“Soon,” Arin murmured. “First, let’s get off this junk heap before we suffocate to death.”
“Varga?” The voice called out again, sounding slightly distorted.
“I’m here,” Arin yelled back. The footsteps grew louder. She squeezed Rykal’s hand. “Disappear, my love.”
Rykal reluctantly disengaged from her, his fingers sliding out of hers. “I’ll come for you,” he whispered, before fading into the shadows beyond the radius of her small blue light.
Human soldiers filed through the hole in the wall. Rykal retreated into a corner, watching. After what had happened on Fortuna Tau, he didn’t trust humans in the slightest, and he needed to make sure Arin was safe before he left her.
He counted six in total; all of them carried bolt rifles and wore respirators that obscured their faces. Their eyes were hidden behind glowing green lenses; presumably, these devices helped them see in the dark.
“Sergeant Varga, I’m Captain Ross, of theFSS Marcia’selite tactical squad. We’ve come to get you out of here on General Varga’s orders. There seems to be a serious oxygen leak on this freighter. The entire vessel is compromised. We need to go, now.”
Another soldier stepped forward and handed Arin a breathing apparatus. “Let’s go, Sergeant.”
“Where’s the Kordolian?” Ross demanded, as Arin donned her respirator.
Her eyes widened in a perfect expression of innocence. She was magnificently deceptive. “What Kordolian?”
“We were told there was a Kordolian warrior with you.Some of your peacekeepers were concerned he might try to harm you.”
Arin shrugged. “That was a while ago. He disappeared somewhere. I have no idea where. You expect me to keep tabs on aliens now?”
“Huh.” Ross stared at the hole in the wall and hesitated. Then she turned, pointing with her gun. “Let’s get out of here. The pilot’s getting edgy. Doesn’t want to risk another Xargek attack.”
Relieved that Arin was amongst friendlies, Rykal waited until the last of the human soldiers had disappeared through the hole in the wall.
“Rykal.” This time, it was Kail who came on the line. “If you don’t get your shiny silver ass down here right now, you’re going to be in for a world of pain. Stop fucking around with your precious humans. We’re leaving.Now!”
The laconic Kail rarely ever got so riled up. That meant he was tense. That meant the situation was serious.
Rykal had a tiny window during which he could make it to their ship; otherwise he’d be stuck on a disintegrating freighter with Xargek, oxygen leaks, and noxious gases until they could figure out a way to retrieve him.
It didn’t bother him. He’d dealt with worse. He’d gladly take on a Xargek horde if it meant Arin was safe.
But itwouldbe a pain-in-the-ass if he got stuck here.
He decided to make a run for it. “I’m on my way,” he said to Kail as he activated his full armor. His body was fully healed now, and the nanites swarmed onto his skin without resistance. His helm would protect him from the toxic vapor in the corridor. “But if you’re out of time and you have to go, just go. I’ll figure shit out.”
Kail signed off with an irritated grunt. Rykal put his head down and dashed through the deserted dock, exiting through the hole he’d made. He sped through the corridor in theopposite direction to the humans, heading for the third docking bay.
Raised voices drifted after him; the human soldiers were yelling something in their language.
Someone must have spotted him. Whatever. They couldn’t hurt him.
As Rykal pushed through the chemical smog, a flash lit up the darkness. He glanced over his shoulder. One of the humans had fuckingshotat him.
There was a spark, and then the world around him turned into fire.
No!
Rykal stopped, turned, and ran faster than he’d ever run in his life.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The sound hit Arin first. It was a dull, muffled rumble crescendoing to a roar. A wave of pressure followed, a solid mass of moving air that hit her in the back.
She looked over her shoulder and saw a mass of flame. The air was igniting, billowing out in a burning orange cloud.
