Page 18

Morgan

My legs ached with each step, a stark reminder that I should probably spend less time poring over battle plans in the Stacks and more time in physical training. We'd been walking for what felt like hours through the alien marsh, my environmental suit the only thing keeping me from being soaked to the skin. Despite the physical protection, my head swam with exhaustion, dehydration, and the jumble of emotions I couldn't seem to control.

I couldn't stop thinking about that moment when Tivek had pressed his forehead to mine, when our eyes had locked as the Kronock ship hovered overhead. The memory alone sent unwelcome heat to my cheeks and set my heart racing. How was it possible to feel so connected to someone whose entire life was a fabrication, whose very existence was built on layers of deception?

Yet in that moment when he'd stared into my eyes, I'd felt like I truly saw him, the real Drexian beneath the careful veneer ofthe admiral's unassuming adjunct. Brave. Loyal. Kind. Strong. A Drexian who would risk everything to save those he cared about, even a brother who had chosen a very different path.

And then I'd ruined it all by swooning like some delicate heroine in a romance novel. The embarrassment washed over me anew, hot and prickly. I was a trained military officer, for fuck's sake. I'd survived boot camp, endured the academy's brutal maze trial, mastered weapons that could level small buildings. And yet I'd flopped over like a dead fish at the worst possible moment.

I'd told Tivek it was because I'd locked my knees, which was partly true. But the real reason was far more mortifying. My feelings for him, combined with the terror of being discovered, had simply overwhelmed me. I'd forgotten to breathe.

Even now, thinking about it made me lightheaded. I focused on each inhale and exhale, determined not to repeat my embarrassing performance.

Tivek stopped so abruptly I nearly collided with his back. For a moment, I thought he'd sensed my turmoil, that we were stopping to rest or perhaps even eat something from the ration packs. But then he whispered, "We've reached the outskirts of the Kronock complex."

Fresh fear arrowed through me, banishing all thoughts of rest. My senses sharpened instantly, adrenaline flooding my system.

I peered through the thinning foliage and swirling mist. At first, I saw nothing, then my eyes adjusted to the subtle difference in coloration, and I spotted the iron-gray walls of buildings that blended almost seamlessly into the drab environment.

“The Kronock typically take over existing buildings,” Tivek said in a hush. “Since they usually overtake other civilizations and worlds, they don’t often construct their own buildings.”

I eyed the odd scale-like exterior of the complex. “But here they did.”

He grunted, disgust clear in the sound. “Now we know what Kronock architecture looks like.”

A shiver went through me. Like everything I’d seen of the brutal aliens, the building was gray, hulking, and resembled their own scaled hide. “It’s not going to end up in the pages ofArchitectural Digestanytime soon.”

Tivek gave me a quizzical look, but I didn’t bother to give him a lengthy explanation. “An Earth thing.”

Another grunt as he returned his gaze to the structure.

"There should be a hidden entrance along the side of the tallest structure," I whispered, recalling the schematics I'd memorized. "Eastern face, near what looks like a ventilation shaft."

Tivek nodded, his expression focused as we moved closer, pausing every few steps to listen for patrols. My heart pounded so loudly I was certain it would give us away. What had I been thinking, leaving the safety of the academy? I wasn't a field agent; I was a strategist, trained to analyze from behind the lines, not to infiltrate enemy strongholds.

But I'd made my choice. Our friends were in there now, along with Tivek's brother and a human pilot who'd already suffered too long in Kronock captivity. I wouldn't back down now.

A thought hit me. “How do we know what we do about this place? Shadows?”

Tivek flicked his gaze to me, an enigmatic smile his only answer as he drew his blaster, holding it close to his body as we advanced toward the perimeter. I scanned the area, confusion growing as I noted the lack of sentries.

"I don't see guards or patrols," I whispered. We’d discussed the odds of it being guarded, but I’d expected at least some sentries.

“They clearly don't expect anyone to find this place," Tivek replied, his voice barely audible. "The mine field and location deep in Kronock space are their primary defenses."

But someone had already found it, if Deklyn was inside with Sasha. And now a second ship had arrived. Did they believe they’d captured everyone in our crew?

Unease tickled the back of my brain as we reached the towering wall and pressed ourselves against it. The material was cold and slick beneath my gloved hands, almost like real scales. We remained motionless for several minutes, waiting for alarms or guards that never materialized.

Finally, Tivek began moving along the wall, his steps deliberate as he searched for something. He stopped at a slight indentation in the otherwise smooth surface.

"The hidden entrance," I breathed, a thrill of vindication coursing through me. Our intelligence had been correct after all.

Then my heart sank as I realized there was no obvious way to open it. There was no handle, no control panel, nothing that indicated a door at all. "But we don't know how to get in."

Tivek gave me a sly wink, his expression suddenly boyish despite our dire circumstances. "Actually, the Shadows know."

He ran his hand along what appeared to be a seamless juncture in the wall, then pressed firmly at a specific point. The section of wall slid aside with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond.