your side. I am not going anywhere. You can do this, Jade.”
She releases the knife. It hits the wheel but misses the target, which forces the wheel to spin even faster. Her pulse quickens, and I kiss her cheek reassuringly, whispering for her to try again, which she does. When the blade skims the edge of the wheel and ricochets into the dirt, she groans in frustration.
“You’re doing great. Keep going,” I encourage softly.
Jade nods and throws another knife. Again she misses, but it does not deter her. The more she fails to hit the target, the greater her determination, and it is rather amusing to watch. The way she sticks out her tongue and pulls her eyebrows together in deep concentration is an attraction in and of itself, and I lose track of time.
“I did it!” Jade’s squeal drags me from my stupor. Her face is flushed and her breathing unsteady when she turns to me. “Did you see that? I finally hit that stupid target! I’m so freaking proud of myself.”
I cannot help but chuckle at her childlike glee. “I had every faith you would master this skill. And now comes the fun part.”
The operator appears on the booth’s screen. “Please select your prize.”
A list of objects appears beside it. Jade scrolls through them and selects the least appealing one of all. It has a flat, cylindrical nose with four blunt horns projecting from a mane of dark-blue fur. Jade holds it up like it’s the greatest creation in all the galaxies.
“It’s so freaking fluffy!”
She hugs it to her chest, her expression one of childlike joy. The prize is nearly the same size as her, which makes me smile.
“Good job, demoria.”
And then her smile fades. “I’m not a damsel. Please don’t call me that anymore.”
“‘Demoria’ does not mean ‘damsel.’”
She tilts her head at me. “Then what does it mean?”
“It is a blackbird found on Koraxia that is silent and never sings until it finds its mate. Once it does, the demoria sings so beautifully that everyone stops to listen.”
My device flashes, signaling an incoming message and diverting my attention from Jade’s awed expression. I scan it, and relief fills me when Alrok reports that they’ve almost overridden the security checkpoints. They’re still having transmission issues, but they should be able to lock on our location and beam us to the ship within a day at most, then we’re out of here.
Thank the darkness.
With this weight lifted off my shoulders, I take Jade’s hand and walk through more of the carnival. For once, I’m paying attention to the attractions. I stop outside a caravan covered in mysterious artwork, a sense of déjà vu washing over me.
Jade peers at the sign and wriggles her nose. “Fortune-teller. They’re kinda scary, don’t you think?”
I pull her against me. “There is nothing to be scared of. Their kind are perfectly harmless for the most part.”
“Uh-huh. Anyone who tells me when and where I’m going to die is a force not to be reckoned with in my book.”
I chuckle and run my gaze over the caravan. This sight transports me to a time my mother had my future foretold at a traveling fair. It was one of few occasions we were alone and she was able to be affectionate without my father punishing both of us for displaying such weakness. Love was never something given lightly in our household—it was earned.
And if it wasn’t earned, it was deprived.
“Your darkness is blessed with light,” the Jarik foretold.
I never considered that that light would be Jade.
“We had similar gifted ones back on my home planet,” I say, awash with a feeling of nostalgia.
Jade steps beside me and tries to read the sign, but it’s in Lixan. “What is your planet called?”
“Koraxia. The Jarik are our gifted ones, each born with the power of foresight. Unlike those who exploit the gift in other solar systems, Jariks cannot, for they carry the Mark.”
“Ya-recs,” Jade repeats, glancing at the caravan. “What’s the Mark? It sounds like the Dark Mark from Harry Potter.”
I am not sure who this Harry Potter is, but I do not like the mention of another male.
“It is a rare birthmark on their temple—a symbol of their power. Even when we lost ours, they remained born with the Mark despite no longer possessing the ability.”
The caravan door blinks open, and an unsatisfied customer storms down the steps. The fortune-teller appears in the entryway not a moment after and catches us observing.
“Would you like to have your