Honor Among Thieves (The Honors #1)(89)

Trusting Beatriz to cut us loose as promised, I opened the door and climbed into the pilot seat. Like any good getaway driver, I should have our ride prepped and ready to jet when she rolled up, so I checked all the panels and started the engine. I got the Hopper computer connected to the docking bay, just a simple override that meant I could open the doors for her in a crisis. Necessary when shit was chasing you. Worry flared, and I rubbed the fresh burn on the back of my arm, fiddled with the scorched bits of my skinsuit.

She’ll be okay, right? She’s fast. Smart.

As I opened a comm channel, the big Leviathan rocked again, Nadim straining himself to death on that tether.

It would take too long to go private, time we might not have. I opened up a channel. “Steady, Nadim. I’m here. Bea’s fine. We’re both good.”

At this point, it was irrelevant if the Elder heard us. It wasn’t like we had state secrets to hide, more the other way round.

Typhon knew we planned to run, and it was his job to stop us. No matter the cost.





CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE


Breaking News


“ZARA. ZARA . . .” NADIM said my name like a prayer, all desperate amazed sweetness. “You’re alive. But how—”

“I’ll explain later. We’re going to get you loose. You need to catch our Hopper quick and then take off, top speed. It may take some slick maneuvering to execute. Are you up for it?”

“For you and Beatriz? Anything.”

“Then stand by, stay calm, and wait for us.”

“Yes, Zara.”

Letting out a slow breath, I tapped the comm. “Bea, you’re on the way, right?”

“Thirty seconds out, coming in hot!”

That had to mean Typhon’s defenses were on her, so her life hung on my timing. But I wouldn’t let Beatriz down. Not today. I counted, slapped the control, and opened the door just as Bea slid inside, followed closely by a drone. I was a shade too slow to destroy it with the closing of the heavy blast door. She took cover behind some piles of gear, and I vaulted out of the Hopper. We didn’t have any time to waste, but fighting for my friend would always come first.

Grabbing a metal pole that was likely a repair tool of some kind, I swung for the bleachers. It fired; I dodged. The bastard drone could hover just out of my range, and if it blasted me, I’d be crispy meat chunks instead of a person.

“Get to the Hopper!” I shouted. “I got this!”

Bea sprinted for the shuttle. The thing wheeled to fire on her, and I whipped the pole at it and clocked it so hard, it spun into a stanchion. As it righted itself, Typhon listed to starboard, and I realized Nadim was trying to help, actually ramming the Elder. The knock tumbled the drone hard enough to screw up its axis, allowing me to hit it again and again. My last strike bent its firing barrel, so that when it tried to shoot me, it went up in a hail of sparks and shrapnel. Tumbling forward, I thought I dodged the worst of it, until I scrambled into the Hopper and Bea’s eyes nearly bugged out.

“Zara, you’re on fire!” She beat at my arm—the same one where I got shot earlier, so no wonder I didn’t feel it.

“Just get us out of here. Nadim’s waiting.” I pounded the button for the external doors and waited for them to open.

Fear nearly crippled me—maybe Typhon had his systems back by now—but no. His Honors must still be crawling like inchworms toward the knife I’d left them, cursing me all the way. With excruciating precision, the docking doors fanned open, and finally Bea could swoop the Hopper out. As promised, Nadim was waiting, battered and beautiful, and Beatriz had totally come through, because he was free. His doors opened, and he dipped to catch us in a twisting move so graceful that my heart skipped a beat.

We’re home. We have to keep one another safe. We can’t rely on anybody else.

Nadim and Bea were my imperatives. She helped me out of the Hopper, and together, we limped toward the main deck. Nadim threw the doors wide for us in welcome as Beatriz said, “I have to ask. How did you get out of the cell?”

“Magic?” I offered.

“Seriously, tell me. Or I’ll drop you.” She moved as if she meant to take away the shoulder I was leaning on.

With a sigh, I gave her a concise version of events, and Bea stared at me, wide-eyed. “Holy shit, Z. You seduced Typhon? You’re like a damn Leviathan whisperer or something.”

“What is seduce?” Nadim asked.

Oh God.

Bea studied me. Then, with an evil-pixie grin, she answered, “When a human and a Leviathan love each other very much—”

In a rush I covered her mouth with my palm. “Don’t say that to him!”

“I’m confused.” He did sound bewildered, which tugged at my heartstrings.

“To distract Typhon, I bonded with him. A little.” It was stupid when we had so many other problems, but I worried how he would respond.

But Nadim only said, “I’m surprised he permitted that.” Then I could feel him leaping, putting all his speed and strength to use as he ran from Typhon, from everything Typhon represented. We were running.

We were free.

Nadim suddenly wrapped himself around me in a warm rush, exactly like a desperate embrace. I fell through him, into him, blazing like a star and meeting his brightness with a collision that blew apart everything else, every hurt, every regret, every fear. Pure and perfect, no rough edges or pieces that clashed.