At the sound of Kalvin’s words, my blood ran cold. I didn’t want to share with anyone but Navan. Clearly feeling the same, Navan stepped a little in front of me, his arm slipping around me.

“There are only three sleeping pods, and there are seven of us,” Kalvin continued. “So, who gets the girl to keep him warm on this long, cold trip?” He winked, my stomach turning.

“She is staying with me,” Navan growled.

Kalvin grinned. “Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. These things need planning,” he taunted. “Obviously, those two will sleep together, since I’d rather pull out my fangs with tweezers than get up close to a shifter,” he remarked. The two shifters made a sour face at him, though they said nothing in retaliation.

To my surprise, the two shapeshifters drew closer to one another, nuzzling each other with the flabby pouches that might have served as their cheeks. I didn’t know whether to find it cute or repulsive.

“Are they… an item?” I asked quietly, not knowing how to phrase it. I’d never seen anything like it, though it made perfect sense. I’d already been told that interspecies relationships were frowned upon, at best, so why wouldn’t shifters find love with other shifters?

Navan nodded, his own face showing revulsion. “They are mates, yes.”

“How do they…” I trailed off, feeling embarrassed.

“You don’t want to know.” Navan smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, which were fixed on Kalvin’s arrogant face.

“But where do we put everyone else?” the coldblood asked, evidently enjoying the game of toying with Navan.

“I’m not sleeping next to Nestor,” one of the dark-haired coldbloods announced suddenly, shoving the other coldblood in the shoulder. “His snores could start quakes!”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sleeping next to you either, Cristo!” the coldblood named Nestor snapped, pushing Cristo so hard he stumbled up against the back wall of the ship.

Kalvin grinned. “Boys, boys, you’re missing the point,” he murmured, his gaze on me. “I think Riley here should sleep with me and Cristo, since we’re the highest ranking on board this ship, after old man Lazar over there,” he said, flicking his wrist in the direction of the door Lazar had gone through.

I froze, hating the sound of my name coming from Kalvin’s lips. Orion or Lazar had no doubt told them all who I was, but it still didn’t make me like it. It turned my stomach, to hear the way they spoke it, always with a hint of something untoward. I could already feel Kalvin undressing me with his eyes, making me want to back out of the ship that instant, and put as much distance between myself and these hungry coldbloods as possible.

“She stays with me,” Navan snarled. “Don’t make me say it again.”

“It would be a nice idea, if the two of you could be trusted—which you can’t. Who’s to say the pair of you won’t come up with some escape plan the moment you’re alone together? Nope, not gonna happen. So, sorry, but think again,” Kalvin said.

I realized then they didn’t know about the chip in my neck, keeping Navan in line. Orion really must not have wanted anyone to know about the technology, if he hadn’t even told his “most trusted” men.

Navan looked at me, evidently thinking the same thing, but I shook my head discreetly, keeping him from invoking Orion’s wrath.

“She stays with me,” Navan repeated, his words dripping venom.

Kalvin ignored him, his eyes still fixed on me. “You know, I’ve never tasted human before,” he said, licking his lips licentiously, “but I bet you’re delicious.”

I held onto Navan’s arm, certain that he was about to lunge for Kalvin. Beneath my hand, I could feel Navan’s muscles spasming as he fought back the urge to strike at the obnoxious, lewd coldblood. I shared the sentiment, but I knew that getting into a fight here would do us no good. Besides, there was no space for a brawl.

For a moment, I thought about bursting Kalvin’s bubble, telling him that my blood would have to be synthesized before he could get his filthy jaws on me, but then I realized something. They knew about my blood. Kalvin was just trying to rile Navan up, and scare me in the process. Well, not today. I’d had enough of coldbloods trying to frighten me.

“I could tear that pretty neck of hers wide open, and drink until there was nothing left.” Cristo laughed coldly, his leering eyes wandering over my body.

Nestor nodded. “I’d bathe in her blood. I’d bottle it up and sell it to the highest bidder.” With all three coldbloods staring at me, I felt sick.

Despite knowing they were just trying to get a reaction out of us, I felt a true tremble of fear shiver up my spine. These creatures were powerful. Even if they were joking now, what if they decided to act on it later? Here, trapped on this ship, I would be helpless to stop them.

Before I could step in, I felt Navan break away from me, moving rapidly in their direction. A cry went up as he struck Nestor in the stomach, the coldblood buckling at the knees. Cristo leapt to his comrade’s defense, baring his teeth as he hurled himself at Navan, his sharp fangs ready to bite into the ashen flesh of the man I… cared for.

Kalvin joined the fray, his hands balled into fists, and punched Navan hard in the face. Navan reeled, staggering backward, but he was lunging forward again in no time, striking Kalvin in the neck.

“Navan, stop!” I yelled, but he either couldn’t hear me, or wasn’t listening.

