down at her hand gripping the wool of his morning coat.
Her knuckles were pale and crusted with blood.
Covering them with his palm, he tried to warm them, but it was no use with the wind, so he pulled her against his side. “This… isn’t good, Louie.” He kissed her forehead next to a wide gash matted with her long dark hair. It had come out of its neat bun and slapped them in the face with strands that smelled of smoke and lavender with every gust of wind. He swallowed a lump in his throat. When he’d found her several yards from the twisted metal, unconscious and lying facedown, he’d feared her dead. He could safely say that was the worst moment of his life.
Blinking away tears, he gathered her closer, wrapping her tighter, and buried his face in her hair. He fought not to cough as he said, “I’m sorry, Louie.”
“What for? You didn’t crash the sh-sh-shuttle.”
No, but it was his fault they’d been on the ship, exiled from polite society, sent to spend time on Englor with Payton. Dust, just let them make it to Englor. He’d be on his best behavior. No more talking himself into crazy schemes and blaming it on his muse in the name of boredom. No destroying his dance card. No more ridiculous wagers with Louie. He’d be the epitome of gentility—dancing every dance, making social calls, and spending his leisure time painting. He might even pay more attention to politics, like his parents wanted. Maybe then they’d take him more seriously and listen to him. If he got out of here, he’d make his parents listen. He’d gain their respect.
Louie’s teeth clacked together as she met his gaze. Tears tracked through the soot on her cheeks and mucus dripping from her nose. “Maybe we should run. It would keep us w-warmer. Remember when we were children? We used to get so sweaty out playing and m-my mom would scold us when we snuck into the kitchen and stole sweets.”
Bannon took off his torn morning coat, and the cold sliced into him so swiftly it nearly took his breath away as he draped the coat over her shoulders. “I remember, but if we run and get sweaty, we’ll just be colder when we stop. We can’t run forever.” Actually, as badly as his knee hurt, Bannon couldn’t run at all.
After what felt like a very long time but was only a few yards farther, she stopped suddenly and turned toward him with dazed eyes. For several seconds, she just stood there looking lost, and then she blinked, as if coming back to herself. “Why did you… do that?” She shook her head at him and tugged at his coat. “Put it back on.” She did want to bicker. It just took her longer than normal, which somehow made him worry more.
“No. I still have a waistcoat and my shirtsleeves. You don’t even have a pelisse.” He stuffed her arms into the coat. On the first try, her hand came out the hole on the left arm, but the second time he got it right. Amazing since he had no feeling in his fingers.
“Maybe for a little while.”
He stepped on something uneven, and his ankle twisted under him. A sharp sting arced up his leg, and his stomach churned. Great. He was going to cast up his accounts. Taking a deep breath against the pain, he swallowed down the nausea. He could just breathe through it and—
His knee gave way.
Louie caught him before he fell too far. “You’re hurt worse than you let on.” She tried to frown, but it was ruined by her quivering jaw. At least she felt well enough to try to coddle him.
“We have to keep moving, Louie.” Another drop of something landed on his face, then another and another. He looked up.
The sky had turned charcoal in color with a splash of olive. It was as beautiful as it was frightening, and as he watched a swath of light crackled down to the barren landscape, followed by the rumble of thunder.
Galaxy help them, they were standing in a field with nothing around them. They were the highest things around—the perfect targets for lightning. They’d survived the crash only to be done in by the weather. He didn’t know the first thing about survival in the wild, but he knew they needed shelter quick. The mountain no longer appeared so distant, and the rain came down around them now in