The Lost Star Episode One (14 page)

There was a beep, and the vent hatch opened,
swinging down low.

In an ideal world, you didn't have to
throw a mag lock at the ceiling to get a vent to open. You did it
remotely.

The Mandalay was far from an ideal world.
It was a death trap.

As the vent hatch swung open, a ladder
formed, rungs locking into place with resonant clicks.

Fortunately the ladder didn't extend all the
way to the floor – it stopped just a foot off it.

By now the black gel had encroached so far
they were stranded on a tiny island two feet in diameter.

The ladder was a good meter away.

He rocked back on his feet getting ready to
make the jump.

He stopped.

She wouldn’t make it. Especially with her
wrists.

She didn't say a word though.

She was going to let him make the jump, save
himself, and….

He lurched to the floor, sure his knees
didn't push into the liquid.

“What are you doing?” she spluttered.

“
Get on my back,” he commanded. “Now. You
won’t make that jump.
Now move.”

She hesitated, then clambered onto his back,
legs hooking under his arms, chest pushing against his back.

He stood, clenching his muscles to carry
her weight. “Hook your arms around my neck and wrap your arms
around my waist as tightly as you can,” he ordered.

She did it, her armlets pressing against his
throat, the metal cold and smooth, her legs locked in front of
him.

He sucked in a breath that shunted hard
into his lungs, and released his arms from her legs, letting them
swing loosely by his sides.

He rocked back, took a single step, then
threw himself at the ladder.

….

He just made it.

His scrabbling hands grasped the rungs. With
a grunt that punched down the corridor, he swung his legs up just
in time so his boots didn't drag through the gel.

His heart could have exploded, his mind
could have crumpled.

They’d made it.

Thankfully Ava was strong enough to keep
herself locked around his back, her face pressing hard against his
cheek.

He started to climb the ladder.

Suddenly, one of the rungs gave way. He
managed to grab another, jerking to the side and almost falling but
saving himself just in time.

The rung fell heavily into the
ever-deepening pool of gel.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw
something splash onto Ava’s right armlet.

Neuro gel.

He froze, expecting the both of them to be
electrocuted to a crisp. Neuro gel was so energy rich that a single
drop could kill ten people.

His terrified gaze locked on it.

But nothing happened.

“
It's okay," she managed. Slowly, she
pulled her right arm from around his neck and held it out at a
right angle, pushing in closer with her chest as she secured her
remaining arm harder around him.

He couldn’t help but keep his gaze locked
on that single drop of black liquid until finally they made it up
the ladder.

A grunt tore from his throat as he pulled
them both up into the vent.

Carefully she unwrapped herself from around
him, always keeping her arm held as far from him as she could.

He twisted and crouched in the tunnel, gaze
locking on the liquid again.

She looked fine for now, but who knew how
long her armlets would hold up – neuro gel was extremely
corrosive.

“
We have to get that off you,” he
stuttered, desperate gaze slicing from side-to-side as he looked
for anything that could help.

He spied a loose section of rubber-like
insulation running along the walls. He secured a hand around it and
yanked it with a hard breath that puffed Ava’s hair over her
face.

The insulation would stop him from being
electrocuted, but it wouldn’t be able to mop up the neuro gel.

He needed something absorbent.
Anything.

He cast around until his gaze settled on his
shirt.

Without another thought, he tugged it off,
revealing his bare chest underneath.

Ava politely looked to the side, never
letting her arm drop as she held it at an uncomfortable angle.

He ripped his shirt in half and wrapped half
around the rod of insulation, which was luckily rigid enough that
it didn't flop around in his hands.

“Alright, come here.” He gestured her
forward.

“
This is too dangerous. We should just
wait. If any of that gel gets on you—”

“
And if any of it gets on you," he spoke in
a strident tone that drowned her out, “You’ll die. So come
here.”

Reluctantly she brought her arm forward.
“Just be careful,” she begged in a quiet voice.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting
you die today.”

“I was talking about you,” she
corrected.

He didn't answer. He drew his lips together,
clenched his jaw, and carefully began to mop up the black
liquid.

It was a delicate task.

A long one, too. He didn't stop until he was
damn sure he’d mopped it all up – every goddamn particle. Then he
reached past her, shuffling forward on his knees, and discarded his
shirt and the rod of insulation out of the open hatch.

He heard it hit the floor below with a
squelch.

She began to shift forward.

“
Not so fast.” He shifted past her again,
naked torso brushing against her side as he reached into a side
panel and yanked out a long section of insulation. He proceeded to
wrap it around her armlet, tying it in place with the other half of
his shirt.

She didn't once stare at his bare chest,
even though it was right in front of her, instead shifting her head
to the side.

When he was done, he rested back on his
h
aunches.

She shifted her head around and looked
straight into his eyes. “Thank you.”

His stomach kicked. Maybe it was adrenaline,
left over fear from the fact he’d almost died.

Maybe it was the way she looked at
him.

He cleared his throat.

She shifted forward, a few strands of her
long hair brushing perilously close to her armlet.

He’d cleaned it with all the precision of
a doctor scouring a wound, and covered it in insulation, but he
knew he still had to be careful. “Hold up.” He brought a hand
forward in a stopping motion. “We need to secure your hair tightly.
It could transfer micro particles onto your clothes.”

“Oh.” She moved to do it herself.

“
No. I’ve got this.” He shuffled around her
on his knees, flesh digging hard into the ridged gangway-metal of
the floor.

He
let his fingers trail along her neck, gathering all her
hair.

She shivered.

Or maybe he did.

It was hard to tell.

He pulled out the clip that was only holding
half her hair in now, secured it in his mouth, bunched her hair
into a bun, and locked it in place.

