Tears glistened in Thia’s eyes as well. “Sumi? Tell him we can’t fight them. We’re better off here.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, Darice, she’s right. While I’m trained, you two are not ready for a professional strike force. You’d endanger your uncle by getting hurt, and would probably cost him his life as he tried to save yours.”

“You’re a coward!”

Sumi glared at him as she struggled with a fierce desire to give him exactly what he needed. A takedown he’d never forget. “Darice. I’m not Dancer or Thia. I have no familial love for you. What I am is a trained assassin who is one step away from cutting out your tongue. Think about it before you continue down this path that will lead you to a short lifetime of utter misery.”

His breathing ragged, he fanged her. “He better not die!”

Those words caused all semblance of humor to fade from Thia’s eyes as she picked up her pace even more.

Sumi ran to catch up and pull her to a stop. “Thia, you won’t do Dancer any good if you break something or collapse from exhaustion or heatstroke. You’re the only one of us who knows where we’re going. We need you with us one hundred percent. Dancer’s life depends on it.”

Darice snarled at her. “Only family calls him Dancer. He’s Hauk to you, human!”

He should be on his knees in gratitude that they couldn’t afford stunning him. If Dancer wasn’t under fire, she’d shoot him just on principal.

Sumi glared at him. “Do you talk to your mother like this?”

“No. She’d beat him till he bled.”

Sumi cringed as she heard a cannon’s blast. “Is that —”

“Ion cannon fire,” Thia finished for her. “I know that sound. Intimately.”

The lorina hissed and started toward the battle sounds, but Thia caught her collar. She looked expectantly at Sumi.

It took everything Sumi had not to run back for Dancer. That was her natural instinct. Only the sight of the kids kept her focused on the fact that she needed to protect them more than a trained soldier. Unlike Dancer, the kids wouldn’t survive an attack, and he’d never forgive her if they were hurt.

For that matter, she’d never forgive herself. Neither of these kids needed another nightmare added to their memories.

But with every step they made toward the base, terror consumed her more. How could anyone survive the thunderstorm behind them?

Alone.