Page 120 of Bound By Stars

“You okay?” Jupiter strokes the back of my hand.

“I thought he was dead,” I say like it’s an apology.

He squeezes my fingers. “I know.”

“Let’s move, you two!” Skye yells as the others round a corner ahead of her.

The dark hallway to the bridge is lined with wide, circular windows. Outside, the space between the ship and Mars is dotted with escape pods all headed for the Mars International Space Station. Jupiter and I catch up, following the pack with Reve in the lead.

As we pass a row of viewing benches in front of the windows, I stop. An old woman with a fur wrap draped around her shoulders faces the view of the red planet, oblivious to the eight of us rushing past behind her.

I circle the bench. “Aquilla?”

Jupiter hurries back, gently tugging on the woman’s arm to help her stand. “Quilly, the ship isn’t going to make it. We have to go.”

She doesn’t stand, shooing him off with her wrinkly hands. “You better keep moving.”

“Please come with us.” Jupiter stops next to her.

“My dear boy, there’s no use wasting pod space on a woman my age.”

ILSA rolls up behind her. “My scan indicates that you are in adequate health for a human at the age of—”

“I’ll stop you there. A bit rude to reveal my secrets when I’m about to give up the ghost.” She turns to me. “I never did care for the unadulterated frankness of artificial intelligence.”

“You can’t just sit here and die.” Tears well up in Jupiter’s eyes.

Aquilla pats his knee, smiling sweetly. “I’ve had a whole life. Now, get out of here and find your own adventures.”

The ship shudders. Her bony fingers wrap around mine, squeezing before she releases me with a nod.

“We have to go, Jupe.” I pull him off the bench.

He stares back at her, his voice breaking. “Bye, Quilly.”

She smiles at him and winks.

Our friends are stopped ahead at the edge of a turn in the hall. Skye looks back, putting her hands up, signaling us to stop, and pressing a finger to her lips. Reve leans around the edge. Asha and Tar close behind him.

“How could we have lost track of them? There are only so many places they could be. It’s a ship!” a woman’s voice carries from the end of the hall.

“Mom,” Asha whispers.

“They could be on one of the escape pods. Most have left already,” Captain Nazari says.

“And you checked the entire ship? I’m not leaving without them.”

“We’re already over capacity. If we’re mobbed by passengers, we won’t make it off. They’re smart kids, Cyra.” There’s a quiver in Nazari’s calm voice.

Another voice chimes in. “Sir, the ship’s mechanical systems are malfunctioning, and the starboard wing just blew. We’re out of time.”

My lungs tighten. Starboard wing. Of a level or the entire ship? No. We wouldn’t be alive if it were the entire right side of the ship.

I pull Asha and Tar back and whisper, “Maybe you should go.”

Tar shakes his head, his gaze flicking to Curran. “We can’t leave you all here.”

“Less of us means we need to find less pod space.” Jupiter nods.

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