They were on their own now.
The team continued forward, pushing farther into the scorched taiga in search of the large field of boulders Jenna had seen in her vision of the Ancient’s memory.
“You guys,” she whispered. “There they are.”
Phaedra and the rest of the group looked to where she pointed. There, all but obscured by Deadlands trees and moonlit darkness, stood a jumbled clearing of massive rocks. On the whole unremarkable, appearing to be nothing more than a natural element of the forbidding terrain.
Jenna’s eyes gleamed with excitement—and certainty. “We’ve found it. Better let me lead the way. If I’m right, the ship will sense my DNA and let us approach.”
No one asked what might happen if she was wrong. They all knew the answer to that, and Phaedra braced herself for the worst with each step they followed behind Jenna.
They made their way over to the rocks, moving swiftly and silently. Phaedra opened her senses, waiting to feel the low-frequency buzz that would tell her they were close to the crystals. All she could feel was the heavy hammering of her heart, and the slick rush of adrenaline through her veins as Jenna led the team toward the largest of the rocks.
Jenna glanced at Brock, a note of hesitation in her face now that they had arrived. “In case I don’t get the chance to tell you later, you’re the most amazing thing that ever happened to me.”
He smiled. “Ditto, beautiful. I expect to hear it again, and often, after we all get out of this hellscape. So, open sesame whenever you’re ready.”
Phaedra couldn’t keep her gaze from straying to Micah in those breathless few moments as Jenna stood before the boulder. If everything went sideways in the next few minutes, she would never regret giving her heart to Micah. She wanted him to know that she loved him without a shred of reservation or regret, and that she would continue loving him to her last breath, whenever that moment might come.
He stared back at her, his handsome face stern with purpose. But then, something changed in his shuttered expression. His eyes softened on her, his mouth relaxing into a bittersweet smile.
Because heknew.
Through his blood bond to her, he knew what she was feeling now without her having to say the words. He knew, and the look of yearning in his eyes told her she wasn’t alone.
He loved her too.
All they needed now was the chance to start over, to make it right.
Jenna drew in a shallow breath and pressed her palm to the rock. “Oh, my God. I think it’s working.”
No sooner had she whispered the words, the rock she was touching vanished—along with the rest of the field of boulders.
It was just as she had described to everyone in the Order’s war room. With the concealing cloak dissolved, what remained was an enormous, alien craft. One end of the huge ship was clearly disabled. The other, where the team stood, was glossy and smooth, crafted of dark metallic material that didn’t appear to have any seams or doors.
But Jenna seemed to know just where to lay her hand. After a moment, a hatch that wasn’t visible before silently lifted open.
No one said a word. No one so much as breathed as the cavernous interior was revealed. Dimly illuminated by small, glowing lights somewhere inside, the ship sat utterly quiet and still. True to Jenna’s description, just inside the sleek main cabin of the craft, corridors branched out in different directions, all of them empty.
Micah was the first to break the awestruck silence.
“Let’s get to work,” he commanded quietly, taking the lead with his natural confidence and courage.
Phaedra and the rest of the group followed him inside.
“This way,” Jenna said, heading for one of the bare corridors.
They followed it to another chamber of the ship, one that appeared to be the main command center. Jenna strode forward to one of the dashboards. After inspecting several of the controls, she glanced over her shoulder with a look of relief on her face.
“The detonation timer is dark. It must’ve lost power over time or been deactivated when the Ancient put his chip in me.”
Brock blew out a breath. “Thank God.”
“Do you remember where the crystals were stored?” Brynne asked her.
Jenna nodded. She indicated an area in the same chamber, while Zael walked cautiously toward the collection of cylindrical pods arranged on the far side of the large space.
“I’m going to have a look around over here.”
