Dark Matters - Michelle Diener Page 0,6

well, but seemed to be a hooded hawk, wearing a cloak much like the one she had stolen from the garage.

She had the blanket she'd found clutched to her chest, but she knew she would need to find somewhere to sit and wrap her feet in it before she lost feeling in them altogether.

There was a narrow walkway leading around the building, to the left and the right, with no railing. Lacking any other option, Lucy followed it right, keeping close to the wall to make sure she didn't fall off.

The fog seemed to thicken, and as she made her way around the side of the building the sound of the waves grew louder.

If she did fall, she guessed it would be to the bottom of the cliff.

The walkway ended abruptly in a small door set in a wall that seemed to stretch up forever.

She stared at it, trying to think what to do, and then turned her head as lights seemed to bloom to her right.

She blinked, sure she must be hallucinating, but after a moment, she realized the fog had cleared, giving her a view down the length of the cliffs.

In the distance she saw tall buildings, lights blazing from them as they rose up out of the cliffs. Further along she could see a city of sorts, where the buildings stood two or three rows deep.

Just as suddenly as the fog had parted, it closed in again, leaving her with nothing but a vague glow in the distance.

She shook her head, concentrated on what was in front of her again, and pushed at the door.

It swung open, and in what little ambient light she had, she made out some kind of storage shed.

She was out of options, so she stepped inside, crouching down in the doorway to feel for something to prop the door open with.

The idea of it enclosing her in complete darkness was too much.

Eventually she found something long and thin to keep the door open a little.

She sank down on the floor near the door, leaning up against the wall. Cool, damp air blew over her through the thin crack. It chilled her face, but she wound the scarf up to cover her mouth and nose and the fresh air helped dissipate the smell of dust and mold. She sneezed, pulled the cloak around her, wrapped her feet in the blanket, and closed her eyes.

The Tecran met the Urna with a full envoy a day's journey from Tecra. The five massive Levron battleships coming toward the UC ship were the most powerful the Tecran had in their arsenal now that the Class 5s were no longer theirs.

If it was meant to be intimidating, Dray thought, it was successful.

A hush came over the crew as soon as the envoy was picked up by the Urna's systems, and a fair crowd had gathered in the large communal area of the ship to watch them arrive.

“Do you think this is all the Levrons the Tecran have left after the battles we had with them?” Zutobi leaned closer to Dray, her voice soft.

Dray lifted his shoulders. “Maybe.” Five were not enough to police the massive Tecran space boundaries. “I don't know if I hope it is, or not. They can't keep their people safe with so few.”

“Word is, they poured every resource they had into building the Class 5s. They cut back on Levron production. They don't have any in construction to replace those we destroyed when they attacked us.” Zutobi leaned forward to get a better look. “What flight configuration is that?”

Dray scanned the five ships moving toward them, three in the front, two in the back.

To him, it looked like an attack configuration. And that's probably what the Tecran were going for.

They had to be feeling more than a little sensitive about having their military and government run by strangers for the next five years.

They couldn't help flexing a little muscle, perhaps.

They would be very much aware that every battleship in the United Coalition would descend on Tecra if anything happened to the UC teams coming to take the reins.

Although it would be cold comfort to him and everyone else onboard the Urna to know their deaths would be avenged.

Suddenly Bane, who'd been lurking beside the Urna like a large wrecking ball, moved forward, and faster almost than the eye could track, flew up and over the Tecran envoy and settled into place behind them.

There were audible gasps among the crowd.

“The weapons on the back two