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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Dani

She wasn’t one to usually believe in miracles. But that was beginning to change.

For a moment, she wondered if she was actually dreaming or had somehow been transported to an alternate universe where they’d never set foot on that bridge. Both felt more possible than seeing them before her alive.

She didn’t ask them how at first, having been too shocked even for that. Instead, she’d closed the distance between them, letting them pull her into a group hug.

Words were exchanged, tears were shed, then laughter when Tom said he’d be making a complaint to management.

“Oh, I’m going to be asking for an extra raise after this,” Lex said. “And also complaining.”

Myrell and Morse came out not long after, and everyone hollered when they joined their circle.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!” Myrell snapped.

They huddled together for a long moment, relief spreading around the group. But it was clear a few were injured.

“Let’s get you looked at back on the ship,” Dani said. She turned to Saul and Garret who were talking with the other soldiers. “Can you keep guard of the perimeter?”

Garret winked at her. “Aye, aye boss.” He and Saul directed the men to scan the area while her team moved on back to their ship.

Everything was a blur after that. She’d gone from one room to the next, grabbing a medikit and helping to assist the others. She’d grabbed more food and water, checking on them constantly.

When they finally settled down and sat together in the control room, they told her what happened.

“I was falling in the dark when I got snagged on something,” Lex started. “Took me a moment to get my bearings and realize it was some of that sticky webbing. It was all over the bridge and I was stuck. I heard the monster above and was scared to make a sound but eventually it disappeared. Then I heard Phen. I was able to wrench my hand free from the web to get my pocketknife, and I just started cutting. By the time I’d gotten myself loose, Sheek was already climbing toward me with her blade.”

“Stuck like flies,” Sheek added.

“She helped me then Phen,” Lex continued. “We slowly climbed down and discovered the sinkhole at the bottom was actually an exposed part of the tunnel system. We waited for Sheek to grab Tom. By then the storm was starting, and we had to take cover inside the tunnels. Sheek eventually found us, and we hunkered down for a while, then slowly made our way back to the supply sector.”

“Poor Tom hit his head, and my arm got caught falling.” Phen wiggled her injured arm.

“Knocked my helmet clean off,” Tom said.

Dani blew out a breath. “I’m just glad you’re all okay.”

“Us too,” said Lex.

“We don’t have to do any more, right?” said Phen. “Even though we lost some of the artifacts?”

Lex pointed to their pack. “I didn’t lose mine and neither did Tom. It might not be as much but it’s something. Which means we still got through the list. And fuck the heads if they say otherwise.”

“So, we can finally go?” asked Phen.

“I’d say that’s a hundred percent, yes,” answered Myrell.

“Do you think they’ll let us take the other ship back since this one is still down?” asked Lex.

“I’ll talk to Saul,” Dani said.

“Good.” They tried to stifle a yawn and failed. “But I could use a shower. Since I can’t get one of those on this hunk of scrap metal, I’d say another nap.”

“Me too,” said Phen.

Lex planted their head on Phen’s shoulder. “What do you say, captain?”

Dani smirked. “I’ll grab some blankets.”

The team remained inside the ship, Lex and Phen sleeping off the last several hours, while Myrell and Sheek watched over them, playing cards and waiting for when they could finally leave. Tom offered to secure the last of their collected artifacts and record them, while Morse continued to work in the engine room.

When she’d checked on them for what felt like the tenth time, Dani went out to talk to Saul and found him near the edge of the landing dock, standing by one soldier scanning the area with a drone. She thought of Ryatt, who was the only one to not make it back, and felt sorry.

“I’ve spoken to the response team,” Saul said. “They’ve been tracking the area and seen quite a lot of movement. Seems we’ve caught the attention of whatever lives here.”

“Have you ever seen a decommissioned world with so much life?” she asked.

Saul shook his head. “Hardly. This is definitely unusual.”

She almost told him about the experiments Marityne was conducting but quickly decided against it. Better for the heads to know first.

Glancing at the soldier next to Saul, she asked, “Have you seen a vrisha by chance?”

Saul frowned. “A vrisha?”

She glared back at him. “You know. Because you identified it when I told you what I saw after we returned with the cryo-batteries. You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you switched out your guns. Because ice hurts them, not fire.”

Saul shifted. “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. I thought that maybe, in case it was…”

She shook her head. “Vrisha are protected under the alliance.”

“I’m aware. But it was a danger to you and your team. I did what I thought best.”

“And the creature you did kill?”

“I thought I’d been wrong about my assumption since I didn’t see a vrisha and neither did the others. Clearly, I was wrong.”

Crossing her arms, she turned back to the soldier. “Have you seen one or not?”

The man shot his black eyes up to hers and shook his head.

That sinking feeling returned. “Let me know if you do.” She turned back to Saul. “When are we expected to leave?”

“We’re discussing the best options. The ship might get its power back real soon. But if not, we’ll shuttle the team into the other one. We’ll help transfer everything over if that’s the case.”

“Let me know.”

Making her way back for the ship, she noticed a large shadow covering the landing dock. She froze and looked up, seeing big blue clouds rolling in above. They looked like they might bring rain. This place was dreary. She didn’t know how Kryxis had dealt with it for so long.

Her gaze drifted from the dock over to the shadows of the buildings. He had to be out there. But the more time went by, the more she wondered if he really did make it out.

She was seriously worrying about him. Crazy to think not long ago she had tried to kill him. Now, she wanted to sneak off and start calling his name.

The clouds broke above and, for one clear second, the area brightened. A glint caught her eye, and she looked over, noticing a bench some yards away.

Was that…?

She inhaled sharply. Glancing at the soldiers, she moved across the dock to the bench.

Sitting alone on the seat was a growth tank. She picked it up and saw a blue plant with red stripes. Dracona Corlius , also known as Devil Claw.

She held it against her pounding heart, searching around the buildings and along the tram system nearby, studying every shadow, hoping to see any sign of movement.

“Kryxis!” she hissed. “Come out!”

No answer.

“Kryxis!”

She waited. But there was no sign of him. She checked her garometer but saw no energy level higher than seven.

Damn.

A smirk tugged at her lips anyway.

At least he was alive.

She stood by the bench a little longer, then turned back for the ship. He had to come around eventually, and she would catch him when he did.