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Lily glanced around the hall. Spotless. Unlike the grimy and polluted quarry planet she had just come from. Grabbing the mop and bucket off the floor, Lily moved towards the servants quarters.

She supposed it had been very kind of Cami to hire her. His palace certainly was grand. She was still getting over the shock that he was the leader of the world as she knew it, though.

The most powerful man in the galaxies. She reflected back to his words when he had found her.

“So smart,” he had said, brushing aside her golden hair from her face. “And beautiful as well. Who knew vagabonds could give birth to such lovely faces.” He had smiled and the charm had blow her away.

So now she was here, in cloths of velvet and beds with warm sheets, among the greatest nobles in the galaxies. Except her...Erin Shadows. She didn’t deserve to be called great or intelligent.

Lily rounded the corner and smacked into a palace guard. The dirty water from her bucket sprayed into the air, drenching the man. Lily gasped and the mop clattered to the ground.

“How dare you!” He snarled. “Quarry rat!”

“Please let me go!” Lily begged, she could see the door to the servants quarters three meters away.

“Why should I? You owe me!” He raised his hand in preparation for a mighty slap. Suddenly Lily’s head swam, darkness closed around and she disappeared into darkness.

———

Sander turned his attention from the first person in a cell to a stack of large cages at the other end of the room.

A woman was in the middle of picking the lock on her cage. He raised an eyebrow at her and elbowed Jackson.

“We’ve got another one.”

“Another what?” The woman and Jackson echoed.

“Captive, Jackson.” Sander whispered.

“Ooo.”

“Get away, oni! I swear I haven’t been dealing with any cursed gems lately.” The woman screamed.

“What do you mean?” Sander called.

“Eeeeep! She’s here!” Jackson squeaked.

“Who?” Sander swung his grey head around to the second mate and Jackson pointed to a cage underneath the lock-picking woman.

“Lily!”