The Hunt - Megan Shepherd Page 0,106

of us—if we go back.”

Nok tucked a pink strand of her hair behind one ear. “Rolf’s right. There’s nothing we can do.”

Cora tapped a finger on Lucky’s notebook, taking a deep breath. “There is something we can do. Lucky had codes to access a weapons cache. He was planning on using it after the Gauntlet to rescue the animals from the Hunt. But we can use it too.”

“What, to fight?” Nok cried. “Six of us against a Kindred army? That’s crazy!”

“There are hundreds of Kindred loyal to Cassian on the station too, already in place to launch a revolution. They’re called the Fifth of Five. We just have to get to them.”

“So . . . you’re suggesting suicide,” Leon said. “For us and for them.”

Cora threw him a look. “I’m suggesting we finish what we started.”

“And you think partnering with some rebels means we’ll be safe?” Rolf asked. “There’s a reason Cassian was doing all this secretly—he knew as well as we do that the Council doesn’t want humans on their level.”

“Stop. Just stop.” Nok sank into the second pilot’s chair that Cora had vacated. “I understand that it isn’t easy to leave all those people back there, yeah? Maybe we could help them and maybe we couldn’t . . . but we can’t go back.” She pressed her hands against her abdomen. “There’s no way I’m having my baby there.”

“She’s right,” Rolf said. “It’s one thing to ask us to risk our lives and our freedom, but you can’t ask us to risk our child’s too.”

Cora paced, rubbing her aching forehead. She kept throwing glances at Lucky’s body, unable to believe he was truly gone. She slumped against the wall.

“Ah, screw it.” Leon stood up. “I’m with you.”

43

Mali

MALI LOOKED IN SURPRISE at Leon, who was still clutching his banged-up shoulder. “You are?” she asked.

Leon jerked his chin toward Lucky’s body. “The Caretaker said we each were the best at something, right? You know, Rolf’s smart and Nok’s hot and I’m the most perfect physical specimen out of all the people in the world—”

“I’m not sure those were his exact words,” Rolf muttered.

“But then there was Lucky. He was supposed to be the moral one. And those first few weeks, I never got it. Moral? I don’t know what he did back on Earth, but it wasn’t bake sales, eh?” He rubbed his shoulder, eyeing the white tarp. “But now I get it. Giving up always sat uneasy with him. He was a fighter. He would have fought for this.”

A strange sensation was happening inside Mali’s chest. She had never quite experienced it before; it was like her heart was not beating steadily when she looked at Leon. It was both uncomfortable and strangely pleasant at the same time.

Was this how falling in love felt?

Leon waved toward Nok and Rolf. “If you don’t want to help, fine. Stay on the ship.”

“I don’t want to be alone with him!” Nok threw a finger toward Bonebreak.

“She is right,” Mali interrupted. “We should not separate. It has taken us a long time to finally be together again. And also I think we are stronger as a group.” She paused. “A hell of a lot stronger.”

She smiled to herself, proud of her first successful use of cursing.

Anya reached out and squeezed her hand. Strength in numbers was an idea Anya had often talked about, back when they’d been trapped by the same private owner. Even at a young age, Anya had cared enough about freeing humanity to fight for it. At the time, Mali hadn’t wanted to listen. She had survived for years by being on her own. But now, as she looked around the room, she understood the importance of friends.

“I won’t let anything happen to Sparrow,” Cora said to Nok. “I promise.”

“What about you two?” Leon asked, jerking his chin toward Mali and Anya. “You in?”

When his eyes met Mali’s, she recoiled a little bit as that odd heartbeat sensation grew stronger. Suddenly her mouth felt dry. She knew exactly how risky it would be to go back. She knew that if she agreed, she might never have a chance to see the desert where she was born—those hazy memories of camels and bright sun. But she also knew that the human thing to do would be to agree.

“Yes,” she said, and Anya nodded as well.

Nok paced uneasily and exchanged a long look with Rolf. She sat nervously in the second pilot’s chair. “I still don’t like it, but I’ll hear you