“Can you make it collapse without bringing half the ruins down on us?”
“Only one way to find out.”
I crept toward the wall, moving as quietly as I could. Up close, I could see the cracks running through the ancient stone. I braced myself and pushed hard against a key structural point.
The wall groaned. Then, with a crash that seemed impossibly loud, a section tumbled down in a cloud of dust and debris.
I ran back to Iris, who was already moving toward the Raycer. I heard Brakken voices shouting, then the sound of running footsteps heading toward the collapsed wall.
We sprinted the last fifty meters to the ridge. The Raycer was exactly where I’d left it, the rollerballs half-buried in sand to keep it stable. I jumped on and Iris slid on behind me, her arms coming around my waist.
I activated the energy shield and punched the controls. The Raycer shot forward, away from the ruins and the Brakken patrols. I didn’t look back. We were already too far away, moving too fast.
The ride back to the valley was tense but uneventful. I kept the Raycer at maximum speed, both of us watching for any signs of pursuit. But the Brakken didn’t follow. Either they hadn’t realized we were there, or they’d decided two escapees weren’t worth chasing into unfamiliar territory.
As we approached the valley, I noticed something that made me slow the Raycer.
A large ship hung in the air above the D’tran settlement. Not Brakken. This one was sleek and clearly designed by humans. An Earth vessel. It looked like the same one that had been here only ten cycles earlier. The one Cleo and Mierva had left on.
“What the hell?” Iris murmured behind me.
I navigated through the tunnel into the valley, my mind racing. What was an Earth ship doing here? Had Sophie called for reinforcements when Iris went missing?
We emerged into the valley and made our way to the village, which was shadowed by the large ship that hung in the sky. We returned the Raycer to its charger and walked to the village center. The sight that greeted us made me want to let out a laugh of joy.
In the open area near the settlement’s center, a crowd had gathered. I spotted Cleo immediately, her distinctive featuresunmistakable even at a distance. And wrapped around her, holding her like she might disappear, was Rezor.
The D’tran leader’s face was pressed into Cleo’s hair, his whole body shaking.
Cleo was crying, her arms tight around his neck. She was saying something I couldn’t hear, but the emotion was clear even from here.
“Oh,” Iris said softly.
I watched Rezor pull back just enough to cup Cleo’s face in his hands. Even from this distance, I could see the emotion pouring from the two of them. The mate bond, complete and undeniable. It made my heart swell and my mouth smile. “We’re not interrupting that,” I said.
Iris nodded. “We’re not dropping our Brakken problem on them right now. Not when Rezor’s just got her back. He had no idea any of this was happening, anyway.”
We backed up slowly and edged away from the crowd before anyone noticed us. We then hurried to the guest quarters, and I was about to suggest we find Sophie when I spotted her walking toward the commotion.
“Sophie,” Iris called out.
The diplomat turned, and her face lit up with relief. “Iris! Thank the stars.” She hurried over, her gaze sweeping over both of us. “Where were you?”
“It’s a long story,” Iris said. “And we need to talk. Privately. Is Vash here?”
Sophie’s expression shifted from relief to concern. “Yes. What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” I said grimly. “We need to brief you both immediately.”
Sophie nodded, her professional composure sliding into place. “Follow me.”
We found Vash in his quarters, reviewing something on a portable screen. He looked up when we entered, his frown deepening when he saw our expressions.
“Lock the door,” Sophie said, and I did.
The four of us stood in the small room, tension thick in the air.
“Tell us,” Sophie said.
