Page 44 of Across the Crimson Sands

“Of course you do,” I said, trying to soften my tone. “But the risks-”

“I know the risks,” she cut me off. “I’ve been living with risks ever since Gorin...” She trailed off, her jaw clenching. “I need to think about it.”

Davor nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s reasonable. Take your time to consider it, Arilee.” He turned to me, switching gears. “Rokan, go get the bone conductor communicators from storage room B. Third shelf on the left, blue case.”

I hesitated, not wanting to leave Arilee alone. But she spoke up before I could voice my concerns.

“I’ll stay here with Davor,” she said, her eyes meeting mine. Something in her gaze made me pause, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

“Alright,” I agreed, pushing down the unease growing in my gut. “I won’t be long.”

As I left the room, I caught a snippet of conversation between two techs in the hallway.

“Did you hear about the new security protocols at the Krelaxian compound?”

“Yeah, nasty stuff. Wouldn’t want to be caught in there without clearance.”

Their words only heightened my anxiety. What were we getting ourselves into?

The storage room was a maze of shelves and crates, dimly lit and filled with the scent of ozone and metal. I found the blue case easily enough, but as I reached for it, my hand froze.

What was I doing? Dragging Arilee into this mess, risking her life for... what? My own selfish desires? The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I cared for her, more than I should, more than was safe for either of us.

I stood there, lost in thought, for longer than I realized. By the time I made it back to the briefing room, carrying the case of bone conductors, it was clear I’d missed something.

Davor and Arilee were huddled close, their conversation ending abruptly as I entered. Arilee’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Davor, for his part, looked... satisfied?

“Took you long enough,” Davor said, moving quickly to take the case from me. “Let’s get these implanted and be on our way.”

I frowned, watching as he efficiently prepped the devices. “What were you two talking about?”

Arilee’s gaze flickered to mine, then away. “Nothing important. Just... clarifying some details about the mission.”

Something about her tone set my teeth on edge, but before I could press further, Davor was already moving to implant the communicators.

“This won’t hurt a bit,” he assured Arilee, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

I watched, a knot forming in my stomach, as he carefully placed the device behind her ear. Arilee winced slightly, but otherwise remained still.

“There,” Davor said, stepping back. “All done. How does it feel?”

Arilee reached up, touching the spot gingerly. “Strange. But not uncomfortable.”

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I let it out in a rush. “My turn, I suppose?”

As Davor moved to implant my communicator, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted while I was gone. Arilee’s gaze kept darting to me, then away, as if she was trying to avoid my eyes.

What had they discussed in my absence? And why did I suddenly feel like an outsider in my own mission?

ARILEE

The shuttle’s engines thrummed beneath my feet as we soared through the inky void of space. Rokan sat beside me, his jaw clenched, eyes fixed on the control panel. The silence between us stretched taut, heavy with unspoken words and fears.

I stole glances at him, drinking in the sharp angles of his face, the delicate markings on his gray skin.

My sweet, savage hunter.

Could we really pull this off?

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