Erin blew out a long breath, her eyes connecting with Crystal’s and Lainey’s.
“I’m not,” Lainey said quietly, shaking her head, looking at the group. “He doesn’t know when they’ll find that missing fuel. If they ever do find it. It could be a day, it could be weeks until they figure out something else. And until then, I can’t be in this room any longer just because Bianca wants to stay.”
“Good. Leave. No one wants you here anyways,” Bianca said, before stalking over to the other side of the fire pit and sitting down among the cushions. The brunette drew her knees to her chest and Lainey saw her shoulders begin to shake.
Lainey’s jaw ticked, her heart squeezing in her chest.
“I’m going too,” Crystal said softly, looking at Erin, an apology written in her eyes. “These walls are driving me insane. I’m sorry.”
Erin would stay with Bianca. Lainey knew that as well as they all did. She was too kind-hearted, too soft-hearted not to.
Erin looked down at the floor.
“Erin,” Lainey said softly, “you can’t help everyone, especially when they don’t want to be helped.”
“I can’t just leave her, Lainey,” Erin replied, meeting her gaze. Lainey’s heart squeezed again and she felt guilty for leaving someone she considered a friend behind. “She’s fragile. She can’t be left alone here.”
Lainey’s dislike for Bianca deepened. She couldn’t help it.
“She’ll come around,” Erin said, a small smile on her lips, trying to reassure the both of them. “You guys go for now. I’m sure we’ll see you soon.”
And if they didn’t?
Lainey didn’t voice that thought. She glanced over at Crystal, who went to embrace Erin. When Crystal stepped back, Lainey did the same, her heart pounding in her chest.
Erin squeezed her hand when they pulled away. “Be nice,” Erin said, with a small teasing smile.
“I’m always nice,” Lainey said, with a returned smile. “Others just don’t think so.”
Erin shook her head in amusement and Lainey watched as Crystal went to say goodbye to Bianca.
Erin saw her watching the two and said, “She didn’t mean what she said, Lainey. You know that, right?”
Lainey looked at Bianca and said quietly, “No, for once I think she said exactly what she felt.”
With that, Lainey approached the brunette and Crystal gave them space to talk. Lainey crouched in front of her, knowing that what she was going to say would be brief.
“I know we don’t like each other very much,” Lainey said softly, so softly no one else could hear except for Bianca, “and I agree, I’ve given you no reason to like me. But Erin is a good person. Perhaps the best, most selfless person I’ve ever met. Don’t punishherbecauseyou’reafraid. This room is affecting her too.”
Lainey stood and Bianca stared up at her, her expression caught between anger, sadness, and guilt. No fond farewells, but Lainey had a feeling they’d be seeing one another soon anyways.
With that, Lainey nodded and stepped back, reaching out to squeeze Erin’s forearm as she passed her on her way to Vaxa’an.
“Crystal and I will leave,” Lainey told him, tilting her chin up.
Judging from the look in his eyes, he’d heard their little discussion and he regarded her in a way that made her feel like a lab rat.
She cleared her throat, refraining from tapping her fingers on her thighs to a silent melody, an old nervous habit. “Erin and Bianca will stay. For now.”
Vaxa’an’s gaze slid past her and Crystal to the other two women. He jerked his head in a sharp nod and said, “Horex will stay behind as their guard. Vixron will accompany you to your new dwelling immediately.”
The guard whose name she now knew as Vixron stepped forward. She’d seen him more times than she could count and had never thought to ask his name.
“Alrighty then,” Lainey said, looking up at him, before sliding her gaze to Crystal, who stood slightly behind her, not quite meeting the eyes of the Luxirians. “We’re ready to go.”
Chapter Three
“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Lainey breathed once Vixron landed a freakinghovercraftonto a wide stone terrace at the top of a mountain city.
