Page 56

“Mean anything to you?” Myrell said with a smirk.

Dani quickly pocketed it. “Who have you told?”

She arched a brow. “About what?”

“Don’t play coy. About Kryxis.”

Myrell chuckled. “No one yet. I figured the crew was stressed enough as it is, and it should be you to tell them that your mean-looking friend was still alive and helped us out. Should I grab them?”

Dani glanced at the door behind her. “Soon. I’m going out first.”

Myrell put a hand on her shoulder. “Be careful, yeah?”

“I will.” She zipped up her suit and decided against the helmet as she went to the entrance and stepped out into the rain.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw some of the soldiers standing guard near the front of the ship with their backs turned. She moved across the landing pad and crept past the bench, her hand gripping her holster. Checking around, she moved under the bridge of the tram and slipped out the other end, finding a wide path between the buildings. She slowed when she saw the edge of a pointed tail slip down and alleyway.

“Kryxis!”

She turned down the alley and saw his shadow. She rushed forward to catch up to him.

As she broke out of the alley, she stopped, finding a drainage canal before her. It was beginning to fill with gray water which was slowing running along to a tunnel somewhere down to her left. Slowly she went up to the rail and looked around.

“Kryxis?”

Something poked her shoulder. She turned but nothing was there. Then she whirled around the other way and nearly jumped out of her skin. “Ah!”

Kryxis was there. He grinned at her mischievously.

“Don’t do that!” She pushed his chest playfully. “No scaring, remember?”

He laughed and she couldn’t help joining him. As he moved closer, close enough she could feel his heat, her laughter died. She saw the scratches all over him and let out a hiss of breath.

“They got to you.” Her fingers brushed against one bad scratch across his chest, feeling the indent of the mark along his smooth yet hard skin. “Does it hurt?”

She looked up and felt heat creep up her face from his stare. He took her hand in one of his, holding it to his chest, his skin warming hers. Against her hand she felt it, the beating of his hearts.

She blinked back droplets of rain, her throat tightening. “We’re supposed to leave soon. We have to take the supplies back.”

His hand squeezed hers. “Fasar,Dani.”

“Fasar?” she repeated.

He tapped her hand against his chest. And in some way then she knew.

Stay.

She let out a shaking breath. That was a crazy idea. Absurd. No way. To stay on this bleak, broken world, having to survive every day against these poor creatures even with him would be too much.

But she couldn’t say no.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it when he let go of her hand and backed away. One of his blue hands slipped from behind his back where he had been hiding it, revealing what he was holding.

It was a tiny plant made from scrap metal hanging by a silver chain. The petals were made of a blue tinted metal with little pieces of copper twisted together like thorns. In the center was a large red gem, glittering in the light.

He offered it to her.

Carefully she took it, letting it rest in her palm. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.