterday’s clothes at me.
I caught them reflexively and started getting dressed. Ian had tracked me with uncanny speed and skill, which meant that Ada was probably correct and he’d bugged my ship.