The shifters shrank back as the coldbloods battled one another in a blur of limbs and fangs. Navan was strong, but it was hard for him to hold off all three of them at once in such cramped quarters. They barely had any space to lunge! He was doing a good job of it, ducking and diving beneath blows, but I could see he was struggling to keep an eye on everyone. They moved so fast, even I was having trouble keeping up from my spot on the periphery of it all.

“All of you, stop!” a voice roared from somewhere behind them.

Lazar had reappeared, just in the nick of time. Kalvin had Navan by the throat, with Nestor and Cristo pinning his arms behind his back. He was fighting back, his muscles straining against his captors, but I knew he wouldn’t have lasted much longer, had Lazar not interceded when he did.

Immediately, the coldbloods released Navan.

“We were just discussing sleeping arrangements,” Kalvin said casually, brushing blood from his lip. “I made it clear that Navan and Riley couldn’t stay together in a pod, since they can’t be trusted.” He pouted, drawing backward like a wounded animal.

Lazar turned to where I stood, an apologetic expression on his face. “I will be the one to watch over them. The rest of you, I suggest you keep your distance,” he warned. “I’m the highest-ranking officer on this ship, and if there’s so much as a peep from any of you, Orion will be the first to hear about it.”

“Don’t blame me when the lovebirds escape,” Kalvin grumbled, with the other two coldbloods reluctantly agreeing with Lazar’s words.

“This way,” Lazar said, leading Navan and me away from the main room of the Asterope, and down a very narrow hallway to the left. Navan’s shoulders barely fit the width of it.

A second later, he stopped in front of one of the three doors that led off from the corridor. These were, presumably, the pods Kalvin had been speaking about. Pushing the door open, Lazar ushered us inside. Beyond was a tiny room with one bed and a makeshift cot pushed up against the curved wall. Aside from that, and two lamps, the room was bare.

“You should remain here as often as you can, during our journey,” Lazar suggested, his eyes darting out to the hallway. “They will do you no harm while there is breath in my body, but they can’t be trusted. I’m sorry you had to endure that,” he said, turning to me.

“It’s okay,” I lied, still shaken by the words they had spoken.

“Navan, I trust you will keep your temper in check, in the future,” Lazar continued, his gaze shifting to his nephew.

Navan’s eyes burned with angry fire. He still looked confused about the double life his uncle was leading, and how he had come to be here, on Earth, with a rebel band of coldbloods. Perhaps Navan didn’t believe his uncle to be any more trustworthy than the coldbloods out in the main room.

“Unless I’m provoked,” Navan muttered.

“Well, try not to be provoked then,” Lazar said. “Rest up. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us, and you are going to need your strength when we land,” he added, his tone softening.

Without another word, Lazar ducked out of the room and shut the door behind him. Immediately, Navan crossed the space and pressed a button that glowed against the wall. There was a soft beep, before silence fell, leaving only the gentle thrum of the ship’s engine to underscore the moment.

Uncertainly, I wandered over to the bed and sat down on the edge, my eyes looking up at Navan, waiting for him to join me. He did so a moment later, though I could feel the fury pouring off him in waves. His fangs were still half bared, glinting sharply. Curious, I lifted my fingers to touch them. His expression was surprised as my fingertips ran along the smooth edges of the elongated canines.

As I pulled away, I smiled nervously. “They’re pretty impressive,” I said, my heart still pounding from the fracas outside.

“That’s one word for them,” he muttered.

Wanting to make Navan feel better, I put my arms around him and pulled him down onto the bed, wrapping myself up in his arms, feeling the strong contours of his chest beneath my head, and the steady beat of his heart within. He nuzzled into me, kissing me gently on the lips, just once. It was long and lingering, and though I wanted to enjoy it, I held back, knowing it wasn’t the right moment.

Fear wasn’t exactly an aphrodisiac, and I didn’t like the thought of the coldbloods cackling outside, listening in. No, this was a moment for safety and security, and Navan had that in spades. Here, with him, I felt like nobody could get at me. We were in each other’s arms, heading for a nightmarish world—I needed him just to hold me, to make things start to feel better again.

Although, maybe even his arms weren’t capable of that.

* * *

The next three days went by in a blur. As much as I wished we could go after the pod containing my blood that was still drifting its way through space, Orion’s orders to Lazar were that capturing the pod was only to happen after our mission on Vysanthe—as some sick incentive to ensure we performed well and got out alive, no doubt.

And so, there was nothing to do but wait. Navan and I tried to stay in our pod as much as possible, as I didn’t want to face those pigs again and neither did Navan. Whenever I needed the bathroom, Navan would escort me, not wanting me to get caught in the corridor alone. During the brief periods we were out of our pod, Lazar made an attempt to talk to Navan if he was passing by, but for the most part, Navan was successful at avoiding him too.

On the evening of the third day, however, Lazar came to Navan in our pod. Navan let him in, eyeing him stonily while Lazar greeted him, then walked over to a small box in the far corner that I hadn’t paid much attention to, and pressed a button. The lid popped open, and Lazar took two cushions and a box from within. Setting them down on the floor, with the box in the center of the two cushions, he beckoned to Navan.

