“I love you, Androma Racella,” Dex whispered against her lips. “I love you, and there’s not a damn thing you can do to change my mind.”

It was painful to say it. Terrifying. But Andi took the chance. For when tomorrow came, she wasn’t sure what would be left of her.

“I love you, too, Dextro Arez.”

They’d seen the darkest, most shadowed places of each other’s hearts. And yet here in this cavern, the world aglow around them as they kissed, all Andi felt was light.

CHAPTER 31

DEX

Dex felt great for a guy who might die tomorrow.

Knowing that Andi loved him meant that he would die happy. His whole body hummed knowing that, after so much time and through immense pain, he and Andi would always make their way back together. Not as the people they once were, but better.

He only wished he could take away the pain that he’d seen in Andi’s eyes since the moment of Lira’s execution. But pain like this needed to be felt, hard as it was to see it coursing through her. He could kill Nor for what she did, but he wouldn’t. That was Andi’s job.

“So what’s the plan?” Dex whispered into her ear as they turned down an empty hallway.

She stopped at a door and waved him over. “Through here is an entrance to the ships,” Andi whispered. “We’ll slip through and hijack one of them. From there, we’ll make things up as we go. I know Averia like the back of my hand. We’ll find the girls and get out.”

Dex wasn’t a stickler for precise mission planning; he usually liked leaving room for improvisation. But right now, they didn’t have any room to make mistakes. Sadly, they didn’t have time to make a solid plan. It was now or never.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, smoothing his thumb over her calluses. “Okay. We’ll make up the rest as we go.”

Andi smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Follow me.”

“To hell and back,” Dex agreed as Andi opened the door. She disappeared inside for a moment. He heard a muffled cry, then a thump, followed by the sound of groans. Andi stuck her head back out.

“All clear.”

Dex slipped through the door and emerged in a cavernous room full of hundreds of crates, stepping past two unconscious bodies.

“Sorry, friends,” Dex murmured to them.

The crates stretched across the dimly lit space, creating small walkways between stacks. The room looked like a warehouse where the Underground stored equipment for the ships. A few loose tubes dangled from one crate, while another was bursting with wires.

Andi was already a few paces ahead, scanning each aisle before moving on. Once clear, she gestured for him to follow.