He tested it, gazing up and down her back,
even bending around and checking the side of her face to ensure no
strands could come loose.

The struggle for survival was over, but his
heart was still beating wildly. Not too fast, but hard. He felt it
thump through his chest like a metronome keeping rhythm.

He sucked in a breath, tried to calm
himself, then nodded down the tunnel. “Come on. Try to keep
everything away from your armlet.”

He shifted in front of her, got down on his
hands and knees, and began to crawl.

As soon as he locked his hands on the
painful grating, he recoiled. Not from pain, but because a
realization struck him.

“Your wrists.” He jerked his head back to
her.

“I’ll be fine.” She shuffled past him,
expression controlled, even though he knew every movement would be
putting her through hell.

He winced in sympathy. “Okay. I’d tell you
to wait here, but
the
truth is, I don’t want you anywhere near here. This place is too
goddamn dangerous. Just… distract yourself from the pain,” he
encouraged, trying to crawl beside her, despite the cramped tunnel,
just so he could keep his gaze locked on her.

“
I’ll be fine. I’ve faced worse,” she said
off hand.

There was something about the way she said
it that told him she wasn’t lying.

Maybe he should keep quiet, but he didn't
want to. “What do you mean?”

She didn't answer.

Curiosity burned in his gut. He wanted to
know – no, needed to know – who the hell she’d been on Avixa and
why she was here now.

Maybe she could guess what he was
thinking, because she suddenly broke eye contact and stared
concertedly at the floor. As she did, a strand of hair cut down
from her bun and flared around her eyes.

He lurched forward and caught it, fingers
brushing against her cheek.

It, like her hair was soft. Her skin was
supple and smooth, her cheek cushioning his fingers as he swept her
loose hair back into her bun, securing it tightly behind her
clip.

Throughout the whole move, she didn't move a
muscle. She did look at him though.

His stomach kicked at the question behind
her gaze.

He found himself swallowing hard again.

Then he remembered his question. A spike
of courage flared through his chest.

Chen had told him to just ask, so he
would.

“
Ava,” he looked at her directly, “What
were you on Avixa? Why did you join the Academy? And why do the
other Avixans have such a problem with you?”

She froze, a breath trapped in her throat as
her chest pushed hard against her arms.

“I… I just want to know your side of the
story. Meva… Meva said you came from the ruling class,” he blurted
before he could stop himself.

There was no way he should be sharing this
information with Ava. But he couldn't stop himself.

Ava let out a snort. It wasn’t derisive. It
was hurt.

It piqued his curiosity even more. He
pressed closer out of curiosity, which wasn’t hard considering
these closed confines. “I know it's a faux pas in Avixan society to
discuss these things, but just help me understand.”

He thought she’d ignore him.

She even shuffled a few meters down the
tunnel. Then she stopped. “I’m not from the ruling class. Not
really.”

“
What do you mean?” He reached her side
again. “Meva said you… your people oppress hers.” Again, he knew he
should stop himself, but again he could not.

Ava’s shoulders hunched, then she suddenly
pushed back and collapsed against the small wall. Drawing her knees
up, she let her left arm rest in her lap as she kept her right arm
held as far away as she could.

She looked right into his eyes. “Why are you
asking this?”

“Because I want to know the truth. Is that
so bad? I know you can’t tell me everything, I know your society
doesn’t share information with outsiders, but you’ve got to give me
something.” He had no idea why he was being so earnest.

No. That was a lie. He knew exactly why.
Ava had been willing to die for him.

Chen was right. That did count for
something.

He met her hard gaze, never looking
away.

Eventually she did. She closed her eyes.
“You want to know why I left Avixa? Because I can’t handle
responsibility.”

It wasn’t the answer he’d expected.

It did something to him. Slowed him right
down.

As Ava sat pressed against the wall, her
eyes still closed, he recognized exactly what she was feeling.

He’d felt it before. Just this morning, in
fact.

He didn’t want to be here, either. He
couldn’t hack the responsibility his brother seemed so determined
to pile on his shoulders.

“I wanted to get away. Live a normal life,”
she continued, never opening her eyes.

“
Ava,” the last knot unwound from his
heart, “I’m sorry I treated you like that—”

“Hunter?!” suddenly Harvey’s voice boomed
over Hunter’s wrist device. He jolted back in surprise.

“
Harvey? I mean, captain?”

“
Christ, you’re alright. The whole section
of corridor you were in is a mess, neuro gel everywhere. How the
hell did you get out of there?”

“Long story. Glad to hear your voice though.
Communications were down.”

“Where the hell are you?”

“In the vent system. Do me a favor, send me
through a map. I want to get out of here as quickly as I can.”

“
Alright… done. Confirm
receipt.”

Hunter yanked up his arm and checked his WD.
“Got it.”

“Make contact when you’re out.” With that,
Harvey signed off.

Hunter began to grin, then stopped.

He realized something. Not once had Harvey
asked where Ava was. Maybe Harvey had no idea she was in this
section, but B'cal would have told him, surely.

Which left another uncomfortable
possibility.

Hunter found his stomach knotting as he
thought about it, a cold sweat prickling between his shoulders.

The rational part of his mind told him he
was jumping to conclusions. The irrational passionate side couldn't
push away the fear Harvey wasn’t concerned about Ava.

As Hunter’s stomach clenched even harder at
that thought, he couldn’t stop himself from appreciating the
irony.

Literally half an hour ago, he’d been
certain Ava was the enemy.

Now….

“
Come on.” She shifted forward, flexed her
wrists, then locked her hands on the floor. “Where should we
head?”