Page 58 of Hooded

Time ticks by, I want to get to what I need, but I’m on edge. Muscles tick with the use they’ve had. My claws itch to be buried in something. My feathers want to rattle constantly, rising and falling in waves of irritation.

This is not getting me any closer to opening the door or becoming one with the systems on the ship. Using the one thingwhich I hated the Drahon did to me, in order to get back to the one good thing in my life.

I will find my Fern and then we will find the Gryn together. I’ve spent too long hating my species instead of seeing them as allies. Sylas, Blayn, Maxym, and Rych—they were all good Gryn, all good warriors who fought for themselves, their mates and for freedom.

Something I should have seen earlier, but it’s my time with Fern which makes me see clearly. I am not a super nova. I am a nebula, unable to exist in isolation.

Beneath me, I feel the static of the impulses which lead to the locking mechanism. Their threads are different but not too different to the one I have in my head.

I’m just about to release it when it clicks, sending shocks back down my spine.

“Has he taken the bait?” a gruff voice says as the door slides open.

“I can’t tell,” a second, younger sounding voice replies.

I keep my eyes closed and play dead. It’s one of my favorite tactics from the dome.

“Do you think we gave him enough?” the second voice asks, and I feel a foot toeing my left wing. “I’ve seen the vids. These gladiators are deadly.”

“Scared of a Gryn?” the gruff voice taunts. “We gave him enough paraxio to drop a herd of Habosu. He’ll be out until we get him to the fighting pit, then the medic will give him something that would wake a space rock.” He laughs, a disgusting choking sound.

“You’d better be right. I’ve seen this one take off a head with a single blow.”

It’s all I can do not to smile to myself. Thatwasa particularly good bout in the dome. Blayn managed to defeat a ziggurag, and Sylas took out three challengers at the same time.

My arms are grabbed and pulled above my head as I’m dragged out of the cell and into the cooler passageway.

“Gak his wings,” the younger of the two Varangy complains. “Gakking things get everywhere.”

“Don’t damage him. The boss wants the Gryn in good shape, to put on the best show for the great one.”

“We’re finally going to meet Proto,” the younger says as I’m swung sideways into a chute.

“As is this Gryn. It’s about time he met his maker.”

FERN

I’m fighting back the tears as I climb on board my ship. Beebie chitters with concern, running back and forth in front of me as I fire up the engines and prep for take-off.

I don’t know what I’m doing. I need to take a breath, think for a minute, not just rush after Klynn without thinking things through, but the longer this takes, the farther away he will be.

The port engine whines and shuts down as I flick on the incorrect starting sequence. I kick out at the console in front of me with a loud FUCK.

Beebie swarms up my legs, over my bump, and into my arms, shoving his squat head under my chin. He hums gently, almost like a cat’s purr, before his little blue tongue licks out at the tears running down my cheeks.

Tears Klynn hated to see. He’d hate them even more at this moment because they are for him.

I stroke down Beebie’s long sinuous back, and he increases his hum.

“I can’t lose him,” I say into his fur. “I can’t.”

The blind panic I felt dissipates.

“I won’t,” I add.

I wasn’t the greatest of bounty hunters, but I was one, once. I should be able to locate the Varangy ship, except it means having to connect back up to the systems which Markus also has access to.

Once I do, he will be able to contact me, and I can’t trust him.

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