Page 84 of Zayrik

“Minutes,” Cal said. “Maybe less.” The grimness in his voice made my blood run cold.

Zep trilled from a nearby chair, picking up on the tension like he always did. I reached for him without thinking, needing to feel his tiny body, the comfort of his loyalty. He clambered up, tucking beneath my jacket and settling around my shoulder like he belonged there.

Zayrik was already strapping on his weapons, calm precision in every movement. Protectorate-trained. Born for war. But through the bond, I felt it, the flare of his rage. Protective. Possessive. Lethal.

We go for the ship,” he said.“Fast.”His voice was steady, but in my mind, I caught the edge of his fear.

Not of the fight.

Of losing me.

I nodded, grabbing my jacket and the last of my gear. The crystal was already with Zayrik. Tucked safe, where it needed to be. That thought steadied me. At least I’d done one thing right.

Nav’s icon blinked once on the nearest console. Like a digital eye-roll, before he vanished from my wristband. Giving me space, or pretending he wasn’t emotionally invested.

Classic.

He was quiet. Probably scanning escape vectors. Or calculating odds I didn’t want to know.

We headed for the ship. Barely reaching the cockpit.

And that’s when the stations comms crackled to life.

Not a distress signal. Not a warning.

Just a voice.

Smooth. Mocking. Familiar in the worst possible way.

The kind of voice that haunted nightmares.

“Miss me, Nyla?”

I froze. My knuckles went white where I gripped our ships console. Through our bond, I felt Zayrik’s fury spike, felt how badly he wanted to tear apart whoever could make me sound so afraid.

He shifted beside me. Didn’t speak. Didn’t ask.

He knew.

Could feel my terror like it was his own.

He was there for me, a steady presence, refusing to leave me to face this alone.

Vask’s voice dripped venom through the speakers.

“Nothing to say? I expected more fight from you.”

“Go to hell.” The words came out steady, but inside I was screaming. Remembering. Feeling everything I’d run from catch up at last.

His laugh slithered through the comm. Cruel, and familiar. The sound made something inside me crack, and made old scars burn.

“We both know that’s not where you’re going, Nyla.”

Zayrik stepped in close. A wall of heat and steel behind me. Silent, dangerous. Ready to gut anyone who came near me. Through our bond, his protective rage burned like a star, making my body tingle in response. Making it harder to do what I knew I had to do.

But Vask hadn’t come to negotiate.

He never did.

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