“You already have.” He holds out his hand. “Now come with me.”
I look at his hand instead of taking it. “No thank you.”
Sighing heavily, he moves his other hand into view. I look at the gun because he wants me to.
“Come with me, or I will go deal with that troublesome zurgle for the inconvenience he’s caused and drag you out screaming.”He glances toward the helicopter, revealing burn scars beneath his collar.
“Who are you?” I ask, even though I know.
“I’m the one who made them.”
“You’re supposed to be dead.” I step out and close the door behind me.
His smile when he turns back sends a shiver of cold dread down my spine.
“That’s exactly what they were supposed to think.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
ARC
The CSS helicopterdrops us off at Drift’s and Kilo drags Riann out with us.
“I’m not supposed to be here for these.” His protesting is pointless, the helicopter already left.
“You gonna walk home?” Kilo takes him by the back of the neck like a kid and steers him toward the door.
I get there first.
It’s too loud inside.
If they’re not talking they’re thinking, and I have to stop and take a deep breath.
Kilo and Riann go straight to Drift.
I look for my mates.
For a moment, I don’t think they’re here yet… but I feel them, I feel apprehension. And then, I see Risk.
He doesn’t look at me.
Trench gets in my way when I try to go to them. “What did you find out?”
“Drift’ll get to that.”
Jessica steps in my way this time. “Where’s Chrys?”
The question makes me go terribly still. “What do you mean?”
“They said she was with you.”
“They told you I took her with me to Calisan?”
I look up. Shock meets my eyes.She loves you. She wanted me to tell you that.
I don’t feel myself move. One minute, my body goes numb. The next, Shock is on his back, and my hands are around his throat.
