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Rose touched her face. Sticky and warm. With what?

Scorpion innards?

She swallowed hard, fighting the bile that surged in her throat. Her fingers fumbled in her pocket for a Kleenex. She wiped at her cheeks, but the smear of gore only seemed to spread. What the hell was Thea working on down here?

Finn’s boots scuffed against the tiles as he paced the lab, pulse rifle at the ready. He checked every corner, even though the lights were back on and the computers hummed reassuringly.

“This your sister’s lab?” He asked from the far side of the room.

She nodded, her stomach twisting, the memory of Finn’s perfect kiss as distant as if it had happened years ago.

“Figures.” He let out a soft snort, the kind that wasn’t meant to be funny.

Before she could respond, comms crackled.

“Luca.” The voice was deep and gravelly, but even after such a short period of time, she recognized Liev. “Shut the fuck up. I can’t even think. Ethan, this is Liev. We’re in the Environmental Control hub. You need to get down —”

“Get fucking down here? Yes, and then we can fucking bug out!” Luca’s voice pitched higher. “But wait. We can’t evacuate because the fucking shuttle access is sabotaged.”

Rose exhaled a shaky breath. How many secrets had Thea buried down here?

“Luca. Calm the hell down.” Ethan’s voice cut in. A steady beat. It was easy to see how he was the natural leader of these men. “What exactly are you seeing down there?”

The comms line brimmed with silence. When Luca’s voice returned, it was unnervingly quiet. “You need to see it. Get down here. All of you .”

The line cut out with a chirp.

Finn was already moving. He grabbed her hand, the pressure firm but still gentle. “We need to go. Now. ”

She let him pull her toward the door, her mind reeling. There was no time to process her fears now. Only answers to be found.

The door lock panel glowed softly, fully operational again. The door opened, the watertight seal releasing with a mechanical groan.

“Luca, this is Finn. We’re on our way. ETA three minutes,” Finn barked into the comms, scanning the hallway before them.

The fluorescent lights blazed overhead. No shadows where threats might lurk. Finn’s grip tightened on her.

She stumbled as they headed up the corridor and the world tilted, her legs turning to water beneath her.

Finn’s arm shot out, catching her against his chest before she could hit the floor. His pulse hammered where her cheek pressed against his throat .

“Hey.” He brushed the hair from her eyes with careful fingers. “When did you last eat?”

“Um…” The hours blurred together. “I don’t know?”

“Right. Can you walk?”

“Yeah.” She straightened, pushing away from his chest. “I’m fine.”

His hand wrapped around her elbow. “You’re not fine. Come on.”