Lawrence Demerin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his office aboard the warship, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of stars beyond.
His jaw tightened as his finger hovered over the call button on his optical brain. The encrypted line crackled softly, signaling a secure connection to his sister, Athena.
The call connected, and Athena's face appeared on the holographic screen. Her brows knitted slightly in surprise.
"Brother?" she asked, sitting up straighter. "What's wrong?"
"I need to tell you something," Lawrence said without preamble.
His voice was steady, but Athena caught the faint tension beneath the surface, a rare occurrence for her composed brother.
"Someone from Mors' family arrived on Asenus recently. They claimed to be here for a vacation."
Athena's eyes narrowed. "From the Jericho family? I didn't hear anything from Mors about a family visit."
