But if she didn’t turn it on, then she’d have no chance of escape.Orionwas too heavily fortified for her to get free on her own, their security measures too tight.
Would Calvin be looking for her? She and the administrator forElara Fivehad a brief, uninspired relationship. The only way she’d enjoyed being with him was when she took enhancers. When she’d realized he’d only been using her for her connections, she’d ended it. But he’d never let go of his entitlement to her time. She’d hated him for continually stepping into her business, but if he sent people after her now, she wouldn’t complain.
Maybe Calvin couldn’t. Maybe he had his hands full puttingElara Fiveback together.If he’s still alive.Nausea rose in her throat when she thought of how many must have died in the attack.
Once her parents were informed she’d been taken, they would stop at nothing to find her. They had the resources and influence to move fleets of ships. Did they already know?Probably.News traveled fast when connected to the grid.
Nia wiggled the naked fingers of her left hand, looking at the tiny ports where her PALM was supposed to connect. Would the Tellusians remove those too?Most likely.They’d already rendered her ocular implant useless.
She clenched her hand into a fist, then forced herself to relax and clicked the locket open. The overhead lights glinted against the gold of the empty ovals. With a deep breath, she pressed her right thumb to the left side. The metal warmed beneath her skin and adrenaline pumped through her blood.
In the other oval, a white line hovered across the middle. It fluctuated in the rhythm of her heart, like the stats of a med bed.There.If she stayed alive, she’d be rescued. She allowed the locket to fall to her chest, then flopped on the bed. Crisscrossed overhead beams filled her view.
Turning on the tracker lifted a suffocating load from her mind, but a resulting weariness settled into every limb.So blasted tired.
Under no circumstances would she allow herself to fall asleep, to be vulnerable. She needed to protect herself. If she fell asleep…her mind had conjured a thousand horrific scenarios.
Blink. She kicked off her CORE-issue boots and rolled on her side to stare at the door.These blankets are too soft.If she closed her eyes, she would still be able to hear when he returned.Just for a moment.
Chapter seven
Macehadthoughtitwas a good idea to allow Nia some time alone, some space, but when he walked through the doors of his quarters, the sight before him made him take an involuntary step back.
She’d demolished everything. Fruit peels and juices were smeared on the bulkheads and deck. All the shelves from the refrigeration unit were pulled out and tossed. Ration tubes were emptied then thrown.
I should have kept her bound.
The only thing remaining in its original location was the table—probably because it was bolted to the deck. One of the chairs lay in the center of the room, the other beside the far bulkhead. It looked like she’d chucked the thing at the terminal. He squinted at it.Yep.Definitely a dent in the middle.
The destroyer herself lay on her side, her hands tucked under her chin, knees bent to reveal her socked feet. A wrapper hung in the overhead beams, threatening to fall on her head.
His next step inside crunched on the broken pot of his orange tree.
What the hell was he supposed to do with her? He ran a hand over his face. Waking her was probably a good start, but he wasn’t looking forward to defending himself against her. He rather liked owning eyes and testicles.
Mace collected the chair in the center of the room and placed it on its feet before sitting. He cleared his throat.
She shot to her feet like a fighter out a launch tube. Standing on the bed, she clutched a piece of plant pot in her hand, holding it in front of her like a weapon.
“Stay back,” she yelped, her voice cracking.
His chest tightened. Placing his hands on his thighs, he leaned back in the chair. Her eyes were fixed on his and didn’t waver. He kept still, waiting for her to calm and adjust to his presence.
“I will not hurt you,izar.”
Her hand began to shake on the makeshift weapon, almost imperceptible at first, then her whole arm trembled.
“What do you want?” she finally asked, lowering the weapon a centimeter.
“I came to check on you and to see if you wanted new clothing.”
“Clothing?” Her weapon lowered farther. She glanced at the torn material at her shoulder, and his gaze followed. Alabaster skin contrasted with the black of her uniform. With one hand, she tried to lift the flap, but it flopped forward. She gave up, grasping the weapon with both hands and pointing it at him with a jab. “What do you mean by clothing?”
“Clothes. The normal kind. Pants go on one leg at a time. Shirts over your head.”
She didn’t break a smile at his attempt at humor, didn’t even blink.
Mace exhaled. “I’ll take you to a shop. You can pick out what you like.”
