Page 45 of Across the Crimson Sands

Had these last few days with him been nothing but a brief respite in my time in hell?

“Arilee,” Rokan’s words shattered my thoughts. “I need to say something.”

I turned in my seat to face him, noting the tension in his shoulders. “What is it?”

He hesitated, his gaze searching my face. “This plan... It’s dangerous. If anything goes wrong-”

“Don’t,” I interrupted, reaching out to touch his arm. “We’ve come too far to back out now.”

I couldn’t tell him what I felt. My doubts shouldn’t weigh on him.

But my fears wouldn’t let me go.

The communicator crackled to life, startling us both. A gruff voice barked out coordinates, and Rokan’s fingers flew over the controls, adjusting our course.

“The Krelaxian Training Grounds,” he muttered. “We’re to land on the far side.”

As we descended through the planet’s atmosphere, my stomach churned.

It was a trap. We knew it.

But was there any other way to end this?

The facility loomed before us, a sprawling complex of imposing structures and barren training fields. Steel and concrete stretched as far as the eye could see, as if the Krelaxians in this sector needed to prove something to someone.

Rokan guided the shuttle to a landing pad on the perimeter of the complex. As the engines powered down, I twisted my fingers together.

“Ready?” Rokan asked, his hand hovering over the door release.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. We stepped out onto the landing pad, the acrid smell of fuel and scorched earth assaulting my nostrils. The facility seemed deserted, an eerie stillness blanketing the area.

Then I saw him.

Gorin stood at the side of the landing pad, his mottled brown skin gleaming in the harsh sunlight. I fought the urge to shrink behind Rokan, forcing myself to stand tall.

“Well, well.” Even his voice made me want to throw up. “The prodigal slave returns.”

Rokan stepped forward, his posture relaxed but alert. “We’re here to negotiate, Gorin. Nothing more.”

Gorin’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Negotiate? And what exactly do you think you have to offer me?”

“Credits,” Rokan replied calmly. “Enough to make it worth your while to release Arilee’s contract.”

I bit my lip, watching the exchange. Gorin’s eyes narrowed, glinting with amusement. He was toying with us, I realized. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for his response.

“And how much do you think she’s worth?” Gorin asked, his gaze sliding over to me. I fought the urge to recoil.

Rokan named a sum that made my eyes widen. It was more than I’d ever dreamed of being worth. But Gorin just laughed.

“Double it,” he demanded.

To my shock, Rokan didn’t hesitate. “Done.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Through the bone conductor communicator, I hissed, “Rokan, don’t be crazy. It’s too much!”

His reply was immediate and firm. “I’m not.”

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