to the living space and smiled at her.
“I know. I-I just want them to understand what a good person he is and how much he cares.”
“I wish I could assure you that they would, but they can be unpredictable.” Zemma sighed. “Instead of pacing, why don’t you come and talk to me while I work?”
“Work?” Why did that surprise her?
“You don’t need to look so shocked. I’ve been supporting myself for a while now.”
“I’m sorry, I should have known better. What do you do?”
“I make jewelry. Come see my workroom.” Zemma led the way into a small room filled with neatly labeled boxes. She offered one to Izzie, and she gasped in delight at the array of sparkling stones.
“These are gorgeous. Where did you get them?”
“In the lower caves. Of course, they don’t start out like that.” Zemma showed her a rough stone and explained how she would cut and polish it to create one of the gems. She also showed Izzie one of the finished pieces—a delicate necklace with tiny sparkling stones scattered in a dark mesh.
“It reminds me of the glow crystals.”
“Exactly. I was trying to capture that image.”
“It’s exquisite. People must be willing to pay a fortune for your work.” The happiness left Zemma’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“I had started to expand into Port Eyeja—just a few pieces here and there, but business was starting to grow. That’s why Njkall let me go to the party where I met Chotgor. But that’s all over now. Another thing he ruined.”
“Does it have to be over?” she asked gently. “If they are considering going back to the port?”
“If they allow anyone to return, it will be males only. They will never let me return. For my own good,” Zemma added bitterly.
“You’re not a prisoner. I told you before that if it’s what you want, Baralt will make it happen.”
“Not if he finds out about Chotgor.”
“I know,” Baralt said quietly from the doorway, his eyes filled with concern as he studied his sister’s face.
Zemma swayed. “No! How?”
“Njkall told me because he thought I needed to know, and he was right.”
“I never wanted you to know,” Zemma whispered.
“We never need to discuss it again, but if you want to talk about it, then I will listen. I just want you to know one thing—I love you. That hasn’t changed, and it never will.”
Zemma burst into tears and threw herself into Baralt’s arms. Izzie’s own eyes were wet, but she gave Baralt a grateful smile before she slipped out of the room and left the two of them alone.
When Baralt eventually came to find her, she was standing in the bathing room with the outer door open, looking out over the mountains.
“Are you not cold, my aria?” he asked as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and followed it with his arms.
“A little, perhaps.” She snuggled back against him, still gazing into the distance. “But I wanted to clear my head.”
“Is it clear?”
“Yes, I think so.” She turned in his arms and looked up at him. “Do you love me?”
“You know that I do.”
“No matter what has happened to me?” Her throat closed down, and she had to force out the next words. “Even if I’m like Zemma?”
“Yes, my mate. Always.” His arms tightened, protective but not confining. “The slavers?”
“Y-yes. I angered one of them. He used the shock stick when I tried to fight, and I don’t really remember what happened, but I knew. I knew.”
The tears came then, and she had no way of stopping them. Baralt lifted her into his arms and carried her out onto the small balcony before sitting down in a sheltered corner and rocking her gently as she cried. The icy wind chilled her wet cheeks when at last her sobs shuddered to a stop, but the rest of her was warm in his embrace. Her head ached from crying, but she felt lighter than she had in a long time.
“Why did you bring me out here?” she asked eventually.
“So that you would not feel enclosed. So that your head could be clear.”
She looked up, and he was smiling at her, his eyes as warm and loving as always.
“Thank you. But I think I’m ready to go back inside.”
“Of course.” He stood and carried her through the bathing room to their bedroom. “I have something to ask you.”
“What?”
“When I asked if you chose to join with me on the ship, you didn’t understand what I meant, did you?”
“I thought you meant sex,” she admitted.
“And when