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tell the irritating man as much. The last thing Rick’s ego needed was a boost.
    Dev’s silence didn’t stem from a sense of superiority of those around him, nor did it come from disinterest or stupidity. It just wasn’t in his nature to participate. He watched, listened, protected, studied. Perhaps it was a trademark of his youth, from a time when it was better to be on guard and not draw attention to himself, never knowing when his father’s people were going to have a go at him—the half-beast weakling.
    “You tell me where we’re going,” Lucien said, walking across the commons to reach behind a chair. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey, “and I’ll let you see the new pleasure droid commercials I caught on the airwaves last night. They were the encoded ones, from the Zenni District.”
    Rick instantly pushed up from his chair and answered, “Quazer. Glamour District. That general guy that Josselyn killed left her a security box there and we’re going to check it out with her. Captain Violette is following us. We’re hoping to shake her.” He reached for the bottle of whiskey and hooked Lucien’s arm. “Did they really come from the Zenni District? They show every function on those advertisements.”
    “Each one lasts twenty-six minutes— per unit! ” Lucien answered. The two men disappeared through the door, still talking about the rogue airwaves.
    “Well,” Lochlann said, faking indifference. “Couldn’t hurt to have a peek at the new models.” As Lochlann took a step for the door, Viktor shot to his feet. Both men raced after Lucien. Lochlann beat the smaller man by a few paces. Dev heard them running down the hall, pushing into each other as they tried to catch up.
    When they were alone, Jackson said, “Ignore Rick. He doesn’t mean anything by what he says. We both know that fly boy is more damaged than any of us.”
    Dev frowned. “I wasn’t thinking about Rick.”
    “Oh,” Jackson answered, surprised. “I saw your eyes narrow. You appeared upset.” After countless hours training together, Jackson could read him pretty well.
    “I am going to run space battle simulations in the VR.” Dev stood and moved to go. Captain Violette wouldn’t leave his thoughts. The obsession was strange. He’d only seen her that one time, standing in the distance, staring at him. He’d never heard her voice, never touched her, never smelled her, but those eyes of hers, tormented and raw with emotion, contrasting the rigid pride in her slender body. She was strength and beauty and…
    What was he doing? Dev looked at his hands, to the subtle darker red markings on his flesh. They only showed at certain times and were so faint most people didn’t notice them. Violette was a human woman. She was starlight and moonshine. He looked like something from one of those Old Earth transmission waves Lucien captured and saved for them—a beast, an evil possessor, the thing of nightmares humans were always trying to kill. Violette represented everything he could ever want and yet could never have. All she could ever be to a man like him was a name, an idea…a nemesis after his family.
    “I’ll join you,” Jackson said. “I could go a few rounds with a Torg before bed.”
    “No, not this time. I need to practice my solo flight. Why don’t you join the others?” Dev didn’t break stride as he left.
     

     
Chapter 6
     
     
    G lamour District , Quazer
    Vengeance. Even the word left Violette feeling dead inside. It wasn’t like she wanted to kill the woman. She had to. Honor was the only piece of her family she had left.
    Violette knew Josselyn would appear in the Glamour District eventually. How could the woman resist seeing what inheritance the general had left her? It’s the whole reason Violette had given over the security disc to Evan. It wasn’t like she cared if the woman had a new start to a new life.
    No. Violette wanted to be sure she could track Josselyn down. The woman killed her father. That