“Killan.” She releases a long breath. “For a second, think about this from my point of view. Say the worst thing happens, and you’re all captured. What does that mean for me? I’m not living on Ril II by myself for the rest of my fucking life filled with the guilt of knowing I didn’t try to help.”
“But—”
“Don’t you dare ask that of me, because if you do, I won’t forgive you.”
I clench my jaw. Of course I would ask that of her. At least then she would be alive and safe.And alone.
Silence stretches, my heart thumping painfully hard in my chest. I want to hit something. No, not something.Someone. Atakis.
“It would be safer for us all if we could convince the crew to disembark,” I eventually say, hating that I am the one breaking the silence, but not going so far as agreeing to accept Lydia’s help. “I do not want to board unless we can be certain that Atakis will not launch into outer space as soon as we set foot on his Freighter.”
“So we’ll lure the crew outside,” she said, relaxing her arms. “If you’re the one who creates the distraction, I could creep onto the Freighter and rescue the others.”
“No.” It is a command. I am being unreasonably abrupt. I do not scudding care.
It is my responsibility to keep her safe.
As it is my responsibility to protect my young brothers and their Mates—and look what a scudding terrible job I have done!I knew Atakis was behaving suspiciously. I should have guessed he was planning on returning the moment he started asking questions about Briar and Harlee.
“I know you’re blaming yourself.” Lydia takes one of my hands between the two of hers. Her fingers are cold, and she is trembling. “You always think everything is your fault, but blaming yourself is another waste of time. Right now, we need to stay focused on thinking of a rescue plan, not assigning blame. If you want to blame yourself—”she scolds in true Lydia fashion—“do it after we’ve gotten the others back home safe.”
I bow my head, unable to stop myself from burying my face in the crook of her throat. Without hesitating, she hugs me, squeezing me so tightly I think she will never let me go.
“I am going to kill Atakis for daring to think he can hurt my family,” I tell her, my lips against her cool skin.
My words are muffled, but she evidently heard what I said, because I feel her nod. “I don’t doubt it for a second. And I’m going to help.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Lydia
Ihave absolutely no fucking clue what I’m doing. But as Killan straightens, I force what I hope is a reassuring smile onto my face, feigning calm. If my shaking hands are betraying my true feelings, I can only hope he hasn’t noticed. Killan doesn’t need me falling apart. He needs a strong partner to help him save our family.
“What can you tell me about Atakis’s ship?” I ask. “How big is his crew? He was the only one I saw.”
“There are four, including Atakis himself.”
“And they’ve got guns?” I guess. It’s the only explanation for how four people could’ve overpowered Roan and Sorin. Sure, Atakis has the head of a crocodile, but the Ril’os brothers are built like tanks, with the broad shoulders and thick muscles of men who work physical labor for a living. Plus, their scales and their sheer determination to keep Harlee and Briar safe—guns are the only way Atakis’s crew could’ve abducted my friends.
“The ship itself would not have weapons,” Killan answers. “It is a Freighter, not a Fighter. And they would not have handheldprojectile guns on board, for fear of the ammunition puncturing the engines or fuel tanks. But I imagine they could have stun guns, yes.”
“Okay.” That’s not the worst news. “They can shoot us, but they can’t kill us.”
“They do not need guns to kill.”
“True. Do we have guns?”
Killan gives me a stony look, which I interpret as ano. Makes sense. He’s an algae farmer, not a hunter or a soldier. Normally I’d be pleased. I’ve never seen a gun in real life, let alone held one. But considering the circumstances…damn.
“I’ve never planned a reverse kidnapping before, but it surely can’t be any different from planning anything else.” A bakery, for example. “Step one is to lure the crew outside. Any ideas how?”
“The Freighter will have scanners. The moment we step outside, they will know. Although…” He tips his head slightly to one side, thinking. “There is a chance the Freighter’s scanners were not designed for such a windy planet. Mayhaps they will be coated in dust, and dust can cause faulty readings.”
“So there’s a chance we can sneak up on them.”
“Yes.” His agreement is a growl, still grumpy I’m not hiding in the caves.
Well, it’s easy for me to ignore his temper. I’ve had a lot of practice. Instead, I scour my memory. I only saw the Freighter for a few minutes several days ago, and I’d been more focused on watching Killan and Atakis.
