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He sighed defeatedly. “We have to go back,” he said in resignation. “We are too far away from any private areas now. The one place I know we can get a ship is back at the royal airfield.”
Scarlett shook her head, not liking the plan.
Grux gave her a sideways glance. “I know. I’m not crazy about it, either. But we have to get off Lorr. This is the only way.”
Scarlett trembled, willing herself not to cry, but she had to trust Grux. He had done just what he said. He’d gotten her off of bedrest and almost found them a way off Lorr. He was gone day and night trying to find her a way home.
He’d get them out of this, too.
I just have to have faith.
Grux could sense how scared Scarlett was, and he didn’t blame her for her fear. This was a risky move, but he knew they had no choice.
“We’ll only be vulnerable for a few minutes,” he spoke, trying to convince himself as well as Scarlett. “Once we’re in the ship, we can be out of here in seconds.”
Scarlett said nothing, but Grux knew she was probably thinking the same thing he was—getting to the ship was going to be the impossible part.
A light on the dash screen blinked, and he cursed. The damn thing was running out of charge. It wasn’t about to drop dead immediately, but he didn’t have much time. Grux didn’t even know if they’d make it back to the royal airfield with the battery they had remaining.
Then, as they turned back toward the main city, he saw lights behind them.
“No,” he muttered.
“What is it?” Scarlett asked, hugging her belly.
“It’s that same tail we had before,” he said. “I’m fairly sure. I don’t think I can lose them this time.”
Still, they had to get back to the airfield. He had absolutely no choice now. As he picked up speed and hurtled through the streets, he saw another set of lights join the first.
Cursing, Grux turned wildly onto the nearest street. He had already been driving too fast. Now he was moving at a truly dangerous speed. Scarlett shrieked as she was thrown against the window from the momentum.
“What’s wrong?” she cried.
“Two tails,” he growled, eyes flicking between the mirrors and the road ahead. The two hovers following were swerving into each other, trying to get closer to him. Grux took another savage turn in the hope he could get the vehicles to crash into each other.
They rounded the corner behind him, swerving dangerously, but neither crashed. Grux found himself hoping that one of those hovercraft was a royal guard sent by his father, but he really didn’t think so.
It will be Jorvlens, hot on the case, and that damn bounty hunter looking for a fat reward.
Grux hoped he was wrong, but he could tell by the relentless way they were being pursued that the hovercraft behind them cared little for their safety. His father would be more likely to close the roads and surround them with royal airships.
The fact that this was not happening made Grux realize that the palace probably didn’t even know they were gone.
The two crafts began to catch up. Grux drove faster, forgetting about the low charge problem as he attempted to make it to the airfield at all costs.
The hovercraft shook alarmingly as he turned into a side road. When Grux tried to push the vehicle to full speed as he came out of the turn, he heard a faint clicking sound, and lights all over the dash screen began to light up.
They weren’t completely out of charge, but it was low enough that the hover couldn’t go any faster. Grux roared in frustration as the two vehicles came up on either side, forcing him off the road. Scarlett started to scream, and Grux looked over at her in panic.
“I won’t let them take you!” he cried.
In a last attempt to save them, Grux slammed on the brakes, making the other crafts speed past. He wrenched the wheel and turned them around, flying in the opposite direction. He could hear Scarlett sobbing uncontrollably, and Grux glanced over at her, feeling a terrible hopelessness rising inside him.
The lights of the other hovers illuminated the inside of their craft, pinning him between them again. This time both hovers smashed against the sides of their craft, making Scarlett scream as the windows shattered. The craft jerked, spinning out of control, and Grux couldn’t correct it as they careened toward a tree, the trunk finally stopping them.
The two other hovers swerved to a stop right behind them, and Grux leaped out, his fists held high. He saw three figures leap from one hover and charge him while only a single person jumped from the other craft.
With the light behind them, he couldn’t identify anyone, but he knew for sure it was not the palace guard. He found himself hoping a royal airship would descend at that moment and save them, but deep down, he knew he was on his own.
