Page 17

Along the passage, they hurried, with Cylo casting glances over his shoulder to ensure they trailed him.

The Maloidian favored his side, as expected.

The female seemed unstable on her feet, but she didn’t utter a word of complaint.

When they breached the second level, an alarm blared, proving someone had lived.

He cursed. It didn’t matter. Getting the female to safety did.

Hiossu hadn’t been part of the plan, but he might serve some purpose if the data on the cubes was useless.

“There’s another way out,” she said, stopped on the second level’s landing, and slouched against the wall.

Cylo gazed into her good eye then lingered on the daintiness of her nose and her enticing mouth. “Are you certain?”

“I saw a map of this place.” She moaned, rolling a shoulder. “And when we got here, the Yithians first took us toward the beach.”

“She speaks truth,” Hiossu said.

Cylo cupped her unblemished cheek, soft despite what she’d endured. A data cube made her tunic bulge. His arm hung limp at his side, and his knee threatened to collapse. Hope sparked to life. The beach was perhaps far enough for them to not suffer the brunt of the explosions. “Lead the way, ensa.”

Her chest rose in a sharp inhale, then she bolted, bumping into walls like her balance was off.

With Hiossu between them, Cylo could do nothing to help.

At one point, she doubled over and vomited.

When Hiossu reached out to her, she straightened, wiped her mouth with the hand holding the dagger, and took off again.

The cascade of her vibrant hair lured Cylo, serving as a beacon he was compelled to follow.

When she ducked, revealing an armed Yithian, it wasn’t enough time for Cylo to react.

The blaster shot hit Hiossu in the chest, sending him to the floor and skidding back.

She screamed, threw herself at the Yithian, and plunged her dagger into his eye.

He roared and thrust her away, granting Cylo a chance to fire. He didn’t hesitate.

She scrambled to Hiossu’s side and raised wide eyes to Cylo. “Is he dead?”

Activating his O.D.I. with his nose, he scanned the Maloidian. It didn’t heal, but it could diagnose. With a grunt, he said, “Step back. Let me lift him.”

How, he didn’t know. He clenched his jaw when he rested on his knee. Then, with a dip and her help, Hiossu draped over Cylo’s shoulder. She clasped his elbow, helping him to stand.

“Let us go, ensa,” he said, flashing her a smile.

She blinked, swiveled, and snatched the blaster from the dead Yithian before pushing onward.

Her steps faltered more often. The skin around her bruises had taken on a deep purple tinge.

What had these xemi done to her? He was tempted to awaken Hiossu and pin him to a wall, to extract every painful secret he harbored.

She halted in front of a Maloidian steel door.

No amount of yanking on the handle opened it.

Cylo leaned against the tunnel wall and slid Hiossu to the floor.

He clambered to his feet, swallowing a groan at the renewed agony locking his knee, and joined her.

He nudged her to the side and handed her his blaster.

With his good hand, he clasped the lever and pushed. The door cranked open on silent hinges.

Salty air hit him in the face. He grinned at the female resting against the door’s frame, clasping two blasters to her chest. A weak smile teased her lips, but her blinks were lazy, her eyes glazed. His joy faltered. She needed a med-E.D.

“Come,” he said, lumbered to Hiossu, and wormed him onto his shoulder.

They entered the cool tunnel with bright sunlight at the end. The floor changed from metal to black sand. Waves crashed onto the shore, their gentle hush soothing his hearing and enhancing her ragged breathing.

He tapped his O.D.I. and caught her hand. “Fyca, three to port to medical.”

“Head to safety.” Fyca’s voice broke up. “Explosions in seven. Kuta has…” Crackle. Hiss. “Recalled with Yithian ship… Find shelter.”

“Shit,” she muttered. “You planted bombs?” She whipped her gaze away, but he caught her glower.

“Yes. We want to stop the—”

“I get it,” she snapped. “We need distance, so where to now?” She stomped ahead, leaving him to follow. “Hiossu mentioned a cave, but I have to tell you, we’ll be sitting ducks.”

“Ducks?” Cylo’s O.D.I. hurried to share images and details of a strange bird. “Is that bad?”

She stared at him then giggled. Running a hand over her face wiped away her mirth. “It means we’ll be fixed targets.”

“Ah,” he said. “Under the circumstances, we must be far from here.” He scanned the beach, noted its shape, and headed south.

The sand made running harder, his knee pinging with every step he managed.

