What? Why does she want us to do that?” I hissed, exasperated that we were about to move forward in our mission, only to have Pandora call us back.

Angie shrugged. “She just wants us back now. It’s nonnegotiable.”

“She’s also asking why you’re offline,” Lauren said apologetically.

I leaned in to Bashrik’s ear, where his earpiece was still fixed in place by the barbs. “Pandora? I don’t know if you can hear me, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry about my earpiece. I thought there was an insect crawling in my ear, so I panicked. I stomped on it without realizing what it was,” I lied, hoping she would buy it.

“She says it doesn’t matter; you can pick up another one from the ship. She says you need to be less careless in the future,” Angie said, repeating Pandora’s words as they came through.

It didn’t do much to calm my fears. I couldn’t hear the tone of Pandora’s voice to gauge her mood, and that scared me. Plus, I had no idea how hardy the earpieces were. I mean, if one could survive being submerged in a hot spring, then maybe one could survive being crushed. I had squashed the earpiece pretty solidly under my boot, but that didn’t mean Pandora hadn’t overheard my mutinous conversation with Cambien. I just prayed she hadn’t. Today had already been a mixed bag of hopefulness and hopelessness—I didn’t want it to end in punishment… or worse.

Dreading our return to the Vanquish, we headed out of the Pyros’ hospital, with Navan resuming his position at his brother’s side, relieving Angie and me of the duty. Bashrik seemed wary of Navan, putting a reluctant arm around the latter’s neck and pulling a face as he touched Navan’s gray skin. It would’ve been amusing had the situation not been so serious, given that we didn’t know if his memories would remain permanently altered.

Cambien came with us to the petrified village in the volcano’s crater, but he wouldn’t go any farther. Instead, he padded to the edge of the mountain and stared out across the vast expanse of Zai, taking in the view.

“Come back to me when you’re ready to continue,” he said dryly, not bothering to turn around. “Although I won’t hold my breath. This woman’s call seems very convenient.”

I sighed. “It’s actually the opposite, Cambien. We don’t want this interruption any more than you do. We will be coming back, so just hang tight.”

Following his gaze, I remembered how long the journey had been up the volcano. The Vanquish was miles away, and we had no way of getting there, unless we walked. Navan could only fly with two of us, at a push, and it didn’t seem like Bashrik was going to get involved in coldblood pursuits anytime soon.

Knowing there was only one option, I gently touched Cambien’s shoulder, making him turn to face me. “We can’t get back to the ship unless you help us out. I know you can’t fly without using opaleine, but can you persuade Bashrik that you did something to him to give him temporary wings? We need to get to the ship fast, and the only way to do that is to fly.”

He smirked. “At least you’re starting to understand some of our frustrations as a species born to fly, kept grounded through no fault of our own,” he mused. “What’s in it for me?”

“We get back here faster and help you with your opaleine corruption,” I said simply.

“You have nothing else to offer?” he pressed.

I rolled my eyes. “No, Cambien.”

“It was worth a try.” He laughed. “Fine, I shall speak with Bashrik. Although, you have to adore the exquisite irony of a coldblood thinking he’s a Draconian.” A glitter of mischief danced in his unusual eyes, making me wonder if he had known something like this was going to happen. After all, he was the only one who’d actually awoken the plague’s victims before.

True to his word, Cambien walked over to where Bashrik stood, held up by his brother. Leaning in, he whispered something in Bashrik’s ear, and a look of wonder passed across the coldblood’s face. Navan frowned at the exchange but held his tongue, his gaze trailing toward me for an explanation.

“You chose me for such an honor?” Bashrik exclaimed, before I could answer Navan’s questioning look.

Cambien nodded. “You were the most qualified. Test them out, see if they work,” he encouraged.

Grinning like a kid on Christmas, Bashrik released the wings from beneath his shoulder blades and opened them out. The vast, leathery wings cast a shadow on the crater as he flapped them forcefully, sending a spray of dust and stone hurtling off the edge of the mountainside. He rose from the ground, the power of flight already second nature to him. The sound of him whooping with excitement brought a sudden pang of joy to my heart. He likely couldn’t remember flying as a coldblood, but he was getting to relive the experience as though it were the very first time. It made me miss my own wings.

“Now, do you think you can hold one of your friends while you fly?” Cambien asked, shouting up to the wheeling figure in the air.

Bashrik nodded. “Sure! Where are they going?”

“They’re heading back to their ship for a brief spell, and as their guide, you are to go with them, to ensure no harm comes to them,” Cambien instructed, not missing a beat. “We still need them to help us out up here.”

Bashrik smiled. “Thank you for these, Cambien! I’d forgotten what it felt like. It’s not quite the same as being in my true form, but it sure feels close.”

Cambien flashed me a look that said “moron,” but I thought it was sweet.

“Thank you for doing that,” I said.

“Just make sure you come back. Don’t make me regret breaking my rule for you,” he replied, a serious look taking over his face.

“Your rule?”

“Never do a good deed for an outsider,” he explained.

I smiled. “I won’t make you regret it, Cambien.”

“You know, your boyfriend doesn’t like me,” he remarked, reverting to his usual creepy self.

“Can you blame him?” I countered, as Bashrik landed back on the solid black plateau of the crater.

Cambien chuckled. “Do you want to know why he doesn’t like me?”

“Because you’re arrogant, and you keep flirting with his girlfriend?”

