“Do you want the money, Brynna?” I ask her. “I know life is expensive in space. Or a vacation?”
She shrugs. “The mystery sounds interesting. But it’s your prize.”
“Then we’ll go with the mystery.”
Ohni frees the card and holds it up for everyone to see. “They choose the mystery prize buried deep beneath the surface of the moon!”
She extends the card to me. “When you are ready to hunt for your treasure, swipe your ABR band over this chip. It will lead you to the door that takes you below and into the tunnels. There are signs to guide your way and security drones. But there are no cameras allowed, so this stays a secret.
“Spill the beans and ruin the surprise for others. Or, well, you’ll just make more work for me because I’ll have to changethe surprise. But whatever. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. I just really like it the way it is.”
“We won’t say anything,” Brynna replies.
Ohni straightens and lifts her hands. “Lunch time! See you all afterward for the creatures tour!”
Brynna gives me an odd look as we walk back toward the main complex. “You okay?”
I take her hand and draw it to my mouth. After a kiss, I pull her under my arm. “We are born from eggs. I see one, and instinct makes me want to protect it.”
“Thought you looked like a natural up there.”
“Me? With eggs? No.” But I like that she thinks I’m good at it. “I’m too dangerous for delicate things.”
Brynna looks up at me as we enter the dining hall. “I don’t know. You’re doing alright with me.”
Because I’ve been holding back.My Inferno hates that. When he gets loose, destruction is all I’m capable of. While this feels right with Brynna, I’m still not convinced it’s what’s best for her.
13: Jorusk
Brynna stays close as we get in line for lunch. “That was insane. What made you consider jumping from tower to tower like that?”
I shrug, keeping my eyes moving through the chatting males and females in the busy room. “It’s how I would get around when I was young, while hiding among the cliffs, trying to avoid serving my Talhuskin master. They always bound our wings with metal shackles coated in heat-resistant ceramics. It took forever to break them off. My master threatened to cut off my wings, so I started cliff jumping to see if I could do it. First few times didn’t…uh…go so well.”
We fill plates and sit by the window looking out at the race grounds.
Brynna looks outside, but I can tell her mind is on something happy from her past. “And I thought getting twelve inches of air on my hoverscooter as a kid was cool.”
“What is a scooter?”
She mutters something about a floating platform. “Broke more than a few bones trying to do a kick flip. But I wanted so badly to be cool like my older brother. Now he’s gone, but I’ve got a starship nursery that he’d be proud of if he were here to see it.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks. I imagine you know what that’s like.”
Chewing my food, I nod. “Their memories come back to me now and then when I encounter something they liked or were known for.”
Her gaze hangs low now, focuses on her food, and barely checks on her surroundings like she’s stuck in a memory, herself.
“Hey.”
Brynna drags her eyes up to mine.
“Give the pain a purpose. It’s not going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean it has to drag you down with it.”
She sighs. “Like you did?”
“What are you talking about?”
