Page 61 of Obsession

His fingers brushed mine as we both pointed to the same section, and warmth spread up my arm at the contact.

I cleared my throat and moved my hand away. “Added.”

He finally lifted his head to meet my gaze, his own pupils dark. “So, we should expect just as many wherever we’re going.”

My mouth went bone dry as I tried to think of an answer, the right answer, but I was too lost in his eyes to do anything but stare at him.

"Approaching Kronock territory," Ariana’s voice came over the internal comms system, breaking the spell.

We both looked away, and I released a breath. What the hell had just happened? Until Ariana’s voice had startled me, I could have sworn Tivek was about to kiss me, and I was about to let him.

"Going silent and engaging stealth shields in three…two…one.”

My pulse spiked as the ship’s lights dimmed for stealth mode, and the only illumination now came from the blue, ambient lights in the ceiling.

Just as I was about to jiggle my leg, Tivek’s hand moved to my knee. Instead of being outraged that the Drexian was touching me and preventing me from releasing my nervous energy, the warmth of his hand sent the strangest calming sensation through my body. When he twisted his head to smile at me, I cocked my head at him and smiled back.

Then I swallowed hard. This was unexpected.

Unexpected and very inconvenient.

Chapter

Forty-Two

Volten

Ipaused at the bottom of the stairs. This was it. We were close enough to the dungeon entrance that the scent of mold and too many unwashed bodies was so strong I could almost taste it.

I had been to the dungeons before, but that was in the old academy. Therealacademy, I reminded myself. This one was only holographic.

Yet this was where Kann had been seriously injured, so the debate about what was real or not was beside the point. This version of the academy was the one that mattered, and this was the one we had to escape.

I clenched my teeth so hard that my jaw ached, reminding myself that I was doing this for Kann.

Get in, get Kann, get out.

I flicked a glance behind me at Britta, wishing that I did not have to worry about keeping her safe on top of rescuing Kann.But I knew that she would never stay behind. Despite my friend’s denials, I could sense a bond between him and the human.

He had looked at her like he had never looked at a female before. He looked at Britta the way Vyk looked at Fiona, or Torq looked at Jess, or I guessed the way I stared at Ariana. And it was not the way one looked at a friend.

Not that any of that mattered. Not now. And it wouldn’t matter at all, if I could not get him out of the dungeon and then the simulation. My heart tripped in my chest as I remembered that the window of opportunity to leave the program was closing. If I did not hurry, we would all be stuck in the simulation.

“Not on mygrekkingwatch,” I said under my breath, as I flattened myself against the wall and took a step. Before I could take another, a sharp hiss cut through the quiet.

I froze, my muscles tensing for a fight. Beside me, Britta went rigid, drawing in a quick breath.

“Over here," the whisper came again, and a figure emerged from one of the shadows.

Britta relaxed. “It’s you.”

I did not take my eyes off the Drexian in a torn uniform with dirt smudged on his face. “Who is this?”

“Zokren.” He said his name quickly and squinted at me. “Wait. You aren’t the Drexian who was with her in the woods.”

Now I slid my gaze to Britta for answers.

“We encountered him in the forest,” she said. “He helped us.”

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