Page 58 of Sixth
Through the haze below, asilhouette rose from the destruction, backlit by fire and lightning. Apex walked through the inferno, armor cracked, blood on his face. He leapt, landing on the ship’s slowly closing ramp as Core adjusted altitude.
Emmy met him halfway. For a second she just stared, unable to find words. His skin was streaked with ash, amethyst eyes bright with something fierce and alive. The Valenmark between them burned steady again.
He reached for her wrist, and the touch sent a shiver through her that tangled relief with something hotter, darker. She was still shaking from the fight, but the touch of his rough hand grounded her, reminding her he was alive, solid, real. Fear and gratitude collided inside her chest, chased by a flare of want she didn’t dare name. Her breath caught as her pulse quickened, and the Valenmark drummed between them like a secret they both experienced but neither could voice.
He grabbed her hand, his touch fierce and warm. “I told you to go.”
“I did,” she whispered. “But you caught up.”
He looked down at her, ahint of a smile ghosting his mouth, but it carried more power than she expected. His eyes softened just enough for her to glimpse the man beneath the soldier—heat and weariness, quiet humor threaded through unshakable control. The corners of his mouth lifted as if the motion itself were a rebellion against everything he was trained tobe.
When he spoke, the low timbre of his voice wrapped around her. “You are impossible.”
“Learned from the best.”
Behind them, the world burned. Voss was gone—or so it seemed—but the echo of his voice still haunted the static.
“Negative,”Core said softly.“Fragmented transmission detected. Source: Voss-unit.”
Emmy’s heart dropped. “He uploaded himself into the station’s computer system?”
“Most likely,” Apex said. His voice held no surprise, only cold certainty. “He is not finished.”
Lightning arced across the clouds outside. The Valenmark pulsed once, slow and deep. Emmy looked up at him, the stormlight cutting across hisface.
“What happens now?” she asked.
He turned toward the viewport, watching the wreckage fall away. “Now, we hunt.”
The storm swallowed them.Apex stood at the center of it, breathing hard. The smell of scorched ozone and blood clung to him, heat rising from his armor. The metallic tang of battle followed him, sharp and electric.
Emmy couldn’t look away. In that instant, he appeared larger than life—shoulders squared, jaw set, light from the emergency panels catching the sweat and soot across his face. Every line of his body burned with restrained power, and under it, exhaustion and a hint of vulnerability that only she seemed able to see. She moved toward him without realizing she had. Her hand came to his chest where the armor split and her fingers met flesh. His skin was hot beneath her touch, the pulse beneath it strong, proof that he was still alive.
He caught her wrist but didn’t pull away. “You should rest.”
“I will when you do.” Her voice was husky, barely audible over the thunder. She lifted her chin, searching his face. “You could have died down there.”
He studied her, eyes unreadable. “It was necessary.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it is true.” His hand was still around her wrist, holding, not hurting. The Valenmark pulsed, their heartbeats colliding. “I cannot allow him to live.”
She shivered. “He’ll come for us again, won’t he?”
“Affirmative. But not soon. He will need time to rebuild.”
Core’s voice softened.“Structural damage minimal. Radiation levels stabilizing. Recommend medical treatment for all personnel.”
“Right away,” Emmy said. “Plot course out of orbit.”
“Acknowledged.”
She turned back to Apex. “You’re bleeding. And the others need help recovering from stasis.”
He looked down, almost surprised. “It will heal. My men and their mates need attention more than I do.”
She shook her head and pressed a cloth from her belt against the wound. His breath caught when her fingers brushed bare skin. He was too still, too close. The hum of the Valenmark deepened, warm and intimate. The vibration between them felt like a heartbeat shared.
