There was a near-silentwhizzabove him. A single glance up and he choked back a curse. Darc was zooming down a micro zip-line.
Dathan pushed harder for every bit of speed. He leaped over a shattered display cabinet and slid to a stop at the timepiece case.
As he rammed a fist into the case controls, he took a microsecond to admire the timepiece through the glass. Made from some kind of lustrous metal, its interlocking links gleamed. It had a round face that had been shattered millennia ago and cracks snaked across the surface. He could just make out some numbers on the black background and the letters O-L-E-X.
With a hiss, the dome retracted. He snatched up the timepiece. His fingers closed on the metal and he felt engravings on the back.
A sharp pain pierced his side.
He sprang away, clenching one hand on the timepiece and clutching his side with the other. He felt sticky warmth on his fingers.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked a slim metal throwing star from his side. Darc never messed around.
Backing away, he looked at his nemesis and dropped the star. “You’re a real bitch, you know that?”
Darc lifted a gloved hand and pressed the release button on the side of the helmet. It retracted soundlessly.
Platinum hair glinted in the intense sunlight. An outrageously flawless face was dominated by eyes the color of a multi-colored nebula. Shame Nera Darc was a soulless bitch who sold her services to the highest bidder. And she wasn’t picky on how dark and slimy they were.
“I want the timepiece, Phoenix.”
He backed up, holding the timepiece high. “You’re still pissed that I outsmarted you on Nihon Prime and took that choice little netsuke sculpture right out from under you.”
Her face stayed impassive but her spine stiffened. “Your older brother outsmarted me, you simply ran faster. Tell him I won’t hold back next time.”
“Tell him yourself.”
She extended an arm. “Hand it over. I won’t warn you again.”
Dathan’s mind raced, searching for an exit strategy. He knew Darc wouldn’t hesitate to take him down as painfully as possible.There.He glimpsed a clear path through a still-standing wall.
“Here you go.” He swung his arm like a champion VelocityBall player. When she dived to catch, he ran for the hole.
She wouldn’t be fooled for long.
The timepiece was snug in the top pocket of his vest. His Sync was now lost in the rubble of Lumina’s old capital.
He ran out onto the street.
Straight into the roaring glare of Lumina’s first sun.
The giant red-orange orb balanced on the horizon, round like the ballo beasts on his desert homeworld of Zerzura. He threw an arm up. The heat stung his exposed forearms, prickling his skin.
Damn.The second sun wasn’t far behind.
He raced down the street, dodging rubble and warped lumps of lava. Then he felt a slight pinch as something tiny gripped the back of his neck.
He recognized the weapon.Oh, fuck.
An electrical charge poured through him. His entire body shuddered under the painful voltage. He dropped to his knees, his teeth knocking together so hard he expected them to fall out.
Black boots stepped in front of him.
“I have to give you points for sheer grit, Phoenix.” Darc leaned down and plucked the timepiece from his pocket.
No.He couldn’t get the shout past his lips.
She didn’t even glance at the watch, just slipped it into some unseen pocket in her skintight suit.
