Ally groaned. “We’re the only ones in here!”
Evie lifted up the cuff around her wrist that linked the chain. “There’s got to be prints on here, right?”
“But how do we get the damn lock to read a print from the cuff?
“Like this.” Evie leaned in close and huffed out a hot breath against the panel. Then she held the cuff up close, very slowly rotating it within the range of the console scanner. The red light suddenly flashed to green, and the door clicked open.
“Where did you learn that?” Ally asked, amazed.
“Remember that year Mom and Dad sent me to the week-long artists’ camp on Delucca-3? There were a few boys in the neighboring bunk who taught us how to sneak out by fooling the locks.”
Ally shook her head. “I never thought I’d be pleased to learn my little sister is a slut.”
Evie chuckled, then pulled herself to her feet. “Ready?”
Ally nodded. “Let’s go.” Shoving open the door, she coiled herself to strike but froze when she took in the tableau in front of her.
An alien creature floated in the hallway, its wings flapping lazily as it looked at them with mild surprise. At its feet lay a familiar figure. He stared up at her, his eyes wide as saucers.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, uncoiling, but the Raven didn’t answer.
The creature floated closer, opening its mouth. Ally looked up at it, confused, when a gas started to pour from between its lips.
“Get down!” Evie yelled, shoving her to the floor and joining her there. “It’s got some kind of gas. Maybe that’s what happened to this guy.”
“He’s not a guy. He’s the Raven.” Ally crawled over to straddle the pirate. “What are you doing here? Are you the one that knocked us out and locked us up? You should have known better than to mess with me!”
His eyes rolled in his head, but the Raven remained silent. Ally peered closer, trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
“Ally, stop screwing around! That thing isn’t happy with us.”
She glanced up at her sister’s warning, seeing that the creature was no longer flapping lazily. Its wings were beating the air frantically, and surprise had given way to anger on its face.
Ally clambered off the Raven and pulled on the chain, yanking Evie with her farther down the hall. When they both managed to get to their feet, she hefted the chain between them.
“Let’s take this floating fart out of commission,” she said, wrapping the chain around her wrist and motioning for Evie to do the same until it was taut between them. “On my count.”
Evie nodded, a look of understanding in her eyes.
“Three…” Ally leaned forward. “Two…” She readied the chain in her hand. “One!”
They launched forward, both raising their arms so that the chain between them lifted to the height of the creature. Caught off guard, it let out a yelp when the heavy chain hit it. The sisters managed to tangle the chain in one of its wings, and down it plummeted, bouncing off the hard floor. It looked overits shoulder, its face full of panic. Then it scurried down the corridor, limping away from them at top speed.
“What was that thing?” Evie asked, collecting the chain as they walked closer to the prone figure of the Raven.
Ally shrugged. “Probably some henchman of this scoundrel.” She looked down at the Raven, sneering. “How the tables have turned.”
His eyes narrowed, and she could see his mouth trying to work. “What’s the matter? Can’t admit when you’ve been bested?”
His mouth opened and closed, and Ally thought she heard noise coming from his lips. Leaning even closer, she tried to hear what he was trying to say.
“Get me… to the…”
Ally rose, shaking her head. “Still trying to give orders. You’re ridiculous.” She lifted her chain, an idea coming to her. “Give me a hand, Evie.”
Her sister came forward, and the chain pooled between them. “Help me wrap this around his ankles a few times. Let’s drag him to the bridge.”
“Why would we do that?” Evie asked, confused.
