Page 19 of Shadow's Chosen

"She mentioned all Ulinks are connected to the city mapping system," he continued. "If the drogin officials had access, so did the attackers."

"So, what about yours?"

"I didn't take one."

"Why?" Elise said.

He tilted his head back, his mouth curving to one side. Elise took a deep breath, understanding.

"Because you knew that the Ulinks followed people, and you didn't want to be tracked," she said softly, combing a hand through her hair. The headache was growing worse. She brought her legs up to her chest and covered her face in her hands. The alien said something in his language that she didn't follow, but she glanced back at him anyway and saw the glare of a screen from his wrist.

"Your band," Elise said. "They aren't tracking that?"

He turned his wrist to look down at it. "No," he said.

"So, you could call your team, have them come get us."

"Not that simple." Before she could say, "Why?" he put up his hand. "They could be dead. Or imprisoned. Or hiding. I have sent a message out but will only receive word if...if they are in a safe place to do so. Even then..." He said more in his language that she didn't catch then tried once more to say it slower in drogin. "Even then...they can't help us, and we can't help them."

Elise swallowed hard and felt a sickly, empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She rested her head on her knees. "I can't stay here. I have to get back. I have to go..."

"You won't survive," he said in a matter-of-fact way, not just as an opinion. "You have no communication, no food or water, and only one weapon."

She lifted her head to say she had two weapons, but when she looked over her shoulder, she saw her sniper was gone, likely tossed off at some point when the bomb ignited under the car.

"You are alone. Against an uncertain number of people looking to find you."

Elise didn't want to be told the facts nor hear it from the likes of him. "I've survived just fine on my own. I've been trained since a little girl on how to survive in harsh elements. I can find food and water. I can find another weapon, and I can hide."

He snorted, and she wanted to slap him.

"And I can fight," she continued in a voice that grew louder and, to her relief, didn't shake. "And if I can get back to the higher sectors and get help, then more soldiers can come."

"And how do you plan to get back, exactly? The one gate left on this side is gone. If you go to other gates, more of those men will be waiting for you."

"A ship then."

His eyes brightened as they looked on her sharply. "That you yourself will drive? Assuming you can. Assuming you will even find one that works." He gestured to the pit behind her where the remains of one ship rested. "And without a map to guide you."

Elise gritted her teeth. "I'll figure it out. I'll find a way." She tried to shift her legs up so that she could stand once more. She was done talking with him, arguing and wasting time. Her team needed her, and she needed to find them.

"No."

"What?" she said, still struggling to rise.

"You won't figure it out. Not on your own," he said.

She stopped. "I don't need you to tell me—"

"You're weak."

She glared back at him, struck speechless.

"You're weak," he repeated unapologetically. "You won't last a day on your own in the state you are in. You hit your head, you are without water, and come night, someone or something may come that you can't win against. I have scouted the buildings close by, and most are abandoned, but they are also broken and give little shelter."

Elise's jaw clenched, and her hands tightened to fists. "I'm not weak."

He stood up and, before Elise could move, was standing right by her. "If you wish to leave then go. Try so now."

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