Page 128 of Bride of the Enemy Alien

“I noticed.”

“You are bleeding.”

I look at my arm. Something opened it from elbow to wrist. Not deep, but enthusiastic.

“Later.”

He looks like he wants to argue.

“Later,” I repeat.

He lets me go and we keep climbing.

Behind us, the old installation shrieks. Then another section of passage caves in and seals the sound behind a wall of dust and stone.

For a few moments no one speaks.

Renn wipes grit from his face. “Did the zemlja just save us?”

“No. It tried to eat the building. We just happened to be in disagreement with the building,” I say.

Syin grunts. “A useful distinction.”

“I have those occasionally.”

Warm air reaches us from above. Real desert heat. We keep moving.

The passage ends beneath another stone slab. Syin braces both hands against it. Renn joins him. It shifts, drops sand into all our hair, then opens enough for light to cut through.

Twin red suns hit my face and I’ve never been happier to hate them.

Renn crawls out first. Syin follows and turns to help Rhazek. Between the two of them they get his shoulders through. I climb out behind him and roll onto hot sand, coughing dust until my eyes water.

For one glorious second I lie there and breathe.

Then someone shouts my name.

I know that voice.

I push up on one elbow.

Penr is running along the ridge with enough people behind him to start a small war.

Human guards and Zmaj warriors move in mixed pairs across the slope. Runners weave between them carrying water, bandages, ash sacks, and messages. Nobody is screaming. Nobody is charging blind.

They came ready.

“You look terrible,” Penr says, skidding the last few feet to my side.

“Thank you.”

“I was worried you’d become difficult.”

“I’m saving that for later.”

His grin lasts less than a second before he sees Rhazek.

“Is he safe?”