It’s my life that’s screwed up. And I just have to hope I’ll be able to find Claire and my father, that’s the only thing I can do now. I can’t help Rune when they need me.
His stare locks on mine as I walk backwards and slip through the sliding passage with Jex. Something flits across Rune’s expression, then the door closes, separating us, and something in my heart aches. I’m not going to think about what it is. It’s too intangible and unreal and I need to get back to my sister. I can’t think about Rune.
Jex and I are surrounded by darkness and along with it a hushed hum of machinery and forced air overtake my senses.
“Follow me, Kate.” He says my name like it’s a foreign language and he doesn’t bother to take my hand like Rune did. He could probably leave me here to rot inside of the ship’s walls if he wanted to.
I hope he doesn’t want that.
Stumbling blindly behind him, I say nothing; the only sounds I make are the groans and oomphs when I hit into the corners of the walls I don’t quite see clearly.
At the end of the straightest walkway, he slides open a part of the walls and light spills in from the room outside. Behind him are dozens of aircraft. This hangar doesn’t seem to have any crazy trigger-happy Caelum.
Before he steps through the opening, I catch him studying me. It’s probably the way the dim lights of the hangar drape shadows across his face, but there’s a heaviness to his expression as his eyes travel over my features.
My face heats under the scrutiny. If he never saw a female before, what must he think looking at me?
I look away quickly, wondering.What did Rune think of me?
“Are you afraid?” he asks.
“Only for my sister and father.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “They can’t be alone…I’m the one that needs to take care of them. They’re not…” How do I even explain this to a perfect robotized human? “They’re not made like you were, they need more help than others.”
“You’re leaving the safety of this ship and the General’s guard to save two people.”
“Yes,” I say, swallowing the knot that’s formed hard and thick in my throat.
“And you made the general heal and reestablish men who fought against him?”
Where the hell is he going with this?
“Youare fierce.” His words are no louder than a whisper. He sounds surprised—then instantly downtrodden.
He hesitates, but I can’t read his silence.
“Jex?” I ask, “What is it? What are you looking at me for?”
He looks away, then pauses and glances back at me. “Never mind. I am confident General Rune will easily replace you with another acceptable mate.”
My stomach sours and a strange kind of heat flashes across my collarbone. “Yes, all women can easily replace one another, that’s acceptable.” I scoff. “I see you never want to get laid.”
He says nothing, which makes me think he doesn’t understand a sarcastic word I’ve said. “Wait here, female.”
I see the name Kate was just too much for him.
I sigh loudly and watch him run across the huge space and climb into one of the smallest aircraft.
Immediately, a sudden vibration travels over the metal armor I’m wearing. I edge into the hangar, trying to get closer to where I saw Jex go. “Jex?” I hiss. “Jex!”
There’s a closed door to the right of where I’m standing that swishes open, shining a bright light out of its opening.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I just want to get out of here without any hiccups.
I hear a creak, then droning of moving gears.
My eyes dart back and forth from the doorway to the ship, wondering if I make a run for it will someone zap me into dust from behind?
