Galactic Gale

Chapter Thirty-Three

Apart

Nona had no idea now the blaster had gotten into her hands, but she raised the weapon with certainty.

The stranger she aimed the blaster at shrugged, as if he knew she would never pull the trigger. Despite the heat rushing to her face, she kept her arm straight.

If she had to, she knew what she would do.

Had she been standing anywhere else; the dark thought would have caused her to flatter. She had used a blaster before, but shooting her enemies was not her favourite hobby, even when her life was in immediate danger.

Nona much preferred to have others pulling the trigger.

Slowly, Hershyl raised his hands and waved them as if he was a teacher telling her off for making an error with her work. "Please. Don't threaten me. I came here to discuss Krome and perhaps even help your friend. There doesn't need to be any fighting."

"My father had no brother." Nona clenched her jaw and motioned with her other hand for Leh to step forward. The Feeling was hesitant to do as she was told. "What are your extra senses picking up?" Nona called back to her.

"He's not lying – or at least, he doesn't believe he is lying." Leh swallowed, her neck bouncing. She lowered her voice and added, "I don't want to be dragged into any kind of scandal."

"That's why you ordered a stolen vase and had it delivered at midnight, thinking no one would realise. Because you hate being involved with any form of scandal." Nona threw Leh a sharp look, sparing only a heartbeat before she turned her attention back to Hershyl.

"You're coming back to Uterca with us." Nona had no idea what prompted her to make the decision. It was likely foolish to drag the man who had funded Lezorith's terror building and possibly whatever Kael was hunting back home with her, but what other choice did she have?

You could end this right here, a voice in the back of her head whispered. End it right here and pretend he died in an accident. Push him over the edge. Leh won't be able to say anything about it. If she did, you could use that vase against her.

But Nona pushed the thoughts away. She was not that kind of person. She did not stomp on a bug if it crossed her path, and not only because it would ruin her shoes.

There was a right way of doing things, and there was a wrong way of doing things. For too long she had allowed herself to consider the wrong way.

Telion would have pulled the trigger. Nona knew what her mother was like. She would have killed Hershyl and made his body disappear. No doubt she had wanted to do so years before, but Chessin had stepped between them and allowed the man before Nona to go free.

The question as to why her father would have done so prompted Nona to take a step forward. She failed to realise the motion was threatening to Hershyl, rather than a portrayal of her curiosity, until he stumbled back.

"You're not in our family records. Where is your proof?" she said.

"My father was Eethel Biirtonia-Lesquanth Galtionie. Chessin's father. My mother was a palace servant. I can't imagine the former king wanted that on record, or the current queen, for that matter. Do you want me on official documents?" Hershyl chuckled at her frown. "No. I didn't think so. And I don't blame you either."

"So, you're an outcast. Chessin paid you off every so often and now it's up to me to get rid of you."

"It's impossible to be outcasted from something you were never a part of. The Galtionie family never accepted me. Therefore, they could never have thrown me away."