Page 35 of Lost in Barbarian Space

So essentially they were blind down here in this snow. “Let’s get out of here.” Honor turned and took one step.

The ground disappeared beneath her boot. Her body dropped, snow rushing past her.

Something grabbed her hand.

Her heart in her throat, her pulse racing, she looked up and saw Colm had grabbed her. She was buried in the snow to her chest, just her hands still above the surface.

Stars. She fought for some calm. Colm had her. She was okay.

Then she felt her glove start to slide through his grip.

“Honor!”

She reached up with her other hand, grabbing his wrist tight.

He pulled, yanking her up. Snow rushed against her visor, then she fell into his arms.

“Honor? Are you okay?”

“Fine, fine. Must be a hole, or entrance to one of those ice tunnels under here.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Thanks for grabbing me.”

He reached out and touched her visor.

“Let’s get out of here.” She turned, her gaze landing on the other two not far away. “Derek, last chance. Anything?”

“Nothing,” the man called out. “No wreckage here.”

“Let’s move to the second location,” she said.

They hurried back toward the marlins. The wind was harder now, slowing their progress, and the small lumps of falling snow were verging on hail.

Honor happily climbed back into the marlin, and once Colm was seated, she closed the canopy, abruptly cutting off the howl of the wind.

She retracted her visor. She saw Colm staring out through the canopy, an intense look on his face. She mustered a smile. “It must have been the snow’s movements you saw.”

“No.”

She sighed, touching the controls. “I was worried you’d say that.”

“I can sense we are being watched.” His brown eyes turned her way, and she saw the glimmer of gold in them. “We were being hunted, Honor.”

“Okay. But now, we’re leaving.”

He nodded and settled back in his seat. She took off, and she wasn’t afraid to admit she was damned glad to be back in the ship.

“Your eyes…I see them glimmer gold sometimes,” she said.

“The nanami cause the change. We can’t control it. It means our emotions are running high.”

“That’s fascinating.”

“But inconvenient in a fight.” He looked her way. “It gives too much away to your enemy. Warriors spend as much time learning control as we do sword-fighting skills.”

When they landed at the next spot, it wasn’t snowing, although a blanket of ice and snow covered the ground.

They climbed out. She watched Colm look around. “Anything?”

“I don’t sense anything.” Another flicker of gold through his eyes. “Even with the aid of my nanami, I don’t detect anything.”