Page 79 of Breakaway
"You're not going to shush me in my own ship," I tell him, shooting him a glare that he doesn't even notice. No, he's too focused on the news story that's just now showing up on thescreen. His shadows are moving around the most I've ever seen them move as his eyes flick back and forth across the screen.
The bathroom door slides open, steam billowing out behind Zill as he steps into the room, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist and a scowl on his face. "You can't come onto my ship and talk to my–"
"Shut it," Kolos says, jumping from the bed, grabbing his shoes, and stepping closer to the screen.
"Skye McCannan, heiress to the McCannan Weapons legacy, has been reported missing after a small transport carrying her and her fiancé lost contact over the western boreal forest. Authorities say the two left for a weekend trip, but the McCannans alerted authorities when the transport's tracking device died. Authorities have initiated a search for the thirty-two-year-old heiress. It is unclear at this time what the pair was doing so far north, but there's speculation…"
"I need to," Kolos says almost as a whisper, his eyes darting over to where Zill is still staring at the screen with his lips parted and eyes wide.
"Go," Zill says. "We can follow."
"No, I got this," Kolos says, hopping toward the door as he puts one shoe on. "If I need you."
"We'll be here until you send word you don't," I say, answering for Zill because I can hear his thoughts, worrying that I want to leave Earth but not wanting to abandon his friend.
Kolos is out the door, running into Isha as he stumbles through with only one shoe on.
"What's going on?" Isha asks, her hand still raised to knock on the door to our ship. She watches, with a concerned furrow in her brow, as Kolos runs past her, his other shoe still in his hand.
"Skye," Zill says, raising his hand and motioning toward Kolos as if that answers that. It must be enough for Isha because she takes in a deep breath, her cheeks puffing out for a momentas she shakes her head. With raised brows, she let out her breath.
"Well, at least we're already in panic mode," she says, pulling her comm out of her pocket as she steps into the ship and holds it out to Zill.
"What's going on?" he asks, his jaw clenching as he looks down at the comm, his eyes flashing as he reads through messages.
"Skia had a hiccup when he was leaving Earth," Isha says.
"A hiccup?" Zill repeats slowly.
He hands Isha her comm back, rubbing his temples with his free hand as his shadows try to snake their way to me, not really caring for the seriousness of the situation happening right now. Or rather, they know how serious it is and have decided that touching me is of more importance.
"How does a Rytharian even find her way onto his ship without him noticing?" Zill asks.
What's he talking about?I ask the shadows, letting them curl around my fingers.
Zill glances over at me and shakes his head. He knows how they get when I ask them questions directly. They all surge for me, their shrill voices all overlapping until they figure out how to speak so I can understand.
Rytharian snuck on ship. Skia takes to new job. Very messy. No protection for her.
"How else would someone sneak up on one of us?" Isha asks, her cheeks flushing as she looks at me, as she adds, "Besides the IA's new technology."
Zill shakes his head, confusion muddying his thoughts. Even I'm a little confused.
"What do you mean she snuck on?" I ask. "Can't he hear everyone's thoughts just like the rest of you, or does he have different abilities?"
"No, he's just like the rest of us," Isha says, and Zill realizes what she's implying.
"Oh, fuck me," he groans. "Tell him to cancel the job. He can't be taking someone untrained into that kind of situation, especially not a Rytharian."
"That's the first thing I told him, and he said, and I quote, 'I'm already on my way, and they know it. If I'd known she was here, I wouldn't have made the first jump. As it stands, she's my plus one.'"
"Great," Zill says, his voice sounding like it is anything but great. "Just what we need. Kolos is off to Earth to save his soulbond, and Skia is about to take his on a job. What next?"
"Do you want an actual answer to that?" Isha asks, looking like she's willing to add more to Zill's plate.
"Are there any jobs?" I ask, stepping in front of Zill, who looks like he's about to take the weight of all of this on his shoulders, even though there is nothing for him to do but wait and see if his crew needs his help.
Isha shakes her head. "There was one that didn't look terrible, but seeing as there won't be anyone to man the ship once you two leave for vacation, I'll go ahead and refer them to other security crews."
