Page 48

“From who?” Myrell asked.

Dani rubbed her hands on her suit nervously. “Look…don’t freak out.” She turned her gaze to Garret. “Especially you.”

His brow furrowed. “Okay.”

She squared her shoulders. “I was…saved by someone at the bridge. Someone I didn’t expect. They aren’t going to hurt you. I swear.” She turned to the room. “Kryxis, come out,” she called.

She stared into the looming dark and saw the glint of his eyes first. Then he cautiously stepped into their light.

Myrell gasped.

Garret backed away, his gun rising. “What the fuck—”

“Wait!” Dani whirled around, putting up her hands. “Don’t! It’s okay. He’s not going to harm you now.”

“By the elder gods, Dani, is that—” Myrell’s eye widened. “Is that the thing you tried to kill in the shipping sector?”

“His name is Kryxis. And he’s vrisha. He’s…been here a long time.”

Garret hadn’t moved, his gun still aimed at Kryxis.

“Look.” Dani went over to Kryxis and patted his arm. “See? He’s all right.” Kryxis’ head was lowered, his tail weaving behind him. She wished he didn’t look like he was about to pounce on them when she was trying to defend him.

The pair glared at Kryxis. “You’re certain it’s not just…you know…toying with you?” Myrell asked.

“He’s not.”

Garret didn’t look convinced. Myrell’s expression, however, softened a little. She tugged Garret’s arm. “Lower the gun. She’s telling the truth.”

He hesitated. “Seriously, Dani?”

“Seriously.”

There was tension thick in the air between them. Then Garret slowly lowered his gun. “I don’t like this.”

“I know it’s hard to believe. And right now, it’s kind of hard to explain. But you need to trust me. Let’s just get back to the ship first.”

Garret’s finger still itched on the trigger. Myrell crept closer.

“Well. If the fire couldn’t kill him, I doubt we’d get very far now…even on Garret’s low stock of bullets.”

“Myrell—” he growled.

She put her hand out toward Kryxis. “So, we are at a truce?”

Kryxis straightened. He glanced at Dani, and she nodded. Turning back to Myrell, he took her hand in one of his blue ones, shaking it before releasing.

Myrelle chuckled nervously. “All right. Let’s get the hell out of here.” She looked to Garret. “You good?”

Garret and Kryxis were glaring each other down, neither trusting the other. Then Garret blew out a breath, shaking his head. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “But he goes first.”

Kryxis grunted as if he understood, and that was no issue to him. Without hesitation, he picked her up. As he did, Garret’s gun rose.

“Why is he—”

“I got injured on the bridge,” Dani explained to him quickly.

“Did he—”