Page 34 of Obsession

I tapped one toe impatiently. “Meaning…?”

“Meaning we can't stop the simulation or get them out without risking their lives,” Zav said, as he continued to work on the control panel.

Vyk and Torq ran up, both Drexians breathing heavily as if they’d run the entire way.

I didn’t bother to hide my fear from Vyk, who pulled me to him as he asked, "What simulation?"

Volten squared his shoulders. "It's one Kann created to test the possibility of using an old academy challenge instead of the maze. The Silent Hunt."

Jess sucked in a breath. “Britta talked about working on that.”

“We worked on it together,” Zav said, his voice a low rumble. “I should have been here with her. I should be the one in the simulation.”

“If you were, you wouldn’t be able to fix this,” I said.

The Taori twisted his head, one black braid dangling in front of his face as he met my gaze. “You are right. I am the only other engineer who knows as much about the simulation. It might take time, but I can get them out.”

“How much time?” Vyk's expression darkened.

“I do not know.” Zav exhaled loudly. “I must be careful if I want to preserve their signatures within the program.”

That did not sound good. I slipped my hand into Vyk’s, seeking comfort as much as offering it. “What are you thinking?”

He squeezed my fingers, but the gesture felt tense. “The ancient academy was even more dangerous, and the Silent Hunt was not as peaceful as its name might indicate.”

I stifled a rough laugh. “I never assume anything that has to do with the Drexians is peaceful.”

My heart sank as I thought of Britta trapped in there. She was brilliant with technology, but this was different. This was survival.

“She’s tough,” Jess said, as if convincing herself more than anyone else.

“So is Kann.” Volten’s expression hardened. “He will not let anything bad happen to either of them.”

Vyk continued to scowl next to me, his entire body coiled with tension.

“What is it?” I whispered. “What is it you aren’t telling me?”

He looked at me, his blue eyes intense. “The rescue mission cannot wait. Not if we want to get Ariana’s sister back.”

If it was possible for my heart to plummet farther into my stomach, it did. I looked at the holochamber doors and then back at Vyk. If Zav could not get Kann and Britta out soon, would we have to leave on the mission without them? How could we go, knowing that our friends’ lives hung in the balance?

“Grek,” we said in unison.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Kann

Iwoke to morning sunlight filtering through the canopy of leaves overhead, and Britta sleeping in my arms. Even though it wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, and the coarse bark bit my skin through the fabric of my uniform, waking with the human felt right in a way I'd never experienced before.

Usually, when I found myself with a female in the morning, my mind was already planning my escape—how to slip away without waking her, what excuse to give if she stirred. But with Britta, I wanted to stay exactly where I was.

Of course, that's when she began to stir. My arms tightened instinctively to keep her from rolling off the branch, but the sudden constraint made her eyes fly open in panic, as she thrashed against my grasp, clearly disoriented.

"Shh, you're safe," I murmured, keeping my voice low and steady. "We're in the tree, remember? I've got you."

Her body went still, then slack, as she released a breath. “Sorry.” Then she twisted her neck, which must have been as stiff as mine. "Is it safe to get down?"

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