“I bet it has been a while since you’ve played Periculum,” he said, a tentative smile tugging his lips.

Navan frowned. “I haven’t played that since I was a kid… With you, actually—that was the last time.”

“Feel like a game? We’ll be arriving soon, so this might be our last chance.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine. Arriving soon. Although this journey was not exactly comfortable, a part of me wished it would last forever, so we never had to reach our destination. I was also surprised that it had gone so quickly. I hadn’t asked Navan exactly how long it took to travel between Earth and Vysanthe in his Soraya, but I hadn’t gotten the impression that it was this fast.

I watched Navan’s expression, which looked as tense as I felt. “Your rebel tech is more advanced than I gave you credit for,” he said after a moment.

Lazar shrugged. “Orion has quite a large pool of great minds at his disposal.” Then he paused, watching Navan and waiting for an answer to his question.

I watched Navan too, wondering what he was going to say. I had wanted them to have a moment in which they might repair the broken links in their relationship, but only Navan could decide when and where that might happen.

“I guess a game couldn’t hurt,” he muttered at last, taking the cushion opposite his uncle.

A look of secret delight flitted across Lazar’s face for the briefest moment, seen only by me. Perhaps there was hope yet of the two of them saving their relationship.

Intrigued by the game they were playing, I wandered over and sat on the edge of the bed, tucking my legs under me. I peered over Navan’s shoulder to watch what was going on. It looked something like a game Roger used to try to get me to play, though this one had different quadrants on a board shaped like a map, and various objects of different sizes stacked up in a smaller box to either side of each player. After watching them set up, each putting a team of small figures into position, I soon realized that the aim of the game was to dominate the board, taking over each quadrant, until it was entirely filled with your color.

Of course it is, I thought to myself bitterly. What else would Vysantheans play?

It was a game of intellect and skill. I watched intently as Navan moved the figures across the board, storming through sections that were colored in the light blue of Lazar’s pieces. He was good, his mind working in ways mine never would when it came to sneak attacks and sacrificing pieces in return for more space on the board. They were engrossed, the pair of them, and for once I could see the family resemblance, in the way their brows furrowed.

“By the way,” Lazar said after a few minutes, “have you thought about how you will explain my presence to the queen? I’m not sure if Orion briefed you on that.”

“I’ve thought about it,” Navan murmured, his eyes fixed on the board. “If she asks for details, I’ll tell her my own ship broke down—which is why I haven’t arrived back on it—and that I sent out a distress signal. You answered it, given that you were in the vicinity, doing whatever weird research it is that you supposedly do for your alchemy projects…”

Lazar sighed, but smiled wanly. “I believe she’ll buy that.”

Feeling unsettled again at the reminder of our imminent arrival, I left them to the game. Seeking another distraction, I allowed my curiosity to lead me to the box Lazar had delved into to fish out the board game. There were other things inside. I sat down beside it, rummaging around for anything interesting. After plucking out a scroll that grabbed my attention, I unraveled it to find a map of space, etched across the wide piece of waxy material.

Only, it didn’t look like any map of space I’d ever seen. There were familiar planets, dotted across the surface, but there were some I had never seen either. In one section, there were clusters of curiously named planets, each with a species listed beside it. Aliens, everywhere. I almost felt like laughing—all this time, Earth had thought aliens a mere theory, but here they were, written down in black and white. My eyes lingered upon the sight of my solar system, noting the lines that had been drawn between it and Vysanthe. Put on paper like that, it didn’t seem all that far.

Feeling fear begin to prickle through me once again, I placed the scroll back in the box, stood up and walked over to the door of the pod.

“Where are you going?” Navan asked, his head snapping up.

“Just the bathroom,” I said.

“I’ll come with you—” he began, but I cut him off.

“Navan, it’s okay. I’ll go on my own this time. Lazar did make it clear on the first day that no one should mess with us… I’ll scream if I need you.”

Navan glanced between me and the game board, then finally grunted and nodded reluctantly.

I found the narrow hallway empty, much to my relief, and hurried along to the bathroom at the far end. Catching my reflection in the mirror, I splashed my face with some water, hoping it might bring some life and color back to my tired, dull features. At least we’d been provided with fresh clothing—plain, dark outfits that were surprisingly warm—which must have been arranged by Orion. It would have looked too fishy arriving in Vysanthe in our old tattered clothes, not to mention they’d be stinky as hell.

After I’d finished my attempt at freshening myself up, I returned the way I’d come… only to pull up short just before reaching the doorway to Navan’s and my pod.

Kalvin was striding through the corridor, coming in the opposite direction. Knowing there was no place to run, I steeled myself against meeting him, and pressed on.

As I tried to pass him, however, I felt his hand grip my arm, pulling me back. Opening my mouth to scream, I jolted as no sound came out. Kalvin’s hand had clamped across my mouth, silencing me.