Chapter 48

Jamison and Nessa let their stares bore into Trevon for a moment. He shrank back into his seat. Meanwhile, a pale-skinned teenager with brown dots all over his face showed up with blue powder that he poured on Trevon's spill.

"Jamison," he said with hesitation. "I had no idea. You were right. All this time. I was too stubborn to admit it."

Jamison fell into the other seat. Trevon continued:

"Honestly, I guess I'm jealous."

"I know," Jamison said. "I…"

"My anger issues got in the way of our relationship, Jamison," Trevon butted in. "I was just jealous of..."

"Nessa," she clarified.

"Of Nessa."

"I love you, Daddy," Maz said.

Eklun cleared his throat over the conversation.

"No offense," he said, "but we need to get going."

Back in the landing lot, Nessa opened her ship. Trevon enfolded Maz in his arms.

"Let me get your luggage," he said.

Maz and Nessa watched Trevon return to his pod. Nessa strapped herself into her ship. Elektra stroked her implant. The nestmates, Maz and Nessa, gazed into the sky—a brilliant display of oranges and pinks. One instant it was colors; the next, a rounded black shape with a metallic luster darkened the sky. An opening unsealed on the bottom, and a disk broke away and made its way to the ground. Its size dwarfed the five kids.

"Maz," Nessa said into her implant. "How do I get in?"

Maz talked into his implant.

"See the opening?" He asked. "Go into it before we take the loading disk up."

Nessa initiated the control. Her head spun, and her stomach turned when the nose cone shot upward. She gagged. Through the rounded opening was a white ship. The walls were white, and the surface was white. A horizontal surface spread across much of the area, interrupted by a built-in staircase. She straightened her ship. She tapped the code into the log drive.

Landing gear initiated, it read.

She pushed a lever up. The deck grew larger by the second. Then there was a rumble as the ship was secured. She unlatched herself and pushed the ship hatch toward the ceiling. Then she descended the four steps off the deck. She knelt near the opening.

On the ground, Trevon handed Maz the luggage. They exchanged another embrace.

"We're leaving," Scion said. "Five minutes."

"I'm ready," Maz announced. "Nessa's already docked her ship."