Page 61 of Surface Pressure

“Good.” Marshall gave her a curious look, as if he sensed something else was going on.

Autumn’s heart moved into her throat. Had he seen Soulara? He and Trent were facing the front. Autumn had only happened to glance over. Had he seen the Princess of Reine? Was he asking if she’d seen Soulara on the sonar?

“Picking up anything odd?” Marshall asked.

Autumn gulped audibly. She wasn’t great at lying. She had been at one point in her life, but since joining the military there hadn’t been much point in it. Not to mention, if she was caught then she could lose the one escape she’d found, and she’d be sent home to face even more consequences than the military could come up with.

“Walton?” Marshall’s reminder of his question was sharp.

“Oh. Um… no. Just some seaweed about fifty meters east of us.” Autumn curled her toes in her boots. That wasn’t so much a lie as it was a redirection. She could handle that. Rolling her shoulders, Autumn nodded firmly at him before glancing at Trent. “All systems are a go.”

“Okay.” Marshall focused on his controls.

He tapped the speaker in his ear, and Autumn remembered belatedly that they could hear everything that was said in there. She winced. At least she hadn’t said anything too stupid. She had to get better at this life thing. Then again, she’d never managed to succeed in that.

“We’re a go for beginning the mission.”

The engines whirred to life. Vibrations seeped from the metal floor, through the rubber soles of her boots and into her knees. That was going to make this a long trip. She’d get used to it, but as soon as she stepped out when they were done—Autumn stopped that thought.

They weren’t going to be on land again.

The heavy stone weighed in her stomach, making it hard to swallow. She was here to drown. She’d given Soulara the exact information she needed in order to take down the water collectors. Autumn had no doubts that Soulara was going to use that information. As she very well should.

The ache in her knees would be the last time she felt this. A deathly shiver rolled through her chest and into her limbs. She really should relish this last trip, shouldn’t she? Knowing she would die in the end?

No.

She should put all of her focus into helping and saving Soulara.

As the water collector moved and dove deeper into the ocean, Autumn immediately pulled up the sonar and locked onto Soulara’s position again. Would she follow? Would she continue to watch Autumn from afar?

What was Soulara even doing there?

Autumn couldn’t handle it if they killed Soulara. If she killed…

Bile rose in her throat, threatening to spew all over her controls. Autumn had to close her eyes to keep it in. Marshall and Trent rattled on about something. Autumn tuned them out. She wished Soulara would be able to hear her. Shuddering, she frowned. What would she even say?

Don’t follow me.

It was one night.

It didn’t mean anything.

But it did. And Autumn had never been able to deny it, but perhaps it would take some of Soulara’s guilt away at the end of the day. Autumn hated that she was here. If only there had been a way to get out of going on this mission.

The medic had called her bluff.

She couldn’t fake period cramps when she hadn’t had any in the months they’d been there. She couldn’t convince Marshall that someone else should be there. She’d tried. Several times. But she could have tried harder, couldn’t she?

“Walton!” Trent shouted.

“What?” She spun around to face him.

“What the hell crack are you on?”

Autumn furrowed her brow, catching sight of Soulara’s hair flowing over the edge of the glass. Autumn bit her lip and focused on Trent. “What?”

“Shitting your pants yet?” Trent snorted and snickered.

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