Page 46 of Her Lawless Prince

Nyle glared at the cyborg. “Anything is possible. Even Yevgen had a difficult time with the technology onWorld Traveler.”

“I rescued us,” Yevgen corrected.

Nyle turned his attention to Payton, pointedly ignoring the cyborg. “Rita or one of the crew could have escaped before Yevgen’s lockdown ended. Or the Federation had someone waiting for them at Torgan and when theWorld Travelerflew past, they went to investigate. I don’t think it matters. This is where we’re at.”

“Forty—” Yevgen put forth.

“I will disconnect you,” Nyle warned.

“It’s not helpful,” Payton told Yevgen in a softer tone. She felt the gravity beneath her fluctuating, becoming stronger to hold her against the chair.

“But—” the cyborg said.

Payton held up her hand. “We need to focus forward, not dwell on the odds of our death.”

The ship pitched, giving the sensation of turning her on her side in the seat. The low gravity kept her weight from pulling her down even as the seat kept her strapped in. Her hair reached to the side. She held her breath and gripped as they bounced. A metal bolt fell slowly close to her head.

“There is a forty-nine percent chance of us going forward,” Yevgen stated.

She felt Nyle’s hand on her leg. The contact calmed her even as the ship rotated them upside down, moving the strands of her hair to indicate the ship’s direction before they flipped back upright. The sensation of falling in place returned as the gravity lessened. Her head lightened, and her insides felt strange like they jumped around in her stomach.

She’d seen the dragon-shifters on her planet flying erratically in the sky, flipping, diving, and turning every which way. This flight reminded her of that. Every time she witnessed their reckless stunts, she was grateful to have her feet firmly on the ground. Cat-shifters were not meant to be higher than they could jump or climb.

Her thoughts churned, but she refused to let fear creep into her heart. She had to focus on the future. Her homeworld needed the information in Yevgen’s head. It was that simple. How could she fear for herself with so much on the line?

Her eyes met Nyle’s. But shedidfear for him. She didn’t want to lose him.

“Payton…?” Nyle looked as if he wanted to say much more. He glanced at Yevgen.

“This is where we are, and we know where we need to go,” she answered, the vibrating ship causing her words to tremble. She thought of what her father would say, before adding, “When battles seem to be at their lowest and most dire, focusing forward is the only way through.”

Nyle nodded, as if seeming to understand.

“Rick will outrun them,” Payton continued, not sounding very reassuring as the jerking ship caused her voice to quiver. “My mother said he is the best pilot she has ever seen.”

She released the arm of the chair and placed her hand over Nyle’s on her leg. Seconds later Yevgen grabbed her hand from above and curled his fingers around hers.

“I understand now,” Yevgen stated. “I found Rick’s collection of intergalactic transmissions.”

Gravity locked her back into the seat as the ship pitched again, twirling them upside down. Payton pulled her hand from between theirs and closed her eyes, willing the ride to be over. She gripped the arm of the chair.

“Most of his transmission featured women who kept accidentally losing their clothing,” Yevgen stated. “It seems to be a unique problem from Old Earth. Or perhaps their alien greeting when service workers came into their homes.”

“Yev—” The ship jerked, cutting off her words. What in the universes was the cyborg going on about?

“They often seem surprised by it. Perhaps they needed better seamstresses,” Yevgen continued, completely unaffected by the fact they were spinning in circles on the run from the Federation.

“I think he’s broken,” Nyle said, raising his voice over the rattling metal.

The ship flipped back around.

“You are not at ease, my love. I should help fly.” Yevgen reached for the two wires that had been floating when they first came into the room. He jabbed the tips into his arm. The cyborg’s eyes flashed.

“Yev, don’t,” Payton managed.

The ship’s path smoothed, and the lights flickered on. Payton took a deep breath but barely released it before a loud explosion echoed all around them, followed by the sound of static.

“We took a hit. Get that blasted machine out of my controls before he fries us all,” Rick ordered over the comms.

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