Her heavy breathing trailed him, her uneven gait a concern.

He chanced a glance over his shoulder at her pale and glistening face and pinched his lips.

On the horizon was a jagged line of rock, pitted from centuries of waves crashing against it.

Sweltering heat pouring off the sand added a layer of sweat to his battered body.

His armor’s automatic temperature adjustment must have failed.

As they neared the cavern’s entrance, he swung Hiossu off his shoulder and rested the male against the warm rock wall.

Through a narrow crack, a breeze cooled his skin.

“I’ll go ahead and check. I don’t want any surprises,” she said, dropping a blaster at his feet then hefting the other with both hands.

He stared at the discarded weapon then glared at her. “I will do it.”

“Why?” She met his gaze even as she swayed on her feet.

“I am a trained warrior.” He tried to fold his arms across his chest, but his left arm didn’t budge.

“Fine. We’ll both go.” She pointed her chin at Hiossu. “Drag him inside.” And through the gap she slipped.

“Cursed female,” Cylo muttered.

He scooped up the blaster and tossed it in after her.

It clattered across the rock floor and ended with a splatter.

Grunting, he grabbed Hiossu by the wrist and pulled him across the sand.

The moment he stepped into the cave, Cylo swallowed a moan of relief at the lower temperature.

His eyes adjusted in an instant, granting him a clear view of the interior.

Toward the darker rear, yellow, curl-like plants glowed from the ceiling in what he assumed was some sort of bioluminescence.

They wouldn’t be in complete darkness, not with the cave opening on the ocean to the right.

After propping Hiossu against a natural pillar, Cylo ventured farther into their temporary haven.

Tiny echoing footsteps marked her location in what sounded like a series of caves.

Silence fell, only marred by the ocean’s waves lapping at the rock floor.

Had something happened to her? Panic cinched his heart, stilling his breathing.

He found her on a rock-pool’s ledge, staring out at the horizon.

She fiddled with her boots, cast a glance at him, then removed them.

Into the water she shoved her feet, throwing her head back on a moan.

The delicate arch of her throat drew his focus again.

“If I didn’t think I’d pass out, I’d go for a swim.”

He angled his head, unsure he’d heard correctly. “It is best that you find a place to rest. The blasts could—”

Booms thundered—too loud for comfort. A wave of hot air and sand hit him. He raised his arm to shield his face, then froze. Whirling in her direction, he lunged for her. Protected by his armor, he could bear the brunt of the abrasions but not her soft skin…

A splash halted him in his tracks as the ground trembled beneath his boots. Chunks of rock broke off the ceiling and clattered down, a few hitting the pool she’d dived into.

A white light consumed his vision, almost blinding him. He wasn’t sure it was a symptom from the explosions or…fear since he’d never experienced the latter.

“Female,” he roared, stumbling to the pool’s edge. Wedging his hips against the side, he shoved his good arm into the green depths, caught something wispy, and yanked it up.

“Ow,” she said when she breached the surface.

Cylo scowled but released her hair. He wasn’t about to admit she’d scared him. “What are you doing?”

She met and held his gaze. While he waited for her to respond, red blood trickled down her temple. His heart lodged in his throat. He looped his arm under hers and hoisted her out of the water. She squeaked but clung to him, her wet clothing cooling his body further.

“You are bleeding,” he whispered, setting her down. A quick dig in his pocket had him taking out one of two med-guns on his person. “Stand still,” he said as he ran it over her temple.

She tilted her chin up, her gaze traveling over his features.

Her breathing evened out, and so did her heartbeat, but her pallor remained the same.

With the shush of the waves and the tensions thick post-explosion, he couldn’t drag his attention from her.

The wound sealed, so he wiped away the blood trickle, not liking the sight or smell of it.

That she’d been harmed had barely restrained anger threatening his control.

He focused on the bruises across her face and the tiny cuts along her arms. The purple changing to a horrid yellow brought him some peace.

The smooth skin when her wounds healed deepened his gratitude.

“Any more explosions?” She peered over his shoulder in Hiossu’s direction.

“No,” Cylo said. “I will not apologize for it. We had to hide our presence.”

She harrumphed. “Did you get all the women?”

“Seven?” He arched a brow and waited, content to admire her unusual beauty.

She chewed on her bottom lip, her focus distant. “Yeah. There weren’t others?”

“According to the heat signature scans, no. You were a surprise.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Which means you could be wrong.”