Page 87 of The Program

The way it backed away reminded me of a child waiting for the blow of an abusive parent. It wasn’t something I had ever experienced myself, but I’d known many who had. Addy was one of them. It was the same look she used to get when she’d first been assigned to my crew when people loomed over her to accentuate their taunts.

My heart clenched as Morgrid raised those claws for another swipe, but the barrier fell before she could, a body slamming into her with a robotic yell that had my spine straightening in an instant.

‘You keep your dirty fucking hands off him!’the new woman threatened, her voice bleeding with a mechanical quality while she straddled and restrained the giant Tornu with far too much ease. It wasn’t just her voice that was robotic, however, but she seemed to be made from metal as well.

Was that… Artemis?

‘A! Stop! Get off her! She’s my mother!’ Tormik shouted as he rushed in, Foryk on his heels. I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was obvious those two were related somehow, I just hadn’t figured out how yet, and the distance they kept between them provided some insight about old grudges still being held.

Whatdidsurprise me was how Morgrid refused to acknowledge her relation to Foryk. He seemed like a solid man who had shown immense amounts of loyalty and protection to those he cared about. What was the story there? Did it have anything to do with the scandal Morgrid had alluded to before?

Artemis looked up, her expression twisted into cold, lethal loathing. But when she lifted her head she also revealed something tucked away beneath her clothing. Another head. A child.

Was it hers?

Something shifted in her gaze when she caught sight of the Tornu males’ thunderous expressions, and she removed herself from on top of Morgrid. She didn’t let up entirely, however, moving protectively in front of the creature. It nuzzled her hand and she scratched it between the ears, shocking the shit out of us all.

Morgrid especially, if her disbelieving laugh was anything to go by.

I took that as my opportunity to start unpacking the barricade, going through the door a much kinder option on my body than jumping through the now broken window.

‘Of course,you’dbring aKikshrutwith you. I guess that explains the change of plans,’ she said.

Artemis didn’t move from her protective stance, but she did tilt her head to the side in confusion. ‘Kikshrut?’

‘That monster behind you,’ Morgrid gestured with a wave of her hand. ‘From the Forbidden Planet.’

I inhaled sharply through my nose. I’d heard a few horror stories about the Kikshrut, especially during my childhood, but I never thought I’d actually see one. Those stories didn’t do it justice. This thing washuge.

‘What he is, is ababy,’ Artemis spat, just as venomous as the creature’s fangs.

‘That thing isn’t a damn baby. It’s a monster,’ was Morgrid’s droll response.

‘Agree to disagree. If you ever come near him again I don’t care whose mother you are I will end you before you can even blink.’

I didn’t doubt her.

‘Watch your tone with me, girl. I’m still your elder,’ Morgrid warned, but Artemis was having none of it.

‘Earn my respect before you demand it, bitch.’

‘That’s enough!’ snapped Tormik, and I noticed Foryk had moved back in line with the others, taking up position beside Bromm.

‘Indeed,’ I agreed, finally stepping through the doorway and moving to stand beside Artemis. I eyed the Kikshrut nervously but took a page out of Artemis’s book by pretending not to be so afraid. Not that I thought she was afraid of him at all. She clearly wasn’t. But if he thought I wasn’t a threat then maybe he wouldn’t treat me like one. The first step to earning an animal’s trust is to prove you won’t hurt them, right?

‘Artemis,’ a familiar weathered voice called out before none other than Corporal Stanson stepped forward, his white hair tied back messily in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. Thin strands escaped at the front despite the braids weaved through it to keep it neat, and from the injuries he sported andthe blood coating him from head to toe, it was clear now that a serious battle had just occurred.

It was then that I finally took stock of the crowd, a mixture of officers and cadets, and that the quarantine shield was somehow re-erected behind them. That would explain how the battle hadn’t joined us in the hanger bay. It had been blocked off. Was that Artemis’s doing or someone else? My eyes made contact with Eloria Stanson’s and she gave me a nod of acknowledgement. So it was her, then. Good.

‘Corporal Stanson,’ Artemis responding, showing him the respect she had just denied Morgrid. I liked the woman, and in my opinion had earned my respect, but the situation with Artemis was different. Morgrid needed to put in some serious grafting if she wanted any sort of friendship with the other woman.

Quite frankly, so did I, I internally acknowledged.

‘The Kikshrut is with you?’ asked Stanson.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And he is… trained?’

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