“What do you mean? He’s always there.” Arc looks too.
“He’s with his bondmate in Ilidi. He won’t be back for two days.” I don’t sharewhohe’s with.
They both share a look before Shock says, “It’s still the closest option to keep her warm.”
I agree, looking down at Kissu, I tell them the pass code for Ward’s outpost and hope we don’t have to use it.
Then again… we can’t go home.
Arc chuckles, but it’s low and mirthless. “He really does want to take everything from us, doesn’t he?”
We go in slow.
We all know the goal.
The walls rise higher around us as we wind our way through. When the ice turns to rock, the first signs that it’s not a natural formation appear. Tool marks where the tunnel was widened. Bars on the first set of doors we find.
What’s behind them is unsettling.
A handful of cavrinskh loll on the hard-packed floor, like lazy dogs waiting for something to catch their interest.
Kissu stays back from that door.
“They’re not chipped,” Arc says, his tone flat, and I follow his gaze to the nearest of them.
There is no dark spot between their eyes, no sign of an incision.
“He hasn’t taken control of these ones yet.” I look closer. “They’re barely older than pups.”
“Is that better or worse?” Shock asks.
“At least we know why we thought we’d seen filloum pups before.”
One rolls from its back to its feet and lopes to us, stopping a meter from the cage to watch us with interested, not hostile, eyes.
“I guess he likes hurting kids, no matter the species.”
“We’ll deal with them later.” I turn forward, trying to fight back the unsettled feeling in my stomach.
I push it away, inhaling deeply and reaching out for Chrys. In our bond, she’s calm, and that helps. She’s close.
That helps too.
CHRYS
Movement catches my eye on the monitors behind Atker, and I’m relieved he’s sneering at me instead of paying attention to the fractured image of three men sneaking their way into his lab.
“How on Earth do you expect this to work?” I ask, making sure I keep his attention.
“You’re not on Earth anymore.” He rolls his eyes and I wonder if he might just let me go if I could bemoreannoying.
“Earth, Isia, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to get sick if you keep me here. And since we both know I’m not who you want, I’m just a convenient incubation vessel?—”
It’s disgusting that those words are what amuse him.
“—What was your plan for that?”
“I have somewhere to house you until it’s time, and someone to help with any complications.”
