Jace turned toward her, still holding the spatula over the pan. "Wait, so you're saying your people live in underwater cities, heal faster than most species, and can adapt their minds to learn and process things quicker than us?"
Serai gave a slow nod, her eyes steady but unreadable.
Jace scratched his jaw. "That sounds like a pretty advanced, peaceful people. So how does someone like you end up in a space prison? From what I hear, that place only holds the worst."
At that, Serai's gaze broke. She looked away, shoulders shifting uneasily. Her lips parted like she wanted to answer, but no words came. Instead, she pressed them shut again.
Jace frowned. That reaction told him more than words could. Maybe she was hiding something. Maybe she didn't want to say it yet.
He turned back to the stove, flipping the pan absentmindedly. A tightness pulled in his chest.
Did he make a mistake taking her in? He didn't know her history. He didn't know who might come looking for her.
