“Are you siding with him?” Sophie frowned at him incredulously.
“I’m not siding with anyone,” Sylvan protested. “I’m just trying to defuse the situation.”
“Consider it defused.” Detective Rast gave Nadiah a cold look. “I apologize if what I saw was offensive—it’s just that my experience leads me to disbelieve these kinds of claims.”
Nadiah lifted her chin. “That’s quite all right, Detective. I don’t expect a mere human to understand my gift.”
“A human? Who’s a human?” Deep and Lock came up with Kat between them.
“He is.” Nadiah nodded at Detective Rast who was still frowning at her.
“He is?” Lock looked confused. “But I thought…with his eyes that color of green…”
“So did I,” Deep put in. He look at Sylvan. “Forgive me, Brother. I was certain he was your friend, Merrik.”
“No harm done,” Sylvan said in a tight voice.
“If there’s no harm done then why are you all so upset?” Kat asked, her blue eyes flicking over everyone’s faces. “And what was that you were saying a minute ago?” she asked Nadiah. “Something about danger?”
“She saw Lauren,” Sophie said eagerly.
“I had an al’lei,” Nadiah said stiffly. “A waking dream. My grandmamam warned me I might have them when I came into my powers. I saw Lauren in an alley filled with purple shadows. She was wearing red and blue and I had the feeling that she was in terrible danger. She…” A feeling of dread rose in her throat and Nadiah put a hand to her chest, trying to hold it back. “She’s in trouble.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “He’s not there to protect her. I don’t know where he went but—”
“Again?” Detective Rast gave her a disgusted look before turning to Baird. “Commander, I’m going to change back into my clothes and then I’d like to get this interview over with.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Baird rumbled.
“Thank you. And best wishes on your wedding.” Rast nodded at Sylvan.
“Thank you.” Sylvan frowned. “But Detective?”
“Yes?” Rast turned back for a moment.
“Don’t disrespect things you don’t understand.” Sylvan’s ice blue eyes glinted dangerously. “I know there are many things beyond the realm of human experience but that doesn’t excuse rudeness toward my kin. The Sight runs in my family. If Nadiah says she saw Lauren, then she did see her.”
“You can believe what you want,” Rast said shortly. Then he strode off toward the male’s changing area where, presumably, he’d left his clothing.
“Whew.” Lock shook his head. “He’s a prickly male.”
“And a rude one.” Deep frowned.
“You’re one to talk about that.” Kat elbowed the dark twin with a small smile. Deep returned her smile with one of his own but his twin brother, Lock, looked troubled.
“Nadiah,” he said, turning toward her. “Forgive me, but we know Lauren was headed for the Maw Cluster. Did you happen to see the planet she was on during your vision?”
Nadiah frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“You said she was in O’ah, wherever that is,” Olivia volunteered.
“O’ah?” Lock looked even more troubled. “That would be on Primus Six, I think. And you said she was wearing red and blue?”
Nadiah nodded. “Yes, and blue shoes with crimson red soles. They were very pretty, actually.”
Lock shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”
“Afraid? Why are you afraid?” Kat demanded.
“Yes, why?” Nadiah felt the fear threatening to close her throat again.
“Because.” Lock frowned. “I believe that on Primus Six, those are the colors of the skin trade.”
“The skin trade?” Sophie asked at the same time Olivia said, “What’s that?”
Deep answered for his brother. “Prostitution,” he said, his black eyes troubled. “If what you saw was accurate, Nadiah, somehow Lauren has been sold into sexual slavery.”
Chapter Seven
The girl with the orange skin led Lauren to the mouth of the alley and then turned right, into the marketplace. Things seemed to be winding down now at the end of the day, but there were still plenty of strange things to see.
Lauren watched wide-eyed as what looked like a walking tree with purple bark glided down the middle of the street. To her right, a tiny gnome with bulging iridescent eyes haggled with an insectile creature with two heads and broad, glittering transparent wings that buzzed angrily. Further down across the road, she saw what appeared to be a vending machine selling amputated fingers. Ugh! she thought uneasily. I hope those are just some kind of macabre candy. Like the gummy eyeballs you can buy to give out at Halloween back home.