Klarisa was cut off again as the ice around them exploded into fragments. Dex was thrown backward, but as he sailed through the air, he got a glimpse of what he could only describe as something from legend.

An ice dragon.

He landed on the ice-encrusted ground. Pain shot up his spine, spreading through his nervous system like lightning. The planetary suits were made to protect them from the atmosphere, not bodily harm caused by the planet itself.

Dex rolled onto his side, his lower back screaming in protest. He didn’t think he’d broken anything, but he would surely end up with a wicked bruise. But that didn’t matter now—what did matter was that he couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him, and a predator was on the loose somewhere among the flurries.

Snow drifted around him like slinking ghosts, obscuring his view. Someone else groaned in the distance.

“Everyone alright?” Dex called, grabbing his gun from the ground beside him and struggling to his feet.

“I’m here,” Andi answered from close by. Two more voices he didn’t recognize yelled back, as well.

The air had cleared enough for him to make some shapes out through the white veil of snow, but the ice dragon’s lumbering form was nowhere to be seen. It must’ve gone back under the ice, but somehow he knew, deep in his bones, that it would be back.

Someone touched his shoulder, and he whipped around to find Klarisa standing there, her arm twisted at an odd angle.

“You’re hurt,” Dex said, stating the obvious.

She shook her head, batting him away. “Nothing I can’t handle. Better than half my crew—that thing took them into the ground with it.”

“Godstars. I’m so sorry.” Even as Dex said the words, he realized they fell short. But this wasn’t the time to grieve, and he was sure Klarisa knew that, too. “If we wait around here any longer, we’ll be monster bait, as well. Where’s your transport?”

Klarisa pointed off into the distance. Dex scanned the horizon—the transport’s sleek form was nearly a click away. That beast had really tossed them on their asses.

“Let’s find everyone and get the hell out of here,” Dex said. Klarisa nodded in agreement.

They came across Andi first, who was helping Lon stand. Dex let out a breath, thanking the Godstars for sparing his small crew.

Then the ground rumbled beneath them again.

“Not good. We have to run,” Andi said, supporting Lon, whose leg was bleeding through his suit. A jagged ice shard lay on the ground behind them.

His suit was compromised. They only had a few minutes before Lon would die of exposure out here on the frozen tundra.