“Aegeris is descended from a goddess who was our guardian.” Zorin looks down at me. “From another world. Likely the one you see in your dreams.”
I shake my head. “I don’t remember that man. But I don’t sleep well. Some dreams I know I have but I forget them when I wake up. It’s weird knowing I forget them.”
“Next time you dream, see if you can find that image.” Zorin motions me toward the ropes course, where other women gather. “You’re up.”
“It’s honestly difficult to care about this right now.”
“You don’t want a prize?”
“I just want to stay alive and safe, make sure Radar is happy and fed.”
Zorin smiles then shoves it into submission.
“What?”
“It’s just that... I think you’d make a good mother. You worry because you care, I can tell.”
I peer up at him as his hand rubs my back. “If you were with someone every day of your life and then they were suddenly gone, don’t you think you’d feel like a piece of you is missing?”
“I do.” Zorin encourages me forward even though he looks like he doesn’t want to. “Please, watch your back. I’ll do what I can from where I’m permitted to watch.”
I walk up to the line and scout the complex. There are a few good hiding places for eggs. I definitely don’t want the bell because that’s easy and most women are probably going to go for it.
I’m searching for an egg. The starting gun goes off and I run to my first spot pick, a nook of the tower’s eave. When I find nothing, I go for my second best spot pick, and get a glimpse of jade, but so does someone else. I could make the jump but I’m not confident. When I see Carielle going after it from another rope bridge, anger fuels my body.
I jump, swing on the bar above the foam pit, and snap-kick myself to the horizontal rails on the side of the tower. I crawl up the slats of the wall and collect the egg.
Carielle is pissed. She throws something at me whichsplatson the wall. The red jelly makes me flinch. Then another item smashes into the wall. Somehow, Carielle has pulled together a team of rich bitches, all pink-banded or pearls, and they have stashed items in their race suits to throw at me.
I hunker around the egg, but my grip is slipping. When I try to climb away from them, my fingers lose their hold. Air wraps around me. I’m too far off to the side. I’m not going to land in the foam pit.
A heavy weight slams into me. Arms wrap around my body. Zorin skids to a running stop in the grass. His heart beats so fast that I can feel it through his armor. He puffs out a weighted breath and calms the moment his eyes meet mine. “Are you okay?”
“Better…now.” But the moment I move the egg aside so I can hug him, he steps back and looks away. “Zorin…”
“We can’t. The federation is willing to go to war to keep you and the other targets remaining from being captured. I do not want to be the trigger of a war.”
Zorin backs up and lets Ohni hover in on her platform and take the egg from me. She informs me of a prize that I’ve won, that will be loaded into my account before I leave. It’s a three day trip on Starlight Cruiser Jade. But I don’t really care. I smile and nod, but I can’t take my eyes off of Zorin or the dejection on his face.
Carielle and her groupies snicker at me from the cluster of women heading back to the staging area. Zorin follows my gaze to them, then urges me under his arm again.
“Don’t worry about her. I mean, you still beat her. Focus on that. I will protect you and whatever prize you get.”
“You have a lot of faith in me,” I mutter.
He guides me up to Rorsar, where he stands by the doors. Zorin makes it look like he’s speaking with Mindoran security,and I realize, as he motions in Carielle’s direction, that has become their cover story. She’s my bully in real life. It’s just become useful.
“Tessi, I saw you climb that rock face. Few females have that skill. And you hung on even when the Thorian had you by the ankle.” Zorin tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his. I’m not sure he realizes that his claws are out.
His thumb sweeps over my bottom lip with a tenderness I didn’t think claws could have. For a moment, I think he might actually kiss me. I want him to. But Rorsar is watching.
Zorin’s mouth squirms like he’s thinking about it but knows he won’t get away with it.
Rorsar lightly backhands him in the shoulder. “You’re up. Go run. And you better fucking beat thoseLunas.”
Determination narrows Zorin’s eyes. As he pulls away from me, he lightly drags a claw up my throat and over my jaw, then stalks to the waiting group of males like he’s on another mission.
Rorsar walks up beside me.
