He sat in a room gloomy with artificial lighting. His elbows leaned on a metal surface. Another man sat at the table, and a solidly built woman stood behind him near something that looked like a stove. In a corner, a pot hovered over a patch of glowing mist. Lights blinked on a wall panel. The walls were shimmering purple.
A kitchen, but not one like she had ever seen.
The man, Daya, put his cup on the table with a clunk. He met the other man’s eyes. His uncle, Jessica knew.
“By the way, I’m going to be away for the next few days.” Nerves tightened his voice, even though he tried to sound relaxed.
His uncle raised heavy eyebrows. “You’ve just come back. There’s the year reports to be done. There’s a board meeting on tomorrow, and—”
“The board can meet without me. I’ll send Ilrith; she
