A chill crept up the back of her neck in the space suit as she thought about the roar they’d heard earlier. Keeping her ears peeled—as much as she could in the bubble helmet that came with the suit—Lucy tried to eavesdrop on the escorts as they bickered back and forth, as well as whatever had made her want to piddle a bit. Whatever it was had sounded almost dinosaur-like in its roar, as scary as that sounded.
Her arm automatically tightened around Rue when she picked up a faint rumble in the distance. Peering past the still arguing Phaetons, she felt an immense wave of relief when she was able to make out the faint illumination of headlights. As they moved closer, so did the rumble of whatever engine was propelling it through the whiteout around them.
Within moments, a large, sleek silver automobile the size of an airstream camper pulled to a smooth stop beside the Phaeton shuttle. Chunks of ice and sleet dripped down the shiny metal sides as the steam rolled from underneath it.
“Looks like our ride is here,” she said, feeling a flood of relief at the idea that whatever had made that scary roar would soon be unable to get to them.
Hopefully.
“Nice,” Rue murmured as the door slid open and the women began piling in with the help of Trex and Bonner.
“Careful now,” Bonner instructed, helping Lucy over the threshold and into a seat before making sure the next woman was boarded and comfortable.
Lucy buckled her belt automatically before trying to figure out just how much she’d managed to fuck her ankle up. Giving it an experimental wiggle, she bit back a curse at the sharp pain that sliced through the appendage.
“That bad, huh?”
Biting her lip, she looked up at Rue, who’d snagged the seat across from her in the weird space train they’d boarded. She nodded, her fear of being sent back early from the program growing with every resonating ache that radiated from her ankle. The only thing she could think of was that this was the end of the line for her. Rue would go on to live the life they’d both dreamed of, and Lucy Goosey was going to be sent back to Earth where she’d limp around cursing her bad luck until she died a bitter old woman.
She knew that exact scenario was a bit dramatic, but that’s where she was at right now. Dying alone in an apartment while her dozen cats fed off her body until the neighbors noticed the smell and called the authorities.
“I’m sure it’s just a sprain,” Rue said, trying but failing to cheer her up.
“Maybe,” she said, keeping her panic on the inside as she thought about how screwed she was.
How was she going to manage maneuvering around in a cave if she’d seriously hurt herself? The last time she’d had crutches, she’d almost maimed the family pet—accidentally, of course—and her family had sent her to stay with her grandma until she’d healed. She’d been relegated to a senior living community where she was surrounded by plastic-covered furniture and macramé.
As if that hadn’t been enough of a kick in the teenage teeth, she’d been loaned a Rascal scooter while living there from one of her grandma’s bingo friends. You would have thought the hits would have ended there—ring the bell; she’s taken too many hits—but nope. Not by a long shot.
Betty the bingo buddy, the nice, little old lady that had been overly keen on her to borrow that Rascal scooter…
She had assured Lucy that Phil, her late husband, would have been absolutely thrilled to see it being used. Apparently, he would have been “rolling over in his grave at the idea of wasted money simply sitting in the corner.”
Especially since he’d only managed to drive it a few days before literally having a heart attack. While scootering around the complex.
“I wouldn’t let that bother you too much, sweetie,” her grandma had whispered into her ear as Betty had passed over the keys. “It wasn’t like he died on it. When he went into cardiac arrest, he rolled right off it and into the bushes by the clubhouse.”
As if that made the entire situation more acceptable.
“Don’t worry, Luce. I got you.” Rue’s voice broke into her thoughts like a pin popping a bubble.
Thank goodness for Rue.
Lucy blew her bestie a kiss, hating the fact that she couldn’t give her friend a hug right then and there for the unwavering support she always supplied. It was something that she never had to ask for but was always there regardless of the situation. It was also one of the reasons why she considered Rue more of a sister than simply a best friend.
“Hold on tight,” a gruff voice announced from the front of the vehicle.
The Phaeton escorts barely had time to brace themselves before the windowless van jerked into motion, tossing Trex back into his seat with a thump.
“Holy shit!” Rue exclaimed, an excited smile on her face as she met Lucy’s own panicked eyes.
Gripping the bottom of the chair under her ass, Lucy felt the vibration of their speed as they rocketed forward. If she hadn’t been belted in, she most likely would have slid straight out and onto the floor, considering she couldn’t brace both feet on the ground.
Within moments, the vibration had died down as they began to noticeably slow, the bumps becoming bigger and more frequent.
“Stay seated,” Trex instructed as he moved cautiously up to the front of the vehicle.
The women all looked around at each other as they were jostled, some of them clearly panicked at the less-than-smooth ride they were experiencing.
“Humans,” Bonner said, getting their attention from where he was now braced by the door. “Once we are inside the gates of Fyeir, we will do one final scan before handing you over to the Djaromir.”
At his words, a shiver raced up Lucy’s spine.
“Holy shit, this is really happening,” Rue announced, her face as
