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He nodded.

‘Will its AI follow us?’ she went on.

‘It’s tethered to my wrist comm, sonaam, it will track us.’

Élisa’s eyes narrowed. ‘I noted its weapons cache and guns. Let it know that if it tries to attack me in a misguided attempt to rescue you, I won’t hesitate to evaporate your existence.’

She had no idea he’d never harm a hair on her head.

Her eyes lingered on the sky, and more uncertainty and distress flashed across her face.

Riv studied her in silence. She was an intelligent woman. Surely, she’d worked out the balance of might lay in his hands by virtue of his ship’s power alone.

Whatever she needed it for, she was desperate enough to make a wild shot at having access to it.

He indulged her, going along with the charade. All because she was his silver angel, hismalaíka. Anyone else would have, as she put it with such eloquence, had their asses evaporated by now.

He lifted his shackled fists in mock surrender. ‘It’ll never attack unless I tell it to, so don’t give it or me a reason. My incentive is gold and plenty of it, so rest assured that keeping you hale and hearty is in my best interest.’

She twisted her mouth in impatience. ‘Move. Follow the pallet.’

The floating cargo trolley took off, and he followed, his hands still bound in front of him.

Élisa’s measured footsteps sounded behind him as they navigated the track down the mountainside.

They traversed rock bridges and salt-lined ravines that told of ancient rivers that had once thundered down these slopes.

The bright star at the centre of the mist-like nebula burned down with a dense heat. He marveled at the lilac tinge of its rays, which bathed the landscape in a kaleidoscope of light.

Devansi was one anomalous brume land,Riv thought.

He reached out to Mirage.Still with me?

Always.

Can you scout around? Get a lay of the land, look out for hostiles, that kind of thing?’

Mirage huffed in disdain.Talk about telling me how to do my job.

Drop the snark, Mirage. Doesn’t suit you. Where’s the compassion and empathy? I’m suffering here.

The AI chuckled.It seems what doesn’t kill you has given you a set of unhealthy coping mechanisms and a dark sense of humor.

Fokk off.

With pleasure.

Riv sensed the AI pull Glimmer away and track off towards the east of the forsaken planet.

Their descent was gentle, allowing Riv to take in his new surroundings.

They were in the midst of a hot desert with uncanny sights and even stranger sounds.

Along with Élisa’s footsteps and the soft squeak of the pallet ahead, there was an unfamiliar noise. The unusual braying sound came from a distance as they tracked at a brisk pace past a bank of sand knolls.

Élisa caught on to his disquiet. ‘Ignore the groaning dunes. The grating comes from the grains of quartz and feldspar rubbing against each other.’

‘Fascinating.’