“Mal, be careful, it’s—”
She cried out.
He looked down…to see her falling.
No!
She waved her arms and legs, falling fast. Rhain threw a hand out, energy spearing from him, but she was already out of reach.
“Mal!”
She fell until she hit the water far, far below with a splash. It was a long fall. She could be hurt.
“I’ll call for the water patrol,” Thadd said. “They’ll find her.”
If she was still alive. If she was injured, she could drown before help reached her. Cursing, Rhain climbed back up, his gut churning. “I’m going down there—”
“Overlord!”
Two palace guards sprinted toward Rhain. He hauled himself over the railing and stood. “Yes?”
“A massive pack of hexids is moving through the countryside, headed this way.”
Rhain froze. What? They never came this close to Citadel or the larger towns and cities. They darted in from the edges of the Barrens, but not into the heart of his territory.
“They wouldn’t dare attack the city,” Thadd said.
One of the guards shook her head. “They appear to be heading toward the town of Payeton.”
A small town on the road into Citadel. It was a market town that specialized in selling flowers.
Its people were not warriors.
They’d be decimated.
“We have to get to Payeton,” Thadd said.
Rhain’s mouth firmed into a line, and he looked down at the water below. His hand curled into a fist.
“Rhain?” Thadd prompted.
“Thadd, organize the water patrol, and then let’s get to Payeton.”
He had a duty to his people. No one else was dying today. He’d see to them first, and then find Mallory.
Be alive, Mal West.
The water washed over her head.
Mal came up spluttering. The lake seemed placid, but there were strong currents underneath.
The undertow pulled her along and she didn’t fight it.
She looked up at the huge stone cliffs and terraces towering above her. She noted that she was being pulled toward the adjacent rock wall.
When she spun around in the water, she spotted a large, round drain opening in the rock.
Oh, shit.
Mal tried to grab the edge of the drain, but it was no use. She was sucked into the tunnel.
Then the ride got wild.
The water picked up speed, racing faster through the tunnel. Soon she was in pitch blackness, and she got a few mouthfuls of water and spluttered. Every now and then, she could see glowing moss on the walls, outlining the circular form of the tunnel. She was spun around and around, and she tried desperately to keep her head above water. She kicked and spluttered.
She had no idea how long the roller-coaster went on for, but then she spotted a glimmer of light ahead.
Finally.
Suddenly, she was shot out over a short waterfall.
Hell.
She dropped, then hit a small pool of water with a giant splash.
The water pulled her gently along, then dumped her on a flat, grassy bank.
Ugh. She crawled out and spat the water out. She pushed to her knees and shoved her sodden hair back.
It could’ve been worse.
She looked up at the beautiful peaks that formed the ring of Citadel. A giant bridge arched overhead, leading into the heavily fortified main gate.
At least she was out of the city.
Mal sat for a moment, drawing her knees up to her chest. Right there, right now, she felt so goddamn alone. Her chest felt heavy, like it was filled with concrete.
She had no idea if Poppy was alive. She was on an alien planet being hunted by a man who thought she was an enemy spy.
She gave herself a minute to wallow. She’d find the strength to get up and keep going, but for a second, she just sat there and missed her mom, Rusty, and Poppy. The only people who’d ever given a shit about her.
Falling is a part of the process, Mal. It’s how you dust yourself off and get back in the saddle that counts most.
“Thanks, Rusty,” she muttered. “I’m not sure your cowboy-stunt man sayings apply on an alien world.”
Finally, she pushed to her feet and wrung out her hair. Her clothes would dry in the sun. At least it wasn’t cold.
She checked her sword and knife, then lifted her chin, and headed off into the trees.
They weren’t too different from Earth, except every now and then, she passed some with red trunks and silver leaves. The dappled light flickered over her, and there were fresh, green smells. It was different than Earth, but still similar. An ache filled her.
The thought flashed into her mind that she might never see Earth again.
Okay, enough with the pity party, Mal.
A strange bird flittered onto a nearby branch. Its feathers glittered with a metallic sheen. It tweeted at her.
She hadn’t gone far when she heard voices, a shout, then the laughter of kids. She hesitated, then crept quietly forward. She pushed back the branches.
She was standing at the edge of a small town. Ahead, she saw neat, smooth streets. A transport, slick and quiet, zipped past, humming with energy. There were restaurants that circled around a pretty square, with a statue in the center.
Straightening, she wandered in, trying to act like she belonged.
She saw two men arguing, a projection up between them. Looked like a business deal gone bad. Most of the stalls sold flowers. Lush scents filled the air. What was it with flowers on Zhalto?
She glanced away and looked up to the sun. It was lower in the sky, so she knew which way was west. She swiveled and looked to the east. She needed some food and water so she could set out to find Poppy.
Mal chewed on her lip. She wasn’t sure if she should go now. Night would fall soon, and she’d need shelter.
She scratched her arm. Thankfully, the itchiness wasn’t as bad as it had been earlier.
She wandered the streets. The Zhaltons all looked happy and prosperous. She guessed his Overlordness wasn’t a bad, tyrannical king.
Two flyers zipped overhead, and she watched them. They were going fast, moving away from Citadel.
She really needed to put some distance between her and the palace. Something warned her that Rhain was a man used to getting his own way.
She glanced up and realized she was close to the statue. She instantly recognized the rugged planes of the face. Rhain. He stood with those two jagged kilwar swords in hand, and even carved from stone, he looked powerful.
Mal felt a tug on her leg. She looked down and saw a cute kid, maybe two or three to her untrained eye, looking at her with huge gray eyes ringed with blue.
“Hey there.” She looked around for the kid’s mother or father. The boy held up a soggy-looking cracker. “Um, you have it. Thanks.”
The kid munched on it.
Suddenly, shouts and screams echoed through the square.
Mal spun, her pulse kicking into gear. People were running down the street, staggering and almost tripping over.
Then she saw them.
The creatures were the same as the ugly one she’d fought at the crash site and in the dream with Rhain.
Hexids.
A pack of the damn monsters were loping toward the center of the town.
Shit. Fuck. Crap.
One attacked a woman, biting her arm and dragging her to the ground. Another one grabbed a man and tossed him into the air.
Mal reached over her shoulder and drew her sword, then looked down at the kid. He was wide-eyed, his mouth open.