He leaned in close. “Those might be factors, but the truth is, he’s terrified I will make you see what he really is, by offering you an alternative. I have never killed another living being in my entire life, nor do I have a quick temper. Tell me, are those qualities you look for in a lover?”

“We’re done here,” I snapped. “We’ll be back when we’re finished on the ship. In the meantime, I suggest you adjust your attitude, before it’s you who finds yourself on the receiving end of his blade.”

Cambien’s cold laughter followed me as I strode away from him. I felt my cheeks redden with anger and embarrassment. Forcing myself to ignore his words, knowing they were intended to pick away at my mind, I walked up to Navan and wrapped my arms around his waist, nestling close to his chest.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, stroking my hair.

“Yeah, we just need to get going. I don’t want to be around that perv anymore.”

“Your wish is my command,” Navan said, unleashing his wings, their shadows stretching out behind him. “Bashrik, do you want to take one or two?” he asked, looking over at his brother, who was admiring the membrane of his own wings.

Bashrik looked up excitedly. “Two. I want to really test these babies out!”

With a sad laugh, Navan nodded, before lifting off from the crater’s surface, gripping me tight in his arms. Cambien was watching us, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let him get to me, not now, not ever. That was what he wanted.

“This reminds me of those first days,” I murmured against his neck, as I clung on. The wind rushed past us, whipping through my hair, refreshing my sweaty, weary face.

He smiled. “You still glad you met me?” he asked, his tone carrying a hint of worry.

“Of course I am,” I insisted. “Why would you ask that?”

“I overheard what Cambien said to you,” he explained solemnly. “I’m not sure I could lose my brother and my girlfriend, both in one day.”

I clung tighter. “You will never lose me, Navan. Cambien doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Everything he says is a way of manipulating people. It’s probably how he got people to follow him in the first place. He’s charismatic, but he’s an idiot,” I whispered, kissing Navan’s cheek.

“I just don’t want you to think of me as a monster,” he said.

“I could never think that,” I promised. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Navan murmured.

We flew the rest of the way in relative silence, with Bashrik flying close by, gripping Lauren and Angie in his arms. Lauren looked terrified, her eyes squeezed shut for fear of being dropped, but Angie looked thrilled to be so close to Bashrik, cuddled into his side, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

At least he hasn’t forgotten how he feels about you, Angie, I thought. I hoped he never would, not now that it was out in the open.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the clearing where the Vanquish sat, its silver shell gleaming in the Zaian sunlight. Just seeing it sent a shiver of dread through me. Pandora was waiting for us in there, and we had no idea what she wanted. She had said we needed to debrief, but we had nothing further to offer her, in terms of our mission progression. What could we be debriefing about? Perhaps she wanted to object to what Navan had offered to do, to reverse the opaleine corruption. Killing coldbloods in place of Draconians would undoubtedly be an issue in her book. I supposed we were about to find out.

Touching down, we made our way up to the bay doors and rapped on the outer hull, the bangs echoing within the ship. A few minutes later, there was a crackle over the intercom, with Pandora’s voice following straight after. Bashrik looked startled at the sound in his ear, but kept quiet, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

“I only want to speak with you three humans,” she demanded. “Your coldblood friends might be contagious.”

“Weren’t you listening in? The plague can’t spread from person to person,” Navan insisted.

Pandora scoffed. “If you believe a word those Draconians say, then you’re more of a fool than I thought. Send the humans aboard—they’re likely immune. You and Bashrik can take twenty paces backward and stay there until I say otherwise.”

Bashrik looked like he was about to say something in retaliation to the comment about Draconians, but Navan clamped a hand over his mouth. All of us glanced nervously at each other, not exactly thrilled at the prospect of going in there alone, with no Vysanthean strength to back us up. Worried, I sought out Navan’s eyes, sensing his anxiety. Even Bashrik looked uneasy, and he only had half an idea of what was going on.

No matter our feelings, we had to obey Pandora’s orders. We couldn’t just wait out here in a bizarre stalemate. Nor could we discuss anything among ourselves, thanks to the continual presence of the earpieces. I was beginning to really loathe those little devices.

“I said twenty paces, coldbloods!” Pandora insisted. “Don’t keep me waiting. My patience is wearing thin!”

Navan released his hold on Bashrik’s mouth. Slowly, the pair of them stepped backward. They were taking tiny footsteps, their attempt at twenty paces only taking them a short distance from the bay doors, where they could rush in if we needed them. However, I knew it was a fruitless exercise. Pandora was terrified of the virus, and no amount of convincing would make her believe it wasn’t contagious—I doubted she would leave the front door wide open behind us.

No, if we ended up in trouble, we were going to have to deal with it ourselves. I just wished I could speak to my friends, to get some reassurance and offer some in return. Instead, all we had were determined expressions and worried eyes.

I wished I at least had a weapon with me, but they were all in storage, stowed away on the Vanquish. Pandora would never allow a detour before we met with her, especially not one that led to the armory. If only we’d landed on a planet that didn’t value pacifism. Then, we could’ve pilfered something to defend ourselves. It was too late to do anything about it now.

“We’re ready when you are,” I said.

“You know where to find me,” she remarked, the hiss of the intercom falling silent.

A second later, the bay doors lifted, the gangplank descending to the ground. The three of us took a few steps back to avoid getting squashed. As soon as it touched the grass, locking into place with a squeal of hydraulics, the three of us headed up into the belly of the ship. Pausing on the threshold, I took one last look back at Navan and Bashrik, before the bay doors began to rise again.