“Anya?” I demanded. Anya was a ten-year-old girl without a spare ounce of flesh on her birdlike bones. “Please tell me you didn’t bring her into this mess.”

Mia sniffed. “Don’t be stupid. We said absolutely not and left her with someone Jasper knew. That’s what took so long. We had to stash her safely before we moved.”

I turned to Jasper. “I don’t think I’ve said thank you.”

He grinned, tucking his long, dark ponytail over one shoulder. “I spent every day on that ship wishing I’d been brave enough to cut out my chip and help you guys on Sanctuary. This was my chance to step up.” I struggled to remember his file, but only recalled a few tidbits of information. Jasper Many Chiefs, sixteen, with a power something akin to telekinesis that only applied to inanimate objects.

Imani joined us. “I’m not sure what help I’ll be, but I’m here for the long run. I’m not going to let what happened on Sanctuary happen to anyone else.” She twisted her long, delicate fingers in front of her as if imagining an alien between them, and I knew she was picturing Aliya.

What I saw in that warehouse didn’t fill me with hope. Imani was determined, but her ability to heal herself wouldn’t be much use against Mars Mining or Omnistellar, not to mention the aliens. Rune, Cage, and I leaned against the walls in varying stages of exhaustion. Reed was almost finished healing Alexei, who slumped on the crate, wincing occasionally. Only Mia and Jasper seemed to be in good moods and ready for the next battle. “So, this is it,” I said. “The eight of us against two major corporations and an entire race of pissed-off aliens.”

Mia shrugged. “I’ve had worse odds.”

Cage leveled a finger in her direction. “Name one time the odds have been worse than this.”

She grinned. “I don’t know. Maybe a few weeks ago, when we decided to break out of an inescapable prison in the middle of space?”

“Yeah, that didn’t exactly go off flawlessly.”

Mia glanced at Imani with what, for Mia, passed as guilt. “I guess not. But we survived, and we’re here, and we’re going to survive this, too.”

I nodded, letting her determination inflame my own. “You’re right. This isn’t the time to quit. Let’s share what we know and—”

At that moment, a buzzer rang through the room. We all jerked upright as the front door rattled. “Hide!” Cage growled. He grabbed my arm and swept me along with him, raising a blast of dust as he pulled me behind the crates seconds before the door swung open.

EIGHT