Page 11 of Willow and the Wraith

“Now move,” Wraith ordered them.

She glanced down at Sooni and the little girl nodded, her face a little pale but her eyes determined.

“It’ll be okay,” she whispered, taking Willow’s hand.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and they hurried after Wraith. They followed him through the winding corridors of the station, his long strides forcing her into a fast jog in order to keep up. Despite her apprehension, she couldn’t help noticing the way he moved – fluid and purposeful, his big muscular body showing no strain from carrying Malacar’s weight.

For all his coldness, there was a carefulness in how he handled the elderly alien that surprised her, especially given his impatience with the delay.

He paused at an intersection, his eyes glowing slightly as he scanned their surroundings. She used the moment to lean against the wall, still breathless from the rapid pace. He glanced back at her and Sooni, and she expected him to demand they move faster.

“Are you all right?” he asked instead, his voice cold but not unkind.

She nodded, surprised by the unexpected consideration. As they resumed their journey, she found herself studying him more closely. There was something in the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders, that made her wonder what drove him. What had shaped him into the male she saw – dangerous and aloof, but still capable of moments of compassion? She was well aware that he could have simply taken her as easily as he’d taken Malacar.

She was still wondering when they emerged in a small docking bay. His ship was waiting, smaller than she’d expected, its sleek lines and polished exterior a striking contrast to the dilapidated surroundings. It looked more like a predatory bird than a spacecraft, elegant yet deadly.

He keyed in a code, and a ramp descended with a soft hiss. He gestured for them to enter, scanning the area one last time before ushering them inside.

The interior was as compact as the exterior suggested, sparse and utilitarian. A narrow corridor ran the length of the ship and he strode purposefully to one of the two small doors at the rear. Not doors - glass panels. Her stomach dropped as she realized they opened into two holding cells. Small and spartanly furnished, they were clearly designed for function over comfort.

She watched as Wraith carefully lowered Malacar onto a narrow bunk, his care at odds with his earlier brusqueness. As he straightened, his gaze met hers, and for a moment, Willow thought she saw a flicker of something – discomfort? regret? – in his eyes.

He cleared his throat, gesturing to the other cell. “You and the girl will have to share that one,” he said gruffly.

“You’re locking us in?” she whispered.

“What? No. But my ship is not designed for… visitors. There are no other cabins.”

She noticed a slight hesitation in his voice, as if he were uncomfortable with the arrangement, but his face had resumed its usual cold expression. She glanced down at Sooni, who squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“I’ll be in the cockpit,” he added, already turning away. “We need to get moving.”

As he disappeared down the corridor, she took a deep breath, trying to process how quickly her life had changed once again. The reality of their predicament hit her anew as she looked at the small cell that would be their temporary home. At least it’s clean, she thought, determined to look on the bright side.

She checked Malacar’s pulse, still slow and steady, then perched on the edge of the narrow bunk, waiting for him to awaken. The cell felt cramped with the three of them inside, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him. Sooni curled up next to her, her small hand resting on her grandfather’s arm.

Time crawled by, marked only by the soft hum of the ship’s engines. The takeoff had been so smooth she hadn’t even registered it until she noticed the slight vibration beneath her feet. Her mind kept replaying the events of the past few hours. Uncertainty still gnawed at her, but perhaps she’d picked up some of Sooni’s assurance, because there was a strange sense of calm beneath her surface worries.

A low groan finally broke the silence as Malacar’s eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his features.

“Grandfather!” Sooni exclaimed happily. “You’re awake.”

He tried to sit up, his arms shaking, and she assisted him into a sitting position as he gave the cell a dazed look.

“What… where are we?”

“We’re on a ship - Wraith’s ship. He brought us here.”

The old alien scowled at the glass door panel.

“And locked us up? What did that bastard do to me?”

“He didn’t hurt you,” she assured him, though the words felt hollow even to her. “He said it was just to make you sleep because we didn’t have time to argue. And we’re not locked in. He doesn’t have any regular cabins.”

Malacar’s face darkened.

“We need to leave this ship. We cannot trust-”

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