“Here. This is where you open it.” I show her the seam in the metal and pop it open with my fingernail.
In the fading light, she brings it up to her face for a closer look.
“Hm…let’s see.” She gently runs her finger along the neural wires.
“That tickles!” My arm jerks involuntarily.
“Hold still!” She brings my wrist even closer. Her soft breath is warm on the highly sensitive metal cover. “Oh, lookie here.”
A thin layer of sand clings to the components. Bri gently parts the synthetic muscle fibers and blows away the grains of sand that had worked their way in. My hand goes numb when she removes the alloy synovial joint. She cradles the limp hand and rotates it back and forth, studying the movement.
“Aha!” She smiles and replaces the joint exactly how she found it but crosses muscle fibers and reconnects them in the wrong place.
“Those don’t gothat way?—”
“Hush, I know what I’m doing.” She levels me with a look that means business.
“That should do it.” She closes me back up. Moving my hand feels…smooth. No more clicking in the wrist.
“How did you do that?” I’m honestly impressed. It took me years to figure out how to repair my arm, and she does it within seconds the first time she looks at it.
“I dunno, I’m good with tech.”
I sit there awkwardly waiting for an invitation into her tent as she stands and brushes sand off her clothes.
“Good night, Tai,” she says as she climbs into her tent and closes the flap behind her.
By tomorrow, we should be at the Veilfall, and I’m nervous about the reception I’ll get from the Sabaaki. Will anyone there recognize me? I hope not. Even if they don’t know what I did, I’ll still know.
I wish we only had one tent. Then we’d be forced to sleep next to each other. I could rest easy knowing she’s safe with me. I couldaccidentallyrip a giant hole in my tent when I pack it up in the morning. She would be so mad. A price I’m willing to pay.
How is it possible that only one night ago Bri and I were together in her bed? I hate the brethren for a lot of reasons, but especially because they spoiled my good mood with their pathetic attempt to kill me.
A perfect moment ruined by a homicidal cult. Not something I ever thought would happen to me.
My lips still buzz from her kiss. It’s unclear if this was all an inevitability or impulse. I don’t know how to describe what happened. All I know is I got swept up by her. I saw a side of her and it felt like it was just for me. The vulnerable Bri that hides behind her sharp words and strength. She trusted me enough to let her guard down.
I wish I had done the same. Trusted her enough to let my guard down and tell her the full truth about my past from the start. If I’ddone that, she could have decided a while ago if there was a place for me in her life.
I always felt safer being by myself. For the first time in my life, being alone feels like loneliness.
THIRTY-FOUR
Bri
Something is out there. From the heavy fall of feet and the loud sniffing—it’s got to be big. I hold my body still as can be, hoping that whatever it is moves on. Where is Tai with his blaster when I need him?
After a few laps around the tent, it stomps away and I release my breath. In the distance, I hear snorting. Lots of snorting.
Correction, somethingsare out there. Curiosity gets the better of me. Throwing caution to the wind, I unzip the tent flap and peer out into the early morning light.
Not far off is a herd of h’axom sniffing and snorting away at the ground, searching for their next meal. Daisy pulls at her tether, trying to join them. Brutus has already gotten free and is in the center of the group. I laugh to myself. Tai’s plan to keep the h’axom tied to his tent failed miserably.
I scramble out and shake Tai’s tent. “Wake up! We’ve got company!”
He jumps out of the tent half dressed and half asleep, his hairsticking out in every direction. I could have admired that sight all morning if it wasn’t for the herd of h’axom ambling away.
A sharp whistle comes from the other side of a dune. The herd shifts directions and slows to a stop.
