Chapter 24
The solar car swerved as the ground before them turned to molten rock and fire. Rowan almost rolled the vehicle, righting it at the last second as he veered out of the blast’s way.
He slid to a stop, changing direction. The beams followed them.
“What are we going to do?” she asked, gripping the armrest as he spun into a U-turn.
He straightened the wheel and hit the accelerator. “Part of why this site was picked for a camp,” he said, skittering around a boulder, “is that there are old mine tunnels.”
He pointed into the darkness. In the side of the hill, she saw a black aperture. He sped for it, and another blinding flash scorched the ground behind them. Her teeth clacked together as they sailed over a bump and slammed down hard on the other side.
As the ship’s beam searched for them, they reached the mine opening and rocketed through. Rowan slammed on the brakes, then leaped out and ran back to the entrance, where he hit a button. A door slammed down. She got out. “These mine entrances are disguised,” Rowan told her. “Hopefully the airship didn’t see us enter.”
She could hear the distant hum of the ship. It seemed to be moving away. “Will they land and try to find us on foot?”
Rowan shook his head. “Airships usually have only have a few people on board—the pilot is also the gunner. They won’t risk coming down here, where they’d be outnumbered.”
They could hear the ship moving off.
“It’s searching for the other Badlanders,” Rowan whispered. “I hope they made it to the mines.”
“Are there more openings like this one?”
He gave a grim nod.
She hoped Byron and the others were safe.
The timbers at the entrance continued to burn. Rowan walked toward it, stopping a few feet away. “If we go out there, we’re dead.” He slumped down, exhausted. “We’ll have to wait it out.”
“Won’t they send more troopers?”
“Not immediately. They’ll have to regroup, figure out their losses.” His shoulders slumped. “I can’t believe this. We lost so many.” He collapsed down against the wall, and looked up at her. “Come sit by me. Tell me where you’ve been.”
She walked over, staring at the sealed entrance, then sat down next to him.
“Did you like the weather shelters?”
She nodded.
“And the Rovers? Any leads?”
“Only that they were last seen about a thousand miles from here.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Did you get a sense of them in the weather shelters, at least? Did you look at the books?”
Again she nodded. “I can’t believe all the things in those books. All the animals!”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” He turned to face her, cross-legged. The light from the fires illuminated half his face, casting the other half in shadow. His eyes were soft and blue and deep. He looked toward the mine entrance, his gaze now far away, a frown on his face.
She felt the desire to reach out and take his hand, but didn’t. “I’m sorry about your people.”
He picked at a patch of caked mud on his pants and bit his lip. “So am I.”
She watched as his body shook. He quickly wiped his palm across his eyes and turned away. Now she did reach out, touching his shoulder. He kept averting his gaze, but he brought a hand up, lacing his fingers through hers.
Her stomach flip-flopped at his touch. When he faced her again, his eyes flared with such intensity that she could barely hold his gaze. She didn’t know what to do or what this feeling was. Then he leaned in. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, as well as an intense pull, a desire to melt into one. His lips brushed against her cheek. She closed her eyes at the pleasant roughness of his whiskers, and when she caught the scent of his skin, the primal urge overtook her. Finally his lips joined with hers, and her whole body trembled with desire. She leaned into him, giving into the sensation. He moved closer, pulling her to him as he kissed her.
Sparks jolted through her as their bodies touched, her stomach against his. She kissed him deeply, arms wrapped around his back, pulling him even closer. Fire consumed her. Time ceased, and the world stopped. Only his warmth, his touch, his scent existed. She ran her fingers through his short hair, and she felt the contours of his back. She was breathless.
Gently he leaned her back, laying her on the ground. He lowered himself onto her, and a delicious sensation surged through every part of her being. He kissed her neck, hips against hers; she’d never felt anything so exquisite. She gripped his back once more, feeling his muscles move sinuously. Their eyes met, and she felt a powerful connection with him, something that reached right down into her soul and met his head-on.
He blinked at her, then pulled away suddenly. “Holy hell.”
She sat up too. “Are you okay?”
“What was that?”
She wasn’t sure what he meant. The whole thing had been amazing and new for her.
“That whole . . . thing . . . that . . .” He swept his hands through the air, indicating back and forth between them.
“I don’t know,” she confessed. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Her body ached in a way she’d never felt before.
“You’re . . .” His intense blue eyes bore through her, doing nothing to help her breathe any easier.
All she wanted was to feel him again. She sat up. “I . . .”
He rose to his feet and straightened his jacket. “Wow.” He paced away, then stopped and looked down at her. “Have you ever been . . .?” He shook his head, pacing again. “Of course not. Of course you haven’t been. You’re a worker.”
“Haven’t been what?” Her whole body was trembling now, in a pleasant way. She wanted him to come back.
He stopped. “I don’t think I’m the person who should . . .” He resumed his pacing. “I mean, I’m just a
