Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

Galo.

He looked surprisingly unhurt compared to Navan, but the grim expression on his coldblood escorts’ faces made me worry how much longer that would be the case. If Galo was experiencing fear, however, his posture wasn’t giving it away. He was standing tall, his chin held up almost defiantly—as though he’d rather die than give the coldbloods the satisfaction of seeing him cower—and as he spotted me, his face softened.

“So, we meet again,” he said as we drew closer, his lips spreading in a faint, crooked smile.

“Galo,” I breathed, concern for his safety setting my nerves on edge. Impulsively, I ran forward on wobbling legs and tried to reach out to grasp at him.

“Stay back,” one of the coldbloods snarled.

“You have to let him go!” I shouted, unable to take my eyes away from the lycan who had been so surprisingly kind to me. I remembered how gentle he had been when he took my hand in his as we traveled through the compound, like someone’s much-loved grandfather. Part of him must have known he was walking into a trap, but he had come along anyway—and suffered for it.

“Ah, there’s no use bargaining for an old goat like me, Riley.” Galo sighed. “You’d better stay back—these coldbloods are party poopers. They won’t let me go.”

“I’m not going to leave you here,” I said, tears pricking my eyes. Navan tried to pull me back, but I jerked away from him.

“Just take care of yourself, kid,” Galo said as the coldbloods pushed him forward. He set Navan with a stern look. “Take care of each other.”

Navan’s expression remained stoic. “Thank you.”

The coldbloods marched him around the corner and out of sight. Even to the very last second, Galo kept his chin up, that soft smile upon his canine lips.

“Galo!” I choked back a sob, hardly daring to imagine what would happen to him.

Navan pulled me toward him, enveloping me in his arms. I couldn’t muster the energy to fight him this time.

“Galo’s right,” Navan whispered. “Orion would never allow his release. He has complete control over us, with the deal we made, and…” His fingers brushed the back of my neck, where the chip was embedded beneath my skin, and I shivered at his touch.

“You have to promise me that we’ll come back for him,” I said, my voice firm even though it was shaking. “He risked so much to save you.”

Navan held me closer to his chest. “Once we return to Earth, I promise that I will do everything in my power to repay our debt to him.”

“Keep up!” our coldblood guard barked, having turned at the end of the corridor to see us lingering behind.

Navan pulled me forward, keeping his arm around me, though all I could think about was Galo’s face, and what punishment might lie in wait for him. I’d already seen what they’d put Navan through. To know that there was a species out in the universe that relished such brutality, and wielded such enormous power… I shook the thought away. If I continued down that mental path, I knew the figure standing next to me might start to shift, morphing from beautiful to terrifying in the blink of an eye. Navan was not his father, nor a true representation of his people, but there was a darkness in him. He was Vysanthean, after all.

The coldblood guard stopped in front of a door, and opened it wide for us to enter. As soon as we were inside, he loomed in the doorway, a nasty look on his face.

“While the chief makes his preparations, the pair of you are to stay here,” he said. “Don’t try to escape. We’ll know about it, if you do.”

With that, he slammed the door shut, my ears picking up on the faintest beep as it closed. We were locked in. Usually, I wouldn’t mind the idea of being locked up in close quarters with Navan, but right now I wanted to feel fresh air on my face, and see daylight on Earth once more, in case it was the last time I ever got the chance.

The room itself was much nicer than the one they’d previously kept Navan hostage in, but claustrophobia shivered through my veins, constricting my chest with panic. There was a sofa and a bed, with another door leading to a bathroom, but that was about the extent of it. The lack of windows underscored the fact that we were trapped.

“Are you okay?” Navan asked, his arms still around me, his eyes gazing down into mine. He paused, a grim smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “Stupid question.”

I nestled into his chest, wanting to feel the solidity of him around me. If I closed my eyes really tight, I could pretend none of this was happening. I could pretend we were in my childhood bedroom at home in New York, and he was there, comforting me over something stupid, something ordinary.

“I will keep you safe,” he promised, murmuring into my hair.

“If anyone can, my bet is on you,” I replied, keeping my eyes squeezed shut. It was hopeless. I couldn’t push the mission out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. There was too much at stake—too much that could go wrong. “What if, after all of this, the queens still find Earth, Navan? What if I mess up—what if they find out what I am, and what my blood can do, and come looking for my species? What will they do to humankind if they find us?”

It was a question that had been bugging me through everything that Orion had said. There were too many lies to keep juggling at one time. Surely, one would slip through, ruining everything? I was the evidence the queens needed that an immortality elixir could be created, and I was about to walk right into Vysanthe.

“I won’t let that happen,” Navan said, lifting my chin. “I swore I’d keep Earth safe, and I’m still going to.”

“You’re one man, Navan. And you told me yourself that it’s only a matter of time before one of the queens’ engineers cracks the technology that’ll enable them to find Earth.”

“We can’t worry about that now. Don’t be a defeatist,” he said, a little coldly.

I withdrew from him, surprised by the tone in his voice. Instantly, his features softened, his arms reaching out to pull me back into his embrace.

“I’m sorry.” He sighed. “It’s been a long day.”

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

“I’m just worried about taking you there, to Vysanthe,” he explained, his words tightening as he uttered the name of his home planet.