I knew Father loved me. But if he had a choice between settling his debts or marrying me off—the daughter who had no prospects—well…it was always going to be an easy choice.

“I’ll marry him,” I said, my voice finding strength, when I met my Father’s gaze in the reflection of the window.

“Gemma, just…no,” Mira started, and I heard the wavering in her voice, the helplessness in the way she looked back and forth between us. “We can sort this out!”

“But I have some conditions,” I said, ignoring her.

Father turned, his expression grim. He waved a hand in the air to let me know he was listening.

“I will hire on a manager for the caverns. You will not go near them. You will not deal with any of the workers, nor will you touch their wages again. The manager will oversee everything and they will deposit your share of the profits into the main account at the end of every month.”

Father put his hands into the pockets of his trousers, but his expression didn’t change.

“You will let Mira and Piper choose their matches when the time comes,” I continued. “And you will not interfere.”

“Go on,” he said, his tone rough and guttural. “I’m sure you have more.”

“Just one more, though I would not consider it a condition,” I said, my throat tightening. “Once I leave the Collis, I’ll be done with the loans, Father.”

His expression darkened. His gaze flitted to Mira quickly, who asked, frowning, “Loans? What loans?”

“And everything having to do with them,” I added.

Which translated into keeping the collectors at bay. The pleading for extensions; the endless Halo calls; fielding the threats of terrible violence against me, my father, my sisters. Everything I’d shielded my father and my sisters from.

“This will be a clean slate for you. Don’t do anything to ruin that,” I said, my voice breaking at the last words. “Do you accept?”

It took long moments but finally my father inclined his head.

“I accept.”

Mr. Cross’s knowing face lit up the Halo orb. It looked like he was shirtless, likely getting ready for bed. I’d been pacing my room for the last twenty minutes, storing up my courage to make this call.

“I knew I’d be hearing from you soon, Miss Hara.”

“How much is he paying you to make the match?” I asked. It was something I’d wondered since our call earlier.

Mr. Cross’s grin could only be described as hungry.

“The Kylorr? One hundred fifty vron,” he said.

One hundred fifty thousand credits.

That was the price of my father’s original loan, the interest if we’d taken until the end of the year, and more. Much more.

“And he will pay off your father’s loan to me.”

Why? I wanted to shout in disbelief.

Why was marrying the eldest daughter of House Hara so vital to this Kylorr? To spend that obscene amount of credits when we’d never even met?

I suppose I’m about to find out, I thought.

“Do you have something to say to me, Miss Hara?” Mr. Cross asked, his tone taking on a gleeful tinge. “A thank-you perhaps?”

Swallowing, I dug my fingernails hard into my palms.

Then, with the strongest voice I could muster, I said, “Tell the Kylorr I’ll marry him if he pays off all my father’s debts and secures our estate.”

“Do you have a price in mind that I should relay to him?”

A price.

Like I was something to be sold. Cattle in a field. Blue salt in a cavern. Plates from a potter on Dumera.

You’re a cold bitch with a stick up your ass, Piper had said to me.

The debts would only require 200,000 to pay off. If he wanted to make this a transaction, then I would too.

Steeling my spine, I said, “Four hundred vron. Two hundred to pay off the debts up front. But I will require another two hundred to be placed into a secure account under my name—and my name alone.”

Maybe a selfish, scared part of me thought my price would send this Kylorr running.

Mr. Cross laughed. But his grin was wide when he said, “I admire your sense of self-worth, Miss Hara. But his ambassador did assure me that he would pay whatever price you asked. I’ll relay your message and get the contracts drawn up.”

When the Halo call was over, I stood in the middle of my room, a fire roaring in the hearth, frozen in disbelief and grief and anger and shame and terror.

That was when the impact of what I’d just done hit me hard.

I just sold myself to a Kylorr.

Chapter 4

Gemma

“Gemma?” came Fran’s soft voice. “They’re ready.”

Turning from the window, I met Fran’s hazel eyes. Her black curls had been wrangled into a tight braid that fell over her shoulder. She was dressed in a deep emerald-green dress that looked beautiful against her warm brown skin.

My friend gave me a wobbly smile as she took in my white dress and my long, straight hair that I’d left unbound. She said, “You look beautiful, Gem.”

I ignored her words. “Has Father met with the Kylorr yet?”

Meaning my soon-to-be husband and his witness, all the way from Krynn itself.

“No, he’s…he’s waiting for you. You’ll go in together, and I’ll be right behind you.”

I nodded and strode forward, the slippers on my feet slapping against the stone. “Let’s get it over with, then.”

Before I lose my nerve, I added silently. Or my breakfast.

Everything had happened so fast. Only three days ago, I had called Mr. Cross with my answer. The very next morning, I’d had an answer from the Kylorr and a contract to sign.

Now I was standing in the atrium of a Nulaxy courthouse. A neutral governing colony, given my father’s ties to the United Alliance and the Kylorrs’ own loyalties to the Uranian Federation.

Only two days ago, I had packed up my entire life into three trunks. Only two days ago, I’d said goodbye to my home, to my planet, to the Collis. Only two days ago, I’d said goodbye to my mother at her grave by the lake.

Only two days ago, I’d said goodbye to my sisters.

We thought it best if they didn’t attend the wedding and instead stayed behind in the Collis. We thought it safer. It was possible the Kylorr could change his mind. That upon seeing my sisters, he could change his preference to one of them. I didn’t want to give him the opportunity.

When we’d said goodbye, Piper had barely looked at me, which had left a tight knot in my throat. Mira’s tears had soaked my shoulder, and I’d had dug half crescents into my palms to keep myself from soaking hers. We’d never been apart since either of them had been born. Not once. Not ever. Not even for a day. Now I didn’t know when—or if—I’d ever see them again.

Fran, the last remaining housekeeper of House Hara and my dearest friend, had come as a witness to Nulaxy in their stead.

“Gemma,” she said, stepping in front of me, blocking my path when I made a beeline for the door that would lead to another door that would lead to him.

Fran’s gentle, warm touch made me freeze. I hadn’t cried. Not once. But I didn’t need to be strong for Fran. She wouldn’t think any less of me, and so when the tears suddenly blurred my vision, I let them.

“Oh, Gem,” Fran murmured, biting her lip. She reached out and pulled me into a hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

More bandages. Temporary ones. I wanted to believe her.

“I-I made arrangements for the new manager to be at the house starting next week. Father will meet with him, but I would appreciate if you could show him the caverns, introduce him to the workers,” I said.

“Gemma,” Fran said, sighing, pulling back. Her hazel eyes darted between my own. She was only a year younger than me, but sometimes she felt more like a mothering figure.