Sabin hugged her. “Right now, we need to focus on calling for help.”
There was a rush of sound in the sky. They both turned and saw several swarm ships in the distance.
Cren. Sabin hurried back to the pod and pulled some rubble over it. “Come on.”
They jogged toward the closest buildings and ducked inside. They hunkered down, just as a swarm ship swept right overhead.
Finley stifled a gasp as the ship kicked dust up.
“They’re searching for us,” she said.
“Yes.” He scanned the ruined city and then glanced up again at the temple on the hill. “We need to set off my emergency beacon signal for the Rengard.” The Kantos would intercept it, so he and Finley would need to evade them until the Rengard arrived. “The temple is the highest point. We’ll climb up there, and I’ll activate the beacon.”
She nodded, her face set. “Let’s do it.”
Once the swarm ship had moved into the distance, they darted out.
“Look,” she said.
She pointed at stairs cut into the cliff face, leading to the temple. They hurried closer.
“I hear a swarm ship,” he said.
There was a ruined stone archway nearby. They ducked down, just as the ship roared overhead. He saw it land several streets away.
Cren.
“Stay low.” Hunched over, they ran toward the stairs.
There was a buzzing sound in the air, and he knew that Kantos soldiers were close.
Finley’s eyes went wide.
He pulled her behind a transport. It was abandoned, with the door open like a person had just left it.
He pressed his fingers to his lips.
There was a crunching sound. He glanced through the transport windows and saw two Kantos soldiers step into view. He stiffened.
Something touched his boot and he looked down to see a bright-green lizard. It licked his boot, then looked up at him with huge, dark eyes.
He nudged it to go away, and it froze. Its legs were sticking out and its skin changed color to blend in with the transport.
Finley made a sound, and he realized that she was trying not to laugh. The creature had frozen with its leg stuck in the air, so it didn’t blend in very well.
The small thing did look pretty comical.
The creature glanced at Finley, and it changed to a pink color.
Then they heard the Kantos getting closer, and the lizard dived into Finley’s lap.
Chapter Seventeen
Finley held her breath. The Kantos soldiers were right on the other side of the archway.
The little lizard quivered. She stroked it. It seemed friendly, and it was a cute little thing.
“They’re gone.” Sabin rose and pulled her up with him.
The lizard scrambled up and perched on her shoulder.
They hurried over to the stairs, and started up the stone-cut steps.
Oh, man. Soon she was huffing and puffing, her lungs burning.
Sabin was perspiring. He didn’t complain, but his face was swollen, and horrible bruises were forming. She wished they could figure out a way to free his helian.
“I need…a rest,” she said. Really, she wanted him to rest.
He nodded and they stopped in a small alcove cut into the rock. There was a carved bench seat there. She imagined that pilgrims heading up to the temple used the spot to rest.
They had an excellent view of the city. It must have been beautiful before its destruction. There were so many fountains, pools of water, and narrow channels joining them. It must have been amazing when the fountains and pools were running.
“It looks pretty from up here.”
“The C’addonites were known for their temples, rituals, and festivals to worship their goddesses.”
“Those poor people.”
Sabin leaned heavily against the rock wall. Finley rose and went to him. “How are you doing?”
He gave a curt nod.
She touched him, hating that he was in pain.
“Your friend likes you,” he said.
The lizard darted out from her hair. It was now yellow with blue stripes.
“If only he could fight off the Kantos,” she said.
“Let’s keep climbing.”
After that, it became one foot in front of the other. Finley’s thigh muscles burned. She glanced down. The city lay far below. Movement caught her eye on the ground, and she realized it was Kantos patrols.
Searching for them.
They kept moving upward and finally crested the top of the stairs.
“No more stairs.” Yay.
Ahead lay the spire of the temple. The main body of the temple was ruined. It looked like it had been hit by laser fire. What was left of the white-stone walls was covered with scorch marks.
The people who’d lived here didn’t deserve this. Earth didn’t deserve this.
Sabin pulled out a small device that was hidden under his armor. It looked like a large coin, with a blue light on top.
“Let’s get the beacon activated,” he said.
They moved inside the part of the temple that was still standing. It was quiet and shadowed, and more skeletons lay inside, resting against the wall.
Her heart clenched. Rest in peace.
They moved up some circular stairs, heading up to the top of the spire.
When they reached the top, the wind tugged at Finley’s hair and her lizard friend buried himself against her neck. Sabin pressed the beacon against the rock wall and pressed something on the device to activate it.
Beep.
“Now we need to hide.” He frowned. “The Kantos will track the signal and come after us.”
They hurried back down the stairs and headed back toward the rock-cut steps. But she heard noises down below and gasped.
Kantos soldiers were racing up the stone steps.
Sabin cursed. “There must be other paths.”
They headed back past the temple, circling a sunken pool and fountain.
“There.” She pointed at another path leading down to the city.
Suddenly, Finley heard a flap of sound in the air. A Kantos assassin landed between them and the second set of stairs.
She stepped back. Another assassin landed behind them.
Shit.
The lizard on her shoulder froze.
Sabin attacked the first assassin. The pair whirled and kicked at each other.
But she could see Sabin was slower than usual, his injuries zapping his energy. The assassin landed a hard kick, and Sabin staggered backward.
No.
“I’ll keep him busy,” he yelled. “Get to the stairs.”
“I’m not leaving you!”
The other assassin screeched.
“Your life means everything to me,” Sabin said. “Please.”
The air whooshed out of her. “Sabin.” She couldn’t leave him behind.
“Get to the stairs!”
He was planning to sacrifice himself for her.
“No.” She crouched and grabbed a hunk of rock from the rubble.
Sabin growled. “Stubborn Terran.”
“Yes, but I’m your stubborn Terran.”
One of the assassins attacked him.
Finley turned to face the second one.
It advanced on her, its wings outstretched.
She ignored her fear. It flew at her, and she whacked it with the rock. Her lizard friend darted onto her back. She hit the Kantos assassin again.
She felt claws rake her spacesuit, but the fabric protected her. She hit it again.