Page 27 of New World

Then, as if adjusting the load, Tiv lifted a sheet of dull metal, exposing a small, shadowed gap in the cart beneath. There was a nondescript metal crate tucked under the layers of junk. Tiv didn’t look around, didn’t make eye contact, but her mandibles twitched—her way of signaling.

Now.

Mei didn’t hesitate. She slid forward, her movements a whisper of motion, folding herself into the cramped space between the stacked metal. The darkness swallowed her, her breath slow and measured.

Tiv bent as if retrieving something, murmuring under her breath, “Yi is waiting to unload this. He will hide you in his transport. You’ll stay there until his shift ends, then he’ll take you to our home.”

Mei gave a silent nod, gripping the translator collar Tiv had given her, ensuring it was ready if she needed to listen in.

With a last glance around, Tiv draped the metal back into place, sealing Mei inside just as the sound of clanking machinery and hydraulics roared to life. The entire cart lurched forward, the vibration humming through the metal beneath her.

Everything was going according to plan.

At least, until the shouting began nearly ten minutes into her journey. Mei tensed when the cart jerked to a sudden stop, nearly knocking her into the side of the crate. Her grip tightened on her sword as she stilled, listening.

Muffled voices. Angry. Disputing.

Mei quickly adjusted the translator collar, twisting the frequency until?—

“This shipment isn’t scheduled for the lower dock. It’s been reassigned.”

Yi’s voice, firm but tense. “I don’t have any such orders. This is my shipment.”

“It’s been reassigned,” the other voice insisted. “Orders came down this morning.”

A pause. Mei could almost feel Yi’s frustration. He was nervous—she could hear it in his voice.

“I was told to take it to the recycle field. Check your damn logs again.”

A sharp huff. “I don’t need to. I know what I saw. You’re taking this to the Legion’s holding bay.”

Mei’s gut twisted. The Legion?

She could feel the weight of the metal above her shift—a deep, mechanical groan. She braced her hand against her side and her feet against the wall when high-powered magnets almost ripped her sword out of her hand. Behind her, she could feel the tug on her duffle bag as the metal inside it was pulled upward.

Her mind calculated the distance to the floor. If the magnet engaged, the entire crate could be pulled upward, leaving her vulnerable. She needed to move.

Carefully, she eased toward a crack in the crate’s wall, peering through the narrow slit. The bay stretched before her, a massive space filled with stacked cargo, machinery, and pathways carved between towering crates.

There. A pile of crates behind the cart. Small enough that she could slip behind them without being seen. Now all she needed was a distraction. Yi was still arguing with the men. He was insisting they show him the change of orders.

Her chance came when the harsh metallic clang of the magnet stopped. Mei felt the cart shudder, almost as if it were relieved to no longer have the pressure pulling at it. A second later, there was the sound of a crate crashing nearby, followed by angry shouts as metal tumbled across the floor.

Mei moved. She slipped out and rolled behind the stacked crates. She pressed her back against them, her breath even, but her muscles tensed.

From her vantage point, she saw Yi still arguing with the workers who had stopped him. The hairs around his face stood on end and were flushed with frustration.

The two men stepped toward Yi. Her eyes narrowed when one man grabbed Yi’s lower arm and twisted it around his back. Yi snapped his mandibles in pain. The clicking of his voice rose with fear when the second man drew a glowing blade and stepped forward. Mei’s fingers twitched toward her weapon. She had no choice but to reveal herself. She couldn’t let those men hurt Tiv’s brother, especially after everything else her new friend had been through. She moved to step out when an unknown voice cut through the chaos.

“That’s enough!”

Everything stopped—including her. Mei warily watched as the two men immediately froze. They took one look at the man striding towards them and they bolted.

Mei slid back into her hiding spot and focused on the tall, dark-skinned man who suddenly came into her field of view. Her breath caught as her gaze swept over him, cataloging every detail. She noted the rich coloring of his mocha skin, his thick, black curls, cut short on the sides, but thick on top, and his firm jaw. He was a cross between Ash and Sergi. He had Ash’s lean physique and Sergi’s broad shoulders. He also moved like Sergi, with a confidence that wasn’t forced, it was absolute.

His hazel eyes scanned after the retreating workers. Her lips twitched when she noticed that his ears weren’t rounded, but had a slight point to them, almost like an elf. They weren’t like the cute images she had seen of Santa’s elves, more like those of an elven warrior from the animes that she had occasionally watched.

His eyes were framed by thick black lashes. They were sharp, intelligent, and held more than a touch of danger.

---