Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

I shook my head. “No, I think I’ve said everything,” I said quietly, trying to keep myself together.

With a nod, Navan picked Galo’s body up once more, and waded into the icy lake. Once he was up to his chest, he let go of Galo, the lycan’s body resting on the surface for a moment before it floated down below the surface, never to rise again. I watched as the dark water enveloped him, forcing myself to remember this moment, no matter how painful it was. It would spur me on in times to come, when things got difficult. I had to believe that.

As Navan re-emerged from the water, I wrapped my arms around him, not caring that he was soaking wet. His body was bitterly cold, but still I clung to him, pressing my face into the curve of his neck, wanting to feel the comfort of him. He held me tightly, laying a tender kiss on my forehead.

“I just can’t believe he’s dead,” I whispered.

“I know,” Navan murmured against my hair. “Even when you don’t deliver the killing blow yourself, the ghosts can still haunt you.” He sighed. “I know Ianthan’s ghost still haunts me.”

It had been a long time since I’d thought about Ianthan, not realizing how much his death might have affected someone like Navan. The more I got to know him, the more human he began to seem. I barely noticed the ashen skin anymore, and he’d rarely had the opportunity to spread his wings since we’d arrived on Vysanthe. His grief was etched across his face. The two of them had been friends, after all, before Ianthan allowed himself to be swayed by his father’s endeavors.

“You cared about him a lot,” I observed softly.

He nodded. “He was my best friend—someone I thought would always be there, would always have my back. That doesn’t go away, even through betrayal.” He exhaled, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “I miss him.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, tightening my hold around his waist, as both of us stared out toward the placid water, where Galo’s body now lay.

I wondered what the pair of them used to do together, before life got in the way. They’d known each other for a long time—through all the firsts, no doubt. It made me smile to think of the two of them as coldblood kids, flapping about and causing trouble. Still, it didn’t seem like Navan wanted to say any more on the subject, so I left it. His pain was tangible.

“What are we going to do about Orion?” I asked, changing the subject. The icy chill of fear returned as I recalled his threat. My parents. He said he would hunt down my parents.

Navan’s eyes grew steely. “We should listen to Galo, but we’re going to have to play the long game while we’re stuck here in the North,” he said bitterly. “There will be no escape with Queen Brisha watching us. At least, not for the time being.”

“What, so we report back to that monster?” I spat, hating Orion with every cell in my body.

“For now,” Navan replied. “We can start small, feed little pieces of information back to Orion that don’t really help him out. While we’re doing that, we can think of a way to get out of here, to fulfil what Galo told us to do.”

I nodded. “Will the Fed in deep space be easier to persuade than the ones on Earth?” I asked, remembering how reluctant they had been.

He shrugged. “Different factions are run by different species. If we can find a more proactive headquarters, we might have a shot. They need to be powerful, too, if we’re going to amass allies in our fight against all those who would see the immortality elixir completed.”

I thought about the final words the lycan had tried to get out, before the chip had cut him off so brutally. He had been about to say something important, I was certain of it.

“What do you think Galo was trying to say?” I murmured.

He shook his head, his face perplexed. “I’ve been wondering the same thing, but I can’t come up with anything. He might have been about to give us a location, or coordinates, or something useful… I can’t say, honestly. I wish I had the answers.”

“Me too.” I grimaced, hating that it had come to this. “And now… we continue to be pawns in this intergalactic power play.”

“Until we can come up with something else,” Navan said. “Once we have another viable option to get out of here and get to a Fed base, we go for it. It will happen—it’s just a matter of time.”

I tried to take comfort in his words as we returned to the palace, knowing that people would likely have started to look for us. Pandora had left us over an hour ago, and since we hadn’t turned up for lunch, I had a feeling we’d been missed. I just hoped Pandora didn’t get in trouble for our absence—she was growing on me. She didn’t say much, but there was a steady strength to her that I warmed to.

However, as we arrived back at the palace, seeking out the dining room, it appeared they had bigger things to worry about than a few missing defectors. We had only reached as far as the grand hall, with its sweeping chandeliers and marble floor, the cream color threaded through with veins of gold, when we came across a large group of Queen Brisha’s soldiers. They were crowded around something—or someone—though I couldn’t make out who or what.

I did, however, recognize Bashrik, who was standing in front of Queen Brisha, flanked by two armed guards, his face animated, his hands gesturing wildly.

“I didn’t bring them deliberately, Your Highness!” he shouted, stepping away from the tip of a crackling pike. “I didn’t even know they were on board. I’m not even sure how they got on board!”

“Bashrik,” Navan breathed in surprise, and I frowned, wondering what was going on. Apparently, Bashrik’s ship had arrived while we’d been by the lake, and, despite his invitation to come here, things seemed far from cordial.

“You expect me to believe they are stowaways?” Queen Brisha asked. “You expect me to believe that two inferior creatures managed to sneak past you and get aboard your ship, without you realizing? You’ve been traveling for days, have you not?”

Bashrik nodded reluctantly. “I have, but—”

“So, explain to me how they have not wasted away from thirst and starvation? What, did they sneak past you again, and rummage through your supplies? I am no fool, Bashrik. I will not be lied to.”

“Look, I’m not lying, Your Highness!” Bashrik exclaimed. “I don’t know how they did it, but somehow they have. If I had known about them, I would never have told your border control agents that I was alone on the ship—I would have declared them as passengers. I know how stringent your security checks are!”

Just then, the circle of soldiers broke slightly, allowing me a glimpse of the figures within. My heart sank. Angie and Lauren were sitting on the floor in the center of the armed guards, their faces terrified, their hands covering their heads, as though they expected the soldiers to strike them at any moment.

I rushed forward, shoving the guards aside to get to my friends. The guards, however, had other ideas. They pushed me back roughly, sending me flying backward, and I landed in an awkward heap on the floor.