Page 58 of Rebel Fates

26

HOPE

SERRAT

“Frex!” I scream as we watch the Tirbs’ ship lift off. They gave us all one nasty, debilitating jolt right before they released us from the stasis beam.

Zeek runs over to check on me. I nod that I’m all right. We both look at Rok, who had tumbled off the ramp and fallen to the ground in a crumple. He stirs just as we jog toward him.

“Why didn’t you stop her from coming out?” Zeek snaps at Rok.

“Zeek,” I admonish him.

“I tried.”

“Not hard enough!” Zeek growls.

Rok won’t look us in the eye. “She didn’t want us to be hurt, and we couldn’t stop the Tirbs.”

“You didn’t even want her with us! That’s why you let her go!” Zeek is about to challenge Rok to a fight.

“They had new tech,” I say as I help Rok to his feet. “We couldn’t do anything the way it was going.”

“You weren’t any better, refusing to tell her what she needed to know.” Zeek crosses his arms to help keep himself together.

“She’s a liability. We can’t rescue everyone. That isn’t even our job.” I remind him. But the words are bitter on my tongue, and I don’t believe a single one. I’m trying to convince myself this is all for the best, but my heart is telling me that’s a lie. I change the subject so I worry about my broken heart later. “I’m actually surprised the Tirbs didn’t capture us for a reward from the Syndicate.”

“That is a bit perplexing,” Zeek mutters. “Why didn’t they? Why was their interestonlyin Gemma?”

“She’s special,” Rok murmurs. “But I don’t know how they know.”

I’m surprised by him admitting she’s special. I feel that way about her, but I didn’t expect him to.

“So, what do we do? We can’t just let her go?” Zeek throws his hands into the air in frustration.

“We can’t help her!” I snap, but I have the same reckless desire to run after her. I’d be putting my pack at risk. Then there’s the real reason I’m angry… I have already failed her. “Whatcanwe do? We don’t know where in the galaxy they’re going.”

Zeek throws his arms up defensively. “Then find a way! I want her back. And so do you.”

“We should be out of our minds with the shift right now!” I shout.

“Exactly,” Rok says quietly. “And Zeek’s right. We need to go after her.”

Both Zeek and I whip our heads to look at him.

“What? But—” I need him to convince me this is a good idea, even though I know it’s a horrible risk.

“I discovered something about her moments before the Tirbs showed up.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask. All my hair is standing on end, waiting for his announcement.

Rok scratches the fur on the side of his face. “Let’s go inside. We can prep for takeoff.”

I agree, since I feel I need to come to terms with what just happened with Gemma and the Tirbs.

We head in, and Rok leads us to the cockpit. After he keys in a few things, he sighs like he’s been holding his breath for too long. “It’s working.”

“What’sworking?” Zeek asks anxiously. His mood is palpable, and given a chance, he would rip something to pieces right now.

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